"So, I take it we have a deal then, Spencer?"
Spencer nodded, combing through his messy scarlet hair with a bit of annoyance.
"That's right, kid. You fill up all the crates in this wagon here for me. And once you come back, you can borrow the wagon for the rest of the day."
Mikhail nodded with an enthusiastic smile. It had been a few days since he had been indebted to Spencer, and now he could finally get it off his shoulders. Not only that, he had even managed to turn things around.
Now, rather than a free favor, it was a transaction. Spencer would get his drupe supply, and Mikhail would get the wagon for a particular thing he wanted to do.
And that thing?
Well, now that he had so much extra space to work with, he wanted to get things like furniture and better amenities to transform his barran tent into a proper home! It had been too long since he last had a place to call his own, and the thought of decorating it to reflect his tastes made him excited!
Why was getting a wagon so important for this though?
Well, obviously it was so that he could get such things to his tent in the first place! Strong as he may be now, hauling many large things at once over to his tent would be a major test of dexterity that could prove detrimental to his efforts.
If he so much as even stumbled, chances were that a large portion of his hard work could go to waste, hitting the ground and breaking apart.
But why the rush? Couldn't he slowly fill up his tent over time?
Yes, he could, but Mikhail didn't want to. He was more than capable of getting this all done in a single afternoon, and as such, he was going to!
He could've asked his friends for help right? In fact, he did, but they were busy working all day today. Even Tybalt, who he had just finished sparring with recently.
Hence, he was left alone to tend to this matter. And now that he was relatively healed up, he was perfectly capable of handling things.
So, Mikhail got in between the two handles of the large wagon, squatting to grab them off the ground. He felt a sharp pain when doing so, but he didn't react to it.
Instead, he stood up and got moving.
He walked briskly, even with the extremely heavy wagon he carried behind him. It was slightly larger than a horse-drawn carriage, a testament to just how strong he was in comparison to a mortal.
'It almost feels like I'm doing a fetch quest right now…' he thought with a chuckle.
By now, he had familiarized himself with the layout of the tribe, even if he hadn't traversed it all himself just yet. Some would say the town's structure resembled a crescent moon, but Mikhail thought it resembled a crab claw more due to the two offshoots covering either side of Grand Elder Maya's home.
Not that anyone knew what a crab was besides him…
'Well… Maybe there are crabs, but it's not like I know what they're called in this world. Lots to learn still,' he thought as he turned the corner.
Currently, he was towards the center of the tribe, and was now walking along the North Path. The curved pathway that led out into the wild savannah surrounding the tribe.
From the North Path's end, it was only an hour walk to cross it and enter the fringes of the Shagar Jungle. So long as one began walking in any eastern oriented direction, that is.
Although the savannah was a relatively peaceful area for anyone with the strength of an Evolver, there was still the chance of haplessly running into hostile beasts that could put up a fight. Of course, these beasts were far and few between because of the weekly hunts.
And with the threat of retalliation looming nearby, most hostile beasts steered clear of these lands.
Mikhail was strong enough to defend himself out there — so long as he didn't fuck up —and with the mental map Spencer had bestowed upon him, things would be breeze.
All he needed to do was stick to the path Spencer had laid out for him.
Regardless, he had a spear tied to his back just in case. A weapon that Spencer lent him.
And as he walked along the North Path, feeling pain with every step, he couldn't help but admire his new home.
Mikhail loved the vibe of interconnectedness.
The relaxed and happy atmosphere.
The way people would wave at him and even have a short talk with him as he passed by.
It was the antithesis to the last few years he could remember. The suffocating and gloomy atmosphere of the bunkers. The disconnectedness between everyone marching. The blank stares and the hopelessness.
And as he approached the end of the North Path, he saw a familiar face.
"Oh, hey. Where are you going, Mikhail?"
"Going to the fringes of the Shagar Forest. What are you up to?"
"Taking a break from working on Inscriptions. What's with the wagon?"
Azalea had begun to walk with Mikhail, traces of fatigue present in her body language.
"I'm doing a favor for Spencer in exchange for the wagon. He wants me to fill up all these crates with Kennepa Drupes," he said, turning his head to face her.
Her neutral face cracked ever so slightly.
It was barely noticeable. Yet Mikhail could see the desire in her eyes. The way her expression grew strained said it all.
"You want me to bring some for you, don't you?"
She nodded.
"Hm, alright… But I want something in return."
Mikhail stumbled on a rock he hadn't noticed as he finished his sentence, but he managed to save himself and continue walking as if nothing had happened. He noticed another brief flicker in Azalea's expression.
"Come on, it's not that funny."
"It is. But that aside, what do you want?"
Mikhail thought about it in silence for a short while. What did he want from her? He already had the bartering power needed to get his furniture. And she had already agreed to be one of his daily training buddies.
He didn't really need anything from her, actually.
"Don't know," he answered honestly. "What are you willing to give me?"
Now, it was Azalea's turn to think in silence. Kennepas were her favorite, and it had been a few days since she had had one.
They continued walking side by side in silence as she continued to think about what to offer.