Yuri and Reoh walk side by side, wandering through the moist and sandy streets of the village as the dawn approaches. The gentle early morning breeze kept them comfortable, with the fresh scent of the morning air easing their troubled thoughts.
It’d been a few days since Maru and her friends came back from the mountains, they were discharged from the clinic just two days after.
Since then, both Reoh and Yuri have been trying to put together a plan to confront the Marastruck. Most of their ideas reached a dead-end. They didn’t have enough manpower to guarantee a victory, and it’s not like they had enough time to train everybody to get strong enough to face them. While the Marastruck weren’t on the offensive, it’s only a matter of time until Manho acquires most of his strength and decides to wipe the country off the map.
Reoh was ready to call it quits, until Yuri said she remembered something.
“So, care to spill the beans?” Reoh asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
“Do you remember about two weeks ago when I first confronted you about this whole Marastruck thing?”
“A little bit? Sorry, I might have dementia.”
“Of course you do. During that conversation, I mentioned that I contacted the Adventurer’s Guild about this whole thing. I avoided name-dropping anything to try and prevent any commotion, but I’m beginning to feel like I should’ve mentioned we were getting troubled by the Marastruck.”
The two of them come to a stop near the old and haggard docks of the village, the wooden planks creaking beneath their feet.
“No, no, I think it was a good idea to avoid mentioning their names. If you did, it would’ve stirred a ruckus.”
They both take a seat on two barrels across from each other.
“They should be here today,” Yuri said, “at least that’s what they told me over telegram. Let’s hope they come.”
They sat there for what felt like an eternity, endlessly staring at the soothing blue waters around them. Bit by bit, the sun would slowly pass the horizon. With each passing hour, more and more villagers would leave their homes, wandering from place to place to complete their daily commutes or to do some work. Throughout these hours, Yuri and Reoh stayed seated at the docks, talking to each other about random and sometimes senseless topics. Every now and then, a villager would come by to greet them or join their conversation. Sora, Maru, Francis, Tianyu, and many others would come by to say hello. It was a blissful experience, and a welcomed break from the endless pile of work the two of them were already accustomed to. Taking a moment to separate themselves from their responsibilities and enjoy some quality time with one another as well as the people of their village – it was a feeling they missed.
For a moment, Yuri nearly forgets that the man sitting across from her is the same snake that may very well be the catalyst to an event that takes her home away from her.
It was around noon when the two of them began to realize just how much time had passed. They’d become lost in their own thoughts, some pleasant and others dreadful. Reoh was considering being the first to leave. Since Yuri was the one that contacted the Adventurer’s Guild, he felt she should be the one to greet them when they arrived. Then again, he was also the chieftain of the villager, a person in a position of power and he also knew the most about the situation, even if he didn’t want to share all of it.
Reoh takes one final glance at the distant sea, squinting his eyes as he sees something approaching. A black speck, progressively getting larger with every second that passed.
“Is that it?” he muttered, looking towards Yuri.
Yuri squints just as intently, waiting for it to get closer before she confirms anything.
“I think so.”
After a few seconds, it eventually came into view. A gargantuan black train, forged from steel and other metals was chugging along the waters, displacing the sea beneath it into vigorous currents and waves. The sound of its blaring horn would echo through the village, its presence now unmistakable. Dozens of people near the docks would immediately turn their heads, watching as the train inched closer by the second. It swerves outwards, slowing down before pulling in horizontally at the docks.
It was even larger up close, towering over Yuri nearly five times over. The insignia of the Adventurer’s Guild was embedded into the side of the train – a balance scale with a longsword drawn through the middle, its handle guard morphing into a set of wings that spread outwards at the sides.
Although trains were commonplace in the rest of the world, its presence in Redville was mesmerizing to everyone there. It was an incredible invention, a testament to human innovation and their efficiency in the age of coal and steel.
“Holy Jupiter…” Reoh muttered, staring at the train with just as much awe as anyone else.
The train sounds its horn one more time, before sides of the train suddenly split open like a set of double doors. Reoh and Yuri are able to get a peek inside, gawking at the neatly furnished and kempt interior. Pristine lounging chairs, wooden tables, couches, and other pieces of high class furniture were sitting inside the train, all arranged as if it were a living room rather than a cart in a passenger train. From underneath the floor of the train, a wide metal platform extends outwards and connects itself to the wooden floorboards of the docks, acting as a bridge.
Two people step out from inside the train. One of them was a tall, muscular, and older man with a broad frame and dense grey beard, his somewhat frayed hair a lighter shade and his face a little wrinkled. He wore a baggy set of dark brown pants, held comfortably around his waist with matching belt, all of which complimented his hefty brown boots. His shirt was a plain, lighter shade of brown with a similarly colored scarf wrapped around his neck. With a stern expression, his eyes would scan the entirety of the island, taking note of little details. Yuri and Reoh caught a glance of his amber eyes, and they could feel the weight of his gaze from behind them.
Beside him was a shorter, slightly younger woman with long ginger hair, extending down beneath her waist. Her dark green jacket and white shirt complimented a pristine set of emerald eyes, scanning the shores a Redville with a softer and more gentle gaze. A set of distinct freckles covered the bridge of her nose and the space under her eyes. On her back was a bow and quiver filled with arrows, all of them attached to a singular sling that was wrapped loosely around her shoulder.
Immediately, Reoh steps forward and holds his hand out for a formal handshake with the older man.
“I’m Reoh,” he said confidently, “the leader and official standing chieftain of this village.”
“Aitheos,” the elder responded, extending his hand out and giving Reoh a proper handshake with a gentle nod of his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Aitheos’ voice was deep and husky, but still gentle and caring like a father.
Yuri steps up towards the ginger haired woman, extending her hand out for a handshake – just as Reoh did.
“I’m Yuri,” she muttered, her voice barely audible amidst the sounds of the waves, “I’m Reoh’s right hand as things stand. I was the one that contacted the Adventurer’s Guild for assistance.”
“Miriam.” They shake hands gently, and Yuri immediately notices that Miriam’s hands were incredibly soft, her skin silky smooth. Her voice was also airy and quiet, similar to Yuri’s voice.
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Miriam didn’t say anything else, instead pocketing her hands to let Aitheos do most of the talking.
Tons of people started to gather around the docks, attempting to approach the train out of curiosity. Sora stands guard, making sure nobody gets too close to the group of four as they converse over important matters.
Aitheos smiles at the sight of the sudden gathering, “you have a wonderful village here, Reoh. They all seem like social folk, eager to meet others. Not to be rude, but our train is probably very foreign to them, right? I find it interesting that they’re eager to see it rather than being afraid.”
“I brought them up to be like that. To not fear the unknown, to give into your curiosity, to expand your knowledge, and to chase your dreams.”
“You’ve taught them wonderful ambitions, but let’s not get sidetracked. The secretaries at our station near Fantasia gave us a run-down of what was going on. People and crops in the village have been disappearing, and you’ve worked to uncover that they are being sacrificed by some sort of cult. Is that right?”
“Yes,” Yuri responded, nodding her head, “to be more specific, our crops had been going missing for awhile now, but it was initially so miniscule that we paid it no attention at the time. Eventually, crops went missing in bigger batches along with people. Some of our village guards eventually ventured into the mountains of the island and found out where the cultists were. Not only were they holding crops and corpses, but they were storing large amounts of Arcanium too.”
“Arcanium…” Miriam whispered under her breath.
“Do you know for sure if they were using the Arcanium in their rituals?” Aitheos asked.
“We aren’t sure, but there are two crucial details I didn’t mention over the telegram.”
“That being?” Aitheos inquired further, raising an eyebrow.
“For one, we believe they are using the Arcanium to fuel the Aurem hidden inside the mountain. For two, the ‘cultists’ that we’re talking about just so happen to be…” She pauses, suddenly rethinking if she should even be saying this. Yuri didn’t want to mention their name because she thought she would stir up something, but she realized that since these two are part of the Adventurer’s Guild, they would likely relay the message anyway.
It didn’t matter. Redville needed all the help it could get, and it doesn’t change the fact that they were dealing with renowned war criminals. If anything, it would be better if they knew.
“...the Marastruck.”
Miriam and Aitheos are silent, instead eyeing each other before turning back to face Yuri and Reoh. Their stares suddenly became more austere, a very noticeable tension rising in the air.
“Manho?” Aitheos asked, his voice dour.
“Yes, Manho.” Yuri nods her head slowly, “do you know him?” Gon was the more renowned member of the Marastruck – Yuri hadn’t even heard of Manho until recently.
“I do. It’s a name I haven’t heard in decades now, and it’s one I’m surprised to hear at all.”
“How much do you know about him?”
Aitheos sighs, placing one hand on his chin while he tries to recall what he knew.
“I don’t know him personally, but Manho was a well-known warrior back when I was still a young boy. I was enlisted into the Navy during the end of the Great War, and I would often read stories about past soldiers and warriors to gain inspiration. Books and scholars described him as an incredibly powerful Mage, unmatched in wit with powers that the world couldn’t comprehend. He was far from the strongest general out of the many armies. He wasn’t exactly ‘evil’ either, but morally grey. His strength caused him to become feared by many, friend or foe, and his power drove him into a spiral of insanity. After a certain point, he was no longer afraid to turn on his comrades in search of the ‘higher power’ he dedicated the second half of his life towards.”
“And then?” Reoh asked, leaning forward.
“The generals in the Navy found a way to strip him of his powers,” Miriam continued, “and he was sealed away. At our age, we thought he would stay sealed forever, reduced to mere myth or legend. If the Manho you’re talking about is the same as ours, however, then we’re dealing with an entirely different beast.”
“On a scale of one to ten, how terrified should we be right now?” Reoh asked, his voice growing weak.
“I wouldn’t want to tell you,” Aitheos responded, “but don’t grow too fearful yet. Remember that he was stripped of his powers, so Manho is likely very weak in comparison to his prime. The problem is that we don’t know if he’s capable of regaining his power. If he is, then how long will it take him to reach his prime, and through what methods?”
“You said there was an Aurem in the mountains, right?” Miriam asked, her question clearly rhetorical. “Those things are capable of storing large amounts of Magic Energy, even more than Arcanium. I have a hunch that he might be able to use that to recover some of his power.”
“About that…” Yuri winces, not really wanting to add to their already existing troubles, “we believe that Manho has already discovered the location of the Aurem. Not only that, but he has a few allies as well. Gon is one of them, and they also have an army of cultists.”
“We need to act quickly then. Manho’s current strength is unknown, and while we know how powerful Gon is, he’s far from a pushover.”
“Important question, Reoh,” Aitheos glances back at the rest of the village, “have you told your people about any of this? Do they have a clue as to what’s going on?”
“No,” he responded confidently, “I’ve avoided telling them because I fear they would panic. That’s the last thing I want to happen. My people have only ever known peace under my leadership, and I want it to stay that way. They trust me.”
Yuri looks at Reoh with the most meticulous, suspicious, and damning side-eye.
Miriam lets out a hefty sigh, clearly frustrated with Reoh’s response. She stares at the village folk behind him, smiling and enjoying their lives, each one of them equally clueless to the terror lurking outside of their village walls. She barely knew these people, yet the innocence in their eyes disturbed her, as if Reoh was hiding the truth from them for a reason beyond just ‘keeping peace. The situation was too dire and too dangerous for them not to know.
“I understand that you don’t want your people to panic, but you also need to understand that what we’re dealing with here is something dire.You are putting their lives at risk by just letting them stay here, with the Marastruck lurking unbeknownst to them. If they trust you, then they would be more than willing to listen to you when you tell them they are in danger.”
“There will need to be a change of plans,” Aitheos added, “I cannot stand idly by and let you risk putting your entire village in danger. Even if we are able to take on both Gon and Manho in a fight, it would be incredibly destructive and puts your entire village at risk.”
“Our first course of action is to minimize casualties.” Miriam continues, “to do this, you will need to tell your people what’s going on, and then tell them to gather their things and leave the village. Our train is capable of holding all of them as well as their belongings, and we can take them to a different part of the island or a different country entirely to ensure their safety.”
“And then?” Reoh asks.
“Then we confront the Marastruck directly. It’s simple, but it’s the best course of action. The longer we wait, the stronger Manho gets with each passing day, and the more difficult it becomes for us to defeat him before he gets too strong. Not only that, but we are unaware of any ulterior motives he may have.”
Reoh just stares back, his mind briefly going blank. The Chieftain quickly realized that Miriam was right – it was a bad idea for him to be keeping his people in the dark about what was going on. He was just afraid that they would take his words the wrong way, afraid that they wouldn’t listen to him, afraid that they’d find out the truth. That’s when he realized his worst fears were unlikely to happen. His people had no reason to not trust him. After all these years, Reoh has done his best to provide for the villagers of Redville, and very few have complained about everything he’s done. In the eyes of his people, he was more than trustworthy, and they would listen to his words without much of a second thought.
“Are you both okay with this?”
Reoh was still silent, but Yuri was quick to speak up.
“I trust your judgement.” She had no reason not to. Aitheos and Miriam were both part of the Adventurer’s Guild and have likely dealt with scenarios like this before. That’s what they were trained to do.”
“What do I say to them?” Reoh asks, looking over at Miriam. He never said he agreed to their new plans, but the fact he was even inquiring was enough for them to tell that he was on board.
“Take me to your abode, or whatever your comfort place may be. I will help you.”
Reoh jumps down from the barrel he was sitting on, turning around and walking back into the village. Miriam follows close behind him, with many of the villagers attempting to get closer and ask questions as they leave together.
Aitheos and Yuri watched as a dense crowd followed the other two all the way to Reoh’s hut, standing outside like a press gathering.
“Well, while they’re busy,” Aitheos muttered, turning to Yuri, “can you introduce me to the warriors of this humble village? More specifically, the ones that uncovered Manho and the rest of the Marastruck?”
“Sure thing,” Yuri nods, jumping down from her barrel and leading Aitheos into the village. She knew just who to introduce him to.
