Underground town - evening

Vella leads the way through a secret passage out of here. It’s a congested corridor that has little to no light in here. Luckily enough, we brought a lantern with us. We can’t go through the main entrance/exit since it’s being watched. When I asked who they were, she dodged the question. I guess it isn't that important.

The stairs we’re going up are about the same length as the other set of stairs combined into a straight, narrow pathway up. Good thing I’m not claustrophobic, or else this shit would be getting to me by now.

"So, what do ya wanna do outside?" I ask her.

"I just thought it would be nice."

"Not much of a reason."

"I thought you wouldn’t mind?”

“I don’t, I’m just saying. But are sure no one’s gonna notice we’re gone?”

“Everyone is going to be in the banquet hall, I’m sure nobody will notice if we’re gone."

I doubt nobody’s not gonna notice, especially if I’m not there.

I knock on the solid rocky wall. "So how did you find this out?”

"I just happened to find this when I was musing myself. Though, I'm surprised no one else was able to find this way out."

"Leave often?"

"A bit, not too much for the elder and everyone else to notice. When they're asleep or having a banquet."

We approach a small wooden door with a latch that Vella slides open. Opening up, the sounds of nature and fresh air register themselves to me. We get out of the tunnel, into a small cabin that has holes all over the place. The room is trashed, broken, plates, glass, and the remains of a broken shelf are plastered all over the ground.

“Careful, don’t wanna get a nasty cut on your feet.”

“How did you know that?”

"Wait, you actually got cut?"

"It wasn't that bad…"

I can't tell if she is an airhead, or if she's just one tough cookie.

"Was this place raided?"

"I'm not sure, it was like this when we arrived."

"Ah." Is all I'm able to say. Not like I can do much with that info, or even care to learn about what happened to this place. Though, I hope the guys who lived here before got out in one piece.

Vella continues to lead the way through the broken glass and wood. Exiting the small cabin, Vella runs into the middle of the village.

"Would you look at that, it is nighttime."

"You thought it wasn't?"

"Kinda hard to tell time underground."

"Oh yeah, that makes sense."

"Can you?"

"Of course, there's a clock in the dining hall, as well as the banquet hall, and in our rooms. Do you not know how to read a clock?"

"Shut up! I'm not a moron!"

Vella laughs at my outburst as she walks around. This chick knows how to push my buttons! Still though, what the hell are we doing out here? I get she wants to just get out of the town, but just standing around ain’t all that exciting...

"Yo, Vell, how about we go out there?" I point to the trail leading out of the village.

"But it could be dangerous."

"Yeah, and that's why I have these." I grip the hilt of my swords.

"Can you even use those?"

"Of course I can! You airhead!"

She squealed like a teenage girl at a boy band concert. "I was only kidding, please be too angry!" It's hard to tell if she’s yanking my chain, or if she’s serious? "...But I don't know, it might not be a good idea."

"We're already out here, kinda too late to worry about that now."

"You have a point, but…"

"Come on, we won't go too far. Plus, I have a ride."

I whistle for RoadBurner. It comes cruising from behind the cabin we were in.

“Is that yours? How is it moving on its own?”

“I...have no idea either, it can just do that. But it’s an awesome bike for it, if not a bit wild at times.”

I jump on it, grabbing the handles. Revving up the engine is the best feeling in the goddamn world! That, and knocking some heads, that is just gratifying. “Ready to go?”

“Is it safe?”

“That question varies, but it’s safe now.”

“Okay, then…”

She sits on the backseat, then she wraps her arms around me as tight as she could.

“Okay, passenger, hang on tight, but not too tight, kay?”

“Okay!”

Without any further delay, we drive down the road that leads away from the ghost town. Now that I think about it, I can scout ahead for any bandit activity, plus, I get to go somewhere new, so that’s a plus.

“Vell, I gotta ask: why were you getting me into trouble earlier”

“I have no idea what you mean,” she says, using her innocent smile against me.

“You know what I mean. The Plato thing, Vran chasing me down, and the shield surfing, but to be fair, I was up for it, so I can’t blame that on you.”

“Well… I seriously didn’t mean for all that to happen, honestly.”

She’s just going to act koi no matter what, huh? Guess there’s no point in trying to force the truth out then. But to be frank, it’s not like I’m that mad about it.

Driving a bit further up, I spot a giant tree on a cliffside. Perfect spot for sightseeing.

“We’ll be going up for a bit, hang on!”

Taking a sharp left, we change course for the tree. RoadBurner is able to make easy work of the uphill climb. Making it to the top, we’re high up, enough for me to eye all the interesting spots around this place. Though, the tree itself is interesting as well. It has these beautiful velvet flowers that are hanging on a creepy-looking tree that looks like it’ll come to life any second… Hope that doesn’t happen around here.

“What a beautiful tree,” Vella says.

“Yeah, but kinda creepy.”

Looking at the horizon, I can see green, flat plains as far as the eye can see. Of course, I see an uphill road in the distance. There’s no change in terrain as far as I can tell though. No matter where you go, this place is all green…

“What are you looking for?”

“Nothing, just bandits.”

“I don’t think bandits are anywhere near here.”

“How would you know?”

“I don’t usually get attacked when I come outside.”

“Makes sense, but I can’t be too sure. If there are bandits, the others need to know. I am the scout after all.”

“Wow, you‘re such a dependable person.”

“I kinda have to be, or else it’ll be my fault if something bad happens to everyone.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I’m sure it’ll all be fine.”

“Thanks.”

I sit at the edge of the cliff, taking in the sights and the night air. Vella takes one next to me.

“So, Proxy, how long have you been in this world?”

“About a few months now. Been here since June, and I know it’s been a while since then... That means summer break is over. I wonder if everyone is going back to school? Either way, kinda glad I’m not going right now…”

“School?”

“You don’t know what that is?”

“No, what is it?”

“Oh man, what can I say about it? It’s a boring place that you’re forced to go to. You learn stuff that you don’t really care about in the slightest. You’re forced to wear a uniform that doesn’t look that cool at all, and you can’t even fight there.”

“My...how dreadful.”

“Yeah...that’s what I used to think, at least.” I lay on the soft grass, gazing at the sky that twinkle as bright as usual. “...I thought if I stopped going I would be all the happier for it. At first, I was ecstatic at the idea of not going anymore; just kicking back and doing whatever I wanted, that’s the life… But thinking about it, I kinda miss going. Sure, it was a hassle, but there were some pretty fun times there, and there were cool people I liked talking to there. And the teachers were nice, for the most part, even the principal wasn’t bad.”

“So you actually liked it?”

“I guess, I don’t really know anymore. Maybe I should stop skipping when I get back. Just try to have a straight year and not give my teachers crap. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the best student a teacher can have?”

I always did well enough to pass my year, but I honestly never really tried to do any better than okay. It’s not like it was hard, but I always thought it was a pain…

“Do you miss your home?” Vella asks.

“Kind of. I have some peeps over there that I miss. I don’t know if they’re worried about me, but I am for them. That’s all…”

“What are they to you?”

“Hm, well, I guess you can say, family. Lauren is a bit of a know-it all, acts too smug at times, and can be kind of a pain...but it’s fun playing games with her, and watching anime. Me and Birch, Lauren’s dad, are pretty tight as well since he’s always looking out for me. Sometimes I don’t know if he’s a saint, or just weird, either way, he’s cool to me. You know, it took certain events to make me realize how much I care for them, and what they mean to me.”

Recent events put so much into perspective for me, the way my life was going, who I am as a person, and what the people around me mean. If I never came to this world, then how would I end up?

“That sounds absolutely lovely. Having a nice family to rely on, having people to care about… It all sounds nice.”

Someone doesn’t speak like that unless there’s hidden meaning behind it. ‘

“What happened to your family?” Vella gets up from the ledge without me getting a good look at her face. She rushes towards the tree. “I’m sorry! It’s just, you were acting strange when you were talking about family, so I thought…”

“It’s fine, I suppose I should’ve been more careful with my words… My parents are longer in this world.”

Man, I really am a dumbass when it comes to reading the room.

“I’m sorry for asking! I didn’t know.”

“No, I blame myself. I shouldn’t have dwelled on it for far too long…" The wind decides to pick up, carrying the leaves off of the branch. "...Can I ask you something, Proxy?"

"Go ahead."

"What if someone you know did something wrong? Would you punish them?"

"Depends."

"Murder." All the hairs on my body stand at the same time as my skin crawls at the question. Did she just say murder!? There's no two ways about it, she just said it! "What do you think should happen to that person?"

"I… I don't know."

How could I? I mean, sure, Marie was a bandit, and she killed people, but she regrets what she's done. Even if she didn't, I don't think I'd have the stomach to do it.

“Why do you not? Murderers are awful, horrible, disgusting, putrid creatures that should be killed without a second thought… But that’s not even the worst part… It’s the ones who go on living, despite the life they took. Each breath they take pollutes the air, the steps they take poison the ground with the blood below their feet, and they’re filthy hands touching things… They are less than human, they are worthless creatures.”

Her body sways as she turns to me. The moonlight brightens her features as the wind blows past her hair and her white dress sways alongside it. Her smile leaves me speechless, her eyes are empty, void of any color. It leaves nothing but a fake expression that sends chills down my spine.

“They sound disgusting, right?”

My throat is tight, the words won’t come to me, nor would they come out even if I had them. This intensity is unreal, it’s as if I’m being crushed by gravity itself. If I take any more of this, I might break.

“Hey!” I force the word out of my throat by yelling. Color and life return to her as she yelps. “Ah, sorry, force of habit. Man, I am so uncool, right?”

She quickly reclaims her composure to answer me. “I don’t think so, it is a bit odd though.”

“Yeah, I know…”

The wind dies down as the moon hides behind the clouds. The tense feeling is still clinging onto me, but it’s dying down as well. Man, so much for a casual outing. Maybe we should probably be getting back to town, someone’s probably noticed that we’re not there, so we need to at least be in town to say we were goofing around there.

“Come on, Vella, let’s get back before we’re missed.”

“Are you sure? But we barely explored today.”

“How about tomorrow?”

She closes her eyes as she tucks her hands behind herself. “Okay.”

She follows behind me as we pass the tree to RoadBurner. This whole thing is still messing with my mind, my nerves are still shaken, and this dreadful feeling stabs at my heart with a vengeance. There’s definitely more to what she said than it being a hypothetical question. I wish I could read people’s words like Richard, then I would know what’s going on… Wait, that’s it!

“Vella, tomorrow, I don’t care what time you come, just meet me at my room, okay?”

“But didn’t you tell me to not wake you up too early?”

“Just forget about that.”

“If you say so.”

I don’t know if I should be poking my nose into this, but I can’t ignore it and pretend like nothing happened. If anything, I need to see if I can do anything to help.

Underground town - Elder’s chamber - evening

“They are still gone?” A woman with a cool, alluring, yet dangerous voice says to a girl in front of her. She covers her face with a white veil, hiding her features from anyone else.

“Yes, Vella and her companion are still outside. What shall you have us do?”

“Nothing, at least until she’s alone. When they get back, keep an eye on them. When she is alone, bring her to me… She knows the rules on being disobedient.”

“Of course, madam Lexia.”

A sudden urge of regret hits the informant’s brain. She looks up, getting ready to plead for forgiveness, but a whip smacks her face. The victim of the attack bites her lip to not let out a cry. It leaves a red mark on her face.

“Have I told you not to call me that without the ‘lady’ part. Furthermore, who told you to look up at me without my permission? I think that deserves two lashes!”

“Stay your hand!”

A tall, well-built gentleman whose hair is a shade of dark green. He dresses like a Bishop. He comes from the other side of the room. His smile is as bright as the sun and as charming as an idol’s. It puts the girl’s distressed heart at ease…

“She was already given punishment for her crimes, so she has been forgiven,” his voice booms, pride in his declaration.

“Not another one of your sermons,” Lexia groans as she puts her hand to her face.

“But of course, speech is there to convey ideas and ideals, so why not?” He approaches the girl who got hit. His hand sits on her shoulder. “...You have been forgiven for your small crime.”

A smile creeps up on her face as she lets loose a tear. “Thank yo--”

“However, you must never forget the crimes that you have yet to be forgiven for.”

The girl’s body tenses up from his heel turn. She tries to get away, but the grip on her shoulder holds her in place.

“...Your sins run deep, deeper than any body of water in this land, deeper than any pit. Your soul is a dirty pool of mud, someone needs to clean such a murky thing… Unless you think not?” His grip tightens on the poor girl’s shoulder. “...You think it is okay to remain the way you are; dirty, disgusting, vile? If so, then you deserve nothing but the harshest of treatments.”

The kind, warm demeanor he was giving off evaporated. Now, he resembles that of a devil whose facade melted away.

"If you continue to fester with your sinful soul, then I shall see you destroyed!"

He raises his other hand. The girl fears that her death will come from that hand. Unimaginable deaths await her if it touches her, that’s what she screams in her head on repeat. Her breath runs as she hyperventilates. Each cell in her body tells her to run, but her feet refuse to move an inch. Death will come no matter what she does. Then, as she’s about to expel out the sheer terror she’s feeling from her mouth, the man’s hand pats her other shoulder.

The smile of a kind-hearted man returns, as if nothing happened. "...So please, do your best to repent. No, I know you will, right!?"

At this moment, breathing, moving, starting, thinking, and even being alive is a privilege to be had, and one that can be easily overstepped.

"Okay, now you may proceed to leave," the man casually says.

Words refuse to come out from her mouth, her tongue goes numb, her muscles are too tensed up to move.

"Also, do remember: you are riddled with sin, so you must rid yourself of it! Okay, do you understand!"

The girl walks as quickly as her feet can take her without saying a word to either him or the elder. Even as she left the room, the devilish features of that man haunt her mind.

"Don't you think you might have been a bit too...extreme?" Lexia says, voicing nothing but curiosity.

"On the contrary, I think I did the right thing. Nay, I am right, so don't ask if I did the right thing or not, because I did."

His conviction is like a child saying they’re right without any rhyme or reason.

"Fine, I didn't mean to question you on that. Do forgive me," Lexia uses an apologetic tone.

"Do you actually mean it?"

"I have no idea what you mean? I really didn't mean to…"

The man stares at her, trying to find the tiniest chink in her armor, however, Lexia is better than leaving a weakness for him to exploit.

"Very well, then I'll take you at your word. But, I must ask why you hit that girl for not saying, lady?"

"If one lacks manners, it can lead to them becoming nothing more than a brute. Would you rather have girls who are feminine or brutes?”

“Yes, your logic is sound. Then I shall forget about it.”

“Good, but now, we must discuss Vella, as well as her partner."

“Of course, but before we do: when are you going forward with things?”

“Soon, I just need more time for them to get a bit more comfortable, then--”

“On second thought, I think we should go ahead sooner.”

Lexia jumps out of her seat. “But why?”

“I am afraid of this crowd. Truly unruly, did you know they were mishandling objects in the weapons museum, and drinking all the liquor in one of the stores? Or investigating this town. Now they’re even leaving with the girls. If they are to be left alone, then we would have a problem. So I suggest, no, I extremely suggest we nip this in the bud, as soon as possible.”

Naturally, this infuriates Lexia, who is used to running this place the way it needs to be. A slight she wishes she could complain about, but this man in front of her is dangerous, far too dangerous to mess with. So instead of doing anything rash, she thinks with caution before speaking.

“Yes, that makes sense. Very well, we’ll try to push up the process.”

“Good, excellent, splendid! I cannot wait. Justice shall be swift, and it shall be devastating. I’ll await tomorrow’s breakfast meetup.”

“Meetup? I never heard of such a meet.”

“Ah, yes, the mind truly is funny. I need you to order the girls to gather the men into the banquet hall in the morning.”

“What is the purpose of such an event?”

“I shall give them the order, of course. Would there be any other reason?”

His smile mocks her with every word that comes out of his mouth, irritating her to no end. If it were anyone else, she would explode, using her whip to carve out their skin. However, she must exercise patience if she wishes to stay on his good side.

“Obviously, how could I miss something so obvious.”

Even with the smile of a beautiful woman, the voice of a smooth, sophisticated woman, she is brimming with an anger that is barely being kept in check.

“Well, I shall see you tomorrow. Oh, by the way, make sure to punish Vella accordingly. Other than that, have a splendiferous day!”

With that, he exits the chamber. 8 seconds passed after he left, the elder released a deep breath. She then gets up from her chair, walking over to a desk on the other side of the room. Another deep breath comes from her as she stares at the table.

Then, she kicks the desk, denting it. She kicks it over and over, her rage being unleashed on a harmless object. Each time she hits it, a visceral roar comes from her, echoing inside of the room. Wood chips fly about as the table makes a loud noise that is on par with nails on a chalkboard each time she kicks it. With the final kick, she hit the top part of the table, smashing it into halves.

Her breathing is erratic, her hands unsteady, and her blood vessels are about to pop as she heaves her chest.

“That son of a bitch! How dare he tell me how to run this damn place! One day, I’ll crush you, I swear it!” She straightens her hair out. Looking at her dress, there are wood chips in it. “Great, now my dress is dirty... No matter, I’ll have someone clean it…”

Reclaiming her composure as a lady, she heads out of her chamber. A girl passing by spots her.

“You,” Lexia shouts. “Get someone to clean my chamber, and bring me a new dress! And do it fast!”

“Y-yes, my lady!”

The girl bolts for the stairs, not wanting to anger her elder any further.

"Shit, I have to calm down. For now, I'll cool off. Until then, I'll just go take a nice shower."

She retreats to her chamber to take a shower. The wheels are in motion for a battle to take place in this town. What shall unfold from this underground clash waiting to happen!?