"How much for the carriage?" Nathan asked as he flicked his hair.
We were standing in front of a spirit beast vendor approximately three days travel from the last town we visited. It had been a grueling few days dodging bandits. We had made ou decided to take the long way instead of taking the main road after being attacked several times.
The town we were in was not as run down as the one previous but it seemed as if this area was filled with nothing but mercenaries and miscreants.
Our rooms had been set an extremely high price leaving us with a bad taste in our mouths. After a few days of not bathing however, we paid the room merchant with gritted teeth. The meals we were served were average at best leaving Loki to complain.
As if that was not bad enough the rooms themselves were all rather run down. I had made sure to test the bed for mites several times before it was deemed safe enough to sit on. Finally, here we are standing in front of a crooked-toothed man who was rubbing his hands together.
[ You better not try and scam us!]
"These two cockatrice are the pick of the litter just twenty silver and another five for the carriage," the spirit beast vendor said with a business tone.
" These cockatrice are older than my grandmother," Loki said mildly infuriated.
[ Loki's grandmother would be several billion years old right?...]
I chucked before rolling my eyes. This vendor did not understand who he was messing with!
" Nonsense they are only two years old" the vendor spoke feigning ignorance while he held up two fingers.
" These beasts are seven and you know it…" Loki retorted swiftly.
The vendors faced had become ugly before changing to one of arrogance.
" So what if they are old? They are the best you are going to get in this town. The war between us and Vance had made sure of that." The merchant said before crossing his arms and huffing.
[ War? ]
My ears pricked up a little as my comrades and the merchant continued to argue.
" We are still not paying twenty silver for pack beasts who are about to die" Sora said as he shook his head.
" How about you give us a fair price or I go find a guard and tell him you are trying to extort us" Heyu added in a stern tone.
" You can try if you like but not one guard will help you" The merchant responded flatly.
I couldn't deal with this back and forth any longer. It was not like our feet didn't work and I did not want to have to pay half a year of a commoners wages for two beasts of burden and a carriage they were old and rickety.
" Let's go everyone I think would rather walk lest we get stuck my daylight robbery" I said before sighing.
" If you said so" Heyu said as he looked at me almost apologetically.
I turned around and the everyone else followed.
"Wait" the merchant called.
I stopped briefly and turned my head.
" ten silver it's the best I can do" The merchant called out before he put his hands up in defeat.
" Do you have any gossip about the war? If you have anything worth hearing we may consider being ripped off " I said bluntly.
" the war huh? I may know a thing or two"
" What about a certain assassins guild that had been getting attention?" I said with an eyebrow raised.
" Heh there's not much that passes me unnoticed." The man responded.
[ Your face disgusts me..]
I took a few steps closer before pretending to reach into my pocket and willed some silvers from my inventory.
" Don't think you can't go missing if what you said is not useful" Sora said menacingly before he cracked his knuckles.
" All i can tell you is what I know" The merchant said.
" There is whispers that a certain man uses a hot springs three days ride from here.Apparently those who get close never leave, so it is known as the killer springs. Maybe the assassins you seek are there? As for the war" The man said before going into details about the what we had been missing the past few years.
The king of Vance had said that the Tama royal family did not respect Vance. They had used my " Assassination attempt" on Romeo as a force to push public opinion and make Tama out to be a horrible country. On the hand Tama had blamed Vance for the "disappearance" of Nathan.
The whole thing had been blown out of proportion until there were armed guards, massive taxes and frequent skirmishes on the border between Tama and Vance. We all stood there with our fists clenched as the man continued to spit nonsense with a smile on his face.
" Fine the silver is yours" I spat.
" A pleasure doing business with you all" the man said with a grin.
I dropped the silvers in his hand before Heyu grabbed the leads of the spirit beasts. A gloomy cloud was above all of our heads.
" What's a hot spring?" Undine said completely ignorant of the air around him. Kibbles shoved next to him as we walked back to our sleeping quarters and explained what they were. Undine had caused our hearts to lighten slightly as he finally seemed excited about something.
" A place with naturally hot water and minerals? Sounds like it will be excellent for my skin" Undine said after a while
" I wonder if Ren or father will be there" I said as I outloud.
" Possibly" Loki said with a shrug.
" Only one way to find out I guess" Heyu chimed in.
" I don't think I have been to a hot spring" I added.
[ Not on this planet anyway! ]
" I don't think it will be a pleasant experience, from what that rip off merchant said we will probably have to go in with a plan" Nathan said as he bit his lip.
" we can meet tonight and make up a plan. For not now I think We should all rest. It will be best if we leave just before nightfall lest we wake up to find the carriage stolen." Loki said frowning.
" Good Idea" Sora said as he nodded.
We had gleaned a little information about what laid ahead of us at the capital none of it sounded good. I had hoped that the springs really would be the place where Ren was waiting for me.
[Would he even recognise me?]
When the carriage was parked we made our way up to our rooms. I opened my door gently. The room was exactly as I left it expect for a small dagger with a note that had landed on my bed. I called everyone into my room.
" What is it do you think?" Nathan said looking over.
" There is a note attached" Sora said.
It was the same white color as the sheets so it was rather easy to miss. Heyu walked up in long strides and grabbed it.
He went to unfurl the note before he handed it to me.
" No poison but it is addressed to you" Heyu said.
" What?! Who even knows I am here?" I said with a frown.
The note was small. I took my time opening it.
The note simply read.
" Akiyo, Trag Tavern, 8 strikes of a gong, come alone"
[ Trag Tavern at 8pm? Isn't that the tavern in town? ]
I handed the note around so everyone could read it.
" What should we do?" I said seriously.