" - We will dO a cheiK on the roaDmaP when wE will stoP at tOnight's camP. TodAY wE are on a SAfe rod. "

" - Ho."

" - I'm sorrY for Two-Day buT wE need to discusS accomoDation oF the paTH wiTh them. EnjOy the tRip in the meal-time."

Well, i have to bear with it until tonight so. It's obvious they need to discuss it first with the escort and decide on the best road to arrive safely. I will continue to enjoy the scenery in the meantime.

And surely, time slowly pass as the horse pull the carriage along the highway.

Multicolored fields and farms follow one after the other. It could perfectly fit a postcard picture of earth in the 19e century, if the people were all humans and if some of the vegetables were not so ridiculously bigs. That thing who look like a tomato but the size of a watermelon ? Hey, if i came back with the seeds of this plant on earth, GMO producers would go back crying to their mommy ! I smile quietly as the idea could be awesomely good, forget the fact magic seem to be heavily used everywhere. But hey, i dont loose anything and they dont weight much, so i will try to have one if i can. Mmmh, i will try to have a bunch of them, in fact.

Looking more along the way to the farmers working by hands, i admit i would be worn out for the same work, especially at the same speed. They dont seems to be using too much beasts for labor here, at most i have seen one ox or horse every ten or so fields, but the amount of land worked on is fucking tremendous. Well, if you have magic, it must be more easy.

Yup, magic infused people and earth magic are awesome. Hats off.

Our escort is surrounding the wagon. The elf on the right, the shield warrior on the left, and dps warrior on the back. I dont remember exactly who is who except for the elf called leena. Leera ? Shit, i was distrayed by her... mystic elvens features and i didnt heard well when they were all introduced. Haaa, they're still bouncing everywhere. I cant help but look at her sometimes when my eyes wanders. They're must be prisonners of the law of attraction of masses.

No, but more seriously, i really need to stop myself to look at it, it will just hurt me to see it too much withouth any hope of contact. And it's rude.

Hey, and now that i think about it, where is the beastcat ? He's not near the wagon or anywhere behind.

After some times, i finally see it a long distance away from us. He's walking with his giant black dog. When i say walking, you need to understand walking at the speed of a horse walking a little fast. He's done that for a couple hours already. I'm SO happy to have this wagon, really. Withouth, i would have been a piece of dried meat in only a day at this rythm. Yup, it's great.

At noon, i was expecting us to stop somewhere, but i was handed over a sort of ham sandwich and some water by Carl, because it seem everyone will eat on the road, still mounted on their horse. Speaking of Carl, he speak to me at regular intervals to ask me if everything is okay or if i need something, then return to discuss thing with book girl and the healer. Yup yup, a good guy.

...

Okay, i'll admit it, i'm bored as fuck.

Wake me up when something change. I will now use my special power "sleep anywhere, anytime". Action.

...

In the middle of the afternoon, after the post-eating dozing off, i look again at the bouncing elf the landscape. We have finally get past the endless sea of fields, the only farm we can see now are the more "animal husbandry" type. Cow, horse, and... And... Holy shit, what is this THING.

It look like a cow, but with a neck the size of a giraffe. And it's blinded by a headband. Strange. And the male was totally different from the female ; his horns are rolled inward, almost like a ram but in reverse. and his tail is more like a reptile tail. Epic. I'm excited. What taste could have a monster meat like that ? What can he do ? Why the heck do they are blinded ? Well, i mean, i was expecting to see monsters on the road, but not people breeding monsters like "classical" animals.

My interest picked, i totally wake up from my boredom and check every side of the wagon to see if another fantastical creature - for me at least, the other are unfazed as fuck - is around. I'm in a mythological safari park, i have to enjoy it while i can, heh ? I must look like a children now. Stars in the eyes and everything.

Huuuh, one of the warriors is giving me a troubled smile. Less of a children, more of a country bumpkin, mmmh ? Yeah, i dont look like a cute children, i know. An unshaved 35 years old man getting all excited must look very silly at best. Still, i dont care. Creatures ! Wooh-hooh ! Too bad i dont have my phone to take pictures.

A little later, i spot another herd of strange creature... Well... It look like a dinosaur with the size and the horn of a rhinoceros. They have a stripped whity-grey color with smooth skin, an elongated head and the tail of a crocodile. they grazes peacefully under the eye of the shepherd. Looking at the size, it's like a chihuahua keeping a bunch of cows. But man, they have dinosaurs here ? No, i doubt it, they would have been decimated by magic creature, or do they use magic too now ? Or it can be another mythological creature ? I don't remember having seen this creature anywhere in jurassic park or whatever book i've read about dinosaur when i was young.

WHERE IS WIKIPEDIA WHEN WE NEED IT ! Ha yes i know, i left him in earth, with internet, the phone and the rest. So great.

Time passed again and evening came. Unluckily for me, i didn't see any other creature on the way after, only normal-looking one, and less and less farms. Smalls patch of forest started appearing here and here, nothing more than little groves, but it was a sign that we were now far away from the city. Carl told me a little time ago what we will soon enter in a renforced camp where we will eat and stay for the night.

Cool, i was getting hungry. Not like i did anything, but the sheer observation made me starved, and if i can eat the meat of theses beasts, it would be better ! Withouth being a glutton, I really wonder how they taste.

Finally, we arrive at the camp. I was expecting a small village, but it's a 30 x 30 meters solid stonewall sheped like a bee cell, which makes an enclosed space on the side of the road, withouth any visible building inside. It look like it's just a safe space. Beastcat is waiting for us near a thick wooden gate, and looking at the smoke coming from the inside of the camp, we will probably not be the only one sleeping here tonight.

In front of the entrance, warrior-in-chief push a round crystal in a little hole of the stone wall, and the wood gate open for us, before he take it back. Hey, so you need a token or something akin to a pass to enter the protected space ? It's well thought. Except if the pass is stolen perhaps ? But with magic... Well, first thing, is magic so convenient ? Not like i know anything about it, actually, i can say to anything i dont understand "it's magic §", but perhaps it is not really. I will have to ask Carl about it later. Better to know how it work if i'm left alone for some reason later.

When we enter, a caravan of merchants and some guards are already eating inside, looking at us with curious eyes. The warrior-in-chief say something and we go in a side of the safe area to make our little campment.

I can finally get off of the wagon !

Our escort is immediately busy attending the horses and getting the tents up, except for warrior-in-chief going to the fireplace of the merchants to discuss with them. Carl and Book girl were rummaging their bags, and since i have nothing to do, i just stretch myself to loose some strains.

Hey, why do you make a little tent aside from the others and put my backpack near it ? I'm like 3 meters away from everyone. I'm not infectious, you know ? Stop it a little with the shunning, for fuck sake !

Five minutes after, a little campfire was made and we are eating and discussing among us. Except me, who was punished, alone in a corner. At least, the vegetable soup was good.

Ho, you want to know how can we have a soup like this ready in a matters of minutes ? Simple. Book girl have taken it out from her bag. THE ENTIRE POT. Still fuming. It was not even sealed and it didn't spill.

On earth i always wondered how can girls can put so many things in their handbag, in this world t's on another level. What ? Sexist remark ? No way.

I finish my soup with some bread and hand it other to Leera the boob elf, who create water with magic to clean it before storing it back in a bag. The merchants have already gone to sleep in their corners, except two guards in fulll body armor who are still keeping watch near the almost extinguished fire.

After that, i look at our fire for a moment and then at the night view. Since it doesn't have any industrial pollution here, this is awesomely cleaner than on earth. Stars with all size shine gently on a dark blue palette colored sky. The moon is bigger than our earthian moon and i can see other tiny moons or planets on the distance. Really. I'm reminded every time, in every details, what i am in another world.

" - Kyle, as promisEd, i will eXplain to yOu the rOad we will take !"

Whoops, i didn't see Carl approaching me. Almost had an heart attack here.

" - Haaaa, sure. So, where are we going ? How much time, and finally, WHO is the person we are going to see ?"

" - HaHa, slOwer, plEase, i neeD to finD my words. First, wE are WeddinG in the East part of the continEnt, to a Kingdom called Hespea, it's ten Days of Travel from heRe. It is not a humAn country, but our acAdemy is in good Term witH the one we Are going to See."

When we will know each others better, i will need to help him correct his way of speaking. I'm definitely not going to marry him in the eastern part of the continent.

" - But foR the Rod we need To TaKe, this is where wE have a Problem. One of the Country we need to pasS is starTing a war with his neighborhooD, and our eScort say we will neeD to pass by another Rod. The Rod is a little lesS sure, but it's betTer to avoid the area since Bandits, pillagers and others baD People can attack us, and fighting Beasts wilL be Better than them."

War ? Yes, i wouldn't like coming in the middle of it. Humans are the most vicious predators after all.

" - So wE will have to pasS by a big Forest and an inhuMan Kingdom beFore coming bacK on the more secure waY."

" - An inhuman kingdom ? Like a beastman kingdom ? It's different from the non-human country ? Or is it because people are not humanoids ?"

" - We call inhuMan Kingdom where RaCe of People are but not only non-humaN Because of apParence but beCause of how they thinK. They just are aLiens to what we call logiCal or... It's diffiCult to clarify myselF. Just know they thinK diFferently. The one territory we are paSsing throught even aBide to others naTurals laWs."

What the heck mean they think differently. Like insects society ? And differents natural laws ? It's possible ? Like what ? Flying rocks, reverse rivers ? I'm pretty curious now. Carl chuckle as i look at him with rounds eyes.

" - I will asK our guide tommorrOw aBout details, he has already Passed this Territory, he know more thAn mE.

Finally, the Guy we are going to inTerrogate is Called Ashtgmir. It's a half-GoD servant of the goD of Fire. I Dont know muCh abouT him, but Mina have Already enCountered him, iF you haVe Questions laTer, tell me and i will ask."

WHATWHATWHAT THE FLYING FUCK IS A HALF GOD OF FIRE !

I imagine immediately a titan made of lava. We are going to directly see THAT ? It's not going to annoy him ? he will not burn me to a crisp on a whim ? By fire be purged and everything ?

" - Now, neeD to SleeP ! Travel will Resume earlY Tommorow. We can speaK on the Way. Have a Good night !"

Carl then get up, and go to the tent where the others mens are going to sleep.

I stay here, blankly staring into the empty space.

Dont fucking leave me to sleep after throwing a bombshell like that, damn it !!