Max heaved from within the wagon as the group made their way overnd once more, dusk approag as they came across the small fortress which was one to the Order of the Thousand Hunts. The aura within the vilge had ged, not quite as dark as it reviously, though no doubt still not quite as lively as it once reviously.

  Jonn stared at the walls of the order, the walls he once called home. He was but a boy when he was been adopted into the order. His eyes gazed across the fields he had worked, the walls he used to walk across, and his mind wandered back to the buildings he orekked through. His mouth salivated as he thought about the apple trees within the order's walls.

  Soldiers approached the group, though upon seeing the Hope and her Rays, they rexed, though their suspi ged to caution and reverence. Adam allowed the Hope to deal with the soldiers, who left them be after a few moments of versation.

  "It doesn't look like as though they fought," Adam said over breakfast. "Did they leave voluntarily?"

  "Their Grand ander remained withi Port at the time," Jaygak said. "Even if he returned, he could csh with King Merryweather, but the might of the order could not be pared to the army the King leads.”

  “What if all three orders came together?”

  “Only two orders remained within Floria. The Massacre of Rock Hill led to the demise of the Order of the Cherry Bdes. If the three orders joiogether, it would have proved difficult for the army, but the King aimed his entire force against the order, using the might of South Port’s army, as well as units from South Fort, sihe King did not o worry of his southern border.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “The King raised his bde in rebellion after refusing to invade Aswadasad,” Jaygak said, sipping her soup, feeling the fire against her lips ahroat. “The Shen of Aswadasad is too busy with his own civil war to focus his attention to his western border.”

  “ht…” Adam cut into his cheese, pg it between the small bit of ft bread Korin had baked. “How strong is the order anyway?”

  “The order possesses many great warriors, with hundreds of Experts, dozens of Masters, many Grandmasters, and noaragon,” Jaygak informed. “Large enough to prove a threat to the nd if they wished to turn their bde against it. They would be uo take a town or city, even the smaller towns, but they could make it difficult for those ial Grove to travel to South Port.”

  “I am still a little surprised by how this nd has formed,” Adam admitted. “I’m more used to vilges and towns being much smaller, well, I mean, not quite, but basically. However, usually towns and cities aren’t that far away from one another, and there are hundreds of vilges all around the towns.”

  “It was that way many years ago, but it was too dangerous. The wandering undead, the bandits and warlords of the time, the various beast waves, they were too muall vilges and towns to ha has been tained now, but that is only because of he the towns have bee. Once, a tow a popution of tens of thousands, but now if one is not at least one huhousand, it is not sidered a town.”

  “Is there a town with a popution of one huhousand?” Adam asked. He was certain they hadn’t passed through any town that small yet.

  “In the north there are many.”

  “ht. I heard that the north’s entire popution barely reached the popution of South Port.”

  “Their popution is much smaller, but they are a hardy people. There are many adventuring parties which have formed in the nd, but still, two tenths are still from the north. Their culture has formed around the defence of the nd from various threats. Even the beast waves in the south ot pare to the waves in the north.”

  “Yeah, I noticed we’ve e across quite a few group of northerners who are all pretty strong.”

  “The south believes wraiths to be myths, whereas within the north, wraiths are hunted by the best of the best to gain reition. I Port, Stone Swaihe title of Marshal for pg withiour. In the north, it is when one sys a wraith in single bat that one gains the title of Marshal.”

  “How many Marshals are there?”

  “Outside of North Aldnd, that we call the south, there is oown and city, typically. There is also a Marshal for each region, like that of Lord Benjamin, Marshal of the East. In the north, there are as many as who have sin wraiths in single bat. The number is above ten at most times, and sometimes reach a hundred.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes. He he way Jaygak eaking. It wasn’t quite as casual as it was before. ‘…’

  “It’s the ordah,” Rose said.

  “They says they’re all goulip replied.

  “Ordahs don’t go, they’re probably fightin’ monstahs.”

  “Yeah, figh’in’ monstahs.”

  Jack stared at the order from the small camp, slowly sipping his bowl. He had only seewo orders in his life, all within the span of a couple of weeks, just like all the other children. His heart pounding wildly in his chest as he stared out towards it, daydreaming what it would be like to be a member of an order, and the rest he could gain for being a great warrior.

  Lucy remained awkwardly silent. She could still feel the pressure of the attention from the nearby Hope and Rays. ‘I’m going to age a thousand years over this year…’ She sighed. Her entire body itched, wanting to cause trouble, but she couldn’t do that, not when everyone was still on edge from the civil war which had broken a kingdom which had stood strong for millennia.

  When m came, Vonda approached Adam. “We should leave a gift to the vilgers and the soldiers stationed here.”

  “A gift?”

  “It would be best to spread good will to the vilge and the soldiers, especially if you are to pass through here often towards South Port, the capital of a new kingdom.”

  “Right… what do you think would be good fift?”

  “Many silver s.”

  “Not gold?”

  “Silver is easier to use, and still carries much value.”

  “Good point. I’m not sure how much silver I have, but I’ll ask around to collect as many as I . What about for the soldiers?”

  “Gold is often sidered better than steel for the soldiers.”

  Adam smiled. “Well, that’s easy.”

  Adam left a gift of a few gold, as well as a hundred silver for the vilgers, and another fifty gold for the soldiers, though they hadn’t spent the time within the vilge walls.

  “Often, groups camp outside the walls to avoid paying tax, though there is still some prote provided from camping beside a town or vilge,” Vonda informed. “We should not allow them to believe we have taken advantage of them, or rese might grow.”

  “Even though they asked us to remain outside?”

  “If they ask us to remain outside aill hand over silver, some may view that as us acquiesg, but most will view us as respeg their rules, and will provide good will for the ime we pass through.”

  “Alright, fair,” Adam said.

  “It is especially hy since you are travelling with a Hope and many Rays.”

  “Hopefully we’ll still be travelling with oing forward,” Adam said, raising his brows towards her, fshing a smile.

  “We shall see.”

  “Don’t be so coy, Ray Vonda,” Adam replied, chug.

  The group tinued along their way, and with the Hope and Rays leading the way, each upon their magical steeds, they found little trouble. They followed along the river and road, eventually marg up the hills, before they finally came to Petal Grove.

  ‘The journey is going too smoothly…’ Adam thought, unsure of how he should feel. He gowards the Hope and Rays, before letting out a soft sigh. ‘I guess that’s just how it should be.’

  The days ial Grove passed by ufully too, though Adam he Hope went missing for a few hours, though he made ion towards it. The less he knew about their affairs, the better he felt.

  Adam gowards Sir Landon. They were being pulled along in their own carriage, as one might have expected, though Adam felt odd about the situation.

  ‘Why’s he so quiet?’ Adam thought. ‘I keep fetting he’s with us.’

  The group tiheir journey along, following the dangerous road towards the minor fort, before they tio the order, which was in a simir position as the previous order, the order having been expelled, the soldiers taking over it.

  ‘It feels too weird that everything’s going smoothly.’

  During the evening, upon the hills, the group felt a shaking.

  ‘Ah, there we go,’ Adam thought, donning his shield, his heart rexing. ‘Let’s get it over with.’ He gnced around, watg as the children were ushered into the towers, the farmers and porters having stripped out of much of their armour, though they grabbed their ons and shields.

  “Rick, Remy, you guys should-,”

  Health: 91 -> 69

  I really did roll that much damage...