Heroes to Hunted

Finally, after miles of untamed wilderness, a town came into view. Seeing a bastion of civilization, especially after what happened, lifted my countrymen's spirits from despair to cautious optimism.

My companions all released sighs of relief at the sight of potential safety. I, on the other hand, couldn't be at ease. My gut churned with angst, and my mind was a tangled knot of escape strategies and dread for what was to come.

Though I felt something off, I was powerless to resist. The feeling was akin to being tied to a cinderblock and thrown into deep water. I knew I should cut myself loose, but I had no choice but sink and suffocate in the seas of the unknown.

However, the town's appearance changed things.

'Okay, I can slip away here.' Although it was enemy territory, a town meant I could pilfer supplies before escaping. I could arm myself up and be ready for whatever the wilderness had in store.

Maybe it was just the time of day, but the town radiated light. Reflecting off the shingled rooftops were rays from the evening Sun that colored the city with a vibrant orange tinge.

The most notable detail was a battered stone wall encasing the town. Lining it were crenellations fixed with oil pots and trebuchets. The corners were even more impressive since each contained a buttressing-supported tower.

'Why is everything so…medieval, here?' I furrowed my brow. It was a shock, considering the modernized world I was used to.

There was a dingy stone tower, carriages, crude weaponry, a rustic town, the primeval landscape, and even 'magic.' Such things being so widespread within reality seemed impossible at best.

I'm unsure if it would be classified as remaining logical or stuck in irrational denial. However, I still couldn't believe we'd been transported to a new world. Considering it myself, it was probably the latter. Could you blame me, though? Something so absurd actually happening wasn't scientifically possible.

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On the far side of the town, the wall stretched around what looked to be a total misuse of taxpayer funds. By that, I meant there was a massive mansion that dwarfed everything in size. It was so disproportionate you'd think the village houses were meant for dogs rather than people.

'Looks like there'll always be those with more wealth than they can manage,' the conclusion irritated me to my core. I've seen countless villages rocked by starvation in my travels. Meanwhile, I'll bet those that resided in the manor threw food away by the bucketful because it was improperly seasoned.

"Privileged b*st*rds," I growled under my breath, but not loud enough for anyone to notice.

"Ah! That must be the lord's manor," Kamida proclaimed, pointing towards the structural titan.

"It reeks of narcissism," Agawa said flatly.

Cracking his knuckles, Takagi replied, "whatever it is, it'd be best for the sake of whoever lives there if they don't try to lock me up again."

Kamida's eyes and mouth widened in excitement. He almost leaped from his seat as he gestured to Takagi and me. "Ah yes, I'm glad I chose this carriage to ride!" He clenched his fist and held it up toward the ceiling. "Between you and Mr. Sato, we could take on the world if only given a chance!"

I appreciated the sentiment but wished Kamida wasn't so dramatic about it. Taking on the world was terrifying, and his nonchalantly suggesting it made it even more so. 'Civilians...' I shook my head. The things they could say with smiles on their faces disturbed me sometimes.

We grew closer to the gates, giving me a better look at what kind of security and atmosphere I should expect. Aside from the numerous guards at the entrance, I couldn't help but notice the lack of townspeople.

'I've seen war-ravaged ghost towns that were livelier than this.' Though it was evening, I'd still expect a town of this size to have one or two citizens walking the streets. But there wasn't a man, woman, or child in sight.

I gained a better perspective of the streets and alleyways after we passed inside.

Like everything else, the buildings were very archaic in nature. Despite being astoundingly compacted on street level, each structure stretched abnormally high vertically. The consecutive floors jutted forward slightly more than the last. The hanging edges were supported by a series of diagonal wooden pillars.

"Hey, look at that." Agawa signaled, pointing towards a building adorned with a redwood cross.

Plastering the structure's walls were two large bay windows on ground level. Beyond them was a display showcasing a large variety of bottles and a child with a look of melancholic dejection.

His sullen expression entirely differed from the reception I expected. It wasn't long before we noticed other townsfolk. All were eyeing us cautiously from within their homes with similar reactions to the child.

"So much for the welcoming celebration, I was promised!" Takagi pouted. "Weren't we supposed to be saviors to these people? So why are they looking at us like we're the invaders?" he crossed his arms and legs in a fit. "Ungrateful bastards."

This feeling was actually nostalgic to me. It was expected that the people you fought to protect would fear the conflict that came from supporting you. There were very few villages where I was stationed that welcomed the presence of soldiers. It couldn't be helped.

After encountering more villagers, I soon realized their expressions weren't what I initially assumed.

Their stares weren't out of hatred or terror. They weren't silently telling us to leave or projecting an aura of intimidation. Rather, they almost seemed to pity us, like they were apologizing for a crime not yet committed.

"I'm not sure. They almost seem afraid," Agawa said solemnly. "No, not afraid…Sad… They seem sad to see us."

Kamida interlocked his hands over his lap. "You may be right, Ms. Agawa. The unease I sense from these people isn't unlike those that couldn't pay their debts. They're expressions of guilt."

Roughly ten minutes passed while we endured the stares from dozens of townsfolk. The air was so thick with tension I half expected a missile to fly out and strike us. Thankfully, a missile never came. We made it to the inner gates of the city unscathed.

Now in the mansion's courtyard, nothing barred us from seeing it in all of its recklessly rich glory. Judging by the rows of windows, at least six floors were stacked upon one another.

Between each layer stood a flag; they depicted an odd bird with a spark of flame. Above that, the shingled roof extended upward in a gothic, curved trapezoidal shape.

On the left side was what appeared to be a hedge garden. Unfortunately, I couldn't discern much about it since the shrubbery was so tall. Still, I could spot a decrepit stone mausoleum peeking out between the blades of bountiful green.

The right had a warehouse-like structure. There were several horseless carriages similar to the ones we'd been riding stationed around it.

A jarring bump drew my attention to the road ahead. On either side of it were equidistant pine trees. It wasn't just the distance, either. They were totally symmetrical in stature too.

"What is that supposed to be?" Agawa said with an inquisitive tone. She was leaning out of the window and pointing forward.

We followed her direction to spot a tall marble fountain toward the road's end. Following the "bird" aesthetic, it was carved into what looked to be...a hawk? It was hard to tell, given the uncanny pose it was erected in.

The bird curved its neck toward its body and supported its weight on a single leg. Its wings stretched high toward the sky and appeared cloaked in a raiment of sorts. Furthering the bird's royal aura, it had a peculiar arrangement of feathers on its head that protruded out as a symbol of regality.

"It's a bird, what's it look like?" Takagi retorted.

"I know that!" Agawa snapped back. I mean, what kind is it?"

"It's certainly not one I've witnessed before!" Kamida chuckled. "It's probably just a part of local folklore, if I had to guess. I'm not expert on avian physiology, but I assure you…that creature isn't of our world."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Agawa agreed and returned to her seat.

The road's end encircled the fountain, drawing passengers to the manor's entrance.

We steadily approached until all wagons came to a complete stop.

I broke out in a cold sweat, and my eyes uneasily twitched. Seeing such a display of indulgence and greed…of course, a man like me was bound to be intimidated!

'This is the reason wars are waged,' I griped internally.