The group could enter that refuge without getting in trouble.
Clay perceived some Dreads lurking around, but they were too weak and decided to stay away from the group.
Dreads wouldn't just attack people randomly, after all. They wanted to survive more than anything else, even more than getting powerful and rise in the food chain. Those monsters mostly would analyze the power of their prey and see if they could deal with it.
Normally, Dreads of the 7th generation would attack out of nowhere despite being weak because they were too naive and their instincts weren't as sharp. However, some could live long enough to develop such senses and back away when they found someone stronger than them.
This point made Rick's group cross that place without too much trouble.
It was kind of difficult to guide horses in such a difficult place to walk. It was filled with elevations, mountains, slopes, and even depressions.
Their destiny was right in front of them, but they needed to circle mountains and lakes, go up some slopes, climb down, and so on.
It was a wonderful place to see from far away, but hard to deal with.
However, they were hoping that all that effort would help them to get into a very profitable place for "Willpower" dealers.
When they finally arrived at the gates of the walls surrounding that refuge, they stopped and looked up.
Those walls weren't as imponent as Refuge Sarah's walls. It wasn't even one-third of its height, much less had the same thickness.
In truth, it wasn't the main defense of Refuge Crystal. The trick to maintain Dreads far away and not let them pass was the blue lakes surrounding the refuge, which created a water obstacle for anyone who tried to get there.
Rick's group got in front of the gates by the wooden bridge laid on top of one of the lakes, but under an attack, it was raised again in order to prevent the Dreads to use it.
"Who are you and why do you want to enter the refuge?" A voice suddenly echoed from the top of the wall.
Rick was used to this kind of welcoming. Not all the refuges were like Oslan's, who would let anyone enter.
"I don't know if you will remember me, guy. Anyway, I am Rick. "Willpower" dealer and traveler. I came here with my group to make some money in your so-called golden marketplace."
The guy popped his head out of the wall, looking at them. It was hard for them to see each other's faces because of the darkness of the night, but the man didn't seem to be bothered by this.
He just wanted to confirm how many people were there and what they were carrying. Their faces didn't matter.
The guard looked to the sides, leaning his body even more on top of the wall.
"You sell your own "Willpower"?"
Rick simply shook his head.
"Of course not. What do you think I am doing in such faraway lands if I had a clean business?"
"Fair enough for me. Open the gates!" He shouted.
Rick smiled faintly, signaling with his head for his group to go ahead.
They obediently led the horses there.
From inside the gates, the same guard went down. He was alone and had some clothes in his hand. They were capes with hoods in a beige color. It seemed kind of dirty but wasn't that bad.
Dean looked at it with wariness, but he knew what it was about.
"If you have slaves, better cover them with it. You know, people don't care about slaves here, they will even help to punish if you are doing it in public, but some think it's rude to let them show their bodies and faces like normal human beings."
Rick chuckled after hearing that.
"The last time when I came here, they even allowed naked slaves. What made people change this much?"
The guard didn't know how to answer that and just shrugged.
Rick found it strange. He was sure that there was something else behind that story, but he didn't pursue the matter.
"Anyway, give me two hoods. This will be enough for now."
The man nodded to him, giving it quickly and then returning to his main duty.
Rick was glad for that kind of thoughtfulness towards his type of business.
"Yeah, the black market seems to be as busy as always here. They always find a manner to improve their discretion. I like it." It was rare to see the leader in such a good mood, so the rest just agreed to that.
They went past the gates, anxious for when the sun would rise again and the streets would get busier.
...
Dean woke up a couple of hours after they got into Refuge Crystal.
Rick had paid a settlement for the group. It was a single hotel room in a bar, but enough to accommodate all of them. The leader, obviously, took a room only to himself, which wasn't an issue for the others who were already used to this kind of attitude.
The boy didn't get out of his good sleep by chance. Actually, he woke up after being shaken by someone's hands.
"Hey, Dean." A low and shy voice called him.
"W-What's it?" Dean raised his body quickly, still feeling kind of wary about Dreads. He didn't have any idea that they had arrived at their destiny already.
"It's nothing much," Paul assured him. "It's just that Rick wants us to eat quickly the leftovers. The sun is appearing, so we will need to go out there and do what we are supposed to do."
When Paul was calling Dean by Rick's orders, he talked more than he usually would. Dean never could keep him talking, though.
After some minutes of explanation, Dean finally understood where he was and how he got there.
He was relieved that Spear Forest was several kilometers away from them and that now they were inside a relatively safe refuge.
"Ok, give me some food, I am hungry as well! Also, I need to find a way to stress out. Otherwise, I will punch Rick on the face once he starts to drain my "Willpower" again."