The Republic of Fyhelean Part 2

It'd be three days of work out on the farm, though none of the hotels in town took cash to Chad’s major frustration. The farmer wouldn't let them sleep anywhere near his property or he didn't understand what they were trying to ask either, so the two ended up having to camp on the edge of the woods for a couple nights. Chad was getting fed up and bored of this place to the extreme, while Hikari was just happy he could get some fieldwork in to clear his head a bit. Yet the whole time they were there everyone in town kept giving them weird sidelong glances and the like, as if they didn't understand why they were there or what they were doing. On the third day while out in the field the wrap around Hikari’s sword slipped without his notice until Chad came up to him in a panic. “Theres a bunch of guards here we gotta… Oh by the Gods man is your sword out?!” Chad questioned with frustration in his voice. Hikari’s eyes widened as he reached for the pack and felt what Chad said to be true. “Damn, I didn't notice. Are we running out of here?” Hikari answered as he fixed the wrapping around the sword. “The damn farmer must have seen it and called the cops. I knew we shouldn't have stayed here, damn knife eared cop lovers.” Chad hissed in frustration as he led Hikari and himself into the woods. As they looked out from pitch black treeline they'd see more and more police cars arrive on the farm, with uniformed guards holding everything from torso sized hooks on the end of polearms to handguns, and clubs. The two made a break for it in the periphery of woods, they were lucky in that the police expected to get the two off guard and hadn't begun a manhunt yet. They'd manage to sneak out of town and while the elves had no tolerance for weapons policy, with no actual conviction or evidence they were there beyond the farmer’s word the guards didn't seem to want or be able to pursue them further. The two broke through the woods surrounding the train tracks, though it was slow going, trying to push through the various ferns, vines, and various other ground foliage that tangled in their legs.

Eventually Chad felt like they made enough distance between them and town and he settled back into a walk as did Hikari soon after. “Damn it now we're gonna get hounded the whole way over.” Chad cursed as they walked through on the edge of the forest. “All that over a sword?” Hikari asked in turn, expecting a different answer from what he got when the Keshigs hunted them back in Daion. “I'm right there with you on that end. That's how elves are though, all it takes is one accident or one nut job going berserk and they want it regulated from existence. They're so damn caught up in the length of their lives they're too afraid to actually live the lives they get. Everything and everyone has to be the same, pacified and controlled, they think they need to be saved from themselves.” Chad ranted as they continued down the edge of the clearing along the tracks. This made Hikari think for a while in turn, elves look human, and they going off the hobo from the train can interbreed with humans too. A lot of humans lived outside of rightful cultivation that much was given. Did elves naturally have a different rightful cultivation than humans like animals and ogres, or were they just living wrongfully and their masters were using fear and paranoia to control them? Chad made it sound like many of their problems were self inflicted, like they imposed this unnatural order on themselves because of their different lifespans than to humans. Should they be encouraged to liberate themselves from this comfortable seeming totalitarianism, or should they be left to their own inhuman devices much like the ogres in the Ōgasanmyaku? The questions really wracked Hikari’s mind as he walked, and he wondered if his father ever had thought the same questions on his own journey before him.

The pair would spend a few days and pass a few cities while on the run, yet everywhere they went they'd be hounded by law. As Chad would find out pictures of Hikari would be distributed through the nearby towns and everyone there was really eager to report them to the nearby authorities. They did have a couple boones however, the first being that they weren't actually wanted enough to warrant a proper manhunt, the second being that without a proper manhunt on their tails they could always slip away into the forest about as quickly as they were discovered. The most curious thing though was that almost none of the citizens were actually willing to go into the forest in spite of their living around them. The authorities were more willing to enter but always stopped once they got a certain distance away from their respective towns. Another place they lucked out in was that Chad never had his own pictures distributed so he could slip into town on his own to buy cheap food for the both of them with their remaining money from the farm work. Their biggest roadblock would be another big city of which was absolutely massive and surrounded by miles of farmland. Their cash was running short so Chad and Hikari decided they'd just have to risk it and sneak through the city else they'd starve or get desperate on its outskirts. Hikari would use his blanket sword cover as a hood and cloak to attempt to hide his face and sword as they made their way into the city by night. Yet this city was just as bright and bustling at night as that first city they landed in back in Daion. They'd make a good ways into the ouroboros of artistic obscenity that was elven cities before more guards with clubs and man catchers would arrive and end up herding them into a dead end alleyway. Neither had any idea who recognized or reported them yet it made no difference as the backs were against the wall as the guards approached barking commands neither of them understood. As Chad considered reaching for one of his hidden guns a window above them opened and a black masked figure holding a bottle of liquid with a burning rag sticking out of its top would drop their burning payload before the guards creating an inferno of a wall before them and sending their front line into a thrashing panic as the inferno ignited their uniforms. The steel manhole cover before them was pushed up and another black masked figure would shout to them in Muryowa of all languages. “I'm a friend, come with me and I'll explain everything later.” Hikari had a hard time understanding what he said between his nearly nonunderstandable pronunciation and the general chaos of the moment as guards screamed and scrambled for the ground as their uniforms began to burn hot enough for their plastic fiber to melt. Chad however didn't hesitate, grabbing Hikari’s arm and practically leaping into the open manhole. The trio made their escape down a rusty ladder as the smell of sewage burned their nose hairs like that fire bottle burned the guards above them. Yet instead of making their way through the sewers proper the black masked figure would move some concrete blocks that at a glance looked no different from the others surrounding it and would wave both Chad and Hikari through to crawl through the tunnel that hid behind the missing bricks. Chad went first without hesitation and Hikari followed before the black masked figure sealed up the hole behind them and followed flashlight in hand dimly illuminating the hand carved cave they had to crawl on their hands and knees to get through.

“They say not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but for fear of soldiers hiding inside it. Who are you and why are you helping us?” Chad demanded as he crawled through the dank smelly tunnel. “My name is Drannor Ylladi, and I'm with the Vainaa Liito Enourthad and I believe that translates to the Free Youth Union in your language, comrade.” The black masked figure answered. “Anarchists, that explains the fire bombs and your obsession with Muryowa in spite of being an elf.” Chad answered before he reached forward and pushed the bricks blocking his path out of the way, illuminating the cave in the process. “And proud of it. We saw those pigs passing out your picture and recognized you for what you were immediately. And may I say that we are elated to help a fellow free mortal in their time of need. Tell me are you actually from Muryowa?” Drannor elaborate as they all crawled through the cave before he put the bricks Chad pushed out back in place. Hikari hesitated for a moment thinking of how badly telling people where he was from ended when they first landed in Daion. Still this elf did help him and he didn't sound like he hated the ideas of Rightful Cultivation so Hikari took a chance. “Yes I am. I'm uhh actually the descendant of the Rightful Philosopher Yasuo Hikari, whom I share a name with.” Hikari explained as the Drannor face lightened with glee that could be seen even through his black mask. “The Yasuo Hikari?! The man who liberated the Muryowa Empire and cut the emperor's head off?” Drannor exclaimed so excitedly he about couldn't actually form words properly. “What? No, he discovered rightful cultivation. It was his descendant Yasuo Hayato who led the Rightful Rebellion and liberated Muryowa over a hundred years later. “Really? Well I've got some history books to edit when we get you to the safe house.” Drannor chuckled in both awe and amusement. This new trio would end up passing through a few of these hidden brick caves, which were quite an ingenious thing on account of how the bricks were made up to look exactly like they're mortared into the wall and everything even when they aren't. “And why in the hells do we have to keep crawling through these gods forsaken shit tunnels?” Chad muttered more than he had actually asked. still Drannor’s acute elven ears picked up the complaint. “To get around the guards, it's not glamorous but you have to put up with some shit when you're fighting the state.” Drannor laughed as he sealed up the last of the hidden sewer tunnels. Drannor then began to climb a ladder out of the sewers and push the manhole cover open.

Drannor gave the all clear before everyone climbed up and the trio snuck to a side door in the new alley where Drannor gave a knock with a specific three beat pattern. The door opened and everyone was quickly ushered in. Inside the building was a cozy if typically eleven decorative interior of wooden floors and brick walls, say for the blackout curtains and homemade guns, bombs, and other weapons strewn about all over. Two other elves were inside a hunched posture bookish looking elf man with thick set glasses, and an elven woman who like many had a beauty so great it almost made her look uncanny, like she was carved from ivory more than made from flesh and blood, though she did have something a permanent bored scowl on her face. “Comrades this is the Muryowa those pigs have been hounding for the past week. And dig this, he's from Muryowa proper not just the crotch spawn of some autonomy thieving runaway.” Drannor proudly proclaimed which made the other two look over Hikari in amazement. “I’d like you to meet my old comrades here, my bro with the glasses Vulred, and this pretty radical thing here is Yathanae.” Both would nod in gracious approval in response. “And you know what else this crazy missa told me? Not only is he a comrade from Muryowa proper, but dig this he's the descendant of Yasuo Hikari himself, he's even named after the guy.” Drannor proclaimed before he boldly put a foot up on a table and pointed his thumb into his chest before anyone could get a word out. “And I say this ain't just some damn wild coincidence, but real forthright destiny. It's a sign don't you all see? A real sign from destiny that we're a bunch of rightful comrades too and here's a regular gold skinned messenger crashing in on his own wave of chaos to tell us so. You all dig it? If not then at least dig these crazy suckers anyways.” Drannor announced to little cheer from the other elves, Vulred said hot damn while Yathanae declared radical. Soon Chad and Hikari had set their packs down and everyone had settled in on whatever furniture was available on account of not being the resting place of some weapon makeshift or otherwise. Hikari would end up absolutely bombarded with questions in what could charitably be described as good attempts at the Muryowa language. All questions about Muryowa the land and of rightful cultivation. Though it'd be Drannor who would cut in and save Hikari from the torrential downpour of questions.

“Hey these two just spent a few days running from pigs all by themselves, give them a chance to settle a bit. How about you tell us about this wild journey you're on Hikari?” Drannor would ask, though Chad would give a quick and subtle elbow to his arm as a signal to not tell them of his secret agent origins. So Hikari would make up that Chad was his escort as he wandered about spreading the good word of Rightful Cultivation. Then he'd actually get into the details of his journey, which being as they were about three months into it at this point, ended up taking hours with Chad adding in here and there to reinforce the lie of his origin. The elves all hung onto every word Hikari said like he was a prophet and they were his disciples. “Of course the feds would harass you like this over something as stupid as a cover falling off a sword. Had they caught you they'd have paraded you all over the news to talk about their no tolerance weapon policy and then probably have said you were a terrorist and patted themselves on the back. Before throwing you in a cell and forcing you to work for their corporations for pennies on the dollar for the rest of your life.” Drannor elaborated in passionate frustration. “So is that the sword that took your emperor's head off?” Vulred asked with an air of almost sadistic glee. Hikari hesitated for a moment at the discomfort he felt from the sword both in the killing of the shape changer and its original sin of beheading the royal family after the revolution. Still Hikari tentatively grabbed the sword in its saya and presented it to Vulred who happily took it with both hands and nod. Only for his toothy smile to turn to a deep frown at the state of the blade, all pitted and rusty from Hikari having never actually wiped the blood of the shape changer off of it after he cut his throat. “This is… a tragedy of the greatest proportion. Comrade Hikari I beg you, let me restore this blade to its former glory. Before I joined the revolution my father and I sharpened tools for a living.” Vulred begged and pleaded to Hikari. Again Hikari hesitated, even though the blade was evil to Hikari it was still a hundreds of years old family heirloom. “Yes… but I want to oversee its restoration myself.” Hikari answered before Vulred eagerly stood up and waved him to follow. The two would head into the kitchen of the apartment where Vulred would lay out a makeshift setup of a tarp supported by boards on the counter that would create a well in which only the blade of the sword would be placed and submerged in vinegar and left to soak. In the background Drannor was helping Chad take his and Hikari's clothes in their packs and give them a proper washing out, stain removal and everything.

With the blade needing to soak overnight and with Chad and Drannor occupied, Hikari would wander back over to the couch and sit down. Yathanae after doing whatever it is she left to do would come sit on the couch next to Hikari. "About what happened back when you were Vilnipolya, I'm really sorry about it. You're a good man for defending her and if you ever need someone to help you with those nerves I'd be willing to help." Yathanae flirted as a couple wispy white fingers would trail down Hikari's arm while she opened up her shirt a bit to show a tasteful line of pale cleavage. Yet Hikari realized there was something off about the offer, it was somehow different from when Aiko propositioned him. This wasn't a spur of the moment, take what you can while it's still available passion. This offer seemed more like an obligation, as if she were expected to do it more than anything else. She had such a sad gone aura about her Hikari would realize, the poor thing. Though of course Hikari still considered taking up the offer, he was only human after all and a young man at that. Though his character plus the pained memories about the act would ultimately make him refuse in his mind. "I'm sorry I just don't think I'm quite ready yet. But genuinely, I thank you for the offer." Hikari would bow and answer which would give Yathanae a brief pause for thought before she'd smile and bow back. "If you ever change your mind, please come find me." Yathanae responded before she got up and went about her own business. Only for Hikari to hear her and Vulred arguing in the other room. “You've demanded I sleep with you every day for a week, take a hike you pig!” Yathanae argued in Muryowa in the hopes Hikari would back her up. “Oh so I'm not good enough to be your comrade anymore is that it? Do you even give a damn about the cause, or are you hoping you can whore your way to Muryowa and leave us all behind?!” Vulred argued through gritted teeth before Hikari stood up and marched over in anger giving Vulred a similar death glare he gave to the shape changer before he sank his sword into his neck, of course this time Hikari had no sword. “That is not Rightful Cultivation, you apologize to her or I will make it right myself?” Hikari yelled in turn only for Vulred to step into him in challenge. “Did you forget who's restoring your sword? Is getting in the way of my autonomy how you repay your friends?” Vulred replied before Drannor ran in and decked him in the back of the head with his fist. “You quit being a prick! If you weren't so good at making bombs I'd have thrown you out ages ago. Now apologize!” Drannor yelled in anger after Vulred got done recoiling and rubbing the back of his head. Vulred would give a sheepish largely insincere apology before slithering off to where Drannor would go join Chad in washing and destaining clothes again. “Thank you for that really.” Yathanae would state to Hikari in the most earnest she's sounded since the trio arrived at the safe house before she'd slither off as well.

Eventually everyone would settle in for the night, with Chad sleeping on the couch and Hikari on a roll up mat on the floor. That morning everyone would stir and Yathanae would make everyone a breakfast of pan fried potatoes. “I've noticed there seems to be no bread or grains in this land, why is that?” Hikari asked as he still happily ate his breakfast before Drannor would give an amused chuckle. “I suppose they don't have many elves in Muryowa do they? We can't actually eat grain, they make us elves damn sick when we try.” Drannor explained between bites. “Really? Because grain is a major part of Rightful Cultivation in humans, if not the center point.” Hikari responded before he started eating again. The elves all gave him an odd look but everyone just kinda shrugged and kept eating. With everyone done eating Vulred would go back to Hikari's sword and pull it out of the vinegar bath before he set about polishing and oiling the blade with mineral oil more out of respect for the blade and what it's been used to do than any care for Hikari. Soon it was back to Hikari with a few small divots and pits from where the rust ate away the steel but shiny and nearly good as new. Afterwards Drannor would make a point to sit Hikari down while he held a paper and pencil. “Before you leave it would be an absolute boon to our cause if you could tell us about Muryowa society, history, and rightful cultivation. I can't force you but nothing would make me happier than to write down everything you say.” Drannor asked kindly, which made Hikari nod and smile. “I would be honored to help spread Rightful Cultivation to these lands, though don't do too much writing because of me.” Hikari answered to where Drannor chuckled, assuming the writing line was just a joke. So it was that hours passed as Hikari gave the long oral history of post revolution Muryowa, a rundown of Muryowa society, and the tenants of rightful cultivation.

Yet as Hikari went on longer and longer an annoyed glare started to form on Drannor's face, especially when Hikari highlighted how important to rightful cultivation field work and farming is. Though what finally broke his patience seemed when Hikari spoke of the hard-liners and their general aversion to anything but farming and having kids. “Was any of this ever even about freedom to begin with, or just this stupid idea that people aren't allowed to anything but sit and be some stupid dirt fucking, shit farmer?!” Drannor growled in frustration “I… uhh… well taking care of ourselves is the fundamental idea that everything revolves around. Everyone has to eat, so everyone has to grow their own food, that's what makes us all equal. I don't understand why you're so…” Hikari tried to elaborate which seemed to only make Drannor more upset as his ivory face turned red as he clenched his pointed jaw. “No! No this can't just be more primitivist bullshit, and obscene no fun allowed primitivism on top of that!” Drannor yelled as he stood from his chair. “I refuse to break the shackles of authority just to be chained to a plow all day like some feudal serf, pretending I have free will when I don't!” Drannor yelled again, his hands shaking in rage. “After the revolution everyone still needs food, you'll have to grow it yourself or starve.” Hikari responded not especially used to one sided anger such as this. “No! I will be the heroic leader of the revolution, everyone will shower me with love and support for everything I did for them! And I'll finally be able to do anything I want without some bastard who was born in the middle ages trying to tell me what I can and can't do!” Drannor ranted like the madman he was becoming. “Yasuo Hayato committed suicide at the end of the revolution to keep that from happening, with the same sword he used to behead the emperor. That way he cleansed his offense of being a leader of men and inspired the rest of the revolution to live up to his death when the revolution ended. They lead their own reconstruction because of his sacrifice. You don't sound upset because there are leaders, you sound upset because you're not one of them.” Hikari elaborated then chided which finally sent Drannor over the edge to where sent a bony hand at the end of a long arm straight into Hikari's face. “Get out! Get the fuck out of my revolution you bullshit monger!” Drannor screamed at the top of his lungs as Hikari crashed back in the chair. Drannor would then reach for some sort of homemade gun that sat in his desk only to be met with the barrel of Chad’s revolver against the back of his head. “Don't even think of it, mine ain't some plastic toy.” Chad ordered in a tone that could cut steel yet remained cool as a cucumber. Vulred would burst in behind him pointing his own homemade gun at Chad.

"You see, the only reason why I haven't shot you yet is because my friend here isn't so fond of blood. Yet I have no such qualms if I'm really pushed. You may be willing to kill for your fancy ideas, but are you willing to die for them, knife ear? After all, you've got a thousand years to lose but I only lose one bullet. You tell me, is that trade worth it?” Chad questioned Drannor while he stared down Vulred with the cold merciless eyes of a trained killer. “Shit, Vulred put the gun down, j~just let them go.” Drannor ordered in a voice that quivered with the fear of death. Vulred would drop his gun and stick his hands up to where Hikari would pick himself up and follow Chad out the room as he kept his gun trained between Drannor’s eyes. They collected their packs and everything that belonged to them before slipping back out into the city. It was midday but the firebombing of the guards by the black masked elves completely overtook any worry the normal elven citizens had about Hikari’s sword troubles and the pair slipped through the city unnoticed. Near the train tracks Yathanae would slip out of the bushes to meet them only to be met by Chad’s gun aimed at her center of mass. “Please wait, I want to help.” Yathanae exclaimed as she stuck her hands up. Chad kept the gun aimed at her but let her talk. “In the bushes behind me we have a railcar we use to travel the rails without the train. I want you to take it, for helping me and for everything Drannor and Vulred put you through.” Yathanae explained again in the same air of earnestness she had when she thanked Hikari last night. Hikari put a hand on Chad's arm to where he would lower the gun and the three of them would retrieve a small wood and steel platform on wheels with a motor in its center and place it on the tracks. “You can come with us if you want, I can bring you back to Muryowa and away from those two.” Hikari offered in earnest thanks but Yathanae would just smile and shake her head. “I'd love to, but I can't. I'm the only one keeping those two in check. If I wasn't there, who knows what they'd do or who they'd hurt. But thank you, you're sweet, like they were when we first met. I hope to bring them back to their senses one day.” Yathanae explained before she'd give Hikari a warm hug. Grateful for the time spent with a free man that didn't expect her to spread her legs on command, out of some idea of breaking free of societal norms. Chad got on the little rail car before Hikari broke the hug and joined him on it. Its motor started with a rumble and they raced off down the tracks, Yathanae disappearing behind a bend of impossibly thick forest.