Night time came by and the princess's refugees took shelter in the abandoned houses in my guidance. It took a whole afternoon just to find habitable chambers and cover the gaps of the wrecked buildings with cloth, wood, and things they could see fit while the soldiers took turns in watch.
I too had to help as I listen to their stories and lives.
The history the folks had told, the existence of magic since the beginning of dawn, and those two moons closer into this world's atmosphere. Putting all the pieces together, I came to the conclusion that I was no longer in the world I knew.
Yet it only made me worry about what had truly happened. If I had survived, then shouldn't the others did as well?
I wanted to be optimistic and cling to that belief yet I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wasn't really the 'All will be better in the end' guy, and after all I had gone through in that world and what I had seen in that vision, there was no way I could.
"What are you sulking there? Are you planning on drowning yourself near my house?" Maliyah asked, leaving from the house's back door.
"In this shallow river? Nah, just drowning myself with thoughts" I replied then offer the cup her highness had shared. "Coffee?"
Apparently, coffee was still the same even in another world which was at least consoling. Although a little cream and sugar would've made it a little less bitter, if those luxury are available.
"No thanks…" she replied, approaching my side. The little girl had the same last name as mine but typically had more pride in wearing it. And just hearing the stories of her ancestors achieving great feats makes me wanna hide my identity from them.
"Are you a bad guy? Like those renegades?" she questioned.
"Renegades?"
"They're evil people who came from another world… probably yours too" she claimed, throwing pebbles into the water. "So are you like them? Bad people?"
"... Define bad," I replied, confusing her. "If it's murder and pillage, I'm not your guy. But as a person, I guess you could say that…" A stern look formed on her face while oddly looking at me. "But aren't we all are? We make decisions that make us the antagonist of another person's story, even in the simplest things. No matter what we do, we're bad in the eyes of someone. Even if we didn't mean nor know what we did."
She took a seat on the snowy field, bending her knees closer to her body then spoke. "What does it look like? Your world?"
"Before or during the apocalypse?" again, she couldn't reply in surprise. "If it's before, I'd say it was okay, I guess? Someplace were beautiful, someplace were deadly. Some people were happy and some, aren't. But on the day of the apocalypse, everything was… equal in a way. All was no longer beautiful and happy. Everything was equally doomed…"
"I'm sorry, shouldn't have asked…" she replied, burying her face in her curled arms.
"It's fine. It's not like I can do anything about it." I replied. "How about you? What's your story? The princess seemed to know you personally"
"Probably…" she sighed. "This town was usually visited by the kingdom and it was like a festival whenever they were here. Bonfires til dawn, a free feast to chow on for everyone, and a lot of entertainment. But that was before the renegades attacked"
She abruptly stood then my skin started to shiver. The water near her feet freezes as she clinches her fist. "They killed everyone and pillage our town. No one came to help, not even the kingdom itself. No one…"
Her face dropped and tears fell. An awkward silence took place as I didn't know what I should say.
"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt you guys but…" That red hair and annoying face, he called. "… the princess wishes to see you, Outsider."
In his presence, Maliyah took flight in silence while he accompanied me to where her highness was. The princess along with her trusted captain awaits near where the large bonfire sits.
"Princess, I brought him. I shall take my leave now" he saluted.
"Thank you, Felix. You may resume your task" she said, as the soldier left into the woods. "As for you, there was a matter I wish to discuss. It's about the renegades and outsiders…"
"The one Maliyah mentioned? What is it that seemed to trouble you?"
"Renegades, or outsiders, they weren't news to us. Every year, we'd have two to three appearing out of nowhere." she then took a deep sigh before continuing. "But lately, more and more were springing out. I got a report from the inside that over fifty outsiders joined the Renegades in the past seven days."
"It must be because of apocalypse…" I replied. "but it doesn't make sense."
"What apocalypse?" I explained what happened to my world and how the sudden number of people from our world appearing in this one was possible but the timeline was a bit wrong. It was only yesterday that the incident had happened and the days where these people appeared were days before the event. "I'm sorry for your loss. "
"It's fine. It's not like I can do anything about it."
"Princess, maybe he can help us in Lilia's case." the captain claimed. "While his presence lacks hostility, his face is also new to the city. No one will suspect"
"Yes, he might be able to." the princess muttered in reply then faced in my direction. "Young man, will you aid us? A friend of mine is also an outsider, but things went wrong in the escape and she's trapped inside the city inn. Although her identity is a secret from the kingdom, she doesn't know where we are, and trying to retrieve her would alert the kingdom and reveal her relationship with us. We don't want her to be in trouble."
"Don't worry. If it's about the reward, we will give the right price. She's a dear friend of her highness and her knowledge is none of this world. Maybe only she can help us survive the incoming winter" The captain claimed.
Scratching my head, I replied. "That's not the problem though… Hold on, it's not even winter yet!?"
"Yes. This continent of Glacia is known for being the ever-winter continent as snow always falls but we still have winter as well. In two weeks, the True Winter, the harshest month will fall and with our current situation, children and the elderlies are bound to death. Even I can't guarantee my own survival" the princess claimed.
"That's indeed a serious problem. But I don't know how to get to the city. I might not even be able to get out of this forest alive." As much as I wanted to help, wolves of that caliber could end me in an instant. "I was lucky to have survived earlier but I don't wanna push my luck and waltz into the forest again just to be eaten."
"I assure you, you won't go alone. A party will accompany you until you reach the end of the forest. But further that, they could no longer expose themselves as they could endanger you as well." the princess replied.
As the princess explains how we should retrieve her and what she looked like, a young girl accompanied by an old lady greets the princess, asking for permission to touch the plate on the statue. The princess agreed with glee while congratulating the little girl.
"What's happening?"
"The child is now at the right age to receive an emblem. " the captain pointed to the child touching a plate being held by the female stone statue. Then a glowing orb of light levitated in the child's hand. As the glow faded, a rectangular ruby descended on the kid's palm. "A red emblem. Another fire-attributed one"
They all praised the kid and the elder while the child couldn't help her joy and excitement from what she had gained.
"Looks like she's having fun"
"Why don't you try it? You might need a little grin on your face" the princess teased.
"Sigh… Well, might as well try" After a second of hesitation, I cautiously place my palm on the plate and waited. Waiting and waiting, but nothing came. " I think it's broken."
"No, you dummy. You need to state your name" the princess said.
"... Arjay" I stated upon closing my eyes, then waited. And waited.
But once again, nothing came. The princess on the side pouted and then sighed while the captain brushes his head, trying not to laugh as if I made a mistake. So I whispered the end, "… Craftel."
My body started to wring as if I was jolted by electricity in the sudden flash of an underwater scene that lasted for a millisecond, and instead of a white orb, a dark one appeared. An ominous orb alerted the princess and the captain before it was devoured by the growing bright light.
So bright, the whole town as well as the forest lit up for a couple of seconds before then darkness enveloped the surrounding. Pitch black but I could hear the sound of the waves and something moving around me.
It was as if something was watching me then everything went back into the night. Everyone was watching as if they didn't saw what I saw. And what floats within my grasp was "A transparent emblem…"