Year unknown
Border of Enkarsia – Akgardia
---
The branches creaking. Sighted couple of squirrels chattering.
The wind whistling around trunks.
The sun shines through those green leaves.
Ieza opens up his eyes slowly
"Where am I?"
He gets up on his feet, gazes on surroundings, then he takes a deep breath.
"I thought both of us got captured, anyway I should check my brother" He mumbles himself.
Ieza extends his hand, when suddenly he hears the swords clashing from far away.
"That's not a good sign. Hey brother, wake up!"
Ieza repeatedly tap his hand on Naruwa's right cheek. Even so, Naruwa doesn't wake up.
"This will take longer than expected."
Ieza decides to move his brother somewhere safe. He pulls Naruwa's two shoulders and drag him to nearby big roots.
"Naruwa, listen. I'll be scouting around. See if any guards looking us nearby. Even if you're hating me right now, I will still protect you from danger."
Ieza rushes around the bushes and trees to the source of the swords clashing. The sounds clashes louder as he gets nearby.
He gazes on two horses parked on the side of the patched ground. Beside them, he gazes on the three bandits wearing black robes running in circles, wielding daggers. They're attacking the man wearing leather armor and a longsword. Behind him there is a beautiful woman holding her sword, also covering the man's back from their blind attacks.
"Glad it wasn't the Akgardian guards. I'll lend them a help."
Ieza chants wind gust to tip the bandit. A bandit falls over and hit his head to the rock on the ground. The rock is enough to wound his head, rendering unconscious.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" The bandit shouts, while he receiving a stab from the woman he was about to strike.
Ieza chants water sphere toward the other bandit that attacking the man with leather armor. The water sphere hit his head, causing him falling to the ground face down, rendering him unconscious.
The man in leather armor, surprised to see their helper was a teenager, half of his size with torn and dirty clothes.
"Thank you for your help, young gentleman. You saved our lives." He tells Ieza while sheathing his sword and bowing his body toward Ieza, as a gesture of thanks.
"The pleasure is mine. Anyway, I'll get going." Ieza replies
"Before that, apologies for my lack of mannerism. My name is Robb, and she is Felicia. We are just going on our way back to Kartika Village. May I know your name, young gentleman?"
"I'm Ieza Horgan."
Both Robb and Felicia gasped and gazes on each other shocked.
"Horgan as in, Horgan family?"
"Yeah. Where do you know about our family? And strange for me but I never knew Kartika Village existed..."
Suddenly an arrow pierces to the ground. Almost hitting Ieza's head and make their horses scared.
Ieza reflected by casting wind gust toward the direction of where the arrow came from. A bandit falls off from the tree branch. Followed by more bandits with bows and crossbows.
"Anyway, we gotta run! This area is not safe for us talking here."
Ieza repels most of the arrows with walls of water magic, providing cover for three of them fleeing away from the scene. The bandits closing gap toward Ieza. They are trying to encircle Ieza and strike him in his blind spot.
Ieza quickly slams his hand to the ground. An earth walls emerges in the circular shape, throwing most bandits away from him. More arrows nearly hitting Ieza following soon after.
More reinforcement from the bandit group coming shortly after. The wild goose chase ensues between Ieza's party and the bandits.
"They are pretty skilled without magic. I must change my approach to deter them all."
Ieza remembered some time magic spells back then when he was chanting time magic.
"I'm sorry my Goddess. This is the only way."
Ieza chants a time spell. This time all bandits in his eyes are moving very slow. The pain in his left eye suddenly emerges. He covers his left eye with his hand.
"Ugh, I forget. The pain is unbearably hard for me."
Felicia grabs Ieza's right hand, drag him toward her back while riding a horse.
"Let's go! This is our chance to flee!" Robb shouts at Felicia and Ieza.
They galloping away with their horses.
---
After some time, Ieza's party finally reaches the entrance of Kartika Village. It was barricaded with wooden walls made of logs. The guard signaling the gatekeeper to open the gate. Two Kartikan guards coming toward Felicia and Robb to collect their horses.
"Come in, we saw how you fight using time magic. Here we are preserving the ancient art of time magic. For outsider and a young gentleman like you, you seem not look like a bad guy to us. Walk with me, we would like to introduce you to our chief." Robb persuades Ieza to join them.
Ieza gazes around for a brief moment. He thinks to himself that is a mistake for him to come here, especially pretty far away from Naruwa. But the bandits he faced back then was rather challenging, and he is not on the best condition to fight.
"No need to be afraid. I know you will have many questions. You do seem experienced the time travel, don't you?" Felicia reassures Ieza to stay in their village, with gentle voice.
"How can you tell?"
"Your left eye. I can see your left eye don't have normal shape as ordinary eye."
Ieza shocked, as if he has urging question to ask, while also rethinks his options. To stay or not to stay.
He touched his chin and finally come to an answer.
"All good for me. I have so many questions. Eager to wait your news, Robb and Felicia."
They're bowing to Ieza then they walk together, to the largest hut behind the markets.
Along their path, Ieza gazes on the coconut trees and the huts along the way, then he gazes to a mother singing lullaby in front of her hut, while carrying her baby, and some children running around, playing with their friends happily. Then he gazes on his left, he sees a seller and a buyer doing transaction.
He walks silently as he thinks of few thoughts. He never knows this village existed.
"Why nobody tells me about this village?"
They finally reaching the largest hut around the village. This particular hut is guarded by several guards.
"We would like to report to the chief. And this is our honored guest." Robb tells the guards. While Felicia informs the chief place is here.
"We're here, Ieza. Please come in."
They are walking inside the building. Ieza is greeted by the hut's majestic interior. They are surrounded by totems and paintings that reflects the Kartikan culture, decorating the brown walls. And he gazes on particular totem behind the chief and his wife. The totem head is moving like a clock. It moves its head per second time passes.
The chief has a rather muscular figure, with bald head and thick black beard. His wife looks more matured in terms of beauty compared to Felicia.
"Welcome home, my child. How was your journey?" The chief and Robb hugging together like a happy father and a happy son. The chief wife watches them with smiling.
"Thank you, my father. In our way back here, we have encountered several bandits to steal our belongings. Thank Goddess this young gentleman saved us. We owe him our lives and gratitude."
The chief gazes on Ieza and extend his hand. He wants Ieza to greet his handshake. Ieza greets his handshake afterward.
"Thank you, young magician. My name is Gunzo and this is my wife, Lilia. Robb seems excited to have you here. You must be having so many questions. Please sit down. I will prepare a banquet to honor you."
"Pleasure is mine. My name is Ieza Horgan, the son of Gerrard Horgan and Hesse Horgan. I was happened to their place by the swords clashing sound. So, I decided to help them."
"Gerrard Horgan? That young gentleman is married already?" The chief laughing with heart content, leaving Ieza gasped. Felicia and Robb also seem surprised. Ieza, unable to comprehend what is happening, decided to sit together.
The servants placing their foods, fruits and wine on the big low table. Gunzo and Lilia thanked the servant and ordered to leave the room.
"I know it seems for you too much to comprehend. But rest assured, we will be answering every question you have related on all of this. Treat this as your home, if you may." The chief reassuring Ieza to stay and tell the tales about his journey.
"Thank you for your time and generosity, chief. I do have so many questions."
"You are in 1750 year in Gregorian Calendar." Gunzo interrupts Ieza.
"How do you know what I about to ask?"
"Because we have similar events happened in here a while ago. Care to let me explain?"
"Sure, please go ahead."
The chief sips his wine. Every pair of eye gazes on Gunzo and what he's about to tell. He takes deep breath and continue telling the story.
"A mysterious man was here several years ago. He was time travelled by accident. He was running here carrying the time magic scroll. I can tell he is really panicked, almost if he's about to creating chaos among my citizen. When I found him, he was scared, unable to comprehend everything. He keeps saying about their parents become younger and unknowingly he startled them, causing ruckus that the Akgardian guard decides to catch him. He was escaping from Kingdom of Akgardia."
Gunzo clears his throat, and continue telling the story.
"Some years later, he decides to work undercover in Akgardia. He thinks that he cannot just be freeloading here while didn't contribute to anything toward our village. Even myself reassured him that it is okay to stay here as long as he likes. Then he told me that he wants to watch his parents as they're growing up, so he decided to work as miner in Silver Mine, you do know where the place is, don't you, Ieza?"
Ieza nodded, Gunzo continues the storytelling.
"Anyway, he cried when he told me this. And I allow him to do as he wishes. That man thanked me and left the village shortly afterward and never return until this day. Who knows what is his fate waiting him ahead? Moving on, let's talk about Gerrard Horgan, he is the disciple of mine. You probably should hear me this very carefully as what I'm about to told you. Are you ready, Ieza?"
"Yes, I'm ready. Please continue, I would like to hear that."
"We know time magic for very long time ago. Kartika Village is indeed built to preserve the knowledge of time magic. As you can see, we own the highest capabilities when it comes to perception on every living thing. We can tell if the person is telling the truth or lies, good intention or bad intention. The heart beats, the sweat coming out from their skin. Everything can go faster or slower. That's how the time magic allows us to do that. Of course, with the law of equivalent existed in the magic world. Everything you take from the Goddess of Serenia, you will give it back to her in different form. You can use your environment to use elemental magic, but for the time magic, you will use your own age, if you haven't noticed yourself. Your body are no longer teenager, we can see based on how you talk and act, you are yet still a teenager."
Ieza gazes on himself, indeed what Gunzo says is true. His body grow like almost adult. He notices his barely noticeable beard on his chin.
"Age itself, is the source of our time magic. We can observe the short future. For example, the moment before you began asking question." Lilia explains to Ieza.
"What happened if you observing too far ahead?"
"We will become older like ten or twenty years ahead faster, the effect of the time magic is fairly exponential, if I might add."
Ieza observing his surroundings, everyone seems in the middle age compared to Felicia. He gazes back to Gunzo as he's about to tell something.
"No matter whatever are you doing onward. This is your past time on your point of view and you cannot go back to your true present time. Everything you see or everything you do will be altering this timeline and you have to know the outcome still going to be the same in different point. For example, you can save your family in this timeline, but something big happen in the future, either problems or disaster awaits."
"Then, my present back then, your village did not exist because..."
"We have a bad history between our village and your kingdom. As for the motives from them is unknown, sadly it is true as for today, your current timeline right now." Robb explains to Ieza. "The Kingdom of Akgardia deemed us to be the largest threat of their existence. I don't understand, we are just small peaceful village. How do they come to that conclusion? Anyway, what you told us just now might be true. If we perished in your other timeline, the chance of that are likely to happen in this timeline."
Felicia seems worried and asked to Gunzo
"Then, chief. How do we could change that? I love to stay here because of peaceful environment. I don't know where to stay if this village is perished."
"We are destined to be the keeper of the time magic here. If it is the prophecy from the Goddess of Serenia herself wanting us to be perished, then we gladly accept it wholeheartedly. At least what we do is to ensure no part of this knowledge is being misused by irresponsible person. It would be devastating and leads to the world in chaotic state."
Ieza clenches his fist. He trembles, and raises his voice tone.
"I do not want to badmouth our Goddess, but what is the point of me and my brother being thrown on the past, if I'm going to see another destruction in front of my eyes sooner or later!"
Everyone silenced for a brief moment. Ieza gets himself together and announces something to everyone.
"Chief Gunzo, you said that no matter what I do onward, I'm still be able to alter the course of this timeline, right? I have lost my family in another timeline back then. I can't bear something like this just destroyed by the ego of the officials in Akgardia!"
"You do seems have a plan for that, young man. Although the result is quite gamble for us, we can hear it."
Ieza surprised, thought that they will deny his proposal. He was shocked for a brief moment then he remembers that they already perceive what Ieza about to say to everyone. Ieza begin to describe the grand plan.
---
After the meeting, they are walking to the entrance. On their path, Robb asked to Ieza.
"Before you go, please let Felicia accompany you in the journey."
"Wait, I thought you and Robb are married couple?"
"We didn't. I'm loyal husband to my deceased wife."
"Sorry to hear that, Robb."
"Don't mention it. Look, Ieza. We believe you can solve this crisis. If what you said is true, saving the Kingdom of Akgardia might be the best way for all of us. We wish you the best for your journey!"
"Sure thing, Robb."
"Chief Gunzo, If any chance you see my brother, please let him know about what is his brother doing."
"We got your back, Ieza!" Chief Gunzo raises his thumb finger.
Ieza and Felicia say goodbye to Gunzo, Lilia and Robb.
Their journey to save the kingdom has begun.
Chapter 4 - End