The Normal Farmer - Completed

Chapter 22 – Fight towards the exit

At the stable of the Inn, Ronald bought three extra saddles, putting one of them on top of the carriage for future use. He then went to the back, and after confirming no one could see him, he summoned two ‘Big Rats’, the one that he used at the Goblin Village and another, a darkish one.

Conan chose that dark one as his ride and prepared the saddles. Sonja walked around the brown Rat that had been with Ronald longer and stood at his front, smiling. “Yes, this will do. Get down on your fours. Sonja can’t make such a foolish act of trying to climb all over you!”

The Rat got down because he appeared the same way as always: three feet on the ground and licking one front paw.

Sonja mounted the saddle and pointed at Woof, who had been growling at her since they met for the first time in the Dining Room. “He is going to stop doing that? Or do I need to cut his tail for him to be afraid of me?”

Ronald went to Woof and kneeled at his side. “Calm down, Woof. She is a friend. And that big man, too. You can relax, okay? Sonja, it’s better for your future in this World, that you don’t do anything against Woof, or I will rip your Card in pieces without even thinking twice. Do you understand?”

“You wouldn’t dare…”

“Red Sonja!”

Sonja trembled. She realized he wasn’t joking. “Yes, I will do as you say. Forgive me. I won’t say something like that ever again.”

“Good, because he has been with me since I got here, and I just met you yesterday. He has helped me a couple of times already, and you have just annoyed me since I met you. You have a long way to go before I see you as I see him.”

Sonja looked a little surprised. “Red Sonja, getting less importance than a mere wild wolf… Impossible… I shall change my ways towards you and your friends, Lord Ronald, so that you can consider me your friend as well.”

Ronald entered the stable again and guided the two ‘Big Dark Bulls’ to the outside. Conan was looking at him leaving from the top of his Big Rat and spoke to Sonja. “You need to be more careful in the way you talk to him, my dear. Your powerful character always amused Riattus, but I think our new Summoner finds you rather annoying.”

Sonja was fixing the reins of her Rat, and she looked at Ronald’s back from a distance. “You may be right, dear, but Riattus made me like this; it’s difficult to change.”

“Just try. He made me like if I was truly a Barbarian. I couldn’t even speak properly in the beginning, remember? But Riattus also made us able to learn and evolve.”

“Yeah… I kind of like my character, but I can lower it a little when Lord Ronald is around. Okay, Red Sonja will perfect herself! Oops, sorry, I got a little carried away. Let’s go! I want to ride this big guy!”

She flicked the reins, and the Big Rat started to walk towards the front exit of the stable.

The stable boy was holding the reins of the ‘Big Dark Bulls’ while Ronald was checking the bags on top of the carriage to see if they were well secured.

When he saw Red Sonja and Conan riding two ‘Big Rats’, he screamed in surprise. Sonja looked at him with disdain. “Shut up, boy! Didn’t you ever see a woman riding a Big Rat?”

“No… Never one so beautiful…”

Sonja smiled and made a slight bow with her head. “That’s an excellent answer indeed. Now, step aside a little; I don’t want you to get hurt by one paw of this guy.”

The stable boy moved, letting her and Conan pass. He stared at her muscular legs, raised his eyes at her breasts, and finally at her red hair, which was floating as she moved. She noticed the stare and winked one eye at him. “Grow up proud, honest, and strong, and maybe one day you can be with an amazing woman such as Red Sonja. Lord Ronald, Conan and I will stop at the entrance, waiting for you, if that’s okay.”

“Yes, that will do. Try not to scare anyone, and if someone is curious about you two and asks too many questions, just tell them to go away because Red Sonja can’t be bothered by mere mortals or something along those lines. That should be enough.”

Sonja blinked her eyes a few times. “Lord Ronald, you are catching my ways, no?”

“Yeah… you are a bad influence… Go; I need to get this done, or we will never leave.”

Sonja and Conan went out, and Ronald continued checking the supplies. The others went to grab their horses, and as soon as the mules were tied to the back, Ronald guided the ‘Big Dark Bulls’ to the exit.

Taly and Ari were already at the door, waiting for them. Ari didn’t want to get inside the stable. She was afraid of dirtying her dress. Taly helped her get in, and he sat at his place with the reins in his hands.

Ronald went to his side, and Duza appeared. With her was a rider, a young man with a serious expression and a strange uniform. Dark green, with a green cap, a dark scarf around his neck, and leather boots.

Duza introduced him and explained his purpose: “He is a fast Courier. We will escort him out of this City so that he can go to Durant as fast as possible to deliver my message. I expect that as soon as the City Village is informed that we are leaving, some Guards will try to stop him and us. It’s better if you all stay sharp; things can become very dangerous. Mister Ronald, can Red Sonja and Conan help us with this?”

Ronald looked at Sonja, but before he could say anything, she smiled. “Finally! A fight waits for us, Conan! Fear not, Lord Ronald, for Red Sonja is here! Conan, go to Ini; protect our back! Duza Sonanji, we go to the front, clearing the path of anyone that tries to stop us! Lord Ronald, can I count on your support?”

Ronald had his sling ready, with a stone on it and a bunch on his lap. “Yes, I am very good with this; don’t worry.”

Sonja tilted her head sideways. “Really? A child’s toy? You are not going to use Magical Cards?”

“No, unless it gets too dangerous. With this, I can hit everything at a distance.”

“Okay, I will trust you on this. Reylom and Ovaidel, protect the sides! Courier, go to the back and follow the carriage to safety! Lead the way, Duza Sonanji!”

Duza jumped on her horse and kicked the sides of it to make him run. Everyone followed her at high speed. Sonja was shouting for everyone on the street to make a path for them.

Ini talked to Conan as soon as the carriage started to move: “That’s a change. I thought that Sonja woman was a crazy airhead!”

Conan kicked his Big Rat to make him run. “She may sound like that, but on a battlefield, she is truly amazing. She is the best fighter I have ever met or fought with. Get ready; this can get ugly very quickly!”

Along the main road, everyone was jumping out of Duza and Sonja’s way, making room for them and the carriage to pass.

In front of the main gate, over twenty Guards waited for them, with spears stuck to the ground and shields at their front.

Duza and Sonja increased the speed of their rides, but Ronald acted before they even got near the blockade because he was afraid that Duza would get hurt. A fast throw of one Magical Card and a big ‘Rock Ball’ appeared, rolling straight ahead and knocking down the spears and shields before the Guards could escape, completely destroying the Gate on its passage.

Sonja looked at him, angry, because he cleared a path so easily, making a fight with the Guards unnecessary. But then she noticed that the Guards on each side that survived the ‘Rock Ball’ were re-grouping.

She immediately shouted to Duza: “Take the left side; the right is mine! Lord Ronald, jump out when the carriage passes the Gate. I will have a lot of Mana Orbs for you when this is all over!”

As soon as the carriage and the others passed the Gate, Conan turned left, going to Duza’s side. Duza defended an attack from a sword aimed at her horse, just to be bathed by the insides of another Guard.

When she cleaned her face from all the flesh and blood, she saw Conan. And she trembled. She was used to the violence and terror of a battle, but nothing until that day prepared her for what she was witnessing.

Conan was on foot and wielding his sword all around, and at each movement, a Guard died. On his left hand, he was using the dead body of a Guard as a shield and sometimes as a mace, hammering the remaining Guards. His tremendous strength was deadly for a mere City Guard.

On the right side, Sonja was shouting and laughing in ecstasy while slashing up and down mounted on the Big Rat. Even the Rat was fighting, using his mouth to take out every head he could reach, with Sonja shouting, “Come to me, warriors, die for my amusement because Red Sonja thrills with your dying screams! That’s it! Die, you pitiful little Humans! Die! Hahaha!”

Ronald arrived, and all he could see was red soil and body pieces all around. Mana Orbs appeared everywhere, over the dead bodies or what remained of the once-dead bodies. Sonja pointed at the Orbs. “They are all yours, Lord Ronald! They are of no use to us, and Duza Sonanji didn’t do anything, really. We didn’t give her time to put herself in danger because we knew you would be sad if she got hurt! Get them, and let’s get out of here before reinforcements arrive and they force us to rid this City of all of their Guards.”

Ronald looked at Duza, looking for confirmation, but she rushed him too: “You heard her; go before anyone sees you doing it!”

Ronald quickly absorbed every Mana Orb he saw,a total of 25. Duza pulled him up to her horse, and they went after the carriage.

Sonja and Conan were quick to follow them, and they reached the carriage first because Duza stopped midway for Ronald to pick up the ‘Rock Ball’ Trap Card that was on one side of the road.

They continued to run for a while, and then Taly stopped the carriage at the intersection with the road that led to Durant, from where they had arrived the previous day. Duza called the Courier: “Go, don’t stop, and get to Durant as fast as you can to deliver my message to the King. Tell him the Guards tried to stop you, ordered by the City Chief, and we had to kill them to protect you. I am sure you will be escorted on your way back when the King orders the Royal Guards to come here.”

“Yes, Miss Duza, you can trust me.”

Sonja approached them. “Duza Sonanji, I can escort him to the limits of Durant. This Rat is faster than a horse, so he can come with me. I think that by the end of this afternoon, I can meet you again along this road.”

Duza stopped to think for a while, and she noticed the eager eyes of the Courier. Duza disguised a smile. She perfectly understood why he looked so happy about that idea. If he sat in front of her, he could feel Sonja’s breasts on his back. If he sat behind her, he could hug her to hold on.

Ari looked from the side window of the carriage and asked, “Do you want a faster ride? Because I have one Magical Being who is very good for that journey.”

Sonja looked interested. “Really? What is it?”

Ari got out, and from her Card Box, she chose one particular Card that she threw in front of her. “Summon Sabertooth Tiger! This guy is strong and very fast. He can carry both of you faster than that Rat.”

Sonja was smiling. “I know that kind! That’s just perfect! Quick, Duza Sonanji, help me put this saddle on that guy.”

While Duza was helping Sonja, the Courier was looking at the menacing tiger, bigger than the ‘Big Dark Bulls’, that was growling at him, ready to jump in his throat. “Miss, that thing looks ready to eat me!”

Ari tapped the right thigh of the tiger, and even to do that, she had to stretch a little. “No, unless I order him. Sabertooth Tiger, I want you to carry that man and the woman with red hair as fast as you can without them falling midway. The woman will then guide you back to me, okay?”

The enormous Tiger nodded his gigantic head, and he then approached Sonja to be saddled. She and Duza prepared him, and Sonja ordered when she finished her side: “Tiger, get down for us to mount! Courier, sit in front of me. That way, I can grab you and stop you from falling. I bet you never went on one of these, so it’s safer if I help you, okay?”

“Sure, I have no problem with that!”

As soon as the Courier mounted, Sonja told him to grab the Tiger’s fur as hard as he could. She then squeezed his legs between hers and put one arm around his stomach, grabbing him hard. Even with all the strength squeezing his body, he was smiling because the softness of Sonja’s breasts on his back was even better than he thought.

She took the reins with the other hand and said farewell: “Duza Sonanji, take care of Lord Ronald in my absence. Courier, cover your mouth with your scarf; you will breathe better!”

As soon as she shouted and kicked the Tiger’s sides, he started to run at high speed, leaving behind a cloud of dust as he moved. Ari nodded and pointed at the shadow that was already disappearing along the road. “Like that, she will return by lunchtime, for sure. I hope the Courier can handle that because such speed can be overwhelming if he is not used to it. Better if we go as well; we are still near the City.”

Duza looked at the City Walls, which could still be seen at some distance behind them. “Yes, you are right; let’s get out of here fast.”

She went to the horse, and Ronald went to his seat on the carriage.

They trotted away from there, continuing their journey, before a group of Guards were sent after them. Not that could happen, considering what Sonja and Conan did, but the City Chief could become desperate and order the remaining City Guards to make one last attempt to stop them.

Conan went to the front to talk to Ronald when he confirmed no one was following them. “Lord Ronald, I can ride ahead and scout our route. I will also look for some prey because Sonja will want to eat a lot of meat after that tiring ride.”

“Okay, we can take care of things here. Return if you see any danger, and don’t get in trouble, okay? I don’t want to be the one telling Sonja that I let you die!”

“Yes, she would try to rip your head off! I am going; I will return shortly!”

With that, Conan shouted, and the Rat started to run. Ronald looked in Duza’s direction and saw her looking at him very seriously. She evaded his gaze and turned forward.

Ronald realized that she might be thinking about the Mana Orbs that he absorbed because if he didn’t assign his points before the night ended, he would lose them. To prevent that from happening, he could use his very own Status Sphere or ask Ari to use hers, since she offered that to him, previously.

Riattus’s voice came from behind him: “I almost forgot how powerful those two are. With their help, you will level up a lot. And you even got them accepted by the others. Well done, Ronald, really well done.”

Ronald gave a small smile. Taly was looking behind them, checking if anyone was coming. “Mister Ronald, I think it would be better if you used your Bird and send him toward the City, just to make sure no one is coming after us.”

Ronald grabbed the ‘Fast Bird’ Card and summoned it. He asked Taly to grab the reins because, for him to use the Bird’s eyes, he had to concentrate on that single task. He ordered the Bird to go to the City and Ronald saw himself saying that from the Bird’s perspective.

During the Bird’s flight, Ronald was looking around, checking if someone or something was approaching. The Bird quickly reached the City and made a high circle above it, returning as soon as Ronald confirmed that it was safe.

When the Bird came back, Ronald told him to fly above them and look out for any danger. He then told Taly what he saw: “No one is coming, and I saw some people busy with cleaning the mess we left in there. I hope everything turns out fine; that situation was too dangerous.”

“Yeah, I was expecting something like that, but it turned out worse than I thought. Lucky for us, Sonja and Conan were there, or we would have been arrested or killed by those Guards. We may need to think very carefully about our actions when in a Village or City. We don’t need to call too much attention to us. Better if we are discrete and keep a low profile, or this journey will be more dangerous than it should be.”

“Yes, you may be right about that.”