Spirit Taming

Chapter 648: Mop Coats

"I am just saying, if they were not going to cause us trouble in the first place, we could have just walked away." Brade made his point again, but he was just enjoying messing with Reese.

"You know that I was the closest to that beast. If it released all that toxic smell, then I would be ruined for life. Do you think a woman would want to marry me if I smelled like literal death!" Reese had not given up on his defenses.

Regardless, it had been a funny time as they had all waited for the young spooked skunk to wake up from its nap and get distracted by the skunk weed it wanted to eat. The entire group as a whole had actually used it as some time to meditate and think on their own combat styles a little. Everyone but Isa and Reese were the closest to the beast.

"Look at that, we are finally getting out of the jungle. The sun will shine on us normally again." Maria spread out her arms and enjoyed the unfiltered sunlight.

While they had all been in the violent jungle, the tree canopy had blocked more sun than they usually got. Due to that, they had all been in the humid mists feeling gross. The warm sunlight felt purifying by comparison.

"It is nice." Grace stopped for a moment too. She had been doing much better even though it was clear that she was a little out of breath. Ralph had tried to get her to stop a lot more but she had toughed it out even though everyone knew that she could do with some more rest.

"Looks like we are near that ravine and the village, but I have no idea how we are getting to it." Clark could tell that some carts and other things had been brought through the pathways here. They were the only places without rocks and trees in a straight line. Not to mention the many carved up paths through bushes.

"That is easier than you think. They have a set of homes on the top of the cliff but they are just temporary inns for rent. They do that for all the merchants that come here." Isa summed up the answer quickly. She was already taking the first few steps on to a real pathways that was cut by merchants and travelers.

She had missed the wide roads and the potential safety that came with them since there were no beast territories on either side that produced constant threats.

"Let's just get going." The concept of warm bath was already tempting Jerold as he began down the road they found. While it was rough and dusty, this was not an issue.

The rocky terrain changing from the violent jungle was odd. However, it was all due to the ravine.

It changes the way that the wind traveled. This kept the moisture from the jungle that would have normally come toward the ravine and the nearby forests on the other side. It was an interesting change in nature.

This allowed Clark to take note about how the various flows of energies were also manipulated by the way that nature had shaped the world. Both were affecting one another. Because this was a dryer area bordered by a jungle with a lot of ambient water energy, it would mean that unique beasts could grow on this odd division. Not to mention the avian beasts that would exist here due to the breeze.

"Is that one of the beasts we have to be careful of?" Before Jerold could take the lead toward where there were even more intersecting merchant paths, he spotted a dusty brown shape ahead.

"No, that is one of the villagers. They wear the cut fur because it will keep out the dust that blows through the ravine where they live. We should wear some cloth masks now that we are nearby. The base of the ravine is full of rocky streams and even some plants, but the walls are dry because of the constant wind flow. And we can see the dust coming up here from that.

Isa made sure to share what she knew from this.

"It sounds like you have been here before." Ralph gave a skeptical look towards Isa since he is beginning to think that she had been holding back more and more with the information that they might need to know.

"Both of my brothers and my father have been. I never made the route with my father because he had to change the way that they traveled. So, I missed this stop. I always wanted to see the place that my brothers and father went to though." This was understandable. Merchants had to adapt their routes constantly. They might leave out stops or add them to increase business or time spent traveling.

'Cliff goat coat- uncommon

Using the cliff goat shed fur, this mop like coat is ideal for allowing air through it and trapping dust. Due to this, the dust and other small particles from dangerous beasts or plants is cut out allowing cleaner air to be breathed. It also protects from winds and sun that can damage the skin.

Surprisingly, it is not suffocating, it is able to keep warm or cold depending on the weather. This is due to the unique fur curling that causes the mop shape of the fur. This coat just feels slightly heavier, but is only produced by one village and sold to a few collectors…'

Clark used the analysis on the man clearly wearing the brown mop like coat that wrapped his face as well. "More travelers today than usual. We expected three merchant carriages and we have an additional fifteen travelers. What a popular day." The man sounded a little muffled but fairly happy to see more faces.

"I am Isa, we are all from Nova City. We traveled in to the deep wilderness to experience certain training. I am also a merchant of my own accord running a business with my colleagues here. We hope that we can rest and clean ourselves in your village. We also hope that we can get a tour and make some trades. Of course we understand that we must follow the rules of your village exactly to do this."

Isa showed a bright smile and a fair bit of respect. This made the man stand a little more stiffly. He was still for a moment before he nodded. "Then please come with me.I can understand how you might want to learn all they can about a unique place like ours. I once traveled a little. But I can't say I ever went to a deep wilderness area.

I am not a crazy man."

It was fairly clear that he was wondering if the entire group was just a crazy group of people, or if they were kids bragging since they had traveled near the violent jungle. But as he looked at them and saw the signs of their travels, he understood a little more. No weakling child would just walk in to the deep wilderness. They had to be stronger than he realized.

"Thank you for the escort." Isa thanked the man as he took them along the trail. It only took a few minutes to spot the small village houses on the edge of the ravine. There were barrels of water set up and some outdoor bathing areas. Stables, and other amenities for those who traveled here.

Along with this, they could see that some stairs had been carved right in to the earth and stone. They led down on to the edge of the ravine. Where the winds pushed and moved through the vast empty space before eventually reaching the ground well below.

"We will allow you to rest in rest house number seven for a small fee. The water is being boiled for other travelers and you will need to wait for new water to be prepared. You are free to heat your own though. When you are rested, you can speak to one of the young lads over there. They will explain the rules to you." The man was just the escort for the crossroads. He had done his job.

Before they had taken another step though, the group saw that another man was approaching. He took the payment for the rest house. Naturally, the group could not stay within the village. That was where the villagers lived, held their wares, and whatever else they needed. It was important to respect their privacy.

"Without much of a chance to look around, everyone looked at Isa and Ralph. The two who could use their beasts as a means to help heat water. Ella knew well that her blue flame skeleton would not be caught in their existence heating bath water. It was a little too proud for that. But regardless, a bath was in everyone's future.

Clark took the waiting time as a chance to look around as well. He had a feeling the merchants that arrived along with travelers might be interesting.