NOVEL NEXT Arc 1: Coda Village Part 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihonkoku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.
Arc 1: Rodenius:
Chapter 8: First Contact: Coda Village Part 3
It was the constant aches that continued to plague his head.
Not even the softest pillow and coziest bed that he had laid on were enough to ease that pain. He wasn't sure if it was just his leg that was injured when tragedy struck his home, by the time, his hands moved around his forehead, he felt the familiar soft fabric of the bandage.
It only added to his confusion as he began to wonder if he had landed on something that would cause that mysterious injury. His memory was not helping him as everything was vague and hazy when he tried to recall every detail of the event.
Hodor inhaled deeply as he lay motionless on his bed. The light from the open window served as his guide as he surveyed the entire room. He had to admit that the room was more comfortable than his previous one in the woods. The fresh air that came in made a significant difference, providing him with a cooler environment.
He had never felt so relaxed and at ease before, and the elf man was grateful to the villagers who had provided him with this spare room, as well as to his daughter, who had been taking care of him for the past several days because the village itself was short on healers and nurses.
The image of her walking out the door in silent frustration lingered in his mind after what appeared to be a harmless joke about an ale to relieve his headaches and the phrase that came out of his mouth, which didn't help him all that much.
"What did I say?"
When he finally realized what he had done, it was too late. The naive tone in his voice was the final straw for the girl, as he witnessed the door slam shut right in front of his face.
He sighed as he remembered that moment. "Oh, I'm sorry, Elrena." He muttered, apologizing to his late wife for not knowing how to be a good father and all. He could feel the aches coordinating together just to keep him laying on his bed, but fortunately, his own father instincts were stronger than that, and the man was able to raise his body halfway and the next thing he knew, he was now resting his back on the wooden wall.
He sighed and took another deep breath. He had no idea it was so difficult to simply stand up. For a strong and sleek man like him, he should have been standing by now, but he was still trying to regain the sense that had left him before. He could smell the cooked and enticing aroma of a certain wooden bowl of soup placed on a small table next to his bed. Soon after, his memory came back to him, and he remembered how his daughter was struggling just to feed him properly as if he were a whiny toddler.
The bowl of soup was half-finished, prompting him to recall the precise moment his daughter walked out of the room without saying anything. As a result, it has now become a very embarrassing situation for him.
He kept taking in his surroundings, attempting to figure out where he was. He was so disoriented that he couldn't remember what he had done the previous day or the day before that. The only thing he could remember was walking on this empty highway with his daughter while the sunset was directly in front of him before his vision was obscured by darkness.
Hoder rubbed his eyes and rubbed his face as he resolved to finally leave this room in search of his daughter.
When he removed the blankets that had been covering his legs, he discovered that his old battle pants had been replaced by a regular pair. That also made him wonder about the person who had replaced his pants, which was quickly becoming an inappropriate thought.
To counteract the redness on his cheeks, the elf man placed his feet on the ground, where he felt a slight ache in his right leg. He could stand up because it wasn't too painful, but limping was a better word to describe his journey towards the door.
By the time he reached for the knob, the door had burst open, and he was confronted with an old lady carrying a small tray with a single cup of tea in the center.
"Oh, I apologized. I didn't mean to... Miss Elena, is that you?" He widened his eyes in surprise as he recognized the elderly lady in her 60s.
The elderly lady, known as "Elena," simply smiled. "Oh my goodness, you're finally awake!" She then added. "It's been a long time since I've seen such a handsome elf who hasn't changed since my younger days!" She remarked.
The elf man continued to stare at her with disbelief." W-What am I... How did I get here?"
Hodor wasn't sure if this was the right question to ask, but it was the only thing bothering him for a long time, and he might finally get the answer he was looking for.
"You're in Coda Village dear."
The elderly lady responded by entering the room and setting the tray on the table. "When your daughter brought you here, you were unconscious." She elaborated. " Fortunately, my husband had found you a spare room."
"Oh, Eldar." He sighed and looked around him. "I understand, Ma'am, but whose room is this?" He enquired.
Elena chuckled. "Well, to be honest, this is anyone's room." She went on to explain. " In fact, you're the first person in years to sleep inside one of the village hall's rooms."
Hodor blinked for a couple of times." Oh, I see." He said this as he attempted to leave the room, but not before the old lady stopped him by raising her hand to his face.
"You're not going anywhere after that horrible injury." Elena made a very strict expression on her face, much to the elf man's surprise.
"Mrs. Elena, just wanted to let you know that I'm fine and can walk properly...Crap that hurt!" He was making good progress with his explanations before taking another step with his right leg. "But-"
"No, you don't." The wife of the Village Elder stated once more. "Your daughter told me to keep an eye on you because you keep asking her for ale and booze, and that's not how you recover." She went on to explain.
"It was all a joke, Ma'am!" Hodor tried to reason it out as his hope dwindled by the second." I never meant what I said to her before." He added.
Elena shook her head again. "There will be no buts and excuses." She said with a small smile. " You'll be staying here until you've recovered and finished your tea.""
Despite knowing the old woman for a long time, Hodor's mind was now in a minor conflict; he had no choice but to respect her statement. He returned his gaze to the hot tea waiting for him to drink it, and after a brief sigh, he said.
"Alright, I'll stay."
The Village Elder's Wife responded with a nod. "Wonderful!" She said it cheerfully.
The Elf man could only force a smile; in the back of his mind, he was already questioning the highest of power, on how he could have ended up in such an impossible situation.
"The Gods Must be Crazy for this! "
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It was the agonizing whines of a certain young JSDF recon member that finally brought the noise inside the small tent.
"Kurata, are you really alright?"
Mari couldn't understand the younger man's current state because she, too, was befuddled. The JSDF medic was in the middle of eating Furuta's porridge dish when an unlikely new patient, a fellow recon member, entered the tenth, laying on some type of wooden stretcher.
She turned her gaze to a fellow Recon member who had brought him here. "What exactly happened, Higashi?" She inquired, a slightly concerned expression on her face.
Higashi took the other route as he scratched his head, trying to figure out how he was going to explain everything to the Otaku soldier, who now seemed to be daydreaming rather than in agonizing pain.
He couldn't simply tell her that a teenage girl had performed a Judo move and flipped him to the ground with minimal effort. In all seriousness, no one would believe it, at least not right away.
"Uhmm, Kurata kind of got the WWE treatment," Higashi explained nervously, shifting his gaze to a certain blonde-haired adolescent.
Two teenage girls sat on their respective seats a few meters away from the makeshift bed, both of them eating their own small plastic bowls of porridge. The first was a short blue-haired human girl dressed in a unique set of clothes, while the second was a blonde girl dressed in village clothes and a supposed Elf, as the Otaku soldier had been excitedly murmuring about for quite some time.
"Do you mean this girl was the one who turned Kurata into this?" Mari was perplexed. It was difficult to believe unless there was evidence.
Fortunately, Higashi remembered pulling out his phone, as his fellow recon member had encouraged him to do, and was able to record the exact moment it occurred. "Ummm, sort of, but I think this might persuade you, Mari-san." The JSDF Recon soldier said this as he pulled out his phone and showed her the evidence he had gathered.
Meanwhile, the two teenage girls' curiosity piqued as they shifted their gaze to the small black box that the two friendly green visitors were currently inspecting. Lelei's interest gradually grew as a part of her prayed for the opportunity to examine the black box.
A few seconds later, familiar voices such as Luke's and his friends', Tuka's, and her own began to emerge from the small box.
"How did it managed to capture and produce our voices?" The young mage thought to herself, wondering what type of magic does this small box was showing.
Mari, on the other hand, kept glancing back and forth from the smartphone to the blonde girl, trying to visualize how would a teenage girl performed that kind of move to a bigger man, fortunately, her doubts and skepticism were quickly dispelled when she saw the footage of Kurata being slammed on the ground in mere seconds. It was just pure surprise and disbelief running through her mind, and as a result, she was now able to say:
"Thank you Higashi, I believe you now." She smiled towards the man." And you said that she was an Elf?"
The JSDF soldier immediately nodded." That's what Kurata and I saw, I mean just the pointy ears and all." He explained, giving a sigh as he thought he was going crazy.
"I see... " Mari said, before adding." Well, why don't you check on Kurata for the meantime and I'll try to talk to the girls." She told the man, who nodded in return.
At the same time she was about to approach the two girls, another familiar presence had entered the small tent and came in Shino Kuribayashi, with one of her usual entrances.
"Hey Mari, just want to let ya know we finished everything so far and... What the heck happened to you Kurata!?"
The powerful voice of the young tough lady startled the rest of everyone and all of their attention shifted to her.
A brief moment of silence followed as confusion began to take over her mind. She was gone for about 10 minutes and by the time she returned back, a new situation formed and came to greet her as soon as she entered the tent.
Mari smiled at her friend, "Uhmm Shino, I think you've got a lot to catch up on," she explained, motioning for her to turn her attention to the two newcomers.
As soon as the latter looked at the two girls, who were unsure how to react.
"Oh! Sorry about that; by the way, my name is Shino." The young lady smiled as she quickly apologized for her bombastic entrance, which the two girls eventually accepted.
"It's alright miss Shino." The blue-haired girl responded with a small smile.
"It's nice to meet you!" The blonde elf girl followed after.
Shino raised both eyebrows as she was a little surprised that the two girls were able to take this situation very calmly and seriously, usually people would feel a bit intimidated by her presence for the first time.
"Nice to meet you too girls! Mind telling me what exactly happened to him over there?"
Quietness took over once more.
There was a bit of awkwardness between the two, and Lelei could look at her friend, who was trying to summarize everything that had happened but only managed to do so with a few words and a nervous grin.
"It's a very long story."
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Coincidentally, it was the same phrase that the Elf man used in response to a question that he had been anticipating for quite some time.
Whenever someone would ask questions like. " What's your story?" or What exactly happened? " is something that he had a tough time responding to. He doesn't have a very sharp memory, to begin with and he had hoped that kind of trait would not eventually be passed on to his daughter.
It had been an hour since he sat on his bed, leaning against the wooden wall, drinking his own cup of tea. Being a little introverted, the elf man found himself in the middle of a long conversation that he did not expect to be in, but at least he was able to let out some of the thoughts that he had been willing to release for a while now.
"Is it true what happened to the Koan village?" Elena enquired. Her concern and sympathy grew even more as her old friend confirmed the news.
Hodor nods slowly as he lowers his gaze. "Yes, after the majority of the villagers had left, the village was attacked by some type of dragon." He simply stated, without further elaboration. "My daughter was the one who saved my life after I went unconscious...and that's how I ended up here." He went on to explain.
The elderly lady was at a loss for words as she clutched both of her hands tightly in grief. Koan Village was a lovely place where she had many happy memories. When she was younger and the village was new to the area, the village's humble wood elves would visit her village on a regular basis to trade and build good relations. During that time, she and her husband met Hodor and his family, and the rest is history, a family friendship that has lasted to the present day.
Hodor could only look down as he felt a pang of guilt deep within him. He was relieved that he had contributed to the survival of the majority of the population, but he regretted that he had not been able to prevent the destruction of his home. The miraculous persuasion of the village elders was just a consolation prize for him. He wished he could go back in time and undo all of his rash decisions.
His home was forever gone.
He sighed once more as he took a sip of his own tea, while the conversation continued on.
"She's grown into a strong young lady." Elena described the old woman as "overwhelmed with surprise and pride" when she first saw her at the previous village meeting. "I'd never seen such bravery from her to testify in front of the jury, even though she was battered and exhausted."
Hodor's eyes widened with surprise. "You mean she testified at your village meeting?" He inquired, and the elderly lady simply nodded in response.
"Yes, my husband and I tried to tell her to rest, but she refused." She explained, recalling how rocky the entire duration of her testimony had been, with the sudden pauses in sentences and the visible trauma on her eyes, despite the fact that she was able to control herself and finish testifying.
As a result, it did enlighten the villagers about the deteriorating safety of the land on which they had been living for years. It wasn't just the threat of wandering raiders or Imperial soldiers, but also the threat of the region's violent dragons and other creatures.
The elf man's heart continued to sink as the village chief's wife continued to tell her more about the situation while he was in a comatose-like state. He was grateful to learn that the local village blacksmith, artisans, and small food taverns had provided her everything that she needed. A new set of wonderful clothes, bows and arrows, something that he wished he could provide to her back then.
It was then he had realized that he had a long way and a lot to make it up for her.
"Tell me, dear, what is your daughter's name again?" Elena asked, as her memory failed her this time.
There was a brief moment of silence before the man moved his lips and mentioned her name, and sure enough, he felt this sense of pride.
"Her name is Tuka... "
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"Tuka Luna Marceau"
The elf girl smiled as she finally introduced herself to the two older ladies. She didn't have much confidence when meeting new people, but she could tell they were eager to talk to her and get to know her better.
"It's nice to meet you Tuka!." Mari smiled in return.
"Is this village your home too?" Shino followed.
Tuka made a shaky motion with her head. "No, Ma'am, I am from the village of "Koan," which is not far from here and to the north." She went on to say "And I've been here with my father for a few days now after a dragon attacked my home."
Everyone from the Recon Team's side widened their eyes surprised.
"Wait on a sec! you mean an actual dragon?" Shino was the first one to ask, as the elf girl could only nod in response afterward." Not those Wyvern things, or whatever you call them?"
"I believe it was one of the wandering dragons in this land." Tuka shrugged slightly, as she didn't want to think about that particular event from a few days ago. She was still unsure how she had survived that ordeal until now.
"So there are more dragons that lived in this region?" Shino asked again while the young girl followed it with another nod.
"That's weird, we haven't spotted or encounter any of them during the journey."
It was just a thought that crossed any of their minds; there had been reports and sightings of these large reptilian-like creatures different from the usual beasts that they saw during the attempted siege of Fort Alnus, but solid evidence or footage had yet to emerge; they were fortunate enough at this point in time to learn more about the somewhat elusive creatures, or at least from the perspective of the locals.
And it was up to a certain blue-haired teen to provide them with some insight. She voluntarily raised her hand to draw their attention to herself.
"If I may, I could provide some insights regarding the dragons in this area."
"You're name is... ?" Mari asked this time.
The young mage simply nodded." Lelei La Rellena, but you can just call me "Lelei." Ma'am." She clarified politely.
"Nice to meet you, Lelei." Mari returned her smile. "Can you tell us more about the creatures in this land?" She inquired yet again.
The adolescent girl took a deep breath and proceeded to give her own explanation based on what she had learned and the rare creatures she had seen with her own eyes.
"The majority of the Alnus region is home to various types of dragons." She stated. "There are three categories to classify them based on what I've learned in my studies." She took a brief pause, recalling those three keywords. "There are three types of dragons: common dragons, ancient dragons, and hybrid dragons."
As the situation progressed into more of a mini-history lesson, the area fell silent.
"I see, what are the Common Dragons then?"
The girl took another deep breath. "Common Dragons are the usual Wyverns that Kingdoms use for patrolling and battle." She went on to explain. "They are also wild wyverns that live in mountainous areas rich in magical elements emitted by veins in the underlying rock. Their color shades range from green to red to brown." She paused for a moment to catch her breath.
"These wild Wyverns, or the majority of them living in these lands, have now been converted and merged into the Empire's daily activities." She went on to explain. " As well as the other remaining Kingdoms."
"So they were domesticated?" The same thought ran through the minds of the remaining Recon members inside the tent.
While the young girl continued her story.
"Ancient Dragons, on the other hand, are a different breed." She continued. "They are one of the most powerful and terrifying types of dragons." She continued. "From what I've learned so far, only two types of these ancient dragons exist on this continent; one lives in the largest caves in the northwest mountains, while the other thrives on water."
"However, there were small families who lived in the forests." Lelei paused for a few moments to allow the others to process the information. There were, in fact, more than two breeds or types. The far more dangerous ones can be found across the Great Orient. The most far-fetched story she had heard was that of an ancient powerful dragon sealed in a volcano due to nearly destroying a whole kingdom.
And just as she was about to continue, the astute Shino Kuribayashi spoke up.
"Hybrid Dragons, I believe we have a pretty good idea what those creatures could be..." She trailed off, a grin on her face. " Thank you so much for the information!" She stated.
"It's like I'm back in history class..." She then reflected within herself. Just realized how interesting this was, and this wizard looking-girl explains the information better than her professors at the University ever did.
"Oh, I see." Lelei blinked in surprise but eventually accepted it. As she was about to add more important facts, she was suddenly interrupted.
"Uhmmm, Excuse me Lelei-san!"
In the middle of that, the voice of Kurata, who was still on his makeshift bed, called out to the girl, which also garnered everyone's attention.
"Is it okay if I could ask a question?" He said as his statement receive a slight cringe expression from the busty young woman.
"Go ahead, mister." Lelei nodded.
As little anticipation grew within them, the quietness returned. For the blue-haired teen, the man's curiosity and the way he spoke indicated that he was eager to learn something.
"Are there any Dragons in this world that can talk and transform into Humans and also occasionally serve you as nice and beautiful maids?"
With that said, everyone's mind went blank before the majority of them facepalmed. A question is so strange that Lelei and even Tuka had difficulty coming up with an answer. However, the concept and idea in it were truly unique in their own right.
"Back in our world, we have those types of dragons but only on TVs and stuff, if you know what I mean."
Mari and Higashi could feel their sweats dripping as they, too, were cringing at the moment, while Shino chose to simply facepalm. It was almost expected of him to ask a question that was often related to his culture.
"Ughh, Here we go again."
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(LATER ON)
The Evacuation procedures were now underway.
Within an hour of the meeting, the decision was officially made, and through a messenger, the news was finally announced at the village plaza and towards the villagers to begin packing their own belongings for a place that would serve as the new settlement for Coda Village.
Such as an announcement had instilled a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and hope for the rest of the villagers, as each family had started assembling and gathering their own Wagons, carts, horses, and much of the necessary things that they would need for the journey while still going about their daily lives.
However, the scenario all throughout the village was a little too chaotic and noisy, yet a beautiful scene to watch since everyone maintained an atmosphere of calmness and projected an image of working together towards a common goal.
The small market place which was the main business center of the village had just begun wrapping things up.
After completing his task of providing food for the elderly and children, Hitoshi was assigned, along with Tomita and the others, to assist local village merchants and stall owners in loading their goods onto their respective wagons.
He could feel sweat dripping down his chin as he carried heavy baskets and sacks containing mostly farm vegetables. It reminded him of his days as a chef in a well-known restaurant in Tokyo. He needed to check on a slew of boxes and packages of ingredients, all of which were as heavy as this. Furthermore, since arriving in this world, he has become increasingly curious about the types of dishes that exist here, and to his surprise, there hasn't been much of a difference so far. The ingredients used to cook food by the locals were the same, with the only major difference being how they cooked it.
He wouldn't describe it as old school right away, but rather as a very unique and creative way of preparing food here.
He did try to search up if there was any restaurant or at least a food establishment in this village, he was curious to learn more about their conditions, and much to his disappointment, there were none but only small food stalls or carts scattered around the area, and fortunately, the food that these small stalls served were surprisingly familiar and were revealed to be simple deep-fried marinated dishes, of chicken, fish, pork and even vegetables, which reminded him of the dishes served in one of the street food markets back in Tokyo.
It was one of the parallels he had noticed and would have looked into further if it hadn't been for his tasks.
"Say, young man, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us!"
A voice interrupted the JSDF's soldier's thoughts as the local village merchant that he was currently assisting, approached him.
"Oh, it's no problem, sir, just doing our job to help whatever we can." He replied.
The village merchant nodded. "I see, it's been a while since I've seen a group of people who are willing to help from the bottom of their hearts." He remarked. "And may I ask you a question? Are you the one who prepared that delectable dish?" He enquired.
Hitoshi paused for a moment before nodding." Uhmm, Yes sir." He said.
"That's fantastic! My nephew had brought me a small bowl, and I must say that with that level of culinary skill, you are qualified to cook for the world's great kings and emperors!" With a genuine grin, the village merchant proudly said to the young man.
The old man's statement surprised Hitoshi.
Sure, he cooked for celebrities or famous people who visited his previous restaurant on occasion but to cook for Presidents, Kings, and Emperors was a whole other level, and to be at that level, he had to have the powers of all the world's greatest chefs to achieve that, chefs like Marco Pierre White, Senji Yamamoto, Gordon Ramsay, and others have achieved that feat.
To himself, He was no God of Cookery, but that of a humble aspiring human cook, who wanted to give his own contributions and help whatever he can. Surely, in this world, he had a reason to be very determined about the main goals. Like the rest of his fellow Recon members, he had sworn in to protect anyone who is in dire situations.
Naming a restaurant after people who died in their honor was insufficient, or perhaps a cheap way to accomplish it. The longer they live and are able to witness it, the better their legacy will be.
"I'm no legendary cook, sir, I just want to serve and cook for those in need." Hitoshi explained." At least, that's what I wanted to do nowadays."
The old man gave a little chuckle." That's the exact same thing that a friend once said to me, a very unique friend with a hot temper." He said.
The young man raised both his eyebrows." Oh, does your friend aspire to cook too?" He asked.
The old merchant sighed, recalling that certain person who had helped him before." Well... he had the same dream as you and he was able to achieve it in just a span of three to four years." He explained." The last time I saw him, He told me he was going to find his way back home across the Great Orient." He added.
"Interesting," Hitoshi muttered, as his curiosity continued to grow, though as he was about to ask a question regarding this mysterious cook, the older man. had beaten him to it.
"Say, young man, this place that we are going to, is it a good place where I can grow a farm?" He asked.
For a brief moment, there was silence as the young JSDF soldier contemplated how to respond to this. The last time he saw the fields surrounding the main base, they were littered with dead bodies and the carcasses of Wyvern dragons killed during an attempted assault by a large army of mercenaries.
"Will our journey be safe?" The village merchant followed another, showing a hint of worry.
Hitoshi had no right to expect a safe journey. Certainly, there is always the possibility of conflict arising. However, the only thing he could do was reassure the old man that everything was going to be alright.
"No worries sir, my group and I will make sure that your families will be safe and protected." He flashed a confident smile.
"Thank you for your kind words, young man! The Gods will guarantee blessing to you and your people."
Those words really did put him in a good mood, but he could still feel that kind of uncertainty inside. For the time being, he hoped that base camp would reach them and learn about their current situation.
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"HQ, Do you copy?"
*Static*
"This is Lieutenant Brian Wilson, Do you copy?"
*Static*
HQ-Ughh, Signal is terrible!"
It was the tenth time of their attempt to contact Fort Alnus. The frustration had finally reached its limit and not a single word or a voice had come through the radio, with the exception of the familiar static sound.
The Ranger sighed as he reinstalled the walkie-talkie and sat back down in the driver's seat. Doing the same thing over and over again wasn't going to help much, so they had to think of other ways to make this work.
"Hey Bri, maybe if we try on going to the main highway, then we can get a good signal?" His fellow Ranger member, Al asked.
The brown-haired man shrugged slightly. "That's a little risky, Al, connection has been a little rocky since we left the main base." He went on to explain. "We need backup or reinforcements if we're going to go out there escorting a hundred villagers." The Californian Ranger went on to say.
Al blinked a couple of times in surprise. "Wait, you're saying there's a good chance we'll be ambushed by Fantasy World soldiers and dragons?" He inquired, based on what he had learned thus far from recent reports and, especially, testimonies from Villagers, whether the spying, harassment, and obvious sightings had ceased for several weeks now.
So an immediate or surprise invasion was out of the question, let alone if there was some kind of sleeper agent who would signal the call.
As of now, Coda Village is in a safe position, but there was a certain factor that was trying to lead it into disaster.
Lieutenant Brian scratched the back of his head and nodded slowly. "It's just a feeling I've had for a while; I'm sorry I didn't tell you or anyone about it." He stated.
Confusion took over Al's eyes." Feeling? Do you mean those weird dreams that have been bothering you lately?" He guessed.
"Well, we could count it in, but my main concern is that village official back at the meeting." He said, recalling the first time he saw the guy, who seemed to be pretty tight as if he was hiding something.
"Oh, you mean that fellow who tried to make you guys look bad huh?" Al raised both eyebrows."We could hear his voice yelling through our walkies." He commented." He must be having a bad day."
"There's more to it than that," Brian stated. '"There are a lot of things right now that can be considered a major concern, aside from this." He sighed yet again. "We just have to do our best to avoid losing any lives." He went on to say.
There was something that came up to his mind not long ago. It made him fear something that still hasn't happened yet
"Don't worry Bri, We can do it." The other tried to assure the man.
The Californian Ranger didn't say a word and remained silent.
In the middle of that, a familiar voice interrupted their conversation from the walkie.
"Hey Al, this is Carl, You copy?"
"Yeah, I'm here man, is everything okay there?"
"Situation at the farm is alright, but I might need your help right now, these giant yellow birds are just a pain in the butt." The voice of Carl explained.
"Roger that man, I'll be there in a sec."
As the short conversation ended, Al gave the man a brief smile." Be right back Brian, Your brother needs help." He informed him as he quickly left the area as possible.
Brian soon found himself alone once more as he tried to calm himself down with all these thoughts flooding his mind. He couldn't over a certain fact regarding the aerial image which was given to him before by one of the Air Recon teams, during a brief meet-up.
His eyes soon laid upon a small compartment, to which he reached for and opened it, revealing two photos.
He muttered to himself as he examined the photos again, which revealed to be an aerial view of Coda village taken at various points in time. The photos were nothing out of the ordinary. There are no strange anomalies, blur spots, or photobombers. However, the reason he kept it to himself until now (with the exception of Yuji and Itami) was due to a specific detail that piqued his interest.
The first photo, which was given to him during the meet-up was taken a couple of days before Reconnaissance Teams had begun operation, showed the village perfectly intact and fine. However, when the man laid his eyes on the second photo, which was revealed to be taken a week before, showed only a village in ruins.
He felt all the hair in his skin stand up whenever he began to think deeply about it. He wasn't sure if the aerial recon teams had taken another village, but they had insisted that this was the exact same spot. The river and the layout of the village.
The same feeling of surprise and shock overwhelmed when his team had first stumbled upon the village and for the first time in years, he felt freaked out regarding this mystery. Did something happen in this village before?
As a result, more headaches and confusion ensued.
"I hope, I'm not losing my mind."
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"Last question Mr. Cato."
No matter how much he wanted to continue the little interview, Yuji had to somehow find a way to end it. The old man had politely accepted to answer a few questions, which instead multiplied and more than 15 minutes had already passed since. The young man had never expected to be this more intrigued than before.
"Go ahead, young man." Cato smiled.
Yuji sighed as he read the last question on his small notepad. "Okay. Finally, what kind of language do you think you're hearing from our mouths? Like when I speak to you right now...?" He gestured for a little bit, giving small hints.
The old Sage immediately pick-up the question." Well, your friends' accents may vary, but to me, you are all speaking in Continental Language, which is our common mother tongue in this world." He gave his answer, which is actually based on his own perspective and from what he was experiencing.
"Interesting." Yuji showed an amused expression, writing down the list of newly acquired facts on his small note. Afterward, he grabbed the small recorder and turned it off, thus finally concluding the small interview.
"Alright Mr. Cato, that concludes our small interview!" The young writer smiled.
"Oh I see, but tell me, young man, what made you encourage to become a chronicler at that young age," Cato asked, wanting to clarify that piece of information from him.
"Oh, you mean, why did I decide to become a writer? Uhmm, well, to be honest, I used to read a lot of books and stories as a kid, and what was once just a hobby had turned into my full-time job to explore, write, record, and be inspired by the things I encounter throughout my life." Yuji smiled. "And I guess being on this unexpected journey is a blessing for me because I've never been to another world before." He let out a small chuckle.
Cato smiled upon hearing the young man's story, he could see the truth in his eyes, and he had no doubt that this indeed passion. Amongst all the chroniclers he had met, this man was one of the youngest.
"I understand."
The peace that reigned throughout the day continued on. The little free time which was given towards Japanese-American man by fate, just for him to explore and learn more of life and culture of this village.
He had never seen such unity and hospitality like this before. Even though the villagers were all living in the toughest of times, they still managed to somehow keep the happiness alive.
The young man found himself sitting underneath a tree located in an open field between a forested area and what seemed to be a small farm containing these giant flightless yellow birds.
At the same time, Recon Members Itami, Hayato, Hiyoshi, and Carl were assisting the local farm owner and a local guide in guiding these cute giant birds through their respective cages, which were attached to the back of the wagons themselves. He could tell the rest of them were in a fight right now.
According to the old Sage, the name of those giant birds are "Chocobos" A breed of flightless birds, characterized by their yellow feathers, distinct smell, and the unforgettable chirp of "Kweh!"
It was discovered that most of these animals are domesticated for their gentle nature and quick feet, and they are occasionally used as a mode of ground transportation, albeit only in northern civilizations because animals are quite expensive to acquire. The birds he was seeing right now were purchased or imported by the owner.
He could hear the countless irritated yells of the other recon members as they attempted to calm the birds, who appeared to be afraid or distressed by their presence.
It was quite a funny scene from what he was seeing right now.
It wasn't long before his gaze was drawn to Rory, who was also assisting them with their work. Her approach, on the other hand, was more distinctive, as she was gently and gracefully petting one of the massive birds and carefully leading it to the wagon. His thoughts lingered for a while, as he debated whether the young lady was a Demi-Goddess or a powerful priestess. The other guys were skeptical as well, but they were mature enough to understand and respect whatever she said to them.
Though still, the girl preferred to be treated like any ordinary person.
He couldn't help himself but once more.
"Mr. Cato." He called the old man's attention.
"Yes, young man?"
"What exactly is Rory's story?" He asked as the wind grew stronger." Is she really telling the truth about her past and identity?"
A brief moment of silence befell the area.
Cato gave a little chuckle in response. In fact, He too didn't know where to start. The young lady had that centuries-old history with her, yet still, not a lot of people are aware of her true identity.
"To be honest sir Yuji, Even I don't know that much surrounding her past." He explained." It's often common for people to doubt and question once they first learn of her true identity."He added." And I'm just part of them."
"Trust me, if she wanted to prove her point, she will do it." The old man flashed a small smile." It's only a matter of patience."
"Make sense I guess." Yuji could only sigh. The first time the young lady had introduced herself, she did not present any proof or evidence just, not even the slightest of hints.
It was a normal but graceful introduction like any other, except for the fact that she made promised to present that evidence when the time is finally right.
"I haven't quite told you this young man but when I first met her, I was only but a young delinquent student studying at the Academy, and believe it or not, she was once my teacher." He gave off another chuckle.
Yuji was still left in disbelief, it sounds so far-fetched yet the old man was treating this as if it really happened." So what made you convinced that she was really hmm, an Apostle?"
Cato smiled." Hmmm, just a small story to be told in another time."
Yuji nodded in understanding, as he returned his gaze towards the young lady. He couldn't help but sense something which was secretly bothering her.
In the middle of another silence, the old man suddenly stood up, having remembered one last task to do.
"If you may excuse me, young man, I will be heading back to the Village Hall for one more meeting with the chief."
"Sure thing sir," Yuji replied as he assisted the old sage on standing up.
"Thank you, and a small favor if you don't mind, please tell Rory and the rest of your friends to head back to the main plaza, once you're all finished with the task," Cato informed him as a wave of seriousness took over his face.
"I will." Yuji simply nodded, noticing the change of emotion from the old sage, which left him in wonder until he fully realized what was exactly going on.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Damn! these birds wouldn't let us catch a break."
The words came out from a certain Californian Ranger lips as he found himself in the middle of a small struggle.
"Kweh!" "Kweh!"
The giant yellow bird continued to resist visibly showing its own annoyance to the matter as if it was telling him something.
Time was running fast in their side, and yet still they found themselves stuck in this child-like situation, they were not expecting. Most of the Recon Members struggled to just even calm this bird's downs, not knowing they were already using a type of aggressiveness which was actually a very wrong move to do.
Small specific scenes, such as his fellow ranger Al being repeatedly and comically hit by the bird's big beak in retaliation. Hayato and Hiyoshi from RCT 3 were forced to engage in a mini-cat and mouse chase as they attempted to catch each of the Chocobos who were fleeing from them.
Things were really not going as they had expected, though with the exception of their guide in the form of one Rory Mercury, who was effortlessly performing her own task very well.
The Demi-Goddess herself felt helpless, she had no clue whether to burst out in laughter or maintain calmness and help the soldiers. It reminded her of a certain memory, specifically a group of students that she used to teach years ago, back in Rondel. Seeing the men give everything they had and still fail in epic fashion was enough to make her laugh, and she eventually succumbed to it.
"That's not how it's done, children" She tried everything she could to calm herself down. Because covering her mouth wasn't enough, she burst out laughing, which she hadn't done in years.
Of course, it did bring some irritation towards the Recon Team members, but instead, all their faces were overwhelmed with little a dose of embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mercury but we are trying our best and these birds won't just cooperate," Carl gave a little frown and responded as he tried to help Itami get back up.
The black-haired lady smiled."Chocobos" are intelligent creatures, moreover they could understand human language."
Her statement brought a big unexpected surprise to the men.
"Wait on a sec, do you mean they could understand what we were saying all along?" Itami asked this time.
Rory simply nodded." You're correct! However, they don't really like being yelled at or aggressively treated." She added, with a giggle.
Not long after, the men would be reminded of what they had done not so long ago. All the unintentional curse words they uttered, the patience that had been transformed into absolute dominance.
They were pretty much shocked and horrified.
The first time they had ever seen an animal that could actually understand what they were saying.
"Are we in a Disney movie right now?" Carl commented.
The new problem had plagued their minds now, as they ponder on what to do next in order to make it up for the poor birds. Fortunately enough, they were quick in their thinking and they were able to make amends.
Carl gazed upon the giant bird he was guiding, and he quickly noticed the frowned and sulking expression of the bird. As if it was expecting something for him to do.
The American Ranger scratched his head and smiled nervously. "Hey, I'm really sorry for what I did, and I didn't mean to hurt you." He said this as he began to gently caress the bird. " It was a mistake, and I hope you will forgive me."
A brief moment of quietness took over and not long after, the giant bird made another "Kweh" sound and gently let its front head touch the man's hand as a sign of forgiveness.
The other men, who were watching the whole thing unfold, decided to do the same thing as the latter and changed their approach. To their surprise, the move went smoothly, and they were all able to properly guide the Chocobos to the wagons.
Following that, a sense of relief filled the air.
Rory never felt this much proud for her new friends." Wonderful!" She uttered." It really warms my heart that you men have the hearts to be gentle after all!" She added.
"And you should be also doing that your respective lovers as well."She gave a playful grin.
Itami sighed after hearing her statement. He cringed for a little bit as an image of a certain woman flashed before his eyes and he felt this sense of regret for not keeping the relationship in full health.
He wasn't the only person having the same feeling right now.
Through Rory's eyes, she could tell that the men had this awkward expression on their faces, and all their cheeks were reddening. As if it seemed that they were not the perfect gentlemen in their past.
A small puzzlement took over and the young lady wondered.
"Do they not have their own Goddess of Love in their world? or She is just not doing her job properly?"
In the middle of her thoughts, her attention shifted towards the old Sage, who had now left the area after conversing with the young chronicler, she noticed a very serious facade on the old man's face and that raised her own concern.
Whenever the old man possessed that expression, it only meant that something terrible was going to happen and that directly led her to her suspicions which were now coming true, and not too long enough, the young chronicler arrived with a message.
XXXXXXXXXXX
At the end of the day, It was actually her, who had used up all the time she had.
Finding herself sitting alone outside the tent, as everyone was packing up already for the journey, Lelei sighed as she pondered on what to do next.
She returned to the marketplace after her conversation with the Men in Green, only to discover that most of the vendors and stall owners had already left. The long lines of wagons and horses were the ones that greeted her.
Followed by one of the vendors where she often buys had also informed her that there was an evacuation going on and told her to also packer her things up for the journey.
The young mage was surprised to realize that she and her teacher were the only ones who had not gathered all of their belongings and personal items. Furthermore, she couldn't find the old sage, which added to her anxiety.
The main factors were the ensuing chaos caused by the evacuation, the numerous revelations of a promised land near Alnus Hill, and many others.
She lowered her gaze, losing interest in the current situation; she needed to clear her mind for a moment, but she was unaware that an old Sage was passing through the main plaza on his way to the village hall.
It felt like she'd been sitting there for ages, while her elf friend was still inside helping to pack up and also engaging conversations with the Men in Green.
Soon after she felt the drowsiness catching up to her to make up for the many activities that she had done today, and as she was about to close her eyes when a loud but small thunderous explosion had rattled her ears.
Lelei immediately opened her eyes and jolted up only to find a commotion already happening in front of her as panic had begun spreading in front of her.
Confusion soon overwhelmed her and as much as she wanted questions, she only got one answer when someone had shouted.
"The Village Hall is on Fire!"
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Further away from the busy atmosphere of the main plaza, Eldar sought the peace and quietness that surrounded a small room from the second floor of the village. Through his window, he observed scenery that is already common for him to see.
Yet another village evacuation was in the works. Although, this time, the situation was much more different than the last time. The old man didn't felt that extreme worry for the first time.
It had only been two to three years since Coda Village had settled into this land, and after those years, the time had finally come for them to relocate to greener pastures, this time with the assistance of the Men in Green. The new visitors arrived with their unique horseless carriages and a kind of assistance that they did not expect.
A smile crept upon his lips for the first time. Throughout his life as village chief, he had never seen such people, who are willing to help and provide. Rarely, the village had received any help throughout its year-long existence. Every land or place they settled unto, their community would also be driven by something unlucky or disastrous.
It was a neverending cycle.
As a result, his only son had had enough and moved away from the village with his wife and daughter in favor of a larger town and community that can sustain and survive for many years. The only drawback was that the old man had lost contact with him, and it had been several years since he had last spoken to him.
"I wish you were to see this." He muttered to himself and then recapping what the Men in Green had told him about their plan earlier.
The endearing part of their plan was that the whole of Coda Village and the villagers will be protected from harm and be provided with a place that they can treat as their possible permanent home.
It was a very wonderful promise and the Men in Green had vowed to fulfill it and do whatever they can to ensure a safe future for this community.
The announcement regarding that matter was received well by the majority of villagers, and as of now, they were all preparing for another journey towards this so-called promise land or perhaps their final one.
An hour had already passed as he waited for a certain sage. This was the only time they could conduct this small and secret meeting while most of everybody was busy outside, and without the presence of any suspicious individuals or watchful eyes.
A lot of people had already warned him regarding a certain village official.
The wind outside grew stronger as it entered through the open window and fresh air filled the entire room. At the same time, the village chief could feel drowsiness in him rising and he was now contemplating on taking just a short nap to rest his mind and body.
As his eyes were slowly shutting down, there was a sudden sharp and powerful noise that had unexpectedly rung through like thunder.
*BOOM*
All of a sudden strong vibrations rocked the room.
Eldar immediately opened his eyes as his drowsiness was eliminated in mere seconds. The old man jolted up from his seat as he began to look around and attempt to comprehend what had just happened.
"What in the world?" He muttered to himself, pushing himself to walk towards the door while he could feel his heart beating faster.
As he neared his destination, he could hear the faint sobs of a woman followed by what seemed to be a male voice speaking. As moments passed by, his worry began to skyrocket, which encourage him to investigate more.
"Is everything alright?" He called out as he finally neared the door and reached for the knob.
And at that moment, the door burst open revealing a very familiar face.
The village chief's eyes widened as he came face to face with someone he hadn't expected to see.
The man before him narrowed his eyes as he gave a devious smile as his own way of greeting. Finally, his prediction was right all along.
"Marcus? What was that trembling noise outside, and what are you doing here?" Eldar worriedly asked, waiting for an explanation and response.
However, the village official just stood there as he refused the old man's pleas. Instead, He closed the door behind and drew out a golden object, and pointed it at the man.
"I apologize for this surprise visit old man, but I wish to request a meeting with you." The man said, as he slowly forced the concerned old man back to his seat." To discuss a very important matter."
Eldar, on other hand, was visibly confused about what was happening. He knew his life was at risk so he did what the man had told him to. His eyes focused on the golden material, that the latter was holding, It looked like a handle of some sort and it had the design of an Ancient Dragon.
"Marcus, please, what is going o-"
"SIT DOWN!"
His attempt for pleas was silenced once more and coincidentally, he found his way back onto his chair and immediately sat down.
"Good."
The village official smiled with a strange satisfaction. Afterward, He drew out a certain scroll, unsealed it, and placed it on the table, for the old village chief to see. As soon as the old man laid sight on the contents of the scroll and its symbol, he widened his eyes in terror.
"That's? No, what are you planning to do!?" Eldar asked and demanded.
"Stay calm sir Eldar, I don't have any bad intentions in hurting the villagers or letting this village be in trouble." Marcus explained as he gazed at the symbol on the scroll." However, if you failed to cooperate and understand the goal of this, then I am afraid, this village's demise is solely to blame on you."
He smirked." One drop of blood will signal the end of this entire place." The man said as he could feel himself gaining the upper hand.
Silence befell the room, as the old village chief kept quiet.
Marcus examined the magnificent object on his hand." No one has ever wielded this kind of weapon. From fellow nations from the north, this is a state of the art." He was in awe himself." Its damage powerful as an arch-mage magical attack, and faster than any ballista or crossbow."
He then shifted his eyes towards the old man." It's such a shame that my home hasn't realized this kind of advantage" He commented, bitterly narrowing his eyes." They're too fixated on the old customs and beliefs."
"Marcus." Eldar tried to call the man, but the latter completely ignored him.
"That's why they couldn't finish this hundred-year-long conquest immediately, and can't even stand up against that forsaken arrogant Empire!"
"Marcus!"
"Don't you understand, why I'm doing this Eldar?" He said, as he slightly approaches the man." Everything is changing, a new age of innovation and ideas has arrived and Sadera will fully embrace it soon."
"We are on a path to greatness."
He smiled." And because of this village's kindness and how this place saved me from death, I want it to be spared and become a part of that change." He explained, looking down at the old man once more.
"What do you say? Never ever has Sadera mistreated and abuse the places that they have conquered nor ever had the audacity to destroy a village like this." He said and hoped.
Believe me, Coda village will have a bright future with Sadera."
The man concluded his statement as he waited for the old man's thoughts on this. Surely by now, he would come to realize that they were in good hands. But unfortunately, the situation headed to a different outcome.
Eldar kept his seriousness and narrowed his eyes towards the younger village official.
"What is it you really want?" He asked once more. Seemingly had no interest on further speeches and other topics.
Quietness took over yet again.
Marcus maintained his confidence as he let out another smirk.
"You're very persistent, old man." He said as he began walking back and forth.
"It's simple, besides my proposal, there's a person that I'm eager to talk to privately." He explained." I really did admire him when I was still a child but, it's such as waste that he had renounced his title and left to pursue his own interests." He added.
"What are you trying to tell here?" Eldar asked.
"You know what I meant, old man." Marcus replied." I know, you've been pretending and purposely not aware of his identity."
"Marcus, What are y-"
"Enough of the cluelessness! I know he's on his way here." The man said before adding." And truthfully, I have so many questions to ask him." The Village Official commented, there was this excitement that continued to rise within him. How ironic that he was also living another life just like him, did he tried to leave behind his past as well?
"But first, I would really love to test the power of this unique weapon." He said, observing the object once more. A moment later an idea came up to his mind and thus he let out a smirk." To show you how this will be the starting point for that change."
Once he finished his sentence, Marcus raised the weapon and aimed it at the door itself, but in a surprising coincidence, the door suddenly opened and a familiar presence had finally arrived.
A surprised Eldar widened his eyes as he let his desperation take over him." Cato! Don't enter further!" He tried to warn him, but unfortunately, he was too late.
As soon as the old Sage took the first step, Marcus pressed the trigger finally releasing the weapon's capabilities. A rotating blue glyph then materialized in front of the barrel followed by a frightening thunderous-like sound that erupted from it and not too long, a blue energy-like orb emerged from the glyph and headed towards the old sage with incredible speed.
Fortunately, Cato was able to anticipate it, and, using his staff which began to glow, he was able to deflect the energy-like orb, which collided with the other door, causing a small explosion that left a huge burning hole in the middle of it.
"I told you," Marcus muttered, grinning from ear to ear as he found himself looking at a once-respectable and known figure of the Saderan Royal Court.
Cato, for his part, wiped the dust from his shoulder casually while staring at the village official. His doubts and suspicions were now confirmed as being the result of what the Demi-Goddess had warned him about.
"Is this how you welcome your elders, Marcus?"
CHAPTER END
AN: Hello there once again! So I finally manage to finish another chapter after the last one, I'm not really sure what drove me but I guess it's these readers and writers, who continue to push me to write and continue the story, and It still surprises me that many are still reading the story up to this point and I'm grateful for that.
So a bit of a discussion regarding the chapter, as usual, there are scenes, which did not make it through as I felt it didn't go with the flow of the chapter, moreover, from this point on, the Coda Village arc will now progress to the end as the plot is almost nearing the climax. So there might be a battle scene happening in the next chapters and that means it will take me more than 3 weeks to get the pieces together to create a calm before the storm and the aftermath of the storm.
As for the scenes in the chapter, it's still small and close to the perspective of the characters, one of the toughest parts is getting into their personalities, switching from this and to that so that I can portray how they act or speak. Something tells me that the next couple of chapters would definitely give me a headache in choreographing the small battle scene, if you guys want a hint of what they would be dealing with, I guess the scroll that Marcus placed on the table is a good clue.
With that said, I guess this is the last of my thoughts regarding the chapter, I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes since English is not my main language. Thank you also for your support and time for reading the story, That means so much and I really appreciate it.