Free The Sorcerer's Dragon (Book 2) by Julius St. Clair Page A

little bit of food and some clothes. It’s not much.”
    “It’s more than I have,” Remi beamed, happily picking up the supplies. “So this is it?”
    “If it’s what you want,” Catherine replied. “Though I have to say that we could really use you here. James and many of the others are about to head out on an adventure of our own. We’re hoping to find reinforcements for what’s to come.”
    “Hope it works out for you,” Remi said sincerely, throwing the backpack over her shoulders. “And…I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
    Catherine nodded and Olivia walked over and gave Remi a hug.
    “Take care of yourself. I’m not there to keep you warm at night.”
    “Somehow I’ll survive,” Remi replied, breaking away from her. “Farewell.”
    She left the two behind and she could feel them still watching her even when she was a mile away. They had to be following her still. Making sure she was safe.
    Remi wasn’t having it.
    Okay, she thought to herself. How do I ditch them?
    Remi took off running, sure that they wouldn’t be so eager to make chase for fear of being caught. She allowed her eidolon to stick slightly out of the top of her shoulder so that she could read her surroundings. She couldn’t sense Olivia or Catherine, but that didn’t mean they weren’t near.
    What was near, however, was a family of three, traveling by wagon through the forest. That was something she didn’t see every day.
    She decided to head toward them, and while she ran she practiced her smiles and recited pleasantries with her voice. She only had one shot to make a good impression.
    “Excuse me,” she called out when she was still several yards away. The father and husband was sitting in front of the open wagon with reins in his hand, yoked to an elderly biulo. How he was able to get one all alone and tamed must have been quite the story.
    The woman and young boy in the wagon had been lying down, but now they shot their heads up and stared at her as she approached. The man pulled back on the leather reins, stopping the biulo in its tracks. The creature began picking off leaves from a nearby tree with its mouth as the man leaned back in his oak seat.
    “What can I do you for, young lady?” The man was in his mid-forties and bald. He was rail thin and his wife and child were just as gaunt, and yet, they didn’t seem unhealthy. The little boy was actually jumping up and down at the possibility of having someone else to talk to.
    “I was looking for some companionship during my travels,” she said, still keeping an eye out for Olivia and Catherine.
    “Where are you headed?”
    “Not sure. I’m exploring.”
    “You’re welcome to accompany us as long as you like. We’re heading to Cimmerian.”
    “Really?” she asked in surprise. She had heard of Paragons leaving their homes to go to Cimmerian but it was quite a rare sight.
    “Yeah,” he laughed, waving a hand over his thin body. “We’ve been weaning ourselves off the food around Paragon in preparation for the journey. It hasn’t been easy.”
    “I’ll join you for now,” Remi said, climbing into the back of the wagon. The woman shuffled over to give her room.
    “My name is Zaiya,” the woman said, extending a hand out. Remi shook it and smiled once she saw the little boy.
    “And what’s your name?” Remi asked.
    The little boy shook his head and then burrowed himself into his mother’s side.
    “He’s shy,” Zaiya laughed. “This is Ben. We found him abandoned in Terra during one of our travels a few years ago.”
    “Oh,” Remi said. “Do you know what happened to his parents?”
    “Not a clue,” she said. “We were out scavenging for food—you know, to get better accumulated to Terra’s produce, when we found him crying in the forest all alone. He was dirty and bit by some of the woodland creatures. We did look for a guardian of his, but after a couple of days we cleaned him up and took him back home with us. He’s been with us