Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Fifty-Four ۞ Bound by Oaths

"You there, mister." Said Corvan. "Speak in this girl's place. And don't even think about it or I won't miss."

They were benefiting anyway, so it shouldn't be so bad.

The guy stood up and tried to run. Gavin pulled out a rope from nowhere and throw the loop forward like some cowboy. It went around the guy and tightened around him, holding him in place until he fell over from the futile attempt of escaping.

Valeriana gave Gavin a glance. As though sensing the girl looking at him, he returned the gaze and gave a soft, humble smile.

"I may not be adept in swordfighting or anything but I'm quite good with the rope."

"You should've done that when my horse was running amock." Valeriana told him.

"It never came to mind, unfortunately."

"What kind of half-hearted excuse is that?" Corvan asked.

"But it is true!" He exclaimed as he tugged on the length of the rope, his arms working to drag the man towards them. "Besides, this is a skill I haven't honed. I wasn't confident it would do anything significant. I learned this during my travel when I visited the lone island far west from the Central Continent. It was a village named Duaplin." He narrated.

"And when was this?" Corvan questioned.

"Just a few months ago. Two at most, perhaps. It was after I met the king for dinner with Valeriana. Where we first met." He grinned, his arms working nonstop. "He had asked me to seek out this village and check on its condition. Knowing my love for travel, he thought of me first."

The guy was struggling when he reached the group. Corvan helped his cousin with the task of keeping their newest captive still by helping wound the rope around him.

"I didn't hear you talking to him about that, though." Valeriana said.

"This was because you excused yourself to seek out the rest room." He said.

"Oh, that." She nodded, nostalgia suddenly washing through her. "How long ago was that?"

"Not very long." Said Gavin. "And yet, you have changed drastically since then."

The woman was watching them with contempt. She had been listening closely to their conversation and seemed more than infuriated seeing as her eyes blazed with anger.

"We did not come out here to seek trouble with you but I guess we can stop by and fix issues along the way." Corvan said, then threw his gaze over his shoulder to meet Valeriana's eyes. "You do not mind if we have a little segway, do you?"

Valeriana held her hands up in surrender. "It's up to you, honestly. I mean, just as long as we get back to the academy in time, I have no problem."

"We have less than three days, it must suffice." Corvan thought.

"I do wonder, anyhow." Gavin muttered. "I thought thieves only lurked in the Artlen Desert. What bid you to come to the Golden Desert?" He asked the woman.

"So this isn't Artlen Desert?" Valeriana's eyes shot wide.

"It isn't." Said Gavin. "Though the border is a mere valley, these thieves limit themselves to Artlen alone. It is probably because more people take the route through Artlen than here, especially since the temperature here is higher and harder to handle."

"Why didn't we go there, then?"

"Because the way here is shorter. Should we have passed through there, I'm quite sure it would've taken us twice the time."

"You should be alarmed." Said their first captive. "More of us are coming!"

"Red." Said the guy they just captured. "Stop aggravating them!"