— Hey...
— Ughh...I'm not hungry...
Poking Serena with the pointy end of her staff, Clara was clearly getting more annoyed every second — Hey! Wake up! We have to get out!
— No-uh...Stop-uh...
— Just wake up already! We are at a Crusader checkpoint, and they need us to get out.
— Fine... — Serena suddently got up — Ouch!
— You d...That was quite foolish of you, we are still inside of the carriage. Let us get out.
As they got out, Serena could see the vast green clearings that surround the road as if they have no end, and just in front of her, the middle-aged driver was speaking to 1 of the 3 guards.
— It's just a warning, but when you get to the settlement just before the Valley of Scarcity, stay for the night if you have no caravan. Bandits have been very active lately. Again, we advise you to group up and pass through the valley together with more carriages or hire bodyguards.
— Finish what you need to do, folk of the Order! I am in no mood to be waiting!
The guards, who only now saw Clara's visage, trembled and straightened themselves up.
— Now, hurry and let us through!
— Y...Yes, lady Clara! — All guards salute, now frozen
— Did you finish then?
— Yes! Please go through!
Clara sat again on the stuffed seats inside the carriage and sighed — These people from the Order are all a bunch of useless beaurocrats who do nothing but...Ahem...I am sorry for my rudeness, all I wanted to say is how frustrating it is to deal with the Order of the Crusaders.
— Well, I'm going to Lúmen to become a Crusader, and I know some Crusaders, they're pretty good people.
— Uhm...I am sorry, but you do not seem to have only 16 years of age...
— Well, I'm kinda late to enlist, so...
— You WANT to become a Crusader?
— I mean, yeah, how else would I end the war?
— End the...YOU? End the war? On your own?
— Yeah! You got a problem with that?
— ...are you strong?
— The strongest!
She checked Serena's body and got in deep thought — You...are...huh? And how are you with magic?
— I can control aura but I can't use any magic...at least not the normal way...and actually, where did that stick-thing come from?
— Can use magic in an unusual way...huh... — She mumbled — Sorry, this is my staff, it's been passed down for many generations to...Wait! Why do I keep talking to you?
— What? Don't you wanna talk?
— I...I do not speak as much as I am speaking to you normally...I hate this. What is wrong with you?
— I don't get it too, but people just like to talk to me, it's been like this since I was a kid.
— Hummm...
— Does it annoy you?
— ...
— You don't want to talk to me or what?
— I feel like I have rewarded you enough, so let us refrain from speaking.
— Fine, I'm just not talking anymore!
Clara then closed her eyes, trying to get into deep concentration.
Meanwhile, Serena kept starring at her, then at her staff, then out the window. Her feet started moving, making more and more noise every minute that passed, until she became silent.
As she could her some noise coming from her side, Clara's concentration kept being broken — Stop trying to take my staff.
— Oh, so we're talking now?
— ...Fuck you!
— Woah!
— Why do I want to talk to you?
— Does it matter?
— It does!
— Come on...you can't...
— Ladies, we're arriving at the settlement in a few minutes, I'll stop to feed the lizards and check the carriage, you should go to the inn, they have a grat restaurant there so you can have lunch. We should be ready to go in 30 minutes at most, ok?
Looking at Clara, who's starting to sweat as she's forcing both her mouth and eyes shut.
— You're so boring.
Serena then put her head through the divisor window, getting herself next to the driver — Yo, old man!
— Yo!
At the horizon, the settlement appeared.
— You know, little girl, that settlement was made just a few years ago.
— Really? Why?
— Us carriage riders have lots of problems going through the roads, well, you could say we even make the roads, actually.
— So did you guys get together and made this place too?
— You're a quick one! But that's not really it, all us riders do is the riders' square where they seem fit, that's what we call the place you hire the carriages, and what actually happened here was what happens with many new settlements, merchants saw an opportunity and invested in this place.
— Eh...That's pretty cool.
— Being a rider for as long as I have, I've seen many people fail and succed in whatever they did, I've travelled throughout Lágua, the old Allighieri and Silbroirae, I know why conflict...why am I saying all this?
— I dunno, but it's pretty cool.
— Woah! This really is weird! — His face was stuck in a stunned state until his lizards stopped running and started walking — Huh? Oh, we've arrived!
They park at the riders' square, and Serena and Clara then got to the two stories tall building made out of log and stone, it's wide entrance called anyone in with the smell of fresh food.
— Hummmm! By the gods! What's that smell?
— It's obviously meat and and some sauce, probably for the pasta they're serving.
— And how would you know that?
— Plaque. — She said as she pointed.
— Oh, yeah, I'm not the greatest reader to be honest.
— How...No, I'm not falling for that, let's just shut up and go inside.
— Ok...
As they entered the inn, the receptionist approached them.
— Do you have a reservation or are you travellers?
— Reservation?
— Ignore her. We are travellers.
— Right, so please, go to the room on the left.
— Before we go in, what is the difference of a reservation and a traveller's meal?
As if never asked that before, the receptionist jolted — Uhm...Well, it's just... — She kept stumbling on her words until Clara stopped her.
— So we are going forward as a "reservation" as you say, how much is it?
— I can't just...
— 1000 lagus should be enough. Serena, let's go!
Serena smiled and wispered to the receptionist — She's rich.
As she entered the salon, she saw all tables were full, and up above, a glass ceiling, that made the sunlight a warm color, illuminated the room without heating it up. All the customers wore fine clothing, and as if she'd just realise it, Serena gasped.
— OH! Reservation! They reserve the seats!
As she said that, a couple ran out the restaurant holding an amount of money nobody could ignore.
— Serena, come seat and eat with me, we have little time.
— Sure... — She then mumbled — She really is a weird noble girl...
Both were sat down, infront of them, lots of silverware and different size plates were neatly arranged.
As Serena was starting to fiddle with it all, a server arrived at the table.
— Ahem...What shall the ladies have today?
— Uhm, do you have any chicken? Actually, what's the price of the stuff?
— I apologize, you may choose your drink. Today, we are serving a plate of tagliatelle with mushrooms on béchamel sauce and roasted meat with a red wine reduction.
Her frows burrowed — ...And the price is?
— Do not be concerned, Serena, just order a drink for yourself. I want wine, and bring the bottle, please, this will be a long trip...
— Gimme juice!
— Excelent choice, your food shall arrive soon.
He served both their drinks and left them.
Serena was restless as they were silently drinking, until she couldn't hold it anymore.
— So...you're defenitly a noble, right?
Clara, who had already downed a full glass of wine, refilled it and said — Yeah, I'm a noble! Why you ask? You scared?
She was taken aback, stunned, but Clara took her hand.
As she was laying down on the table, desorganizing everything, Clara mumble a bit and said — Hey! Don not be fraid! You...are annoying, but you can't die until we get to the city there, ok?
She'd seen this happend to many of the toughthest adventurers she'd known as they'd drink Siegfried's special drinks.
— Oh! Happy juice is a real miracle worker, huh? — She said that with the widest grin and the rosiest cheeks — Today'll be fun!