The Hunters' Quest

Chapter Seven: Hostile Tensions

"Quickly!" I whisper loudly to Ulrika. "Get your shirt on. I don't want to be here any longer around this place." Nite soldiers are swarming the streets all of a sudden. I can hear the sounds of their chainmail clanking every time they walk past our window. "Do you have the route to Thubet's kingdom memorized?"

"I do," Ulrika says as she franticly gathers her things before we leave. "I'm ready to go when you are." Two buttons on her shirt need to be threaded through. Some parts of her breasts are visible. Since we're rushing to leave, I don't find it that important to tell her to cover them up.

We dash out of the inn with our Kromagian markers rolled up in our hands to the stables. A succubus stable hand begins her daily routine of feeding the horses with some freshly cut green hay when we enter the building.

"Ah, good morning," the succubus says, shoving her pitchfork into the ground before approaching us. "You're ready to set off, yes?"

"That's correct. Have they been good?" I ask while Ulrika takes my Kromagian cape out of my hand to fasten it on my horse.

"Yes. I groomed and fed them as she ordered."

"You sure did," Ulrika says. "It's to go, my love. Work awaits us." She gives me a wink, then takes the reins of her horse to walk out.

"Have a nice day," I say, giving a slight bow to the succubus. She bows back and resumes her duties to the other horses within the stable. I hop on my horse to join Ulrika out in the streets. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Everything is accounted for. Let's get the fuck out of here," she utters softly. At first, we slowly stride to keep any Nite onlookers at ease. There are a lot of wandering eyes on us. I'm positive some of them are questioning why two people not from their stock are roaming the streets. One cultist stares me down, making the Nite soldiers around him stop in the middle of the road to look at him.

"Kaio, eyes forward," Ulrika says. "You're going to draw too much attention."

"Forgive me."

"It's okay. We're almost out of here. Look like they're not worth your attention."

I watch her expertly mind her business as cultists around her gaze. Most of her attention is on the road ahead. Her eyes sometimes lock on passing signs and buildings but never on the cultist. I mimic everything she does.

So far, so good. The cultist hasn't harassed us for the time being. But the exit gate might prove problematic. We're getting stopped before making it thirty feet from it.

"I'll do all the talking," Ulrika says.

"Please," I say. Two Nite soldiers with maces hanging from their hips and triangular-shaped shield fixated on their backs stand in front of our horses.

"You two realize you're supposed to stop us at the gate, right?"

"Step off your horses," the man in front of me commands. "We need to inspect your baggage."

"You've got to be kidding me," she says, aggressively soothing her brows with her thumbs.

"Get off your fucking horse right now," the man in front of her says with a finger pointing at the ground.

"Kaio."

"Yes?" I say.

"Is there a way you can turn them into stone?" She whispers to me with her hand over her mouth, blocking it from being seen by them.

"Into stone?" I repeat slowly. She mouths me to use my tether magic, then slides her fingers across her lips. It takes a second to see what she wants me to do. "Oh! Right!" I hop off my horse in compliance with the man's decree. "Gentlemen." I tether all of them together and apply a full-body tether that freezes them in place. Their mouths are shut tight, but I have to cast Trans Mute to silence their yelling.