Beyond Gods 40 Rickshaw

Johan awoke to knocking at his room door. Groggily, he got up from bed and opened the door. Outside was Lin, dressed in pure black, tapping her foot impatiently.

She threw a pair of black folded clothes into his arms.

"Get ready," Lin said, "we should head out while there is light. At night, things get dangerous."

Johan nodded.

"Take a shower and clean up," said Lin, "I'll wait here. Make it quick."

"Where is the washroom?," asked Johan.

The minute he said washroom, the wall near his bed turned transparent revealing a restroom door.

Lin raised her eyebrow at and said, "Well hurry up! I don't have all day."

Johan went into the washroom and the transparency of the door disappeared.

After he cleaned himself up, he realised that he had left his clothes on his bed. He wrapped himself with a towel and came out to get them.

"Hmmm," said Lin eyeing Johan, "I can see why Brandy was so annoyed about you not being in the mood yesterday. You have a really nice body for someone who hasn't had a breakthrough. I am impressed."

"Thanks," said Johan, "I train a lot."

"Don't get full of yourself," said Lin, "I am at a much higher cultivation level than you ... while I don't care much for cultivation realms, in the upper realms, talking casually to those stronger than you can get you killed."

"The measure of a person," said Johan, "is how he treats someone who can do him no good. A great man from earth once said that. It seems like you have quite a few rotten people in the upper realms."

"Earth?," said Lin, "a land of the ma.n.a.less. In the greater realms, it isn't your moral views that garner respect, rather it is strength. Learn that or you won't last long after a sect takes you in. What can a person without mana abilities really do?"

"Anything they put their mind to," said Johan, "hard work and consistency over the long term is a mentality, not a G.o.d given ability. It gets much more done than a person with talent who doesn't have those traits."

Johan went into the washroom and put on the black clothes Lin had given him then came out.

Lin rubbed her nose and said, "looks like you are ready. Lets get out of here and get you home."

They left Johan's room and walked out of Silverblade's Abode.

The suns were rising on the horizon and birds chirping in the distance. The usually yellow sky was a deep pink and little drops of moisture littered the giant turtle sh.e.l.l that they stood on.

A pink rickshaw was meters from the door of the Abode. At the back of it, sat Brandy wearing skin tight black clothing. It outlined and extenuated her curves perfectly.

"What are you doing on my bike Brandy?," asked Lin raising her eyebrow.

"I want to see the city were Johan is from," said Brandy, "he told me about it, and I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it."

"Did you tell Silverblade?," asked Lin.

"I don't need permission," said Brandy, "You know this. I've told the other girls I am going with you so they won't worry. For a city to run without mana ... it is a fascinating thing. You don't mind, do you? We are friends right?"

"Very well," said Lin, "I don't have time to argue."

"She is coming?," said Johan flus.h.i.+ng red as he recalled Brandy's naked body.

"Yes she is," said Lin, "hurry, get on the bike."

Johan got into the back of the rickshaw sitting next to Brandy and Lin got onto the bicycle connected to it.

"SCREEETCCCHHH!"

Lin started to peddle the rickshaw wheels spun rapidly leaving skid marks on the turtle sh.e.l.l as it shot forward. Johan and Brandy were pushed back into their seats by the sudden acceleration. It was clearly no ordinary rickshaw. Lin's legs moved with extreme furry and speed as she peddled full force.

"FOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Air whizzed by the rickshaw as it flew forward faster than any car could.

An orange glow surrounded the rickshaw as it deflected bugs and debris in its path. They quickly flew off the turtle's sh.e.l.l into the forest. Lin was unnaturally agile and adept with her bike and swerved the rickshaw with lightening fast reflexes past the obstacles in her way.

A few hours later, upon leaving the forest, Lin stopped the rickshaw, setup an array pulled out three lunch boxes, thee juice cans and a picnic blanket. She rolled out the blanket and put the food on it.

"Well you two," said Lin, "what are you waiting for? join me, let's eat."

Johan and Brandy sat on the blanket with Lin.

"It is so beautiful out here," said Brandy, "I've been in the Abode so long hiding from danger that I forgot."

"How much further do we have to go?," asked Johan.

Every moment that pa.s.sed, the danger to Luisa grew in his mind.

"I think I misjudged the distance," said Lin glancing back at the giant turtle walking in the distance, "this might be a problem. If I had someone else that could peddle. Maybe. But alone, I simply don't have the stamina to get there in time."

"I can peddle," said Johan.

Lin stared at Johan thoughtfully and said, "You haven't even made a breakthrough, your strength won't be enough to even move the bike, it is heavier than it looks in order to move so fast. The array formations feed off the riders mana pools. You and Brandy wouldn't be suitable because of your cultivation realms."

"Let me try," said Johan, "I've been training in physical conditioning all this time. I fight for a living, I find it hard to believe that I wouldn't be able to move something like this."

Lin let out a sigh and said, "I am tired and want to take a nap. After we eat, you can try whatever you like. We will probably have to turn back."

"We can't," said Johan, "there is something very important I have to take care of back home."

"It gets dangerous out here at night," said Lin, "I can't guarantee your safety if we are attacked. There are bandits, mana beasts, and other dangers that become more active at night."

"Maybe we should head back," said Brandy nervously.

"I'll tell you what," said Lin, "if Johan can move the bike, we will keep going. Otherwise we will head back."

They finished eating their lunches in quiet, watching animals in the distance graze peacefully. Then Lin put the picnic blanket and food containers into the rickshaws trunk. Then Lin and Brandy got in the back of the rickshaw.

Johan got onto the bike and took in a deep breath as he prayed that he would be able to move the rickshaw even without having broken through to the first realm of cultivation.

"For Luisa," whispered Johan, "I have to do this."

"SCREEETCCHHHHHH!!!!!"

The rickshaw shot forward causing Lin and Brandy's mouth's to drop.

Johan gave his all to peddling. The rickshaw moved forward at a pace that exceeded what Lin had managed!

Johan's muscles burned, his veins bulged and sweat poured off him soaking his clothes making it look as if he had just gotten out of a shower. Every breath was a fight. His lungs screamed for air. But this feeling wasn't new to him. This was a feeling he had felt every day that year while training for the tournament.

A few hours pa.s.sed and the rickshaw finally got to the edge of the desert.

"STOP!," yelled Lin.

"SCREEEETCHHHH!"

Johan pressed the rickshaw breaks, bringing it to an abrupt stop.

Lin got out of the rickshaw walked up to Johan and gazed into his eyes. Her cheeks turned red.

"You proved me wrong," said Lin, "you are full of surprises. To have moved the rickshaw for that long at a consistent speed without having cultivated properly."

"I train a lot and I train very hard," said Johan.

Johan was soaking wet, his muscles ached, and his veins were vascular. But he had gotten his breath under control after exerting himself for so long.

"Regardless," said Lin, "The desert is dangerous during the day because of sand worms. So in order to get through it, I have to change the mana print on the rickshaw, it will take me a half hour. The new mana print will prevent desert creatures from noticing us at the expense of speed."

"Go for it," said Johan.

"Don't wonder too far," said Lin, "I am fending off things that can potentially kill you and Brandy with my aura because of how weak you are. I won't be able to protect you if you go out of my range. I don't have an array setup this time because setting one up would take up too much time."

"I won't," said Johan.

Lin sat down on the ground next to the rickshaw and started to meditate. She glowed yellow and the aura around the rickshaw slowly began to change from orange to yellow.

As Lin meditated, Johan could swear he felt the sand underneath his feet vibrating.