Arcanum 182 Maynard Caravan

"No problems take care!" Scarlet said with a giant happy smile on her face.

"Tell Paul I said thanks and goodbye." I smiled to Scarlet before exiting.

"I will, take care Sis!" Scarlet smiled.

Going downstairs taking a pit stop get ready for the day. "Morning Emilia!" Jay noticed me with a book in his hand as I walked out the dorm rooms

"Hey! How's Helen?" I questioned.

"She's doing alright, I think managed to persuade her Morgana isn't to blame here." Jay smiled.

"That's great I'd hate if there was some tension between us." I smiled, "Seen the others yet?" I questioned.

"Nah no one has come out yet." He answered.

"So we heading to your hometown right?" I questioned.

"Yeah." He smiled.

"Excited to see your parents?" I asked.

"Yup very much so, I do wish I could look over them somehow but that's a little hard being an only child." He answered.

"Nothing to worry about right?" I questioned.

"I hope so my town isn't normally in danger, but they are always in the back of my mind." He answered.

"Yah I understand where you're coming from, I worry about my parents as well." I agreed.

"You're an only child too?" He asked intrigued a little.

"Nah I have an older sister and brother, but they are married and moved out so there was really just me living with them." I answered.

"Ohh interesting." He smiled.

"Arghhh I totally forgot to ask Paul if I could bring you guys back with me when I visit my home." I face palmed myself.

"Hah yes, now that would be an awesome adventure." He smiled.

"Ohh how are we gonna get to your home town? I assume there isn't a waypoint there." I asked wondering.

"Yeah we'd probably need to hire out a caravan or at least some horses to make the journey faster." He answered.

"Sounds great!" I smiled.

"Morning!" Helen and Grace greeted us with big smiles.

"New look today?" I questioned noticing Helen wearing a more elegant and comfortable dress but still having her trusty staff on her back.

"Yeah! We're on break today it's exactly like a holiday." Helen smiled.

"Hello friends! Morgana greeted us wearing a more conserved look in very dark colours.

"Hey Morgana.. Just wanted to apologise for yesterday's outburst. I'm really sorry I over reacted." Helen genuinely apologised to her.

"It's okay you don't need to apologise." Morgana smiled.

"Awesome the crew is here! Let's get Daisy and head out?" I suggested.

"Sure." The rest smiled.

"So what's the plan today?" I asked Jay.

"Well sadly we have a long day ahead of us, we'll have to head to the closest city Maynard then rent some transport to get us to Thralkeld." Jay answered.

"Ohhh a road trip." I smiled

"Road trip?" they all asked confused.

"It's a term for all of us going on the road having fun and sightseeing." I answered them.

"Sounds great!" Grace said opening the doors to the infirmary that is now filled with a lot of students.

"Did something happen?" Jay asked walking in, a nurse writing on a clipboard noticed us and left her patient to greet us.

"Hi I'm Nurse Faith, have you come for medical assistance?" she smiled.

"Ohh no.. We're just here to pick up a friend." Helen smiled.

"Sure need me to find her or you know where she is?" Faith asked.

"We can find her, you seem really busy." Jay answered.

"Yeah they came this morning." Faith answered going back to her patient with her clipboard.

"I wonder what happened." I said looking at the other students as we made our way to Daisy's bed, they didn't seem to have any external injuries like Daisy and Yuna... The sleeping ones seems to be restless tossing and turning constantly.

"Hey guys!" Daisy and Yuna called out to us waving.

"Feeling better?" we asked them both.

"Yup much better." Daisy smiled showing us that she can move her arms.

"Yup almost feel back to normal." Yuna smiled making me wonder why Paul didn't stay in bed to recover faster.

"Sven coming by?" I asked her noticing he wasn't here yet.

"Yeah he should be coming soon." she answered.

"We heading out?" daisy asked.

"If you're okay to?" I questioned.

"Yup! Lemme ask the nurse for my gear and get changed." Daisy smiled getting up and running to two nurses on a desk, one of the nurses stood up leading her to a back room.

"So Yuna.. Any idea on why so many students appeared?" Jay questioned.

"No idea... They arrived while I was sleeping." She answered.

"Have you had breakfast?" I questioned.

"Not yet." Yuna answered.

"Ohh I totally forgot, you guys wanna get some breakfast before we head out?" I asked.

"I was hoping to try food outside the Atlantis." Grace and Helen confessed.

"It's probably not gonna be as good." Jay answered them.

"That's okay, we just want to try." They smiled.

"Right I'm good to go guys!" Daisy said walking back in with her plate armour and maul on.

"Well Yuna we'll be on our way. Take care and tell Sven we said hi." I said standing up giving her a hug.

"Take care kiddos... don't get into any more trouble!" She chuckled.

"We'll try." Daisy laughed and pushed us out.

"SO!!! Where we heading?!" She yelled in excitement, "the infirmary was so boring!" she complained staring into the sun light taking a deep breath.

"Right where to?!" Helen asked Jay.

"Maynard." Jay answered seeing him smile slightly.

"Right Maynard it is!" I smiled queuing up for the teleportation booth.

"It's kidna nice that Atlantis let's students have a mini holiday every weekend." I smiled.

"I wonder what the rules are for travelling." Helen asked.

"Yeah no doubt they probably restrict travel to only cities in Arcadia." Jay answered.

"Come to think about it, is it really that safe to have students travel around so freely." I wondered curiously what Atlantis has installed to ensure our safety.

"I'm sure Atlantis has measures." Daisy answered.

"I'm defiantly gonna ask Paul when I see him next.. Make sure we're all safe travelling around." I smiled.

"Hi where would you like to go and year please?" The two students at the booth asked us.

"Five... Ohh no, Six of us, first years... Where we going again?" Daisy answered her but looked back at us forgetting where we was heading to.

"Maynard." we quietly answered her.

"Ohh yeah six of us, first years, going Maynard please!!" Daisy asked the students with a giant smile.

"One moment please." the two students requested scanning down a clipboard. "Okay all is well. Take these leather straps and make sure you never take them off till you get back to Atlantis." She smiled while the other began typing something on a computer system causing a blue portal to open. "Have a safe journey, make sure you return by Sundas dawn." The two student smiled.

"Thank you!" Daisy smiled.

"Ahhh it must be these leather straps that do something to keep us safe." I said putting it on my wrist.

"I remember last time the student telling us it was some form of tracker." Daisy said putting it on.

"Well let's go!" Helen said abruptly pulling Jay with her through the portal, One by one we all followed hem stepping through the portal into Maynard.

"So know your way around?" I asked Jay looking around.

"Nope never been here, but there is a road that leads to Thralkeld from here." Jay said looking around.

"Excuse me sir! Can you point me to the stables please?" Daisy asked a random passer-by.

"Sure you won't miss is, down that road towards the edge of the city then take a left you won't miss is." The man told us.

"Thank you sir! May the Blessings of Serra be upon you!" Daisy smiled bowing to the man. "I got directions lets go guys!" Daisy said leading the way.

"How big is this city?" I asked looking around noticing there wasn't many buildings as other cities we've visited.

"It's not very big, this part of Arcadia is referred to as the poor side almost everyone barely making it by, the super-rich abusing the poor." Jay answered.

"Why don't someone do something about it?" I questioned.

"Because they are just too rich and that brings influence and power." Jay answered.

"We always found human greed and lust for power so despicable, if that was in Elven society they would be reprimanded and dealt with." Helen said looking at other humans with a look of distain and anger.

"Yup.. Mother told me the easiest way to get a human to do something is to offer them power." Morgana added.

"That's a little unfair.." I instantly replied feeling offended but knowing that a part of what they said is true, even back home the rich and powerful just get richer and richer on the backs of the poor, a never ending cycle of perpetual poverty.

"Helen.. you can't say things like that until you walk a step in their shoes." Grace said with a sigh.

"Ohhh I think I see the stables. Daisy said pointing at a long set of buildings that look like they are built to house horses.

"Excuse me sir.. We need to rent a Caravan and Horses!" Daisy asked the first person who looks like they worked there.

"Sure come on in." A lady said with a giant smile showing us into the main building and walked behind a counter. "Howdy I'm Christina nice to meet you! Young girl.. is there an adult I can talk to?" She asked Daisy politely, trying not to offend her customer.

"You're up Emilia." They all nudged me forward.

"Hi I'm Emilia." I said holding out my hand for a shake.

"I don't mean to be offensive but a proper adult like a grown up." She said shaking my hand politely.

"I'm 23..." I answered her still shaking her hand.

"Really?.. You have really good genes.. you don't look a day older then 18, but I'll take your word for it. She smiled. "So darling what can I do for you?" She questioned.

"We need transport to Thralkeld please." I asked her politely.

"Okay... what would you like?.. We can do Caravan or horses." She smiled.

"Umm what's the prices for both?" I asked.

"Well the caravan will cost around 5 gold per night.. There a deposit starts at 10 gold depending on quality, the deposit would cover the costs of caravan and horse if you don't return. You can rent three horses, two to a horse that would cost you 1 gold per horse with a six gold deposit. Deposit will be returned once you arrive back any damages or anything would be taken out the deposit." She answered with a smile making me kind of thankful that Paul and Ashley giving us money a bunch of money.

"Can I ask my friends what they would prefer?" I asked politely.

"Sure sure go on ahead." she smiled genuinely as I walked back to the others.

"So horses or caravan?" I asked everyone.

"Ohh caravan sounds good! Would be nice and relaxing." Daisy said with a gleeful smile.

"I agree." Morgana replied.

"Horse back is cheaper though." Helen and Grace answered.

"Let's go with the caravan gives us time to chill and chat." Jay said.

"Sure." I answered everyone walking back to the counter we'd like the caravan." I requested with a smile.

"Okay.." The lady hesitantly looked at us. I took out some gold pieces from my pouch to show her we're good for money. "Well okay then, right this way I'll show you the caravans we have free right now." She said taking us into another room filled with caravans. "Quality get better the further we go." She informed us walking down the long showroom of caravans.

"Wow.." I said in awe looking at the caravans like I've been take back to an era before cars were even invented.

"As you see, the more expensive the Caravan the smoother and quieter the ride." She smiled.

"We'll just take the cheapest." Jay insisted.

"Are you sure? We can't persuade you to go with a higher caravan?" She asked me instead of replying to Jay.

"We'll take the cheapest." I smiled putting full trust in Jay making her look a little disappointed.

"We'll have your caravan ready for you in 20 minutes." She smiled.

"Okay great." I smiled as she led us back to the main building. "By any chance do you have recommendations of a good breakfast establishment?" I questioned.

"Why yes!! There's a tavern not far from here... which way did you come?" She asked writing on some papers.

"We came from the city square walking down a main road and took a left and arrived here." I informed her.

"Ahh great the third best tavern is there along the main road, just got back the way you came near the centre is great eating place." She smiled.

"Thank you." I smiled giving her some silver as a tip.

"Thank you miss." She nodded with respect as we all made our way outside.

"So why did we pick the cheapest one?" Daisy questioned.

"It's a scam, they get you to rent a expensive carriage then charge more on your deposit because it's a higher quality build and more expensive to repair." Jay answered.

"Ohh wow.." I answered in shock.

"Lucky we have you today." Helen said giving Jay a big pat on the back.

Chapter end