Chapter 76 Freehaven, Part One

We walked tirelessly through the night after the attack. Our hasty pacing and lack of rest had us utterly exhausted.

Fortunately for me, sleep deprivation wasn't anything new. Between the nightmares and the constant threat of capture or worse on the war front, you learn to live with it. Sadly, that wasn't the case for the rest of my countrymen.

Their bodies all told the same story: chapped lips, drooping eyes, limp arms, and lethargic footwork. They were all beaten by physical and mental exertion.

We lumbered through the woodland foliage like zombies, stumbling over fallen trees and blindly marching through thick shrubbery. While Suda scaled a large rock to scout ahead, Mizuno questioned Shrug about the creatures.

"Shrug; what were those things? Where did you learn to kill them?" she fixed her gaze on him.

Shrug took a breath, then equipped his hammer. He took the hilt and inscribed strange symbols into the dirt. Though I'd never seen that type of writing, something clicked in my mind. It was that feeling you'd get when you finally understood something you wracked your brain to comprehend for a long period of time.

After that, I could somehow  read it as "Aether Wisps."

Finally, he uttered the phrase, "opposite element kills."

"Those things are made of aether? Are you saying we need each type's opposing magic to defeat them?" Mizuno questioned.

Shrug nodded in agreement to both, and Mizuno sighed, "Of course…"

After the two's exchange, Suda called from up high with the all-clear to continue.

After that, for hours, the group's conversations were limited to various complaints about tiredness, hunger, hurt feet, and bruised hands.

The scorching Sun eventually began its daily descent, leaving my countrymen starving from the lack of breakfast in the morning.

"Uhhh..." Ayame brought a hand to her rumbling stomach. "I never thought I'd miss instant ramen so much..."

"I know!" Agawa chirped. "I wish I could eat a sandwich from Killi's Burgers! All this squirr-"

"Quiet!" Suda threw up an arm while stopping, halting our advance. Likewise, Mizuno and Shrug motioned for us to maintain our positions.

"Don't...move," Mizuno ordered. She turned to us and eased us to stay put.

Next, Suda wet her lips and loudly whistled a soothing musical melody. Notably, it resembled a popular song in my homeland, one about strength in unity.

Though what she did was strange, what came after startled me.

From out of the dense forestry to our left, an unfamiliar lone whistle finished Suda's song with a final verse.

The sudden appearance of that strange voice set my countrymen and me on edge, and we threw up our guards, ready for anything. I glanced at the three, expecting the same reaction.

I expected Suda to reach for her bow; instead, she nonchalantly crossed her arms behind her head.

Rather than arming herself with dual swords, Mizuno remained unfazed and docile.

Likewise, Shrug just glanced toward the sound and stared with disinterest.

Then, from the sound's origin emerged a small army, all cloaked in makeshift camouflage and armed with various pieces of medieval weaponry.

From shining steel swords to long-pointed pikes, shortbows, and crossbows, they were ready for war.

Aside from their large armament, they boasted a numbers and height advantage. They outnumbered us three to one and stood atop an elevated dirt shelf.

Leading them was a rugged man with a black leather eyepatch over his left eye. A deep scar stretched above and below the patch, telling the story of why it was there. Sections of steel plating covered vital pieces of his chest, abdomen, and legs with leather straps to hold them steady.

Based on the bulkiness of his armor, I could tell the man boasted a powerfully muscular body. One that had the strength of an ox.

Oddly, the man's arrival sent Suda into a nervous sweat. She fidgeted her fingers and darted her eyes rapidly to avoid eye contact with him.

He formed a scowl beneath his grizzled beard and pointed to my countrymen and me. "Who are they?" he asked with a low voice.

"Recruits," Mizuno replied flatly. "They're new recruits, Barrett."

He looked us over, then grunted at her dismissively. Finally, he stepped forward and jumped off the shelf, landing with a small shockwave of dust beneath his feet. His metal greaves echoed a loud clang against the crunching gravel beneath.

He paced up to Suda with unblinking eyes. Her sweating and twitchiness intensified with each step he took.

"Where's the meat?" he exuded heavy pressure with each word. Even the forest critters nearby went deathly silent upon his inquiry.

Suda shrunk from his intimidation and stammered over her words. "Uhhh...yeah...the meat..."

Her stalling dried up the man's patience. He stepped closer to Suda and cast his shadow over her. But, before he could utter anything, Mizuno spoke up.

"The bear was poisoned; it can't be helped," she affirmed.

His eyes twitched in irritation toward Mizuno. "Poisoned? You spent all that time tracking a bear... Only to come back EMPTY-HANDED?! Do you have any id-"

"Let it go, Barrett," Mizuno snapped back, "it was out of our control."

He glowered at her and radiated frustration. He then jerked his head to the side, signaling the militia to take us forward before leaving himself. While he walked away, I overheard him scoff and utter the word "useless," followed by him spitting at the ground in disrespect.

After our escort by the militant group, we came upon a wall of ghillie-wrapped wooden stakes deep within the forest. Centered in the middle was a massive wooden gate.

It slowly groaned open, revealing the entrance to a village of tents and other makeshift structures.

Suda turned toward us with her hands playfully at her back. She then leaned forward and gave a sparkling smile. "Welcome tah Freehaven!"

Those three words... They resonated with each of us.

Hikari cried in relief and clutched her sister tightly.

Ayame and Agawa smiled at each other and laughed uncontrollably.

Kamida was... Kamida. He shouted the praises of the fortress' security and cheered.

Takagi grimaced and cursed under his breath.

Takahashi had the most profound reaction of all of us. He looked on at the compound with apparent anxiety and brought a hand to his mouth in shock. He must've been traumatized too deeply by the events back at the manor to find comfort.

I, while still too distrustful to feel secure, felt optimistic. I was hopeful we had found a place to call home, if only for a while.

The goal of safety we longed for... The goal of safety we survived the past hellish week for... It was right within our grasp. We braved the storm and survived!

That said, who could've known another was already brewing on the horizon.