Chapter 477: Traveling Through the Savannah
The collection was eclectic, a reflection of the varied affections of the women who had bestowed them.
Each item carried a memory, a moment shared, a promise made.
Though, he only took what he needed and rolled them into a ball, wrapping it all up with a cloth.
The bundle was small, compact, easily carried. He secured it with a cord, ready for the journey ahead.
Going on foot was Benjamin’s idea, but Queen Elara insisted he took a battle-horse to at least carry the load for him and Heka.
The Amazon queen had been firm on this point, her voice brooking no argument as she explained the practicality of having a beast of burden for the long journey ahead.
A battle-horse was basically a regular horse, but they are powerful omnivores with a bone structure allowing flexible movement of limb, unlike a normal horse.
Their bodies were built for both speed and combat, their muscles dense and powerful, and their frames capable of incredible feats of agility.
Where a normal horse might stumble on uneven terrain, a battle-horse could navigate it with ease, its joints rotating and flexing in ways that were definitely unnatural for a regular horse.
Battle-horses also had canines and often lured predators in pretending to be prey, until they hunted said predators and ate them instead.
Their teeth were sharp, their jaws powerful, and their intelligence was far beyond that of ordinary horses.
They could sense danger from a distance, assess threats with cold calculation, and when necessary, turn the tables on their would-be attackers with brutal efficiency.
It was said that a battle-horse could defeat a small monster horde single-handedly, and more than one monster had learned this lesson the hard way.
Everything was in order, their loads tucked to the saddle, with the horse held by the reins by Heka.
The beast stood patiently, its dark eyes watching the proceedings with an intelligence that was almost unsettling. It had been well-trained, well-fed, and was clearly eager to begin the journey.
Heka was wearing black lower garment that hugged her thighs out to her waist, with silver protective boots that rose to nearly her knees.
The fabric was thick and durable, designed to withstand the rigors of travel through harsh terrain. The boots gleamed in the morning light, their metallic surface reflecting the golden rays with a soft shimmer.
Her upper half was a dark thin dress that wrapped around her chest, leaving the rest bare, with all her scars and tattoos.
The garment was practical, allowing for freedom of movement while providing minimal coverage. Her skin was a tapestry of old wounds, each scar telling a story of battles fought and survived.
Her arms and some parts of her were covered with some sleek pieces of armor that seemed advanced and clung to her body simply because she put them there.
Another great work of Deva the Amazon inventor and self-proclaimed "most petite and cute girl in the world."
The armor was lightweight, almost weightless, yet it was strong enough to turn aside blades and absorb impacts.
Benjamin was in a long-sleeved grey tunic that was tight around his frame, and wore loose deep brown pants and sandals.
His clothing was simple, practical, chosen for comfort rather than style. He looked like a normal traveler.
"...Stop looking so damn gloomy already!" Benjamin said to the knitted-browed Tamar who was standing beside him as he arranged some last things.
His voice was warm, teasing, sounding with none of the frustration that his words might have suggested. "I literally will be sneaking back here when the ogres are asleep, I told you! It is not a permanent departure, it is not even a long one. Two weeks will pass in the blink of an eye, and I will be back before you know it."
"Yes, but still..." Tamar sniffed as Elara took her away from Benjamin, giggling.
The Amazon princess’s eyes were wet, her lower lip trembling, her usual fierce demeanor replaced by something softer and vulnerable.
For reasons no one knew or understood, Tamar has lost several levels of bite and has been more honest since that morning.
The change had been sudden, inexplicable, and had left many of the women baffled.
Where once there had been sharp words and sharper blows, there was now tentative honesty and desperate affection.
Strange indeed.
After some ladies gave Heka the stink eye, for she was going to hoard Benjamin’s attention for days, Benjamin and her turned to leave on the battle-horse, zooming away in the savannah area.
***
Whispering Wilds itself is a place located in the continent called "Wilds."
The savannah stretched for miles in every direction, a sea of golden grass and sparse trees that seemed to go on forever.
85% of the Whispering Wilds is Savannah and mostly dried and hot, infested with lethal creatures some people would think only existed in myths, and home to some of the most dangerous titans like Rahab and Violette.
The heat was oppressive, shimmering off the ground in waves, creating mirages that danced on the horizon.
The creatures that lurked in the tall grass were numerous and varied, each more deadly than the last. It was a land that demanded respect, and rewarded carelessness with certain death.
So it’s no surprise that people don’t live in it.
The Whispering Wilds was not a place for civilization, not a place for families or farms and peaceful existence.
However, there were other locations, many of them actually, surrounding the Whispering Wilds, making up for about 40% of the entire Wilds (this includes both the Whispering Wilds and the inhabitable parts).
These were the areas where people could survive, where communities could thrive, where dangers were kept at bay by walls and armies or the collective will of those who refused to be prey.
Following the path and map that leads to Goliathens, another part of the continent that was on the far, far end, it would take 3 days to completely leave Whispering Wilds behind.
The journey was long, the terrain challenging for any normal person, but the destination was worth the effort.
***
On the way—sometimes walking, sometimes riding both the horse, and unfortunately, Heka herself for masochistic purposes—the duo witnessed a lot of fantastical things and marveled.
The savannah was full of wonders, creatures and phenomena that seemed alien to Benjamin’s eyes.
They saw herds of great beasts stampeding across the plains, their hooves shaking the ground like thunder, strange plants that glowed in the darkness, their bioluminescent light casting an eerie glow across the landscape.
They saw skies filled with birds of every color and shape, their cries echoing across the vast emptiness.
Some Amazons do move this far for political reasons, but Heka wasn’t exactly one of them.
Her duties typically kept her closer to home, within the relative safety of Verdant Spire’s walls.
And the last time she moved so far from home was 300 years ago. The memories of that journey were dim, faded by time, but the sense of adventure that had accompanied it remained fresh in her mind.
"Woah, what is that, a dinosaur?!" Benjamin reacted like a child at a zoo when he spotted a beast from the distance.
His eyes went wide, his mouth fell open, and he pointed with undisguised excitement at the massive creature that was grazing on the distant plains.