"Where are the safety boots? Don't tell me you didn't find them."
Casper said as he gazed at Jean's feet before shifting his gaze and facing him.
During this moment, Jean was still putting on the sandals that he used in the bathroom some minutes ago. And he was now standing besides the seat that Casper was occupying. The strange thing was that, he still looked presentable even with the sandals on. This was the reason Casper was able to appreciate his outlook, when he stepped out of the room to flaunt a while ago.
"I have changed my mind. I am not going to wear them."
Jean said with a subtle frown evident on his face.
Just at that moment, Casper wore a serious expression and started heading towards the exit door.
When Jean noticed this, he was petrified. But when he was just about to ask the guy why he wasn't saying anything, his voice echoed in the room.
"Let's meet at the front side of the house. Make sure to lock the doors before getting out."
Casper said without slowing down as he stepped out of the house.
Standing rooted to the ground, Jean lingered.
At the moment, he was puzzled by Casper's indifferent action.
When he gave the guy a piece of his mind about his decision of not wearing the safety boots, he at least expected the guy to ask him the reason behind his decision. Instead, the guy seemed uninterested and switched to a completely different thing.
From the way Casper walked out, it was easy for Jean to tell that the guy was much focused on the journey other than any thing. So, the discussion about what shoes Jean was supposed to wear could have looked more like a pestering matter rather than an essential one, considering how long the journey they were about to embark on was.
At this point, he was split between taking the safety boots and putting on the normal shoes that Casper handed him a day ago. On one hand, the safety boots were too heavy and would undoubtedly slow down his movements and subject him to some physical strain. While on the other hand, the safety boots were tough and that made them the best shoes to traverse rugged terrains that could inflict some injuries to his feet.
With that thought in mind, Jean immediately decided to follow Casper's suggestion and take the safety boots.
'After all, he knows this area better than me. And the only way he can trust me, is if I also prove to him that I trust him.'
Jean thought to himself as he turned around and headed in the bedroom.
Ten minutes later, Jean was done locking the house as instructed by Casper and was now waiting for the guy at the veranda. It was still dark outside, but the two lanterns hanging by the main door pushed away a portion of the darkness to provide the veranda and the front side of the house with necessary lights.
The strange thing about Casper's house was that it couldn't be locked by padlocks or locks since there were none.
Although Jean didn't ask him for it, he clearly understood that as long as he didn't provide one, then there was none.
While closing the doors, he had tried to put off the lanterns in the house, but he didn't succeed. This was something that left multiple questions in his head as the memories about the strange lamp in their house flashed played in front of his eyes.
For a moment, he started seeing the world in a newfound colour. It was like the world was slowly changing in front of his eyes. What he had experienced in the past few days, were enough to convince him that something was bound to change in his life.
Starting from the ominous tree, the strange spot, the strange lamp, the kidnap, his survival from falling from the plane, the herbal concoction, safety barrier, Casper's extra ordinary vision to the mysterious lanterns. These were what seemed to taint his beautiful normal world.
Tapping the floor with the safety boot he was putting on, Jean pondered.
'I just hope this journey turns out a success. Hoping that no beast or person would pester us on our way. But for the security barrier, I must ask Casper to show me how it works. Who knows, I might need it in the future.'
Albeit there were so much things that Jean wanted to know much from Casper, he still handpicked two things among all, and these were the security barrier and the herbal medicine.
The reason he picked these two was because he believed that they were some necessities in his life. The security barrier could be used in providing security whereas herbal medicines could be used to tend to patients who can't afford medical bills back in his home villages, Celta and Kelb.
Additionally, these were among the few information that Casper didn't offer a warning before talking about them with him, which meant they weren't that dangerous to be shared.
The only thing the guy warned him about was the concoction that had the ability to repair a bruised soul. Although that one could also be categorized as herbal medicine, it was clear to tell that it wasn't a normal one since it involved the soul.
In that matter, it falls out of the list of herbal medicine since it can repair what is not physical.
It is better referred to as a spirit herb rather than a herbal one due to its effects.
However assimilating such information required time.
That was the only bothersome thing that could torment Jean whenever he would think of this.
'If my journey turns out a success, this would give me a chance to think on the matter of learning these two skills before I decide on my next move.'
Just as he was still pondering about the matter, a familiar sound snapped him out of his reverie.
The sound sounded like a moving engine and it seemed to be coming from the rear side of the house where Casper was supposed to be.
Despite Jean not having a clue about what the guy went there to do, he never bothered to know since he didn't want to disturb him.
'That sounds like a bike. Where could it have come from since I have never seen one before since I stepped in this forest?'
Although Jean had not inspected the area fully, he still believed that the area was full of vegetation rather than people's residents that could lead the presence of such machines in the area.
For a moment, he felt dreadful, but still chose to listen a little bit longer. This way, he could deduce the course in which the sound was traveling at.
A minute later, the sound stabled and then started becoming louder as if heading in his direction.
At this point, he didn't need a reminder to realize that the sound was real and it was coming where he was.
This was unexpected. He slowly lowered himself behind the wall of the veranda to hide his presence.
A couple of minutes later, a bike popped out from the left edge of the house at a medium speed, took a left turn, stopped with a screeching sound right in front of the house and the engine stopped.
Riding the bike, was a person wearing a heavy black jacket and a leather trouser with a black helmet covering his head and face.
If in the shadows, the person could have been mistaken for a silhouette.
Unaware of the identity of the person, Jean mused.
'Who is this?'
Just at that moment, Jean's gaze shifted towards the feet. When his sight caught the shoes the person was wearing, he was hit by an unexpected epiphany.
'I think I have seen them before.'
The rider was wearing brown safety boots which looks exactly like Casper's own safety boots.
When he was still pondering on the matter.
The rider took off his helmet in a jiffy.
When Jean saw the face that was lying behind the helmet, he gaped.
'So, it was Casper!'
Jean exclaimed internally.
Since the two had started arranging for this journey, never for once did Casper mention the use of a bike for the journey. Now that Jean had discovered that the guy had a bike, he immediately understood why the guy was unfazed by wearing heavy shoes for the journey.
He almost rebuked the guy for not telling him that he had a trump card set aside for this arduous journey.
Although according to Jean, traversing the closely parked trees of the forest on a bike would be a difficult task, he still preferred it over footing.
At this moment, several questions ran through Jean's head.
'If this guy had the bike all this while, why didn't he tell me about it all this while? And if it was here, where did he keep it that I wasn't able to notice it during my walks? And when he said that it was a two days journey, dod he mean with the bike or on footing?'
Countless questions ran through Jean's head as he tried so hard to pent up his frustrations.
At the moment, he was avid to ask the guy his last question, but felt like it would be absurd to ask the question as the first one when normally the first question would have been; You didn't tell me you had a bike.
After some consideration, he decided to follow the made up chronological order of the question. But before he could put across his intended first question, Casper's next words shattered his hopes.
"There is no time for questions, get on the bike Let's leave."
Casper commanded as he ignited the key and brought the engine of the bike into life.
'When did he changeover?'
Jean thought to himself.
He put on the helmet and glanced at Jean.
In the next moment, Jean pouted and followed the guy's command.
When he got on the bike, Casper place his hand on the accelerator and send the bike forward in a jolt.
Finally, the journey had begun.
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