The carriage rolled slowly along the rugged road, its wheels crunching over stones with a creak and a groan. The body jolted up and down, its wooden boards squealing under the strain as though lamenting the ravages of time.
It was an ordinary civilian four-wheeled carriage, drawn by two inferior horses and driven by an old coachman with white hair. Such carriages were a common sight on the road to Tavitsky Province along the border between Bagnia and Minisia.
What was not common, however, was the group of passengers inside.
Ye Ao Nai He sprawled inside the swaying carriage like a salted fish tossed ashore. Every time the rickety wooden contraption rolled over a stone, his mop of messy hair bounced three times.
His companion beside him was a burly warrior who sat with his arms folded and his brow furrowed, muttering under his breath.
"This damn carriage is shaking my head clean off."
He struggled to keep his balance, but every jolt still sent him swaying back and forth, until Ye Ao Nai He had no choice but to complain.
"Can you sit properly, man? Stop poking me with that hard thing. I'm not gay!"
"Fuck, neither am I... That's my sword hilt poking you, not my dick! Why the hell are you making dirty jokes here?"
The two began arguing, while the other players seated across from them and on either side enjoyed the show. Outside, the wind whistled past and stirred the carriage curtains, occasionally revealing the scenery beyond.
Snowy mountains towered in the distance, their snowcapped peaks gleaming silver in the sunlight. Closer by, lush green grasslands were dotted with wildflowers, and the occasional small animal darted through the grass.
"Why do I feel like I've seen this scene before?"
One of the players suddenly spoke