“How the hell did you pull that off?” Clayton exclaimed after Scarlet left.

“Don’t you think she is better than most humans?” Nick sat down again and took two beast cores in his hands, “Humans would have killed us in this situation and grabbed our valuables after getting what they wanted. In fact, I prefer beasts like her or my friend Angel.”

“So that silver eagle story is real?” Steven asked while sitting himself down next to his friend.

“Yup, or do you think I’m good enough for a rank six legendary existence to not notice my lies?” Nick closed his eyes and said before starting his recover, “Actually, everything I’ve said was truth. Guys, I need about half an hour and if you want to, you can go ahead and climb down, just wait for me there.”

Clayton and Steven sat down and waited for Nick and it was already twilight when they approached Salma’s house.

Nine beautiful steeds were waiting for them there. Nick didn’t see Salma, but didn’t mind her absence much as well, they had to hurry, even if the night was almost there.

They rushed outside the city and few kilometers later the road was already dark. Still, they continued on their way for three more hours and took a short rest till the sunrise right at the edge of the jungle where the endless grassy fields of savanna stretched out to the horizon. They couldn’t see much, but the stars that covered the night sky provided enough light to let them understand the vastness ahead. Old man in Berin said that it might take ten to twelve days to reach Olava and they hoped to cut that time to seven. With this thought they hit the road with the first rays of light in the east.

They passed several small villages, where mostly farmers and hunters lived, and quite a few merchant caravans. Most of them were going towards Rolum, probably in hope to still do some business already today.

Right before noon they noticed smoke and dust clouds in the distance.

“Hahaha, that’s definitely Scarlet!” Nick laughed excitedly.

For some reason he really liked the big wolf and wished she could get her cubs back. May be it was because the Holy Order was targeting her as well, may be just because he simply liked the honesty of the intelligent beasts.

The group continued to gallop closer and soon an impressive sight opened in front of their eyes. Tens of corpses were scattered on the road and it’s sides, while many people crippled but alive wailed in pain lying on the ground. In the middle of all this mess was a pile of debris – it was all that was left from what was once supposed to be a cargo wagon. Further in front there were six men standing in defensive positions around two fat bodies of wolves who were either dead or unconscious. Three of the men were wearing red robes and others had leather protective gear on them. Still, they were all injured, covered in blood and stressed out while staring at the huge wolf in front of them that seemed to be burning in red flames pacing from side to side apparently reluctant to attack.

“Friends! Help us!” One of the red robed men shouted as soon as the trio neared, “This crazy wolf is attacking our caravan for no reason! Help us and the emperor will generously reward you!”

‘Looks like I was right and the Holy Order is trying to seal her. But the smart girl managed to kill most of them and disrupt the sealing. Unfortunately she is currently threatened with the lives of the cub hostages.’ Nick quickly assessed.

“Steven, hold the horses, Clayton, come with me and draw your sword, just don’t do anything.” He whispered.

Both his companions already knew what the red robes represented and that even if Nick wasn’t helping the wolf, he would still find a way to kill them. After the wolf encounter, he already explained that the bastards from Holy Order killed his family and, being his friends, they were eager to lend him hand in dealing with these people.

“Hold on! We’re coming!” Nick yelled and accompanied by Clayton both ran towards the group. Clayton saw how the black Wakizashi appeared in Nick’s hand and knew that none of these people will survive this day.

“Good!” The one who looked like the leader of the six shouted, “Help us distract it and we …”

But that was all he managed to say as his head flew off his shoulders. After cutting his neck, Nick made two slashing motions at the men in the red robes and Clayton stabbed two mercenaries as well. Scarlet already knew the help arrived for her and not the six kidnappers, therefore as soon as Nick made his move, she already bit off the hand of the person who was closest to her cubs and in the next second bit him in halves.

In less than two seconds the six men were dead, but Scarlet didn’t even greet her helpers and turned her attention to her cubs. They were alive, but seemed to be put to sleep with a sedative of some sorts.

She whimpered softly and licked their heads. While earlier these cubs looked like fill grown wolves, when this huge rank six beast was near they finally became small and helpless puppies.

“Let me take a look.” Nick came closer and squatted down near the two cubs. After he checked them he said to Scarlet, “They are fine, I’ll put some herbs in their mouths that will help them to wake up sooner. Can you help me and finish the ones who are still alive? We will get in trouble if the news of this goes out. In addition, with your senses no one here can pretend to be dead, right?” He grinned at her.

She snorted, then shook her head and started darting all over the place finishing off the survivors. From this sight the nine horses started to panic and Clayton had to go help Steven to calm them down while Nick quickly took few herbs out from his wristband and stuffed into the mouths of the two cubs, then carried them one after another to the road side.

Few minutes later, under the delighted gaze of their mother, the ‘little’ wolves started to wake up. The small family whimpered at each other as the children were complaining and the mother was comforting them. After some time cubs got up and saw Nick nearby and started showing their teeth while growling to what Scarlet slapped them gently off their feet and then came over to him to express her thanks.

“You made quite a mess today.” Nick grinned at her, “And you can’t stay here for long. Soon some people will find out and will try to track you down. In savanna it will be even harder for you to hide. I’d suggest you go further south – from what I saw on the map there are some mountain ranges as well. Try to spend a while there till your children can take care of themselves.”

Scarlet poked his chest with her nose again while looking at him with complicated gaze.

“I have to go, my friends are still being held captive, just like your children.” Nick sighed, “Let’s just say goodbye and may be fate will let us meet again. Give me a fist bump, this is how we friends say hello and goodbye.”

Steven and Clayton were watching with weird expressions while Nick taught the huge wolf how to bump fists. Steven, of course, used this motion with Nick and other friends for years and Clayton sometimes had seen the two of them using it during this trip, but seeing the serious expression of rank six beast while being taught how to fist bump might be the most unforgettable experience of their lives.

Some moments later Nick mounted his horse with a sigh. When they started galloping again, he waved towards the family that was slowly disappearing in savanna’s high grass, just to hear short howl in return. He shook his head while smiling – it was great to help out a mother in need, but now they had even more important task.

Five days later in the afternoon trio entered the Sutana settlement. They now only had four horses, but none of those were the ones who were provided by madam Salma. Those poor steeds were left as food to wild beasts at the roadside along with many others that the group managed to purchase on the way. They didn’t care about the cruel fate of those animals, because in their minds the price of the lives of the girls could not be measured at all and to compare them to few horses was simply moronic. But at the cost of those lives the usual route that should have been done in ten to twelve days they managed to cover in six and a half.

Upon arriving, Nick didn’t even wait for his horse to stop, but directly jumped off and ran to the first local person he saw to ask where he could find Yakub.

The old man sat in a big open tavern with no walls, but only roof to protect from the rays of the scorching sun, while facing the large crossroads. This was the spot where the roads from Rolum and Anula met in addition to another route from south east and joined together to lead towards the capital of the Nestri continent, Olava.

The gray haired and wrinkled Yakub sat there while drinking wine and stared at the passing caravans and travelers.

“Sir Yakub, madam Salma recommended to look for you when we were in Rolum few days ago.” Nick immediately presented his references to avoid any misunderstandings.

“How is she?” Yakub didn't look at Nick and asked.

“Well, she is very fast. I’m not sure what else can I say.” Nick didn’t know how to reply to the old man’s question, but from his experience with Salma he decided to not play any tricks with him. If he turned out to be a Qi master of same level as her, any tricks could be even taken as an insult.

“Sir Yakub,” Nick immediately continued, “I would like to buy some information and I can pay in gold or the way madam Salma prefers, if you like that as well.”

“Gold is fine.” Old man waved while still staring at the crossroads.

“Alright. I would like to know if during the last few days a caravan or simply a carriage with several young girls passed through. It could be considered the emperor’s tribute and might have been escorted by some pirates as well.” Nick took out ten gold pieces and put them in front of the old man.

“Oh, that important?” Yakub with some surprise on his face looked at Nick for the first time, “But I guess the price is appropriate – emperor’s tribute is no joking matter.”

Then he leisurely took a look around and continued, “They arrived two days ago and spent the night in the inn over there.” He pointed his bony finger at the opposite side of the road, “Then left yesterday in the morning towards the capital. At this moment, I would guess, they are entering the gates of Olava.”

Nick felt like his knees were giving in and started cursing to himself, ‘F*ck! How could they be this fast? There was no way for us to make up for the lost time other than … because of the attack in the desert we lost our horses and around two days worth of time! How could we be so unlucky?!’