SBO-1 stomach growled, he hadn't eaten anything since earlier in the day and the constant talk about gryphon made him remember the excellent taste of their meat. " Can I go out to look for something to eat?"
Thorin looked through the window, the daylight was almost over and there was no way that they could reach Whitelake City in so little time, so he decided to camp in the forest.
-"Go ahead." Thorin smiled as he felt happy that SBO-1 was finally getting used to the outside world. " Remember to get us something."
-" Do you want something? Maybe an obsidian goat?" The carriage was still moving as SBO-1 opened the door.
-" I doubt that you will find an Obsidian Goat around here." Thorin let out a hearty laugh as he heard the boy's question.
-" No Obsidian Goat? What about Giant Snakes? Do they live around here?" SBO-1 was completely oblivious to the fauna of this location, but, as they were quite close to the valley, he thought that some of the animals that lived there would also be present.
-" All those monsters only live in the valley, you won't find anything like this around these parts." Thorin scratched his head as he began to fear that the boy would grow bored of the outside world as it was all too normal, but, he suddenly remembered that some globins villages existed around here. " There are some globins around here, you may find them interesting, they are small human-like creatures with green skin."
-" Globins?" SBO-1 made a mental image of the creature and nodded to THorin. " If I find one of them I will bring it for you to eat," SBO-1 shouted before disappearing into the forest.
Baltsar, the bandit leader, was almost sure that he was captured by a group of madmen, after all, who would eat a globin? He suddenly became anxious, as he feared what his fate would be in the hands of those crazy people. " So? What you will do to me? " Baltsar prayed that they would hand him over to the Guards in Whitelake City, as he preferred to spend his days locked up in a cell than to accompany people that ate globins.
Thorin noticed that the man was giving him a strange glare. " Coff, Coff, I don't really eat globins, he just misunderstood it." Thorin felt awkward as he had a good idea of what made the man become so anxious. " He never saw a globin in his life so he thinks you can eat them."
-" Never saw a globin? Where did he live?" Baltsar didn't believe him, as he was pretty sure that globins existed in every part of the world. " And what the hell are those Giant Snakes?"
-" Giant Snakes? They are called Bashees, he just doesn't know their names." Thorin closed the door that SBO-1 left open as he left the carriage.
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Baltsar eyes popped in surprise at the answer. " Bashees? Do you mean the water Serpents, those Bashees?" Baltsar felt like the man was making up stories and lying to his face, he could accept that they had eaten an Obsidian Goat, as they weren't that rare, but a Bashee was a monster that could rival a Griffin. " Do you want me to believe that kid ate a Bashee?"
-" They taste like chicken." Dillia felt her mouth watering as she remembered the taste of the rare monster. " I didn't know that he had eaten a Bashee, I don't remember him in the last Sun Banquet."
" Sun Banquet?" What is that?" Baltsar felt puzzled, and could only wonder about what kind of banquet had such a mythical creature.
-" It's just one of the Chruch of the Sun God Festivities." Thorin quickly explained before returning to the important part. " I will give you two options: We can hand you over to the bastion in Whitelake city, and you will most likely be hanged, as we don't take bandits lightly. Or you can help us in a mission."
-" Help on a mission?" Baltsar shook his head with no hesitation. "There is no way I will help you guys!"
-" It's best if you don't reject our offer too soon." Thorin took out the mission parchment and passed it to Baltsar.
Baltsar hesitated at first, but, as he read the paper he became surprised. " Is this for real? Are you guys going to assassinate Daalmalk?" Baltsar was shocked, he never expected that this group was heading on such a suicidal mission.
-" The Sun Lands don't have any intention about invading the Northen kingdoms for now." Thorin gave the man a smile as he tried to ease the mood. " The eastern empire is too strong and we can't go into an unnecessary war."
Baltsar didn't know if what they said was true, but, the offer wasn't a bad deal, after all, he also wanted to weaken the control of the Eastern Empire over his homeland. -" Will I have to fight?"
-" No, we just need someone to guide and gather information for us." Thorin smiled as he felt that he had lured the man. " Most of your northern companions would never help us, but, if we have you gathering the information they will be more likely to help."
Baltsar gulped in excitement, he could play a pivotal role in the Northern resistance, and he didn't even have to fight. -" This may work, but, we still need to discuss things further." Baltsar couldn't help but imagine the fame he would gain if they could successfully kill Daalmalk.
-" Of course, but, you will need to tell us the situation in the Northern kingdom." Thorin let out a sigh of relief, he hoped that with the help of a local guide they would have an easier time traveling the northern lands.
Baltsar didn't mind sharing this type of information, as they could easily obtain it when they reached the Northern frontier. " This is fine. My name is Baltsar." The Bandit Leader offered a handshake to Thorin, who promptly accepted it.
-" I'm Thorin, the young girl is Dillia, and he is Oppius." Thorin introduced everyone, except SBO-1 as he suddenly remembered that he still didn't have a name. " We are from the Chruch of the Sun God."
Baltsar face twitched, he never expected that one day he would work alongside with people from the Sun God Chruch. Ge quickly prayed to his ancestors and asked for forgiveness before continuing. " What about that kid? Is he from the Sun God Chruch too?" Baltsar was curious, the kid was too strong and he doubted that he had a simple background.
THorin wanted to give SBO-1 the chance to create his identity in this mission, so he decided to just make up a simple background. -" He is a young monk from one of our monasteries, this is his first time in the outside world."
Baltsar was impressed, he didn't know if the kid was special among the other monks, but, if the Sun Land had others monster like him hidden away, it was likely that they could put a good resistance against the Eastern Empire.
After their introduction, Baltsar began to explain the situation of the Northern kingdoms, but, the loud noise of something landing atop the carriage startled him. -" was this an animal?" Baltsar looked through the window in hopes to see what hit the carriage, but, he jolted from his seat when he saw a mangled body of a globin hanging upside down.
-" Is this the globin that you wanted to eat?" SBO-1 smiled as he entered the carriage through the window with the globin still in his hand, but, he was caught off guard as he noticed that everyone had a disgusted expression.
Thorin sighed as he looked at the mess that the globin body was making inside the carriage, blood kept leaking from its wounds, and even an eyeball had fallen off and landed near Dillia's feet. -" Maybe we should set up a camp now?" Thorin shook his head as he pushed SBO-1 hand that held the globin away and signaled for the driver to stop.