Chapter 33: The Vagrant.

The stone gate cast a shadow on the wagon that Nesto is riding. He pulls the reign when he saw an elf wearing a guard armor, and gesture at him with his hand, so Nesto would stop the horse. When the horse stops so do the wagon, the guards walk closer to the front seat of the wagon.

"Morning, where are you folk heading?" The guard asks.

"Morning Sir, We are heading to Hardersfield," Nesto answers.

"We?" The guard asks.

Neya slips through the curtain revealing herself to the guard, "Me and my master," Nesto answers.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but this mountain pass is closed on the account of a Wyvern infestation that's been going on," The guard said.

"Are we forbidden to use the mountain pass?" Neya ask.

"Well technically, no. But who would want to use a pass that infested by Wyvern," the guard said.

"We would like to use the mountain pass, please," Neya said.

"If you insist, but before you leave. Here," The guard toss a small sack to Nesto.

Nesto catches it with his hand and feels the content of the sack, it feels like marbles inside.

"May I ask, what is this for?" Nesto asks as he looks at the sack in his hand.

"It's for the Vagrant, as an offer for protection. The Vagrant will guide you through the mountain pass safely," the guard said.

"The Vagrant?" Neya asks while her butler stores the sack in his jacket.

"Trust me, you can go now," The guard said then he back away to give some room for the wagon to move.

Nesto whips his reign, the horse neigh before walking again and pull the wagon with it. Neya climbs up to the front seat when she looks in front of her, she found that the mountain pass is enclosed by a thick fog. The wagon keeps on moving into the fog, Neya looks behind her and the gate was nowhere to be seen.

As the wagon travels down the pass, not a single animal noise can be heard in the fog, and only dead trees can be seen on both side of the road. The silence causes the hair in the back of Neya neck to stand, so she starts to practice with the spell she learns in the Academy.

She focuses her mind and mutter, "Moric" and nothing happens.

She tries again by making hands gesture, but nothing happens.

Nesto look at her with his eyebrow raised before asking her "Miss Neya, what are you doing?"

"I want to practice the magic skill that I learn at the academy, but I just can't do it for whatever reason," Neya answers.

She tries again, but still fail. Frustrated, she turns to Nesto before saying "I've been meaning to ask, how did you cast a spell? The last time I checked, human incapable of using magic."

Nesto turns his back to give Neyaa look. He then lifts the underside of his jacket revealing a glimpse of the magic crystal embedded in his back.

"Humans can't use magic, but I'm an exception," Nesto said before lowering his jacket.

"I request Madeleine to give me the power to protect the royal family, and she grants it," Nesto said.

"What does it do?" Neya ask.

"The magic crystal acts as an input for me to gather Mana into my body, so I can use it," Nesto reply.

"Still just putting Mana into one body doesn't give him the ability to control it," Neya said.

"It doesn't, that's why my entire body has been modified to do that. I want to explain it to you, but even myself don't know the detail," Nesto said.

"You must know a lot of spells," Neya amazed.

"I actually only know one spell, I can't use any other," Nesto said.

"What?" Neya said confused.

"I don't know why maybe it's because I'm human that there are certain limitations to my magic. I can only use one spell, a basic fire spell," Nesto said as he shrugs his shoulders.

"Does that mean, you can't teach me any spell?" Neya asks with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

"Even if I know any spell, that spell will surely be an offensive spell, and I won't teach you that because it is too dangerous. But based on my experience, I can help you, but only if the spell is harmless," Nesto said.

"Yes, it is. It's a spell that conjures light," Neya said excitedly.

"Okay then, first you need to know what I'm going to teach you are not the standard ways of casting a spell. It's not entirely different from the usual way, but the fundamental is a bit different," Nesto explains while his master focuses on his every word.

"The standard fundamental is, mind, words, and effect. First, you focus the effect in your mind then mutter the words and the end result will come out. And in the middle of the three is Mana control, but I will get to it later." Nesto explain.

"What Madeleine taught me is when focusing the effect in your mind, there is no need to be stuck on one particular effect. Because there are multiple possibilities, that can come out from the spell. A basic fire spells the one I used can change into many types different spell. I can turn the fire into a sword or a shield or make it narrow like an arrow and many more." Nesto explain.

"It depends on the caster mind," when he looked at his master face, he noticed that he had lost her while explaining.

"You know what, let's stick to the standard method," Nesto said.

"First focus your mind, see the effect of the spell in your mind and visualize it happening in front of you," Nesto said.

Neya looks at her hands, and she visualizes the light spell happening on her hands. "I can see it," she said.

"Now feel the Mana coursing in your vein," Nesto said.

She can feel something warm flowing from her entire body to her hands. She took a long breath to calm her excitement then she keeps on focusing on her hands while waiting for the next steps.

"Mutter the words," Nesto said.

"Mor-" She was interrupted by the wagon suddenly stopping causing her body to jerk. Neya looks up wondering what is going on, then her jaw drop down when she sees a humanoid with a tattered cloak covering its head and its entire body.

The humanoid stands in front of the horse, and it was tall as the Xintari that stab Nesto in Targia. Under the humanoid cloak, Neya notices some kind of bone with sharp edge dangling underneath its cloak. Neya glance at Nesto, and she saw his eyes kept on glancing at the saber behind him.

"Hello there," Nesto greets.

"My name Nesto, we're just passing through," Nesto said.

"Do you have candy?" A woman voice came out from the humanoid.

"Candy?" Nesto said confused.

"Nesto, the small sack that the guard gave!" Neya reminds.

Nesto reaches into his jacket and takes out the small sack. The tall presumably woman and start to walk closer toward Nesto. While walking, Nesto can see the muscular abs with claw marks underneath her cloaks. She then presents her open hands, waiting for Nesto to give her the items.

He then places items on the woman palm, she took it and open it. Then the woman reaches in and takes out a small piece of candy. Underneath her hoods, Nesto notices a smile with sharp teeth form with her mouth. She opens her mouth and tosses one of the candy in.

She immediately let out a moan as she savors the flavor.

"Are you the Vagrant?" Nesto ask.

She let out a groan, "Apparently that's what the folk are calling me now."

"If the name displeases you, may I ask what is your real name?" Nesto ask.

"Hmm, call me Vizrez," the woman answers.

"Vizrez, are you here to help us cross the mountain pass?" Nesto ask.

"Indeed, I am," Vizrez answers.

The journey felt long as Vizrez help guide the horse while Nesto tries to keep track of the sun through the fog, but fail to do so. The fog seems to be getting thicker and shows no sign of slowing down. After giving up trying to see what times it was, Nesto just leans back and enjoy the journey.

He could hear Neya frustrated groan in the back as she tries to practice her magic spell. Neya just couldn't understand on why she can't cast the spell now, she felt pretty sure she could do it earlier. After a few more tires she finally gives up and lay on the soft cushions behind her.

Vizrez stop the wagon as she notices that the fog is getting darker, she looks behind at Nesto.

"Night is coming, I will bring you to one of the resting places," She said aloud.

It doesn't take long as they come across a cave that enough to fit the wagon inside. Vizrez ties the horse reign to one of the cave pillars, and she proceeds to take a seat on the rock close to her. She then takes out her candy and enjoys it by herself.

Nesto jumps down then his stretch his body, snapping his bone back to place, and then he begins to look around the cave. He smiles when he found a spot where he can set up a fireplace and his cooking equipment.

While Nesto setting up his stuff, Neya jumps down the wagon and walk to the hooded woman. The hooded woman notices a ginger elf girl approaching her, she glances at her before storing the sack of candy inside her cloak.

"What do you want?" The woman asks.

"I just want to have a friendly conversation with you," Neya said.

The woman groaned in annoyance accompany by a sigh before saying, "Ask away."

"How long have you been living here?" Neya ask.

"My entire life, next question," The woman answers.

"Are you alone?" Neya ask.

"As far I know, yes. I'm alone," the woman replied.

"What do you do here?" Neya ask.

"I hunt Wyvern and been helping traveler safely pass the mountain," The woman answers.

"I'm sorry if I cause you any annoyance. I just wanted to have a conversation," Neya apologize.

The woman sigh, "Look, I've been helping people cross this mountain pass for my entire life, and they all ask me the same question over and over. It gets repetitive to me, so don't blame yourself, I just get tired of answering the same question." Vizrez said.

"Wait here," Neya went back to the wagon after leaving her seat.

"Sure, like I have another place to go too," Vizrez said.

When Neya return, she had an excited expression on her face while hiding something behind her back. Vizrez looks at the elf girl with her eyebrow raised, the girl then brings forth the cupcake that she was hiding behind her back to the hooded woman.

"A cupcake?" Vizrez said.

"Try it, it has a chocolate filling inside," Neya said.

Vizrez took the cupcake and took a bite off it. Out of nowhere, she let out a moan of pleasure as she tastes the melted chocolate inside of the cupcake. She kept on munching on the cupcake while letting out many moans. Neya smile as she feels pleased that the hooded woman in front of her enjoys the cupcake that she gave.

"Where do you even get this?" Vizrez ask.

"Nesto always make them for me, just in case I get hungry," Neya reply.

"Do you have some more?" Vizrez asks excitedly.

"I have a couple more, I know you would like them. I'll be glad to share them with you," Neya said.

"Thank you, it's hard to find something sweet to eat around here," Vizrez said.

"Why are you living alone in the mountain pass?" Neya ask.

"I actually don't know the reason, it is kind of blurry to me. All I can remember is waking up with a wounded head," Vizrez answers.

"You can't remember?" Neya ask.

"Yep, not a single thing, but for some reason, I had a tremendous rage when I see a Wyvern," Vizrez reply.

"I think you suffered from a memory loss. It must be hard losing your memory," Neya said.

"Not really, I made do with what memory I got left. I don't really care for the past, only the present," Vizrez said as she let out a smile showing her sharp teeth.

"Dinner's ready!" Nesto said aloud as he wipes his with a clean cloth.

"Would you want to join us for dinner?" Neya ask.

"I would love too," Vizrez said.

Both of them, stand up from their rock and walk to the campfire. Upon arriving at the campfire, a scent of chicken stock lingers around the fireplace. Vizrez notices the smell is coming from the boiling pot that stood above the campfire, she also notices her stomach grumble.

Neya took a seat at one of the rock near the campfire, then she starts to warm her hands near the fire. Vizrez follows and took a seat, she kept on staring hungrily at the pot.

"Before I start serving, lets introduced our self first. As you may as know my name is Nesto, but my full name is Nesto Fasheir, and I'm Miss Neya butler," Nesto introduce himself.

"My name is Neya Nimmith, you can call me, Neya." The elf girl introduced herself to the hooded woman.

"I'm Vizrez, I don't have a long name. So can we eat now?" Vizrez said.

Neya let out a giggle at Vizrez eagerness, Nesto smiles as he serves the food to both of them. When Vizrez looks into the bowl, she can see chicken meat floating on the soup and some kind of long slimy worm-shaped thing.

"What is this worm shape thing?" Vizrez ask.

"It is called a noodle, and it's are made from wheat," Nesto said.

"Try it, it's delicious," Neya said then with a fork in her hand, she sucks the noodle into her mouth.

Vizrez took a fork and follow Neya ways of eating it. The moment it enters her mouth, she was amazed by the delicious taste of the soup and the noodle texture. She then starts to gulp down all of her noodle soup in a flash then show Nesto the empty bowl.

"Can I have more please?" Vizrez ask.

"Of course," Nesto served her another bowl.