Chapter 5 Part 1: Travels

The carriage which had rumbled on steadily while they talked, stopped. Amalie seemed oblivious till a knock stopped her probing. Her expression changed, eyes furrowing—hand clenching. She smiled at them, then left. Jun leaned against the side wall of the carriage.

“Thank you for your time.” Amalie waved before closing the door. Jun closed his eyes, hearing the latch and then feeling the carriage lurch forward, the beasts plowing steadily.

“Why are you being so cold, old man?” Mei bristled.

“I’m not old,” he muttered, eyes opening as he leaned forward—fingers drumming on his knee. “Did you notice how she treated you?” he asked. Mei paused, then realization dawned—her right fist descended into her left palm.

“She didn’t seem to realize I’m blind.”

“You weren’t pretending either.”

“Whoops.” Mei stuck out her tongue. “She’s good. No wonder why you kept trying to stop me. But she nearly got you too.”

“I know.” Jun answered. He knew it. His mind wouldn’t stop replaying the conversation and swapping how he responded to her. He stopped himself, not wanting to confuse his memories. “Until we know that she isn’t tied to the Matriarch, then we keep our distance. Understood?”

“Okay, Papa,” Mei teased, likely quoting a movie character. He sent her a withering glare. That was too close to home, especially now that they were without allies. She shrugged, still retaining that rebellious nature of hers.

She moved to the other seat and then laid down, relaxing without a care in the world. He chose to focus on the information they had gained.

Jun offered a silent prayer, not comfortable saying one out loud like Amalie had. A warmth spread from his burns to his heart. He concentrated, tracing its path through his limbs. Mei looked once at him—shielding her eyes.

“It was bad enough watching her do it, now you want to be a lightbulb?” Mei grumbled. Jun reached out and she flinched back. “Oh no you don’t.”

“Mei,” he growled, taking a father’s tone with a disobedient child.

“I’m not your kid. I’m an adult and I don’t need to spell it out.”

Jun rolled his eyes. “Then do I need to remind you about our betrothal.”

“That’s just mean.” Mei pretended to gag. She still behaved like a child in his eyes. All the while, he kept his prayer active.

“You’re not stopping till I give you an answer.”

“Precisely.” Jun replied, happy she caught on.

“Fine. What do I do?”

“Give me your hand and let me know if it gets too hot,” he said. Mei’s brows twisted, but she gripped his hand and averted her eyes, rubbing them with her free hand.

Jun focused his prayer to his palm. After a bit, she jerked back, a yip escaping her lips.

“Are you trying to burn me?”

“No…” Jun answered, confused. He felt just fine.

“Fine. Then let me try,” she growled. Jun stopped the prayer and let it dissipate. He held her hand as she closed her eyes in concentration.

On the receiving end, Jun found her warmth alarming. It quickly grew above the safe temperatures a human body would allow and then he too released, not wanting to get burned. The main difference was how long it took for him to pull away, versus how quickly she had jumped back. Was this the difference between yellow and blue faith?

They experimented till they collapsed on each seat. Jun kept his wits about while she slept, but soon the swaying of the carriage lulled him—eyes trying in vain to stay open.

He jerked alert when a weight pressed on his arms.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Amalie’s amber eyes stared at him, a dim, diffused light hovering outside. In her arms was a blanket which she released. His gaze moved to Mei who was covered by a similar blanket.

Jun rubbed at his eyes, forcing himself alert. He shifted but then stopped. A tug at his robe revealed his right arm had gotten trapped. Mumbling something incoherent, he tried to find a way out of this predicament. Amalie seemed confused—reaching out and pushing him upright. With a gusty grumble, Jun thanked her.

“You can’t use it, can you.”

Jun closed his eyes, brows knitting. He cast his gaze at Amalie, trying to understand what she was stating.

“Of course not.” He pulled the arm around to rest on his stomach, the other hand holding it in place.

“Then, were you lying about your family burning you two?” Amalie asked. Jun twisted his head at the question.

“What do you mean? It’s been like this since I awakened.”

Amalie’s features darkened, making it impossible to read in the night light.

‘Danger.’ The Silver Flame warned. Jun shifted away from Amalie. A dagger appeared at his neck and he froze.

“I thought you weren’t going to pry.” Jun’s eyes met Amalie. A smirk played on her lips and then she backed off, chuckling. Jun looked to Mei who still slept through it all. He would have some choice words for her after this.

“You’re quick kid, no doubt about it. But not quick enough,” she whistled as she pulled her hand from her back, showing a squished insect between her fingers. Jun recognized the scent. A type of beetle that could put you to sleep, eternally.

“Thanks,” he muttered, realizing she had forced him to move to save him. He wished the cryptic answers from the Silver Flame could detail where the danger was.

“I will keep you two safe. I promise.” Amalie’s smile was gentle. Jun looked away—heart pained as memories flooded his mind. It had been eight years since he came to this world, but he could still remember everything from his time on Earth. He theorized it was an effect of the ring. It made the littlest things stand out, reminding him of family members he still lacked.

Amalie paused and then left, the stillness returned and with it Jun curled up on the seat, beating back his emotions. ‘Curse these teenage hormones.’ He growled, willing this to pass.

The night brought him his respite and the dawn greeted them with a jolt.

Jun began to loose track of days as they traveled. It was sleep, eat, move.

He watched the knights as they split, some scouring the land for more chosen children. It didn’t matter if it was the slums, the rural farmlands, or the towns they passed through, someone was always out, searching. Amalie was out often enough he wondered how she would keep her promise, but that changed as the group became more numerous. More carts and carriages were acquired as they grew. They crammed all the carriages except the one Jun and Mei rested in. He didn’t complain but he did wonder about the preferential treatment. Was it due to the Jinshari Clan? Every night, Amalie tucked them in. Mei protested. She preferred the night, and she liked to utilize those ninja skills she had honed.

That was, until a couple weeks in when they were attacked. After that, Mei hung out at the carriage. She refused to explain what she had experienced, which troubled Jun. She still watched from the inside of the carriage, just as she had done back at the estate. Frankly, they preferred it like this, especially after doing it to survive for the past six years.

Jun watched the changing landscape. Mountains, rivers, plains, valleys. He only disturbed Mei’s rest to get her food and water.

He must have dozed at some point because he jumped as a knock woke him. They had reached the border.

Mei clung to him as they were inspected, along with the wagon. When they passed, the only notable difference to the monotony was the change in temperature and culture.

While Oranalas, their ‘home’ was a mix of oriental cultures, Bastalia reminded Jun of ancient Egypt mixing with Turkish culture. He and Mei were given a change of clothes to handle the heat. Jun found it ironic that they could become warmer than the air, and still feel miserable in the heat.

Two months in and they approached the next border. Their caravan had grown longer than most parades back on earth, and Jun had begun to refer to it as the parade of the chosen. Meanwhile, Jun and Mei squeezed in time while they camped to spar—keeping their newfound skills sharp.

Jun tossed back one of Mei’s daggers. No amount of parental persuasion could keep her from learning swordplay, though he was relieved that the Master had adapted it to her preferred style of ‘ninja’. She took the dagger and stashed it.

“We’ll be arriving at the border tomorrow! Make sure to have your things in order before sun up,” a knight’s voice bellowed. Kids scampered around, getting things ready. Jun pulled out a flask, ignoring the chaos.

The call was repeated a few times.

They returned to their carriage before a knight could try to warn them. They weren’t like the others. A guard stiffened as they came close till he recognized them. They greeted with a small wave before entering. Mei collapsed on her seat.

“Hey old man, is it just me, or do the knights and guards-“

“It’s not just you.” Jun shifted to a curtain. “They’ve been subtle, but they circle the carriages and have the other groups sleep in the middle of the barricade.”

Mei nodded. They feared an attack.

“No warnings from the silver flame?” Mei’s words were soft, barely audible. Jun shook his head. A long sigh escaped before Mei swung her legs and headed out once more. She paused at the entry way.

“I’ll keep watch, like always. So get your beauty sleep you old man.”