How noisy.
I commented in my mind as I saw the young human continuously complaining to the adventurer who was guarding the gate.
Refocusing on Zoe, she explained a few things that the lady from earlier had told her about the wagon, because besides the 8 rooms on the first and second level, there was a back door. That door would take you out of the expanded space inside the wagon, leading you to a place resembling a small chamber outside, being the perfect spot to get some fresh air.
While I watched with a yawn how the scandalous human from earlier was given a new ring that served as a ticket, Zoe kept talking, mentioning that every 5 days the wagon stopped for half a day so the passengers could go outside, making the long journey less stressful for certain races.
Will they let us out? I thought, surprised by the new information. I guess it's something normal for a 120-day trip like this.
With a thoughtful look, my gaze centered again on the human named Markus, because as he passed by the dining area, he began staring at us intently. What? What's his deal?
Feeling a bit annoyed and uncomfortable by his lack of discretion, Markus continued on his way to one of the rooms on the lower floor.
With negative feelings, I closed my eyes while thinking about that human, because even though I had never seen his face before, his name seemed familiar in some way, as if I had heard it somewhere.
Markus…
"Here are your plates." Said a young waitress, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Thanks." Zoe replied, receiving the two plates she was carrying and then handing one to me.
I don't think there's any need to give importance to someone I don't know. I said in my head as I looked at what Zoe had ordered.
Wow, I wasn't expecting them to have Red Lizard meat. I thought as I looked at the plates, because among the cooked vegetables and the pasta, there were several chunks of red meat cut into cubes. Looking at it more closely, it was obvious the pasta had been freshly made from dough, making it the perfect match for the yellowish sauce it had been bathed and mixed with.
If they keep serving dishes like this, the ticket price will be completely justified. I thought cheerfully, tasting the sweet and spicy flavor of the Crimson Stir-fry, the name of the dish in front of me.
Both Zoe and I were enjoying the food, until, after a couple of minutes, someone suddenly sat down in one of the chairs in front of us. As I looked up, suspecting who it was, I confirmed that this person was the human from earlier, Markus.
"Nice to meet you, I hope you don't mind if I join you." Were his words as he showed a smile with closed eyes that made me even more annoyed. Now that he was closer, I noticed the human was around 30 years old, and judging by his flashy clothes with a crest embedded in them, he had to be some kind of noble.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Markus of House Fleming, I'm the third son of the noble in charge of Birton." He said gracefully, making me recall an old conversation I had several years ago with Angelica, shortly after I entered Birton University.
"Can you believe it? Thanks to him I was able to save myself from that class!"
"I understand, but aren't you a bit too excited about meeting him?"
"Of course, because I recently found out that he's one of the sons of Yataco Fleming, the noble in charge of the city of Birton. Imagine if I manage to become friends with him, that would be a great contact for the future."
So it's him… I said in my mind as I stared at him. "Nice to meet you, Markus, my name is Zoe, and the person next to me is named Drake." My sister replied kindly, after seeing that I was still eating with the same slowness as always.
"As I entered this wagon, I was quite surprised to see two young Dragontinos around these lands. Are you just passing through?"
Not knowing exactly what he meant, I got even more annoyed by the way he talked, and by the fact that he referred to us as 'youngsters', because I was sure I was older than him.
"That's right." Zoe answered, nodding naturally before I could say a word. Causing me to stay silent while I observed the conversation forming around them.
"I figured as much, because while it's rare to find Dragontinos across the planet, it's even rarer to see them on this continent. Are you from the Kingdom of Clifland?" He asked, glancing at the kitchen, from where plates of food were coming out for everyone in the wagon.
"No, of course not, we're a young couple from the north of the Kingdom of Mitian. We're now returning to our birthplace after a couple of years traveling through these beautiful lands."
"Oh, I see, sorry for asking so much, I just wanted to be sure." He said with a smile, right before a plate of food arrived for him.
What did Zoe just say!? That we're a couple!? Has she gone crazy!?
Shocked and confused by my sister's words, I looked directly at her while Markus spoke with the waitress.
"Z—" Before I could say anything, Zoe looked at me in a way I knew perfectly well—one she always used when she wanted me to stay silent… or more specifically, when she was threatening me to do so.
I don't understand anything!
While my head spun trying to process everything that was happening, Zoe countered with questions directed at Markus.
"By the way, Markus, I noticed you carry a type of weapon that's unusual for someone of your status. Are you an adventurer by any chance?" My sister asked, making Markus laugh at how direct she was.
"Hahaha! That's right! I'm an adventurer! A new one, actually!"
"Eh? What do you mean a new one? Did you just join the adventurer's guild recently?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked for a reaction.
"That's right, that's right. I used to work as a professor at Birton University, but after more than five years there, I decided to become an adventurer. In fact, it's only been about two weeks. Quite the change, huh?" He said cheerfully before putting a piece of fish in his mouth.
"Yeah, you're right. But what brought about that change? It's rare for a noble like you to switch careers so drastically."
"It's true, it's true. But honestly, being a noble doesn't matter much to me right now. Since I'm the third son in my family, I have more freedom to do what I want with my life. Something my two older brothers don't have."
Wait a second… Why does it look like those two are starting to get along?
"That must be tough for them, but I'm sure they've accepted it already. I've heard nobles are prepared from a young age to inherit their parents' duties. Is that true?"
"Hahaha, it is! Just like you said, becau—"
Markus seemed like someone very sociable, but what really surprised me was Zoe acting that way. I guess I don't know her as well as I thought. I thought to myself, eating as fast as I could so they'd finish their conversation.
After about five minutes, I finally finished my plate and told Zoe we should head up to take care of a few things, bringing their lively conversation to an end.
With a goodbye and a promise to keep talking during the rest of the trip, Zoe stood from the table and followed me up the stairs. When we entered and closed the door to our room, the first thing I noticed was that I hadn't been able to enjoy my dish the way I wanted to. Clenching my fists as a little tear escaped, I muttered, Damn it, I hate you, Markus.
When I opened my eyes, Zoe was staring at me, trying to hold back her laughter, but despite her efforts, she couldn't help bursting into laughter at the sight of my confused face.
"Hahaha, seriously… that face you were making the whole time down there…" She said through her laughter.
"What face!? What are you talking about? I didn't understand anything!" I protested while Zoe kept teasing me.
After a while, Zoe sat in one of the chairs by the window and began explaining everything that had happened. Apparently, our race wasn't only found in the Kingdom of Clifland. Around a millennium ago, a group of Dragontino families settled in the north of Mitian. Unlike the ones from Clifland, these Dragontinos were normal people, not part of any country's royalty or nobility—or at least that's what Zoe said.
Royalty? Nobility? Of course! Uncle Boris.
Suddenly everything made more sense. Markus had probably started questioning us because of our origin. I now had the missing pieces to fit the puzzle together.
Right, it makes sense. If we were nobles from another country, he probably would've done something about it. That's why Zoe had to lie like that.
"Wait, all that makes sense, but why did you tell him we were a young couple?" I asked again, still not understanding that part.
"What? You still don't get it?" She asked, disappointed, as she stood up and searched through her stuff for one of the two books she had brought with her.
"I said that so he wouldn't get suspicious. Don't you think it'd be strange to see us traveling with no older person around?"
"What? But why? We're both adults." I said, feeling guilty as I remembered the events from a few days ago.
"Yeah, you're right. But humans can't tell when one of us is an adult or not."
I guess she doesn't want to draw attention in any way. Maybe that's why she chose this expensive means of travel.
"Well, now I get it… but I still didn't like how you talked with him." I said without thinking, quickly looking away when I realized what I'd just said.
"Hahaha, what's this? Are you jealous someone's taking your little sister away?" She said teasingly, returning to the chair and placing her book on the table while smiling at me.
"I better shut up." I said irritably before picking up my backpack from the floor. Looking for a few things, I got ready to lie down on the bed, because even though in theory we had slept the 2 hours necessary for someone of our race, I felt very tired for some strange reason.
With Zoe looking at me casually, I started to fall asleep, making the bad moment fade among my thoughts. All this about the wagon, the way we're traveling… It's so different… from the journey I had in mind.
More than an hour and a half passed, and when I opened my eyes again I felt strange, strange that I wasn't in my bed, in my room, in my house.
How long did I sleep? I asked myself half-asleep, silently raising my torso while I looked for Zoe with my eyes from side to side. When I turned my head to the right, I noticed she had organized most of our things in the cabinet that came with the room. Turning back to the left, I found her sitting in the same chair, reading the same book, making me understand that not much time had passed.
She… is very efficient, very nice, very… I thought with narrowed eyes, watching more closely as I opened my eyelids further. Very beautiful.
Zoe was sitting with her legs crossed, holding the book with one hand while supporting herself on the table beside her with the other. The natural light from outside illuminated her, making her look like she was glowing with her own light because of her white hair and fair skin, looking like a true angel.
Her calm and serene gaze on the book turned in my direction, which sent a chill down my spine. Immediately, I got nervous and looked away so I wouldn't look at her directly while my face turned red. Huh? What the heck is wrong with me?
"You're awake, how was your rest?" She asked with a smile, making me even more uncomfortable.
Damn it! CALM DOWN! I screamed in my head, jumping to my feet.
"G-good, it was good, thanks." "That's good." She replied before continuing with her reading. Calmer thanks to the change in temperature, I stretched with my eyes closed to finish waking up.
What happened with Markus is troubling me, I need to calm down. I said in my head, before feeling nervous and confused again when I realized there was only one bed in our room.
Damn! I was so focused on processing all the changes that I didn't notice that!
"Zoe, Zoe. They gave us only one bed, it must have been a mistake. I'll go talk to them right now." I said nervously, putting on the tunic we had come in and opening the door to go fix that problem.
"Wait!" Zoe shouted, throwing her book as she quickly got up to stop me with one of her hands, grabbing part of my shirt.
"Huh?" Confused by Zoe's behavior, I turned to see what was going on with her. As I turned, I noticed she was looking down, preventing me from seeing her eyes, and she had an aura of sadness, like she didn't want me to go fix all this.
But, why? I asked myself.
In that moment full of silence and questions, the wagon started to move, helping me understand my sister's reasons.
"I see, I guess it's already too late to fix something like this." I said as I returned to the room.
Hearing my words, Zoe looked up with a slight smile, nodding with a more normal, happier expression.
With a sigh, I sat back on the bed, thinking of different options so that this new situation wouldn't be strange for her or for me.
Yeah, if we take turns using the bed, we could both sleep without being cold or uncomfortable. She could sleep at dawn and I before midnight. I said in my head, also thinking of other options.
Zoe, seeing me deep in thought, knew perfectly what I was going to say, getting ahead of my suggestions.
"Drake." She said aloud, looking directly at me, cutting off my various thoughts. "I know you're looking for a way to not sleep together, but come on, stop acting like a child and don't worry about sharing the bed, after all, we're just lying next to each other."
Child? I guess she's right, I feel like a child right now.
…
Since that afternoon when we had decided to sleep in the same bed, 40 days had passed, making me get used to my new life in the wagon.
At first, the embarrassment and nervousness of sharing the bed were obvious in both of us, but as the days went by, we gradually got used to being beside each other. That made the trust between us grow even more, especially because, every night before sleeping, when everything was silent, we started telling each other memories from the past.
"By the way Zoe, do you know the details of why our parents fled the Kingdom of Clifland? They never wanted to tell me that story." I commented after talking for a while, lying on the bed, looking at the dark ceiling of our room.
"Why they fled…? Well, I do know, but I don't know if I should tell you, since if they didn't, it must have been for a reason." She said in a different tone, making me even more curious to know.
"What? But dad and mom are no longer here, don't be like that and tell me, please." I insisted, curious to learn more about my parents' past.
"Y-you're right, but… to tell you something like that I'd have to go back a few decades, even before I was born." She replied hesitantly.
"Come on, don't use time as an excuse, there are still 4 hours until sunrise." I said, turning my gaze to her, and when she saw me and our eyes met, she looked away to look at the ceiling again.
She'll definitely tell me, because after spending so many days together, she must trust me by now. I thought triumphantly.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you, but promise me you'll never say you heard it from me." She said, looking at me again. "Yes! I promise!"
With those words, Zoe took a deep breath before beginning to tell a story I never expected to hear, and one that would completely change the way I saw my parents, forever.