By horseback we ride

[Illuvia]

When Luvi came up with her idea of travelling to the eternal empire, she didn’t consider that the primary means of travel would be on horseback. It made sense in hindsight, but she rarely even used her horse. In fact, she often left it in the care of someone else. This was partly because she wasn’t much good at riding it and also because she didn’t find herself leaving town all that often.

She sat atop her mount, thankful that it at least had enough training to follow the other horses in the caravan. She got the impression that the horse didn’t like her much, though she had no idea why until someone spoke up.

The horse jerked its head to the side in annoyance which prompted someone riding beside her to say, “you’re going to make it mad if you keep jerking the reins like that.”

“Um, what?” Luvi asked, sincerely. She looked down at the reins but didn’t think she’d been doing that. It took her a

“You see… when you’re holding the reins, you need to have a gentle, firm grip. Your hands should be closed around the reins with thumbs on top. Try to picture a straight line from your elbow through your wrist to the horse's bit,” explained the middle aged woman.

“Avoid clenching too tightly, as this can cause discomfort to the horse and reduce your ability to feel its movements. I can tell that your arms are a little… special. Maybe you aren’t meaning to pull hard but that’s what you’ve been doing.”

It all clicked when Luvi realized that she had strength runes activated, which was quite normal nowadays. A simple, weak movement of her hands could feel like she was tugging on the reins hard, to the horse. “I think I see what you mean. I’ll be a little more careful,” Luvi said as she focused on preventing her hands from moving too much.

[Goku]

Goku decided to come along with Luvi on her adventure, feeling a sense of excitement and duty to support his friend. He rode his own horse behind her, finding the rhythm of the journey strangely calming. Unlike Luvi, he didn’t use runes all the time, so he didn’t face the same challenges she did. However, he was still a novice at riding, and he relied heavily on his horse to do most of the work.

The countryside rolled by as they traveled, and Goku enjoyed the scenery, though he occasionally wobbled in his saddle. He trusted his horse to follow the caravan and paid close attention to Luvi's riding ahead.

He heard the conversation between Luvi and the middle-aged woman about handling the reins. Goku sympathized with Luvi, knowing that she was trying her best to adapt to the journey. He saw her adjusting her grip and focusing on her movements, clearly determined to improve her riding skills.

As they continued along the road, Goku noticed something up ahead. People were starting to stop, and there seemed to be some commotion. He squinted, trying to make out what was causing the delay.

"Hey, Luvi!" he called out, nudging his horse to move a bit faster so he could catch up to her. "I see something ahead. Looks like there's a roadblock or something. People are stopping."

He guided his horse to her side, peering ahead with curiosity and a hint of concern. "Think we should check it out?" he asked, ready to support her in whatever decision she made. His horse shifted beneath him, sensing his rider's readiness for action, even if Goku still felt a bit unsure in the saddle. He was not the type to get into a fight and he could tell that trouble was brewing. Roads did not become blocked for no reason.

[Illuvia]

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“A roadblock,” Luvi questioned as she squinted her eyes. Sure enough, there was something blocking the caravan from moving forwards.

“I suppose there is something wrong. If the way is blocked then it’s probably up to us to clear it, given our magical abilities,” she said.

She carefully tugged left on the reins to get the horse to veer to the left a little. It seemed to be a lot more responsive to her movement now that she was being deliberately gentle. She urged it on by scooting forwards in the saddle and squirming her legs – perhaps not the proper way to get it to go, but it got the job done.

What she saw wasn’t so much of a physical obstacle blocking the way, but rather a group of armed men who stood on the path. “What’s going on here,” Luvi asked as she hopped off her horse and walked over.

“As I was telling the caravan master here, there’s a toll to proceed,” said a short, bearded man. He had an eyepatch and a litany of wicked looking scars that made Luvi feel as though it was best not to get on his bad side.

“’tis an unfortunate consequence of travelling,” said the caravan master who withdrew some coins, “but not unexpected. You can mount your horse and we can continue on our way.” He eyed Luvi with a look of caution, having the feeling that she had only come up to the front to start trouble. These sorts of fines were built into the fees he charged to be in the caravan – he had little qualm in paying them.

“Are you sure?” asked Luvi who put a hand on the handle of her katana, “I’m fairly certain I can take them on if need be.” She gave the bandit an angry look but she fell quite short of convincing him to back down.

“Don’t be a fool,” urged the caravan master, “look over by those trees. They’ve got archers just waiting to fire at us. YOU might be safe, but causing a commotion here will cost lives.”

“Listen to him, he knows his stuff,” said the toll bandit.

[Goku]

Goku dismounted his horse, landing next to Luvi with his arms crossed, surveying the situation with a furrowed brow. "I don't think we can win this one, Luvi," he said, his voice low and serious. "The bandit has a point. Picking a fight here could get a lot of people hurt."

He stepped closer to Luvi, his gaze never leaving the bandits. "Let's not risk the caravan," he whispered, turning her gently by the shoulder so they faced away from the group. "Once the caravan moves on, you can circle back and take care of them. We don't want anyone caught in the crossfire."

Goku gave her a reassuring nod, hoping she understood the necessity of patience in this situation. He knew Luvi was more than capable, but the safety of the caravan had to come first. His eyes scanned the treeline where the archers were positioned, calculating the potential danger.

As he remounted his horse, Goku kept his demeanor calm and collected, projecting an air of cooperation to avoid raising any suspicion. He trusted Luvi’s abilities and knew that once the caravan was out of harm's way, she could handle the bandits. For now, they needed to play it smart and ensure the safety of everyone in the caravan.

“Everything’s good here,” he said to the bandits.

“You can carry on.”

Goku glanced around at the other people in the caravan. He saw the worried faces of travelers and merchants, all eager to continue their journey without incident. Their eyes darted between the armed men and the caravan master, clearly anxious to be on their way. The tension was palpable, and Goku felt a surge of determination to protect them. These people just wanted to reach their destinations safely, and he was resolved to help ensure that they did.

[Illuvia]

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Luvi listened to her friend’s words carefully and inclined her head. “I apologize,” she said to the bandit, “This is the first time I’ve made a trip like this. I was… unaware of how these things are handled.” She narrowed her eyes at him then went back to her horse.

She said in a low tone to Goku, “I don’t know if I could take them, actually. I hadn’t noticed the archers and for all I know, there are more of them hiding somewhere.” She sighed, then continued, “Now that I think about it, I don’t even know how I would deal with a ranged target. I can’t expect to be able to charge them down, especially not if there are multiple projectiles being shot at me.”

She paused, thinking about her options then said, “I think my best bet would be to try deflecting their bolts and arrows with my sword but I’ve never tried doing anything like that… it’s probably not a good idea to make this my first try. I need some way of attacking them at a distance, though I’m no good with a bow. Perhaps I could use a throwing knife… or a shield?” She groaned as she mounted her horse. She didn’t have a knife or shield either which was a fairly annoying realization as well.

As she rejoined the caravan, she wondered if she would be able to take on the bandits even if she had the gear she wanted. Could she throw a knife far enough to kill an archer before they could get a shot off? Would a shield even be any use if she was getting shot from two different directions? She was realizing just how green she was when it came to real life combat scenarios. She had a long way to go.

[Goku]

Goku nodded understandingly as Luvi mounted her horse. "It's alright, Luvi. There's no shame in backing down from a fight, especially when it means keeping everyone safe." He offered her a reassuring smile. "Hey, I have a shortbow you could practice with later, and even a shield if you want to try it out. It might help to have a few more tools in your arsenal."

When the caravan eventually stopped at a suitable resting spot, Goku made his way to one of the merchants. After some browsing, he purchased an average set of five kunai and five shuriken, thinking they might be useful for Luvi in future encounters. With the small weapons securely packed, he returned to their spot and found Luvi.

"Here," he said, handing the set of kunai and shuriken to her. "It's the least I could do after earlier. I figured you might find these useful for dealing with ranged targets. These should give you an edge when you can't get up close and personal." He smiled warmly, his eyes full of encouragement. "In exchange, could you teach me a rune? I’d love to learn something new, and it seems like you’re pretty skilled with them. Your expertise with runes is impressive, and I think it could really benefit me in the long run. Plus, it would be great to add another skill to my repertoire. What do you say?"

Goku watched her carefully as she examined the weapons. He was genuinely curious about her rune magic that she claimed to have improved upon, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn. Plus, he wanted to support her in becoming a more versatile fighter. The more they could help each other grow, the better their chances would be on the road ahead. They had weeks and weeks left to travel together.

[Illuvia]

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“I’ll take you up on that,” she said when Goku offered to let her use his equipment. She knew that it would be too little too late to take on the bandits, but it was a nice gesture. If she practiced, then maybe she would be ready for next time. She felt humiliated that she had all this power but couldn’t take them on.

Luvi didn’t question where Goku was headed off to when they stopped. She chose to stretch off to the side where she could think to herself and mumble about how she wished she could have wiped those bandits off the face of the planet.

She forced a smile when Goku came to see her. She gazed curiously at the things in his hands. Were those… weapons? “You… you shouldn’t have,” Luvi said as her eyes widened. She accepted the weaponry, examining each piece. These were probably the best presents she’d received in years.

“I’d love to teach you a rune,” she said as her expression sank a little, “but now that I think about it, I think the only ones I’ve learned since we last met are Umbral runes… You probably won’t get any use out of them.” She knelt down and drew the rune of weakness into the dirt with her finger. “This one causes weakness, and this one causes numbness.”

She eyed the weapons she’d set aside and said, “I know it’s probably not good payment… but I have been learning more and more runes with meditation so I will work on learning some more during our trip. I’m confident that I’ll be able to teach you a useful rune eventually. If you want, I can pay you back for these weapons but it’ll have to wait until I find employment. I have money but I need it to last me a while.”

[Goku]

Goku smiled warmly at Luvi, shaking his head slightly. "You don't need to repay me, really," he said. "And I'm still happy to learn the Umbral runes even if I can't use them. It could help if I ever run into an enemy hone mage or something. Knowledge is always useful."

He crouched down to study the runes she had drawn in the dirt. The intricate shapes and lines fascinated him. He traced the rune of weakness with his finger, committing its pattern to memory. "These are really interesting," he said, marveling at the complex design. "Even if I can't use them myself, understanding how they work could be really helpful."

Goku handed Luvi the kunai and shuriken, encouraging her to try them out. "You should test these and see if they suit you," he suggested. "They might give you a new edge in combat."

With that, Goku took his shortbow and walked over to a nearby tree. He nocked an arrow and aimed, squinting one eye to better focus. He released the arrow, but it veered off course and hit the ground a few feet from the tree. He chuckled at his poor aim and tried again, this time hitting the tree but far from where he had intended. He took a deep breath and adjusted his stance, aiming for consistency rather than accuracy. His arrows started to land closer to the tree, though still not exactly where he wanted.

"I'm terrible at this," he admitted with a laugh. "But it's all about practice, right?" He looked back at Luvi, hoping to see her trying out her new weapons. He was sure she would be a natural at it. She was so gifted with a sword that he thought it would translate to being good with any sort of bladed weapon.

[Illuvia]

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“Alright, but if you change your mind let me know,” Luvi said with an excited squeal. She picked up a kunai in one hand and a shuriken in the other. She immediately winced when the shuriken nicked her finger. She reflexively dropped it and started sucking on it to stem the blood flow.

“It’s sharp, that’s for sure,” she said after pulling her finger out and waving it in the breeze. Even holding such a weapon was harder than it looked.

She instead turned her attention to the kunai. It was a uniquely shaped weapon, something that could be used in close quarters, but was clearly designed for throwing. Then, she took aim at the tree that Goku was firing at. She took a deep breath, then tossed it.

The weapon flipped several times through the air before coming to a thud, several meters short of her target. The results weren’t surprising given her total lack of experience with throwing weaponry, but she had expected it to go a lot further because of her strength runes. She tried again, and again but her bolstered strength didn’t seem to have much effect on her performance.

“This is strange,” she noted, “maybe how far it goes is more about the speed that I throw it, or rather… the flick of my wrist. Hmm…”

It was partly disappointing because she didn’t yet know it was possible to enhance her speed using hone. Still, she didn’t mind practicing. She moved onto the shuriken, tossing them each in turn. None of them went as far as she wanted or even hit a tree.

“I think you may have wasted your money,” she told Goku with a laugh, “but I promise to get better.” She would wait until he was done shooting then go fetch what she’d thrown. Not long after, the caravan master called for everyone to get going again.

[Goku]

Goku nodded as Luvi picked up the kunai and shuriken. He watched as she fumbled with the shuriken, nicking her finger and sucking on it to stop the bleeding.

"Be careful, Luvi," he said with a small smile. "They look like they can be tricky to handle."

While she practiced with her new weapons, Goku continued his shortbow practice. He aimed carefully at the tree, releasing arrows one by one. He managed to hit the tree a few times, but his overall performance was unsatisfying. His shots were inconsistent, and he missed more often than he hit. Running out of arrows, he sighed and shook his head.

"I really suck as a combatant," he muttered to himself, frustrated by his lack of progress. He looked over at Luvi, who was having her own difficulties with the kunai and shuriken. Despite her struggles, she seemed determined to improve.

“You know, Luvi, you might feel like you're not doing well, but you have a natural talent for weapon wielding. You'll get better with practice. It just takes time."

As the caravan master called for everyone to get moving again, Goku got back on his horse. He noticed just how tired he was, the day's exertions finally catching up to him.

The caravan started moving, the rhythmic clop of the horses' hooves and the creaking of the wagon wheels filling the air. Goku let his thoughts drift as they traveled, reflecting on their training session. Despite his own shortcomings and the soreness in his back from the arrow firing, he felt a strong sense of blissful optimism.

The journey continued, the landscape slowly changing as they progressed. Goku felt the weight of exhaustion, but also a sense of achievement. They had pushed their limits today, and that was something to be proud of.