The Thousand Year Dynasty
03. The Cendicia
The day began to go up the night. The four of them had already walked quite a distance towards the north. The streets are starting to get dark.
"I think it's time we find a place to rest, Princess," said Jean, looking around. Ensure the surroundings are safe.
"True, the streets are getting dark," Lucia replied. "And the two young men seem to have also started to get tired" he said later.
Jean looked back. It seemed that the two young men had already started to walk on foot following the two of them.
"It seems like they've never traveled far before. They are very thirsty and have very poor stamina. Compared to a girl." Jean says.
"really. I was surprised to find them weak. Is it possible that they are mixed descendants of the Seitrh people?" Lucia guessing.
"Eitherway. I've never seen Seithr's descendants who are as statured as they are, even if it's just mixed. There are some dissimilarities, but most likely they are purely Morra," Jean retorted with her conjecture.
But suddenly Lucia and Jean's conversation was interrupted by one of the young men behind them who was screaming indistinctly while pointing towards the street ahead. And as Jean and Lucia were searching, an orange glow flashed between the dim night before them.
"What is campfire light?" asked Lucia to raise her eyes.
"Looks. We need to be vigilant. Who knows it's their friends, bandits and robbers" replied Jean who appeared to be on high alert.
They walked closer to the direction the light was coming from. And there was a broken-looking chariot on the wheels, and an old man sitting in front of a bonfire.
Seeing that someone was approaching, the old man immediately stood up and acted alert. A wooden stick seemed ready in the grasp of his right hand.
Receiving such a reaction from the old man earlier, Lucia immediately greeted, "Good night, Mister. We're on our way north. Is it okay, if we come to rest in your place?" He took off the victim he was wearing.
"Oh, thank goodness you guys are not bandits" said the old man in a relieved tone after seeing Lucia and Jean who came to him.
"I'm Lucia" said Lucia, introducing herself as they began to sit and rest around the campfire.
The little girl had a pretty face. His nose looks sharp. Her golden yellow hair she bun up gracefully. A small hair ornament in the form of a flower arrangement is embedded behind the bun. His bright blue eyes look harmonious compared to the color of his skin that looks radiant white.
Although the clothes that Lucia was wearing looked luxurious and quite classy, but those clothes were the clothes of male nobles. It does not match her feminine character and proportional body shape as a girl.
A long-sleeved white shirt with a small lace at the end of the sleeve, which is wrapped in a velvet black vest, which is still trapped again with a hip-high buttonless suit with a dark blue satin material, full of intricate gold-patterned embroidery on each end.
And a pair of brown leather trousers, plus boots made of quality animal leather.
"I'm Jean." This time it was Jean who introduced herself and started removing the sacrificial cloth covering her body. And now it is clear that the protective clothes he is wearing. It looks shiny reflecting the light from the campfire.
The clothes Jean wore were not much different from Lucia's. It's just, Jean wasn't wearing a suit. Instead he replaced it with a metal plate attached to the second part of the shoulder, both elbows to the lower arm, the left and right side of the waist, then the knee to the shin. While on his chest, he is double with a thick leather vest, whose neckline is tightly coiled around the neck.
It was a garment commonly used by noble knights. It is often compared to a sword at the waist.
The outfit perfectly matched Jean's sizeable posture. Also fitting with the shape of his jaw is firm, and his hair is cut very short. Feels very masculine.
The bongsor girl also had sky blue eyes and golden yellow hair, just like Lucia.
"Include me, my name is Couran." It was the turn of the old man who introduced himself politely. His wavy hair was partly white. But his smile and gaze were still a teenager between the wrinkles under his eyes and his rare mustache. "Are you a royal knight, Miss Jean?" couran asked after seeing the familiar emblem, encrusted in Jean's sword handle.
"True Mr. Couran, I am indeed the royal knight of Elbrasta. Where did you come from if I could know?" Jean started the conversation.
"I am from the village of Baltar, a week's drive from the northern boundary of Pharos' land," replied Couran as he began to bring out many wooden glasses from inside his carriage.
"I've been here two days. It was because earlier I was unlucky to meet the Wild Dog Padas that made my two horses panic. And finally my horse ran away and the axle of my chariot broke," replied Couran, pouring tea from the teapot into the glasses.
"But thank God you're fine, Mr. Couran. Then what are you waiting for? Why don't you continue your journey on foot?" This time Lucia asked.
"I thought so. But I can't just leave my stuff in this place. So I tried to bury my things before continuing on. And will return with a new train to pick it up later" replied Couran, handing out tea cups to four of his guests.
"Are those items very valuable, Mr Couran?" Lucia asked curiously.
Couran only laughed briefly before replying, "It's just papyrus and a scroll of books I wrote."
"Are you a Lady, Mr Couran?" Ask Jean later.
"Haha... A souvenir? I was curious and interested in nature and history. That's all it is."
Jean laughed. "I don't really understand that either, but it seems you're down, Mr. Couran."
"Then, what exactly are you writing, Mr Couran?" This time Lucia who changed asked while sipping warm tea in her hand.
"I write about everything I encounter in this life. Sometimes it's about culture, sometimes it's about rocks" Couran replied later.
"And what are the rocks that brought you to this Dead Land, sir?" Lucia continued her question.
"Hahaha. I was making a route map of the journey path for this Land of Pharos," Couran replied in a tone that sounded a little proud.
"Well! Are you making a map of the Pharos region? It could be very useful for people who have never passed through this arid land," said Lucia who seemed really amazed, hearing the thing that was being done by Couran.
"I also hope to be useful. Although it may be new to the people around me." Couran looked satisfied.
"I salute you at your age, still wanting to do something like that" Lucia said later.
"Isn't age just a number?" couran responded with laughter by Lucia and Jean.
And only then did Couran realize that the two young men who had come with Lucia and Jean just fell silent looked like they were confused. And not even introduced themselves.
"Sorry, but who are these two, Miss Lucia?" couran asked as he turned his gaze toward the two youths sitting curled up next to Jean.
"Oh, them? We don't know either. We met them on the road when we were about to get here. And they don't understand our language at all. We had trouble communicating with them" Jean explained later.
"Because it seems that they will not be able to survive if left alone on this land, then we invite him and. At least until it gets out of this land," added Lucia later.
"You are so kind, young lady," said Couran, who began to look curious about the two young strangers.
Only then did Couran realize, after watching the two young men closely. That all the things that clung to their bodies, he had never seen as long as he studied the cultures of the world so far. That made Couran's curiosity grow.
"Can I talk to them?" ask Couran and ask permission.
"Please, who knows Mr. Couran understands the language they speak" Lucia replied.
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