Chapter 38: Serene Wind Port City

Since their departure from the moon village, Silva and her team continuously travel through dangerous roads ahead and facing so many trails they could possibly think of. They decided to stay off the main roads for a while to avoid anyone who might have challenged them in the tournament or the Guild League reporting their whereabouts to the guild king.

Their destination in the meantime is heading to the port cities hoping Scout will be there and they can save Julius from death.

Getting closer to the ports, it was getting a bit cooler, so luckily at their last shopping trip, they were able to buy coats.

“I never thought heading to the coast would be this cold, I am glad I changed my outfit and bought coats for my girls” Silva said shivering.

“It is the coast after all. I kind of miss the warmth of the village,” Rufus said.

“Or is it the warmth of the women sleeping with you, you missed,” Silva commented.

“Hey. They were pursuing me, not the other way around,” Rufus blushing a bit.

“Yeah, right,” Silva said, not believing him.

“How much longer will we arrive at the port? My feet are getting sore,” Lisa asked, changing the subject.

“We should be there in a few hours,” Rufus said, checking his pocket watch.

“Good, the faster we get to Scout and get off this continent, the happier I will be,” Silva said a bit annoyed. “Raquel, any news about Scout?”

“Yes, according to my sources, Scout is still in the city hiding, but we have to hurry because my spies have spotted one of Lord Julian’s henchmen exploring the city trying to find her,” Raquel reports.

“Ok, then, we have to hurry before it is too late,” Silva answers.

“Silva, do you really have a plan in saving Scout or we are winging it or better yet what is the real plan,” Lisa complained.

“The main plan is to save Scout and Julius. Whatever comes next is really up to us,” Silva admits. “As for the temples, I have decided to continue my journey in completing the goddess trials.”

“Are you sure?” Lisa asked.

“At this point, I do not have a choice. I do not want to lose my humanity, but if it is to save everyone I care about, then I will do it,” Silva explained.

“That is pretty bold,” Raquel complimented.

“It is the right thing to do. I don’t think I can lose Terrance after getting back together,” Silva said.

“I would have to agree. You deserve him,” Lisa admitted.

“I have to agree. Oh before I forget, after we save Scout, I have decided we should head over to my guild and hide there for a while,” Silva suggested.

“Oh, this is great, the guild master is sure going to enjoy seeing you,” Lisa teases.

“Don’t remind me,” Silva said, as she was getting chills up and down her spine.

Silva walks ahead trying to avoid a conversation about her guild master.

“Lisa, what is so bad about the guild master?” Terrance asked in a whisper.

“Well, our guild master has always taken a liking to Silva. He always sees her as his little pet or doll depending on his mood. It is funny since he is gay, but he is way better than the previous guild master we had. Silva never really stays in the guild whenever he is there, so she tends to take missions far away from the guild hall to avoid him. I do remember this one time…”

“Lisa!” Silva shouts in great anger.

Lisa gets her wits scared out of her and decides to hide behind Rufus for protection, but that is not going to work.

“Since you cannot keep your mouth shut, how about you walk the rest of the way without your shoes and see how it feels,” Silva threatened. “So, take them off!”

“I hate it when you go medieval on me,” Lisa said angrily as she walked away without her shoes.

“That is a good look for you,” Rufus teased.

“Oh, shut up,” Lisa said angrily, walking , feeling more pain.

“Terrance, how many more temples are there to visit?” Silva asked.

“I am not sure, but we will be close to a few more along the way,” Terrance said reading the map.

“Right, let's get going,” Silva said, a bit annoyed.

Two days later, they finally arrived at the port city and most of them were surprised to see how big and beautiful it was.

“Wow, I never thought that a port city would be so big,” Lisa said, enjoying the view, forgetting the pain in her feet.

“I guess I should explain. Serene Wind Port City is the main trading hub for all the major continents. They come here from all over the world to trade their goods and create trading agreements. This is also the best place to get the best haul in weapons and jobs. I should also mention, they are very strict about who can enter the city and sadly this is the only way we can get to Serenity Wind Port City,” Silva explains as they walk over to the gate.

“Wow, you sure know a lot about this city, Silva,” Raquel said impressively.

“Then how do we get in?” Lisa asked.

“Leave it to me. I came here a lot during my guild days, so I might have a few connections here,” Silva explains.

“Right-” Raquel said, rolling her eyes.

At the front gate, the guardsman immediately recognized Silva.

“Hello, Silva of the Desert, it sure has been a long time seeing you here, what can I do for you?” the guardsman asked right away, knowing who she was.

“Oh, hello, Tomas, it sure has been far too long. Yes, I would like some visitor passes to enter the city as well as for Serenity Wind Port City,” Silva asked.

“Sure, thing, may I see your guild pass please. I will have them ready for you in a few minutes,” Tomas asked kindly.

“Sure, here you go,” Silva said, handing over her pass.

“You weren’t kidding that you come here a lot,” Raquel mentions.

“I did mention this is the best trading hub around and it does have the best booze too,” Silva confesses. “I always love hiding out here once in a while.”

“Right, I think I am going to head for the bar. I have not had a decent drink in a while,” Rufus chimes in with his needs.

“Rufus, we are here only to find Scout. We are not here for our own enjoyment,” Silva making things a bit more clear.

“Right, sorry. I forgot,” Rufus apologizes.

“Good, now let’s get moving,” Silva said, ready to leave.

“Excuse me, Silva, your passes are ready and please enjoy your visit here,” Tomas said, handing her the passes.

“Thank you Tomas, you are sweet,” Silva said kindly.

“It is my pleasure,” Tomas said kindly.

“Right, ok, guys, keep these with you at all times. If you lose it, you will be kicked out in five minutes. Now let’s hurry and find Scout. Raquel, do you know where she is?” Silva asked, handing out their passes.

“The last time I heard from my informant, she is still hiding out in my friend’s house in the center of the city. I can get us there,” Raquel explained.

“Right, so you guys go and get Scout while Rajah and I secure our passage to the next city. I know someone here who can help us,” Silva said heading the other day.

“Can we come with you too mommy?” Grace asked.

“I am sorry darling, but it is best if you stay with Auntie Raquel. I do not want anyone to know you are tied to me,” Silva said, trying to protect her girls.

“Ok, mommy,” Grace said, disappointed.

“Give mommy a hug,” Silva said, opening her arms. Then her girls came in and gave her a hug that she will miss dearly.

“Ok, everyone, follow me,” Raquel ordered.

Silva and Rajah leaving the group loved doing their own thing.

“My lady, you could have brought her girls with you,” Rajah mentions.

“I know, but I do not want to risk their lives. Also, I feel like we are being watched,” Silva answered, trying not to sound cruel.

“Are you sure?” Rajah asked.

“But first we are going to need some help,” Silva said as she started running.

“Where do you think we will get help from?” Rajah asked.

“It is a good thing the Medical Guild, Feather Grace, is stationed here, so I have a feeling an old friend is here that can help us make a quick getaway,” Silva explained.

“Very well. I trust you,” Rajah said as they continued to run.

Meanwhile, Raquel and the others continue their tour around the city until they find their way to where Scout is hiding.

“Alright guys, I will go in with the girls to get Scout. The rest of you stay out of trouble. If anything goes wrong, blow at this whistle and someone will come to help you,” Raquel orders.

“Got it Raquel, we can handle ourselves,” Rufus said, agreeing to the conditions, as he took the whistle from her.

Raquel, along with the girls went their separate ways from the group to the location where Scout is located. The strange part of this, it felt like she was being watched, so she had to take different ways around the city to get to the safe house. It might be a long way to get there, but after finally ditching whatever feeling she was feeling, they finally arrived.

Before heading inside, she scouts around the area before knocking on the door. In a quick minute, the door opened and the informant let them inside.

“Good to see you again Soledad, thank you for taking care of our friend, so how is she?” Raquel asked.

“When we managed to track her down in this city, she was not in the best shape. She overly exhausted herself mentally by worrying over some guy named Julius and gave herself a fever. It wasn't until yesterday, she started to calm down and her fever has gone down,” Soledad explained.

“Thank you for everything. We will take it from here. I know you are taking a big risk in helping us,” Raquel said, thanking her again.

“It is my pleasure. We are friends after all,” Soledad said kindly.

“Thank you again. Do you mind if we stay here for a bit? It’s been a long trip?” Raquel asked her friend.

“Yes, I will make some tea,” Soledad said kindly.

“Auntie, should we go see Scout?” Greer asked.

“We should ask Soledad first,” Raquel answers.

A few minutes later, Soledad reappears with a tray of cups with cookies and tea pot and places it on the table. She starts serving them and then takes a seat.

“Thank you for the tea, but can we see Scout?” Raquel asked.

“I just checked on her and she is still asleep,” Soledad said.

“Oh, ok, we will just wait for her until she wakes up,” Raquel said.

And so, they decided to chat while catching up with their lives after many years apart.

Meanwhile, Rufus decided to leave for a bit to find a bar to get a decent drink to calm his mind after the long journey they have been on since reuniting with Silva. Little did he know, Raquel was right about them being followed, so he had to do something quick. He decided to take different routes to drive them off course and make sure no one gets hurt from this madness. He runs through all the alleys with his bow on hand shooting arrows to distract these so called spies, but little did he know he ended up in a dead end. Being limited in space, Rufus had no choice, but to blow the whistle only a few knew what it meant. Then a few guild members came over to take on the fight. With this new distraction, Rufus runs for the safe house hoping no one is following him

As for Rajah and Silva, they are running through the dock of ships finally finding the Feather Grace Ship.

“Oh, good, I knew she would be here. Hey, Gilda,” Silva shouted on the port.

Then a woman comes out and notices Silva standing outside of her ship.

“Silva, is that you, it sure has been a long time,” Gilda said kindly.

“Likewise, anyways, I need a favor, can you take my friends and I to Serenity Wind City, as quickly as you can, please?” Silva said quickly.

“Silva, that is a big request in such short notice. I do not think I can get the ship ready so quickly,” Gilda protests.

“Look, I do not have time for this. If you do not take us, then I will have to report you to the Guild League about the time I covered for you in the bar that night,” Silva threatened.

“You wouldn’t,” Gilda said afraid.

“Try me,” Silva said, annoyed.

“Fine, gather your friends and I will have my ship ready in twenty minutes and if you are not back by then, then I am leaving without you,” Gilda warns.

“Don’t worry they will be here, Rajah go gather them up,” Silva ordered. “ I will stay here and help her with the ship.”

“Yes, my lady,” Rajah said as he was picking up their scent.

Rufus managed to arrive back to the safe house safely, but he looked scared.

“Rufus, what is the matter?” Raquel asked, a bit surprised.

“We are being watched and we have to get out of here quick,” Rufus warned.

“What do you mean?”

“I believe Lord Julian is after us. I was just attacked by a few of his men. COme on, let’s head back to the port and find Silva,” Rufus warns.

“But what about Scout?”

“We will have to take her with us,” Rufus answered.

“Right, let’s get Scout and blow this popsicle joint,” Simon said, getting excited.

“Right, I will go get the girls,” Seth said quickly getting to work.

“Soledad, thank you for everything and taking care of our friend. I hope we can catch up with you again,” Raquel thanked her friend.

“It is my pleasure. Take care,” Soledad said.

“Ladies, go with Rufus. Seth, carry Scout out and we will sneak out from the back,” Raquel orders.

As soon as the gang exited the safe house, they were already surrounded by some unwanted guests.

“Well, it sure took you a while to find us,” Rufus said to the thugs.

“Wait, you knew they were coming after us?” Lisa asked.

“Yes, it is not hard to notice thugs following us, so what can we do for you gentlemen?” Rufus asked, ready to fight.

“Give us that girl and the one with the strange magic,” one of the thugs said.

“No, can do. Seth. Simon. Terrance. Protect the girls and head straight to the port. Rajah is going to meet you half way,” Rufus ordered.

“Alright, let’s go ladies,” Simon said, readying with the girls close behind.

“Let’s get this party started,” Rufus said as he shot his arrows, knocking the others down with them.

The fighting began shooting arrows numbing the thugs and kicking them down to the ground. Creating an opening for everyone, they started running for their lives to the port, but they are still being shot down by these idiots. Rufus continues covering for everyone with his arrows while the ones on the ground are still being a pain to attack.

“Seriously, I thought this was supposed to be a rescue mission, not fighting for our lives,” Lisa said, blocking off her opponent.

“Hang in there a bit longer, we are almost to the port,” Terrance shouted as he was slicing his enemy to pieces.

“Yeah, I just hope the others are having a better chance of escaping than we are,” Lisa said, complaining.

“Yes, I would love to get out of here and we only have ten minutes to do so, so stop chatting and get a move on,” Raquel said, fighting off two guys at once.

Simon and the others continue to run towards the port, but they are still ambushed by more thugs. It seems they were holding their own until the number of thugs began to increase and began surrounding them. Hope might have been lost until Rajah jumped in, killing a few of them in the process.

“Oh, Rajah, thank you for saving us,” Seth said kindly.

“We do not have time for pleasantries, put the girls and Scout on my back and I will run with them back to the ship,” Rajah explained quickly.

“Right, let’s go,” Seth agreed, loading the girls on Rajah’s back.

“Ok, let’s hurry,” Simon said, running ahead.

“Yes, let’s go, but first (roar)” Rajah said.

“Whoa, that was that?” Simon asked as he continued to run.

“Oh, that is the Howl of Summoning Dogs. It comes in handy. Take a look behind you,” Seth said as they were running.

Simon saw a bunch of dogs attacking their enemy eliminating the amount of people attacking them.

“Wow, that is sure handy,” Simon said, running beside Seth.

“Yes, it is a useful skill that gets us out of tight situations most of the time,” Seth explained as they were the first ones to arrive at the boat.

“Good you made it, I was worried about you, what about the others?” Silva said as she greeted them on the boat.

“They should be on their way, thanks to Rajah,” Seth explained.

“So, that explains the howling I heard earlier, good work, now take Scout down to the rooms and make sure it is comfortable,” Silva ordered.

“Yes, of course,” Seth said, following Rajah down the stairs.

“Oh, thank you Rajah. You are amazing,” Silva said, rubbing his favorite spot.

Rufus and the others are still trying to get to the boat, but they have five minutes left to get to their boat.

“Come on guys, we only have five minutes left and we are still far from the port,” Rufus said hurrying along as the dogs came to attack their enemies.

“I really don’t wait to stay here any longer,” Lisa said, running close behind the others.

In a short amount of time, they defeated the remaining thugs and ran for their lives to the boat before it took off. This upsets Silva and waits for their answer.

“Late as always,” Silva said, annoyed.

“Sorry, if we were helping cover your ass,” Raquel explained.

“Right now, help me create some fog,” Silva said, raising her hands as a clear vile surrounding the ship.

As she used all of her magic, breaking her first rule of not using magic, but she had to do it to escape the city.

“Right, we should be arriving in the next city in about a few hours, so relax and get some rest…,” Silva said feeling weak.

“What happened?” Lisa asked.

“I think she over did it with magic. She will be fine, once she rests for a bit,” Terrance explained.

“Right, ok, rest up and I will check back on everyone in a few hours,” Raquel said, taking the girls down below.