Velus and the Stranger

A moments indecision was all it took for Chou to grab Velus who was immediately paralysed by his touch, though he was still left aware of what was going on. Quickly turning his horse around, Chou galloped off.

The combined weight of Astra and Fred in his armour meant there was no way that their horse could hope to catch up with the dog-thief. Though help was at hand. A finely-attired rider who had been heading away from the city yelled at them to stay where they were, as he'd deal with the thief. He was soon to find that was easier said than done. It came apparent that there would always be a significant gap in-between them.

A hay merchant coming the other way saw what was happening. Having lost of one his own dogs to a thief a year or so ago, he manoeuvred his cart to block the central part of the road. With the other travellers trying to round this sudden road block, Chou found himself trapped, and needed both hands to rein in his horse to prevent a collision. This broke his hold over Velus, who took the opportunity to jump down and go running back to Fred and Astra.

The stranger decided to let him go, and focus on Chou. Chou in his turn, was worried about what his master would do if he found out he'd lost a dog, and so tried to turn his horse around to chase after it. This plan was cut short by the hay merchant, who had got down off his cart and was now yanking him roughly off his horse. The merchant then delivered a hay-maker of a punch that dropped Chou like a stone. The stranger was about to interfere until he saw that punch, simply watched as the merchant hoisted Chou up like he weighed nothing and dumped him in his load of straw. Doffing his hat, he climbed back up on his cart, coaxed his horse to point in the right direction, and then rode off, allowing a more-or-less normal of traffic flow.

Chou's horse, now riderless, stared at the stranger expectantly. The stranger dismounted, grabbed the horse's reins, and then guided him so he stood parallel to his own. He remounted his own horse and grabbed the rein of the other, turned them both so they were facing the right way, and slowly set off.

Velus, meanwhile, had moved to running along the grass verge by the side of the road. Getting trampled by hooves or squashed by wheels was certainly not for him. But there was another problem he couldn't as easily deal with. He hadn't fully recovered from his encounter with Kwan's cat. He found himself getting slower and slower until he finally collapsed. Though not unnoticed. Astra had caught glimpses of him, and now had dismounted from the horse. She weaved through the traffic and ran to where Velus was lying. Though exhausted, he still had enough energy to lick her face when she'd picked him up. Making her way back, neither she or the stranger with Chou's horse noticed one another until they converged on Fred.

The stranger then spoke. "I apologise for not being able to introduce myself properly earlier. My name is Wei, and I am the personal manservant of Tao Tse Mung. He wishes me to tell you that

1. He's willing to come with you."
2. He knows someone who can cure Princess Astra's curse."
3. Your controller has been caught at the border and neutralised."

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree