Chapter 53: The Long Road

Blood shot his eyes. Chaos lurked around him like flies to a corpse. He ran around the wooden bridge before leaping down to the water. He felt that the armor of his was dragging him but he was a good swimmer. The armor he had was leather so he manages to swim without being pulled under the water. His weapons were heavy so he had to drop them with a bit of sadness.

Arrows rain down on the bridge and when he swam near the bank he saw the corpses of the fallen facing the ground. He’d tried to cover his mouth but it was too late, he vomited. The days so far were quite good but when they went to this bridge, a long bridge that connects to another mountain. They were ambushed by bandits lurking around, setting camp.

In the bridge, he could still hear him fighting for his life. He jumped when he saw the arrows but with that man, he will not fall from those. He was worried more about the lady he carried but it should be alright. He climbed back to the slope and saw the bowmen pulling the strings of their bows and release arrows at the bridge. The man in the bridge was like human steel as he deflects the arrows. He moved slowly while covering himself and the lady behind his back. Everyone who tried to attack him died by either getting shot at by his crossbow that could fire multiple shots or the nameless blade he has that was sharp and heavy.

The men tried to attack him but his body was made of steel. His arms were tough and even though they throw slings at him he was able to defend himself. They kept on attacking him despite the uselessness. The others carried mace but only to get cut down by him again. Some approached him by numbers but he throws a net connected to his crossbow and shocked them to death.

He was filled with weapons. He knows how to use them too. The bandits were still trying. They didn’t notice him sneaking around while they fight the burdened man. He slit their throats while they weren’t looking. He dropped his bow and sword in the river but he was able to use one of the bandit’s daggers and kill the bandit with it. He continued helping him while he faces most of the bandit. There were about thirty bandits and most of them were armed with longbows and slings and spears. The burdened man was strong enough to kill them all. But he was exhausted with using his magic that there are times he saw an arrow would stab on his body. He would remove them and cauterize it with fire as he continues fighting them.

He manages to somehow kill most of the bandits by the time the burdened man arrives past the bridge. He was bloodied all over and it was hard to tell if he was still alive or not. He looked at his injuries and saw that despite his flesh steel. His bones were not and they broke and got battered. The lady behind him was fine arguably better than the burdened man.

...

He dragged the burdened man to one of the tents. He removed the lady carefully as he pulls out some herbs he knows that heals and takes care of the burdened man who had his skins flayed and bones broken. He carefully made sure that the herbs were applied carefully. The burdened man was asleep or at least fainted. He woke up around the time he managed to patch him up.

The first thing he asked was where the lady is. He pointed at the listless lady. The burdened man sighed in relief and then began to tamper with his body. His healing skills are there but even that was not enough to heal the wounds that were made when he got his skin peeled by the arrows. His limbs were like rusted steel and the way he gets cut and slicked and hammered made his body slowly tanned.

He explained it as the effect of blood mixing with his skin. The blood will get mix with his steel-turned flesh and thus results to a diluted rusted like appearance. He feels nothing wrong about it and particularly he doesn’t care. The burdened man, however, does complain that having his skin tanned and brownish makes for a drastic change.

When he was done healing himself the first thing that burdened man did was to check if the lady was hungry. The lady nodded her head oddly which made even him raise a brow. The burdened man didn’t find it odd but Jess was still weird that they would talk about eating when there are corpses around them.

He persuaded Arden to not eat here and luckily he agreed. He and Arden then looted the camp for food. He also got himself some bow and a new quiver while at it. After that they moved away from the camp and then found a place where they could camp and prepare some food.

He prepared the fire and helped the burdened man prepare the goods they got from the bandit camp. They mostly dried meat and fruits. Some are rather spoiled and had bite marks on them but nonetheless, the burdened man put them into the pot he got from the camp. He stirred the pot and added some condiments and spices from the bandit camp. The smoke rise but with how they are covered by the thick vegetation from the trees. There should be no problem for them to eat and drink.

He waited for the food to cook. Oddly, despite the fact that they were just in a rough spot a while ago. They were now feasting on their food. They are not using the food so it was a shame to leave it. Killing is quite a subject to Jess but still, he tries not think about it and just lives his life.

...

They eat the pot of food. After eating they went back to traveling. He tried persuading Arden about taking a rest. But Arden refused, saying that they need to go while there is still light and rest only when the time is dark. He could not convince him any further so he instead guided them out of the area with his map. Even though he dropped most of his belongings down the river, he didn’t drop his map. He kept it tightly in the pouch that is sewn with his leather armor. He looked at the map and faced the sun. The sun almost blinded him but he manages to somehow point out where they are now. They have been taking shortcuts and short routes but since he knew the way they are not lost.

He told Arden about his reading and then they went to the route that is over a tunnel. The tunnel was used by some bandits awhile ago when they were hiding. But ever since some explorers found the bandit camp and exterminated them all. They mapped the tunnel as a good place to get around if they have to get to this place again. He bought the map he is holding from one of those men and he was glad that he did so.

They arrive in front of the cave. The tunnel was dark and he could hear the sound of the bats inside. He stopped and took some sticks and leaves and wrapped them together as a torch. Arden made some torch for himself and together they entered the tunnel.

The tunnel was utterly dark and they could only hear footsteps and water droppings. He thought that water dropping isn’t really ‘water’ but bat guano. He ignored that thought however and just kept on trekking until they got into this chamber with light peeking inside. He scanned the chamber and saw there are few dead around. He didn’t want to linger around in the chamber so he moved on along with Arden. After walking for awhile and ignoring the ‘water’ droppings around him. He saw the sky and the moon present in front of his eyes.

He thought that they would appear in a cave in a base of a mountain but to his surprise, they were on top of a mountain that is feet away from the ground. He saw the trees in the distance and the dirt roads. He saw endless plains and the mountain ranges which made him thought that they still have a long way to go.

It was night so this time he managed to persuade Arden to make camp. They then prepared some fire to push the cold wind and use the pot that he carries to make another batch of pot stew. Usually being frugal about the supplies is a must but they cannot carry the amount of food they looted from the bandit camp. Not to mention that Arden was burdening himself with the food and the lady.

Thus they can only feast on the food.