After quite some time, Reaper once again started to regain consciousness. All he can hear are the squawking of seagulls and the sea waves splashing at the shore. He can also feel the warmth of the sun embracing his entire body as he continues to lie on the sands. Looking around made him see a wreckage of a boat which he immediately realized that it was the boat they were in as they try to escape from the Ophiuchus City. However, he couldn't see the rest of them around or the other boat the Professor, Calcipher and the girls were at.
"Where am I? Where are the others?" Reaper asked himself while trying to approach the wreckage of the boat.
As he scanned the area further, he realized that he is in an island and he noticed a forest is nearby which looked like it is vast enough to cover the rest of the island. He then remembered that they are supposed to be heading to an island someplace at the border of the Gallant Nation so it must be this island but if this is the island the Professor and their mentors mentioned, he's stumped as to why it's only him wandering about in the island.
All of a sudden, he heard a peculiar rustling from a nearby bush which slightly surprised him. What made him more in awe is that a child emerged from that bush in primitive yet flashy clothing. This child is wearing a skirt made out of leaves and straws but the things making them flashy are the accessories. Reaper noticed that this child has all sorts of accessories from earrings, necklace, bracelet and even a head piece and all of them appeared to be made in gold.
"What's a child doing here? I thought this place is inhabited. And what's with the get up?" Reaper muttered to himself.
"Hello!" The child cheerfully greeted him.
"Hi there. Tell me. Do you know where we're at and did you see my friends?" Reaper asked.
"This is Dhahabu Kisiwa. Welcome!" The child replied with the warmest smile.
"What? Is that your name or it's the island's?" Reaper asked in confusion.
The child then took on a strange stance and let out a much stranger howling sound. Reaper immediately thought that something is about to happen. Instead of running away and hiding someplace safe, he decided to stay and fight just in case there's a need to defend himself. Besides, he doesn't sense that there's an Anomaly around so it'll be very much manageable for him to stand his ground against a few enemies.
"Hey kid! What are you trying to do?" Reaper asked.
"I'm calling my friends." The child replied.
"What friends?"
Then, a group of strong looking men wearing the same primitive yet flashy clothing also emerged from the depths of the forest with a somewhat one other strange character. This person appears to be wearing a white robe of some kind showered with rather a larger number of gold accessories. The men surrounding this person also were armed with spears with golden blades. It appears that this island is abundant with the material.
"Welcome esteemed stranger." The robed individual greeted.
"Elder! I was the one who found this person." The child cheekily pointed out.
"Is that so? Here's your reward, child. Now go along and play with your friends." The robed individual said as he handed some chunks of gold to the child. The child then hurriedly left them.
"Who are you people? What is this place?" Reaper asked.
"Before that, let me introduce myself first. I am the Elder of this tribe and you can address me as such." The Elder replied as he removed his robe to reveal a wrinkled face of an old man. His smile was as warm and as welcoming as the sun so Reaper felt at ease somehow.
"So, you run this place?"
"Somehow yes but not really. I serve as the advisor for the royal family who lives deep in the forest grounds."
"I was told that this place is inhabited but it surely is not."
"Dhahabu Kisiwa has been inhabited for generations now. You've been told incorrectly."
"Probably but it is still very strange to me."
"I can only imagine where you're coming from but we'll definitely fill you in. For now, come with us. I know that you're feeling hungry as well. We've prepared a feast for our guests."
"Guests? You mean my friends are here too?"
"Why of course! Come walk with us. Don't be intimidated by the guards. They're just doing their jobs."
Though having slight doubts, Reaper agreed with the Elder's proposal to join them for a feast so they all went into the forest. The guards are doing fine job in fending off the branches and bushes that are blocking their way with their gold-bladed spears. From a distance, Reaper is seeing a strange shine it's as if they're inside a tunnel gazing upon the exit at the end. Also, they've started to hear music like it's some kind of a festival.
They eventually arrived at the place where the festivities are taking place. Reaper was in awe as he was greeted with strange establishments with equally strange villagers. The people are also dressed with their traditional clothing as it seems and also wearing generous amounts of golden accessories throughout their bodies. The establishments are also unique-looking as they are also almost enveloped in gold themselves. That is most likely the reason why they've been seeing a powerful shine from afar. Also, it appears that this village isn't reliant to electricity at all based on how the establishments are structured.
"Welcome back, Elder! Please, join us." A lady villager said.
"I'll join you later. I need to run some errands first." The Elder responded. "But please accommodate our guest here."
"My pleasure, Elder. Boy, let's go." The lady villager replied and grabbed Reaper away from the Elder and his guards.
The lady villager headed the way deeper to the village where the main events of the festival are being held. As they arrived at what seemed to be the village's plaza, they were once again welcomed with some more music and energetic villagers. Then, Reaper noticed a long table set in the middle of the plaza which was stuffed with numerous kinds of food. The table was also filled with villagers who are ready to eat and amongst those hungry villagers, Reaper saw Beast, Glass and Surge.
"We're here, boy. Sit wherever you please and do enjoy. We'll handle the rest for you." The lady villager said.
"Reaper, we're here!" Glass exclaimed.
"Reaper, my man! Sit with us." Surge commented excitedly.
Reaper did go to where Beast and the others are and sat with them. Glass and Surge are surely enjoying the feast unlike Beast who is always questioning things. Putting his guard up is great but at times like this, he should just enjoy himself like the others. The three of them confirmed that they haven't seen the rest of them yet. Only the three of them were at the shore when they came to. Since they didn't notice Reaper, they were most likely washed up from a different than him. Aside from the four of them, Zythandra was with the both but it appears that she's not at the island so there's a chance that she's with the Professor and the others wherever that might be.
"Beast, cheer up! Don't waste this lovely event. Enjoy yourself." Glass said. "Enjoy yourself too, Reaper."
"He's right. There's a lot of delicious food, festive music and most importantly, a lot of beautiful ladies!" Surge exclaims. "This place is heaven! Golden Heaven if I do say so myself."
"Aren't you worried? The Professor, our mentors and the girls aren't with us." Beast pointed out.
"Of course I am worried but if they are all together in one place, they'll surely manage." Glass replied.
"I have a feeling that they're not in this island." Reaper said.
"Really? How can you tell?" Surge asked.
"At the shore where I washed up on, I only saw the wreckage of the boat where we were on. So, there's a great chance that the Professor and the others aren't in this island." Reaper explained.
"That makes sense. At the shore where we washed up on, we didn't see any wreckage so it is likely that we're just the only ones here." Glass replied.
They all continue to make sense of their situation as they continue to enjoy the feast. Performers have started to start the show with a lot more dancing, singing and even acting. Though the place exudes with happiness and peace, they all agreed to leave as soon as they can to find the rest of their team. However, they need more than just planning to locate them since no one knows where they are and where are they supposed to go.
"Bright morning to us all!" The Elder greeted as he showed himself at the stage.
"Bright morning, Elder!" The villagers responded cheerfully.
The Elder started his speech by thanking everyone who joined them in this festive event. He confirmed that they're celebrating the founding of their great village. In his speech, he said that one of the reasons why they lasted for generations is that they excluded themselves from the rest of the world. Which made realized why he never heard of the place until today even though it is said that the island is somewhere along the borders of the Gallant Nation.
"I wonder how they isolate this whole island to the rest of the Nation." Glass commented.
"We may never know." Beast replied.
"I don't care how they're doing it. What's important is they're happy and as a result, we're happy as well." Surge said.
The Elder continued on by welcoming their guests which are Reaper, Beast, Glass and Surge. It's said that it's been over a decade since an outsider washed up on the shores of Dhahabu Kisiwa. The name Dhahabu Kisiwa essentially translates to Golden Island hence the abundance of the material throughout the island. It's very abundant that they were able to wear them as accessories in an extravagant manner and they were also able to mask most of their establishments with them.
"From what the Elder's saying, it does appear that we were the only ones washed up ashore in this island." Glass commented.
"It does sound like it." Beast agreed.
"I'm already missing Pandora, Medusa and Zythandra." Surge said. "I miss the rest of them as well of course."
"Let's hear the rest of his speech." Reaper responded.
The speech went on ahead and the Elder announced that they're also celebrating the founding of their small yet prosperous community so everyone should be as lively as they can be. However, the tables quickly turned for the grim as he reminded everyone to continue watching out for themselves because enemies are just lurking deep in the forest. Though he assured the villagers that their golden warriors are very dependable, there's no telling still what their enemies will do to harm them and everything they worked hard for.
"What is he saying?" Surge muttered to himself.
"It appears this community is up against something for quite some time now." Glass pointed out.
"So that explains those guys with the gold-bladed spears." Beast commented.
"We must've stumbled upon something we shouldn't." Reaper replied.
The Elder shifted the topic back to the celebration so the atmosphere went back to how cheerful and lively they initially were. After welcoming Reaper and the rest as their guests, he announced the performances will continue. Everyone blasted the music once again and the huge feast was then again enjoyed by everyone. Reaper and the others are well accommodated by the villagers so they really felt welcome. Glass didn't forget to remind the rest of his group to enjoy but do not let their guards down even a second.
"Are you all having a great time?" A beautiful young villager asked who appears to be around the same age as they are.
"Yes. We sure are having a blast right now!" Surge excitedly responded.
"Surge, contain yourself. Yes, miss. We are having great time. We appreciate your hospitality." Glass commented.
"Tell me. Where in the world really is this place and who are you people?" Beast asked as he's still suspicious of everything around them.
"Beast, you contain yourself as well. We don't want them to think that we're their enemy." Reaper whispered.
The young villager smiled radiantly and said, "It's great to hear you're having fun."
"Sister, can I play with my friends at the lake nearby?" A familiar child said as he approached them from a distance.
"Hey! You're the kid who found me at the shore earlier." Reaper greeted. "Hello there, kid!"
"Hi!" The kid cheerfully responded while waving her had at Reaper and the others. "My name is Ginto and this is my sister Au." He introduced.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Au." The beautiful young villager said as she shyly tucked her hair at the back of her ear. The gold accessories she's wearing helped her glow more radiantly and her beauty mesmerized them all.
"Hello there! This very good looking guy you're speaking to is Surge and these are my men." Surge quickly sprang into action as he gently shook and kissed her hand. "The grumpy looking tattooed guy is Beast. That smiley-faced, boring dude is Glass. Finally, that dull looking but very smart guy is Reaper." He introduces everyone without thinking he used their pseudo names.
"You moron!" Beast quietly scolded Surge.
"Such odd names you have but I like them." Au responded then she slightly bowed her head at them as a sign of respect.
"Ginto, let's go! We're going to miss the game." A child howled from afar.
"Sister, I'll get going now." Ginto said.
"Sure. Take care and come back home before dark or you'll get spirited away by the Cryptids." Au reminded.
"Bye! See you later." Ginto replied then ran off to the nearby lake.
"Cryptids? What are those?" Beast asked.
"Are those some kind of forest animals?" Glass asked.
"This place sure is becoming stranger every second." Reaper muttered to himself.
"Why don't we distance ourselves from trivial stuffs and just enjoy? This doesn't happen often you know." Surge replied.
"He's right." Au agreed. "I know! Let's go walk around. I'll tour you to the entire village. I know you have a lot of questions. I'll answer all questions that I can along the way."
"That's a great idea!" Surge exclaimed "Let's go."
"I'm down for that. I'm already stuffed by all these food." Glass responded.
"Come on then." Au said cheerfully.
As soon as they gained distance from where the feast is at, Beast bombarded Au with his questions right away. It does appear that Au is somehow bothered by those questions but she's doing her best to accommodate them all. First, she confirmed that this island is somewhere at the border of the Gallant Nation but it's so far from the mainland that no one from the outside can easily get there and vice versa but that doesn't hinder them to prosper. With that fact, the rest of the world just happened to forget about them as the decades passed.
Beast is still of this idea because he's never heard of this island even once in his life. Being one of the main families in the Gallant, he should've known about it like the rest of the history enveloping the development of their beloved Nation. Next, Au confirmed the she and the rest of the villagers have been living in this island for generations now and none of them set foot outside the island so they're unaware of what's happening to the rest of the world..
Lastly, Au confirmed that the Cryptids she mentioned earlier are the ones the Elder is referring as their enemies. Although no one have seen these creatures, the alleged damages they've done are too critical to ignore their existence. At first, their ancestors believed them to be mutated animals but their beliefs have been consistently being altered. Now, they believe that these Cryptids are not just mutated animals but also forest spirits and even extraterrestrial life forms.
"That's interesting." Beast commented.
"Is there any chance that we can find one?" Surge asked. "I wonder how it feels to fight against something out of the myths."
"Don't be stupid, Surge. There must be logical explanations behind those Cryptid things." Glass pointed out.
"Hey, what is that building?" Reaper asked as he saw another golden establishment from afar at the center of a vast patch of land surrounded by tall golden fence. "It appears to be isolated from other buildings in the village."
"Oh, that?" Au responded with a hint of surprise. "That's the Golden Shrine. That's where the royal family also known as the Golden Family is living. However, no one has ever seen them even since the community's founding. The only person who is allowed to see them and speak to them is the Elder. The Elder acts as the messenger and the advisor for the Golden Family." She explained.
"The Golden Family you're referring to lives inside that shrine all their lives and the only person who can interact with them is the Elder? That same Elder we saw earlier?" Reaper asked.
"That's right." Au responded.
Au went on to confirm that even the elite warriors are also not allowed to see the Golden Family but they can enter the Golden Shrine as long as it's commanded by the Elder. She also shared the fact that the Shrine also acts as a prison where all the criminals in the island are being held. And once you've been imprisoned in the Shrine, you can never go out and even be visited by your relatives or you'll be branded as a criminal yourself and suffering the same fate like the a regular convict.
"Well, that's harsh." Glass commented.
"I guess that's the reason why the village seemed to be very peaceful and full of life." Surge said.
"Yes. That's one of the reasons why." Au replied.
"What are your thoughts about this, Reaper?" Beast asked discreetly.
"Not much really. We just have to respect their culture." Reaper responded.
"Also, do not trespass or even go over the gold coated fence or you'll be dubbed as a criminal as well so be careful." Au pointed out.
"So how is this huge patch of land being maintained if the villagers are not allowed to enter the vicinity?" Beast asked.
"That job is still handled by the Elder and the elite warriors. Let's go someplace else. We don't want to accidentally commit a crime here." Au suggested and the rest of them agreed.
Au's tour continued to the rest of the village. They stopped at the village clinic, market, church, school and they concluded the tour after stopping by at the golden warrior's barracks and the Elder's home. They went back to the village's plaza where the main festivities are being held and it seemed that the programs are on its final stages as the sun started to set. No loud music is bombarding their eardrums and the number of the villagers subsided.
"The entire vibe of the area has changed. I mean look at all those drinks!" Surge exclaimed. "Are those liquors?" He asked.
"Yes. You take a drink if you want to. All the adults seemed to have their children went back to their homes." Au responded.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Surge shrieked excitedly. "Let's go guys."
Surge seemed to be the one truly enjoying the night as he grabbed dozens of booze from left to right. If it wasn't for Glass who continuously watches over him, he would be drowning in alcohol by now. Since Surge is busy slurping away all the alcohol he can find and Glass is busy babysitting him, Beast is scanning the area for potential threats as he's still having a bad feeling about the place while Reaper is occupied in learning all the information he can squeeze out of Au as he continues to ask him series of questions but not as invasive like what Beast done earlier so that Au can comfortably share her stories.
Based on what Reaper has observed, Au truly is a kind-hearted lady. She's very accommodating, dependable and a very warm individual. He decided to trust her words as she seemed to be very trustworthy as well. Au also then confirmed that the Elder appointed her himself to attend to their needs. With that, she was able to inform Reaper and the others that there's already a place for them to spend the night. It was an empty hut just a little over the block from the plaza.
As soon as Surge reached his limits and passed out, Reaper and the others decided to crash at the hut Au told them about. Beast and Glass carried Surge along the way while Reaper is with Au in front trying to have some few more information that may be useful for them in the future but nothing compelling seemed to come out from that conversation so they were told to make themselves at home as Au dropped them off and called it a night.
"This room could've been better but I think we'll be comfortable here." Glass said.
Beast and Glass threw Surge on the bed placed at the center of the room. They immediately noticed that they're supposed to be sleeping in one bed since the hut doesn't have any rooms but the bed is big enough for the four of them. However, doubts about the place and everything else in it aren't completely died down yet so they couldn't make themselves take slumber so they have decided to take turns in keeping watch.
"You two take your rests. I'll take the first shift." Glass instructed.
"I can accompany you." Reaper replied.
"No need, man. I'll be fine. You go on ahead." Glass said.
"I'll get some sleep. You two decide what you want to do." Beast commented.
Reaper gave in to Glass' stubbornness. He realized that once Glass decided something, he wouldn't back down until it's done. That's why he's suited to be the leader for them while Pandora runs second to him as a leader due to her maturity and kindness. Reaper may be dubbed as the brains of the group but his lack of confidence shies himself away from becoming a leader material. On the other hand, Beast prefers to work alone most of the time and doesn't feel the need to be a leader. As for Surge, all he wants if fun, fight and women. He's fine that way since he's dependable. Medusa may seem to fit as a leader herself based on how she treats Pandora, Halo and Sprite but that's that. Her insane vanity keeps herself away from the spot of the leader.
Few hours passed making Glass' shift end so he decided to wake up Reaper to swap with him and for him to take a rest. Glass didn't notice anything odd so Reaper hoped that his shift would be as uneventful. He immediately tried to sense if there's an Anomaly in the area but none has been sensed in the perimeter so he's somehow relieved. However, after his first hour walking around in the hut, he heard rustling leaves and bushes from the outside. He peeked and saw golden warriors frantically yet discreetly making their way deep in the forest. Without Pandora, he wouldn't know what's happening as he can only guess what they were thinking. He then decided to follow them as stealthily as he can.
Those golden warriors were swift on their feet so it's quite a challenge for Reaper to hide his presence from them but he's been doing a fine job so far. The only lights they have are some torches a few of them are carrying so it adds to the challenge for Reaper. All of them continued move deeper in the forest. Reaper may not know why this is happening but he is sure that those golden warriors are prepared to fight.
All of a sudden, everyone stopped moving as they reached a certain point at the heart of the forest. If it wasn't for the torches, the surroundings should be engulfed in darkness. The atmosphere is becoming more haunting when cold breeze started to be felt. At this point, Reaper couldn't come up with any plausible reason why the golden warriors rush in deep in the forest at his dead of the night without alarming the rest of the village.
"What is happening here?" Reaper asked himself.
"Stay alert! Those damn cryptids are last seen here." One of the golden warriors exclaimed who seemed to be their leader.
"The cryptids?" Reaper muttered under his breath. "There's no way. They're actually real?"
Then, strange whispers started to echo the place which startled everyone including Reaper. The disembodied whispers added to the eeriness of the surroundings. No one can comprehend what the whispers are saying. All they can confirm that the whispers are coming from a woman. This may be the cryptid or one of those cryptids everyone in the village is talking. If it is, there's no telling what will happen.
"Do not let it scare you!" The leader of the golden warriors howled.
"Sir, it appears that it's about to rain is about to pour down on us." One warrior announced.
The observation of that warrior appeared to be accurate as the breeze drastically changed together with rain started to drizzle down on them. Thunders from a distance can only be heard. The leader has decided to retreat as it may become more threatening for them. The search for the cyptids has been called off. However, this is an opportunity for Reaper to investigate this incident further so he didn't let it pass.
As the golden warriors are going back to the village, Reaper is still slowly but surely making his way deeper into the forest and where he thinks the disembodied whispers are coming from. The sky eventually was filled with heavy rains and numerous lightning strikes. The random thunders may startle him at some points in his tracks but the lightning strikes help him see where he is going. Eventually, he saw himself standing in front of a cave that's similar to the cave in forest near the Professor's mansion.
"What's a cave doing here?" Reaper asked himself.
"Run." An audible whisper from inside the cave has been heard. This startled Reaper even more. What intrigued him is that it's apparent for him that the whisper was said by two different female voices.
"Hey! Is anyone here?" The voice of the leader of the golden warriors was heard from afar but slowly closing in on him. Reaper immediately hid to the nearest tree making him lose his focus at the strange whisper.
Reaper didn't respond to the leader's calls for obvious reasons. He realized that no one should be out in the village especially in these kinds of circumstances. Many factors are needed to be considered how dangerous like how late it was, the very bad weather and the possible cryptid attack. Reaper tried his best to conceal his presence but the leader of the warrior was able to find him with just little to no effort at all.
"Boy, what are you doing out here? Don't you realize how dangerous the situation you're putting yourself into?" The Leader asked.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I was just wandering around the village when I noticed you and your men rushing into the forest then my curiosity got the best of me so I followed you." Reaper explained.
"I see." The leader of the warrior responded. "Wait. You're one of those who got shipwrecked in this island, are you not?"
"That's right. I'm one of them."
"Well, come on then. We have to get back to the village. The forest can become very dangerous at times like this."
Along with other golden warriors that were left, Reaper and their leader went back to the village safely and they all headed back to the barracks where all the golden warriors are at due to them being soaked. Reaper was also invited to join them and to be questioned about what he witnessed out there. The invitation was some kind of threat for Reaper but due to him being hungry for additional information, he agreed to join them. He just hopes that he can come back to their hut before his shift ends so no one else will notice his disappearance.