The inside of the wagon smelled awful.
Old wood.
Sweat.
Rust.
Kai sat inside a small iron cage bolted to the floor.
He rested his head against the bars.
"...A prison again?"
He sighed.
"...Why is this becoming a habit?"
Across from him—
Another cage sat on the opposite side.
Inside were two prisoners.
One old man.
One teenage boy.
The old man looked exhausted.
The younger one looked terrified.
Kai gave them a small nod.
"...You guys okay?"
The old man chuckled weakly.
"As okay as prisoners can be."
Kai scratched his cheek.
"...Fair."
Silence followed.
The wagon continued rolling.
The wheels bounced across rough roads.
Eventually—
The old man spoke.
"They're taking us to Muscle City."
Kai blinked.
"...Really?"
The old man nodded.
"They sell prisoners there."
Kai quietly looked outside through the tiny window.
Muscle City.
Exactly where he intended to go.
"..."
"...That's either incredibly lucky..."
"...or incredibly unlucky."
For some reason—
He remembered Munnu.
Then Persia.
Another strange group.
Another strange journey.
"...I really attract weird people."
---
Night arrived.
The bandits made camp.
The wagon stopped moving.
Voices echoed outside.
Laughter.