Into The Village

"Reporting to family head Moyan. The lady enchantress of the Green has arrived."

Moyan Lubaw was still in his residence when a messenger warrior knocked at his door and delivered him the news.

He let out a huge sigh of relief. 'Finally, our savious has arrived.'

"Guide the lady enchantress and her entourage to the village hall and prepare for a feast." He ordered, and gestured to the messenger warrior to depart.

"Family head Moyan. Actually, the lady enchantress of the Green is already in the village hall, and she was asking to see the man in charge of the village. So i was ordered to come here." The messenger warrior said, giving him a respectful bow.

Moyan Lubaw was silent for a while. His job was only for administration on this village, to deal with trades and request. 'Maybe the lady enchantress was not satisfied with the accomodation they are providing her so she wants to see him this soon.' He nodded to himself.

From time to time, their small village is visited by important figures and individuals. Some nobles will visit them and even Royalties from the City. This happens specially so during the arrival of the harvest season. It was Moyan Lubaw's job to ensure to give all the treatment worthy of their title and social standing.

This coming season at the eve of the harvest, There are already many noble merchants that are accomodated by their village. A few days ago, he even personally welcomed a group of noble-born hunters from the Royal city. They are here to try their luck on catching rare aquatic beast.

Moyan Lubaw instanlly felt a sudden pain in his heart as he remebered the demands of those noble-born hunters. They carry a royal token that is only bestowed by the Royalty to the outstanding and talented enchanters of the city. No doubt that those hunters were talented enchanters. But those men has a hobby on picking on the commoneer villagers and attacking them for no reason. They would then drop a few silver coins to the ones they attack and move on.

This kind of things is not really uncommon in such village as remote as theirs. Some Royalties and nobles would indeed visit them and let their enchanters to try and attack the villagers. This will be on the pretext of proper 'duel.' But of course, the nobilities and Royalties will talk to the servant's masters first. And if the other party refused, they will not force the matter.

This group of young hunters is different. They will attack first then they will drop the coins as payment. They will even ambush some Timawa warrior guards on the street.

This has given Moyan Lubaw a headache for a couple of days now. Five of his house servants has already been hurt by this noble-born hunters.

'Maybe i can ask for the lady enchantress to look into this situation later when i see her. The lady enchantress is the strongest in their village right now afterall.' Moyan Lubaw thought to himself.

"Okey, take me to the village center. I will see the lady enchantress and answer to her demands." Moyan Lubaw said and gestured the messenger warrior to lead the way.

It only took them a few minutes to reach the village hall from his residence. One thing that Moyan Lubaw instantly noticed was the one mud-stained carriage by the entrance of the village hall. It has the enchanters guild's emblem on it so he recognized it instantly as the carraige used by the lady enchantress of the Green. But why was it in such a state?

"Is this the only carraige that arrived with the lady enchantress?" Moyan Lubaw can't help himself but ask the messenger warrior leading in front of him.

"Yes, Head Moyan, The lady enchantress of the Green arrived by that carriage, and there were only two of them here." The messenger warrior answered.

"What happened?" Moyan asked again.

"I do not know, i was only asked by the head enchantress herself to come and get you. I do not know any details. I beg your pardon." The messenger warrior answered him politely.

Moyan Lubaw nodded. "Okey, you can leave now. I will let myself in."

He watched as the messenger warrior gave him a salute and turned to leave. Moyan Lubaw faced the village hall entrance and entered.

-----

Leiya was sitting by her aunt's side inside the village hall's main room.

They arrived almost an hour ago and her aunt immediately summoned the family head that was in command on security. The name was Kuban Pasimo. He was actually a commander of Hundred ranked Pintados. It did not take a long time for her aunt to explain the situation to the man. The other party was a trained Pintados so it was expected.

Leiya has learned that this village has around 100 or so Timawa class warriors and 50 elite Pintados as of this time. And sometime around tomorrow, another 500 or so Pintados were expected to arrive.

Then they heard about the neighboring village burned down. What was strange about it was that there seemed to be no refugees or any survivors from that village.

Her aunt then summoned for the family head that manages the village's administration. They need more information.

Her aunt was in the midst of recovering her magic vein through some magic ritual when the massive doors in front of them opened once more.

"Announcing the arrival of family head, Moyan Lubaw." A warrior guard standing by the door said in a loud voice.

A middle aged man walked forward and made a respectful bow to them.

"Moyan Lubaw has answered the lady enchantresse's summons." He said.

Her aunt's eyes slowly opened and she nodded.

"I believe you have already heard about the attack and the burning of your neighboring village. Do you have any detailed information about it?" Her aunt said, looking at the middle aged man Moyan Lubaw.

"Reporting to the lady enchantress. I have indeed learned about the news earlier this morning. I have already sent a horse mounted warriors to the area and gather more details, but they have not returned yet." Moyan Lubaw answered in a respectful voice.

"How many warriors have you sent?" The lady enchantress asked.

"I have sent ten well trained Timawa class warriors to the village, my lady." Moyan Lubaw answered.

Leiya fell silent in an instant. The news about the village burning was almost an indication of a demonic attack. To send just ten Timawa class warriors to that burning village, If they encountered any demons, it was almost certain that not a single one of them will be able to return.

Leiya looked at her aunt, she was silent. She seemed to be thinking the same thing as her.

"I believe the demons were responsible in burning that village. They may also have murdered all the people in it. If that's the case, there is almost zero chance that your horse-mounted warriors would ever return." Her aunt said after a while.

Moyan Lubaw's face started turning pale.

"Earlier today, We were also attacked by the demons while we were on the way here. We almost lost our lives there. I believe you are aware about the news of the possible presence of an emperor class demon in the area. I think that demon is actually here."

Everyone on the room was silent, they did not even dared to breathe loudly.

Moyan Lubaw was also frozen in place.

"There is a demonic ship about 20 kilometers or so from this village. We tried to attack it earlier but it got us almost wiped out. Only myself an her, my direct apprentice managed to arrive her." Her aunt continued.

"My lady. what are your orders? I am at your absolute command." Moyan Lubaw said hurriedly.

Leiya was also thinking about it for some time now. Her aunt believe that the news about the emperor class demon was true, and that demon would be most likely making that ship its temporary base before they attack this village. Considering that they almost died earlier today from 15 demons, it seems that the only chance for them to win is to wait for the army of Pintados from the Royal City. And hope that they arrive here first before the demons.

"We have a chance, but i am still working on it now. What we have to do now is prepare the villagers for a possible evacuation, and wait for the army of Pintados." Her aunt said.

"Yes, my lady. I will give the orders now." Moyan Lubaw made a respectful bow again and then left the room.

"Leiya, let's go to our room, we need to rest." Her aunt looked at her and nodded.

"Yes, lady mistress." She replied and stood up.

The whole village hall was supposed to be used by them as the family head Moyan expected that there would be a lot of enchanters and enchantresses that would be arriving with them.

They passed off the offer and only asked for the regular accomodation that the village provide to the visiting nobles as there were only two of them here.

Their room were rather simple, far from their residence on the Royal city, but Leiya was not complaining. Her aunt insisted on them sharing a room for she still requires her to do some tasks. Her aunt has not recovered fully afterall.

"Leiya, about the man that saved us from the demons earlier, did you ask for his name?" Her aunt asked her when they reached their room.

"Yes, lady mistress. He goes by the name of Saluk?" She answered softly. Remembering once again the man she met earlier.

"Saluk? just one name? So he is just a commoneer? What was he dressed like?" Her aunt asked again.

"He was dressed like a commoneer, Lady mistress. And he was blind." She answered.

Her aunt went silent, Then nodded to her. "I will take my rest now. You should too." Her aunt continued.

Leiya just nodded.

She thought about it too. For a man to be as strong as Saluk. He must be from a strong family background, with rich resources and wide connections. Maybe he just introduced his first name, not his full name. Then she quickly rejected the idea. He was dressed like a commoneer servant. His manners were terrible, and he seemed not to know how to flatter beautiful woman like herself. Noble men were all raised to flatter women. Leiya thought.

'Maybe he was just a commoneer. a talented and skilled commoneer.' Leiya thought to herself. She quietly step out of the room and took a walk outside. She need fresh air.

It was already dark and the moon was already shinning dimmly in the sky. Leiya intended to walk around the village and familiarize her surroundings when she heard someone called her name.

"Leiya! It's you! I can't believe i will see you in this place." Leiya heard someone called her from her back.

She turned around and saw three men walking towards her. She knew them. The famous noble-hunters from the Beast hunter's guild, back in the Royal City.

Leiya grimaced. 'How unlucky could i get.' She thought darkly.

"It must be destiny that led us to meet each other in this remote place. Leiya." One of the men hurriedly walked towards her and grabbed her hand.

Leiya flinched and stepped back. "First of, I will be called lady Leiya to you, and secondly, I am here with my lady mistress. We are in a mission in this village."

The two companions finally caught up with the man in front of Leiya and laughed. "That would be another point for our young master Wanhu Dal Agima." The oldest man teased and patted the man in the shoulder.

The man called Wanhu Dal Agima was speechless for a while, seemed to be embarassed but quickly recovered himself. "A mission? Are you here for the harvest season too?" He said, trying to maintain the conversation.

Leiya's eyebrows raised, as if she would be interested in some remote village's harvest season. She is here for a more important job.

Leiya just grabbed back her hand. "We just arrived now and i am rather tired. I beg you gentlemen your pardon, i would like to rest." She said in a calm voice.

"C'mon Le...Lady Leiya, we just saw each other again. You want to walk around the village? I have reinforced my magic vein lately you know." Wanhu tried again. His other two companions completely ignored.

"I see. So how many servants and serfs have you injured since you arrived here?" Leiya asked.

"I am... It's not like that, I have always compensated every servants and serfs i dueled you know." Wanhu said again.

"Duel you say? I suddenly got curious, how about you show me how strong your magic vein got." Leiya said, flinging her cloak to her side.