Volume 01: Start Again
Chapter 19: Starry Falls
Like this, we began heading towards the distant lights of the village. As we approached to about a hundred meters outside the small stone walls, we hid behind a small hill as we could now see clearly the two guards standing out in front of the gate to the town.
Both the prince and I began crouching down behind a small hill to peer ahead I turned to look over at the prince. "Do you know what town this is?"
Hearing my sudden question, the prince continued looking out at the town and merely shook his head without looking at me.
'Great. So, we will have to sneak in.' Turning my head back to the town I continued to watch the two guards. Watching the guards standing around talking to each other for the next thirty minutes I began to become confused.
'Why are they not shutting the gates of the town so late at night? Are they waiting for some…" At this point in my thoughts, it finally struck me that they most likely waiting for the both of us.
"We need to go," I whispered to the prince who was also still looking out at the eastern gate of the town.
"Huh, why?" Turning to me the young prince looked rather confused at my words.
"They are waiting for us. Why do you think such a small town would keep their gates open so late into the nighttime with such few guards at the front?" I responded already moving back down the small hill so as to not be seen from the distant town.
No longer questioning my thoughts or actions the prince did the same and followed me back down the hill. When were about to make our way back to the tracks I overheard something running from behind our positions.
Ducking quickly, I pulled the prince to crouch under the darkness of the night sky at the base of the hill.
"Are you sure you saw movement over here? Because if you didn't the captain told us not to give away that we are watching this town. We even had to pay off the town's chief to keep the gates open so late into the night and since you forgot to bring your money bag on the mission, I got stuck with paying him off." The croak of a rather annoyed frogman sounded out from the other side of the hill.
"Shut up I did see something. Move over you and I will split the fee when we get the reward for this mission. For now, just be helpful and go check the other side of the hill while I check over there." Another softer croaky voice sounded out giving orders.
"Yeah, whatever." The first frogman responded.
I listened to his large footsteps begin marching up the hill.
'No way.' As I heard his footsteps arriving before the top of the small hill, I moved my head to look up at where I anticipated him to come over.
Pushing the bodies of the prince and myself deeper against the grass hill I just watched on in anticipation. Finally, the outline of a frogman made its way to the top of the hill illuminating his grey skin.
"Make sure to check the distant hills while you are up there!" The softer-speaking frogman spoke out.
I watched as the frogman on top of the hill looked back down the other side of the hill he had just come up from rather annoyed. Rolling his eyes, he turned back and began staring off into the distance checking all the distant hills.
Seeing this I could not help but feel relieved and hopeful.
'Please do not look down. Please.' Not moving from our position at the bottom of the hill the prince and I both just stared up at the frogman in wait to see what would happen next. After a minute of watching the frogman stare off into the distance, he shook his head.
"I don't see anything, you idiot. Maybe with your old age, your vision is also declining." The frogman on top of the hill called out as he turned back and walked back down the hill out of sight.
*foo*
Letting out a small breath almost simultaneously the prince and I both looked at each other.
Putting a finger over my mouth I motioned for him to stay quiet then I motioned that I would go up the hill and for him to stay here.
Understanding my hand movements the prince nodded to me, so I began my slow accent of the hill to check on the location of the frogmen who had just been on top of us.
As I reached the top of the hill from my crouched position, I dropped to a prone position so that way I could peek over the top of the hill without exposing a large amount of my body. Now using my forearms to move forward I moved to the tip of the hill, and as I was about to reach the top of the hill, I heard human voices on the other side begin calling out.
"Sirs, we just had a group of four just enter the town and one of them was a young man!" A human man's voice sounded out.
Arriving at the top of the hill now I could see the backs of the four individuals leaving back towards the town. The two human guards who had been at the eastern gate and the frogman I had seen at the top of the hill along with a hooded frogman who I assumed was the soft-voiced one who had almost found us.
Keeping watch on their group to the city walls I felt something moving from behind me. Feeling this, I rolled sideways ready to engage in a fight but as I turned over, I noticed the movement had been caused by the prince who had not listened to my commands. Seeing my actions, the prince flinched as I had gone into a state of defense.
Holding out my hand I stopped the boy from climbing the hill anymore and then began to slide down the side of the hill to join him.
"They left back to the town we do not have much time. We need to pass this town as soon as possible and hope we find an outsider city that connects to a station." Saying these words, I got back up on my feet and began to move left along the small hills.
"Yes, your people's machines are very efficient for traveling. I have always wanted to ride one, but my father says we natives should stick to our own technology as your people's technology is harmful to our world." The prince responded as he followed behind me.
Hearing his words, the only thing I could think of was how right his father was. Technology is good but too much advancement without regulation can send this world into turmoil as well. Nodding my head in acknowledgment I responded, "You should listen to your father. I think being able to feel the wind's breeze is more important than getting to any place faster. Imagine a day without feeling the warmth of the sun as you walk outside."
As if confused by my words the prince once again spoke out as we made our way around the southern part of the town. "What does such a machine have to do with the sun's warmth."
Hearing these words, I could not help but grimace to myself. "Nothing is wrong with it. It is for the people that we make such things but what happens when it stops being for the people? It is people's greed that is what your father is worried about."
We continued walking in silence as we snuck past the town leaving it behind us as we continued forward into a small forest.
[Entering Field Zone | Starry Under Trees | Level 2-10 Zone]
Feeling a slight change in my body as if I was walking through a magnetic field. I knew I had just stepped into a zone. Looking at the level range I could not help but feel relieved as it was a place I could calmly walkthrough.
As we walked under the forest trees, I could not help but look on in shock. As the bottom side of all the trees' leaves was shimmering from below lightly illuminating the ceiling of the forest.
'No wonder it is called starry under trees.' Watching the sparkle of the forest leaves fall from their branches I could not help but compare it to the falling of stars in the night sky as every leaf that fell looked like that of a falling star separating from the darkness that lay above it.
"Wow." The voice of the prince rang out from beside me as he also watched the beautiful sight of the falling leaves.
Smirking to the prince I moved forward through the forest. Keeping an eye out for any creatures we smoothly moved through the forest until we were met with a circular opening of the trees line. Coming out of the open tree line to stand before a small pond I noticed a small rat man who was on all fours licking at the water of the pond.
*snap*
Hearing the sound come from beside me I turned to the prince with a rather annoyed expression as he just alerted the person who was before us now.
*Spshhh*
Turning back forward I noticed that the rat man who had been drinking the water had fallen onto the edge of the small pond. "What who is there!" Turning over quickly the soaked rat man called out to where the prince and I were standing.
Now seeing the front side of the rat man, I knew this person was a player like myself as he wore his gold crest on his chest.
"We are friends, not foes. We merely ran into you on our travel." I spoke out lightly stepping sideways to block part of the prince in case the rat man was an enemy.
Seeing my actions, the rat man seemed to raise one of his eyebrows as he watched us.
"I am a journeyman. Louse Cil at your service." The rat man got out of the water and then bowed toward us.
'He is smart. He must have noticed by my actions that I was escorting the boy and was most likely alone.' Looking at the bowing rat man I became even more vigilant.
"How much?"
"Two gold pieces for my basic services and three for strategic advising." Louse called out once again still bowing his head but looking forward with the top of his eyes staring directly at me.
Hearing the prices of the rat man I could not help but feel somewhat dizzy as two and three gold pieces was rather ridiculous for a single journeyman, but I did not have much of a choice. We needed someone who knew the surrounding areas better to lead us.
"That is ridiculous do you know who I am to be charging such a price!" The prince shouted out from beside me.
Turning my neck sideways I looked at the prince once again to tell him to shut up, but before I could the rat man spoke out.
"No, I do not please tell me." Louse smiled.
Before the prince could respond I lowered my hand to cover his mouth.
"Five gold pieces no questions asked. If you decline, we will have to fight as that is all I have." I called out to Louse.
Looking up to the air I watched as Louse rubbed the whiskers that came out the side of his face as if contemplating my offer. After thinking for a while, the rat man looked back toward us. "Deal but you pay upfront."
"No way. We pay three pieces now than two when we get to where we are going." I responded right away to the words of the rat man.
"Hmm. Fine. It's a deal." Louse spoke as he walked over to us.
Reaching into my pocket I carefully counted out three coins in my pocket. Taking out the shimmering gold pieces I tossed them through the air to Louse. Catching them cleanly out of thin air the rat man quickly placed the gold pieces into his pocket.
"So, where are we trying to go?" Louse spoke out as he stood before me.
"We would like to get to the nearest player city with a railway station," I spoke out.
Rubbing his chin, Louse began to think to himself.
"It will be a couple of hour's journey and we should be able to make it there before the last train leaves the station. How does that sound?" Louse spoke out to me.
Hearing how close the city was to us I was rather happy nodding my head to Louse who in turn walked back over to the pond and drank some more water.