Chapter Nineteen: Road to a future

I placed my packed bags into the carriage's storage compartment. Mary and Kate were waiting in the carriage. Leon was up front, making sure the carriage was ready. I walked up to him. "Sorry for making you have to drive through the night." He paused working for a moment, then continued. "Don't worry about it. I couldn't let one of you girls do it." He hesitated, then turned around and looked at me. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it.

"Hey, Lenka..." It's odd for Leon to be at a loss for words. "Lenka, when did you start being, you know..." I see he's worried if I have changed or if the person I am now is a new person from the one he knew. "If you're wondering if I became the chosen one recently, then the answer is no. I am the person you have always known." He looked relieved. "I see, then..."

"Sorry for being late!" It was Miss Evergreen. She was carrying a bunch of books and scrolls. "It was dark in my house, so I had to fiddle around with a candle to find everythi..." She stopped what she was saying, then looked at me and then at Leon. "Did I interrupt something?" "No, here let me help you with that," Leon said. He grabbed her belongings and carried them to the storage compartment.

Miss Evergreen walked over to me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your..." "It's fine, let's go ahead and board the carriage. It's going to be a long night." I have no clue what she was trying to imply, but we do need to set off since I would like to arrive by morning.

We stepped into the carriage and took a seat. Leon came over to us. "You girls ready?" We all gave him a nod. "Alright then, just let me know if you need to stop for anything." Shortly after he left, we started moving. Mary and Evergreen were sitting across from me, while Kate sat next to me. "We all should try to get some rest for tonight," I stated.

"Well, I... wanted to learn a little about the dwarves before..." Evergreen softly spoke up while holding a book. I reached into my bag and grabbed the tiny energy crystal that I used for reading. Then tossed it over to her. "It's not enough light to disturb us, but it should be enough to read at least." She smiled. "Thank you, Lenka."

"This crystal matches your necklace." I looked at Evergreen, confused, then glanced down to see the small blue gem that Kate had given me a few years ago. "You wear that often, don't you?" Mary interjected. I've grown so accustomed to it being part of my outfit that I've forgotten about it being a gift. "Well, it was a nice gift."

Mary looked at Kate, then me. "Is there something wrong with it?" I asked. "It's nothing." It didn't sound like nothing. I looked over at Kate, and she seemed to have a slightly panicked look about her. Once she noticed me looking at her, she quickly turned and looked away. What's their deal anyway? Is there something I'm not aware of? Well, if they don't want to talk about it, then it's not my problem. Anyway, I should get some sleep while I have the chance. I grabbed a blanket and covered myself, then slowly drifted off to sleep as the carriage rocked us around.

My stomach growled as I searched through all of the cabinets. We're already out of food. Then I reached all the way to the back and felt a metallic can. I pulled it out to reveal an old and dented can of soup. Well, at least I have something, but I should let my brother have it. After opening it, I walked over to his room.

"Hey, I found some soup, but it won't be cooked, since we don't have any more gas." I walked into his room, then immediately dropped the can. My brother was lying on the ground unconscious. I quickly ran over and checked his pulse. It was faint, but it was still there. Insulin! I need to give him insulin. I frantically searched for it but only found empty vials.

I need insulin, but the aid staff won't give me any. If I don't get any, then he'll... No, I will get some even if that means I have to steal it. I ran out of the house towards the aid station. There were a few guards around it, but one side lacked guards. I carefully snuck over to it and went into the tent. Looking around, I saw several cabinets full of medical supplies. I quickly searched through them.

Then I found some vials that I believed said insulin, but they were in a different language. I grabbed it to examine it more closely, but as soon as I did, someone walked into the tent. We briefly looked at each other, then he started yelling. I panicked and rushed back out of the tent. As I ran back towards home, I heard a guard shouting and chasing me.

I tried to shake them in an alleyway, but I ended up tripping over some rubble. The guard caught up to me, then kicked me in the stomach. "Little rat. You should have stayed home." He reached down and grabbed my arm. "Don't worry, they'll have a good use for you." I desperately tried to break away, but he was too strong. No, I need to get away or...

I reached around and found a sharp piece of metal, then jabbed him in the leg with it. He yelled out in pain and released me. "I'll kill you. You little..." I didn't have time to think, and I quickly reached over and grabbed his handgun. He turned and pointed his rifle at me. I panicked and squeezed the trigger. A loud bang rang out, and a warm liquid splashed on my face and hands. I looked down at my hands, and all I saw was blood.

I woke up to the warmth of the sun on my face and hands. The carriage was still moving, and I went to stand up, but I realized there was something heavy on my lap. I looked down to see Kate sleeping in my lap. I could feel her soft breathing. Well, I guess I can't move now, since I would rather not wake her up. Looking out the window, I saw a winding mountain road with a beautiful view of our distant city. It seems so peaceful, unlike my dreams.

That dream was a memory that will be forever etched into my mind. It was the first time I had ever killed someone, and right after that, I met my mentor. He helped me obtain more insulin, as well as food, in exchange for being his pawn. I took a deep breath. Thinking about the past won't get me anywhere.

I looked over at the other side of the carriage. Mary was asleep, and Evergreen was still reading. She had bags under her eyes from staying up all night. Evergreen noticed me looking at her and gave a soft, yet tired, smile. Then the carriage slowed down and came to a stop.

I heard Leon jump down and walk towards the door. He opened the door, revealing a large amount of sunlight into the carriage. "Rise and shine, ladies. We have arrived." There was movement around Kate's legs as Kate started to wake up. "Huh... Oh, it's already mor..." Kate immediately straightened up in the seat. "My apologies, Lenka. I didn't mean..." Kate's face was bright red. "It's fine. Hope you slept well."

We all debarked the carriage. We were on the side of a sizable mountain, and there was an entrance to the mountain. The entrance was made of cut stone and was guarded by several soldiers. The dwarven guards were short, but only a little bit shorter than a normal person. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the fairy tales from my world are not true within this world.

I walked over to Evergreen. "Did you learn anything valuable?" "Yes, I learned about their history as well as a little bit of their way of life." "Good, before we enter, please give me a brief lesson on their history." "Of course, Lenka. After the fall of the golden age, the dwarves split into many groups and decided to live in the mountains away from other races. They rarely ever go outside and tend to only interact with other races when they need to trade for things they can't normally get."

"What are things they would trade for?" I asked. "Well, if I recall from my family correctly, then they usually trade for things like food and medicine." "What kind of medicine did they need?" "It's medicine for coughing and pain." "I see." With that information, I can deduce that they are struggling to maintain a food source. As for the medicine, I think I've identified the problem.

"Thanks for the information, Miss Evergreen. Now, everyone gather around. This alliance is vital to our future, so we need to make sure that no matter what, we leave here today with them on our side. I will no doubt need your help to make this happen, so don't be afraid to speak out during our negotiations." Looking around, everyone is tired but also filled with motivation.

We started heading for the entrance when I noticed Leon coming with us. "Leon, I know you want to help, but you need to get some rest." "But..." "Leon, we will need someone who can get us back home as fast as possible, after all, I don't want to miss this evening's meeting." "I understand." He sounded reluctant, but he understood the importance of what I was saying.

"Are you sure we can pull this off?" Mary asked as the dwarven guards started to approach. "We don't have a choice."