The Land Below our Feet COMPLETE

YÓRUG

It had been three long days since the last time he had seen his brother. Surely, he was dead by now. He had already eaten most of the provisions that Orstig had stolen, and he did not know what would happen once he had swallowed the last crumb of stale bread. Not that he cared much about it either… He just wanted to join him in death.

Yórug had been trying to recall the exact moment when they'd become separated, over and over, to no avail. Every time wincing in anger at the thought of such a stupid mistake. All he had to do was stick beside him, and yet, he had let fear get in the way and blur his judgment. Now there he was, lost and alone in a foreign country, with nothing but an almost empty sack of food and his own endless misery.

He had found a shallow creek and sat on a boulder, trying to figure out where to head up to next.

His sight becoming hazy as a few tears clouded his eyes for the thousandth time since he had realized that his brother was gone.

It seemed as if it had been only yesterday when they had embarked on this unfortunate journey, their minds filled with the hopes and dreams of a new, promising land.

There was nothing waiting for them back in Argant and there was nothing left for them in this strange territory either. They had been just two more fools caught in the narcissistic desires of a crazed king and now, they were to meet the tragic consequences of invading a nation that was never theirs in the first place.

At least he would be spared from a gruesome demise at the hands of the native folks, Yórug thought with a bitter smirk. He would simply slowly wither out of hunger, and perhaps even end up getting eaten by a famished bear or any other passing beast.

With these thoughts in his mind, he leaned down on the large rock and closed his eyes, the sun washing over him and warming his face. He had been lying there for a while when he felt the light cascading on his cheeks suddenly being blocked by something, and he opened his eyelids to find a masked boy aiming a spear directly at his chest.

Yórug scrambled sloppily, trying to sit down and reach for the weapon beside him, but the edge of the stranger's spear pressed immediately against his skin, piercing it slightly as the kid shook his head at him slowly, taking it away from his reach with one hand, and keeping his aim firmly with the other.

-W-Who are you? – The terrified man asked, looking into the child's dark eyes and openly begging for his life – Please, don't hurt me!

The armored boy took a small step back, still pointing his weapon at him and hanging the confiscated large gun to his shoulder. He gestured silently for him to stand and turn around. To which the victim immediately obeyed, raising his hands in the air, and carefully starting to walk forward as he was being frog-marched at spear-point.

Yórug´s futile attempts to communicate with his captor proved ineffective as the only response he got out of him was the steady pressure against his back, lunging him forward.

-Are you going to kill me? – He asked nervously, a maddening quietness following his words as he kept on walking.

-Where are you taking me boy? – Yórug called out in a trembling voice, but again the strange kid remained impassive, poking his weapon between his shoulders.

After a few more fruitless efforts to engage in conversation, he finally gave up and shut his mouth. His mind inevitably wondering if this was going to be his tragic end. Resignation soon finding its way into his heart and a strange peace invading him at last.

It did not take them much longer to get to a clearing. The hazel-eyed man gasping in surprise at the sight of an immense army consisting of hulking and equally masked men.

All of them stealing curious glances at him as he was slowly being conducted forcefully towards a large tent in the middle of the impressive camp.

Once they got to the big shelter, he was roughly thrown inside the dark interior and landed on the ground before an old, masked woman. His body protesting in ache at the painful fall while he remained slumped on the dirt.

He heard the boy exchange a few words with the lady before the woman directed her attention towards him. Her blurred eyes fixated on his face and titling her head with genuine curiosity.

-Akoh here says that he found you lying by the river – The masked elder abruptly spoke in his language, taking him by surprise – What were you doing there all by yourself?

-I… How is it that you know my mother tongue? – He asked bewildered, feeling the tip of the spear finally receding from his back and letting out a relieved sigh.

-You are not the first one of your kind to ever come to this land. We have already had a group of your folk living among us for a long time. They taught us their language, and we taught them ours -The strange woman's voice echoed behind her metallic mask – Now answer my question. Why were you alone out there? Where is the rest of your platoon?

- Heading south – Yórug responded diligently, feeling an unfamiliar tranquility radiate from the old maiden's figure that compelled him to irremediably talk - They are marching towards Lowland's gate. I defected from my unit along with my brother a few nights ago. But we were caught, and we got lost as we tried to run away.

-I was told that Lowland's gate had already fallen under your attack – The Elder nodded at him – Isn't that right?

-It had, but as we were taking Mavaer we were informed that it had been freed by an army led by a masked man, so our king sent our unit to get it back.

-I see – The ancient lady nodded at him decisively– Then it seems like we are all marching to Lowland's gate then… What is your name, son?

-Yórug... Please don't kill me! – The powerless golden-haired man, mumbled in a pleading voice, flinching before her – I am nothing but a helpless farmer. All we ever wanted was to work the land and harvest its crops!

-Yórug… Are you hungry? – The immutable woman asked, ignoring his whimpering, and getting on her feet, extending her hand to him – Come with me. Let us feed you, and then you can tell us all about your unit's plans to win Lowland's gate back.