Bright moon, rocks, campfires, wild, men.

When Tails woke up, this was the scene that the senses of hell gave him feedback.

It's good that he's not tied up.

Tails opened his eyes slightly, and quietly groped his waist under the pain in the back of his head and bouts of vertigo.

"Are you looking for this?"

A gong-like voice sounded.

Tails sighed, gave up groping, sat up with difficulty, and patted the dust off his clothes: "That's mine." ”

At night, by the campfire, Monty sat against a tree with a leisurely expression, looking at him with a smile on his face.

The JC dagger rotated back and forth lightly in the man's hand, playing a lot of tricks.

"I have to say, it's pretty sharp. ”

The Dead Raven turned the dagger into a backhand, slashing it through the air with a swift snap, retracting its arm with a slight cracking sound.

"I know a lot about weapons, and I can't make out the raw material of them at all—probably some rare metal, tsk, and sure enough, the royal family is the royal family. Monty flicked JC's blade and sighed with interest.

Tails twisted his neck helplessly, soothing the back of his aching head - looking around.

They were no longer in the same woods, but in a rugged wilderness, and the man had made a fire under a large rock that was diagonally sheltered from the wind.

Monty was tethered to a tree behind him with two well-saddled horses, one of which was equipped with an quiver, and the other even had a sword shield hanging from it—warhorses at first glance.

In the senses of hell, Monty's silhouette is no different from that of a normal person, taking on a transparent human form, but Tails can see that, like the Fortress Flower, Kingdom Fury, and the Starfall, this Extreme Master has a strange power in his body, lurking between the muscles and blood vessels, and occasionally striking.

The horses were on the other side, and there were no weapons, it was an unfamiliar wilderness, and the enemy was still strong.

Tails shook his head secretly: the chances of escape were slim.

As he looked closely, Monty had already lowered his dagger and threw a piece of jerky and a hydration bag from a distance.

Tails scrambled to catch it, then frowned slightly.

"That's all?"

The prince patted the dust on the jerky and said with a look of disgust: "Since you have made a fire, can't you hunt and roast some meat or something?"

Monty shook his head, not taking it seriously.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. ”

"In the wild, the smell of meat can be an unnecessary nuisance—it's too much to start a fire," the Crow grabbed another portion of jerky and chewed it in his mouth with relish, "Of course, you can choose not to eat it." ”

Tails sighed sadly again, took a bite of jerky, and looked at Monty disapphantly.

The man on the other side seemed to look at the prince with great interest, and let out a low sneer.

"What is this place?" the prince seemed to give up his protest, staring at Monty dejectedly, sweeping the JC dagger in his hand:

"Where are we?"

Monty tore another bite of jerky and chuckled deliberately:

"On the way. ”

On the way.

Tails frowned slightly: "Wow, that's precise. ”

"I'm sorry I didn't bring you the map," Monty said sarcastically, "Your Highness." ”

"The people of the secret department, the people who should have waited in the jungle to meet me......" Tails said lightly, "What happened to you?"

Monty laughed.

He smiled heartily, his shoulders shaking, as if he was very happy at the thought of it.

This weighed Tails' heart.

"Didn't I say that," Monty blinked, his face smug "They're busy." ”

Tails, who had a sinking expression, did not respond, but silently opened the water bag.

He clasped the spout to his mouth and silently activated his senses of hell, taking a closer look at his surroundings, including the position of the moon.

It's late at night, and it's been at least a few hours since he knocked me out.

It's just that......

Odd.

"You're the only one?" the prince asked lightly, taking a sip of water.

Monty frowned.

"How?"

The dead crow squinted slightly, and a hint of alertness flashed in his eyes:

"Do you think that if I were the only one, you might have a chance?"

Tails glanced at the bag with the bow and crossbow beside him, then at the JC dagger lying quietly on the ground, and sighed slightly.

"Forget it. ”

"I didn't think I'd be able to single out Exeter's most famous outpost scout. ”

Monty chuckled.

A cold light flashed in the eyes of the Death Raven, making Tails feel like a man on his back again, and he fidgeted: "Then don't look at me like that—you don't have a chance." ”

Tails put down the hydration bladder and wiped the corners of his mouth.

"But you're really just one person. ”

Monty's eyebrows gathered, and his words became cold: "You like nonsense?"

Tails shook his head.

But he still smiled slightly: "This says something else—what, are you afraid of being discovered?

"Like being discovered by Longxiao City, and being discovered by your good buddy Nicolai?"

Monty looked up and saw that his eyes were getting colder.

"Huh. He tugged at the corners of his mouth with a non-smirk.

Tails raised an eyebrow, lowered the hydration bag, and tore back into the jerky.

"Yes, you're not carrying me, you're carrying 2,000 cavalry. He said vaguely.

Monty's gaze shifted slightly.

"Remember, the two thousand cavalry of the Kingdom of the Stars are still on the desert border, waiting to interfere in the war of the Free Alliance. ”

The prince tore the stiff jerky with difficulty, and took a sip of water from time to time: "It is related to the interests of the two major territories of Qiyuan City and Longxiao City. ”

"With me, you don't have a light burden, Lord Monty. ”

Tails whispered, "Are you ready?"

Monty didn't speak, but his face turned completely dry.

"You're talking too much. ”

But Tails shook his head disappreciatively, "But you're confident, aren't you?"

"Because you are the best scout in all of Exeter, the army of Qiyuan City has also added a lot to it. ”

The death crow snorted coldly, and looked at him with more and more unkind eyes:

"Sycophants won't help you, Your Highness. ”

He said coldly and unpleasantly, "So, why don't you finish the food in your hand and then shut up?"

However, at this moment, Tails suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha......"

Monty was slightly surprised, then looked at him suspiciously.

"I see. Tails swallowed the last bite of jerky and patted his half-full belly, the smile on his face growing happier and happier.

"You, Dead Raven......"

Monty's face became more and more ugly, and his attitude became more and more displeased.

"Hell. ”

"Understand what?"

Tails reluctantly put away his smile, pulled back his gaze that was staring at the other party, and shook his head vigorously: "It's nothing. ”

But he chuckled again, as if he couldn't help but laugh: "It's just—haha—suddenly I realized that I was so dull." ”

Monty's eyes lit up.

The Dead Raven said coldly: "You said so much, it makes me feel bad: you are planning something, or you know something. ”

Tails seemed to be intently eating his jerky, but his eyes never took off Monty.

Monty was stared at by him very uncomfortably, and said coldly:

"They say you're very good at convincing and shaking. ”

"So maybe the next moment, you're going to say something that makes me hesitate?"

Tails then restrained his smile, but he shrugged his shoulders, showing no fear:

"You're going to hesitate...... Perhaps, because you are very weak-hearted?"

The voice fell, and the air fell silent.

All that remained was the crackling of the campfire.

The warmth on the face of the Dead Raven was completely gone, and this time, he looked at the prince silently for a long time.

Hopefully, Tails was worried.

After a few seconds, Monty sneered and stood up: "You know, there is a good way to overcome hesitation. ”

Tails was slightly stunned, looked at the dead crow walking towards him, and unconsciously shrank back.

"What?"

But Monty was already in front of him.

He reappeared that hunting grin and clenched his fists, "That's - don't give yourself a chance to hesitate." ”

"Are you done eating?"

Tails felt palpitations, he subconsciously got up, and hid back: "Wait, you ......"

But before Tails finished speaking, Monty's expression changed, as if he didn't need to charge up at all, and he stepped forward like lightning!

"Bang!"

There was a muffled sound, and Tails couldn't even see the other party's movements clearly, so he fainted again.

————

"Awake again?"

It was the first thing Tails heard after waking up from hunger and jolting.

It still belongs to that man.

The first thing that catches your eye is the ground.

Grass, stones, dirt on the ground......

Wait a minute.

How are they all moving backwards......

Moving ground?

Tails was shocked!

He shook his head vigorously, and was surprised to find that he was lying in an ugly position on the saddle, slowly moving forward with the horse's hooves, head and hands on one side and legs and feet on the other.

The prince subconsciously struggled to get up, but found that he was firmly tied to the saddle, and he couldn't even straighten his body!

"Abominable ......"

Tails felt the ache all over his body, and looked around in pain: the weather was clear and sunny, but they were walking on a weedy path flanked by cedars, and it was clearly not the same place as yesterday's campsite.

Damn it.

What the hell is this?

Tails looked solemnly at the horse's hooves lying on the ground, and his heart sank.

He desperately looked up at Monty, who was on the other horse, whistling leisurely.

"Damn, is this what you should give His Royal Highness the Prince?"

Tails let out a breath, feeling the pain in his lower back and abdomen becoming more and more unbearable, and couldn't help but grit his teeth and curse: "Are you sure that you won't settle accounts with you?"

"What if I die on the way?"

The Death Crow looked back from his horse and smiled, "But aren't you still dead?"

"And I'm sure - no!"

"Hahaha-"

Tails let out a long sigh heavily, looking at his bound body, he couldn't help but hang his head, only to feel unlucky:

"You, old drama bone, you're trying too hard. ”

The Raven didn't seem to hear Tails' words, and he slowed his horse and marched alongside Tails.

"Listen, talkative boy," Monty's smile was terrible, "for the sake of the purity and smoothness of our road......"

"You now have two options. ”

I saw Monty easily raise two fingers, and a sense of pleasure rising in his face with the pleasure of a prey in his hands:

"Choose one, you can continue to talk a lot......"

But he hadn't finished speaking—

"I'll pick two. ”

Tails said coldly, not even his expression and emotion.

This made Monty's face freeze for a moment.

He tilted his head, looked at his raised fingers, and scratched his chin with some unpleasantness.

"Damn," the crow said in displeasure, "I haven't even started yet." ”

"Hmph. ”

Tails replied to him without hesitation, and stiffly pushed back: "Anyway, choosing one is always the worst, isn't it?"

Monty snorted dissatisfied, and looked back at himself with no amusement.

They had been on the road for about an hour, and for so long that Tails had only the strength to breathe.

The feeling of being hung on the back of a horse is really ...... Ouch my god......

"Hey...... That big-mouthed ......"

"The Starfall told me that he can break your neck in five seconds," Tails felt confused, his back ached, and his saddle belly was about to wear through, which made him hate the person in front of him:

"Honestly, I'm really looking forward to that scene now. ”

Monty, who was sitting on the horse, stiffened slightly.

"Five seconds?" did he say?"

His face turned ugly.

But in an instant, Monty retracted his emotions.

He smiled contemptuously and turned to Tails, who was gritting his teeth on horseback, "Now I believe that you are indeed a nuisance—at least in the annoyance. ”

"It's all like this, and you can't stop your mouth?"

Tails gasped in pain, trying to show a pale smile:

"Look, that's the problem. ”

"When I was still in the hands of Long Xiao Cheng, they thought I was in trouble," the prince's sweat dripped down the ground, and his mouth was a little difficult, and his voice was hoarse: "But after they lost me, they remembered that I was still a bargaining chip." ”

"And now, I'm in your hands. ”

The young man tried his best to raise his head, drenched in cold sweat, but he still tried his best to pull out an ugly smile: "Guess what, who is the most troublesome?"

Monty snorted coldly and rode his horse closer.

He slowly raised his knife and aimed it at Tails' neck.

Tails felt a chill rise all of a sudden, and the feeling of being frightened came back to his mind.

"Alright, don't do it," the prince bowed his head in remorse, and cried out, "I will cooperate!"

Monty smiled with satisfaction.

But Tails grinned and spoke again: "I'll only ask one last question......"

"Are you sure we're on the right track?"

The Dead Raven frowned fiercely.

Monty let out a long sigh, "Didn't you choose two?"

Before Tails could react, the next moment, his hand knife fell heavily!

"Bang!"

Split Tails' neck.

Looking at the (again) fainted prince, the Raven nodded in satisfaction.

He changed to a comfortable sitting position, and muttered as the horses swayed:

"It's a lot quieter now. ”

————

Tails swore that it was the hardest road he had ever walked in his short life, the worst sleep he had ever had, the most boring person he had ever met.

His daily itinerary is to eat and faint, wake up, wake up and eat, eat and faint again.

It seems that Monty is also happy to do this, and once Tails talks a little more or angers him, he basically serves with a knife in his hand, and from time to time he comes up with a "rule number one".

So much so that Tails sometimes wakes up on horseback, sometimes opens his eyes in the wilderness, and every time he wakes up, he can only see the scenery changing, the sun and the moon changing, and he doesn't even know how much time has passed.

Back pain, leg cramps, dizziness, dizziness and tinnitus are commonplace.

Oh, my God.

Tyres, who was about to go mad, wailed in pain in his heart:

Pigs aren't so cruel, hey!

It felt like being back in an abandoned house - no, worse than that.

He secretly stated that he remembered this man, the Dead Crow, Ned Monty.

Damn bastards.

I want him to look good when I go back!

Tails thought through gritted teeth.

However, just when Tails thought that this life would last until they reached their destination, one day, he woke up on horseback and found something different.

This time, he was forcibly shaken awake.

"Hey, wake up!"

When Tails opened his eyes from the confusion, the voice of the Death Crow was a little anxious and solemn.

It's another day.

Alas.

The prince, who was accustomed to the light, was at a loss: "What?"

"Are you lost?"

Only then did he realize that the scenery around him was different: from cedar-covered and rocky hills to gently undulating slopes, with fewer trees and more weeds.

Here it is......

Tails stretched out his head and hand in pain, soothing the pain of lying on the back of a horse for a long time—he was getting used to it, and he had even developed a way to use the Sins of the River to relieve the pain.

"You don't want to be captured by Longxiao City, do you, Your Highness the Prince?"

Monty said coldly.

Tails sobered up a little, and it was only then that he suddenly realized that Monty's words were wrong.

The prince's face turned grim: "What's the matter?"

Monty grabbed the reins of his horse in one hand and Tails's in the other, and his horse was much faster than usual.

"We've just crossed the Twilight River crossing," Monty glanced back, his expression solemn and his eyes terrifying:

"We're being targeted. ”

Feeling the heaviness of his words, Tails was stirred, recalling his current situation.

Just past the Twilight River......

Keep an eye on us......

"Who?" he asked alarmedly.

Monty shook his head, his expression tense: "I don't know, but I want to guess - it should be Longxiao City, or Rumba's pursuers." ”

Tails moved slightly: "How do you know?"

The Death Raven snorted.

"I just know. ”

He looked unquestioning, and looked around seriously: "It's the scout's instinct - the smell in the air is familiar. ”

Tails froze.

Pursuers?

How could it be......

"If you don't want to be caught," Monty said coldly, with a hint of warning in his words:

"Then work together. ”

Tails looked at him dumbfounded.

"How to cooperate?"

Monty lowered his eyes and gestured to his hands and feet: "We can't go on a slow and leisurely outing anymore, we must let go of the reins and gallop forward." ”

"You're tired of sleeping on horseback, too – it makes me feel like a human trafficker. ”

The Dead Crow said with a disgusted expression: "How?"

Tails looked at him steadily.

After several minutes, the prince finally smiled.

"Of course. ”

He's definitely authentic.

"There's still a long way to get from here to the destination," Tails nodded, narrowing his eyes, "In the face of the recourse of the entire Longxiao City, all we need from each other are collaborators. ”

"Not a troublemaker. ”

"We are not enemies, Lord Monty. ”

Tails put away his smile and said solemnly, "Especially in the face of Longxiao City. ”

Monty let out a breath and smiled, the sense of foreboding that staring at his prey returned.

Under the sun, the dead crow raised his eyebrows: "Very good." ”

He smiled, pulled the sheathed JC dagger from his bosom, and slashed the rope that bound Tails neatly.

Tails breathed a sigh of relief: Finally.

He straightened up numb with his hands and feet, and sat upright on his horse.

It felt like I hadn't ridden a horse properly in years.

Tails exclaimed with satisfaction: the stirrups gave him a sense of reassurance.

"How, can it work?" Monty glanced at him, his gaze subtle.

Tails moved his wrist, rubbed his numb waist, and took a deep breath, only to feel his vitality return.

"A new lease on life. He said lightly.

"Very good. Monty smiled sympathetically and tossed the JC dagger back to Tails.

Tails took the dagger he was familiar with, and his heart became more and more settled.

Really......

"Now, sit down your horse, take the reins, control the direction, follow me, and run as fast as you can," Monty patted his bag with his bow and crossbow, lifting the quiver from the saddle with a stern expression, "Of course, don't try to run away, I don't want to shoot you down with an arrow—like shooting through your balls." ”

"Trust me, I can do it. ”

Tails felt a chill in his heart, he raised an eyebrow, held the reins, and nodded kindly.

Monty licked the corners of his mouth: "Ready to start." ”

"Remember, it's 'playing with your life'!"

In the next second, the rope in Monty's hand was pulled out, and he slammed Tails and his own horse!

In the long-lost exhilaration, the horse's speed increased as the horse's hooves sounded, and the air scraped across Tails' arm.

He leaned forward with a slight force on the stirrups so that the horse could speed up and keep up with Monty's hooves.

"Gurgle, grunt, gluck, grunt......"

Tails took a comfortable breath of air, squinting at the force of the wind.

This is the happiest day he has ever had!

But just ten minutes later, Tails' heart sank.

"Wait!" he yelled at Monty in front of him:

"Why did we turn around?"

"To avoid the pursuers?"

The Dead Raven turned his head and roared back unquestioningly:

"Less nonsense!"

"Just follow me!"

"Don't relax, they're not easy to deal with!"

With the arrow on the bow, Tails could only suppress the doubts in his heart and follow the unreliable guide all the way forward.

————

In a tense gallop, they ran for a whole day and a night.

There was almost no pause on the way, and even eating was solved right away.

And the scenery before them slowly changed: the gentle slopes turned into open wilderness, the trees were almost gone, and even the weeds were not common.

Above the wilderness, as far as the eye can see, most of them are bare large limestones.

So, when the morning came again, they managed to find a brook so shallow that they could barely hold a water bag, and when they set up camp to rest, even the horses were so tired that they wailed.

"Where have we been?"

Tails almost collapsed to the ground, gasping against a rock, and asked as he poured water into his mouth.

"Wasteland," Monty replied this time crisply, and he also poured a mouthful of water, but his face was not relaxed or tired, and his eyes were still alert:

"It's already under the rule of Qiyuan City. ”

"For the next step, we don't have to avoid the crowds anymore – we can even go directly to the village to resupply. ”

Tails' expression froze.

Rocky land.

"So, we're really going to Qiyuan City?" he asked casually.

So, the Great Desert is in the south.

Monty shrugged his shoulders and didn't answer, just tore off a strip of jerky and put it in his mouth - God knows how he could eat when he got off his horse, run when he got on his horse, and sleep when he lay down.

Tails, for example, felt that he was almost exhausted, and he didn't even have the strength to eat.

"Are you taking a detour?" Tails gasped, "I always feel like you're not walking in a straight line?"

Monty glanced at him contemptuously.

"Shut up, when you're out and about, listen to the professionals. ”

With a hint of concern, Tails glanced back behind him:

"So, we're out of the way?"

"Of course," Monty said in a good mood, his brow soothing, and answered his question:

"Even with all my burdens, I'm still the best scout in Exeter. ”

Looking at the smug Crow, Tails couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and muttered in his heart: cumbersome......

"So, who's tracking us?"

Monty just shook his head: "The last person you want to see." ”

"Alright, I'd suggest you shut up now and get some sleep - or I'll help you sleep?"

Tails had to turn his head in a sneering voice, lest he be knocked unconscious again.

In the dusty barren rocky field, he picked a relatively flat rock, and lay down without any scruples, recovering his strength and thinking about the next step.

When he was captured by Monty, at first, Tails thought the situation was bad.

Later, after his first conversation with Monty, he was pleasantly surprised to find that things were going well.

But now, after a day and night of following the Dead Raven, Tails frowned again: No, it's not as good as I thought.

Thinking of this, Tails glanced at Monty worriedly.

This person......

It's not as simple as I thought it would be.

It's much more cumbersome and complicated.

It's very close to returning home.

Now, I need a chance.

An opportunity.

Thinking so, Tails quietly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

But this time I fell asleep much faster than I expected!

"Whoosh!"

A sharp and sharp sound woke Tails from his dream!

He gasped for breath, impressed by the strange thud!

This is......

This is?

"Alert!"

Monty's angry shouts came and brought Tails back to his senses!

At noon, the sun was in the sky, and the bare rocks were scorching, and Tails got up drenched in sweat, only to realize that Monty was already armed with a weapon in his hand, and his face was looking behind him with a hideous face.

The tension in the air infected Tails, who woke up from his dream, shook his head sharply and stood up.

"What's going on?" Tails touched the dagger in his arms and looked around in astonishment, but saw nothing.

Just as he was about to activate his Hellsenses, he was answered by the angry snort of the Death Raven, "What's the matter—we screwed up." ”

Monty seemed to be full of annoyance, constantly grinding his teeth, and his eyes were terrifying: "Damn, how can it be ......"

"How the hell did they find out!"

Tails had never seen him look like this, but he looked like he was annoyed.

But Monty's body tensed tighter and tighter, staring at the back of a rock like a frightened beast.

Tails froze.

How......

But he suddenly remembered the most crucial part.

"The voice just now," Tails said in disbelief, desperately recalling the impression in his memory, "It's a bit like the arrows of the Dragons City Patrol, but there are some differences, I must have heard it somewhere......"

And right now.

A hoarse and deep male voice slowly came from behind the rocks:

"Because it's not a patrol's arrow. ”

At that moment, Tails and Monty suddenly changed color!

The voice......

The unfamiliar sound of horses' hooves sounded from behind the rocks.

A man in a white cloak and a masked man with a knife on his back rode out from behind the rock, his eyes bloodshot, but still as sharp as a knife.

Tails froze: the cape, the mask—he recognized the outfit.

He is......

He is......

The visitor glanced coldly at the two of them, and gently pulled down the scarf, revealing the pale and distinct contours of his face.

Seeing the person clearly, Monty covered his forehead in pain, gritted his teeth and stomped on the ground: "Raised by a bitch!"

I only heard someone say hoarsely: "That's the signal crossbow arrow that has been used for nearly a hundred years, the White Blade Guard of Longxiao City." ”

"Six years ago, it sounded countless times in Longxiao City. ”

Tails sighed.

In the next second, the boy took out the jerky in his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it hard.

"That's what I told you in the hall. ”

"Tails Bright Star. ”

Under the sun, the former commander of the White Blade Guard in Longxiao City was riding on his war horse in full armor, carrying his Rising Japanese saber on his back, and with those terrible eyes, he stared at the gloomy Tails, condescendingly, and said so.

Tails and Monty looked at each other with ugly expressions.

"'Be careful yourself, it's better not to fall into my hands. ’”

Lord Seri Nicolai's voice resounded over the wilderness, and there was a murderous chill in it:

"Otherwise, you won't even have a chance to regret it. ”