Knyghts and Magickes 13 Travel.

"Eh...?"

Understandably, Alice was a little dumbstruck, she was on her way to the capitals aerial docks in order to ferry a boat to the empires capital, she had gotten tired after two days of walking and had taken stop under the shade of a tree. when suddenly, a guy in strange but expensive looking clothes (maybe he's a noble?) appeared riding on what seemed to be a horse golem? he had stopped under the same tree to seemingly refuel his golem. After a somewhat awkward introduction he suddenly offered her a ride?

"Ummm... Are you sure? I mean! Are we even going to the same place?" She asked as she didn't want to trouble the handsome stranger.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He assured her as he finally got a closer look on her. "You're going to Haven too. Right?"

She was short at around 5"4, had long brown hair runnning down her back and bangs tucked behid her ears, and held back by a red cloth headband, she had a rounded face and and soft features with big brown eyes that shined almost golden. Her clothes consisted of a white tunic shirt with laces at the neck, a brown skirt reaching to her knees and worn down brown leather boots. all topped with a rather ragged brown cloak and hood.

An absolute bagel.

'Large.' 'Large.' The same thought that ran through their as Alice had to look up to see his face and when HE saw her )Assets(.

"Wait?! How did ya know tha?!" Exclaimed the girl, accidentally slipping into her country accent in her fluster.

"Ummm..." He gestured to her, the sword on left hip, the wand holster on the right, the books in peeking through her bag. "This road goes to the capital docks and nowhere else. Besides, you'd never make it to Haven on foot. You'd miss initiation."

"Ah! Okay... Sure!" she said as she she walked up to him. "Many thanks."

"Woah. Did Nobody ever tell you to not accept invitations from strangers?" he deadpanned as he opened the seat compartment on cyclone.

"I can take them!" She proudly declared when he suddenly shot his hand out to her.

...?

Seeing her confusion he gestured to her travelling bag

She made *Ooohh* sound before handing him the bag in confusion which was promptly replaced with shock as he somehow managed to fit the entire thing in the back seat before closing it.

That was also promptly replaced then with awe and wonder.

"WOAH!" She exclaimed "How'd ya do that?"

"Magic"

"What?! That can't be it! I've never of this kind of spell before." She said as she got very close to him

"Advance magic." Was all he said before he climbed on the cyclone and gestured her over the back seat.

"Umm.. Why are doing this?" She said before amending "I mean! Like, what are you trying to do?"

"Oh, so now you ask that." He said Exasperated before thinking back on why

Making friends... Is difficult, Albin, bless the man, did his best but did not quite succeed as though he can hold conversations fine, he could never start it, or really engage it on his own.

No different in this world too. And to make matters worse, the boys usually thought him a bit nerdy. and the girls were always chased off by Raven, being the protective mother that she is, though to be fair, those girls mostly approached for his looks, and sometimes money... maybe she was on to something.

"... ... ... I need... Friends..." Was his mumbled reply

Usually this would go unheard but, seeing as it was only them in the large expanse, she heard it clearly enough.

"Ohh... okay." She accepted easily enough "I'll be your friend."

"Thanks."

"No. Thank you."

No more needed be said, and they were off.

-Later-

All was somewhat well with the riders.

though it was smooth sailing and they were making good time, they encountered trouble on the way.

Wolves, slimes, the occasional bandit. All were easily dispatched with Adrien's gun, a replica Desert Eagle, though he used rubber for the bandits.

Then there was the wyrm dragon that sprung up out of nowhere, that merely forced him to use a bigger gun.

As they were riding well into the afternoon. Adrien saw a merchant cart being attacked by yet again more bandits, this time they brought with them a pack of wolves. There were flashes of lightning and fire here and there, so at least one must have been a magus in there.

"Heads up! There's a merchant cart being attacked!" He warned his hazel-eyed passenger

"Can't you just use you're staff again?!"

"No! I might hit somebody!" He warned before he slid the bike to a stop.

As he and Alice got off, he pulled from his pockets a metal staff the same length of his forearm. It had ornamented crystal at the tip, identifying it as a wand.

"We're gonna have to do this close-range." He said as started to walk toward the site of struggle.

Alice nodded in understanding before pulling out her blade and jumping ahead of him to engage the enemy.

'Hmmm... Impressive, that girl's got talent for sure.' He assessed her skills and could see why she was recruited for Haven.

He just calmly walked up to them and froze the feet of anyone that got close. A mere flick f the wand and a sideways glance was all he needed.

Eventually, the bandits we're either Frozen to their shins or bruised by the flat of Alice's blade.

That was when a familiar mustache showed itself.

"Many thanks to you two! Why, if you had not showed I dread to think what would have been done of me." Said a rather portly, well-dressed man with a familiar voice laden with gratitude.

...!

"Is that you Dave?" Asked the dark haired youth in mild surprise.

Out came from behind the cart the retired adventurer turned merchant himself. Currently trying to fix his ruffled mustache.

Chapter end