Fasar adjusted his glasses that were slipping down his nose. His hand gripped the wooden edge of the carriage. "Do you think she will attack us?" he asked while turning toward the forest that was starting to grow dark. "What if she thinks we came to hunt her? Or even worse, what if she is not here?"
Kilasafi leaned his back against the hard wooden seat. He stretched his legs out casually. "Relax. She won't attack us. Probably. If she is not there, then we just turn back. Think of this as a vacation."
Fasar exhaled a long breath. "By the way, what is her class?"
"She is an Ice Hunter," Kilasafi answered shortly.
The horse carriage continued to move forward, leaving the sloping forest area behind. The dirt road ahead began to climb sharply and wind along the side of a stone cliff.
The sun fully set behind the jagged horizon. The reddish orange sky slowly faded, changing into gradients of deep purple and dark blue. The shadow of the stone cliff on the left side of the road elongated to cover their path, making visibility increasingly limited.
The carriage wheels creaked loudly as they ran over sharp gravel and loose stones on the uphill road. The horses in front snorted heavily. Their leg muscles tensed clearly as they pulled the weight of the carriage.
The thin mountain air began to feel piercingly cold against the skin. The wind whistled through the gaps in the stone cliff.
Total darkness slowly enveloped them. One by one, stars began to appear in the clear, cloudless sky. Before long, thousands of tiny points of light were clearly visible stretching overhead.
The view of the forest in the valley below now appeared only as a vast and thick black mass. The road ahead was only illuminated by the faint light from small oil lanterns hanging on the sides of the carriage.
In the back of the carriage, Rezak and Claura were fast asleep. Their heads rested against each other. Their breathing was steady amidst the jolting of the carriage.
"How much longer until we reach her place?" Fasar held his stomach which was beginning to growl. "Getting hungry after all this time."
"Soon," Kilasafi said.
The air suddenly turned extremely cold. White vapor came out of Fasar's mouth every time he breathed. He pulled his cloak tight against his shivering body. Kilasafi straightened his sitting position. His eyes narrowed, staring into the darkness ahead. His right hand moved slowly toward the dagger on his belt.
Rezak and Claura startled awake. Their faces immediately turned alert. Rezak drew his sword from its sheath. The metal of the sword glinted as it caught the moonlight.
Is this really her? Kilasafi wondered inwardly. He gave a signal with his hand. "Ready your weapons."
Crack!
An ice wall suddenly jutted out from the dirt road. The horses neighed loudly. Their front legs rose high into the air. The carriage rocked sideways toward the cliff. Fasar held on tight to the wooden edge until his knuckles turned white.
Kilasafi moved quickly. He pulled the reins with a powerful jerk. He jumped from the coachman's seat and landed on the ground that was beginning to freeze thinly.
Kilasafi approached the horse on the left, which was the most agitated. He patted the neck of the animal which was muscular and wet with cold sweat. Hot steam billowed from the horse's nostrils as its breath came in gasps.
"Is okay..ssh is okay," Kilasafi said. His right hand stroked the base of the horse's ear, while his left hand held the lead to keep it stable. The horse's trembling body slowly subsided. The animal's legs planted firmly back onto the cold ground.
"How foolish of you to come openly using a horse carriage like that," a woman's soft voice was heard from the direction of the cliff above them.
Kilasafi smiled a little. He released the reins after making sure the horses were no longer trying to run away.
"Does selling slaves make you stupid?" the voice continued.
Huh, selling what?Kilasafi frowned.
Inside the carriage, Rezak and Claura looked at each other in confusion.
"Huh? Selling slaves? What are you talking about, idiot! We do not sell slaves!" Fasar shouted with an annoyed tone. "Wrong person, dumbass!"
"E... eh? Do you not sell slaves? Wait, who are you!?" The woman's voice now sounded just as confused.
A figure of a woman jumped down from the heights. She landed lightly right in front of the horses that had just calmed down. The woman had long white hair that glowed under the starlight. Her eyebrows and eyelashes were pure white. She wore a white dress with an off the shoulder cut. On the chest part of her dress, there was a gold ornament with a striking blue gem.
"Who are you?" the woman asked softly. She stepped closer toward the carriage.
Her clear blue eyes narrowed as she saw the figure of the man with messy white hair and purple eyes in front of the carriage.
"Ki... Kilasafi?" the woman murmured softly.
She immediately neatened her white hair which was messy from the wind. Her hand moved quickly, combing the strands of hair around her face. "You came here?"
Fasar exhaled a sigh of relief. He leaned his body back against the chair. "It seems that is indeed her."
Rezak peeked from the window and went back to sitting relaxed. "It is Nebula, it seems."
"Oh?, Thank goodness then," Claura said. She turned off the flow of wind magic that had gathered in the palm of her hand.
Kilasafi walked slowly to approach Nebula. "You have not changed it seems, Miss me?"
"Kilasafi..." Nebula stood frozen. Her eyes began to well up. "It is you. It is really you. You came back to meet me. You remembered me."
Tears began to flow down her cheeks. "You... you came to meet me. You did not forget me.."
Kilasafi tilted his face. "Eh? What's wrong with you? You are not your usual self."
Slowly Nebula lunged forward. She hugged Kilasafi very tightly. She buried her face in the man's chest.
"O... oi, what are you doing? Others will misunderstand," Kilasafi said, startled.
"I was afraid I would not be able to see you again," Nebula said haltingly. Her shoulders shook softly. "Thank you for meeting me again."
In the back, Rezak and Claura covered their mouths with their hands. They peeked from the gap in the window with wide eyes.
Fasar could only gape at the sight in front of him.
"Are they actually dating!?" Fasar murmured in disbelief.
Kilasafi fell silent. His brain spun fast. Why? Did something happen to her? What has she experienced over the last year? Afraid of being alone? What actually happened to her? Don't tell me she really almost died? Don't tell me she really was seriously injured? , Nebula, who is that strong was afraid? Of whom?
When she came here she mistakenly saw us as stupid slave traders... what is that? Kilasafi wondered inwardly. He tried to understand Nebula's situation.
Wait at a time like this what should I do.... hug her back? How awkward.... no... uhm...
Slowly Kilasafi's hand rose. He stroked Nebula's white hair gently. His other hand patted the woman's back with a slow rhythm.
"What is it, Nebula?" Kilasafi asked in a low tone.
Nebula fell silent for quite a long time against Kilasafi's chest. Her breathing began to regulate and the trembling in her body subsided due to the stroke of Kilasafi's hand.
She pulled her face away from Kilasafi's chest. Her wet blue eyes looked at Kilasafi's face intently.
"I will tell at the top."