Understanding what Mikael said, he nodded. After he finished enjoying the roasted rabbit meat, Mikael asked Drake to sleep.
When Drake was already asleep, Mikael climbed a tree and looked at the millions of stars of different colors that decorated the sky and said:
"This world is better than my old world in many ways. I hope to find happiness in this new life."
Spending the night thinking and reflecting and watching, Michael saw the dawn, bringing with it the light of day and the warmth of the sun.
Climbing down from the branch, he woke Drake and they headed down the road. Along the way, they came across a group of exotic and rare animal traders.
Looking through the cloth covering the caged and boxed animals, Michael showed interest in a certain pair of illusionary bats, but as he had no money, he decided to just ask for information about the animals.
The merchants, seeing two young men approaching, sighed with weariness and annoyance, thinking they were thieves, but realized with relief that they only wanted to know where they were going.
They then informed him that they were going to the realm of magic and alchemy, which is very close to the great Stone Mountain.
As the group was unprotected, Mikael decided to offer the two to be the group's bodyguards, until they reached the realm of magic and alchemy and as payment, they asked the couple for bat illusions, and the merchants were very happy with the offer, finally, as they would not have to pay dearly for protection, this couple of bats was left out precisely because few wanted this type of animal.
Looking at the two young men, the merchants underestimated them, who, being so young, could not protect them.
One of the traders then suggested that Mikael and Drake prove their strength, but to his surprise, only one was a combatant.
Mikael ran up a tree and crushed and knocked him down with just one punch and Drake, that was just a burden, they concluded, and they didn't much care when Michael asked for payment, two of the smaller animals and worthless compared to the other animals.
that they carried; however, they were unaware that Mikael was a vampire and as a vampire they had control of these bats naturally and illusion bats were known to be indomitable by races, particularly the human race.
Aside from the vampire race, illusion bats were a rare treasure for vampires.
Climbing onto one of the wagons, Drake was silent most of the time, as if he were scared, and to confirm this, he looked, for a moment, at one of the merchants with eyes of fear and anger.
Mikael, always on the lookout, noticed this change in behavior and was suspicious, but decided not to intrude.
After the merchants finished resting their horses, they resumed their journey with Mikael and Drake as bodyguards.