After leaving Skyline behind and setting their sights on Bluewater, the southeastern city of the central continent, the Rustler and Men'ma found themselves greeted with open arms and offered an unexpected escort to their next destination—the outskirts of the Slithering Sea. As they approached their newfound allies, it became apparent that although the organizational structure differed from that of the "travelers'' they had encountered before, these people were engaged in a similar line of work: the exchange of goods between the two continents.

The Rustler keenly observed the bustling activity around him, noting the haste with which the crates were loaded onto the awaiting carriages as soon as Men'ma expressed her desire to reach the Slithering Sea.

"Say these people, they aren’t travelers, aren’t they?"

Men'ma, catching a glimpse of his puzzled expression, mumbled uncertainty, "Them? No, they aren't, I think."

Hearing this, a frown took shape on the Rustler’s forehead but before he could continue, Men’ma interrupted.

"But don't worry, whether they are Travelers or not, I don't believe they had anything to do with what happened to her. Two years ago, when I arrived on this Continent, I just needed someone to escort me to the central continent, and they were the ones I picked for that task."

Picked? Were they just items on a grocery list for her? 'Let me grab a couple of escorts while I'm at it!'

"I see, so they have been here all these years, waiting for you, in the ready, for the day you would come back home?" the Rustler asked, impressed by the dedication.

Men'ma nodded, her smile widening. "Indeed, it seems that way. Quite impressive, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't say impressive, but—" the Rustler began, only to be interrupted by the approach of one of the men. He was an Odoe, much like everyone else in the vicinity. The Rustler paused, his attention captured by the newcomer.

"Lady Men'ma, we've nearly finished charging the wagons. We apologize for the wait. We'll be ready soon," the Odoe man informed respectfully.

"I see, thank you," Men'ma acknowledged with a nod.

On these words, the man, with a respectful nod at Men’ma, withdrew away.

"It seems we're finally about to leave. I was starting to think it wouldn't happen," she declared, delightfully stretching herself, a huge smile spreading across her face. "I can’t wait to ride that damn carriage and be finally taken home."

"Well about that…"

***

In the midst of the desolate expanse between the southeastern cities of the central continent and the Slithering Sea, a convoy of three carriages traversed the rugged terrain. Suddenly, a resounding retch cut through the air, its echoes bouncing off the surrounding emptiness.

The rattling of the covered wagon was relentless as it trudged along the uneven terrain, jostling its occupants with each bone-rattling bump. Amidst the two passengers of the middle wagon, the Rustler wrestled with the unwelcome grip of road sickness. His fair complexion had turned a ghastly shade of green, and beads of perspiration dotted his clammy forehead. His unease mounted with every jolt and sway of the wagon, threatening to betray his composure.

"Whoa," Men'ma winced, "Your carriage sickness is far worse than I could have imagined."

"Yeah?" The rustler replied with a grimace, positioned at the back of the wagon, ready to do whatever needed to be done, in case there was a need, which there was plenty of, while also maintaining a good view of his rescue buoy, the fractured moon. "And yet I remember clearly having warned you about it! You didn’t want to listen."

In response to the Rustler's accusatory words, Men'ma shrugged and replied, "You're right, you did tell me. But what's the point of having horses and a convoy if we're not going to use them?"

"She’s got a point," she remarked, sitting beside him.

"And come to be realistic, that wouldn’t have work, do you know how long it would take to get to the slithering sea’s us if we were to walk as you suggested?"

"We don’t have to walk, just me."

"That wouldn't change anything; it would simply mean that you would walk while we would have to ride at your pace, that's all."

"Still another fair point for the lady."

Well a fair point or not, he thought before declaring, "I'm done with this." With little to no disregard from himself, he allowed his body to tumble out of the wagon, rolling onto the ground—the warm, uneven yet soothingly stable ground.

"What do you think you’re doing?" she complained.

"Can’t you see," the Rustler remarked, quickly standing up dusting the dust off himself before walking almost running to keep up with the carriage. "The constant rattling and jolting... I need to feel solid ground beneath my feet. I'll run alongside the carriage. It'll be faster and more bearable for me."

"I can see that, but we know this isn’t going to work," she said, noticing the distance gradually increasing between the carriage and the Rustler. She gestured towards the Rustler's struggling legs, indicating his difficulty in keeping up. "Tsk," she added in a disapproving tone. Then, she turned towards the carriage driver and requested, "Could you please ride the carriage a bit slower?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Right away, ma'am," the carriage driver responded promptly, adjusting the pace of the horses to accommodate the Rustler's pace.

"You don't have to slow down," the Rustler stubbornly insisted, his voice tinged with a hint of defiance.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. But I'm doing it anyway, and don't waste your breath," she retorted, raising her hands to cover both ears. "I'm not listening to any of your complaints."

"It's not like I was—" the Rustler began, only to be interrupted again.

"Can't hear anything!" she exclaimed, refusing to engage in further discussion.

Recognizing the futility of arguing further, the Rustler sighed and redirected his attention to keeping up with the carriage pace.

Several dozen minutes passed before she once again attempted to engage in a discussion. "So, are you still holding up?" she asked.

Since it was answered with a long silence, she took it upon herself to answer her own question. "What am I saying? Of course you are. How couldn't you?" she replied, her words laced with a hint of sarcasm that the Rustler didn't fail to notice. However, he chose not to waste his breath on pointing it out.

Faced with the Rustler's persistent silence, she decided to take a different approach. "Say, since you don't seem to have any trouble keeping up, let's talk," she suggested, hoping to alleviate the monotony of their journey.

The Rustler, feeling a surge of annoyance, initially regarded the idea of conversation with a touch of antagonism. "Talk? What's there to talk about?" he retorted, his tone edged with defiance.

" I'm bored,

"Listen, I know I was a bit sarcastic earlier, but I'm genuine. I want to talk. I'm bored, after all. So let's talk, and please, let's just bury this hatchet for a moment. We still have several days of road ahead of us," she earnestly expressed. "And I really don’t want to spend the rest of the journey like this."

Her words carried a sense of sincerity and a desire to move past their previous tensions. The Rustler paused, considering her genuine plea. He could sense the sincerity in her voice and the shared monotony of the journey. With a nod, he responded, "I guess you’re right."

"See? Let's do this!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine delight as she rejoiced from the back of the carriage. "So what should we talk about?"

"I don’t know, this was your idea, shouldn’t you be the one to know what to talk about."

"Hm, is that so? Let’s see…. Erm, then why don’t we talk about Ethereal Breeze, we never talked about him, yet even before Ninjara he’d already made a name for himself with what he did, mind elaborating about that?"

"No."

"Oh, come on! I'm about to take you to my home. I deserve to know. Is your day as Ethereal Breeze related to how you were able to become an Odo-wielder, despite being an arbian?"

"I said no," the Rustler repeated, holding his ground.

His days as Ethereal Breeze were an aspect he had actively kept away from the Dae Odoe. After all, the quest he was on during those days was not something he could just share with anyone. Deep down, he understood her curiosity. After all, it was natural to want to know about that considering how abnormal his circumstances were in all possible aspects. That's why he was quite surprised when, without him unraveling much about those days, she offered him to come with her back to the Southern continent, her home. He was both happy and hopeful that she was satisfied with the explanation he gave regarding how he became an Odo-wielder. However, it was clear that she was not satisfied. She was seeking answers, and he understood that soon she would not be alone in doing so.

Met with an unmovable "no," Men'ma shook her head. "This is exactly why I asked what we should talk about first. I made the effort, and now it's your turn."

"My turn, huh?" The Rustler pondered for a moment before asking, "why you?"

"What why me?"

"Why were you the one sent here? You told me that sparing the Dae Odoe was only what strengthened your resolve to come here. So that would mean there was something else that prompted you to come, aside from just the woman's testament of my existence."

"That..."

"Don't think I'm that gullible. I know you're not taking me to the southern continent out of sheer niceness. There has to be something for you to gain out of this. You've claimed to be a Valkyrie, but I know for a fact that a Valkyrie doesn't leave the Odo tree."

"Hahaha, you knew about that… Well, wait! I never introduced myself as a valkyrie to you or anyone of the Den, where did you hear about that?"

"I know someone who told me that you did introduce yourself with that title," the Rustler stated matter-of-factly.

Men'ma's face flushed with embarrassment, and she instinctively reached for her head, scratching it in a display of discomfort. "And here I was thinking that everyone had forgotten about that. I don't introduce myself with that title anymore. I only did so when I first arrived on this continent. People may be in awe of a Dae Odoe in the flesh, but they have no idea what a Valkyrie is. Boasting about the title is just as useless as shouting into the wind or reciting poetry to a stone. They simply wouldn’t get it. I’m surprised you even know about it, where did you hear about it?"

"I… I don’t remember, I think it’s something I heard as a child," the Rustler vaguely confirmed.

"I see. Well, as you can see, even though I have stopped introducing myself as a Valkyrie, I do possess some traits of one, or perhaps not enough to fully claim the title."

So? Which is it?

I mean, I have the crown and all, so naturally I got all the bearing of a valkyrie. But I suppose the fact that I haven't assumed Valkyrie duties yet means that I cannot truly claim the title. Responsibility is what defines a true Valkyrie, after all. As you mentioned, a true Valkyrie belongs to the Odo tree and should be by its side. Instead, here I am on a continent that isn’t even mine."

"So… you’re not a valkyrie."

His words seemed to have stung the girl in a sensitive area, as she, with an expression blatant of indignation, immediately began to vent. "Actually, I am, it is just that—"

"Say, Men'ma, while you haven't answered my initial question, I'm starting to grasp the essence of all this. Could it be that you came here of your own accord instead of being chosen or sent by anyone? And could it be that I, with all my peculiarities, serve as some sort of gateway for you to find your way back?"

The Rustler awaited Men'ma's response, his gaze fixed upon her expectantly. However, instead of offering a direct answer, Men'ma's silence spoke volumes.

"Waouh, she is clearly trying to sell us away, isn’t she?"

That’s what I was thinking too.

"You know if you want to change the subject it’s now or never."

She silently contemplated the suggestion, before nodding and asking, "aren’t you feeling tired of walking?"

"No."

"Are you sure? How about we take a little pause? It will be dusk soon, the perfect time for a break."

"Then I won’t mind.