Chương 36: “Everything You Heard Was True!”

Ch 36 "Everything You Heard Was True!"

The sun was at its highest over the camp just outside of Blue Cloud City. It could be a bit hard to tell where exactly the sun was if you weren't searching for it, as the whole sky was made of nebulous gray clouds that appeared to glow. Coming out of the mouth of the tent, Amber was greeted by the now familiar mist creeping across the campground. She wasn't sure which part of the camp this makeshift medical tent was on, so she looked around for signs of the breakfast line.

The little tiger's sense of smell suddenly began to overlap with hers as it reached out over their link. Oh, she could smell exactly where the breakfast line was now! He was clearly eager to help her on her way. She smiled and closed her eyes in marvel at the enhanced smell. Eggs! Gravy! Rice! Amber wondered if she was feeling the little tiger's emotion or her own. Nonetheless, she was grateful for how much better they ate around cities. She waved to a few guards here and there as they called out to her.

"Thanks for the money!"

"Great fight last night!"

"Congrats on the big win!" Amber Fang felt a bit shy at the attention but it felt good to be acknowledged for good reasons for once. Following her new sense of smell through the twirling mist of the camp, she got to the food ration line. It seemed as though most people had eaten already and she was able to stroll right up to the table.

"Heya, Little Cabbage! Just in time, I was gonna start puttin' stuff away! But I got a plate of biscuits and eggs with your name on it right here." The man expertly assembled a plate of breakfast as he talked.

"Thanks, Flask!" the girl said, receiving the plate. Flask was a middle-aged man who always looked a few days behind on his shave. He was often on kitchen duty since he loved cooking and she had gotten to know him a bit.

"Is there any chance you can get me a few steaks? You can name your price!"

"With how much money I won from your fight? Keep your coins, they're on me!" He laughed.

"You really bet on me?" Amber asked.

"Of course I did! You can handle one of them little pompous young masters like that Jadehand brat. Some brawler they picked off the street had no chance! I made sure all the boys around me put their money on you!" Flask smiled.

"Anyway, I'll throw those steaks on the grill for you right now! You eat as much as my daughters combined, I swear. Hahaha!"

"Well, I was hoping for them uncooked," Amber said with a small smile. She realized it sounded like a weird request, and she couldn't just say it was for her tiger.

"Uncooked? What's with that?" The man gave her a funny look as he wiped off his hands on a cloth.

"Well… it's for my training! It's Qi stuff, you know? Can I have them to go, please?"

"Well, you're the champ! So it must be one hell of a training thing. Here you go, kid." The man thumped down a thick paper package that contained the meat on the table. Amber felt herself salivating already! Wait, what? She felt confusion as she caught herself drooling at uncooked meat! She shook her head as she realized she was feeling the little tiger's emotions!

"You alright there, Little Cabbage?" the man asked, a bit of curiosity mixed with concern on his face.

"I'm great! Thanks again, Flask! You're the best!" She flipped him a gold coin in an arc through the air so that he couldn't refuse it.

"Whoa, kid! I said I got it! And this is way too much!" he said, catching the precious coin.

"It's a tip!" Amber smiled as she grabbed the paper package.

"Get something nice for your daughters!"

"Haha, alright, alright, I'll always bet on you, kid!" They bid goodbye as she began to move towards an empty table to enjoy her breakfast. She didn't realize how hungry she was! Or was it the little tiger's hunger? She was ravenously shoving biscuits and eggs into her mouth when she felt a surge of annoyance through their link.

"As soon as no one's watching I'll throw you a steak!" Amber spoke down to her shadow in a loud whisper before she continued eating.

"Whoa! She has the appetite of a demon slayer too!" She looked up to see two jovial guards walking towards her. She recognized them as the Squad Leader twins, Knife and Buckle. They were two of the Lucky Tiger Caravan's best fighters. They had their own squadrons of men in the caravan so Amber had never really gotten the chance to talk to them before. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Can you tell us, Cabbage? What actually happened?" Knife asked. Although they were twins it was easy to tell them apart. Knife had long brown hair he kept tied back, while Buckle was as bald as the day he was born despite being a younger man in his twenties or thirties.

"Yeah please! Tell us! Everyone's talking about it. We want to hear the truth!" Buckle asked. Both of the twins' eyes gleamed with curiosity. Amber swallowed a big bite and cleared her throat.

"Well—""Not the time. Leave her alone, boys." A man came walking up to the table.

"Captain!" The men stood up to attention as the tall Captain Dante stood over the table.

"She's had a long night. Don't bombard her with questions for now."

"But—""Dismissed."

"Yes, sir." The twins began to walk away dejectedly as they stood up from the table.

"Hey, wait! Before you go!" Amber shouted after them. They turned around with curiosity. Captain Dante also looked quizzically at the girl.

"Everything you heard was true!" Amber smiled, pointing at them with her biscuit hand.

"I knew it!"

"I told you so!" The men started smiling and chattering with one another excitedly as they left to tell others in a hurry.

"And they say women gossip." Amber laughed as they left." Everything? You're not worried about what they're saying?" The calm man raised an eyebrow as he sat down. Dante thought of himself as a man that's hard to surprise, but he found himself continually surprised by their newest guard.

"People talk no matter what. I've learned that it doesn't matter." Amber took another bite of her food.

"Hmm. Wise," the Captain said. Amber was surprised at the sudden compliment. She felt embarrassed at how much happiness it gave her and she tried to hold it inside of her. She tried to act as cool, calm, and collected as her Captain.

"So tell me, how does a wise girl like you keep finding herself in such situations?" Dante asked her as he rested his elbows on the table.

"I thought you said I shouldn't be asked questions right now?" she asked curiously. The man seemed stern and straight-laced on first impressions, but she knew by now he didn't take offense easily.

"Fair enough." Dante made a small amused smile. Was that the first smile she had seen from him? She wondered. No, that would be when he was reminiscing to her and other guards about the flavorful dishes of his hometown.

"I talked to an envoy from the Blue Cloud City Guards today. He said they weren't going to make you stick around for the trial. Your sworn statements are enough." Amber nearly spit her food out but managed to swallow.

"I didn't know I had to be worried about that!"

"Well, at least you don't have to now. Apparently the case blew up even bigger after you left. So much that he said it didn't matter if you were a part of it or not."

"What happened?" Amber asked with curiosity. She still wasn't sure Tusk had died there, but how would he have survived? She didn't have an answer, but she had survived the impossible situation too, after all.

"I don't know the details. But it seems to be something of a scandal in the city," the man said as he leaned back a bit.

"Anyway, that brings us to what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Which is?" Amber tried to sound normal as she felt another strong wave of emotion pass to her from the tiger. Ravenous urges blossomed within her, to eat the entire cuts of steak raw. Little tiger, I swear! The little cub was hungry, damn it! She wondered how she could pass the steaks under the table while she was under the watchful eyes of the Captain.

"I think it's best that you stay inside the caravan from now on," Dante said.

"What!" Amber dropped her biscuit.

"But me and Lulu are—""Guard, I don't think you are in the wrong." The Captain interrupted her as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"But the Leader has been put into a couple of difficult situations on this trip, both revolving around you. Maybe it's just that trouble seems to find you, but whatever the reason, we can no longer risk it." The man stood up and turned away.

"It's for the best," he said.

"Wait!" Amber said, grabbing the paper package of steaks. The little tiger's insistence in her head wouldn't let her forget it! The girl ran quickly in front of Dante.

"Please! Just the next big city!" She asked him with big eyes, hugging the thick paper wrap. Captain Dante let out a sigh.

"Why the next big city?"

"Me and Lulu are going shopping! I've never gone shopping with a friend before." She had a look of determination in her eyes.

"Guard, this is a serious matter. Do you know how many lives depend on—" The Guard Captain closed his eyes and paused for a moment.

"I heard you did quite well at the Sword & Wine Bar. Wing said you parried a powerful opponent multiple times. Is that true?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's true," she said, caught off guard by the sudden pivot in conversation.

"Do you mean—""I told you that if you learned the parry before I teach it to you, I'll teach you something good instead," Dante said calmly. Stars lit up in her eyes.

"But—" Dante raised a hand and cut her off before she could speak.

"I think we should make a deal."

"Captain! You can't make a deal for it after you gave your word!" Amber told him.

"I'll teach it to you no matter what," he said said.

"There's about eleven days before we reach the next big city. If you can learn this technique before then, I'll let you go with your friend. But if not… you're staying in the caravan until your contract is up."

"It's a deal!" Amber smiled. There was still hope to go shopping with Lulu!

"Let's go now!"

"Focus on your Qi today. Make sure everything is as it should be. Your body also needs rest."

"I'm doing great!"

"You're covered in bandages. And your lip is bleeding," Dante said as a trail of blood dripped down her chin.

"Ah! It just opened back up from eating," she said, quickly wiping it off.

"All I have are a few cuts and bruises, I'm ready to fight anyone! Test me!"

"Your Qi. Focus on that today. Rest. Hydrate and eat well tonight. I'll teach you the technique tomorrow when we're on the road again," the Captain said.

"After you demonstrate your parry skills for me, of course."

"Yes, Captain." Amber did feel like she needed to replenish her Qi and cultivate a bit, but she couldn't help but feel a bit down. Or was it that the tiger felt down for waiting on the steaks for so long? Maybe both. She made it back to her tent after parting with the Captain. His advice wasn't bad, and she did have a few cultivation matters that had been pulling at her head. Amber grabbed her bag and headed for a space she had seen before, about 100 meters from their base camp.

It was more than enough to create a wall of impenetrable mist. She would need some privacy for what she wanted to do.

"Yes, yes! I'm bringing the steaks! Don't worry, little one. We're going somewhere you can stretch your legs and eat!" She told the glowing expectant eyes that peeked at her through her shadow.