That night, Charles slept close to Maxine who had fallen asleep sometime earlier. The ground wasn't very comfortable but it was likely that they wouldn't be able to stay at an inn. This was due to their other companions as he didn't think there would be many inns that would accommodate them.

Sleeping in a warm bed was something that he would love and he hoped to be able to do so on a regular basis in the near future. Since his time travelling with Maxine, he had slept out in the elements more times than he could count. He hoped that once she earned her knighthood that she would settle down somewhere so that they didn't have to travel so much.

As he slept, Charles found himself in a place that he wanted to forget. He was in the basement of an inn that still caused him a lot of grief as he could see the dead bodies all around and the altar that struck fear throughout him. Slowly he began to back away as he knew where he was and he began to run up the stairs.

Much to his horror, the stairs were much further than he remembered as it seemed that no matter how many he ran up, he wasn't making any progress. As he looked back down, he could see the faces of the family that he would never be able to forget. Each one he had killed in one way or another and all of them stared directly at him. The young woman had her neck in an unnatural angle and the older man had blood on his chest. There were several stab wounds on his chest and when Charles looked at his hands, he could see that there was blood dripping from them.

Something else that he began to notice was that even though he was running up the stairs, the top of them seemed to be drifting further and further away. Not only that but he was also slowly drifting closer towards the family and this caused him to panic. More and more he tried to run up the stairs but no matter what he did, they only seemed to be getting closer to him.

As he unwillingly approached them, he could hear his name being called. It sounded distant but he didn't seem to notice it all that much as he was too focused on trying to escape. All of the family had sadistic smiles on their faces and this only added to the absolute fear that he could feel. His pleas for them to stay away were being ignored as they reached to grab onto him and he screamed as he felt a hand get placed on his shoulder.

The next thing that Charles could see was someone looming over him. As he began to come to, he realised that it was Maxine and he had jolted away. The very large woman was kneeling towards him and looking down at him. Her armoured hand was on his shoulder and there was a look of concern on her face. It was around this time that he realised that what he had experienced was an horrific dream.

"Charles are you alright?" asked Maxine. It was obvious that she was worried about him. "Can you hear me?"

For the moment, Charles couldn't really answer as he began to tear up and he hugged onto Maxine. This wasn't something that she had been expecting but she did hug him back as she could guess what had just happened. She had witnessed him murmuring and turning in his sleep. To her, this was a clear indication that he was having a nightmare.

"Don't worry," said Maxine as she continued to hug him. "I'm here, I'm here."

These words meant more to Charles than he could describe. In a way, he felt a little embarrassed that he was reacting in such a way to a dream. But the fact that it was based on a past trauma had made it truly horrific for him. The knowledge that she was there for him did put him at ease but it was obvious that he still had some issues from the past experience that he needed to work out.

His reactions had not gone unnoticed by Asla and her companions who looked over to him. They could see his reaction to her and they do begin to wonder a few things. For now, it was best for them to not pry further but it was obvious that something had bothered Charles a great deal.

After a quick breakfast, the group carried on with their journey but Charles remained quite quiet. It was obvious that the nightmare that he had the previous night had really rattled him. Although some time and other events had taken place between now and when they had stayed at the cultist inn, he was still very anxious. Because of this, he stayed quite close to Maxine as he knew that she would do whatever she could to protect him.

There was one point in time where they did have to stop so that the men could relieve themselves. They stepped off the path and made their way to some bushes that were close by. The women stood there and waited and none of them looked towards the men as they knew that they wanted privacy.

This made it the first time that the two women were alone without the men present. The size and cultural differences between the two were staggering as Asla looked up to the much taller Maxine. She didn't really take much notice of her for the moment as she simply stood there and waited.

It took a couple of moments for Asla to think of what she wanted to say. She had seen how angry Maxine had been at the tavern the previous day and had been surprised that she hadn't let her rage explode. But this wasn't going to be the subject of her line of questioning. Instead, it was something else entirely.

"Is Charles alright?" asked Asla with some concern in her voice. Her accent did make it a little hard for Maxine to understand but she was able to piece together what the smaller woman was asking. "I saw him wake up in a cold sweat and in a panicked state. Is there something bothering him."

"He just had a bad dream," replied Maxine. She wasn't dismissive or thought that what Charles had experienced wasn't anything of note. She just wanted to make it seem like it wasn't too big of a deal so that Asla wouldn't become worried about him. "Nothing more than that."

"It's more than just a bad dream, I've seen people toss and turn like that and it isn't a mere dream that causes such a thing. If you don't mind me asking, did your friend suffer some kind of past trauma."

"I do mind you asking." Her tone was only slightly harsher than it had been before and it was obvious that she wanted Asla to drop the subject. "Charles will be fine, don't worry about a thing."

"A-As you wish."

Despite Maxine's words, Asla couldn't help but worry about Charles. Out of the vast majority of the people that she had met in Angleland, he had treated her and her companions with a great amount of respect. She didn't want anything bad to happen with him and she had seen people who had suffered such night terrors. They were all suffering from some kind of past trauma that they hadn't been able to recover from.

From the way that Charles had hugged Maxine and she had done the same back; it was obvious to Asla that the large woman knew exactly what it was. She could also see how much they meant to each other. It was obvious that they both needed one another and the fact that they were only friends was very surprising to say the least.

Before Asla could think about it more, the men returned to them after they had done what they needed to do. It was only a few moments after that when they carried on with their journey. So far, their progress had been satisfactory but they still had at least a couple of hundred miles to go before they reached the east coast.

To them it was still a daunting task and there had been some talk amongst the foreigners to hire some horses. The main problem with that was Maxine was simply too big to ride a horse. When she had been younger, she had been able to ride horses much like everyone else. But as she grew taller and bulkier, she simply became too heavy for a horse to comfortably carry her. Ever since that day she had walked everywhere that she needed to go.

Eventually, the group came up to a crossroads with a signpost that was located right next to it. This caused the group to stop as they needed to decide which way was the best for them. There was one problem that they did come across though. This was the fact that the majority of them couldn't read the signpost.

Maxine's reading skills were subpar much like many, many people in Angleland. There had been a possibility for her to be sent to school but the price had simply been too much for her family to afford. Sir Tucker had tried his best to educate her, but there was only so much he could do. Because of this, she had been living her entire life without the ability to properly read or write.

When it came to Asla, Jinshu and Taiyun the reason for why they couldn't read the sign was simple. Although they could read and write, it was only in their native language. The lettering in the language of Angleland was completely different to their own language and thus they had yet to learn how to understand them.

Out of all of them, it was only Charles who could competently read the signpost. However, the lettering was degrading and it made it a little too hard for him to read. The only problem with that was that the sign was too high up for him to get a closer look and so he had to ask Maxine to lift him up so that he could take a closer look. His friend was more than happy to oblige as she gently grabbed onto him and then lifted him up so that he could properly see what was written on the signpost.

"So, what does it say?" asked Maxine. She was being patient but like the others, she was curious about where they were.

"A-According to this," replied Charles as he read the signpost. It was still a little hard to make out as some moss had grown onto it and he had to remove it with his hands so that he could comfortably read it. "That way leads to Bridgeton and the other leads to Redford." He pointed towards each direction as he spoke this to give a clear indication to everyone there what he was talking about.

"Have you ever been to either place?"

"I can't say that I have, sorry." In a way, he felt like he was letting her and everyone else down by not being able to give the information that was needed.

"That's alright, there's nothing for you to be sorry about." Carefully she placed him back down on the ground and then turned to the others. Since they were the ones paying for her and Charles to accompany them, the decision was ultimately up to them. "So, what'll be, do you want to go through Bridgeton or Redford?"

"It makes little difference to us," answered Asla in a respectful tone. "Just like you, we are unfamiliar with these places so picking either of them wouldn't really change things. If we have to choose, we would go for Bridgeton. Bridges build friendships between people and are strong."

Maxine didn't fully understand the logic behind what Asla had just said but if that was her decision, then that was what they would do. She hadn't heard much about either location so she couldn't judge whether it was a good decision or not.

Since the decision had been made, the group began to follow the path that would take them to Bridgeton. This took them further south and they hoped that they would be able to continue travelling east from there. It would also give them an opportunity to buy some supplies as they were beginning to run a little low. But there was one thing that did concern them about this.

They feared that they would be rejected like they had done at the inn the day before. This was something that was squarely on their minds but they also had to be somewhat optimistic. If they weren't able to find anyone who was willing to sell them supplies, then they would struggle. Even if it did mean that they would have to likely buy them at an inflated price in comparison to others.

It was around mid-afternoon when the group could spot Bridgeton in the distance. It looked to be a relatively small town and seemed like the ideal place where they could rest up for the night if they found anywhere that would take them in. Charles seemed to have cheered up a little over the walk but he was still feeling depressed after the dream. He had stuck close to Maxine the entire time; she didn't mind this as she knew what he was going through and felt that it was best to stay with him.

Once again, all of them seemed tired as they entered into Bridgeton. At first glance, there didn't seem to be too much to really see in this town. It looked like numerous other towns littered all across Angleland where nothing of real importance ever happened. It was the kind of place that people would occasionally see on a map and not really give it too much thought. It was simply that unremarkable.

As expected, the townspeople began to take notice of the group when they entered the town. Many of them just went by their business and didn't really look while other stared at them as if they were intruders. Like most people in Angleland, they had never seen people from the East before and their expression was that of wonder and confusion. This stemmed from the fact that they looked very different to the people of Angleland and their outfits too were very colourful. To the people of Bridgeton, Asla and her companions were like people from a completely different world.

They also didn't ignore the fact that they were accompanied by a nine-foot woman who could strike fear into any of them by giving them a simple glance. A few people had heard about her but none of them knew her by name. They had heard rumours about such a large woman actually existing. They had just assumed that these were stories to entertain people in taverns, none of them had even considered that they were real.

The only member of the group to not really be noticed was Charles who kept himself quick. Since he was quite a short man, he was able to somewhat blend and due to the way that he was feeling, he thought that it was for the best. Also, he kept his eye out for any kind of shop where they could get some supplies or an inn where they would be able to stop for the night. He just hoped that it would go better than the last time.

Eventually, Charles did spot what looked to be a shop that sold general items. This seemed to be perfect as it meant that they would be able to buy the supplies that they needed. It didn't take him long to point it out to the others who quickly looked towards it. Like, him they thought that it was ideal but they too had some fear amongst them as they simply thought that they would be refused service.

This was when he did come up with an idea that he quickly explained to the others. Since it was less likely to cause trouble, he thought that it was best that either he or Maxine went inside to buy the supplies. If Asla, Jinshu and Taiyun stayed away, then it was likely that they would be served without issue.

The idea was a sound one but it did make Charles feel guilty as he felt like he was treating the others like they had been treated by many others in Angleland. There was a simple reason why he had suggested it but now that he had, his guilt began to get the better of him over the issue.

This was something that was not shared by Asla who although wasn't too pleased about the situation, did admit that it was probably the best thing to do. She knew full well that the presence of herself and her companions did tend to cause problems. It was simply the way that things were and she didn't think that it would change any time soon. Not without a change to the society of Angleland itself.

With some care and gold in his pocket, Charles entered the store and had a quick look around. From what he could see, the prices were more than he expected but he still had more than enough funds to cover it. In particular he was looking out for food products that didn't spoil particularly quickly. He was tempted to buy some meat but without the means to properly store it, it would likely go bad before they had a chance to properly eat it. Worse still, eating bad meat could lead to the group becoming very sick or worse.

Instead, he purchased mostly fruits and vegetables along with some water. The store did sell some ale as well but he thought that it was best not to for the time being. Although Maxine, hadn't drunk any for a few days, he didn't think that they needed to carry any. There was also the fact that she would likely drink some when they arrived at an inn.

The entire time Charles was inside, he couldn't help but feel on edge. This made him jumpier than he normally was as it seemed that he still hadn't gotten over the dream that he had. The main problem with this was that his problem was much worse than simply a bad dream that couldn't be cured just like that. He wouldn't truly feel safe again once he was back by the side of Maxine.

The large woman stood outside close to Asla, Jinshu and Taiyun. All of them were getting a lot of attention and Maxine in particular didn't like it. She was doing her best to curb her anger so rather than glaring at them or giving them a snide comment, she simply tried to ignore them.

She thought that the others too would be uncomfortable with this situation but as she looked at them, she could see normal reactions from them. They even heard one man say to them that they didn't belong there as he walked by them. If they had said that to her, she would have ensured that they regretted those words. But Asla and her companions barely batted an eyelid at them. It was as if they had gotten used to this and as far as she was concerned, that was simply wrong.

"How can you stand there and let someone talk to you in that manner?" asked Maxine as she looked down at her companions. She was eagerly awaiting the return of her squire and if he didn't come back soon, she would begin to worry. "You should defend yourself more, then people will treat you with respect."

"That may be true but it wouldn't be the wisest course of action," replied Asla. Her tone was still respectful, even though she didn't agree with what Maxine was saying. "There are some wars that are worth fighting and others that are not. If we were to fight everyone who made some kind of ill comment towards us, then we would be fighting practically everyone that we came across. They do mean their words but they bring us no physical harm so no actions are needed."

"But if you let people walk all over you then how are you going to change things? Don't you want to be able to go into a tavern or a shop and be treated just like everyone else?" Her words were making her a little flustered but she still kept her composure.

"Of course, we do, but we are just three people and there is nothing that I would be able to do or say that can change the entirety of a society's mindset. We can educate people on a person-by-person basis but changing everything. That is something that is simply beyond you or myself."

"So, you're going to just stand there and take it?

"For now, yes because there is nothing else that can be done. Plus, by simply letting it go, it brings less trouble to us. We are already disliked enough, violently correcting people on their trespasses, then we will bring more trouble down upon us than even someone like you could handle."

Maxine did fall silent as she did think about what Asla had said. She could see a lot of sense in her words and she did wonder what would have happened if she had let similar insults slide. Situations would have gone very different and it was likely that some of the confrontations that she had engaged with wouldn't have taken place.

These thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Charles returning to them. In his arms were the supplies that he had been sent to buy and since he was buying for five people, there was a lot for him to carry. It was more like feeding six or seven people when Maxine was included. When the supplies were distributed then it would be much easier to carry and he seemed to have gotten everything that they needed. But from carrying everything he did seem to be out to breath.

"You return Charles," said Jinshu. It was odd to see him happy to see Charles. It was obvious that Jinshu and Taiyun didn't fully trust their two new companions. But he was glad that they had gotten the supplies that they needed.

"I-I got everything," replied Charles. His arms were trembling under the weight of everything that he was carrying. Thankfully this was soon relieved as Maxine grabbed the majority of it and lifted it up. To her, she barely showed any effort when picking it up and this showed the pure strength difference between the two.

"You've done great," stated Maxine once she had picked up the objects. She had felt some sympathy towards him as she knew that she should have been there to help him. "Good job Charles."

"Y-You're welcome." He couldn't help but blush a little as he did enjoy being complimented by her. Out of everything that he had done for her, this was only minor but it was nice nonetheless.

The group began to go through the supplies that had been picked up and distribute it amongst themselves. All of them were hungry and they were tempted to just eat some of the food that they had acquired. However, they knew better than this as it needed to last them for a good while. Plus, it was better to have a hot meal in their bellies rather some uncooked vegetables and snacks.

This was going to be another problem for them as finding an inn would be their next port of call. From where they were standing, they could see a relatively large inn that was close by. Already they had seen around three or four people walk in and out. The memories of the day before were in their minds and they greatly worried about what would happen if they were rejected again.

Last time it had been at a tavern that was practically in the middle of nowhere. This time, they were in the middle of a town and if trouble were to arise then there was a good chance that a lot more people would get involved. More than even, Maxine would be able to handle by herself.

There was some caution as the group made their way towards the inn. All of them were prepared for the worst possible outcome. If anyone tried to attack them, Jinshu and Taiyun were prepared to defend themselves, but they too feared about being overwhelmed. Also, there would be a chance that law enforcement would get involved and that would only get them into even more trouble.

The first problem that the group came across was the main entrance. The door was smaller than average as it was only a few inches above six feet in height. For four members of the group, this wasn't a problem but when it came to Maxine, it was another matter entirely. She glared at it for a few moments as she realised that she was going to have to really duck down this time to get through it.

Out of all of them, she was the last to step through as she really ducked down and slowly made her way through. Thankfully, it was wide enough for her as her muscles and armour made her body very bulky. But there wasn't too much clearance on either side as they were only an inch or so of space left.

Almost all eyes were on her when she entered as it was hard to miss such a large woman entering the inn. Some glanced over with curiosity before going back to their drinks or whatever food that they had been eating. The appearance of the others was surprising but not enough for them to stop drinking.

It took a few moments for Maxine to be able to fit through the door and slowly her head began to rise as she began to stand up to her full height. Before she had done this, she had glanced up to the ceiling and noticed that it did look quite low. Because of this, before she could stand up straight, her head did strike the ceiling. Thankfully because she had been doing this slowly, she didn't feel too much of an impact.

For Asla and the others, it was still amazing to see a woman so tall that she her head would touch the ceiling in a normal size room. At the previous tavern, the ceiling had been more than high enough for her to stand up to her full height. This inn wasn't the same and this did annoy Maxine slightly, although by now she was used to such places. The world simply wasn't built for a person of her size.

Now that she inside, she and the others began to make their way towards the counter. There they could see a short man standing there. He had a somewhat worried look on his face as he could see the odd group approaching. His focus was completely on Maxine as she was definitely the biggest figure amongst them.

Charles could sense some tension and all he could do was hope that this interaction went better than the last one. His heart was beating very quickly and he made sure to stay close to the towering armoured woman. Not just for protection but also so that he could step in if he needed to.