Chapter 131 - Jumpy Johan

Exiting the city was simple. Oli kept some of his essence active, allowing him to better sense his surroundings as they soon exited the southern city gate. He sensed the usual foot traffic but nothing alarming or out of the ordinary. 

Now outside the city walls, the party followed the dirt road toward the forests surrounding the Taltin Mountains.

The Taltin Mountains weren't jagged nor were they anything too special. However, they stretched for a few thousand krin, making them a significant landmark surrounded by forested areas and covered in plenty of greenery for the most part. Due to hunters and the city being nearby, it was very rare for beasts at the elder realm to appear. The forests were filled with novice and adept beasts for the most part, while adepts became more common the higher up the mountain you traveled.

This was something to keep in mind and something easy for anyone to learn by asking around or living within the city long enough. It was also for this reason, that Oli took an uncommon approach to the mission.

"Oliver, where are you--"

"We're cutting through the forest." As the city was no longer in sight and the sun rose higher into the sky, Oli stepped off the path and walked towards the nearby trees.

"But--"

"If bandits are the cause of the supply growing thinner, then why should we take the usual routes to get there? Wouldn't that be asking for them to show up and plunder our stuff?"

Blinking, Shadur nodded. "True, but will be alright?"

Raising a hand with a rolled-up paper, Oli replied, "We'll be fine with this. So come on already."

Shadur was the first to follow Oli. Though Shadur was the strongest person by technicality, it was clear as day that Oli was the strongest person in the party by actuality. The confidence that Hurman and Keldon had in Oli made that obvious, as did the confidence that oozed from Oli's every step.

Not much slower, Leon was the second to follow Oli off the beaten path, leaving Johan to groan as he was forced to do the same or get left behind.

"Shadur, you know where to find the lilies, right?"

"I believe so."

"Can you point it out on this map?" Oli asked, handing the piece of paper to Shadur.

The thin young man took the scroll and opened it, startled by what he saw. "Where did you get this?"

"Recently I spent months in these mountains. After running into a few thugs, one was bound to have a good map. So, do you know where to find the lilies?"

"Mhm…" Taking a moment to think, Shadur eventually pointed showed the map to Oli while pointing to a specific spot. "They should be around there."

"Hmm… Then we'll need to pick up the pace."

Suddenly, Oli snatched the map and began to pick up speed, forcing the other party members to keep up the best they could. It wasn't anywhere near top-speed, but as they would be traveling for a few hours at a time, the sudden shift would soon prove difficult for the party.

Occasionally they spotted some common beasts and a few novice beasts as they got further into the forest. By the time they spotted their first novice adept beast, a grazing Tri-horned Deer, Oli stopped and put a finger to his lips. The rest of the party obliged gratefully, but a few struggled to remain silent.

Leon was breathing loudly but quickly regained composure with controlled breaths. Johan faired slightly worse, panting at first and then growing calmer as moments passed. Shadur was the worst of all, panting and struggling to calm his rampant breaths. It was obvious that he was no warrior and a pure mystic, proving that Shadur would definitely be relying on the others once a fight broke out.

The Tri-horned Deer twitched, shaking its ears as the loud, nearby panting was alarming to the beast. It soon spotted the nearby humans, only after Oli threw his hand over Shadur's mouth to forcefully silence his panting. When the deer tilted his head, it scanned over the party and showed off its three large horns. One protruded from the center of the deer's forehead while the other two jutted out the sides as was normal.

While Shadur switched to nasal breathing and did his best to regain control of his lungs, Leon kept still and silent as Oli had warned. 

Johan, on the other hand, only kept quiet. Two swords appeared in Johan's hands, unsheathed and ready for battle. He made no steps forward at the beast but was prepared to fight nonetheless.

However, a hand suddenly chopped at Johan's wrists, knocking both swords to the ground.

"Hey--"

Before Johan could complain, Oli had released the calm Shadur to gag the jumpy swordsman, pinning Johan to the ground, whispering, "Don't make a move…"

Ignoring Johan's muffled groans, Oli focused on the deer a dozen krin away. There was no animosity in his gaze nor was there any malice. Oli simply watched the deer with a blank expression, matching the deer's gaze while puffing out his chest the best he could while gagging Johan with one hand.

The staredown didn't last long. Moments later the deer made a loud, droning howl and casually turned back.

Only after the deer was out of sight did Oli release Johan, immediately becoming the outlet of Johan's irritation. "What was that for?!" 

"If I signal for you to be quiet, does it make sense for you to prepare to attack?"

"We could've easily handled that thing!" Johan reasoned, "I probably could've taken it down myself. With all four of us, that thing would be easy money for such a pelt and rack."

"And what about the rest of the herd?"

"Huh?"

Oli leaned forward, glaring at Johan while still speaking in a hushed, calm tone, "Do you think Tri-horned Deer travel alone? Sure, the bucks might be more adventurous and go ahead of the herd, but what makes you think no other deer would be nearby? Didn't your grandfather warn us about them earlier?"

"Y-yeah, but--"

"But what? What's the point of creating conflict unnecessary to our goal? That would only complicate the objective, so let's move on and avoid the herd up ahead."