The jolly ash-gray horse, true incarnation of loyalty.

Journey. In the 9th Century, that single word stirred the imagination of children, and filled the hearts of their mothers with anxiety. 
The fantasy of traveling rivers and valleys, be it by foot or dragged by horses, enjoying the company of comrades and strangers alike, sharing tales along the way. 
Every child hearing of this fantasy thought about going on a journey themselves.

Be it to fight evil and conquer gigantic beasts, explore ruins and chart a new path on the maps, or simply to search for something elusive such as the Elixir of All Woes, it is always something bound with danger, and unexpected complications.

For example, boredom.

In my time, traveling from one side of the continent to the other wouldn’t take over a single day. Reading two or three books was enough to ward off the dullness of travel—staying in the plane with nothing to do when you’re wide awake is the most ingenious form of torture I have found so far.

So in the 9th Century? Of course things would be much different.
Going off that demon’s words, the journey there will take us between one to two months.
This time I had to find something to do, and until we get to the next settlement that has electricity, I won’t be able to watch the 5000 flicks I’ve saved on my phone—I always knew keeping my stuff locally would serve me one day.

Using his suggestion, I’m playing chess against myself. Yep, me against me. It looks like I’m going crazy like that, but I’m doing this to stop myself from going crazy.
And when the alternative is to exchange tales from the past and the future with him, I’d be better playing chess. Just being near him is far more than enough.

To stop thinking too much, I erase his presence from my mind, and concentrate fully on this bout led against me—Mei Rokuhara V.S. Rokuhara Mei.

I take the knight in hand, and…

“Ouahh!”

Watch the rest of the pawns fly off the board.

“Lios what the hell?”

“My bad my bad.”

Now five days since they departed toward the capital.
In front of the wagon, the mediocre coachman has ridden on another rock on the ground.

“It’s like, the fifth time in the hour, how are you even doing that?!”

On a dirt road among the forest, the two travelers and the jolly ash-gray horse pass the time in silence. One becoming a chess world champion, another becoming a better driver.
The pieces, all on the ground with only the white bishop and the white knight remaining, she lets go of her pawn and sits on the side bench, half-lying on the ground.

“How long have you been traveling already?” Asks the time-traveler.

“About fifteen years.”

“And why are you that bad at driving? I thought you all from the 9th Century should be good at doing that, it’s basically the only kind of cars you have.”

“Cars?”

“I’ll tell you later.” She sidesteps his question. “But come on, is it really going to be that bumpy all the way there?”

“I don’t know how it is in the future, but it’s usually that bumpy on the road. It’s not like you can perfectly control where the horse is going to go.”

“And why not? Just tell the horse to do better.”

“You can’t do that it’s a horse.”

“Then you do better.”

“I’m already doing my best, stop complaining.”

“Nah I don’t think so.” Mei retorts with a sly smile. “I even think that I could do better than you, I am a Frame Driver after all.” She pumps up her chest with pride, her hand on her heart.

“Ohh? Then be my guest.”

Lios moves left, making barely enough space for her to sit on the driver’s seat as well.

“…”

Damn, he tricked me! Mei screams to herself in her mind. He played me like a fiddle, and in less than five minutes!
How do I refuse? No, can I even refuse? He’s a bloodthirsty demon-kind, the incarnation of evil.
If I say no, he might make me a kebab. But if I say yes, he might make a kebab if I fail at driving!
…Wait I’m a robot now, it’s alright if I refuse.
Letting out a sigh of relief, she puts on her standard smile.

“No thanks, I don’t want to humiliate you.”

“I see, so you’re scared.”

“Move aside.”

She sits next to him without thinking.
…Damn, why did I do that?

Squeezed in the driver’s seat, much, much closer than they thought they would be, the demon and the robot are now competing at who is the better driver.

“So, see.” Lios shows her how to do, a bit nervous. “Driving a coach is all about precision. If you pull unevenly on both reins, the horse will turn instead of slowing down. And if you want to evade rocks on the road, you first have to notice them, and turn very lightly the horse so that it doesn’t catch on the wheel. Ah, look.”

At a way too convenient timing, he finds a large pebble in the road afar, he points it with his finger, insinuating that he’ll make it an example.

“At this rate it’ll go straight for the wheel. So this is how you do…”

He pulls slightly with his left hand, so faintly that his hand barely moved. Feeling the pressure of the horse’s brace, and the horse feeling his left side pulled, he goes left.
Just as gently, the lumberjack lets go of his pull. With this…

“Ouahh! Again?”

The wagon rides on the pebble and jerks up.

“This is how you ride on a pebble.” He declares without shame.

“…Are you for real?”

“I am. Did you see how precise that was? Who else but a master driver could purposefully ride on a pebble?”

“No, that’s not something to be bragging about, it’s like being proud of stalling a car this make no sense!”

“I don’t know what that ‘car’ is, but I’m sure people who stall cars are actually geniuses in hiding.”

“Boy if you knew what you’re saying right now… Just gimme that.”

“Eh?”

Mei takes the reins of the horse just short of his hands, touching them a little.

“…”

Oh, oh this is too close. Lios realizes too late, ruminating in his mind. I just wanted some casual distraction from driving non-stop, but this is way too close. What do I do?
Should I just tell her to stop? No, she wouldn’t listen.
Do I let go of the leash myself? No, if she crashed us that would be a disaster.
Curse me and my thoughtless words.
The lumberjack could only wait until the time-traveler becomes satisfied with driving the horse.

“Hey, it isn’t that hard after all. Look Lios.”

Again, a way too convenient pebble is on the road.

“You were doing it like… That.”

She slightly tugs her right hand, and releases the tension. Successfully evading the pebble.

“I don’t see how you find that complicated.”

“…You’re, actually driving. I’m impressed.” He admits. “Let’s see you handling it alone.”

He lets go of it, and also stops thinking about how soft her hands were.
While she struggled a little at first, eventually, Mei handles the wagon just as well as Lios. One could even say she’s a better driver than him.

But how? A complete beginner can’t possibly be doing that good, even the best of forest-elves took at least one week, so a robot?
No, maybe because she’s a robot she has much better ease doing it.
Those programs really are 1200 years ahead.
But if not because she’s a robot…

Following his intuition, Lios looks over the jolly ash-gray horse.
The horse turns his head, and shows a smile.
That dastard has been doing it on purpose! Why would you betray me like that Bahamut…

Disappointed by the infidelity of his trusted companion and friend, he sighs a heavy sigh, now laid back on his backrest. But at least, my self-confidence in my driving skills stays the same, take that you robot.

“Huh? Lios.”

Mei tugs on the lumberjack’s sleeve.

“Isn’t the horse going a bit too fast?”

“He sure is. What’s wrong Bahamut?”

Not listening to instruction anymore he keeps going faster and faster.
As if driven mad by something, bumping the wagon up and down wildly.

“Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, slow, slow!”

He tugs the leash backward—but the horse refuses to stop.
It’s as if his head is locked in a forward position—or like the d-pad of a controller is stuck up.
I’ve never seen him freak out like that, what is happening?

“…Lios, look behind.”

Mei, trembling all over directs her travel companion to the wagon’s rear.
It’s no wonder the horse lost his cool—a beast is chasing them down.
Its steps heavy, with a massive build and a towering height even on its four legs.

“What, the hell is that?!!”

“It’s, a bear.” He answers equally shaken. “A mountain bear! Bahamut!”

In mutual understanding, the horse does a large nod with his head.
So he goes even faster.

“Eh?”

And does a full stop. Launching its passengers high up into the sky.

“BAHAMUUUUUTTT!!”

The horse escapes through the forest, and leaves the two travelers on the ground to fend for themselves.

“That treacherous horse! I’ll make sure he’s only fed mere grains and salty water!”

“You gotta be kidding me, why are there no seat belts in there? Ah!”

Getting back up, both simultaneously look behind them.
The monstrous bear, is staring them down.

“Oh, oh dear…”

“It’s, so, over!”