Ch. 16 To fight against time

That's one of my best jokes. AND I haven't made it in 20,000 years... How can they not laugh? At least Kellan laughed.

I was right, that was a good joke, but I had more important things to discuss with everyone right now.

I entered the conference room. All of my trusted leaders were there on big screens. Me, Kellan, Mori, and Andra were sitting around a table.

Random leader: "So, how do you plan to deal with that thing?" "Even shooting it won't kill it."

They were right, everything we did to it, it would just transport itself earlier in time to a moment where it was still unharmed. For us, it would just seem like it disappeared, but it would suddenly appear in another position like nothing happened.

It was even weirder if it chose to go to the future, it would just mean that we shot at nothing, if we were unlucky enough, the bullets would all just go astray and hit something we had no business hitting. We managed to circle it once, half of the people that did it were killed by their own allies.

"I have a plan, but we will have to get it alone in a pretty big field. Also, we will have to prepare that field. There is really no margin of error for it to work."

...

Kellan: "How can we go with a plan that doesn't allow for any mistakes? They are preparing to wipe us out! We won't have another chance. This is all or nothing."

"I am proposing this exactly because it is all or nothing. We can do nothing but give it all we have to make it work."

Andra: "And you plan to be there alone with it?"

Mori: "I can't agree with that."

"This is not the moment to think about this. That alien could have killed me several times, and it didn't. It's obvious it is interested in me. If we want to make the plan work, we can't get this part wrong."

"Of course, it doesn't have to be me who is left alone with it. I am only saying that is how it will probably end up."

Mori: "AND ARE YOU OK WITH IT?"

"That does not matter. It is what I... It is what the head of this resistance has decided!"

It was the first time I had seen Mori like that. Andra also looked at me with a disappointed look.

"..."

Random Leader: "Ok, this is not the time to fight over family matters, we will continue with this plan. If Chief ends up being put in danger, we can only trust that he knows how to deal with that thing.

"Thank you."

Random Leader: "We are putting all our trust into you. This plan is our last hope. For better or worse, this is where the war ends."

"I will make it work."

...

It was the last day before the final fight. We had all gotten together. The weight of tomorrow was weighing heavy on us, but this was not the time to feel down.

"Ya know, my friends once told me I am an..."

Andra: "OH MY GOD, PLEASE STOP!"

"..."

Mori let out a laugh.

Kellan: "AAAAAHAHHHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH"

I didn't know what Kellan let out, I just knew it seemed painful.

Kellan: "Your own sister got you to shut up."

Andra: "Kellan, I think you drank too much."

Kellan: "No way, I have ways to go. I am not letting this night go to waste."

While saying that, Kellan touched Andra's shoulders.

Kellan: "So...say..."

"OH NO YOU DON'T."

Kellan: "What chef, you wanna go at it again? Like old times?"

I got up and grabbed the bottle on the table. Only for the table to grab the bottle back.

Mori: "Enough, you two. Don't tell me you are going to fight when tomorrow is a big day."

"I am not letting this dude near my sister again. Get yourself together, man. Is there a single girl in the camp you didn't go after? No, we are changing seats. Ossas?"

Ossas: "Yes?"

I looked better at the younger brother and remembered he has never really been on my side at those times.

"Nothing, nice name. Keep it up!"

Ossas: "Keep up... what?"

I poured Kellan another cup. I was planning to have him sleep like a log. What I didn't expect, though, came from the seat between us.

Andra: "Damn, this is good. How do you call it?"

"Wine?"

Andra: "Oh, yes, I love wine. All red and with bubbles."

She set down the glass of white wine and looked at me.

Andra: "You know, that forest of yours. It's cold. How did you live there for all those years?"

Mori: "You lived in the forest?"

"No..."

Andra: "Yes, he did! He told me. He fought bears, killed trees, and slept on rocks."

Mori: "Oh? I don't think I have ever heard those stories."

"Because those aren't...You know what? I'm not even going to try. Yeah, I also united the forest animals there."

Andra: "Tell us more."

I went with it. Sat up on the chair and started spewing nonsense.

"Haha, well, I also fought a war for a couple of millennia. I lost a lot of people in those days. But I slowly avenged them all and won my human form meanwhile."

In my mind, a lot of scenarios for creating a crazy story were flooding.

That was when I saw Mori sigh and hand over some money to Andra.

Huh?

Andra: "See? I told you. Your husband was never right in the head."

Huh?

Mori: "And here I always thought he was just doing it to make me laugh."

Huh?

Kellan: "HHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAH. You are really making my evening today, Chief. Keep acting stupid! Please!"

Huh?

The whole table started laughing. It seems I was the reason for their laughter that night.

Huh?

...

The night ended with Andra sleeping on the table. She grew up into a fine lady while I was not even beside her. She said she doesn't want to stay with us, even after this is all over. She will help us while she feels like it. And once everything settles down, she plans to leave without saying a word.

I lost my young sister to the harshness of the world. She did not want to go back to living the settled life.

I guess this is another reason to add to the revenge list.

Kellan and Ossas barely got back to their tent. For how much I hated Kellan, I felt like I could put my trust in him. We may never see eye to eye. But I have, and will keep fighting back to back. Ossas also became the dependable leader that his village needed.

Mori and I were getting ready to sleep. I could see that Mori was worried. It is only normal. I doubt anyone will really be able to rest tonight.

"I know what you think, this is way too much out of a movie. Right? Sorry for telling you that real life is different. In the end, I guess memories are also nothing more than the movie we see when we think about the past. In that way, I guess you have always been right."

Mori: "Those movies don't always have a happy ending, you know?"

"Haha, that is when the protagonist doesn't have a crazy goal in mind. Look at me. Wanting to be happy and all, that is way too big a goal for me to just die."

Mori: "Happy...even after coming so far together, you can still not call yourself happy?"

What I answered to Mori that day is not something I intend to leave behind myself. What I told her that day will only stay with her unless she decides otherwise.

Her eyes filled with tears after our little talk.

Mori: "Please be careful, okay? I cannot lose you. Not now. Not after what you told me. Not with a kid on the way."

"Of course, just like every time. Good night!"

Mori turned to the other side.

Mori: "Those other times are exactly what scares me."

...

On the table, the girl sleeping also opened her eyes.

Andra: "I will still come visit. At least this time, please don't be stupid..."

...

...

...

With this, we are back in the present. This is all that has happened since that disaster, and even a bit before it.

I am getting ready for the final fight, and I do not intend to write about it. This has been the place where I left my past self. I can finally say I am ready to move on with those who are still here and carry on the memory of those who left.

From Tomorrow, I am turning a whole new page. I look forward to it.

I will leave this book here. Let's see. Maybe somebody else wants to write how it ends.

Let's just hope whoever finds it will know how to make me look cool.