2022-03-25 07:02:25The torched sand twinkled under the intense sun. Although one day has passed since the battle at Wolfmore, it is too early for the sun to set. It was impossible to find shelter in the desert. The only thing to do was to enter the village. After a long nap under magical watery blankets, Aiko, Kana, and Ren passed through the village gates with ease.
Glanaram was not as heavily guarded as Wolfmore once was. But, the two places had buildings made quite similar to one another. They were constructed of sturdy stones that can handle the desert heat. However, Glanaram was a lot more sophisticated than Aiko’s hometown. After all, it wasn’t a mining village meant for slaves, but a merchant town booming with business.
The houses here were like heaven on these sand dunes. Each stone was stacked neatly to create a wall with dignity. The wood on the windows was enchanted with magical energy so they won’t burn, and the roofs were properly taken care of to prevent any leaks.
Aiko could never imagine living in such a glorified shed. To her, the houses looked as if they were made for royalty. But, instead of jumping all around and exploring the place, like she would normally do, the girl just lowered her head and moved ahead. The three of them walked quietly through the village streets.
They passed by the shopkeeper with a window full of fruits and veggies, the butcher with plenty of meat on display, and the merchant selling all kinds of miscellaneous goodies. To avoid drawing any attention to themselves, Aiko, Kana, and Ren didn’t buy anything.
After an hour of walking, they approached an abandoned storage located at the end of the village. They waited patiently until no one was around before entering the warehouse. But, to Aiko’s surprise, there wasn’t even a single soul in sight.
- “It’s empty!” – she protested. “You told me everyone would be here!”
- “Shh!” – Kana warned her. “I couldn’t just leave them here in the open. The guards would find them and return them to the mines. I had to hide them.”
- “What are you talking about?! There is no one here!”
- “Keep your voice down, Aiko. I trust Kana, so should you!” – little Ren tapped the girl by the shoulder.
- “Fine.” – Aiko miffed.
- “Thank you.” – the sorceress smiled. “Now, take a step back.”
Aiko and Ren did exactly what they were told. The moment they took a safe distance right by the door, Kana raised her hands and whispered a few words in a foreign language.
- “Cloaks of shadows, be gone!”
- “What language is that?” – Aiko interrupted.
Kana let out a heavy sigh before answering the young girl:
- “Japanese.”
- “I’ve never heard of it before.”
The sorceress just smiled and moved her hands once more, as if she pushed the wind towards the open windows and outside the building. Suddenly, Aiko’s vision blurred and instead of the empty warehouse she used to see, hundreds of people seemed to crowd the place. The huge storage was now packed to the brim with all those familiar faces the girl wished to meet.
- “Everyone, you are alive! I’m so glad you are alive!” – Aiko’s eyes filled with tears of joy.
All those men, women, and children welcomed Aiko with open arms.
- “By Elidy’s grace. You are as healthy as a horse.” – an old man smiled.
- “We are so glad the goddess answered our prayers.” – another woman joined.
Aiko ran towards them with haste and hugged them as tightly as she could. Then, the girl approached one of the older ladies in the crowd and took her by the hand.
- “I’m so sorry. I failed to keep my promise. Daisuke died protecting me.”
The old woman just looked at Aiko and smiled. Aiko could tell from the woman’s eyes, she had been crying for a long time now.
- “A mother knows, Aiko. I can’t explain it, but I know. Don’t worry. It is not your fault. I’m sure that in his last moments he was happy. Now he is with the goddess and she will stay by his side.”
In that moment, Aiko felt a huge burden lift off her shoulders. Her eyes lightened and she smiled back. It was a beautiful smile; one that radiated an innocence of a young girl. It was so vibrant, pure, and free.
Then, Kana approached the group. She lifted her perfectly chiseled jaw with a proud and warm smirk.
- “I know that you have plenty of things you want to say to each other. But, it’s time for goodbyes. I brought you here, Aiko, to give you closure. After today, you will never see these people again.”
There was no compassion or warmth in the way she spoke. In her mind, every word was a simple fact.
- “What?” – the girl panicked. “You brought me here to help me find my family. They are all my family!”
- “Do you want them to die?”
- “What?! No! Of course not!” – Aiko answered with haste.
- “The longer you stay with them, the more you put their lives in danger. Remember, I took you away from the nobles. They are coming back to get you. Dead or alive.”
- “But…”
- “The monsters are coming back too. Remember the creatures that attacked your village? They came to get you! You are a cleric with unmeasurable power. Now that you’ve awakened your magic, they will come back for more. Do you want your family to die because of your selfishness?”
Aiko took a good look at all those people that stood beside her. Their wide-eyed expressions spoke more than a thousand words. They were all terrified. They had no place to go back to and going with them will only put them in harm's way. But, this was a decision that Aiko couldn’t make on her own. She turned to face her trusty companion only to find him staring right back at her in shock.
- “I’m sorry. I had no idea. Guys, can you do me one favor?”
Aiko clutched Ren gently in her hand and faced Diasuke’s mother once more.
- “What is it, pumpkin?” – the woman answered with a warm tone.
- “Will you take care of Ren for me?”
But, out of the blue, little Ren slipped through her fingers and landed on her shoulder.
- “What are you talking about? Are you out of your mind? I’m coming with you.”
- “No! It’s dangerous. Plus, you are scared of me.”
- “Me? Scared?” – the pup spit and laughed. “You are nuts. I was just surprised, that’s all! Who would have imagined that the careless little Aiko was a badass cleric? Plus, who do you think will have your back if I’m gone?”
- “You are right.” – the girl laughed and hugged Ren tightly.
- “Now that all the goodbyes are done, it’s time for the real problems.” – Kana mumbled and moved Aiko a little bit to the side. “We have a much bigger issue at hand.”
The sorceress laid out a map on the barrels that stood in the middle of the room. Then, she gestured at one of the men there for a quill. The young boy reached for the shelves behind him grabbed the feather, dipped it in a bottle of ink, and handed it to Kana. Everyone in the room focused their eyes on the powerful adventurer.
- “We are now…here.” – she circled Glanaram on the map and marked the dirt road to the west. “This village is located in the southern sections of Azidora. To leave the kingdom, you must head to the west. You must pass the Forgrave desert and get to Vernon, the kingdom of half-human half-beasts.”
- “Don’t they have slaves there?” – asked the boy who handed her the quill.
- “They do. But, slavery there is a lot more forgiving than it is here.”
- “What do you mean?” – Ren raised an eyebrow.
- “This world is cruel. A lot crueler than you think. Elves treat humans like dirt. In fact, anyone can suffer a horrible death if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. You have no future here.”
- “Isn’t that the same everywhere?” – the little creature mumbled.
- “To some extent, yes. But, in Vernon, humans at least get a chance to do manual labor and earn a living. You will be living in the poorest districts with a decent roof over your head. No one will beat you into submission. If you work, that is.”
- “I see.” – Daisuke’s mother chuckled.
- “We had a good life in Wolfmore. We had food and a hut. We were happy! Why can’t we get another chance here?” – Aiko protested.
- “Aiko, do you call the moldy bread food?” – the young boy barged in.
- “Well…yes.” – she nodded.
- “Hah!” – the boy laughed. “That’s because you haven’t tried a proper meal. Anyway, I want to go to this Vernon kingdom, lady Kana Nakamura!” – he turned and bowed.
- “Good. I’ve arranged for transport to get you there. But, I’m afraid you have to hide the whole way.”
- “Why?”
- “They are slaves, Aiko. If the elves see them, they are going right back to the mines. They saw too much. They know too much. They will be signing their own death warrant.”
- “Oh.”
And with that, the debate ended. Everyone in the room agreed to Kana’s plan. But, Aiko’s heart ached. She never imagined she would have to part ways with the only place she called home and those people who taught her how to live. Ren noticed her sadness and looked straight into her eyes.
- “Don’t worry, Aiko. We will get through this together.”
- “I know.” - The girl wiped her tears and smiled. Then, she gathered all the courage she could muster and reached for the sorceress. “Hey, Kana.”
- “What is it?”
- “Tell me the truth. Why me?”
- “It’s simple. You are the only one who has the power to change this world.”
- “What do you mean?
- “You’ve seen the bottom of the pit. You’ve lived it. Your life will help you create the world people deserve.”
- “I don’t understand.”
- “A seer told me you are destined for greatness. Something none of us can achieve. Together we will put an end to Elidy’s life. The goddess will fall by your hands. I’ll make sure of it.”
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