"I think I'm getting the hang of this…"
"You've been practicing driving a horse for the past 4 hours if you still didn't learn anything, I don't know what to call you anymore. Is there a title lower than being an idiot?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot. So I think we're only a few miles away from Calibore, you think from here you'll know which way to go to Grimmaw?"
"Not sure. After all, It's been years since I've traveled here, but the place does look somewhat familiar…"
"So which way…"
…"What do we have here?"
Before Nemitz could even finish asking Meridith for directions, he was suddenly interrupted by someone else a few meters in front of them, appearing out of nowhere and as if on cue, a group of men and women just started revealing themselves from the trees and bushes slowly surrounding them and blocking their way.
~Is this the cliché where bandits appear out of nowhere to block the protagonist then get humiliated in the end?
Just by looking at them, smirking and holding guns and blades in the open it's quite obvious what they're up to, seeing that arrogance Nemitz knew that they we're being underestimated, so without much thought he holds the reins tightly getting ready to command for the horses to stop trotting to just immediately galloped to their fastest speed just so maybe that would surprise the bandits and make that an advantage for them to pass through the blockade before they could even ready to start shooting at them. He could only hope that this impromptu plan of his might actually work and right now, getting out of here as soon as possible is his top priority.
~What? You think I'll argue and just get into an inevitable fight in the end. It's only sense to run away plus they have f*cking guns!
The bandits not expecting their target to accelerate just like that without much of a word, could only move aside. But still bewildered at what just happened some of them almost got run over while most even forgot to fire their weapons but since their goal is to capture slaves its only reasonable not to shoot their next paycheck and seeing it's just a couple riding a carriage to a trot, they thought it was an easy picking; confident with having weapons in hand what kind of idiots would take that risk and without being afraid of getting shot. Aren't they afraid of dying?
Nemitz holding the reins firmly couldn't control the horses properly anymore since it was not too long ago that he just learned how to drive a horse and at a snail's pace at that, now as the horses is galloping in a bumpy rough road and frightened; an accident is inevitable, expecting it Meredith took the reins from him and tried to control it at a reasonable pace, but it was already too late. Anticipating for them to crash, out of instinct Nemitz could only grab at Meredith, embracing her to protect from the fall, jumping to the side near the bushes before the carriage flipped over a few meters away from them while hearing a muffled scream.
Seeing the carriage crashing a hundred meters away. The leader of the group who's pissed off of what just happened started shouting angrily, ordering his men to surround it immediately and ordered the two guys who almost got run over to check if anyone is still alive.
"Be on alert! And make sure nobody escapes!"
…
"Boss we didn't find the couple…"
"What?! You useless shits! Did you let them escape after that humiliating…"
"Bu-but we found another person in the carriage. He's tied up and in very bad shape but still alive."
"Tied up? … Anyway, bring him to camp and any other spoils you find. Everybody else will continue searching for those bastards! They can't have traveled too far from here… And make sure to guard the routes going to Calibore or Grimmaw that's the only place they could be going, and staying out here for too long is just asking for death."
"Ya hear the boss! Get moving!"
------------------
"Whew! Still alive… Sigh… what kind dog shit luck is this… I still haven't got anything, and I'm already facing the typical adventure cliché!"
"What the f*ck are you talking about this time?!"
"Sssshhhhh… Be quiet, will you? Some of them might still be here…"
"No shit. Anyway, why'd you do that?! We could have been shot you idiot! Worst, what if they have someone who's upgraded or even one of those freaks with super human abilities!"
"So-sor-sorry. Okay? I panicked and just moved… I just didn't want to get caught…"
Sighing… Meridith couldn't exactly fault Nemitz for what he did. If she we're in his shoes she might, would've also done the same. After all, It's better to just die than experiencing those kinds of torment again, remembering the unpleasant memories of her when she was with Jacob….
"Shit! Now it's very dangerous if we continue traveling to Calibore or Grimmaw, and they have the bastard, without nothing to sell how could we acquire creds?! How can we start over?! Dammit!"
"So what do you think we should do?"
"What? Me? You crashed our f*cking ride! If you only knew how to drive we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"Really?! With that kind of road, whether it was you driving it I doubt it would make a difference. Skilled or not, galloping that fast will just end with the same result! Besides what choice do I have? It's either we run away or get captured."
"Guess we'll never find out, don't we? And you're still the one who crashed it!"
"Alright already…sigh… y'know I just realized that bastard is right. You really don't stop nagging…" almost got hit from a punch coming his way, luckily he just saw it in time and evaded it just a few inches away, he was sure getting hit by that would make his world spin.
"Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding…"
"No. Come. Here."
"C'mon it was just a joke. I'm just nervous…"
Seeing the glare Meredith's giving him. He could only give up and offer himself for retribution. After a few moments, feeling the few bumps and bruises, Nemitz could only grumble.
"Y'know I'm not a punching bag and made out of metal, could you at least not punch so hard? Besides, we're already in this situation, and you're still hot-tempered. Couldn't you take a joke?"
"..... I'm not hearing solutions."
Backing away on instinct, Nemitz could only sigh in resignation…
"Alright. Is there another place we could go besides Grimmaw and Calibore?"
"Did you think I hadn't thought of that? I know a place, but it's too far away from here, besides we'd still need to pass Calibore or Grimmaw to go to another place. We'd already be dead before we're even halfway there."
"I really have a shitty starting line…"
"What?"
"Nothing… Anyway, since we don't have much of a choice. We could only try to sneak pass the bandits going to Grimmaw. What do you think?"
"What other choice do we have…at least if we could reach there, we'll be safe."
"Alright… So which way?"
….
After traveling a few miles, exhausted, Nemitz and Meridith decided to take a rest for a few minutes.
"Tsk, I almost brought us dinner…"
"You? How's that possible?"
"You underestimate me too much. Anyway, I just saw something that looked like a rabbit back there, maybe just a little bigger… Tried capturing it, but it was too fast and am afraid I might get lost if I followed it too far…"
"Shit, it must be a stray that got separated from its pack. You're lucky you didn't follow it too far, it might be leading you back to its flesh eating family, those critters are very sly. Anyway, We need to go, it's dangerous if we stayed here. Worst, It might even have followed you…"
"Wha-what? fle-fle-flesh e-eating?"
"Hahaha! Afraid already?"
Nemitz trying to stop his stuttering and suppressing the fear and indignation of the situation.
"Ar-aren't rabbits vegetarian? Be-besides it's just a bunch of rabbits, right? What could they do? Jump around and nibble us? And if a pack of them is coming our way, isn't that be-better? Will have food that would last us a few days…"
"Right. I almost forgot you're an idiot. Have you never seen a mutated rabbit before? Besides those nibbling critters isn't dangerous alone but not if it's a dozen of them coming at you! Haven't you ever seen them lunging? Now stop dilly-dallying and let's go!"
As they we're about to go, Nemitz felt this eerie feeling behind his back and seeing Meridith's frightened expression looking behind him, without saying anything she just ran off as if her life depended on it. As someone who's born in the 20th century, he watched too many movies of characters that always gets devoured or killed right after they looked behind them. So without hesitation he just run after Meridith while screaming and thinking how silly this situation is.
"Wait for me!!! Aren't you afraid we might get caught by those bandits!!!"~Why the f*ck even rabbits are more dangerous than bandits with guns! This is just so f*cking mess up!
Right after a few minutes he left his spot, a few dozen rabbits arrived, following a few meters right behind him…