Kion never dreamed.
For the first time since his reincarnation, he didn't feel the pull of his dreamscape, or the gathered collective energy of bloodlust.
He slept normally, and while that may have been the most peaceful feeling he'd ever had during his sleep, Kion was furious.
Tyril never showed up, like he should've.
Penelope observed the prince, wondering where his calm and composed countenance had vanished to.
He seemed to be on edge, almost like he would explode with fire any second.
Penelope did not like the idea of that.
"My prince, if I may? You seem dehydrated after your nap. Why don't you have some water from the flagon I got you?"
Kion stared pointedly at the satchel for what seemed to be forever.
"I'm not thirsty." He said. "Do you happen to know any sleeping remedies. I need to get back to sleep now."
"But my lord, you just woke up. Besides, it's already the crack of dawn," Penelope gestured to the rising sun, "your brother will soon make a pit stop so you two can discuss battle plans."
Kion couldn't argue with her logic. He knew that sleeping again would be foolish, considering the kind of dangerous mission that they were on. Sleeping in the first place was already bad enough.
He also knew that he'd agreed to map out the Greitor-populated spots on the map of Port Tabara with Kai. Besides, he was hungry, and against what he'd said earlier, thirsty as well.
He grabbed the flagon from his satchel and took a hearty gulp.
Penelope smiled.
"Drink up, my lord."
"Have the men gotten the map ready yet?" He demanded.
"Yes. In fact, I made sure that they finished before midnight and got a duplicate copy for you." She said as she unfurled a folded piece of parchment from her bag.
"Here it is. But this is our version. We may need to update it when we get to town." Penelope explained.
"Let me see." Kion grabbed the map.
The map contained the basic things they needed to know, like all the entry points to the town as well as the layout of all the water bodies.
Port Tabara was right next to the ocean, as the name implied, and even before the Greitor attacks, it was one of the less populated towns in Stormholt.
This was due to the fact that not a lot of Stormians were fishermen, which was the dominant occupation of the town. Also, there were very few water-mancers in the entire kingdom, which was highly expected of a town that was in close proximity to the sea.
The dominant Greitor festering spot was down south, just along the coast. This area had been marked with a huge "X" on the map. It was the only spot that Sir Gaius and his soldiers knew of before embarking in the mission.
But there were other spots. Kion was bothered that one of their entry points might be already sabotaged by ravenous Greitors.
But which one?
Kion could only wonder. Maybe it was time he put his new assistant to the test.
"Tell me Penelope…" Kion said after studying the map for a while, "From these six options, where do you think would be our best entry point to town. I'm sure that this area is not the only place in Port Tabara teeming with monsters. There are like a hundred others."
Penelope studied the map for a moment.
After a while, she pointed to a specific entry point out of the six that were shown.
"Here." She said.
Kion looked at where her finger touched. It was one of the less commonly used gates that merchants used when travelling into the town to trade their goods from neighbouring villages.
What was unusual about it was that it was terribly close to the sea, a rocky pathway that clung to the steep cliffs by the seaside.
It was dangerous, yes, as anyone who didn't have a good sense of balance would slip and fall to their deaths.
But that danger made it the least used entry point in the whole town, not even for Greitors. Anyone daring enough to use it would have to be a water-mancer, and that would play well to their advantage.
If they managed to befriend the services of a water-skilled warrior due to their status as royalty, that would bode well in their favour.
Kion smiled lightly at the thinking of his new assistant.
"Very good." He commended. "I see why you chose it. It will be, in fact, dangerous, so we'll have to prepare."
"Yes, my lord. I'll—"
"You've done enough, Penelope. Let me handle the rest."
***
The carriages were parked by the side of a vast road bordering the tall trees of the forest. Due to the dangers that could be lurking within, both princes had unanimously agreed to abandon any route that went through, even if it meant that they would have to go all the way round.
Kai and his soldiers gathered round Kion as he explained their way into the town.
When they could understand his logic, but most of them seemed uneasy when he detained the dangers that the rocky path came with.
"What if we don't find a water-mancer?"Kai questioned, his tone doubtful.
"None of us have any useful skills that could help in a terrain like that. And none of our soldiers too. Maybe Sir Gaius could help, being an earth-mancer, but he alone might not be enough."
"We'll have to make do with him should the situation arise," Kion explained. "Besides, we don't have much better options. This other entry point is too direct. And the population density there is too high for any form of mana poisoning to not have made its effect already.
"This…" Kion pointed, "is too far east. Even if it were safe, we'd be extending our journey by at least two days if we were to make it there. Don't forget that we have a time limit."
Kion continued to give reasons as to why other entry points were simply inadequate: mana pooling due to population density, distance, dangers, and the likes in such a persuading manner that when he was finished, everyone present couldn't help but agree with him, except Kai.
"If she's put you up to this…" Kai said in a skeptical tone.
"No one has put me up to this." Kion claimed. "It's the best option. Even a blind man would see that."
Kion knew that Kai was referring to Lila. Ever since the battle at the mercenary camp, Kai had thought that Kion was in cahoots with Lila for some reason.
His gold-haired brother didn't trust him anymore because of that, as his whole countenance had reverted back to the old, mistrusting and vile person that Kion always knew him as.
But Kion never did care. He just wanted the boy to use his brain for once.
"Fine." Kai finally said. "We'll take that route. Boys?!"
The soldiers chanted: "Yes Sir!"
"At ease." Kai commanded. "We'll make camp here for now and move at the start of noon. Feed up. You'll need the energy for what's next."
All the soldiers disbanded. Some going to make fires to heat up their meals were others moved to erect tents.
Kion began to turn, when Kai grabbed his arm.
"You and I," he said while smiling, "are going monster hunting."