Chapter 41

At dawn, Lucas and the team got up early and left the inn through the windows stealthily. It was still a bit dark when they began to move.

" Why do we have to move this early anyway?", Nyla asked, " I mean it's not like vampires aren't gonna be active at this time", she said.

" True but still, it's a lot easier to use stealth in darkness. We just gotta blend in with the environment", Lucas said.

" Yeah Nyla. I thought we had already gone over this back at home", Koryn said.

" Alright, it's you're call", Nyla said to Lucas, " you can do whatever you like", she said.

Anyway, they walked through the city stealthily with each of them wearing cloaks. The city was swarming with vampires. Fortunately for them, they weren't noticed and snuck and hid in one of the forests further into the city. As they moved through the forests, they had to be extra cautious as there could be vampires residing there, not to mention the vines.

" Shit this place is terrible", Nyla grumbled in a whispery voice.

" I know right? But you'll just have to bare it for now", Jane said.

" Where are we going anyway?", Nyla asked.

" We are trying to get to the city wall and get past it", Lucas said to her.

" Like what the fuck? We just scaled some creepy wall to get in here yesterday and now we are looking for a way out?", Nyla asked in annoyance.

" No dumdum, you never listen", Koryn replied, " we explained all this at the palace while you were busy working out", she said.

" Oh I guess that's on me", Nyla said, " alright, so what's the big idea scaling the wall again?", she asked.

" I'll rather let Jane do the honors", Koryn said, gesturing at Jane.

" Alright, it turns out that Viesryan, just like Wolfendon, has several cities which are all walled. So we are moving towards the city wall entrance, so we can escape into a less busy city", Jane said.

" Oh, now I get it", Nyla said.

" Guess you should pay more attention when we're discussing the plan. Ain't no one gonna go outta their way to explain anything to you anymore", Koryn said.

" Geez, what's with the attitude?", Nyla asked.

" Well all you do is slow us down and I'm fed up with it. If you don't wanna be a team player, then stop tagging along on missions", Koryn said to her in an angry tone.

" Oh so now you don't need me, is that it?", Nyla asked rhetorically in an angry tone.

" Well take it however you want to", Koryn said, " I don't care anymore", she added.

" You guys should calm down, this ain't no time to be fighting each other", Lucas said, " don't forget that we're in enemy territory, you two", he said pointing at them.

" Yeah, it'll be bad if the whole city notices us", Jane said, " we can't fight of all the vampires here. They're way too much", she explained.

" You guys better work together at least until we're back at Wolfendon. Is that clear?", Lucas said.

" Yes sir", they both responded.

" Good. Now let's move out", he said to them.

So they walked through the forest and came out again at a local market just before the wall. It was heavily guarded with over ten mercenary vampires standing there. So Lucas and the team went through the market purchasing some food items, to blend in with the people.

" Geez, how do we get past that wall without getting noticed?", Nyla asked.

" That's a real tough one", Lucas replied, " we could just jump over the wall in our beast form, but then we'd attract way too much attention and the whole Viesryan army would on our tails in no time. So that ain't a viable option", he explained.

" So what do we do? I would have suggested fighting the guards,but they look way stronger than regular vampires and they are many, which would give them the upper hand if we fight the guards, that's sure to also land us in trouble", Jane said.

" So what do you suggest we do?", Nyla asked Jane, " you're the one who should know this place the most", she said.

" Well, I do have an idea though. Perhaps we should sneak through the city gates", Jane said.

" Wait what? how is that a better idea than the previous ones?", Nyla asked, " we are so gonna get caught if we do it", she commented.

" No we're not. It's actually quite simple. Every morning, different merchants from all over Viesryan gather at the entrance to either carry goods into the city or out of it. That's what sustains the economy of the kingdom", Jane explained, " so we are just gonna take advantage of that", she said.

" That's brilliant Jane!", Koryn said.

" If this is going to work, we're gonna need a wagon, some goods and a huge blanket. Not to mention a donkey", Lucas said.

" We can buy all that not far from here", Jane said.

" Or we can rob someone who already had those stuff", Nyla said, at which point everyone stared at her. " What, I'm just saying", she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

" Let's go get those stuff. Besides I wonder why Viesryan gives me the medieval time vibes", Koryn said.

" Well that's because the original founders of the kingdom are still alive and prefer to keep things traditional. Their immortality makes them a bit retarded in my opinion", Lucas said, " anyway let's move out", he said.

And they went into the market to purchase the things they needed for their current goal, which was to escape the city in stealth. On getting to the local market, they bought a wagon load of apples, along with wagon and a donkey. Then they went somewhere secluded and tied the donkey to the wagon and then Lucas put Nyla, Koryn and Jane inside the wagon and placed the apples all over them after which he covered the entire load with a huge black cloth.After all of this, Lucas headed towards the gate holding the donkey by the bridle as he walked beside it. By now, there was already a huge crowd of merchants trying to either get in or get out. Lucas carefully observed the other merchants and saw that each one of them had a barge in their hands. So he used his uncanny ability in sleight of hands to take another merchant's own and replace it with a sliced apple, and then he pushed forward into the crowd, totally blending himself in. After about half an hour, he got to the gate. The officers there took a good look at him, but his behavior was awkward, probably because he was worried that he would get caught.

" Hey mate, what's up with you?", one officer asked.

" Nothing sir, what makes you ask that?", Lucas asked.

" Why, you're acting all nervous and fidgety. You do know that makes you suspicious now, don't you mate?", the officer asked.

" Probably. But I'm all fidgety because I've got the Parkinson syndrome. So I get hand tremors a lot", Lucas replied.

" Then I suppose you won't mind if I check what's in the wagon then", the officer said.

" Sure, knock yourself out", Lucas said.

So the officer beckoned another junior officer, who then went to check the wagon. On opening the huge cloth, he saw a bunch of apples. The others remained as still as stone underneath the apples.

" He's clear sir. Ain't nothing suspicious here. It's just a bunch of apples", the junior officer said to the other one, who then gave them permission to pass.

On entering the other city, Lucas let out a sigh of relief.

" Geez finally. I thought that line would never end", he said as he stretched his body.

" Hey old geezer, you better take us somewhere hidden fast so we can get the hell outta this dumb wagon", Nyla said from the wagon.

" Alright alright geez. And I think I kinda have a thing for this wagon. I guess being a merchant ain't that bad after all", Lucas said as he took the wagon to somewhere secluded.

" Talk about getting too much into character", Koryn commented, " you're only acting like a merchant not that you're actually one", she said.

By this time, they were just behind a huge barn. So Koryn, Nyla and Jane got out quickly and they all came out from there and went to a local market to sell the goods they had bought along with the donkey. This city was really stuck in the past. It was a full blown medieval era city. Anyway, they sold the apples and the donkey to another merchant in the city.

" Are you sure you wanna sell all these so cheap?", the merchant asked Lucas.

" I don't want to sell them at all. I love that donkey and the wagon you know? but I guess this is where we part ways", Lucas said sobbing.

" Geez don't you think you're being too much of a drama queen over some donkey you bought like an hour ago?", Nyla asked him.

" You wouldn't understand the bond we've built in that period of time", Lucas said.

" Well here's your gold", the merchant said, " quite surprised you're selling them this cheap", he quipped as he went his way with the donkey and the wagon. Lucas just stood there, staring at them until they disappeared into the town.

" There they go", he said as he wiped a teardrop from his eye.

" I think it's about time we continue what we came here for", Koryn said.

" I guess you're right", Lucas said, " I guess you are", he repeated as they walked into the horizon.