Travel in Mytheria was currently under close scrutiny, Piper couldn't go by train or carriage. She settled for the back of a farmer's cart, which was headed for Nebulon, where it would deliver milk and cheese. For a few coins, the farmer didn't ask any questions.
Nebulon, was the last town on her list, had an ancient observatory, perhaps performing the teleportation ritual there would work, if it failed...then Grimm help her.
Piper leaned against a crate, with her feet crossed over eachother, and biting into an egg sandwich for lunch. She drank from her silver canister of water.
The cart rode to a stop, and the horse neighed.
"Halt!" A deep voice ordered.
They were at the gates.
"ID?" The guard asked.
"... I have an order due in a few minutes; it's only milk and cheese, that's all." The farmer explained.
"All cargos must be inspected." The guard replied firmly.
Piper brought out a small chameleon figurine from her pocket and neatly set it in front of her. She tracked the guard's movement as he stepped around to face the back.
The figurine was a charm that could project a camouflage for the user for thirty seconds only. If he used any scanning devices, then she would be screwed.
The guard inspected the goods and tapped twice on the cart, which then began to move forward, much to Piper's relief.
When it stopped again, Piper jumped out onto a pavement.
"Thanks." She said to him with gratitude.
"Good luck." He flashed a two-finger salute and rode away.
She started down the street; unlike the other village, this one had a little life to it. Stores sold food, jewelry, and the bare essentials.
She noticed a small crowd gathered before a platform where a teenage boy stood yelling something.
"...They may have taken over our homes, sabotaged our livelihood with greed for taxes, but they will never take away our freedom!" He declared, while shaking his fists in the air. "We, the people, must rise up against Desperia's Army!"
Piper almost flinched upon hearing that name. She could see the corpses of her classmates at Castle Keep. Fighting Desperia had been the most frightening moment of her life, and she was determined to avoid it.
Piper quickly moved into a grocery store. She began to pick up a few items from ansle and put them into a basket she carried.
"... It's that moron again." A woman was saying to her female companion.
"Stellan boy's been pissed since the academy closed down." Her friend replied. "Ten generations of Knights in his clan ended with him barely making it into third year."
Piper hurried to the checkout desk and paid for her supplies. Then she heard a loud commotion outside, followed by screaming.
Piper stuffed her supplies into her backpack and hurried outside. The Monster Army was there. Crawlers, to be exact.
They surrounded the boy who had drawn out his crossbow in defense; one of them threw chains at him, and he barely had time to duck when it caught him. Then Piper watched static flare up on the chain, electrocuting him.
He cried out in pain as he dropped his bow.
"Curtis!" A woman amongst the crowd wailed, while a man held her back. "Please, he's my son!"
Their leader slid off his horse. "Foolish child, no one dares speak out against your supreme Queen Desperia!"
He lifted his head weakly. "She is not my queen; she stole the crown. Someday we will win, and you slimy corpses will crawl back to the realm from which you came...Aaah!"
Lightning charged him up again, and he writhed in pain again, panting hard.
"You have the gift for false expectations, boy. You would have been much more useful in the camps." The leader declared to Curtis and drew out a ragged-edged dagger. "Let this be a warning to all you rebels!"
Piper turned to leave, then an explosion rocked the streets, causing everyone to run for cover. Piper hid next to the wall in an alley.
When the smoke started to disappear, she watched a knight charge in, drawing a sword and shield and slashing at the monsters.
Curtis, who had gotten free, was fighting one of them with his arrows.
She drew the hood of her cloak lower and began to hurry off again, only to have the knight clash swords with a monster blocking her path. She ducked behind a nearby apple stand.
Unfortunately, the knight sent the monster flying back; it crashed into the stall, and apples rolled everywhere.
"Seriously?" Piper muttered in annoyance.
When the monster lying down tried to get up, she quickly drew her dagger and sunk it into its neck, twisted and removed it as the Crawler's head dissolved to dust. Then she scrambled up to escape, only to discover she'd been caught by another monster.
"Uh oh." She said, taking a step back. "Yeah, I tried to save him, but he was already dead...dead?"
It grunted angrily, blade raised, and charged at her.
The Knight suddenly tackled the monster. As their gazes met, Piper thought she recognized the Knight's eyes beneath his helmet. the Knight then slashed the Crawler's neck.
He looked at her.
Thanks," Piper said in a low voice before quickly scanning the ground. She spotted a broken wooden plank and snatched it up, throwing it over the knight's shoulder.
"Hey!" The knight exclaimed as he ducked.
The knight rose, turned, and together they watched as the plank lodged itself in the eye of a monster guard creeping up behind them, black liquid seeping out. The guard crumpled to the ground, dead.
The knight returned his gaze to Piper and nodded gratefully.
"I'll kill you!" The leader of the Crawlers cried out and kicked Curtis aside. Curtis flew back and crashed into a trinket store.
The Knight raised his sword and charged at the Nocturni. Piper watched as the Crawler punched the Knight down. The Knight fell, crawling back.
The Crawler leader spat. "The age of the Knights is over."
"Enough!" Piper sneered. She ran towards the monster, who turned just in time to see her. She leapt up. She drew her sword, and he struck his against hers. As they slashed, his sword made a cut to her arm. He struck again, sending her sword flying back.
The Crawler leader growled angrily. "Insolent pests, you will all—"
Then his eyes widened as his mouth remained wide open.
Piper watched vines suddenly sprout out of his armor uncontrollably until they pierced his body; he fell dead with a thud.
The knight rose to his feet. "Vinetract." He said, retrieving a small green disc from the corpse.
Vinetract could sprout into roots when in contact with skin. Piper didn't even want to know how he got such a rare charm.
He craned his head lower to get a look at her face.
A shriek pierced through the air.
Piper turned to see Curtis's mother holding his limp and lifeless body on the ground. Her cries echoed in the air, sending sharp daggers into those who heard them.