Moving

After getting himself prepared and supplies packed, Gram, Dule and Grancis met up at the village gates. Grams sword and shield hung at his waist, while Dule had his trusted greatsword strapped to his back.

Anyone who wished to become a Slayer usually had to pick a weapon to stick with by the time they turned ten. This was done so they were given ample time to adjust to their weapons and have a sufficient grasp on them by the time they were eligible to take the official Slayer Registration Tests at the age of eighteen.

When Gram had his chance to pick his weapon at ten, he'd ended up picking the sword and shield. He'd favored mobility but was never keen on giving up on defense like dual weapon wielders. His friend Dule on the other hand had favored absolute destructive force over anything else, so he'd ended up with a greatsword.

"It doesn't matter if i don't have much defense, they can't hurt me if i just take them out before they have a chance to deal any damage." Had been Dule's line of reasoning. Picking a weapon was a serious turning point in anyones Slayer career, most Slayers stuck with their initial weapon for life, it became an extension of the user. Changing weapons mid-way or late into a career was asking for problems.

Dule, Gram and Grancis were all prepped and ready to leave, not before getting well wishes from the remaining population of Buroki that had come out to send them off. Some even went through the trouble of giving some farewell gifts. After a brief set of goodbyes, time forced the three to move. They loaded up their supplies onto the large cart they had on standby, Gram and Dule sat themselves in the back, while Grancis took up the seat at the front, after that, they set off.

The group sat in relative silence for a while, watching slowly as the village they'd called home faded into the mists. The comfortable silence was occasionally broken up by the sounds of nature around them, wild birds and other various smaller animals went about their lives, usually fleeing from the cart at its approach. After the quiet continued, Dule eventually spoke up.

"So Grancis, how long do you think this trip is gonna take? I know it isn't exactly short, but we never got any of time frame." Grancis cocked his head at the boys question.

"Well considering we're going by cart, it shouldn't take more than a couple days. Especially since we've got Bertha here chugging us along, she's a reliable old girl."

Gram smiled at the mention of his animal friend. Bertha is a land animal known as a Gujokara, which are usually quite docile animals. They're usually kept and bred for food and their fur used for clothes. His village had some of its own, which is how he knew what they were. Despite their docile nature, they're deceptively strong, so they can be used to haul carts and heavy objects around provided they've been trained enough.

He looked over at Dule to see a confused expression on his face, though with a small sigh, he seemed to have let whatever was on his mind go. Gram made a mental note to ask him later if he was alright. After some more traveling, night soon began to fall, and Grancis found a small clearing in which they could set up a small camp for the night. Putting up the tent and setting a fire up wasn't a problem, the boys had camped plenty in the areas surrounding Buroki provided they'd been cleared of Monsters.

The three sat down by their fire, bowls of stew in their hands, keeping them warm from the inside with every bite. They ate in relative silence, content to bask in the heat of the fire and their full stomachs. Eventually though, Gram decided to speak up.

"Dad, you said it would only take a couple of days to reach the nearest Bastion, right? Weren't you gone for a couple weeks when you went for your Slayer exams? What did you get up too that kept you occupied?"

Grancis leant back a little, before giving the two boys a grin. "Well, i did my exams and came straight back home, only reason it took so long was because i didn't do it via cart, i walked it there and back on my own two feet."

Gram's jaw hit the floor, then carried on going. He walked?! The nearest Bastion that allowed Slayers exams was Belincia, and his old man walked that entire distance? Twice? Looking over at Dule revealed much of the same shock. They both thought they were in pretty good shape, but walking for an entire week, doing the Slayer exams, then making the same week long trek back seemed insane. Grancis smiled.

"I can see the shock on your faces, but it's true! I'm sorry to break it to you boys, but stuff like that is considered pretty par for the course once you get into established Slayer territory, and it only gets worse from there. Some Slayers i met while i took my exams once told me about how they hunted the same Monster for a solid month. Imagine making that walk but having to fight for your life a couple times each day."

Gram sighed, he knew his Dad was right after all. As much as it seemed like an impossible feat, it was nothing compared to what Slayers had to endure. Dule seemed to share his thoughts, as they met each others gaze nodded. After the brief talk, Grancis told the two boys to head to bed, he'd stay up on watch and make sure nothing happened to either of them.

It was after a couple restless hours of sleep attempts that Gram decided he needed some fresh air, he checked and made sure Dule was fast asleep before carefully sneaking out of their tent. Coming out he saw his Dad, eyes closed and leaning on his sword by the fire. It looks like even his Dad needed some rest, though he didn't mind, the area they were in was told to be relatively harmless, the fact his Dad was on watch at all was potentially overkill.

He stepped out into the cool night air, taking in the world around him. It was finally starting to sink in. Being away from the village, camping in the forest and starting this new chapter of his life. Not just him, but Dule as well. Things were going to get much more lively from here on, and he was ready to take it all in stride. He looked up to the moon, basking in the glow of it and the fire that roared behind further behind him, and he saw it, ever so faintly in the sky. A streak, what he could only assume was a shooting star. He closed his eyes, and made his wish, before turning around and heading back to his tent.

Things were starting to get into motion.