Stomp,

Stomp,

Stomp!

Slowly and intimidatingly the armored figure steps closer

Though its face is hidden behind a mask of, well, a face,

I can feel its gaze passing over us,

We all can.

It turns its head facing down over Claude, whom it towers over,

The beetle like pincers on its helmet now point towards the boy causing him to involuntarily gulp,

“Hey, how did you get through those currents?” Claude demands trying to sound unfearful

Shlingg!

The figure doesn’t respond instead lowering a chained mace from its right sleeve

“I think he means to fight,” Amelia cautions her brother,

Apollo is already rushing to the young man’s side,

Swing!

The mace comes flying at Claude who manages to dodge backwards,

“Fire beam” he counters

The ray of magic pierces the armor but the figure does not even flinch in pain, nor does it begin to bleed,

(Is that even human?)

“Heeyah!” Apollo slashes is sword at the figure, but it defends using its left arm’s steel arm pad,

Swinging the flail with its right…

Apollo anticipates, empty fading before slashing again but still with no result,

“I’ll try to drop him!” Lyra calls, preparing her magic,

Karina and I dart forward, she throws some daggers at its head, while I fire arrows,

Then something creepy happens,

Its head starts spinning a full rotation along its neck, as the pincers deflect the shots,

(Definitely not a human)

“What is that thing!?” Claude cries backing away fearfully,

“Move!” Lyra shouts, opening her arms wide she steps back

We all move out of her path….

“Blizzard!”

GWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

A long gale of freezingly cold snow pushes back against the armored warrior,

“Now’s our chance!” Apollo orders rushing at it

The cold affecting the figures armor makes it difficult to move properly,

Which is a good thing for us,

“Ha!”

Apollo back slashes behind its knees,

Claude using one of Karina daggers also puts in some blows, Karina herself is turning its back into dart board with the number of daggers she’s throwing into it, Even Amelia joins to assist lyra adding her rain into the blizzard attack,

All the while the ‘thing’, does not make a sound, but struggles to escape the onslaught of attacks,

(All the violence they were holding back since Sweepstake, finally they have a chance to release it)

“Huaaa!”

I rush forward at the foe joining the others in the attack

……!

…....!

****

Hack!

Swipe!

Stab!

Slash!!

After one powerful cut Apollo finally manages to break through the durable steel plated armor decapitating the head of the……

The?

Nothing?

The helmet falls off, though we half expected not to see a human body,

We didn’t expect it to be nothing,

Just a hollow space,

“We’re we just fighting a moving pile of equipment ?” Lyra looks puzzled,

(Along with the rest of us)

“Maybe—” I start but then something starts climbing out of the armor,

Some—Things.

(Beetles?)

A swarm of them beginning to pour out of the neck, ignoring us they patter towards the waterfall,

“That’s it!” Karina concedes raising her hands,

“I am officially as clueless as Kage,

Even I don’t know what to make of this,”

“…..”

One by the one the little creatures trod into the water disappearing up the currents,

“Should we catch one?” Claude suggests,

“No, let’s see what’ll happen when they all go back,”

“And what if another one of those ‘things’ come out again, Kage?”

“We’ll handle it again then,

I have a feeling that won’t happen though”

“Based on what?” Lyra presses

“Based on you shuti—nothing”

“What?”

“Nothing, I said nothing”

………

Vwhrilllll!

As all the beetles finally enter, part of the waterfall near us, begins spinning out of sync from the rest,

The spin starts slow,

But slowly,

It gets

Faster

And faster

Till…

A large gap, opens up,

“…..”

“Soooo, who is going first?” Claude quips

“No one,” Karina replies frankly,

“The space is big enough for the carriage to pass through we can use that,

I don’t feel safe going wherever is behind that, to be potentially exposed to who knows what,”

“Plus, its better we go with our supplies in case it closes behind us,” Apollo adds……

…………..

*****

(Nervous,

Is that what I’m feeling,

Or is it excitement?

I can’t tell the difference)

A rush of anxiety wafts through my body as the carriage steadily passes through the water,

A thick layer of fog obscures any sight of what could possibly be ahead of us,

Though no one says it,

I can tell they’re just as anxious as me,

Apollo still has his sword out near him,

Karina twirls her dagger near the window

The twins are huddled together,

M*o*o*!

(What was that?)

“Did anyone else hear that?” Lyra looks around alarmed,

“It sounded like a creature growling murderously” I nod

“Everyone get ready to defend should we be attacked!” Apollo orders,

……..

The fog slowly begins to fade away

M*o*o*!

(What is it?

What is the beast that’s challenging us?)

……….

……….

The fog finally clears, and the evening sunlight, rays through the window where six onlookers peer out cautiously….

Mooooo!

……….

Mooooo!

……….

“Cows?

This has to be a joke,” Claude groans

“Well at least it wasn’t an enemy?” Apollo shamefully pulls back his sword,

Stepping out of the carriage we find ourselves on a path in between two fenced fields,

Cows graze about happily along with other animals,

(A farm?)

I notice the outlines of several barn-like buildings across the field,

“Look, someone’s coming!” Amelia warns,

An old man leaps over one of the fences barley making a sound,

Though a thin blade is strapped to his side, it does not appear that he going to attack us,

“Phweehh!” He whistles,

“Well, I’ll be, It’s been a while since we had new visitors here,”

“So, this is Bakufu then?” Apollo inquires,

“Yes sir, from that waterfall behind you all the way to the other waterfall,”

“Who are you old man?” Lyra boldly questions,

“Nothing but an old farmer,

I saw your group enter, so I came to get a look for myself,

Not many people pass the entry test you know,”

“Test, that’s what that ‘thing’ was about?”

“Thing?

That’s one of our bug golems, and because you beat it, we’re going to have to replace it with an even stronger one now,

I guess I’m responsible for that too,” the old man sighs,

“If you want to get into the main district keep following that path,”

“How many districts are there?” I ask curiously,

“Eh?

Three,

Two are the waterfall districts, this one is the Kuwagata district, and the other is the Kabuto district,

The main district where the folk reside is called Tonbo,”

“Much appreciated kind sir,” Karina smiles graciously

“Oh, it was no problem,” the old man smiles back slyly,

“I do have a tiny request to offer in exchange for me giving you that helpful bit of information,”

……

“How tiny of a request?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, I just noticed that nice carriage you have,

So I have to ask:

If by chance you never make it back alive from the main district,

Can I, have it?”