It was a quiet day for Saiya as she read a medical text Yena gave her from the back of the sick wagon. The gentle vibrations of travel did nothing to distract her from the book in her hands. For perhaps the first time since Saiya had come to work under Yena, they had no patients. A step up from four days ago when most of the caravan had been hungover the morning after the celebration. Having to help treat all of those drunks made Saiya almost swear off drinking. Zeltara’s amusement over the situation didn’t help matters, either.

  With the unexpected free time given to them, Yena decided the sick wagon needed some reorganizing. When Saiya offered to help, Yena dismissed her with this book. Yena apparently liked to organize by herself without others around to ruin it. From what little Saiya saw before she left the wagon, that was probably for the best.

  Training had resumed a day ago. Zeltara didn’t need her crutches anymore, but had to keep her activity light. That suited Dollanti just fine as he unexpectedly pivoted their training. He stopped giving personal training sessions or doing physical exercise. Instead, he focused on them as a group, polishing up teamwork and any rough edges they had. He told them it wasn’t likely that they’d be around for much longer.

  It showed that Dollanti believed what everyone else did. They were going to find civilization of some kind soon. Their agreement with the caravan was to work until they found a settlement. After that, they were free to do whatever they wished. Saiya would miss the Al’Yanda, but it would be time to move on. The idea of working here forever wasn’t appealing to her. Kaztos and Zeltara likely found it even less attractive. They made their intention of moving on well known.

  The sick wagon came to an abrupt stop, almost knocking Saiya over. She sighed with annoyance. Sudden stops had been becoming more frequent as of late. Usually, it was because they needed to navigate the wilderness terrain. The wastelands were bad enough, but the added vegetation and animals made things worse. Travel had been less of a straight shot than before. To think Saiya would miss roads, something so simple yet all-encompassing. The old travel advice was to stick to the roads and avoid the wilds. Now everywhere was the wilds.

  Yena’s head popped through the cloth divider. She gave Saiya an annoyed look and asked, “Do you know why we came to a stop? I had several bottles get knocked over and break.” Saiya shook her head. Yena sighed. “That foolish husband of mine. Why can’t he look where he’s going? Dinaro always gets distracted by something.”

  Rushed voices and hurried steps interrupted their conversation. Both of them grew concerned. Perhaps this was something more than a simple stop. Their concerns were confirmed as Li turned the corner, coming from the front of the caravan. He looks at both of them with a worried look.

  “You two need to arm yourselves.” Yena's expression became alarmed. Saiya wasn’t much better. What was happening?

  “What’s happening?” Yena asked. Li shifted from side to side, looking impatient. His eyes drifted towards the front of the caravan before snapping back to them.

  “We may be under attack. Some bandits came out of the nearby treeline and confronted Dinaro. They’re just talking for now, but things may escalate. We don’t know if there are more hidden somewhere.” With his warning given, Li turned to jog towards the next wagon. Yena pulled her head back into the sick wagon and, after half a minute, came out with a knife.

  Both of them dropped to the ground. Saiya pulled out her wand, but Yena grabbed her wrist. She looked at the older woman questioningly.

  Yena shook her head. “We don’t want to risk the wagons. Use your knives instead.” Saiya understood and switched her wand out for a throwing knife. Yena looked towards the front of the caravan. “I’m going to go make sure Dinaro is okay. You can either come with me or stay here.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Saiya said. Knowing Zeltara and Kaztos, they’d be right in the thick of things. Those two seemed to run towards danger if it presented itself. Yena nodded, and both of them started jogging towards the front of the caravan.

  As they passed by, Saiya saw several Al’Yanda men facing outward with their weapons drawn. An ambush was unlikely to get the drop on them. She briefly wondered how often the caravan had been attacked before the cataclysm. There were plenty of armed guards, so perhaps there had been attacks before? Saiya shook the thought out of her head. She needed to focus. They reached the front of the caravan, and Saiya observed the situation.

  Most of the Al’Yanda were present with their weapons out. Zeltara was among them, fiddling with her gauntlet as she looked on. Saiya walked over to her and got her attention. Zeltara gave her a brief nod and turned back. To their left, on the other side of the caravan, stood Kaztos and Euronar. Saiya figured they must have just gotten back from patrol. With both of her friends accounted for, she turned her attention to in front of the caravan.

  There, a group of six men were holding their hands up disarmingly. All of them had weapons in their sheaths, with leather armor over their shirts. They all looked dirty, showing days or even weeks of wilderness travel. But what caught Saiya’s attention was the patch on the upper sleeve of their shirt. A symbol depicting a moon on the horizon. Was this something they made themselves, or were they part of a larger group?

  The man at the front of the group chuckled nervously. He said, “I didn’t expect so many armed people here.”

  A second man besides the first said, “Well, what do you expect? They’re Al’Yanda, for holy lords’ sake. They always guard their caravans well.”

  The first man glanced back at the second and, through gritted teeth, said, “Shut up.” When the second man muttered an apology, he turned back to Dinaro. Saiya assumed that this must be their leader. “This was all a misunderstanding. We didn’t mean any harm to you.”

  Dinaro, standing at the front of the caravan, lit up a pipe and started to smoke. “Oh, so your attempt to rob us was a misunderstanding, yes? I don’t know where you are from, but that’s pretty harmful where I’m from.” Saiya sighed at the confirmation of the group being bandits. Great, they finally found other people, and they had to be bandits. It matched their luck at this point.

  “Look, it’s no big deal. The people coming out of the wastelands are usually easy pickings. We figured this would be the same,” the bandit leader said.

  Dinaro harrumphed. “Well, it looks like you bit off more than you can chew. This doesn’t look like it’ll end well for you.” At their chief’s words, the Al’Yanda raised their weapons. Saiya picked a target in case this became a fight.

  The bandits fidgeted, looking ready to run. The leader said, “Listen. This doesn’t have to come to blows. We made a mistake, but we don’t want to fight. How about you let us go?”

  “Ah, but why should I do that? You may just go on and attack other people. I’d be doing everyone a service if we killed the lot of you.” Dinaro’s words only emboldened the caravan. They looked ready to charge forward to cut down the criminals in front of them.

  The bandits pulled out their weapons but kept them lowered. Their leader said, “You could, but we’ll take down at least a few of you. No need to lose any of your people if you can avoid it.” Seeing Dinaro remain resolute, the leader became desperate. “Listen, how about we make a deal?”

  A few of the Al’Yanda shouted out a denial, but Dinaro raised his hand to silence them. “A bargain, you say? Let’s hear it.” Seeing that the chief was willing to listen, the bandits sighed in relief. “Now, don’t go getting the wrong idea. If I don’t like what you're offering, I’ll cut you all down.” The tension returned in full force.

  “I’ll trade you information,” the bandit leader said. “If you let us go, I’ll tell you where the nearest city is. It’s only a day of travel away, but you’ll miss it if you keep going in your current direction.”

  Whispers rose from the Al’Yanda. Zeltara exhaled beside her, a surprised expression on her face. Saiya couldn’t blame her. After all that travel, they had almost made it. Saiya had almost given up at several points during their journey. The three of them had talked about perhaps they were the only people left. Doomed to travel the endless hellscape. It was a sentiment that encompassed everyone in the caravan, though it had mostly died down since they exited the wasteland. Still, Saiya felt a weight lifting because of a potential city nearby.

  The Al’Yanda lower their weapons, their willingness to fight leaving them. The bandits likewise put away their weapons. It seemed as though they would come to an agreement. Seeing the approval from his men, Dinaro said, “Well, I think that we have a bargain then. You tell us where that settlement is, and we’ll let you go.”

  The bandit leader sighed in relief. “Good. I knew you had a good head on your shoulders.” He then pointed to the right and away from the caravan. “Mousafont City is to the southeast. It’s about a day’s travel, like I said. Keep going that way and you won’t miss it.” Zeltara perked up at hearing the city’s name. She seemed almost nervous upon hearing it. Saiya wondered why. Did the place have some significance she wasn’t aware of?

  Dinaro exhaled smoke. “That sounds great. If you’re telling the truth, that is. How do I know you’re honoring our bargain? You could just be telling me that so you can escape.”

  The bandit leader gave Dinaro a smile. “Well, you can’t know that, but don’t worry. Don’t I look like a trustworthy guy?” To Saiya, he looked anything but that. Unfortunately, he was also right about their not knowing. It might just be a risk they’ll have to take. Dinaro seemed to think similarly.

  “Not like we have much of a choice, yes? I’ll take your word. Now, get out of my sight.” At the chief’s words, everyone put their weapons away. Saiya felt relieved as she sheathed her knife. It seemed they would not have to fill the medical wagon today.

  “Well, looks like this is farewell. I hope that the next time we meet, it’ll be under more favorable circumstances.” It was apparent that their definitions of favorable differed greatly from each other. The bandit leader waves his hand, and they begin to head north. They walked about twenty feet before the leader momentarily paused. “One more thing.” He turned his head back towards the caravan. “Let me give you a little warning as a gesture of good faith. Beware the twilight.” He turned away and continued on. The group of bandits disappeared into the treeline.

  Dinaro stood there waiting for a minute before turning back to the caravan. “Good work, everyone. Hopefully, that’ll be the last we’ll see of them. Get back to your posts and be on the lookout. I want no more trouble until we reach Mousafont City.” At his command, everyone dispersed. Zeltara bid her a quick goodbye and waved over to Kaztos. He waved back before following Euronar back on patrol, though with a few extra men. Saiya made her way back to the sick wagon, joined by Yena a few minutes later.

  With the bandits gone, the caravan’s journey continued with no more problems. The only event of note was Shi coming in for treatment because he had cut his finger playing with a knife. Saiya and Yena both wondered to each other about the stupidity of some people. Couldn’t they just give them a day without someone getting hurt? After wrapping his finger and giving him a scolding, Shi was sent on his way.

  Soon the day came to a close, and Saiya helped Yena with dinner. A simple meat stew with a bread roll. Once finished, she grabbed three servings and headed to their campsite. As she approached, Saiya noticed Kaztos and Zeltara sitting around the campfire talking.

  Zeltara noticed her and waved. “Hey, Saiya. How was your day?”

  Kaztos joined in. “Saiya! Good to see you! I hope you’re doing well.”

  Saiya nodded to both of them and gave them their dinner. “I’m fine. It was a slow day today.” Kaztos chuckled.

  “I’m glad to hear. It was a little more exciting for me. Everyone patrolling was on high alert for any more bandits. It was a little stressful, to be honest.” He then puffed out his chest. “But it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I’m sure we scared those bandits off. No problem.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “It was probably pretty easy since no one showed up,” Zeltara said. “I probably could have done it, and I have a bad ankle.” Kaztos shot an annoyed look at Zeltara, who gave him a grin. He soon matched the expression.

  “Never going to let me have one, are you?” He asked, looking at the two of them. Zeltara leaned back, her grin widening.

  “Unfortunately not. You decided to befriend the two of us. It’s just something you’ll have to get used to.” Kaztos didn’t answer and continued to eat. The conversation subsided as the three enjoyed their meal.

  Once finished, they set their bowls aside and enjoyed the campfire’s heat. It had been getting cooler now that they had left the wasteland. Saiya listened to the crickets chirping as the evening light dimmed.

  “May I join you?” Pence asked as he walked up to their campfire. Kaztos gestured to an open spot.

  “Of Course! How are you doing, Pence?” The Al’Yanda boy sat down and stretched his arms.

  “I’m okay. Those bandits have my father concerned, though. The lessons today were a little tense.” Pence then waved his hand. His voice grew excited. “But enough of all that. Did you hear what those bandits were saying? We’re almost to civilization. Though I’ve never heard of Mousafont city before.”

  Kaztos asked, “Did you get far into the Holy Dominion before turning back to Ji’Hanki?”

  Pence shook his head. “No, we mostly stayed in the western half of the Dominion. Why? Is Mousafont somewhere out east?” Kaztos shook his head.

  “Not quite. In fact, it’s right near the center. Though that was before the cataclysm.” Kaztos paused as he thought of something. He then shook his head. “Forget about that. Anyway, Mousafont was located almost directly north of the capital. It was a rather important city.”

  Saiya asked, “How important exactly?” She wanted to get more information about what they were getting into. Zeltara remained silent, staring into the fire.

  “Outside of the imperial capital and the seven great cities, Mousafont is the most influential. The duke who rules over it is likewise only politically under the imperial family and the seven kings in power. However, some argue that he has even more influence than some of the kings. Mousafont over the past half century has become the wealthiest and largest duchy in the Dominion.” Saiya considered his words. This duke sounded cunning, if he could do that. Hopefully, they’re unimportant enough to slip under his notice.

  “How do you know all of that?” Pence asked. “You don’t seem like someone who studies this kind of stuff.”

  Kaztos shook his head, almost offended. “How could I not? I wouldn’t be much of a noble if I didn’t know basic facts like this. They taught geography and politics back at the academy. I’d be doing the Molinar name a disservice if I were illiterate on the subject.”

  Pence raised his hands in surrender. “Ok! No need to be offended, yes? It was just a question.” Kaztos calmed down and ran a hand through his hair.

  “Right, of course. Sorry. I just get passionate about this sometimes. I wasn’t actually mad.” Pence accepted the apology, and the two continued their conversation.

  Saiya looked over at Zeltara, noting her continued silence. The elf girl had a pensive look on her face as she stared into the fire. Saiya then remembered that she had been like this earlier today when Mousafont was first mentioned. Something was bothering Zeltara.

  To make things worse, Saiya was likely the one who was going to have to ask. Kaztos and Pence were too distracted talking amongst themselves to notice. And the last thing she wanted was for this to be something that blew up in their faces.

  Once a lull in Kaztos and Pence’s conversation arrived, Saiya said, “You’ve been quiet, Zeltara.” She almost jumped in surprise and turned to Saiya. Zeltara gave her a reassuring smile.

  “It’s nothing. I’m just worried, I guess.” Kaztos and Pence stopped their conversation and turned to Zeltara.

  “Is something the matter? You have been rather subdued,” Kaztos said. Zeltara shrugged.

  “It’s no big deal. I don’t even know what I’m worried about.” Saiya could tell immediately that was a lie. A poor one at that, since even Kaztos seemed unconvinced.

  She pressed. “I know what this is about. It’s about Mousafont City. You get like this whenever it’s mentioned.”

  “Fine, you’re right,” Zeltara said, rolling her eyes. “I’m worried about going to Mousafont.”

  Kaztos asked, “Why? I’ve never heard of anything wrong with the area. Is there something we should be concerned about?” Zeltara shook her head.

  “Not us, but me. It’s something I need to worry about.”

  Pence leaned forward and said, “If it’s something bothering you, then it’s worrying for the rest of us.” Kaztos grinned.

  “Right! We’re in this together. So tell us what the problem is. Maybe we can help.” Zeltara gave them a smile.

  “Thanks guys. I appreciate that.” She took a deep breath. “Well, I guess I’ll start by saying it’s because of where Mousafont was. It was right at the heart of the Dominion. Much further west than Urada was located.”

  “Why’s that a problem?” Pence asked.

  Zeltara gathered her thoughts before continuing. “It’s important because I’m an elf.” That made everyone pause, wondering where she was going with this. “Elves aren’t exactly accepted because they caused the fourth crisis over seventeen hundred years ago. However, the way people treat them depends on where you are in The Holy Dominion.”

  “How so?” Kaztos asked. The curiosity in his voice was matched by what Saiya felt. She hadn’t heard of anything like this before.

  “There’s a noticeable cultural divide in The Holy Dominion, even after being united for centuries. The split is between west and east. The West Domini are more religious and xenophobic. They often treat elves like second-class citizens, and some settlements even ban them. I used to hear stories from Selossa of elves who end up in the region being attacked and killed. She would warn me to stay east whenever I started my traveling.” Zeltara paused and took a drink from her waterskin. The silence allowed everyone to absorb Zeltara’s words.

  She cleared her throat and continued. “The East Domini tend to be different. They’re more lax in their beliefs and thus more accepting. But even in Urada, I’d still get some mean words thrown at me, but I was never in any danger. The worst was getting into schoolyard fights over what other kids would say about me.”

  “So there’s this big of a difference between the east and west of the dominion?” Kaztos asked. Saiya figured this wasn’t something he had been taught in school. Not surprising, since it was something she was learning for the first time, too.

  Zeltara shook her head. “It’s not evenly divided like that. It’s a gradual thing. The further you go west, the more West Domini you’ll see.” She points at Kaztos. “You’re West Domini, for example. They tend to have tan skin and darker hair. Though the red eyes are unique to you.” Zeltara then turned to Saiya. “Blond hair, pale skin, and blue eyes are common among East Domini. There’s overlap, of course, but it shows that it’s not an even split.”

  Kaztos seemed disturbed by the information shared. “I just want to let you know that I never thought such things about you.” Before he could continue, Zeltara raised her hand and interrupted him.

  “I know, don’t worry. These are just generalizations to get the point across. There will be West Domini people born and raised to act like East Domini, and vice versa.” Kaztos seemed to settle down. “I’m saying this because Mousafont city is right in the middle of the Dominion. So, I’ll likely take some shit from some people while we’re there. It shouldn’t be anything too bad, just something I’ll have to watch out for.”

  “What we’ll have to watch out for,” Kaztos said. “We won’t let you deal with this alone.” Saiya nodded in agreement. She’d have to think of ways to make sure Zeltara stayed safe.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll have the caravan to help watch out for you,” Pence said. “The caravan is like family, and you three have proven to be a part of it.” Zeltara looked at the three of them with unshed tears.

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” After that, the conversation drifted to lighter subjects. The goal was to keep Zeltara’s mind off of Mousafont, and they accomplished that. Saiya realized that this was likely one of the last times they would be in the caravan. At least for a while. It was a sobering thought, one that kept them up for an hour longer than usual.

  But eventually, it was time for them to sleep. The four friends exchanged goodnights, and Pence left for his family’s tent. The three of them likewise crawled into their personal tents and went to sleep. Saiya had a dreamless sleep that was enjoyable. The night passed quickly, and a new morning arrived.

  Saiya’s senses alerted her, and she sprang out of her sleeping mat in time to dodge a hand trying to grab her ankle. She sighed when no repeat attempts happened. It had been over two weeks since Dollanti had tried that. Perhaps he was just lulling them into a false sense of security. She exited her tent to see Kaztos and Zeltara standing outside their tents, still waking up.

  Dollanti looked at the three, approval apparent in his eyes. “You haven’t gotten rusty, at least. Meet me outside of camp in ten minutes.” He walked away, leaving them to get ready.

  “I definitely didn’t miss waking up like that,” Zeltara said. Kaztos nodded in agreement, still half asleep. “Let’s get ready for the day.” By now, they were experts in quickly getting ready and leaving camp. Saiya suspected it was another lesson Dollanti was indirectly teaching them. It would be a good habit to be ready at a moment’s notice as an adventurer.

  The three make it to the clearing Dollanti had chosen. As usual, he watched them approach with his arms crossed. Usually, he would spend a few minutes staring at them. Why he did this would be different depending on which of them was asked. They normally stayed quiet until Dollanti saw fit to begin.

  However, Zeltara had a different idea today. She asked, “So, why did you wake us up like that? It’s been a while since you last did it.” Dollanti’s mouth twitched as the barest hint of a smile made itself known.

  “I wanted to do it one last time for old times’ sake. I quite enjoyed messing with you, despite it being a training exercise.” Zeltara’s eyes widened.

  “I knew it!” Before she could begin a tirade, Dollanti uncrossed his arms and interrupted her.

  “Enough about that. Today will probably be our last training day. As such, today will be nonphysical as we go over some last-minute knowledge I wish to impart.” Kaztos and Zeltara began to speak but stopped when Dollanti raised his hand. “Now isn’t the time for frivolities. Instead, I want to start with what you three should strive to improve on in the future.”

  He looked at Kaztos first. “You’re a decent close-range fighter now. But you can’t be so one-dimensional. I want you to find a ranged weapon to use. It’ll help when you are ever too far away to help your teammates in the future.”

  Kaztos saluted. “Yes, sir!” Dollanti then turned his attention to Zeltara.

  “I saw the bomb you made. Good to see that you’re heeding my advice. However, I want you to do two things. First, make sure you keep increasing your stopping power. You won’t be able to keep up with your teammates otherwise. Second, try to find something more subtle. As it is, if you ever fight, everyone within a few miles radius will know.” Zeltara seemed almost to pout.

  “Nothing’s ever good enough for you, is it? Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.” Dollanti looked like he wanted to say something to her, but relented. Instead, he focused on Saiya.

  “What I want you to do is practice your spellcasting. You have good potential from what little I’ve seen. Get a new combat medium. The one you’re using is a glorified beginner’s tool.” Saiya nodded. She was curious about what other mediums could do. Dollanti then asked, “Do you have any questions before we start?”

  Kaztos blurted out, “Thank you for teaching us, sir! We will honor the teachings you gave us.”

  Dollanti sighed. “That wasn’t a question. Anyone else?”

  “There’s something I have to know,” Zeltara said. She seemed almost hesitant. “Are we really ready for this? To go out and be adventurers?” Dollanti didn’t answer at first. Nervous energy filled the clearing as he thought of an answer.

  “Yes, I think you are. As long as you follow my teachings, you will survive out there, barely.” It wasn’t the most glowing vote of confidence, but the three of them still felt pride over hearing it. “Enough about that. Now, I want the three of you to go over your hand signs with me again. I won’t have you forget it a week after you leave.”

  The training session went smoothly. It was half a review of everything he had taught them before and half covering last-minute advice he wanted to impart. It was one of Saiya’s favorites. Even after all this time, she still only tolerated the physical training he put them through. Soon it ended, and the three headed back to camp. It felt like a last goodbye that left Saiya almost wistful.

  Breakfast passed just as quickly. There was an excited energy in the caravan as everyone woke up. Today was the day. They were making it to civilization. Assuming those bandits were telling the truth. The atmosphere was infectious, as Kaztos and Zeltara seemed ready to bolt out of their seats to start work for the day. Saiya tried not to let it affect her as she made her way to the sick wagon for the day.

  The first half of the day was normal. One man had gotten sick last night and was resting. Yena had Saiya diagnose and treat him as she continued her reorganizing from yesterday. She was glad that the older woman put so much trust in her now. When she first started working here, Yena micromanaged her to make sure she didn’t make things worse. The work remained simple until just before noon. That’s when the calls from outside started.

  “It’s there! I can see it! Mousafont ahead!” Someone shouted from outside the wagon. The shouts woke up their patient. He then realized what the shouts were and stood up.

  “Let’s go see it,” he said as he tried to leave.

  “Wait, you’re still sick,” Yena said before the man left. She sighed. “Bullheaded fool. Come on, Saiya. Let’s go see what the commotion is.” Saiya nodded, and both of them got out of the sick wagon. The caravan was still moving. As they passed, they heard their driver grumble about missing the view. Saiya guessed Dinaro must have ordered no stops to be made. She could see ahead where a crowd had formed next to the leading wagon. She and Yena made their way there.

  The terrain was on a slight decline, so Saiya watched her step. As she got closer, she spotted Zeltara and Kaztos walking together. They murmured to each other as they looked ahead. Saiya jogged up to join them and searched the horizon. It took her only a moment to spot it. The sight took her breath away. Mousafont City.

  The city itself covered over a dozen square miles, surrounded by plains on all sides. Large stone and wood buildings with blue, red, and brown-tiled roofs made up the urban center. The wall was dozens of feet high and made of a white stone that almost shone in the sunlight. The keep at the far end of the city used the same material and sat on a hill. It had four tall spires on each corner. Each had a white flag with a golden trim. The symbol at the center of the flag was a golden helmet in front of an orange sunrise. Saiya had never seen anything like this before.

  An Al’Yanda man nearby said, “Amazing. Those bandits kept to their end of the deal.” Dinaro heard this and chuckled.

  “I knew he would. It was a look in his eyes that gave him away.” He glanced around at everyone gawking. “Come on. We’re almost there.”

  Dinaro made a few more half-hearted attempts at getting them back to work before giving up. Almost everyone was walking together at the front of the caravan as they got closer. A joyous atmosphere filled the area. Unfortunately, as they traveled, that soon gave way to uncertainty.

  As they approached, they could make out more details. First, was all the tents outside of the city. Thousands of people must have settled there. Saiya wondered why they were there. Were they refugees of some kind? She then noticed something worse. Near the far corner of the city, a section of the wall was missing. It didn’t look destroyed, but disappeared. It cut into Mousafont itself, leaving almost a tenth of the city missing. On the other side of the city lay docks and boats that were now settled on dry land, useless. Despite their hopes, Mousafont seemed to suffer its own troubles.

  Dinaro finally got almost everyone back to work. Saiya stayed as Yena stuck by her husband. Kaztos walked along with Euronar. Zeltara pretended to leave but was hiding behind the first wagon, along with a few others. The excitement before had left, and a wary silence remained.

  They reached the tents outside the city and kept going. As they passed through, Saiya could make out the people living there. They were destitute, with signs of hunger etched on each face. Many begged for food as they traveled by. Dinaro remained resolute and stared ahead at the gate. The city’s entrance was large enough to fit two wagons side by side when opened. Four guards waited at the front of the gate. As they neared, one of them approached the caravan.

  “Halt! By the order of Duke Mousador, no one is the enter or leave the city. Please settle in outside the walls if you wish to stay.” Saiya nervously looked around at all the camps. Staying outside of Mousafont seemed like a bad idea.

  Dinaro kept a calm demeanor. “Why is that, friend? I was hoping to sell my wares to the good people of Mousafont.”

  “Supplies have been running low in the city. We don’t have enough to go around. It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do. So, unless you have something to help with that, then we can’t let you in,” the guard said. Despite his words, he seemed uncaring of the plight of everyone outside. Dinaro grinned.

  “Ah, our caravan just so happens to have a large shipment of food and water. Plenty for the people of your fine city, yes. I’d be willing to make a deal with your Duke, if we were allowed inside. If not, then we can just move on somewhere else.” Saiya hoped it didn’t come to that if the hungry looks they were getting from the people outside had any indication. They might not make it out in one piece if forced to leave.

  Thankfully, the guard quickly changed his tune. “You have food? We can allow you to pass then. Someone will escort you to a lot where your caravan can settle. Then, you will be taken to the Duke for negotiations. Apologies for the trouble.” Dinaro grinned. Saiya felt that was almost too easy. They must be desperate.

  The guard called for the gate to be opened. It slowly rose, revealing a line of stone buildings lining a wide street. A group of six more guards walked out of the city to the caravan. One of them exchanged words with the guard. He then approached Dinaro.

  “We will escort you to your destination. For now, please don’t wander off and behave yourselves. We won’t hesitate to throw you into jail,” the new guard said. He then made a gesture toward the street. “Come along now. I welcome you to Mousafont city.” Dinaro gave the order to move, and the caravan rolled into the city. Once inside, the doors closed behind them to the cries of those outside begging to be let in.