Traveling felt much easier, when one didn't have to worry about anything along the way. Most from the crew dozed off at some point, because there was nothing else for them to do.
Their butts sank on those furry backs which the boars have, and most of these people even had enough room to lie down for a nap! This was the most rewarding part of their week, without a doubt, and the only thing they were missing now, was food.
They couldn't pause their trip, just to tear one of these boars apart. It would be inefficient, especially since the boars were their means of transportation; They had to be preserved, for now.
"Can't wait to get myself a fat, juicy leg…" Bardeelus mumbled, while he tried to stay focused.
Kutal the Sturdy had tried to stay alert until now, so he heard that wish. The idea of food sounded lustful at this point, especially the way Bardeelus expressed it, so he tried to stitch this boy tightly to common sense.
He spoke, "There's no way you could eat a fat, two-hundred kilogram leg on your own, you're just imagining things. Hunger can get to ya after a while."
"Yeah, no shit man! Also, I deserve a leg. We'd all starve to death if it wasn't for me." Bardeelus countered.
Kutal didn't want to steer an argument, he just wanted to help this presumed 'necromancer' stay focused, so the boars don't die off in the middle of the road. He figured that it took effort to keep them alive, and even more so, to keep them moving or obeying commands, so they had to be cautious!
Still, with an aim to remind this boy about morals, without shattering his focus, Kutal spoke. "You're acting pretty stingy, lad. Other hunters brought in bigger game before, and they didn't cry about their share. Stinginess won't get you anywhere, there are fifty-two hungry people at home."
Bardeelus was too tired to argue, thankfully, so he just nodded along. "Yeah, guess you're right. I don't want a leg, and I just want to eat everyday. That's good too, very good."
After that point, peace encumbered them slowly. They tried to relax, but also, everyone kept looking at the dirt-road in front of them. They couldn't wait to get home!
They made great distance already, because boars proved themselves as excellent traveling buddies. Not many people knew of their use, of course, because these boars were vicious and untamable by nature.
If only more people dared to experiment with the unusual, they'd probably be better off. In this case the crew got happier by the minute, because their camp was only four more kilometers away!
They didn't have to wait too long to get there either, as these boars jogged almost as fast as a common horse, their speed was dependable. Apart from that the road was clear too, so about thirty more minutes of traveling would do the trick!
After about ten minutes of traveling, everyone got more excited, because now they absolutely knew that the camp was close by! They all woke up and tried to focus!
Such alertness, quickly enough, helped them see issues which lurked within their own team!
"Did you kill her too? Why does she look sick?" Audera asked, and she remained overly-aggressive.
Bardeelus knew that this question was directed to him, and it was reasonable to some extent, considering the recent discoveries. It was alarming that the only other woman in this crew seemed very sick, undead even!
Her efforts to appear alive were willful, but everyone noticed that there was something wrong with her. They did not have the resources to treat her on the road, either, so they had to rush these boars!
Nothing about this situation was pretty, but Bardeelus didn't want to be blamed for everything either, so eventually he said. "Why would I kill her? I already have a slave that does everything I tell him. Say 'hi', John."
"Hi John," The resurrected traitor said.
"So what, you like men now? Why did you enslave a man only? Homosexuals are not welcome in our camp!" She yelled.
"Must have casted an illusion spell on yourself there, woman." Bardeelus cracked a joke, and then he pointed out the obvious. "You just want to banish me over the dumbest shit. Be fair now, you're riding my boars."
That one, sick girl ended what could've been a harsh debate, as she spoke out. "He didn't kill me, and he probably doesn't like men either. Leave him alone."
"Okay… but that 'probably' will bother me for a while." Audera nodded, and gave him a pressuring look.
Her glare seemed random at best, and her actions were steering far away from any common discussion too. Bardeelus didn't know what to make out of this.
While they wondered why Audera was acting so weird, the sick girl continued. "I caught something back there, something bad. Maybe one of those bastards was sick, because I can hear a bunch of voices now..."
"We'll have someone look at you, don't worry." Kutal said.
The conversation met an end after that point. They could feel this middle-aged man's presence, and the rules he wanted to enforce, even when he didn't speak much.
No one really wanted to argue either. Besides, they were worrying about this sick girl now, more than anything else. Although they didn't express it yet, they also feared that she was slowly going insane!
Her name was Erdeta, and she was a petite human, who practiced evasive magic. She was young, only twenty-one years old, and really didn't deserve to go insane.
Her youthfulness wasn't the only thing that vouched her innocence. She simply hadn't committed any grave crimes throughout her life, because she always fled from danger rather than participating in it. Nothing about such magical art was evil.
Her condition was the main thing that the crew thought about for a few minutes. At some point, Bardeelus even lost his appetite; He was not a saint, but he still had sympathy!
Anyway, eventually they made it to the camp, or near it at least. They were two hundred meters away from it, and this was when Kutal barked an order!
"Okay, you can kill the boars now. We'll head to camp, and ask some of the men to help drag them along." He said.
"Sure," Bardeelus agreed. He couldn't wait to relieve his brain from the pressure of controlling these beasts.
He blew up a boar's heart within a blink, specifically, the one which Audera was riding on. He didn't even wait for her to climb down, so she toppled over and landed in a bush nearby.
Bardeelus smirked, and then said. "Didn't you hear him? We're killing these things, so you should've climbed down."
At the same time he wondered if these beasts could be resurrected again, if he tried later. It was a good question, and there was an actual chance to revive them, since they weren't actually too hurt!
He wasn't given the opportunity to experiment, however, as Kutal insisted on killing them off quickly. Their flesh will end up in a boiling pot, pretty soon!
Bardeelus killed these boars quickly, and then while he turned around, he asked. "Okay, done. Are we going to the cam…"
A sudden blow cut his words short. He got smashed against the head, by none other than Kutal. That metallic punch was distinctive, and obviously, this couldn't have been an accident!
Such a blow could've been bone breaking too, but not this time. This treacherous man's powers were exhausted, so he just managed to knock Bardeelus out, rather than kill him!
The intentions behind this attack were unclear, but if he was to wake up again, he surely wouldn't waste time asking questions! He'd urge to counter treachery, with slavery!