*Singing* *Singing* *Singing*
The birds singing in the morning and the smell of ash in the air, are the first things that enter my senses as I regain consciousness.
"I'm still here... I'm still here."
"Obviously or maybe you're sleepwalking?"
Having trouble accepting this situation and pondering aloud, I am brought out of this state by an older voice, though it maintains great vitality, if it must be said.
"You're real, better not answer that. Saya, right, are you ready to leave?"
Lifting my body from the grass, I noticed the sword resting beside me, then picked it up, and moved towards the river to wash my face to wash away what little sleep still resides in me.
"Sure and I can tell you that there is a village nearby. This is thanks to the missing weeds on the river bank and fresh footprints."
"That's great news you've got there, so let's get going, no time to waste."
I don't consider myself a social person and even less so after my family childhood... Traumas!.... But this situation is special, I need a human just for being human and maybe for being a bit mentally unbalanced.... I see a spirit.
With new hopes and a lot of energy to expend, we or it would be me, you know he's a pod, so I'll take him, if we better put him aside. We start moving downstream again until ..... Civilization!
"It's a village, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it!"
"If humans haven't changed, then yes, though I don't understand your excitement. It is known that foxes mostly coexist with humans, but is your happiness to see them so great?"
In front of us the river splits in half into two large streams to encircle the village, from those two streams small veins of water flow out, which are guided into fields, and then rejoin to disappear into the river.
A wooden bridge connects the village to the outside world, while a half-meter fence is erected to protect the village. Looking further in, the village is made up of about 15 wooden houses of varying sizes, though all share that wooden design and blue shingles as a roof, except for one in particular. This one was large by at least 3 of the other houses combined, located in the center of the village and with finer details than the rest.
"Can you even see them Saya, there's not a soul here!"
Yes, the dirt roads linking the different houses, farmland and the road to the well are completely empty of human life. The only sign of Vitality, are the cries of domestic animals every so often.
"Quiet young fox, something may have happened, from thieves, man-eating demons, to malevolent spirits. Instead of lamenting here, it's easier to come in and ask."
Coming out of the sword sheath, first as a small sphere of light, then expanding to its 30cm. Saya appears to calm my spirits and redirect my attention to what is truly important, which is finding the missing people.
"You're right. I can't just stand here and do nothing."
Nodding my head towards Saya, as well as giving her some positive words for her idea, I start walking, arriving in a few moments to the wooden bridge and in a few minutes I am inside the village.
Inside the village all the doors are closed, the houses in sepulchral silence and at some point even the noise of the animals seemed to be completely silenced.
*Thump* *thump* *thump*
"Hello, is anyone there?"
Wait, how are they going to understand me if I'm speaking English? No, then how have I been talking to Saya, if at all times he was speaking and responding to me in Japanese. Does that mean I speak Japanese naturally now...well, one more oddity to the list.
"It seems to me that even if you stand in front of the house any longer, they're not going to come out."
"A ghost!"
Shaking my head sideways to get the language issue out of my head, not the weirdest thing that's ever happened, I heard a muffled scream from the distance, causing me to turn my body faster than I thought possible.
Obviously that drastic move was a mistake, as the girl took off running at full speed, while letting out a scream at full volume.
"Hold on young man. Don't chase her."
Each of my steps were like 10 of hers, I don't know where that speed or physical strength came from, what I do know is that in a few moments I was almost catching up to her.
Looking back and noticing me approaching, the girl turns around and starts running towards a house to hide from me.
"Wait, stop!"
I had shouted that as a matter of course, I was the first human being I had seen after this whole strange situation, I was desperate, OK.
After my words, I feel a strange energy leave my body, then move quickly towards the girl and she stops dead in her tracks as if freezing her.
"So this is the so-called fox charm, even without seeing her and just with your voice you got her to do what you want. Quite interesting, too bad it will only work on humans."
"What, now I can also control people with my voice. Uoo"
Before I can finish talking to Saya or try to approach the static girl, a fluctuation in the air behind my back makes me turn to the right, while incidentally making a sound effect with my mouth.
"Get away from my daughter, you damned demon!"
Adjusting my stance to face the opponent, I guided my hand to the hilt of Clouded Fang while analyzing the opponent. He was a young man, 20 to 25 years old max, white skin with lean musculature, black hair and dark eyes, all very normal of an average Japanese.
"Ahhh!"
Throwing a shout into the air to gain confidence, he attacks me with a slash from the top to the bottom with full force. I simply moved to the side and seeing that he couldn't rearrange his sword, he threw a quick slash with mine towards his, causing it to dig harder into the ground and he was disarmed.
"Hello, I am Chri."
"Touma, don't be afraid. We're here!"
Without being able to introduce myself after this little mishap, I am surrounded from all corners by young men with farm tools wearing yukatas and gnawed pleated trouser-blouse sets.
They are obviously villagers from the village, their hands are shaking as their eyes wander all over the place, I can almost smell their fear.
"Stop, stop, we are not beasts to treat our guests in such a manner!"
Splitting the crowd around me, an old man begins to speak and this one must have great influence, as the villagers say nothing against him, moreover those who try are silenced by his gaze.