«Im Mateo. And these are my brothers. Only I can speak your language. Half of the payment upon arrival at Magma Dwarf Capital. Then we load another product and drive back. Well stop in the capital for an hour. Dont get lost there. When you return, you will receive the full amount. Agreed.
OK. Why did he tell us that?» Everything was on the sign. I decided that since we are newbies, we need to chew everything. Well, at least it looks easy. Theyre strong guys who could handle it on their own. But the merchant guild requires cargo security. So I had to hire people. But they didnt want to pay much. And we need a good job to start with. Not dusty and the money is not bad. And Ill take a look at the dwarf capital. I havent been there yet. Maybe Ill visit the dwarf ladies. An hour is enough.
«Is your lady mute?» Its just silent.
«No, Im not mute. You little bumpkin. Were going to do some work, or youre going to stare at me.» Maybe Ill undress so you can get a better look at me.She was furious. Its a good thing this rage isnt directed at me.
I dont say anything. Heres the best place for you as a lady. He pointed to a bench in the cart with a pillow and a blanket on it. We knew there was a lady in the squad, so we bought it for you. Id better keep uploading. You can sit up and go to bed, and well be leaving in an hour.
The dwarf ran off to join the others. The thief sat up, but her anger didnt go away. I sat down across from her, but then I lay down and fell asleep. We need to gain strength. The road is long.
Chapter 3 Bandits and merchants
I havent slept so sweetly in a long time. I woke up to the jolt of a cart. It was already morning. The sun rose. The dwarf brothers were arguing in a language I didnt recognize. Although I studied a lot of them at the academy. Sophia was sleeping next to him. Her sleep was troubled. She tossed and turned and twitched her arms. I remembered my life in captivity apparently. Shed been through a lot. Now Im always ready to attack. We need to change. Ill be gentle with her. Shes my servant, my lifes debtor. Our fates are linked.
«Michaels awake,» Mateos familiar voice said. He rode beside us on a two-meter-tall lizard that stood on both legs. Here they were called «reptiles».
Yes, the dream was sweet. I cant believe it myself.
You obviously had a lot of problems. So they broke out. I needed some rest.» Hes a good guy, even if hes a dwarf.
Everyone has problems. How much further to go?
«Seven hours, maybe eight. Roads can be crowded. Especially the bridge on the river Irig. Customs officers are standing there shaking money. Scoundrels. He spat. Who will restore order here?
A strong warrior who will bring everything back in ten years. Said the awakened Sophia. In my country, it was the same in Malawi.
«It may well be. The dwarf said sadly. «And good morning, young lady.» You want to eat. I made tea and sandwiches. Or you need a rest stop. Wash up there and " He paused meaningfully, alluding to the bushes. Go to the bushes. The slaughterer can do anything. I know about you. Ive heard rumors.
Yes, I can. I didnt try to dispel his misconceptions. A mages honor is more precious. Ill be patient.
We stopped. While the lady went into the bushes, the dwarves quickly set up tables and chairs. A couple of minutes later, I saw two tables filled with cups of tea and sandwiches. I waited for my companion, and we ate. She never spoke to me. It may calm down over time. I never understood these ladies. They will be offended and sulk. No, just to talk.
Then they cleaned up just as quickly and drove on. Dwarves are a jolly lot. They sang songs. We distributed dark kvass to everyone. After a couple of mugs, I started singing along, even though I didnt understand the words.
We passed the border calmly. The dwarves clawed at the grimy guard and rode on. So we ended up in a no-mans-land between states.
Several hours passed. The dwarves in my cart started shouting loudly. I realized this was not good. I took a closer look. Oh, the horror. A crowd of magical beasts is coming at us. My companion didnt know what to do either, so she just snuggled up to me. He looks at me with cute eyes. How not to protect it. He began to recite spells.
«What are you thinking?» Thats what we came here for. Mateo said proudly. I looked at the other dwarves. They werent afraid, on the contrary, they were exultant. Were animal hunters, lad. Sit still in the cart and well do it ourselves.
The dwarves pulled the wagons to the side of the road. We got up with nets along the road. The crowd of beasts was rushing towards them. Here the first of them began to approach. They caught them with nets. And stunned with crossbow bolts. Although they were small and no more than five feet tall, they were agile. By the time the herd of magical beasts left, they had captured fifty magical beasts. Mostly big birds. But there were five magus wolves and a behemoth among them.
They have migration now. Its time for a hunt. Mateo said, sweating profusely. He looked pleased with himself. «Weve caught some of the prettiest of them. And in no mans land. Taxes do not have to be paid for trapping, only for import. Profitably. Hooray guys.
All the dwarves cheered. It was a good day for them. Sophia pulled away from me with a snort of disdain. I knew I had to get this over with.
«Hit me and well forget about that conversation.» I thought shed say something and start a conversation.» But the blow came quickly. In the jaw. To my most precious place on the face.
«Were done here. She continued, apparently reassured. «So the dwarf brothers are smugglers. They steal animals during migration, then sell them at home. With the proceeds, they buy various goods in Magma and sell them in the country of Otis people. Wise. And the main thing is almost legal. Dwarves border guards humanly read poorly and documents are easily forged.
«Thats right, sister. The jolly dwarf said as he built a cage on the second cart. You adventurers will have to change to a reptile. We need carts like cages.
«Come on, Michael. I get seasick on them, so Ill sit in the back. I dont like animals at all. She said as she helped me up from the floor of the cart. Shes got a good punch.
The animal we got is old, but calm. The thief didnt like him, though. She stopped dead in front of him. Shes shaking all over. Beat it.
«Are you afraid of reptiles?» They are kind. I tamed a lot of them at the academy. I said and sat on it deftly. Then he patted the green head. So they become kinder.
«No, Im not afraid of them,» said Sofya, all trembling. And when the beast began to sniff at him, he fell to the ground, closing his eyes. The dwarves, to their credit, did not laugh at her, but continued to build their cages in silence.
«Sit behind me and close your eyes.» He wont bite, I promise.
OK. But if you cheat and he bites me. She showed me her small fist. Although I already knew its power.
«I promise.»
I got off the reptile. He made her lie down on the ground. Her companion struggled to sit on it. I ordered the beast to stand up. He stood up in a flash. The lady began to tremble.
«Close your eyes and dont open them.
She closed it. I can see shes starting to trust me. I sat on the beast. He took the ladys hands and placed them on his waist. She couldnt resist and clung to me. She has strong hands. Deft fingers.
«That the dwarf brothers are going to Magma.
yes. Hooray for the lady on the reptile. The dwarf said. Everyone else started cheering. Apparently they are kind guys.
Ten minutes later, we continued on our way. Cages full of bound animals. Gnomes singing funny songs. And the lady behind me who cursed all the reptiles in this sinful world. Thats the song they sang. The senior dwarf translated it for me.
«On the road of stone we go home, we go
On the road from the boards we go home, go
On the road from the rubble we go home, go
Off-road we go home, go
We dont care about the road. We only care about one thing.
That were going home, were going
For many years we have been racing from city to city.
For many years we have been racing from village to village.
For many years we have been riding from the desert to the forest.
The main thing is not to forget at the end.
That were going home, were going.
We dont need riches and gold.
We dont need peace and comfort.
The main thing to always remember is friends.
Why are we going on the road?
And most importantly, we are going home, we are going»
The road moved from the wooded area to the desert. The transition was very abrupt. The winds were blowing in our faces. Three hours later, the road changed back to a treeless plain with bushes and sparse grass. I felt that there was some magic involved. Large magical changes to the soil do not lead to good. So the magical beasts have bred. Without such poachers, their numbers would have long since become menacing.
Border. I recognized her immediately. Several thousand soldiers are camped near it. There are also several carts at the entrance. Oddly enough, the road was deserted most of the time. Whats the big deal? We need to find out.
«Whats the matter?» Who knows?
«I dont know. When we went out, everything was quiet. I thought we were lucky that there were no competitors on the road. Now I see that there is a reason. Well drive up and find out. Mateo said with a blank look. The other dwarves were arguing. Their dissatisfaction with the situation could be seen. If the border is closed, we will have to go back with the prohibited goods. Which probably needs to be killed or released. The losses will be big. After all, we will have to pay the full amount. After all, we made our own robot. We escorted them to the border and back. The guild, of course, will get its own percentage.