What Is Going On?!

???: “Hey, did you hear where the scavenger hunt places are going to be this year? Freaking awesome.”

???: “Yeah, way cooler than last year. Maybe we will actually be able to find some decent chaplets. Maybe even a sword. Only a few more miles to go. We can register in Loosenhall City.”

Ezekiel: “The hell are these people talking about?”

Isara: “Every year there is a hunt for chaplets that people can sign up for. It’s a chance to earn money and possibly get better items than what you have. When I was younger, I went to two different ones and I found some pretty cool stuff, but nothing of much value. I don’t even know where those chaplets are now.”

Okasaki: “Young? You already are young. What, have you been doing this since you were a baby?”

Isara: “Let’s just say I have some experience. We’d have to sign up at the Association, but I don’t plan on going this year. There is no point, but you all may go if you wish.”

Ezekiel: “Nah, we don’t even really know what these chaplets do. You say they are powerful, but me and Okasaki here can just punch someone and knock them out cold. Let me see one. Do you have one?”

Isara was very trustworthy of these men and figured they would not do anything to harm her. They looked genuinely confused about this world and what it entailed. She handed them the new Moon Chaplet that she had just acquired to see what they would say.

They all looked at it, scoffed, and gave it back.

Ezekiel: “Like I said, that thing is pointless. So, where are we headed? We’re thinking about sticking with you for a while until we get our bearings.”

Isara: “Sure. We’re going to a place that I had just heard of from the library. Sarz, Liz, and Ine failed to tell me about this in the beginning.”

Sarz: “Sorry Isara.”

Liz: “Yeah sorry. We weren’t thinking correctly.”

Ine: “Hmm, I did think about it, but it’s too dangerous to get there and I’ve never been inside. I was waiting for you to meet someone strong, not these buffoons. I’m going to go to sleep.”

Ezekiel: “Who?”

Isara: “Ah, nobody, nobody. We are headed off to a great wonder of this world. It’s going to be tough to get there. It’s very, very far and even if we do get there, I believe the books said there are trials in order to enter.”

Ezekiel: “You hear that Ryoko? Are you still in for the ride with us?”

Ryoko: “Can’t process. What place exists? Don’t know.”

Isara: “From what the book said, it mentioned, past the many, many lands is knowledge that most do not understand. A place so prosperous that the mind will shake and the body will sit still. The greatest place in this world, The Infinite Library…I don’t know. There was no author on that book, so the guy was probably really creepy, but let’s go check it out.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Welpen: “We have to be right behind her, right Astro?”

Astro: “Yeah. Go to bed. There is nothing up ahead here for a long time. It’s just a bunch of land. Pretty sure this is where people come to test their abilities. There are a bunch of craters in the ground and it’s just dirt. No fresh grass for miles.”

Welpen: “There is no city? How come we passed by people on the way?”

Astro: “This road leads to Loosenhall City, where we just came from, but then branches off to many different cities from there. People are just traveling and passing through. That’s why I wanted to get a start as quickly as possible. The nearest town is 2 days from here. Crown Red is the name of it. Honestly, I’ve never been here before, but I saw it on the map and asked about it while getting the horse and carriage.”

Welpen: “Hey Astro…What happened to your back? When you were changing outfits a few days ago, I saw a bunch of scars. Do they hurt?”

Astro: “Oh, don’t worry about those, kid. Comes with life. Can’t fix them anyways, so I just have to live with them.”

Welpen: “Wh-What? No. There has to be a chaplet that can fix that. Something will fix that.”

Astro: “Hit the hay kid. I need to smoke a cigarette. Don’t want you breathing in all the smoke.”

Welpen: “Tch, everytime I can’t even ask a question. Stupid idiot. Can’t do anything, treating me like a kid.”

The horses stopped abruptly in front of them.

The carriage came to a halting stop.

In front of them on the gravel road was a herd of animals. All different kinds walked across. Astro yelled at them to hurry along and even got out of the carriage to threaten them, but they didn’t care. They continued carelessly until everyone was across. All different kinds came out of nowhere and simply walked. Even when they crossed the path, they just continued to walk straight in the herd of animals that nobody would’ve expected to be together. Birds even flew over them not as prey, but as a group with them.

‘The hell,’ Astro thought. He pointed at his horse and spoke.

Astro: “You better not go anywhere.”

The horse neighed in disapproval of Astro’s words. Everyone was confused, but once the animals were across, they continued. Welpen didn’t question anything. He was mad at Astro yet again for treating him like they weren’t equal. He wanted to be respected like an adult, but knew he was still a kid. He laid down in the back with Ezra in his pocket as he fell asleep…

When Welpen awoke, they were still on the road with the same scenery around them. He sat up in the back of the carriage with blurry eyes from his slumber. Astro’s cape flowed in the wind and the sun was high in the sky that shone down as bright as the heavens.

Welpen: “Where are we, Astro? How long was I out?”

Astro: “Finally awake, huh? It’s 12 o’clock. You were out for more than 14 hours.”

Welpen: “14 hours?! Ezra, why didn’t you wake me up?”

Ezra: “You looked so peaceful. Plus, I was dealing with some things in the Spirit Realm.”

Astro looked back slightly as if he wanted to turn and ask something to Ezra, but he shifted his eyes back on the road. Ezra knew exactly what he wanted to ask, but knew that he would not. No matter the promise he made or the pride he had, he couldn’t stop thinking about what was important in his miserable life. The agony of thinking of them everyday killed him inside. Ezra could see, let alone feel it, and she saw his wife and daughter looking over him constantly.

Astro: “Don’t look at me like that.”

Welpen: “Huh? What did I do?”

Astro: “Not you. Her.”

Ezra: “Me. What did I do?”

Astro: “You know exactly what you did. Just because you don’t have a physical body doesn’t mean that I can’t feel you crawling down my spine. I know what you’re thinking, and if I ever ask, then you say no. You understand?”

Ezra: “N-No. I don’t understand. You’re selfish. You don’t know what they want. You only follow what you think they want.”

Astro: “I’m gonna say this one more time and you will not bug me again. You may not get this because you were basically born into your craft, but you do not have kids. You may have love in your heart, but you don’t know the agony of being a father. Loving your child so much that you cannot bear to see them in pain. Devoting your entire being to their life to satisfy them and make them happy. It’s an aching pain that is worse than death, but better than life. So, when I make a promise to the ones I love, then I intend to keep that promise. I know they want to see me and I fight with my mind everyday to venture to them, but I will not. I won’t see them until I have made my own peace and died a good death in this life. If I see them, then I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave. And…I will not have you kicking me out every second of every day while I waste my life away fighting against you. Capeesh?”

Ezra: “Sure. Capeesh.”

Ezra wanted to say a lot more in frustration of this man in front of her denying who he truly is. He hides love in order to stay strong and move forward, but she respected his wishes and resolve.

Welpen: “You’re not going to convince him, Ezra. He hasn’t told me much about his own life either. I’ve been with him for a little while now and he doesn’t really like to talk much. It’s always go, go, go. Sure, he teaches me about swords and chaplets and mana, but that’s really all. Although…he has taught me some other things about people I love.”

He whispered all this quietly so that Astro wouldn’t hear their conversation. He didn’t mind if he heard it, but Welpen felt like he was insulting him by talking about his own issues, especially dealing with his family, who Welpen knew nothing about. Although, Welpen agreed with Ezra that he should talk about his feelings.

Welpen: “How much longer? The sun is starting to get to me.”

Astro: “I don’t know. Maybe 7 or 8 hours. We might actually be able to catch them before they reach Crown Red. The horse was going at a pretty good pace and I used a Enhancer Chaplet to make him a little quicker, so it won’t take us 2 days.”

Welpen: “Is this place dangerous?”

Astro: “No. It’s the complete opposite. You remember that idiot who made us pay at the border?”

Welpen: “Yes.”

Astro: “Everybody is like that apparently, but not at all dangerous. They just bug you nonstop and don’t leave you alone. That lady at the library told me that it’s not necessarily a party town, but it’s a showcase town. There are a lot of performances that people do everyday. It’s greedy for sure. People like money here, but they at least have something to show for it. This is the first time I’ll be seeing this too, so just stick by my side. Who knows what we might see.”

Welpen: “But, that man was scary. You got all serious around him.”

Astro: “Yeah, that’s a different story though. Let’s hope nobody here is technically like him.”

More people began to pass them along the gravel path heading to Loosenhall City. Nobody had any horses like they did though. Everybody walked in the hot heat without breaking a sweat. It seemed many of them were used to this.

One man stood out for better or worse. It was hard to see his face, but he was surely a man with his build. His straw hat blocked his face, not his small grey goatee though. He wore a black Cuirass with leather red straps that flapped in the wind and a dark blue haori that usually goes over kimonos. His 2 samurai swords stayed at his hips. The sheaths for the swords were glowing dark red and as the man walked by their carriage, what stood out so much was not only his outfit, but the way he walked. His head remained down as if anyone could attack him at any point and he walked almost as slow as a turtle. When they looked closer, he was breathing out what looked like mist, but it was simply him breathing. As they directly passed by him, it felt like time froze. They could hear his heavy footprints imprinting into the ground. Even with how slow the man moved, he still seemed to move faster than the carriage was.

By the time the man was past them, everything resumed to normal, but they didn’t know what happened.

Astro: “Welpen, check your pouch and pockets. Now!”

Welpen: “Wh-What. O-Okay. Umm, everything is here. I’m not missing anything. What’s happening?”

Astro: “Agh! My head.”

Welpen: “Astro, are you okay?”

Astro: “No, don't come near me. Stay back! My chest too. What the hell did he do?”

Astro continued to struggle for about a minute while all Welpen and Ezra could do was sit there and watch. After the minute was up, he was fine. His headache cleared along with his heart pain. Even his scythe rattled in pain of seeing Astro like this and unable to do anything.

Welpen rushed over to him to check on him.

Astro: “I’m fine. I’m fine.”

Welpen: “Wh-What was that? I’m going to go scream at that guy.”

Astro: “No. I don’t know who that was or what that was, but he didn’t even mean to attack. There was no hostility at all. And the worst part about it was he had no mana. I couldn’t sense a thing and he wasn’t concealing it. I could just tell he wasn’t somehow. I don’t know what happened to me, but whatever it was, he had no intention of doing it. Let’s just hope we never have to see him again. That thing isn’t human.”

Welpen: “No. Too bad. What he did wasn’t right. I’m saying something…Hey! You stupid idiot! Say you're sorry for whatever you just did to my friend! I know you can still hear me! You’re not that far away!”

Astro dragged him back down to the carriage and shut him up. The man paid no attention to Welpen though anyways. In fact, it was like he didn’t hear him at all. He continued the exact same way he was when he passed by them. Not a care in the world existed for whoever this man was.

At the same time that Astro was reprimanding Welpen, the horses freaked out and went crazy. They detached themselves from the carriage and ran left. Whether this was a coincidence or not to the man they did not know, but they were without horses and not stuck on foot for the rest of the way now, which would truly make it a 2 day journey.

The continuous events that began to unfold in front of Astro was more than he had experienced in over 10 years. It seemed like the more he tried to help, the harder it became. Although, he would not give up on this endeavor and he was in a pinch for time in obligations that he carried on his shoulders.