"Do you really have to pack...again!?"
"I thought you understood the first time I told you," answers Hewlett. All I understand is that you're driving me crazy. "Besides, I am packing for you and me this time. It is an entirely different situation."
Speaking of entirely different situations, "What's Saalku like? Have you been there before?"
Hewlett stops and stares blankly before saying, "The district Saalku is a very, busy place. It is where you can find almost anything at the cheapest price too. A good place for business means many people travel there to better their lives, making the capital the most overpopulated place in Drhoesia," he continues packing then says, "I've only been there once. The rest I have read in books."
"Does the travel Ichikota let us go directly to the capital?" I ask.
Hewlett jerks his head at me, "I thought I told you It does but we can not use it that way."
"How come?!" Going back to Master Dell is the whole reason why we even met. I let myself fall on the hospital bed. I can't get distracted. "I...I thought stopping Benson would mean I get to finish this errand and see my Master again-
"Brother Musunga might not have mentioned this but I thought your Master would have at least told you about it." Hewlett stops packing. "Lycans are not considered as people Yori. I am not talking about the fact that you can turn into a werewolf. Drhoesia, is a Natural nation."
"A natural nation..." So anything that's supernatural is considered inhuman here, "I almost forgot about that." Master didn't treat me horribly even though he knew this. Even Hewlett and Brother Musunga haven't done anything bad to me. "Travelling through Saalku will be harder than I thought then." Thinking about this is making me exhausted already.
"The Southern province is not as extreme as the others. Saalku is almost the same. Too many people to keep track of. Luckiest part is, it even has more than one travel Ichikota." I throw myself off of the hospital bed to look at Hewlett, He smiles then says, "Yes. It means we can go there. We just have to operate outside the The Faith headquarters' perimeters."
"You really don't have to go that far Hewlett. What would happen if they found out that this entire place didn't hand me over to them!?" Is this something Brother Musunga and Hewlett talked about?
"No one wants to work with me because they will die," What! "the mission my team was given lead to their deaths. Five teams, gone!" Hewlett's hands viciously shiver. "I am not letting anyone die on my watch. Including you!-
"That doesn't mean you should die! As long as we're traveling together and even if we're not. I will have your back." We fought Benson together. That was more than enough to tell me I can trust you.
Hewlett's hands stop shaking. He lets out a long breath. He then grabs an Ichikota out of his white robe and places it on his hospital bed.
The aroma of pork attacks me as a stick of pork appears. Hewlett tosses it to me. "You are as kind as you look," he sniffles, "thanks for that."
"Thanks for the pork stick too." Hewlett finishes packing as Brother Musunga gives out his own errands to the campaigners under him. As we walk towards Brother Musunga's office, Hewlett tells me how this hospital also acts as the station for Omach's campaigners with the travel Ichikota being in Brother Musunga's office too.
We reach his office and find the doors already open as Brother Musunga places an Ichikota with green writings on it this time on the wall behind his chair. "I grew tied of waiting for you," he says without looking back at us. "Close the door behind you."
"Yes sir," I quickly say as I usher in Hewlett. I shut the doors behind me and as I turn to face Brother Musunga, an electric buzz sounds through the room. The Ichikota now looks stuck to the wall.
"You two are going to be sent to furthest campaigner station from the headquarter," he says pointing to Hewlett, "Hold on to his shoulder." I grab Hewlett's shoulder.
"Excuse me sir," Hewlett says. "Is the station we are travelling to expecting us?"
"Of course! They'll treat you right," Br Musunga says. "Take care of each other and get stronger. That's the only way you're beating the witch after Yori. She'll come hitting you harder than ever now that she's gotten a good gauge of your strength. Trust no one around the bus stations and don't spend too much time in the town areas. Understood?!"
"Yes sir!" Hewlett and I answer back.
"Good! Best of luck to you both. Tap on the Ichikota once you're ready Hewlett," Br Musunga says. Hewlett takes a few breathes. A travel Ichikota, just imagining what will happen is making my heart beat like crazy. "Lets go Hewlett!"
"Right!"
He taps on it and in whoosh everything turns dark.
Another electric buzz sounds out but this time through me, making my arms tingle.
We appear, in front of another Ichikota. The different scents flow into my nose as I slowly open my eyes. I take my hand off Hewlett and quickly turn. Looks like we're in a bar. Why's there so many people? Drinking?
"Father! They're here!" A man with a cup in his hand shouts.
I poke my hand at Hewlett, "Hey. Are you seeing this?"
"Aaauu! You nearly pocked my eye out."
"My bad." My head jerks to stairs going up to the floor above the one we're on. Footsteps. I Hewlett looks like he's on high alert too.
The footsteps get closer revealing a man much older than Hewlett and I with a large belly that his robe looks to tight around. "Are you admiring me?! What's with that horrible stance you constipated goats?" I stumble back. Constipated goats? What's wrong with him? Can he say that with that grey robe on?
The men around the bar laugh hysterically at us. He continues walking to us and when he reaches an arms length, "Stop drinking you homeless freeloaders!" He turns to look at us then says, "I am Brother Sabantu! Welcome, to Saalku."