The Missing Caravan, Infiltration Mission

The two tiptoed around the wolves, trying to get closer to the caravan. None of them dared speak; even their breathing was as silent as can be. Some wolves showed signs of waking, but then went back to sleep. They finally reached the caravan, and even then, they didn't dare let out the breath they were holding.​Cherry immediately got to work, analysing the caravan for any signs of leftover Aether activity. He spent a good minute searching, then turned to Alric and shook his head. The caravan's engine was gone. They would have to get it out the same way as before. Cherry checked the caravan's doors; they were locked. He clicked his tongue, then took out a lock pick from his pocket.While Cherry worked on picking the door lock, Alric circled the perimeter. He counted 15 Ravager Wolves in total, noting that one—the largest—was likely the Alpha, who fortunately was at the back of the chamber. Suddenly, Alric heard a click from the caravan; the door was open. Cherry looked at him with glee and raised his hand for a high five. Alric joined in, lifting his own arm—when it happened.​RIP​The undersized shirt he wore finally gave way, splitting in two. The tear echoed across the chamber. Cherry and Alric gaped. A wolf stirred at the noise. Without hesitation, Alric kicked the wolf before it could fully rouse, launching it across the floor. The wolf whimpered and landed beside the Alpha Wolf.​"Uh oh," Alric said in a daze.​The Alpha Wolf stood and howled, rousing the remaining wolves. Cherry yanked open the door and dragged Alric inside. The caravan's interior was cluttered with assorted goods—clearly, these merchants were general traders. Cherry frantically searched the caravan.​"What are we looking for?""Potions! See if they have any healing or antidotes, anything works!"​Alric nodded and got to work, throwing away unused items and forcing open crates with his bare hands. Weapons, tools, and a few Aether Stones, but not a single sign of a potion in the first crate. He put it away and went to the next crate. He opened the crate, and he found clothing and a few dolls. These appeared to be the merchants' personal belongings. He opened the final box, and he finally found it! A batch of red healing potions and some salves.​"Cherry! I found it!"​Cherry whipped out his Aether Converter, punched in a new combination, seized a potion, and aimed the converter at its mouth. The device streamed wind, swirling liquid, and elements together. After 30 seconds, the contents no longer resembled a simple potion, but now a churning fusion of elements.​"I'm going to throw this outside the caravan, and a smoke bomb is gonna pop up. It's gonna heal the wolves, but at least that's going to be enough distraction to leave. You're going to carry me, and you run full speed away from the wolves, got it?" Cherry hurriedly explained his plans.​"What about the caravan?"​"What about the damn caravan, you fool? You plan to drag it like a horse?"​"How heavy is this thing?"Cherry hit his forehead with his palms. This guy cannot be serious, "About 200 units, not including the goods and me, since this isn't a big model-"​"I can do it!" Alric headed towards the door, preparing to open it.​As Alric opened the door, a wolf lunged inside, forcing Alric to kick it away. Realizing he had no choice but to go along, Cherry threw the makeshift smoke bomb, dispersing the wolves from the entrance.​Alric jumped out of the door and headed to the back of the caravan. He braced himself and pushed it, but the wheels seemed to be unmoving.​"Cherry, it's stuck!"​Hearing that Alric was behind the caravan, Cherry quickly seated himself in the driver's seat. He unlocked the wheels and felt the caravan begin to move. The speed at which it moved was normal. Unbelievable, really, when you consider one person was pushing it from behind. Cherry steered, making sure the caravan exited the right way.​At the back, Alric strained to push the caravan while fending off attacking wolves with kicks. Despite accumulating scratches and bites, he focused all his Energy Aether into his limbs, using it to drive the caravan forward as its engine.​A Wolf seemed to have caught up to Alric. The wolf jumped at him, aiming for his neck. He braced for an attack, but nothing came. He looked back and saw that the wolf had been shot dead, a clean bolt on its head.​From the front, Cherry periodically shot his crossbow, which helped alleviate the pressure. The two made a good combination, and they were almost out of the cave when the bandits from before came out of their chambers.​"Intruders!" One of the bandits screamed.​Many bandits peeked out, only to retreat as the caravan thundered through their hideout. Fortunately, the cave's width allowed passage; otherwise, they would have jammed. With bandits and wolves behind, the pressure intensified.​Alric kept pushing and pushing, feeling his strength get drained with each second. He kept on gritting his teeth and pushing; if he stopped now, it would be the end of the two of them. Cherry, on the other hand, is also struggling, thinking of a way to shake off all the pursuers. He attempts another shot at creating a gas potion.​"Alric! Hold your breath!"​Alric braced himself as he knew what was coming; a green vial was tossed behind, and a cloud of smoke enveloped the area. He could smell it, and it was foul. The smell was nauseating, like really strong medicine. This seemed to be an antidote instead of medicine this time. The wolves covered their snouts, and the bandits coughed manically. They retreated from the smoke and stopped their chase. With no pressure, Alric let another quick surge of Aether flow through his limbs. His pace doubled, and before long, the two were already at the end of the tunnel.​The light, however, wasn't fully visible, as a tall woman with messy brown hair, going all the way down her back, stood there. She doesn't seem to realize that a caravan was going after her, but when she turned back, it was too late. She was met with the full force of the caravan and was sent flying. Alric kept going, though, and trampled her with both wheels and foot.​"What was that?" Alric asked, seemingly unaware that he had just run someone over.​'That was the Mistress Hound Handler.' Cherry thought to himself.​"Don't worry about it! Just keep going, we'll reach the main road soon."​After five minutes of pushing, the two reached the main road. They checked for pursuers—none. Collapsing beside the battered caravan, Cherry leaned against it while Alric lay on the ground. They laughed and gave each other a thumbs-up.​A job well done!​— — — — — — — — — — — — — —​The two managed to haul the caravan back to the gate, surprising everyone involved. Lando went in to get Lawrence and Lance, and both of them are equally dumbfounded. Alric was patching himself up with bandages to close his wounds, even though some of them had already healed and stopped bleeding. Cherry was also helping a little bit with the wounds on his back.​"Hahahaha! You're crazy! You actually pushed this thing all the way? What strength you have!" Lawrence laughed loudly.​Lance only gave grunts and nods of approval, but from the looks on his face, it was obvious he was impressed.​Lando was still agape, checking the caravan to see if there was anything he could do to it. He went inside the caravan, and the interior looked like a tornado had just passed through. Luckily, he found all the permits for the merchant family, and they passed through to Valtheris without issue.​Alric was also given approval after Lawrence had handled everything, and he was allowed to enter the city.​"Tell me, Alric, what brings a fellow like you to Valtheris?" Lawrence asked.​Alric blinked, but nevertheless still answered with conviction, "I wish to become a knight! I want to secure a position here so that I can also help the people back home."​Lance looked at him differently, with a quiet tinge of respect and melancholy in his eyes. "A noble cause."​Lawrence placed a hand on Alric's shoulder, "Then the future of the knights is bright. I'll be waiting for the day you become one of us."​They nodded at each other, a mutual understanding between them. Alric entered Valtheris—the capital of the Farhall Kingdom, and the first step of his journey was complete.​He looked back at Cherry, who was busy putting all his gear back on and dusting himself off, just as he was about to say his farewell. Cherry walked closer and raised his hand. Alric nodded and gave him a high five, the sound reverberating throughout the gate.​"I'd say we make a pretty good team.""We could be better.""Hmm, I don't know about that! Well, a job well done like that, though, deserves a celebration. Come on, drink with me!"​As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to go with Cherry. Mostly due to financial issues. He pulled out his trouser pockets all the way to reveal that he had no money. Cherry only laughed at his poor financial status and brought out a pouch of coins. After jiggling it twice, he threw it in Alric's direction.​"Wait, I can't accept this!"​"You just did, buddy. Come on, drinks are on me tonight! Let's go to the Smiling Solari!" ​— — — — — — — — — — — —​"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN WE LOST THE CARAVAN!" A woman roared at her subordinates. A line of men knelt before the woman, who was also nursing the wolves.​"They disguised themselves, ma'am! We didn't know it was them, and they were wearing Moe and Lester's outfits, the hound couldn't sniff 'em out, they stink!"​The woman could feel her blood boil. She threw the brush she was holding at the speaking bandit, sending him flying. She got up and smashed the wall with her bare hands. The audacity of whoever they were, to beat up her men, kill her dogs, and loot what's hers. This was a declaration of war.​"They're gonna pay!"