Vitmori POV

I haven't felt this excited in years, decades even. The idea that I'm on my way to a whole new city in a new land that hasn't been seen by anyone from the world I came from... Well, I can't quite put it into words but I just can't wait!

Legosi and I had jogged through the forest for a couple of hours before he suggested I get on his back, and while I didn't want to impose at first, he seemed oddly insistent about it so I relented and climbed on. Once I was settled, I was quickly reminded that I didn't weigh all that much when Legosi immediately launched forward and began running at a steady pace.

While I could tell he wasn't going full tilt, it was much faster than the brisk jog we were originally doing as we approached casual motorway speeds, hitting around thirty to forty mph as we raced through the woods. Even without tapping through my bond with Legosi, I could tell he was having fun just running through woods for the hell, of it, even as his manaheart pulsed with vigor through each bounding step.

After another couple more hours of this, we decided to stop and take a break in the shade of a good-sized tree. Legosi took this time to quench his thirst as he drank deeply from one of the stone bowls I had saved from the drinking party with the birds and squirrels. Despite how hard he pushed himself, Legosi was clearly still in a very good mood, his tail slowly yet steadily wagging as he loudly lapped at the water I made with my magic.

As we sat in the shade of the tree, I could feel the eyes of various creatures and critters as they crossed the woods around me. Most of them were wary if not at least curious about me and Legosi. I felt that quite a few of them had at least thought about attacking me for a moment, but one look at Legosi made them think again and left us well alone.

However, as the minutes went by, I sensed that there were two pairs of eyes lingering on me. At first, I thought nothing of it, yet as idle curiosity took my attention I noticed that the gazes were coming from Legosi's shadow.

I couldn't help but sigh a bit, but a smile still crept on my face as I realized we had some stowaways on this expedition away from home. "I know you're there... How about you stop hiding from me and come out of there." I say aloud before looking directly at Legosi's shadow.

Now that I knew they were there, I could sense the two in the shadow got startled by the call out. After another minute of stalling, Basmori emerged from the shadow and unfurled a pair of tiny, shadowy wings, from which Freyli had stumbled out into the open.

At first, I intended on lightly admonishing them for doing something so foolhardy as running away from the Haven without telling anyone, but I was so impressed by what I just saw Basmori do that I had to talk about that first. "How did you do that? Did your mother teach you that?" I ask in an excited voice, doing my best to make sure he knew that what he did was something to be impressed about. That's not even considering how he managed to also hide Freyli in the shadow with him.

While he was initially nervous, Basmori immediately perked up at the praise, fluttering his little wings before springing forward onto my lap and standing as he rested his paws against my chest and nuzzled his head into my chin and throat.

I returned his affection by gently scratching his throat and chin while patting his lower back. "Yes, yes. I am very proud of what you are able to do... But, I am not happy that you did it." I say gently, I'm sure the two of them had their own reasons for stowing away in Legosi's shadow, but the trouble is that they did not ask permission to come with me.

Basmori only mrowled softly, his ears drooping as he gently headbutts my throat still. He settled soon enough as he hopped off my lap and approached the water bowl, quietly lapping away at the water while Legosi pulled away and licked at the water dripping from his muzzle.

Freyli was up next, hesitantly stepping up onto my lap with her front paws as she looked up at me. "No trouble?" She asked cautiously while tilting her head in a rather cute fashion.

I could only smile kindly as I sighed again before gently patting her head. "Well... Little trouble, but I'm not mad." I decided to clarify, scooping her up to my chest as I nuzzled my chin against the top of her head as she mewled with delight. Setting her back down, she joins Basmori in drinking some water while Legosi lies down in the shade beside me.

"What do you wanna do? Shall we take them back home?" Legosi asked as he looked between the cubs and myself. I could tell he didn't mind either way as he laid his head on his paws, enjoying the break.

I thought about it for a few moments before just shaking my head. "While I am upset they didn't ask for permission, I'm not about to deny them their curiosity. There's a saying I know that goes... 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.' If we send them back now, they'll only be more eager to explore and might attempt to leave again on their own. It's better for them to travel with us and under our watch rather than deny them the experience outright."

Legosi flicked his ears thoughtfully, before bobbing his head in understanding. "I see, alright then." With that he laid there for a while longer, Freyli hopping up on his back and spawling across him while Basmori made his way into my lap to relax for now.

Once a good fifteen minutes had passed, Legosi was ready to go again. Now that the cubs weren't hiding, they decided to join me on Legosi's back; Basmori sitting across my shoulders with his claws digging into my wood to keep himself steady. Freyli settled in my lap, her claws digging into my thigh to keep herself as Legosi took off once more.

He didn't go as fast as he had before, likely out of consideration for the cubs, but we still went at a rather steady pace of around fifteen maybe twenty mph. We kept to this pace for another thirty minutes when Legosi suddenly caught an intense wave of smells that reeked heavily of blood. While my initial instinct was to avoid whatever could have caused that much blood to hang in the air, the fact that we were much closer to proper civilization made me think to at least check it out so I could possibly report it for someone else to check out.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Setting out toward the scent, we suddenly came across a trio of teenagers in a clearing, surrounded by five maroon-furred boars with strangely oversized tusks. At least they were oversized as far as I knew. Three of the boars were already hanging by their hind legs in the surrounding trees, their necks slit as the blood drained from their bodies into ceramic jars with wide, funnel-like mouths.

Among them, there was a brown-skinned human guy wearing a grey tunic with a mix of leather and black chainmail; he had a shortsword of some kind on his hip and wielded a shield and a club with a weighty knot at the end.

Behind him was a hooded, pale girl with canine features, wearing a similar mix of chainmail and leathers, though she had a bow and wore a green tunic underneath it all.

Lastly, there was a petite olive-skinned guy standing around maybe four, maybe four and a half feet tall wearing decent-looking robes that were several shades of blues and greens. The robes themselves were inscribed with a few runes that I could recognize and he wielded an odd-looking staff with a low-quality gem embedded at the end.

Judging by their expressions, they were just as surprised to see me as I was to see them, but I could sense they weren't hostile and just wary of the stranger that suddenly burst into the clearing they were in. Mentally suggesting to Legosi and Freyli to not speak around these people, I flashed a smile as I looked among the teens. "Ah, good... When I smelled all that blood I had feared the worst... Sorry if I startled you."

With that, I could feel most of their wariness had waned, but I was still a stranger so a healthy amount of distrust lingered as the guy with the club spoke up first. "Hey there... Thank you for your concern, but I can assure you that we're just fine." He said as he hooked the club to a clip at his waist. "Can we help you?" He asked in a probing way.

I smiled a little more before thinking about it and speaking up again. "Actually, I could use some help finding the nearest town, I've been wandering for some time now and I'm not exactly sure where I'm going." I explained as I got off Legosi, Basmori, and Freyli hopped off me as they stretched their own legs while Legosi laid down in the grass and dirt to rest some more.

Even without sensing their emotions, I could tell that they weren't expecting that particular request. Though at that I could sense the canine girl's eyes wandering my body as she seemingly noted my apparent lack of supplies and boots. The young guy spoke up once more as he procured something from a pouch on his belt. "Sure, we're not that far off... Just keep heading east, south-east and you should see it soon enough." He explained as he looked at the thing in his hand, is it a compass of some kind? Maybe I should look into getting one for myself.

"Many thanks." I reply amicably, though as I'm turning to leave, I can't help but consider using these guys to possibly make my way into town easier. I don't have any kind of identification on me, and I'm likely suspicious-looking if that canine girl is anything to go by. If I can endear myself to them, maybe they'll vouch for me or at least put in a good word. I look back at them as I gently rub the top of Legosi's head. "Actually, if it's no trouble. Do you mind if I tag along with you all? I haven't been around these parts before and I'd rather not get lost again... I'll be happy to compensate you for your time if that helps."

At that, the trio glance at each other before huddling up, taking a moment to discuss among themselves before the guy in the robes pipes up, looking over from their huddle. "How much are you offering?"

I chuckle softly as I can't help but appreciate how direct they are. "How does... Four silver sound?" I ask, reaching into my cloak before pulling the coins from my storage and holding them out in my hand for them to see.

They went back to their huddle, discussing a few more things before the guy with the club spoke up once more. "Sure, we don't have a problem with escorting you. But we do ask that you at least help us load our cart with the kills so we can leave here sooner."

I bob my head intently, though looking over at the two boars that haven't been drained I glance back to the trio. "Aren't you gonna bleed these two, like the others?"

The guy with the club shakes his head as he heads towards the edge of the clearing. "Nah, we only bled the first three as they came in order to lure more of them to the area. Now that we've got the number we needed, it would be safer to finish the butchering behind the safety of the walls." He explained, grabbing a small cart that looked barely big enough to hold all the boars, not to mention that they didn't even have anything to pull the cart, aside from himself that is.

"I see, and you intend on pulling this little cart yourself, with all that weight?" I asked as I walked closer, regarding one of the bleeding boars as it hung in the tree. Maybe I was wrong and they had something to pull the cart leashed up safely somewhere in the near distance, it just seemed like a lot of work for one guy.

Even before he spoke, I could tell I struck a nerve with the guy as he glanced over at me. "Yeah? What of it? Do you want to pull it instead?"

I held up my hands in a placating manner, even as Legosi stood and bared his fangs at the aggression displayed at me, a low rumbling emanating from his throat. Even Basmori followed suit, hissing as intimidatingly as he could manage while flaring his tiny wings. This caused the trio to be alarmed, the canine girl's hood swishing around as her ears tucked back while the guy in robes looked over my beasts in a new light, seeming more fascinated than scared as he got a second look. "Now now, I meant no offense. Perhaps I can help move things along, especially if we need to leave sooner, rather than later as you say." I explained before gently petting Legosi's head, letting him know it was fine before scooping up Basmori and cradling him on my left arm.

Legosi relaxed almost immediately, but stayed standing as he followed close behind me; Freyli hopped onto his back and rode the wolf as she eyed the trio curiously. Basmori for his part gave the guy pulling the cart a rather nasty stink eye, glaring as he rested cozily on my arm.

The guy looks a little wary after that whole display, but once my beasts calm down, he clears his throat and speaks up again. "Well... I won't turn down the help."

"Glad to hear it." I muse kindly before holding out my hand, pulling the boar into my storage, along with the rope that kept it strung up, and the vase collecting the blood.

At that, I could feel the trio look on with surprise, but it was the guy in the robes who nearly fell over himself as he watched me collect the boars as I went around the clearing before also taking up the cart. They didn't say anything at first, but the guy in the robes quickly pulled the others into another huddle as he frantically whispered to them. This time, I opted to eavesdrop, listening in to the conversation while I walked over to Legosi and doted on Freyli, scratching her throat affectionately.

It seems the guy in the robes thinks I'm a powerful mage of some sort, citing my casual use of spatial magic as his reasoning. He had supposedly heard from his teacher to be mindful of traveling eccentrics like me, and if he were to ever encounter one, to be respectful and helpful within reason if he wanted to survive and maybe even benefit from the encounter. Though... I'm not really sure if I can be called a powerful mage. Well, I'm not about to correct him if that's the conclusion he came to.

They broke their huddle soon enough, the guy in the robes approaching me this time as he lowered his head slightly in respect before looking back up at me. "Great mage, you honor this novice with your display of magical prowess, forgive me for not recognizing your might sooner."

Well, I suppose it's time to improvise... "Don't worry about it, do you think I intend on making grand entrances everywhere I go? It's fine." I offer kindly while shaking my head a little.

At that, the guy in the robes beams, feeling as if he just passed some kind of test as he stood upright once more. "Of course, of course... You said you wanted us to escort you to the nearest town, yes? We'll be glad to do so, and we shall help you pass without being hassled by the guards." He added almost knowingly as he began absently patting at and brushing down his robes some more to appear more presentable.

I couldn't help but smile a little more, this guy was surprisingly shrewd for his age and I could appreciate a mindset like that. "I wouldn't want to impose on you that far... But I appreciate it. Shall we be off then, novice?"

"Of course!" He exclaimed a little excitedly, turning to look at his group as they gave discrete thumbs up at him. He then led the way, walking a little stiffly as he stood as tall as he could manage, trying his best to make a good impression on me apparently.

"I like that one." Legosi murmured to me with a wolfish smile as we made our way from the clearing.