Adventuresome

Chapter 22

Perrin was starting to hate the four rowers. It had been at least an hour of arguing. The rowers insisted that all of them, including Perrin, Lilliana, and Dominick, return to the city. Lilliana had tried to reason with them and encourage them to go back alone.

Every time Perrin thought they would see reason, one of them got angry and repeated that they should all return to the city. It was getting exhausting hearing them repeat the same issues over and over again.

Yes, the world outside the city was dangerous.

Yes, the desert region was far away.

Yes, they had been attacked on the airship and should do something about that.

Yes, there was safety in numbers and yes it was smarter to travel in groups.

But honestly, what I do is none of their business. And if if they don't see that soon I'm going to have to jump into this argument they're having with Lilliana. If I have to join this idiotic debate...it won't be pretty.

Besides, they kept repeating that the sabotage on the airship was something they had to "take care of," which Perrin thought was ironic since they had been in on the plot to kill them through the destroyed airship. If anything needed to be "taken care of" about that it was ditching the untrustworthy airship crewmembers as soon as possible, not continuing to travel with them.

It was all giving Perrin a headache. All she wanted was to split from the whole party and get on with her journey.

Frowning, Perrin's fingers fumbled with the straps as she tied her pack. With a frustrated sound she pulled the ties free and started over. The problem with continuing her journey was that she had no idea where she had to go next. Her goal had been to get on the merchant airship going to the north-east sector of the empire.

That had exploded beneath her feet.

Going in the direction Lilliana was headed would be best for now, at least it was going to the north and avoiding the city that had nearly executed her for no reason.

After that, that was when she would continue her journey back to the east. Back to finish what she started all those years ago. Back to see old man Hannery and his "Rats." Though while she would be damned before joining them again, it was long passed time she returned there.

She had just been too much of a coward these last five years, and now she was finally ready to face them again. Or so she hoped. As long as she stayed strong in her resolve to return, unlike the last three times she decided to return.

But first, she supposed to ought to help Lilliana in this absurd argument with the rowers. And that meant agreeing with Lilliana to go to the town of Litem-Ferro. Standing up with a sigh, she crossed her arms.

"Alright listen closely." She said loud enough that all five arguers turned to look at her. "I've got business elsewhere in the world and it means going to the north first. So I'm going to stick with the noble mage here and head to Litem-Ferro with her and her spirit. And you four bilge rats can scurry back to the city where you came from. You all tried to help have us killed on that airship. I'm hoping the pay was worth it. So I say you go back before I decide my sword wants revenge."

"Like we would listen to you." Fiona said stiffly.

"You should. Because if you go back and say we died in the crash but you survived with a few injuries I bet you anything your captain will pay you the reward he promised if you sell it right."

She picked up a stick from the ground and tossed it to Lilliana.

"Go ahead and use your noble magely powers to make that stick look like that staff of yours. Then our lovely rowing companions can take the fake staff home, collect their reward, and escape as soon as the deed is done. Problem solved, they get their reward and we can go north."