Sequence Two: The Village and the Urn

From afar, Josh saw a massive wall surrounding the village that Cerise told him about earlier. It has only two entrances, one from the south of the village and the other to the north.

The entrance has a gigantic gate that is shut down in case of an attack, or to prevent intruders on entering the village. Both the north and the south entrance have a pair of guards guarding and checking those who are entering the village, but there are more guards stationed on every corner inside in case the need for them calls.

There are people coming in and out of the entrance, some with carts carrying goods to be sold while the others are hand carrying some items that they bought.

“Hey, Cerise, isn’t it a bit populated and large to be called a village?” Josh asked while he looks around at the unusual number of people and the land area covered by the village.

“It has been like this since the youngest daughter of the duke took over.” She answered

“She is more of an economist, if you ask me. Anyway, you better be careful when you are inside, they are very cautious and one wrong move you make might cost you your head.” She added.

As the two arrives at the village entrance on the south, the guards’ stares at Josh with malicious eyes.

Cerise and Josh slowly drops what they are both carrying on their shoulders and places it gently on the ground.

“Hey Cerise! Who’s the new guy?” one of the guards asked

“A wondering merchant who got attacked by forest beasts and lost his merchandise out of the commotion.” She told the guards while looking at Josh, telling him to take the cover story. Josh, able to read the situation confirmed it to the guards.

“Yeah, I was attacked just a while ago, luckily Cerise come to my rescue.”

“Can I see your papers?” the other guard asked, not convinced on Josh’s statement.

“There are lots of bandits trying to sneak in and out of here and we must heighten our security especially that the daughter of the lord is currently visiting the village.” He added

“He left all his belongings on his cart in the forest and…” Cerise answered in place of Josh, but one of the guards intercepts her from talking then walks closer to Josh.

“Hey who told you to answer for him?” he said, as he gazes at Cerise with intimidating eyes.

“That’s one unique clothing you’re wearing,” he said while scanning Josh’s cloths carefully. “… Is this a new trend?” he added.

As you can see, Josh is currently wearing the casual office cloths he wears daily, a white V-neck shirt with his black suit’s sleeves rolled over up to his elbows while matching it with his dark colored jeans.

“Hey you two!”

Both of the guards turns to the direction to where the shout came from, startled because of the familiar voice that they know so well.

Josh rolls his eyes to the same direction where the guards are facing, what he saw is a man wearing a plate armor, and to everyone’s surprise, it is the head of the guards that is currently patrolling the whole village.

“We are in a heighten alert because the daughter of our lord is currently here! And now I see you two slacking off? You better get serious on you job!” he said, angry to the guards guarding the gate.

“I-I’m… so sorry sir.” One of the guards said with a frightened tone.

“You better be!” the head guard said, confirming them that they will be in trouble if he catches the two of them for the second time.

“So are you going to let us pass? My merchandise will deplete its value as time passes.” Cerise said with an unpleased look on her face.

“Yeah, you both can go thru…” the guard who recently checked on Josh’s clothes, said.

“…But I’m having my eyes on you young man.” He added while starring daggers at him.

As they pass through the village gate, Josh kept on scanning the place. On that moment onward he is amazed of what the inside of the village reveals on his eyes, even if Cerise told him that it is a village, it is way too prestige to be called as one.

But the design somehow bothers him, because it is somehow mixed up in terms of timeline if he remembers it correctly, well for someone who is interested in building designs definitely, he knows when this kind on architectural design came out first.

‘So, they look more around medieval Europe in terms of feel and designs for the houses and stalls, but some of the buildings are baroque inspired and they used bricks for the road to prevent it from getting muddy which is so not medieval, as for technology, renaissance perhaps?’

Then another realization came to Josh, he just go with the flow the whole time but he forgot something vital about what is happening to him, seeing the structures and the surroundings, the way the people live and their lifestyle, definitely one thing came in mind.

‘Am I back in the past? If that so, how and why?’ but he paused his train of thoughts and wonder where they are going.

He just walks carelessly and follows the lead of Cerise while they are both carrying the load this whole time, now he doesn’t have a single idea where they are.

“Hey Cerise…” Josh said, as Cerise looks back to him.

“…where are we going?” He asked casually.

“I need to drop this first to a local butcher, he’s a regular customer.” She answered

‘So she hunts for a living.’ Josh thought as he stares on the slender back of the girl in front of him.

The pair walk on the main street of the village, then took a turn on an alley on their right.

As the two of them reached their destination, Cerise signals Josh to drop the luggage in front of an old-looking establishment.

The shop is in an average state, not too spacy yet not too cramped. You can even gaze upon their merchandise through a front glass panel outside.

Cerise took the initiative to open the door of the shop, as the girl opens the door a small bell rings signaling the employees inside that someone enters their store.

There, a young girl around the age of ten appears in front of them carrying a box that seems to be containing some of their products, stacking it over a crate on the floor.

“Welcome customer… Oh! It’s Cerise, hey papa, sis Cerise is here.” She immediately said after seeing Cerise.

A man around his middle age wearing an apron while holding a butcher’s knife comes out from the door inside the shop that is next to the counter. His build is more or less average, he has a kinky long hair that he is tying into a ponytail with a split bangs covering the sides of his face.

“Oh, hey Cerise.” He said as he places the knife on top of the counter near him.

“I brought your order. It’s outside your shop.” She said while pointing her right thumb to the front door of his shop.

“Well took you long enough.” The man said with a smirk on his face. Then he changes his view to Josh that is standing beside her. He then dashes forward to Cerise, leads her a little bit further from Josh and then whispers in her ears.

“Hey Cerise, did you manage to snatch a boyfriend along the way?” he said.

“Wha-what?! No he’s not!” Cerise replied, startled as on what he said, while her face turns a bit red as a reaction.

“Yeah right? Of course you would not…” he said while he gives off a hard laugh. “…who would even fall for you? You’re mean, you get easily pissed and instead of greeting the people you just met, you shoot them with arrows instead.” He added with an ‘am I right’ expression on his face that stinks to high heavens.

“You want me to do to you the last part you said?” She said while poking the tip of her bow on his chin.

“Come on now Cerise, don’t take it seriously…” he said while waving both of his hands in front of her, telling the girl that everything he said is a joke.

“Now, now, honey, are you picking up on Cerise again?” a female voice intercepts them.

They both turn to the direction of the voice and a brown haired woman around her thirty’s revealed herself, walking closer to the pair.

After reaching the point where the two are, she raises her right hand and pinches the cheek of the man in front of her.

“Aww… alright, alright… I’ll stop it now.”

“I’ll take it from here. You go get the item she left for us outside.” She said while releasing her pinching fingers from the man’s left cheek. Then the man went outside their shop.

Josh scans the place, since he has nothing else to do.

Inside he noticed that there are a lot of meat products being displayed like sausages and other preserves. The interior is simple, an L-shaped counter just at the back facing the shop’s front door, then a door adjacent to it that leads to the storage room of the shop.

There are other merchandises as well, aside from the meat products that are arranged on top of the counter and on the shelves on the sides of the store and some wooden crates on the floor that are arranged accordingly.

The woman then went to the counter then searches under it, after a few seconds, she sprung up then calls on Cerise on the other side of their shop by waving her hand.

Cerise, seeing the call of the woman, walks closer to the counter, then the lady reaches her a small pouch containing the pay for the day. She checks its contents then closes the bag again.

The couple then departs from the store after a while, it is almost evening and the whole village is getting darker every passing minute.

Outside, the man teasing Cerise a moment ago saw the pair.

“Hey Kiddos.” He said while both Cerise and Josh looks on his way. He walks closer to them and stares at Josh thoroughly as if he is inspecting every fiber of his being.

“You are not from here are you now kid?” he said, examining Josh while he holds his chin with his thumb and index finger.

He then walks closer to Josh invading his personal space and whispers on the side of his head in an interrogative and cold manner, Josh can even feel the strong intent to kill from this person, and then he said…

“Are you… somehow here for the Urn?”