The morning air was already hot and dry from the rising temperature. Zhang Han opened his eyes and saw the orange and pink rays of the dawn sun lighting up the grasslands before him. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes.
His hips and back were sore. His legs and arms were sore. Everything was sore.
No, it wasn't just the sex, although that had been a pretty intense and good bang. It was also walking and hiking for hours and general exhaustion.
Zhang Han suddenly heard a chuckle and flinched, then turned his head to stare at Vaien sitting next to him. There was an awkwardness he felt worming around him after falling asleep so quickly last night. He didn't even do anything vaguely courteous...he had been...inconsiderate.
"..."
Even worse, he was supposed to have taken over night watch! Zhang Han's eyes dropped to the ground with guilt and shame.
"...I'm sorry," he said seriously. "You should have woken me up for night watch."
Vaien suddenly laughed. "Oh, I tried, but you were dead asleep. I just gave up." He watched with glee as the other's face turned red.
"...sorry," was all Zhang Han could manage to repeat.
Actually, Vaien hadn't tried to wake him up. He brought them down to a nearby stream to clean up, then simply let Zhang Han sleep the night. He wasn't cruel and could tell how exhausted he was, compared to himself who could stay up a few nights in a row with ease.
"Hm…I don't really care," hummed Vaien. "There's no rush. We go when we feel like it and rest when we want. The only thing we have to watch out for are storms or beasts!"
Yeah...that's all, totally not a lot to watch out for.
Anyway, Vaien seemed to be in a good mood, not complaining over any of it, which, Zhang Han figured that was because of the sex. As long as the sex was good Vaien was generally in a good mood.
While he was stretching out his sore muscles he found out that Vaien was staring at the horizon. But usually he didn't stare off into space like that, even if the surroundings were beautiful right now, doused in glowing yellow grasses, tall beasts grazing in the distance.
"Are you all right?" Zhang Han asked with the faintest bit of concern stirring in him. After all it was rude of him too sleep the whole night, Vaien was probably tired.
Vaien snapped his head back over and smiled. "Yeah. When you're ready, let's go."
Zhang Han had no choice but to nod, and soon they were off on their hike again.
The hours went by quickly when he kept on alert, searching for foes.
But no rabid dogs bore their fangs in the morning, although he did spot a pack of them under a tree, yipping at each other noisily. Those dogs seemed less unhinged than the ones that attacked them yesterday.
It was the sun that was Zhang Han's true foe. He could only bat away bugs and keep bringing air into his lungs as he tried to ignore the stifling heat over his head. Although it was tiring, Zhang Han would never raise a complaint unless he was going to collapse. He could do it, too, this hike. He would get used to trekking after a few days, he told himself.
"Hmmm…" said Vaien. This time his tone was not a playful hum, but it was a lower and ominous note, like a growl. "What do we have here?"
Zhang Han lifted his head with exhaustion, wiping the sweat from his brow.
All he could see was a few brownish specks in the distance. The grasslands here stretched on for a long time, although Vaien assured that in a day or two more forest would start sprouting, until it became a dense and cooler forest.
"What is it?" he asked. Vaien's eyes could see much farther than his.
"People."
Zhang Han paused. "Oh. Other travelers?"
"Yup, coming our way. It seems that they've spotted us."
Still trying to catch his breath, Zhang Han was a bit confused. Was it strange to see people out here? Was it dangerous?
After they went forward a little longer, Vaien added, "Oh, looks like they have mounts, too," he turned his head back to Zhang Han and grinned devilishly. "If we have mounts, this journey won't be as troublesome. Lucky us!"
"Um…" Zhang Han gave him a blank look. "So you're saying we should...steal them?"
"We could."
"..." Zhang Han now remembered that when he first met Vaien, some unknown corpse was in front of his cave, eaten by the ripper lizard that lived outside. Since Vaien could easily drive the lizard away, the fact that he didn't meant that he...allowed it to stay around to take care of intruders? 'Take care of' as in, eat them. Now Vaien was suggesting they rob random travelers of their mounts.
So then, Vaien is actually more a criminal than he previously realized…
"Hey! What are you distracted over, Zhang Han," whined Vaien. "Shouldn't you be a little happier, thinking about not having to walk the whole way?"
Zhang Han felt troubled. He did not know how to reply. Yes, it would be nice, and in the end he'd choose he and Vaien's survival over a stranger's but...stealing was a bit...he was not used to such things being culturally allowed.
"Not really."
Vaien rolled his eyes. "Most aren't as undefeatable as I am. They stay in their tribes for safety in number. So those that do go out traveling of their own will, going far from their homelands...are often the sort that a tribe drove out. Nasty people, I tell you. Some are even a batshit insane."
Suspicious, Zhang Han squinted at him. Wasn't Vaien making this up to justify his marauding tendencies?
"...let's make a bet!" Vaien said cheerily. "If they're nice, good travelers, you win. If they are nasty, irredeemable folk, I win. How about if I win, then I get to top-"
"I don't like this bet," said Zhang Han immediately.
"..." Vaien only frowned a moment before that dumb grin was back on his face. "Then if I win, you have to cook me dinner tonight."
"All right. If I win…" Zhang Han tried to think of something he wanted from Vaien, but nothing came to mind. "...nothing happens, I guess," he concluded.
Vaien frowned, disappointment lining his face, then turned back towards the front.
By now Zhang Han could see those people in the distance more clearly.
The things the travelers were riding had big, humped backs, and were very fuzzy, a light tan shade and covered in fur. And the ears were the strangest, floppy and drooping down to the creature's knees. Would riding one even be comfortable?
The closer the beasts came, the sillier they looked. Zhang Han still could not make out the people sitting on top of them, but it wasn't long before Vaien spoke again.
"Don't get close to them. Stay back while I 'chat', since you won't believe what I said unless I told you."
Zhang Han had a tepid expression, but it didn't last long once he saw those beasts that the men were riding kick up in speed. Their big hooved feet thundered over the first of the grasslands, coming right towards them rapidly.
And the men riding atop the creatures were covered in furs and bone necklaces. Compared to Vaien they were much less lean and 100% more bulkier and buff with an expression that stared at him as though he were a pig to the slaughter.
Scary. Zhang Han swallowed down his anxiety, taking a step back.
Vaien winked at him, the ideas of what he'd have Zhang Han cook for him dancing through his brain head. "Don't worry~ wastrels like these, I can make them cry for their moms…"
The man farthest in front rode up right in front of Vaien not a few moments later. He boomed in a deep and hoarse voice. "Oh, is that so? You talk big for a shrimp!"
Another one came over and guffawed. "Heh. Just give us your belongings and we'll spare your lives!" then he glanced at Zhang Han. "Wait...and I call dibs on that one. I ain't never seen black hair before."
For some reason, all Zhang Han could really pay attention to was that those big mounts they were riding, besides the weird body shape and long ears, also had a third eye right in the middle of their foreheads.
A big third eye with long lashes and everything.