Chapter 136: The Road Ahead

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: The Road Ahead

The Road Ahead

They walked through the city.

The streets were quiet. The crowds were gone. The stalls were empty. The destruction from the fight was still visible. Broken walls. Cracked stones. Burnt buildings.

Daniel walked in front. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was calm. His eyes were sharp.

Lyra walked beside him. Her guns were holstered. Her eyes were scanning. She was ready for anything.

Fluffy walked behind them. She was small. She was quick. She was quiet. She was a shadow.

Mittens walked beside Fluffy. She was nervous. She was scared. But she was there.

Cheeky walked behind them. Her cloak was pulled low. Her hood covered her ears. She was hiding.

Paul walked beside Cheeky. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was tired. He was exhausted.

Brick Head walked at the back. He was picking his nose. He was humming a tune. He was completely oblivious.

They walked through the streets. They passed the fountain. The statue was still destroyed. The rubble was still there.

Lyra looked at it. She smiled slightly.

"Good memories," she said.

Brick Head grinned. "Yeah. We destroyed a dick statue."

Lyra’s smile faded. "Don’t call it that."

"It was a dick statue."

"It was a statue of the Lord of Peace."

"The Lord of Peace had a dick head."

Lyra groaned. She kept walking.

---

They reached the city gates.

The guards were gone. The gates were open. The road stretched out before them.

Daniel stopped. He looked at the road. At the fields. At the forests. At the mountains in the distance.

"Which way?" he asked.

Paul pointed. "That way. The village is a few days’ walk. Northeast."

Daniel nodded. "Let’s go."

They walked through the gates. They walked onto the road. They walked away from the city.

The sun was bright. The sky was blue. The air was fresh.

Daniel looked around. At the trees. At the grass. At the flowers. It was peaceful. It was quiet. It was beautiful.

He smiled.

"This is nice," he said.

Lyra looked at him. "What?"

"This. Walking. Being outside. Being free."

Lyra nodded. "It is nice."

"It’s better than the city."

"Much better."

They walked in silence for a moment.

Then Daniel spoke.

"So," he said. "What’s the village called?"

Paul shrugged. "I don’t know."

"You don’t know?"

"I don’t know the name. I just know it’s there."

"How do you know it’s there if you don’t know the name?"

"I’ve been there before. I just don’t remember the name."

Daniel sighed. "You’re useless."

"I know."

---

They walked for hours.

The road was long. The sun was hot. The dust was thick. But they kept walking. They didn’t stop. They didn’t rest. They just walked.

Daniel was bored.

He had been walking for hours. His legs were tired. His feet were sore. His mind was restless.

He needed entertainment. He needed distraction. He needed something to pass the time.

He looked at Paul. "Hey."

Paul looked at him. "What?"

"Question."

Paul sighed. "What question?"

"Would you rather fight a hundred duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?"

Paul stared at him. "You already asked that."

"I know. But I want to know your answer."

"I already gave my answer."

"Remind me."

Paul sighed again. "A hundred duck-sized horses. They’re small. I could kick them."

Daniel nodded. "Good choice."

He looked at Lyra. "What about you?"

Lyra looked at him. "I already answered."

"Remind me."

"One horse-sized duck. Ducks are weak. A horse-sized duck would be slow. I could shoot it."

Daniel nodded. "Good."

He looked at Fluffy. "What about you?"

Fluffy tilted her head. "Fluffy would fight both."

"Both?"

"Yes. Fluffy would fight both and win."

Daniel laughed. "That’s the spirit."

He looked at Mittens. "What about you?"

Mittens blinked. "Me?"

"Yes. You."

Mittens thought about it. Her brow furrowed. Her nose twitched.

"I... I don’t know," she said.

"Come on. It’s just a question."

Mittens thought harder. "I... I would run away."

Daniel blinked. "Run away?"

"Yes. I’m not strong. I’m not brave. I would run away."

Daniel smiled. A gentle smile. "That’s okay. Running away is a valid strategy."

Mittens looked at him. Her eyes were wide.

"It is?"

"Yes. Sometimes running away is the smartest thing you can do."

Mittens smiled. A small, fragile smile.

"Thank you."

---

They kept walking.

The road continued. The sun moved across the sky. The dust swirled around their feet.

Daniel looked at Cheeky. She was quiet. She was walking behind them. Her hood was still low.

"Cheeky," he said.

Cheeky flinched. "Yes?"

"You okay?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes. I’m okay."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You’ve been quiet."

"I’m always quiet."

"I know. But you’ve been quieter than usual."

Cheeky was silent. She was thinking. She was processing.

"I’m just... I’m not used to this," she said.

"Not used to what?"

"Being with people. Being part of a group. Being... accepted."

Daniel looked at her. At her nervous face. At her shy eyes. At her trembling hands.

"You’re accepted," he said.

Cheeky blinked. "What?"

"You’re accepted. You’re part of the group. You’re part of the family."

Cheeky stared at him. Her eyes were wet.

"Really?"

"Really."

She smiled. A real smile. A happy smile.

"Thank you."

---

They walked for more hours.

The sun was setting. The sky was orange. The clouds were pink. The stars were appearing.

Daniel looked around. He saw a clearing. It was small. It was hidden. It was surrounded by trees.

"We’ll camp here," he said.

They stopped. They gathered wood. They started a fire. They sat around it.

Daniel looked at his team. At his family. At his friends.

"We need to train," he said.

Paul nodded. "We know."

"We need to get stronger."

"We know."

"We need to reach stage four."

"We know."

Daniel smiled. "Good. Then we start tomorrow."

They nodded. They were ready. They were determined. They were prepared.

Daniel looked at the fire. At the flames. At the light.

"Tomorrow," he said. "We train."