I walked alongside one of the carts carrying excess grain from the nameless village I had stayed at for the past year. Relatively small, and pulled along by servants indebted to the master of this particular troop, these hand carts werent exactly hardy vehicles. The axles were far from sturdy, and the wheels cracked whenever we hit a particularly rough patch.
Which was every few miles since no one maintained the roads, and few used them regularly.
The only saving grace was the fact that there was very little vegetation and next to no animals.
I had spotted some strange variation of deer, as well as some coyotes that had abnormally long bodies but that was about it. The trees were taller here and the vegetation thicker, though only in clumps, with most of the ground being too rocky to bear life. It made me wonder if this world's previous inhabitants had even intended to keep this world suitable for human habitation.
I pushed such concerns from my mind, and focused on myself.
The armor I had donned over a month ago when I had first left the village did indeed fit better already. At the moment it required an excessive number of straps and likely looked a little funny on my smaller frame but I didn't mind. It was at least secure, and would save my life should it come to that.
Not like we had seen many people, bandit or otherwise on the roads. We had stopped at a few nameless villages, small homesteads or hermit shacks but had traded little. They didn't have much the merchant wanted, which made sense due to how minerally poor and generally desolate the landscape was. Still, he had taken a few baubles, and traded away some grain, making a tidy sum while not completely fleecing his customers.
The man was shrewd and a decent enough manager to work under, even though he looked like some manner of gnome. Short, round and with a nose that was an almost perfect sphere, he was an odd looking fellow. Not only was he oddly spherical, he also didn't seem able to grow so much as a single hair, at least not outside of the tangled bush that sprouted over his eyes.
"How does he stay so round while walking so much," I murmured to myself.
Once more turning my thoughts inward, I noted that my armor was still secure, and my short sword remained belted securely about my waist. Feeling the weapon's weight helped ease a bit of the anxiety that lurked at the back of my mind though it didn't leave completely. The feeling of being watched still lingered at the edge of my perception, as it had since coming to this planet over a year ago.
The ever present pressure was enough to make me a little paranoid, and I couldn't help but take note of how little of my body the armor actually covered. I needed a helmet, and shin guards as well some gauntlets at the bare minimum, yet all I had was a breastplate and a single cloth robe. I also desperately needed to regain my magic, as it would easily allow me to outclass whatever primitive, bronze age technology this planet had produced.
Reaching inward, I attempted to grab hold of my internal mana, but found that it slipped through my fingers like grains of sand. Sure I would need a computation orb for the more complicated formulas even if I managed to gather the power for a spell, but I knew that a few of the simpler ones could be accomplished without the orb. Plus I had been giving it some thought and I was fairly certain I could manage such advanced math without assistance.
Already I could do complex calculations in my head with little effort while at the same time paying attention to my surroundings. I had always been a good multitasker, but now things had been elevated to an entirely new level. Mastering the language of the village had taken me two months, and though at the time I felt proud of myself, now I knew that I could learn the next language even faster. I knew what to look for, had analyzed the way people spoke and got the feeling that the next time I needed to pick up a new vocabulary I could do so within days.
The benefits of my new form extended beyond the mental, as I needed almost no sleep and was both faster and stronger than a baseline human. Sure I wasn't quite super human yet, but I could feel my potential and knew that I had yet to reach my upper limit. It was an exciting prospect, but I set aside such thoughts of the future, at least for the moment.
"So," I began, walking up alongside the caravan master. "How long until we leave this dry creek bed behind?"
"Not long, an hour at most," he replied. "Though I'm curious, I thought you'd know the road well considering your history."
Another probing, vague question aimed at making me reveal my past. He never stopped with this line of questioning and took every opportunity to learn more about me.
"I've lived all my life in the pits. As you know," I shot back.
"Yes, yes of course. How could I forget?" He stated, for what was likely the twentieth time.
"Any additional stops?" I pressed.
"No, no," he murmured. "Just a week, week and a half of walking, at the end of which we should find ourselves at the edge of Lochos. In a few days we'll have to start keeping an eye out for brigands but they are easy enough to bribe."
"And why is that?"
"Most are starving exiles, and failed mercenaries. They know I'm the only merchant willing to make this trip, and so they choose to steal rather than kill."
"Don't want to cut off a consistent source of food," I reasoned.
"Indeed! Though I doubt they'll bother us this time. After all, we have a fearsome warrior from the pits on our side!" He declared, elbowing me in the side.
Even after traveling with the man for over a month I still wasn't sure if he was joking or not. I chose to take it as a poor attempt at humour, lest I say something I may regret.
[------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]
It had been a month and a week since I had left the nameless village behind and we were making good time. This was due in part to my efforts to better organize the caravan and reinforce the wheels with a strip of iron to keep them from falling apart every few miles. It was a slapdash job and my first attempt at such a thing, but it would hold together long enough to reach civilization though probably not much further than that.
Over the last few days the landscape had rapidly become less and less hostile to human life. The grass was green rather than ruddy brown, and small forests sprouted up here and there. I spotted more of tha long coyotes as I'd been calling them, as well as two headed deer that the locals referred to as 'Elafi'.
What I had assumed was just an overly large rack of antlers had in fact been an extra head. That had been a bit confusing at first, though the locals didn't seem to find them strange so I pretended like a part of me wasn't a little freaked out by this. Beside the additional body part they acted just like regular deer only they were slightly thinner, wirier and had less meat on their bones.
This explained why no one seemed interested in hunting the things, with one of the other cart pullers remarking that doing so was both foolish and a wasted effort. I got the feeling they were particularly difficult to hunt, likely due to the fact that they could maintain a three hundred and sixty degree view of their surroundings. They were also quite fast, able to reach speeds that even the nimble deer from my first life could not manage.
My curiosity humming, I strode to the front of the line.
"What do you want to know?" Asked the caravan master, his voice tinged with amusement as well as irritation.
"I was hoping you'd tell me more of this Lochos place. You've been sparse with straight answers," I stated, suppressing my own irritation at hearing his bitter tone.
"Its a decent enough kingdom," he began, the man rubbing his hairless chin. "Last I heard some new tyrant had taken the throne after the last one died without an hier."
"What makes the man a tyrant?"
"If he has a throne of course."
I blinked, and took note of the fact that they either referred to all their leaders as tyrants. At least, I hoped that was the case as I didn't want to think of how miserable this world was if all its leaders were cruel enough to be considered tyrants.
"I think his name was Dammekos," murmured the man. "Apparently he is quite young and an excellent politican and diplomat. Noble qualities, though I fear he will be replaced soon lest he find a powerful warlord to serve him."
"Politcians don't last long around here?"
"No, they do not," he replied with a chuckle. "You cannot turn aside the raids of the Epirus with honeyed words and simple promises. And that's without even considering the rest of Lochos' neighbors."
I hummed thoughtfully to myself, and considered for a moment if this was an opportunity I could exploit. I was a capable leader of men, and an adequate warrior, though I had almost no experience with using a sword. Discarding the idea for now, I decided that my initial goal should be to recover my magic, learn more of this world, acquire more armor, and become a bit more skilled with a blade.
"Get into position. We're coming up on the pass," he remarked, gesturing to the winding hills that lay ahead of us.
"Do you expect trouble?" I pressed.
"This is where I saw them last time."
"Then it stands to reason you'd see them again," I muttered.
"You could depart if you'd like. Your help has been appreciated but you need not endanger yourself," he offered.
There was something in his tone that I didn't like, as I could tell he was talking down to me. That being siad, there was also a hint of concern in there as well, so I let the comment go unanswered.
"I see no reason to depart, especially now that we are so close to our goal."
He nodded slowly and retreived a bag that contained the bribe he intended on paying. I fell back a step as well, my hand resting on the hilt of my blade.
It wasn't long before we were winding through a narrow mountainous path, our lines stretched due to being unable to walk more than two abreast. Combined with the many large leafy bushes that grew everywhere it was the perfect place for an ambush. My assumption proved correct only an hour or so later when we came to a switchback trail that led up and out of the valley.
It was there that I sensed that we were being watched, or at least more watched then usual? Regardless of the semantics, I knew there were individuals lying in wait near the top of the bend. Their forms mostly hidden behind bushes, I caught one of the younger looking brigands when he peeked out from behind cover.
I drew my blade, but kept my weapon low so as to not spook my companions.
Sure enough, just as we neared the valley's edge, a group of five men erupted from the bushes, their leader stepping forward a moment later. Armed with spears, short swords made from bronze, and a patchwork of cloth and bronze armor, they had no standardization to speak of. They also ranged from what looked like sixty years of age, to barely old enough to drink, with some clearly being veterans while others struggled to hold their weapon properly.
"Hello again my friend," greated the brown, curly haired leader of the bandits. "It's been too long since you've passed through our little valley."
"The roads were poor," the nervous merchant replied while ringing his hands.
"What else is new, huh?" He joked.
The merchant chuckled awkwardly.
"I assume that's the payment for the toll?" The leader asked, pointing to the bag in his hands.
"Oh, uh yes! The same as last time plus a bottle of something good since you've been so kind to me," the merchant offered.
"Let's take a look then," the leader exclaimed.
As the two went back and forth, I noticed one of the older, more heavily scarred of their group had taken an interest in me. I could easily tell where his lecherous gaze was going, and knowing the habits of bored male soldiers I knew what he was thinking.
"Hey boss," barked the scarred bandit, pointing at me. "Look what we got here."
"Oh? Would you look at that," murmured the leader. "You didn't tell me you brought on help, you sly dog."
The merchant chuckled, and for the first time since I'd met him, I saw sweat dribble down the round man's forehead. "I didn't think it mattered. She's just some stray that wandered in from the pits," he remarked.
"She's mine," snarled the scarred man, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. "And this time, I'm not sharing, you hear me? I don't want one of you killing another of my pets."
I appreciated the merchant trying to cover for me, but I could tell where things were going and I did not like it. So while the leader was still distracted and only the scarred man was nearby, I launched a preemptive attack. Only for my attempt to disembowel the man to fail, with the bandit stepping just out of reach and resulting only in a shallow cut along his belly.
"This bitch tried to kill me!" He spat.
I didn't need to say anything, and launched myself at him, stabbing at his midsection. He stepped away and batted my blade aside with his own weapon, leaving me open for a wild swing aimed at my head. Ducking under it, I jabbed the point of my blade into his thigh with enough force to hit bone, causing him to flinch in pain.
He managed a clumsy stab, but his balance was off, and I finished the fight by driving my sword hilt deep into his right armpit. Piercing through where his heart would be, and up into his neck, the man was already dead though it hadn't set in yet. He grabbed at me with a bloody hand, clawing at my face, and scratching my cheek but leaving no lasting damage.
A shove was enough to send him tumbling off the side of the hill, his body coming to rest a dozen meters away, the man still gurgling as blood filled his lungs. With my first foe dispatched, I spun back around at the leader of the group, my sword poised to defend against the attack I knew was coming. Only for the man to be smiling at me, his weapon still at his hip, and his posture relaxed.
"Hey now, let's all take a breath hmm?" He offered, gesturing for the rest of his men to stay back. "That was an impressive bit of work there."
I snorted irritably, and noted that although the other bandits had moved a step closer, they gave me a wide berth.
"Xos was scum. Noone will mourn his loss," the leader remarked, reaching down and gripping the merchant's shoulder. "Isn't that right, my friend?"
"Oh uh yes. He was always a bit rough with my… staff," the merchant muttered absently, wincing slightly when his shoulder was squeezed.
"Just take your bribe and go," I demanded.
"Right, we'll do that. Just relax already, okay?" he pressed, his smile widening.
I gripped my blade tighter, my stance still low, still ready for a fight.
"Say. You wouldn't be willing to sell me that girl, hmm?" The leader asked, giving the merchant's shoulder a final squeeze. "She's a pretty good fighter, though a bit young."
"I uh…" For a moment the dumpy little man looked tempted, and I could tell he was considering the proposition despite the fact I was no slave. "I can't do that. She's just a traveler."
Though he sided with me, I could tell the temptation was there and that for at least a moment he had considered selling me out.
"A shame. Oh well," the bandit leader remarked, seemingly unbothered.
Despite the fact that he had begun to walk away, I could tell that the situation was far from resolved. Sure enough, I heard the sound of feet sprinting at me from behind. Turning around just in time to see a spear get launched at my face, I avoided the brunt of the attack, though my cheek was torn apart by the glancing blow.
With blood flowing into my mouth and down my face, I met the man's charge head on, yanking the weapon out of his hand and tossing it aside. He hadn't expected this, and had only just barely managed to draw a dagger before I stabbed him square in the lower right side of his belly. To his credit he managed to stay standing and even slashed at me with his blade, but the shock of his brutal injury had robbed him of the majority of his strength.
The scratch he had dealt me along my scalp was shallow, but bled profusely, as did all head wounds but for the moment my vision was unimpeded. Which was good, as I had enough time to pull my sword from his belly and plunge it up into his chest, just below the sternum. His death all but assured, I expected the man to stumble away, but was surprised when he managed to stab me in the left shoulder.
Worse still, I could hear that his boss was coming, that damnable snake having waited until my back was turned to charge me. I pushed the dying man away and turned around just in time to avoid getting impaled on the man's spear. The attack, aimed at my chest, would have severed my spine and likely killed me instantly, but with my breastplate facing forward, the attack did little.
The brass head of the spear skittered across the metal surface before nicking my right arm and continuing on. The bandit didn't overcomit to the attack however, and dropped the spear the moment he realized that he hadn't delivered a killing blow. I wouldn't give him the chance to recover his footing however, and charged before he could draw his secondary.
He too had a heavy breastplate, so I needed to give my attacks a bit more thought.
A slash at his face caused the man to recoil backwards, further destabilizing him and giving me the chance to stab him right above the knee. An injury that I had assumed would at least give him pause, only for the man to kick me in the chest with enough force to nearly send me flying.
My luck held however, as I crashed into another of the bandits with enough force to send us both tumbling to the ground. Coming out on top, I buried my bronze short blade in his throat and leaped back up, leaving my foe to drown in his own blood.
My feet managed to get under me just in time to find myself attacked from both sides.
The man behind me was young, unarmored and currently running at me with a spear while screaming incoherently. Clearly half panicked from the sudden fighting, he seemed intent on impaling me through the chest, though his attack was sloppy. Sidestepping at the last moment, the man's momentum carried him past me, and into his own ally.
I had hoped that this would trip the bandit leader up, but the cutthroat simply grabbed his young comrade and threw him at me. Bringing my sword up before me, the fresh faced eighteen year old fell upon my weapon with enough force to drag the hilt from my grip. Unarmed, but at least fighting a single foe, I stumbled back a step.
"You shouldn't have done that. Xos would have just messed you up a little. Me? I'm going to make you go through hell," spat the bandit.
"Been there. Done that," I shot back.
With a yell, the man charged me, a short blade in his right hand, and a small round shield the size of a buckler in the other. Spotting the glint of polished bronze, I grabbed a discarded spear and raised it just in time to meet my attacker head on.
He struck first, though I was able to step out of the way just in time to make his stab come up several inches short. I jabbed back, but he was fast, and was able to bring up his small shield in time to deflect my attack away from him. Worse yet, he was taller, with a reach so long that what advantage my spear gave me was completely negated.
Back and forth we went, prodding and stabbing at one another, neither of us gaining an advantage. I was smaller and faster, but he was good with a shield, and never let me land even a glancing blow on him. While I was abnormally strong, he was a trained professional with far, far more experience than me and he used such knowledge to his advantage.
I was beginning to wonder if I could even win against him when I noticed something and drove forward suddenly. Accepting a stab to my lower left arm, I forced the man to step a few inches shorter than he had expected. Stepping on the arm of one of his dead comrades, he stumbled forward, arms swinging wildly in a desperate bid to keep himself standing.
It was all the opening I needed, and with a thrust, I rammed my spear through his left eye socket and out the back of his head. Releasing my grip on the weapon, I watched as he hit the ground like a sack of wet meat, his body twitching as his brain struggled to come to grips with the fact that he was already dead.
Reaching down, I stepped on his arm, and pried the buckler from his grasp. I then stumbled over to where I had dropped my sword, and slid it back at my hip.
"Move out," I bellowed, gesturing with my good arm toward the road ahead. "Before more of them show up."
"Foundling, I think-" the merchant began.
"I don't care what you think. Shut up, and get moving," I snapped.
The man winced and recoiled, bobbing his round head eagerly.
Stumbling over to the cart near the back of the pack, I fell gracelessly into it, the rush of battle fading fast. The servant pulling the cart didn't complain, and soon we began to move, the caravan weaving around the various bodies littering the path.
With the back of my hand I wiped away the blood that covered my forehead before it had a chance to blot out my vision completely. Searching the wound with my fingers, I found that it wasn't overly deep, though it would likely bleed for quite a while. My cheek was worse, with my teeth remaining visible even while my mouth was closed. The shoulder wound was also bad, with the dagger having pierced deep enough to leave my arm almost useless. Finally the stab wound in my lower left arm looked unpleasant though atleast it hadn't struck bone.
"Fuck this hurts," I spat.
Pain racked my body from what felt like everywhere, and I had to hold on to the side of the cart to keep from toppling forward due to the sudden dizziness that assaulted me. Then something seemed to click, and I felt strength begin to fill me, and the bleeding started to slow, my wounds rapidly clotting one by one. As I sat there, I could feel my body start the lengthy process of repairing all the damage done to me over the last few minutes.
The unnatural speed at which I healed may have been strange but compared to the rest of my strange life it was barely worth noting. Either way, I was happy I wasn't about to bleed out in the back of some cart in the middle of nowhere.
Though glad this wasn't the end, I couldn't help but feel my mind drawn back to the fight that had just ended. It had been messy, sloppy even and too much of it had come down to luck for my tastes. My unnatural strength and speed were useful, but I was still had the body of a teenage girl.
I would need practice, experience, and better equipment if I was going to have a hope of surviving in this place. Until such time that I could confidently stand on my own two feet, I would need to keep a low profile and ensure I didn't attract too much attention. Once I had more resources under my belt I could consider joining up with an organization of some kind and rising through the ranks.
My thoughts drifting to plans for the future, I let my gaze wander up to the heavens and toward whatever it was that was watching me. A frown crossed my face, and not for the first time I wondered who or what was observing my every move. For a moment I thought I saw a distant mass of red, like a strange alien nebulea but then it was gone.
"Huh."