In A Faraway Land

Your Good Deed Will Not Go Unnoticed

After daringly sneaking out of the castle unnoticed August had felt quite confident in his adventuring skills, but traveling across Mellion had proved more difficult than August had predicted it would be. The map he had borrowed from his classroom was unreadable in his eyes. He didn't understand the scale of the map, the symbols meant nothing to him, and he had little to no sense of direction. For the past week, he was more or less just wandering into town after town and redirecting after asking the locals for help.

After a full week of travelling the things he brought along with just seemed to weigh him down. He spent a lot of time thinking about what he should bring along with him. Food and water were an obvious necessity. And a few changes of clothes weren't going to hurt him either. If it got unexpectedly cold, he'd need a blanket. He didn't know if he'd ever use it, but adventurers always seemed to have daggers on them so he brought one as well. He'd need his sword to slay the foes he would face in the dark dimension. And just in case he brought about five full sacks of gold.

In the countless adventure books he had read, the heroes always knew where to go and how to get there too. Sure they encountered hardships, but they encountered deadly traps and evil foes who tried to eliminate them. Every second of their adventures were filled with excitement, danger, and exciting places. August, however, sat on the ground alone in front of a tavern trying to figure out where he was now.

The subjects of Mellion walked past August without a second glance. They were all busy with their own errands, not concerned with August's life-altering quest. They didn't know of the urgent predicament he was in. If they did, they would surely stop to help him. He would let them pass though, his fate was his own and he couldn't rope his innocent subjects into it.

The tavern door swung open and a disgruntled man with a large moustache hovered over August.

"Young man, you cannot sit outside of my tavern like this. It's loitering!"

"Sorry sir," August said while quickly standing up.

"And what's with that grim expression on your face? You're scaring my customers away!"

"I'm just trying to find out how to get to Cloudacre and this map isn't very helpful..."

"Cloudacre?" The man said. "That's a long way from here."

"Is that so?" August laughed waveringly. "Do you mind pointing me in the right direction? I have been traveling for ages and I cannot seem to put myself on the right track."

The man sighed and looked August up and down. "It will take you at least an entire month to reach there by foot."

August's heart plunged into a lake of despair. An entire month? His entire eighteen years of waiting seemed minuscule in comparison.

"You could ask if you can hitch a ride with someone. There are some people transporting goods around the kingdom. There's no guarantee anyone will be going to Cloudacre, but you can ask around."

August grabbed the big moustached man's hands enthusiastically. "Thank you! Your good deed will not go unnoticed!"

The man coughed loudly and snatched his hands back. "I did this so you'd go away."

"Where can I find these generous ride-givers?" August asked.

"Look around for anyone that has a wagon. They usually are around these shops to deliver goods to other towns."

August shook the man's hand vigorously again and dashed off to find these delivery drivers. With his goal now in mind his dreary energy from a few minutes ago disappeared, and now matched the bustling energy of the people on the main street of the town. He stood on his tiptoes and scanned over their heads looking for anyone who was standing next to a cart, wagon, or any other sort of transportation. August squinted his eyes and focused on a large item that the crowd moved around. He couldn't exactly see what it was, but the chances of it being his ticket to Cloudacre were high! He quickly slipped through the cracks of people trying his best not to push or shove them. As he moved closer he could see two horses. And wheels! A wagon at last! Lounging in the front seat was a man with simple clothing. His hat was covering his face shielding him from the bright rays of sunlight.