Chapter 2: Mind Games/The Caravan

Going at what I considered jogging pace, we ran off from the village into the open farmland that was the countryside. As the young elf girl clung onto me, I held my arm out at a field filled with corn and snatched one from the plant. Dehusking it, I tore away the leaves and wierd strands that covered the vegetable and inspected it in its entirety. Noticing blackened kernels and odd bugs coming out of it, I tossed it aside and continued onward.

After what felt like an hour or so, we eventually came across another village. One that actually wasn't under attack, nor were the inhabitants monsters.

As we entered inside the gates of the village, an old man stood in the village square, watching on as everyone else rushed to gather their supplies. As the young elf girl hopped off my back, the old man approached and greeted the two of us.

Old Man: (Translation: Greetings, umm....well, just hello there you two.)

Girl: (Translation: G-Greetings, sir. What's going on?)

As the two spoke in their crazy language, I looked around and saw nothing but horse carriages and frantic people everywhere.

Feeling a small finger poking at my arm, I turned back to the elf girl and the old man. She pointed at the first along an ever growing line of carriages. Responding, I pointed at her, then at the old man in hopes of getting the message. Instead, I got nothing but shaken heads as the old man spoke.

Old Man: (Translation: We'd love to, but as you can see, we have our own problems to deal with. We can barely hold our own, let alone  take her in.)

I didn't understand the man, anymore than I did the elf girl, but I knew from the way he spoke, it was a no. He too pointed at the carriages, but as he did so, the three of us noticed a small group of people standing around one of the carriages. Out of curiosity, I approached the group of people, only to see a carriage tipped over on its side and a small boy, about 7 years of age, lying on the ground unconscious.

Shoving everyone out of the way, I began to search the boy for any form of damage, finding only a hoof mark implanted on the back of his head.

Picking up the boy slowly, and with both hands, I took him to a different carriage and laid him down. Taking someone's pillow from inside, I placed it underneath his head. As a few people crowded around, I put my arms out to stop them.

In that moment, the horse that was attached to the carriage began to lose it. Running and kicking around wildly, the horse neighed uncontrollably with its bubbling mouth. Noticing a young, neon blue haired girl standing near the rabid horse's kicking range, I sprinted towards the two, with the Combat Shotgun in hand. As the animal raised its front legs up, I aimed the Shotgun at its head and pulled the trigger.

???: Lelei!

As the pellets launched from the barrel of the weapon, they threw themselves into the animal's flesh, ripping through and tearing enough of it to stop it dead in its tracks. Taking a large chunk of its head off, the animal fell back to its demise as the crowd began to look at one another in shock. As the young girl whispered to herself beside me, I pumped out the empty shell to the ground and walked towards the old man.

Young Girl: (Translation: He...he saved my life.)

The old man continued to speak his jargon until I finally just nodded, accepting his task. The old man's tone immediately changed from saddened to a bit of relief. The elf girl, on the other hand, seemed confused over the exchange. If it made her feel any better, so was I, and probably the old man too.

Feeling another small finger poking my arms, I turned around to see the neon blue haired girl standing in front of me. Like the elf girl, I towered over her as well, even more than the elf girl as she stood at about crotch height. Her big eyes were a different shade of blue than the elf girl's, though it matched her hair. Holding a blue staff in one hand and an empty shotgun shell in the other, she spoke to me, as if I could understand her.

Young Girl: (Translation: I would like to thank you for saving me from the rabid horse, strange warrior. May I ask what this is that excremented from your weapon?)

The elf girl spoke to her for me, albeit nervously....I think.

Elf Girl: (Translation: He...he can't understand us.)

Young Girl: (Translation: As in he can't understand our language?)

The elf girl nodded.

Elf Girl: (Translation: I think so. He hasn't spoken a word to me since we met. I'm not even sure who he is, or even if it's a "he".)

Young Girl: (Translation: Hmm. I wonder...)

The two of them looked back at me with a sense of curiousity. The neon haired girl pointed at me, then to what I assume was her carriage. Another old man sat on the carriage, wearing what looked like a typical wizard's gown and hat. He too, stared at me with curiousity.

Young Girl: (Translation: Come with me.)

As the young girl began to walk away from me, she turned around and uttered the same phrase again, this time waving her hand towards herself.

Young Girl: (Translation: Come here, please.)

Realizing that I needed to follow her, I approached her and the old man as she hopped onto the carriage, searching for something. A few seconds of searching later, the young girl pulled out a large book from the carriage, with several odd runes on the cover.