Azmir yawned. He suddenly felt very tired. Yuzan woke him up when he was just about to sleep then the giant snake appeared. The day's events were taking a toll on him already.
"Let's get you back to sleep, Mir. You must be tired after fighting with that snake," Yuzan said.
Azmir raised an eyebrow but he remained quiet. He wondered why Yuzan did not want the others to know about his ability.
"I'm so sorry I didn't notice the snake," the female guard said.
"It's all right, Ashka. Actually, it was Yuzan who noticed it," Azmir said in a reassuring smile.
"You're a guard. You should have noticed that snake but you were sleeping soundly," Yuzan said with a steely gaze at her.
"It will not happen again. We apologize," Bren said, stepping in front of Ashka.
Azmir looked at them in amusement.
"Bren, you shouldn't spoil Ashka too much. Ashka, be on guard duty with me. Bren, you can get some sleep for now," Yaz said.
Bren went off to assemble his sleeping bag. Azmir and Yuzan walked together to their sleeping bags.
Azmir yawned again.
The forest seemed so peaceful now. He felt like he was being lulled to sleep by the rustling leaves and the soft sounds of night creatures.
"How long have you been a traveling merchant?" Yuzan asked.
"Huh? What merchant?" Azmir said sleepily while going inside his sleeping bag.
"You're a merchant, right?" Yuzan said.
"Oh, right. Yes, I am," Azmir said, closing his eyes.
A soft chuckle.
"Good night, Mir."
"Good night."
*
*
*
Morning was announced by the chirping of the woodland birds. There was not much sunlight. The trees were far too thick so only a sliver of light could pass through the empty spaces of their leaves.
A hand gently tapped Azmir's shoulder. Azmir groaned and covered his head with his hand.
"Let me sleep more," Azmir said groggily.
"Mir, breakfast is ready," Yuzan said while tapping a beat on Azmir's shoulder.
"Argh," Azmir said and got up.
"You could have just eaten ahead," Azmir said, glaring at Yuzan.
Yuzan smiled in amusement. "We already did. Just eat already so we can get going again."
Azmir yawned and looked at Yuzan begrudgingly. "You look well rested."
"Yes. The sleeping bag is really comfortable," Yuzan said with a smile.
Yuzan and Azmir went to the campfire. There was only a small flame burning at the center. On top of the wood was a piece of dried fish. Azmir took it out of the fire and blew on the burned fish.
"I had the snake skinned," Yuzan said.
"YOU WHAT?!" Azmir almost dropped his fish.
"I think its scent will scare off the other beasts in the forest. I had it draped on our stagecoach. There are lots of excess skin though. Should we use it as capes?" Yuzan asked.
Azmir looked disgusted. "No. I don't want snake skin on me."
Yuzan nodded in understanding. "I suppose you'll sell the skin when we get to the town?"
Azmir looked momentarily confused? Why would he sell snake skin? Then he remembered his cover story. He was supposed to be a traveling merchant.
"Ah, yes, of course," Azmir mumbled while biting on his fish.
"Will you earn a lot from it?" Yuzan asked.
Azmir could feel his hands getting cold. He was really uncomfortable with lying.
"You're talking a lot today. That's strange. Why are you so interested?" Azmir countered.
"Why can't I be?" Yuzan asked with a smile.
Azmir sighed. "Let's just get through this journey, okay? I won't tell them your skill so you don't need to feel obligated to be close to me."
"I just find it interesting that a traveling merchant chose such a dangerous route to sell his wares," Yuzan said.
Azmir choked on his food. "Water. I need water."
"You can just make that, right?" Yuzan asked.
Azmir began coughing. The fish was stuck in his throat. "No. I c-can't make (cough) water! I can j-just (cough) control it!"
Yuzan got up and went to the stagecoach to get Azmir's water.
"For a water mage, you're not very impressive," Yuzan said while handing the water canteen to Azmir.
Azmir glared at him while he gulped down the water.
"Give me a lake and I'll show you what I can do," Azmir said.
Yuzan chuckled.
*
*
*
The journey was peaceful. Yuzan's idea worked. The weaker smaller beasts stayed away from the traveling group. For two weeks they had nothing to worry about. They were not attacked by beasts and they ate from their stock of food. During those days, Azmir was able to learn more about Yuzan. More specifically, he learned a lot about Yuzan's sister because it was the only topic he liked to talk about. Azmir already knew Mia's favorite show, favorite food, favorite toy, and other random things that he really did not want to know about someone he had not even met yet.
Strangely enough, Azmir noticed that Yuzan only talked a lot when the two of them were alone. Azmir had the feeling that Yuzan was not comfortable with the guards so one day, Azmir asked him about it.
"Is there something you don't like about our guards?" Azmir whispered.
Yuzan raised an eyebrow. "What made you say that?"
"It's just that you're not talking to them. You only talk to me always," Azmir said.
"You don't want me talking to you?" Yuzan asked.
"No. I mean, yes. I mean, why are you not trusting them?" Azmir asked.
"Do you trust them?" Yuzan asked.
"Well, their comrades just died but they're still here protecting us," Azmir said.
Yuzan sighed. "That's not out of the goodness of their hearts. They won't travel with us risking their lives if you weren't going to pay them."
Azmir frowned. "There's something you're not telling me. What is it?"
"There's something you're not telling me too, Mir," Yuzan said and flicked his finger on Azmir's forehead.
"Ouch! What did you do that for?!"
"Both of us have secrets to keep so just stay quiet and let me protect you," Yuzan said.
"Huh? Why would you protect me?" Azmir asked in confusion.
"You're my travel guide. I need you so I can meet my sister. Why? Did you think of some other reason?" Yuzan asked, his lips curled in amusement.
Azmir felt his face go hot. "Sister complex!"
Yuzan smirked. "Water mage."
"Is that supposed to be an insult?!"
*
*
*
Two weeks later, they ran out of food. All of them had grim expressions on their faces as they stared at the empty crate where the food used to be stored.
"So, who knows how to hunt?" Azmir asked.
"The three of us know how to hunt but it's dangerous. Only the stagecoach is safe because of the snake skin," Yaz said.
"That's not a problem. You just have to wear the snake skin," Yuzan said.
The guards paled.
"Are you confident with your skills? You can choose not to wear the snake skin if you are," Yuzan said.
"We'll wear it. It's better to be safe," Bren said.
The guards opened up the crate that contained the excess snake skin.
Azmir tugged Yuzan's hand. "Let's talk."
The two walked a distance away from the guards.
"What's your problem with them?!" Azmir asked in exasperation.
"What's your problem with snake skin?" Yuzan asked.
Azmir frowned in disbelief. "It's disgusting! A snake is a vile creature! It eats its prey whole! Wearing a snake skin would be like being inside a snake!"
"In my world, snake skin is a luxury. Items that are made of snake skin are expensive. They're really not that disgusting," Yuzan said.
Azmir sighed. "I see. It's normal in your world but you have to understand it's disgusting here for us. Anyway, try to be nice to our guards, okay? They're guarding us after all."
"I'm not sure about that," Yuzan said. "Besides, we don't need them. You have me."
"We do need them! You can't do the hunting because you'll end up poisoning the animals and we can't eat poisoned food!" Azmir said.
"Hmm... I'm not sure if I can remove poison from a dead animal but I can cure you anyway if you get poisoned from eating it," Yuzan said.
"That's not the point!" Azmir said.
Yuzan ruffled Azmir's hair. "You're just like my budgie."
"YOUR WHAT?!"
"My pet bird. It's a small one with blue and indigo feathers. You're just like him."
Azmir wasn't sure if he was frustrated at being compared to a bird or the way Yuzan ruffled his hair.
"I'm not your pet bird!" Azmir yelled.
"The way you make noise sounds the same too. Amazing," Yuzan said.
"Argh!"
*
*
*
Yaz and Bren were able to hunt a boar. They came back looking disheveled and exhausted.
"Good work," Yuzan simply said and went back to ignoring them.
The guards looked surprised.
Azmir smiled at him proudly.
The days continued on in the same way. The guards would hunt for food throughout their journey in the Vyridian Woods. They were not attacked by any more beasts so the journey was peaceful. Azmir actually felt relaxed from the forest atmosphere and he did not want to admit it but he quite enjoyed his banters with Yuzan.
After a month and a half, they were finally getting out of Vyridian Woods.
Azmir looked in awe at the town below them. They were standing from a low cliff. Behind them was Vyridian Woods and below them was a town with few houses. Azmir guessed that it would take them half a day to reach the town. They had to get down from the cliff slowly. It wasn't very steep but it was still a cliff and one could just slip by mistake and hit his head on a rock. They had the stagecoach with them also. It would be challenging to make the horses walk down the cliff. If that wasn't possible, they had to find some other way to reach the town.
"Finally!" Ashka said.
"Didn't think we'd make it," Bren said.
Yaz was laughing.
Yuzan and Azmir looked at the guards curiously. They were usually silent so it felt unnatural. Was it relief? Perhaps they were just relieved to get out of the woods.
"Mir, stay behind me," Yuzan said.
Azmir went behind Yuzan. What was happening?
"Just hand over that pouch you're wearing and we'll leave you alive," Yaz said.
Azmir's belt pouch contained his boxes of gold and even his clothes as a prince. It was magical so he put all of those inside the pouch. An experienced thief would know that a merchant's belt pouch contained the real wares and money.
"You can take the stagecoach. Just leave us," Azmir said.
Yaz laughed. "Not a chance. You have to pay us double for making us travel in that accursed forest."
"But all of you agreed to that!" Azmir protested.
The guards removed their daggers from their sheaths. They were no longer guards anymore. They were thieves.
"No use talking. We can just kill you here and no one will even know," Yaz said with a cruel smile.