The back curtains of a wagon were pushed aside by Maya as she climbed in. "Mother, Father!" The parents turned towards the girl placing a finger on their lips. The girl placed a hand on her mouth as she looked down between her parents. Where her Grandfather laid asleep.
The father brought down his finger as he leaned towards the girl and whispered. "What is it?" Maya grabbed her father's hand pulling it as she gestured outside.
The father looked at his wife with a puzzled expression as he whispered. "Do you know what she is talking about?" His wife raised and dropped her shoulder as she shook her head.
"Ugh!" Benjamin quickly sat upright as he coughed uncontrollably. The father grabbed a hold of Benjamin while his wife grabbed a bottle of water and poured a glass of water from it handing it over to her husband. The man then helped Benjamin the water.
Once he drank the glass of water Benjamin closed his eyes as he swallowed the saliva in his mouth and exhaled. "Thank you Peter and you too Mata." Peter nodded as he took the glass back and placed it to the side. He then turned towards Maya. "Where is your brother?"
"Right here." Peter turned around as Kanah moved the curtain at the front placing two bags of fruit and vegetables. "You got everything?" Kanah nodded as he closed the curtain and walked around the wagon climbing inside from the back.
Benjamin sat there with his back leaning against a box, looking at his family as Peter and Kanah sat on the bench to his right and Mata and Maya sat to his left.
Peter turned his head to Kanah. "When will we get there?"
Kanah leaned back as he yawned. "Tomorrow morning if we leave now. If we stay here then tomorrow night." Peter nodded as he crossed his arms. "What was that yelling I head?" Kanah looked at his mother as he shook his head. "Nothing much. People were gathered around the news board. Father made a public appearance yesterday at noon. The summoning worked. The Hero of Prophecy has arrived from another world."
Benjamin and Peter both scoffed. Kanah turned to look at his father and grandfather. "You guys okay?" Benjamin shook his head. "I told Bel the last time we met. That there was no need to summon a hero." Kanah leaned forward looking at his grandfather with a puzzled look. "Why would you do that? You know Father did it only beca-"
"He may be the King but I am telling you he is blind to not see the real Hero right here." Benjamin then pointed at Kanah as Kanah rolled his eyes. "I am not the-ugh!"
Kanah was slapped in the back of the head by his father as he held his head rubbing it. "You are getting out of hand with each passing day. Rolling your eyes at your grandfather. Grow up, otherwise Princess Aurelia might choose someone else."
Kanah shook his head as he placed a hand on his heart. "She loves me for who I am." He then looked at his grandfather. "Besides, I am not the hero." Benjamin raised his hand flicking it towards Kanah in a dismissive manner. "Keep telling yourself that. I know the truth, my grandson is the strongest being this planet has ever seen."
He then crossed his hands and turned his head away from Kanah. Mata gently smiled as she leaned forward. "Does this Hero have a name?" Kanah turned to his mother and nodded. "Raghav Suryanshi. He was summoned on the 24th. That night an assassination attempt took place on Father right after the summoning."
Mata gasped as Peter turned Kanah towards himself. "Is he alright?" Kanah nodded. "Apparently, the assassination attempt was a trick by Prime Minister Vaughn to frame uncle Galreid and take his position as Duke of the West. But Raghav managed to uncover this secret and even fought in a trial by combat. The name of the person he fought has not been shared but it is said that he was a master level warrior and Raghav won without a single injury."
Maya who was shaking in excitement leaned forward. "He looks just like brother." Peter looked at Maya confused. "What do you mean?" Maya pointed at her brother. "The Hero looks exactly like brother."
Peter's head turned to Kanah. "Is your sister telling the truth?" Kanah slid a bit further from his father as he nodded. "She is. There was a portrait with Father, Mother, Vonreid, Aurelia and Raghav." Peter moved Kanah out of the way of the way as he stepped out of the wagon. "I will see it for myself. Get the horses and be prepared to leave. The sooner we get on a ship to Solara the better."
He then closed the curtain as Kanah looked at his mother. "I will go and get the horses." Kanah then exited the wagon leaving behind his grandfather, mother and sister.
He stood at the back of the wagon; lowering his head as he ran his hand through his hair letting them fall to the front reaching down to his eyes. He then raised his head and began walking towards the other end of the village.
'It is good that that the road runs beside the village and not through it. I won't have to worry about running into a lot of people.'
Kanah quickly walked through the muddy road until his foot sunk into the mud. "This is so much different than the roads and streets of Rine." He pulled out his foot and looked at his mud covered shoes before walking forward.
He soon reached the stable at the other end of the village. He hid behind a wall as he looked at a five men were gathered there. Three humans and two beast-men, one had a snake like skin and eyes, the other had a short beak in place of his nose and mouth and hawk like eyes with feather covered skin.
Kanah took a deep breath walking out from behind the wall and heading to the two horses tied on the outside posts at the end of the stable. Kanah lowered his head as he walked past the five men and made it to his horses. He handed some coins to the boy that was sweeping the area.
Kanah untied the two horses and climbed on one while he held the reins to the other. Suddenly a cloak was thrown on Kanah. He looked at his left finding a man around his own age standing there.
The man was around five foot ten inches, he had fair skin with short black hair and black eyes. He too wore a cloak just like the one he gave to Kanah. There was something that stood out though. The man had eyes that seemed as if they were only half open. "Use this to cover yourself. It will be a problem if someone recognized you."
Kanah pulled the hood of the cloak over his head as he nodded. "Thank you, but who are you?"
"I will tell you, but first let's move from here." He then looked at the adventurers as Kanah matched his gaze and nodded. "Get on."
The man climbed behind Kanah as the two rode towards Kanah's wagon. Once they reached the wagon, they both got off the horse as Kanah handed the reins of one horse to the man and began tying the other horse to the carriage.
The man felt the reins and the saddle. "This is not made of leather." Kanah turned to look at the man. "I do not use leather." Maya popped her head out of the wagon. "Who are you talking to brother?" Maya looked at the man who waved at her as she waved back.
Kanah pointed at Maya. "This is Maya, my younger sister." "Hello! Mystery man." Maya then turned towards Kanah. "Mother had asked me to tell you that she was will be taking a nap." Kanah nodded. "Thank you for telling me Maya, go back in and take a nap too."
Maya smiled at the man as she went back inside the wagon. Kanah then shifted his gaze towards the man. "Your name?" The man raised his hands. "My name is Shin Furukawa."
"I see." Shin leaned on the wagon as he nodded with a smug on his face. "I am an adventurer from Marne. I overheard you talk with the fruit vender about going to Marne. Could you give me a ride?" Kanah turned around as he finished tying the horse.
"How did you get here from Marne without a horse?" Shin bit his upper lips as he chuckled. "I came on a horse but it got stolen."
Kanah snorted holding a hand on his mouth as he looked away from Shin. Shin crossed his hands looking at Kanah with an amused expression. "Oh so you find it funny. A man's horse gets stolen and it is funny."
Kanah controlled his laughter as he stood up straight biting his upper lips, nodding his head. "It is indeed funny, I mean it happens to commoners like us all the time. But this is the first I heard of it happening with an adventurer."
Shin shrugged his shoulder. "Well it happened. Am I getting that ride?" Kanah nodded as he smiled. "Of course. We are leaving once my father gets back."
Kanah walked towards Shin taking the reins from his hand. "You steer the wagon." Shin smiled as he tilted his head. "Of course." Shin then walked Kanah getting on the front of the wagon. As Kanah pats his horse. "Correct me if I am wrong. You are this universes Raghav, yes?"
Kanah kept patting his horse. "I am indeed. Although my name is Kanah."
"Are you ready?" Kanah turned to his left seeing his father approach from behind the wagon. "We are."
Peter walked forward beside the wagon, holding onto the handles he climbed up, coming face to face with Shin. Peter frowned as he stared at Shin.
"Who is this?" Kanah pointed at his cloak. "He's Shin Furukawa. He is an adventurer whose horse got stolen, he gave me this cloak to hide my face in exchange for a ride back to Marne." Shin waved at peter with a smile on his face.
Peter sighed getting off. "That's good, I was too tired to steer the wagon." Peter then walked to the back of the wagon and climbed inside.
Kanah looked at Shin tilting his head towards the road signaling him to go. Shin nodded and pulled on the reins as the horse pulled the wagon forward. Kanah climbed on his horse and patted it on the neck making it run forward beside the wagon. He soon caught up to it and patted the wagon on the side three times.
They strolled through the empty road looking at the empty grass fields beside them. "So Kanah." "Hmmm." Kanah turned towards Shin. "Why are you headed for Solara?"
Kanah squinted as he looked at the distant tree lines. "My grandfather's condition have begun to worsen, it was his wish to stay in Solara during his final moments."
Shin sucked on his lips as he raised and dropped his eyebrows. "I was going to joke about you becoming a monk or a saint. You took that from me."
"Wouldn't be the first thing that got taken from you today." Shin then turned towards Kanah with a dead serious expression and as they began laughing.
Five horses went past them as Shin wiped a tear from his eye. "That was a good joke." Kanah gestured towards Shin. "I get that a lot."
They entered the forest as the trees provided them shade. "So what commission brought you here?" Shin rolled his eyes. "Don't ask."
Kanah chuckled. "It was that bad was it?" Shin nodded as he exhaled through his mouth. "I have yet to complete it." Kanah smiled as he looked forward. "I am sure you would be able to accomplish it."
Shin nodded as he leaned back and stretched his neck by tilting it left and right. He then pulled on the reins as the horse came to a stop. "Halt!"
Kanah also stopped and turned his horse towards Shin as he sighed. "There was no need to make the first move."
Shin stood up reaching into his cloak as his expression hardened. Kanah sighed as Shin threw a dagger towards him; Kanah quickly dropped his head as the dagger went over his head and struck an arrow that came from the trees behind Kanah.
Kanah then raised his head. "Don't wake up my family." Shin nodded as he threw the cloak down on the seat revealing a black leather jacket fitted with dagger holders on his sides with silver shoulder armour on his right shoulder reaching down from the side of his neck to his elbow.
A unique sword sheathed to his left alongside brown pants with greaves covering from his ankles to the top of his knees. Shin jumped forward landing in front of Kanah.
He grabbed the tip of the scabbard with his left hand and took hold of the sword with his right hand. He pushed the small circular disk that was in place of a cross-guard with his left thumb slightly pushing the sword out.
He then widened his stance taking one deep breath. Kanah looked to his right before turning to the left. "Two to the right and three to the left. These are the men from the stable. They over took us in the fields."
"Hmmm." Shin maintained his stance. The men walked out from the trees and surrounded them from the front and the back. Shin tightened his grip on the sword. "What would you have me do?"
Kanah shook his head slightly. "I got the three at the back, you handle the two at the front." Kanah then turned towards the three that came from behind as he hopped down from the horse.
The man with the beak drew an arrow on his bow aimed directly at Kanah. While his two human companion drew their daggers and stood in front of him. All seven people stood there silently waiting for someone to make the first move.
Shin opened his mouth as he smacked his lips together. "Why are you after us?" The snake aimed behind Shin with a dagger while he brought the other dagger up to his lips licking it with his snake like tongue. "He hassss a nicssse ring. Give it to ussss."
Shin frowned questionably. "What?" Kanah leaned slightly to the left keeping his face hidden. "What he is trying to say is that I have a nice ring. He is just hissing whenever he says an 's' or a 'c'."
"Hahahaha." Shin laughed as he looked at the snake man. "Is that it? Well Kanah it turned out as you had said." Kanah smirked as he looked at the enemies. "How so?"
"These are the men I am tracking. The Hissers." "Pfht." Kanah placed his right hand on his mouth holding his laugh while the left hand was on his stomach.
The hawk man got agitated and shot the arrow towards Kanah who lifted his right hand up towards the arrow, as the arrow collided with Kanah's palm it was absorbed in his body with a golden glow.
As the arrow disappeared so did the glow and the hawk man's beak was left open in shock. Kanah looked up at the hawk man with smirk on his face. "Let's see how you fly."
He was then engulfed in a blue glow and appeared directly in front of the hawk man as his hood slid off.
He struck him in the chest with his left palm. Sending him flying back nearly a dozen meters. The two men who had been knocked down to the ground by Kanah's movement, got up and turned around as Kanah stood up straight laughing while pointing at the hawk man. "He flew like a chicken."
He then cracked his knuckles as the blue glow that surrounded him started pulsating. "Now what did you come to take from me?"
The men were ready to fight until Kanah turned around and they got a look at his face. For just an instance they were mesmerized by him before coming to their senses. Kanah looked at them with a smirk before appearing between them in a flash knocking them out.
He looked at the two with disappointment as he shook his head. 'They could not even survive the shockwaves from my movement.' He suddenly heard rustling from behind as he leaned to the right letting the hawk man's kick fly past him.
Kanah turned to his left seeing the man move in slow motion he struck the man in the chest with a light jab sending him flying back. He watched for a few minutes as the man flew back a couple feet before landing on the soil.
Kanah walked towards him with a grin on his face. He gripped the man's chest plate with his right hand, crushing the chest plate and lifted him up to his eye level. "Maybe you will fly better if you are going forward."
Kanah then quickly turned around throwing the man towards Shin. The hawk man collided in the air with snake man.
As the two beast-men fell down unconscious. The blue glow around Kanah vanished as he looked at Shin sheathing his sword. Shin then looked back at Kanah as the two nodded with smirks on their faces.