Quiet Burdens

Chapter 5

Chapter Start!

Cole looked around the town, it was booming with people, all in stranger clothes.

Back on Crytinia Island, everyone liked to wear jackets and pants, but here, the lady's had skirts, and their hair was pulled back and up, the men had tights, and bow ties.

Cole followed behind Rita and Gil, kind of hiding, but still looking around, with a big smile at all times.

Birds shot through the sea port, and the sounds of their tweeting echoed happily in the town.

Rita stopped and started to talk to people, so Gil turned to Cole. "What do you think so far?" he smiled.

"Think of what?" Cole turned away from the sights, "The town, the sea, what we'll see next?" He leaned in.

"Oh, that. Umm... The sea was a no still, the town is cool, and what do you mean see next?" he eyed his friend, "Oh, you'll see!"

Rita turned hard to the boys, "Come on" she spat, and walked between the two.

The boys looked at each other, shrugged, and followed her.

She made her way to a carriage, with a man sitting on it, and asked if she, Gil and Cole would take some weapons to the capital. He agreed only for a lot of Gold pieces.

Rita paid as Gil brought the weapons to the carriage with help from Cole; they got a good 3 boxes filled into the back, and one on top. The three climbed in, and the carriage took off.

It road through the plains, they were long, sunny, and flat.

Gil fell asleep in seconds.

Not many people lived in the fields; they were filled with farms, and some strange creatures. They looked of corpses, but wandered in the tall grass.

"What are those?" Cole pointed out to them for Rita to see, she leaned over, and nodded, "Those are called 'Scarecrows' they live in this area, and some are on an island called Festir, they are like demi gods that keep the crops safe. The people here don't really like them though"

Cole cocked his head "Why? They came to keep their food safe"

Rita gave a sigh, "It's because they 'Scare the children' the people here are ungrateful jerks" her eyes showed another story, but Cole nodded and just watched the land roll before him.

A bridge came up when the sun started to set, the driver; Peter said they should make camp. It wasn't safe to cross this bridge at night, past here was giant territory, and it was best to stay away during their hunting time.

Setting up camp, Gil said he would take the first shift, because he spent the entire way there.

When the sun finally let its light grace the lands once more, Rita woke everyone up, and they picked up camp.

On the road again, Cole brought his sketch book out, and started to sketch the land, it all looked the same, so it didn't matter that they were moving.

They road for hours, but made it to a small outpost, called; Erith Outpost.

When they stopped, Gil pulled Cole along, as Rita talked to the people.

The people's eyes where hard and dark, Gil pulled him into an inn room Rita had gotten them, his eyes watching the people in the post.

"What?" Cole spat when the door was closed. "The people here are... quite... just don't talk to them, they fight Giants a lot, and don't like outsiders who don't know how to fight." Gil explained, his face was pale when a knock at the door, turned to it opening.

Happily it was only Rita, she closed it, and looked up "This is our room for the night, Peter said he would stay with the carriage, to make sure nothing happened to anything, so Cole" she turned to the teen "Don't. Leave. The. Room, got it?" her eyes dark.

"Ya, sure, I got it" Cole nodded, not wanting to leave himself.

This place was cold, the walls where high, made of stone, the buildings where cut up and broken, the outside looked to almost fall apart.

It was like a wrecking ball hit this place. Most likely from the mighty weapons the giants have.

The people where not much better, their clothes where dark, and made of fur, they lived in the inner part of the wall, mostly sleeping at day, because a fight rages at night.

When the sun set, Rita pushed the couch in the room to the door, and looked around, then pushed the small table there as well, then Gil pushed the wardrobe to that same spot.

The two looked over to Cole, who said "What are you doing?" the teen questioned with his hood down, "Well giants attack at night, and we don't want them getting in here" Rita said looking around the room.

"I guess that works, I call this bed" she made her way over to one of the two bunk beds in the dark room, only being lit up by a single candle stick.

"Alright, I call top bunk!" Gil ran over, and climbed up to the top of the other bunk, leaving Cole the bottom bunk.

The night was long, the sounds of fighting range through the night, Cole lay awake, wanting to help the entire time, but Rita was right there, and people screamed.

The hardened sailors slept, but the teen waiting for the fight to stop.

At one point, Cole got up, and wandered around the room, looking through his bag...

He pulled his pistol out, and held it, watching the door...

He could hear something coming, but before it got to the door, it stopped, and turned back; he soon put his gun down, and pulled out his journal, writing down never to come here EVER again.

When morning finally came, Rita and Gil pulled the wardrobe, table and couch from the door.

When they opened it, the body of a giant lay in front of it, arrows and bullet wounds were lining its back. "I'm glad they got it!" Gil laughed as he looked around, the buildings were wrecked, even though they were made of stone.

Peter told them that he had to keep the horses safe the entire night, and asked if Gil could drive; the young adult gave a smile, and agreed.

When they got back on the road, Cole and Peter fell asleep, Rita just looked out the window as Gil had the horses run.

They made it to the Capital a few hours past noon.

Gil even woke everyone up...

As they approached the large walls of the Castle City.

Chapter End!

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