Chapter 68: Nearly caught
"How’s it going in there, mate?" the elf asked with a cheeky grin, lifting the edge of the cover that concealed Hades and Luna inside the cart.
Hades let out a grumble. "Barely surviving. Can you tell the driver to stop hitting every damn rock? It hurts."
They were being smuggled across the border, hidden in a cart filled with seeds and nuts. Comfort was a luxury they couldn’t afford—not with how illegal this trip was—and it didn’t help that the driver seemed to be going out of his way to make the ride as jarring as possible.
The elf chuckled. "Just hold tight. Half an hour more and you’ll be free as a bird." He lowered the cover again.
Darkness returned. Hades exhaled a weary sigh and glanced at Luna beside him. She had her knees tucked close, body curled like his, leaning gently against his side.
"You alright? Need more room?" he asked, though they both knew there was barely an inch left to shift. Still, if she needed it, he’d figure something out.
"I’m good," she replied with a soft smile. "I’m flexible, so this is nothing."
Unlike her, Hades was clearly suffering. Not just from the cramped space but from the lingering aches of his earlier fight against the giant wolf. Lary had stabbed him, and the beast had clawed him up pretty badly. Though he’d mostly healed with no lasting wounds, some cramps and phantom pain still lingered.
"Think we’ll get caught?" Luna asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Hades gave her a tired look and cracked a dry smile. "Please don’t jinx it. I just want to reach Samaran without any more drama."
Luna giggled at his exasperation, clearly amused.
The cart rolled on in heavy silence, its wheels creaking faintly as it trundled deeper into the forest. Overhead, the canopy swayed gently with the breeze, filtering the sunlight into shifting patterns across the path.