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"Welcome to this place."
As Mardez and the trio entered the Stonehouse, they were greeted by Xander who is leisurely sitting on a wooden chair while sipping his coffee.
"Oh, so you really are here Mr. Xander." Mark spoke while looking around inside the small Stonehouse. The other two are also looking around curiously.
The inner part of the house is really simple. There is a small wooden cabinet, a table, and a few wooden chairs. Aside from those, there is also a fireplace with a few woods beside it. Xander took his time to gather some firewoods when he arrived at the place.
The walls of the house are simple, just stones. But it is not a bad thing since the stones are clean. Also, the forest is a bit cold, so the inside of the house is cozy and warm. There is no windows, just a door, and also, the roof is made out of some kind of dried grass. The only thing lighting up the room is a brightly lit traditional lamp and a wireless bulb that is obviously brought by Xander from who knows where.
"Let's rest for a bit here. You can have your snacks and after a while, we will depart." Mardez then sat beside Xander.
"Where are we going exactly?" Natalie thought that the place where they are going to is the place where they currently are, so she and the other two are surprised when heard that they still had not arrived at their exact destination.
Xander just put on a mysterious air while smiling.
"In a while, better brace yourselves. We are going hiking this time."
The trio's eyes widened.
"Hiking?"
"Yes. We will go somewhere after a while so better warm yourselves up. I also hope you had some of your appropriate clothes since it is cold."
The trio just nodded and they had their snacks. After a short while, they went out of the Stonehouse to look around the area.
"So Xander, have surveyed the path?" Mardez asked Xander when the trio got out.
"No worries. It's still the same and I believe the hike will be alright. Although the path is clear, I am sure there are some muddy areas because of the rain."
Mardez nodded in understanding. This time, they will help the trio train. They know that in the future, the disciples of theirs are the hope of their group. They should at least help them now while they are still young, especially that they are fighters, not some non- fighting phenomenals.
After several minutes, the five of them got ready for the journey.
"Listen kids." Xander turned to face the trio.
"Mardez and I will lead the way. Our hike will probably lasts for about two to three hours. But it depends on our speed. I will guide you to the front, while Mardez will be behind of you. Cheer up and just enjoy the hike until we reach the place."
The trio nodded, although they are still curious on where exactly is the place they will go.
With that, Xander led them to a direction facing several mountains ahead.
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3:30 pm.
"Whew."
The five are having their rest in a drier area.
The trio are especially surprised when they looked downwards. They can see the road they had passed on, and also some houses.
"I wonder if we can see more of Rubando?" Mark asked in curiosity.
"Nah. Maybe we can see more if we are not heading to our destination. But there are some mountains covering our sight, so we are unfortunate to not see the view." Xander just chuckled. Lucky for them, they get to see the view of Rubando when they had a hike in the past, but in a different mountain, so he can't help but pity the trio for not experiencing such thing. The feeling of looking down at such city from a mountain peak is a wonderful experience.
They had been walking for more than an hour, and this is the second time they had a stopover. Resting for a few minutes, they resumed their journey again.
"How much more do we need to travel before we arrive?" Jay can't help but be more curious of where they will go. But actually, the trio are really happy to experience such thing for the first time.
"Don't worry, we will be there in a short while." Xander simply responded while leading them.
Along the way, the trio always stop for a bit to look at some rare plants and insects they had never seen in their entire lives. Mardez and Xander just let them be, since they want this experience to be a memorable one for them.
Along their way, Xander and Mardez sometimes lectured them about the various rare things that the trio are interested about.
"This plant here is actually an edible one, they can be eaten just after you wash them...."
"This insect is similar to a centipede, but I don't know the name, according to a book...."
"This tree is called Tanguile. It is good for making various furnitures because of it's durability...."
"That plant is a dangerous. Better memorize it's appearance since it will make your skin itchy for a long time when it's leaves make contact with you...."
Their walk is an enjoyable one, and the trio learned many things.
They almost forgot about the passage of time and they arrived at a certain flat area.
Xander stopped in his tracks and smiled. Mardez also sighed when he saw the place. The trio also stopped and looked ahead. What they saw amazed them.
"Seems like we are here?" Natalie asked with curiosity and uncertainty. Mark and Jay also just stood there as the wind blows on their faces, seemingly wanting to dry their sweats and caress their cheeks.
Xander smiled and tried to inhale a lot of cold air, releasing them after holding his breath for a while
He turned around to face the trio.
"We're here guys."