Earth: The Second

Family and Beast at Night Time

The journey to the city of Horundah took 5 days with a carriage, it will take even longer by foot. Early in the morning, two of them already arrived at the designated place to join a carriage ride, along with three people with the same destination. Before their ride begins, Adma sees Kiki handing a coin of gold to the rider of the carriage. 

After they have sitted inside, he asked Kiki about the price of the carriage, and how the currency worked in this world, realize that he probably going to need it for the future.

While the carriage rocking back and forth, dealing with the rocky path, Kiki showed a golden coin from her purse. An insignia with great details are stamped on both sides of the coin.

“In the kingdom of Henriah, this is the money that has been used for daily transaction called fald. One golden coin is equivalent to ten silver coins. And one silver coin is equivalent to ten bronze coins,” explained Kiki.

“I see, so how much does our ride to your home cost?”

“Five silver coin for each person, it’s pretty expensive, that’s why Father and Sisters at the orphanages are against my idea to leave the Horundah,” 

They continued talking to each other, especially about Kiki’s orphanage at Horundah. She tell Adma about the kids that are living together with her, about 18 orphans are housed there, and Kiki is one of the oldest. Another one is a boy called Jerry, a 13 years old, and Pina, 12 years old. Ever since the government of Hondurah started to cut funding for the orphanage, their Father and two Sisters find that it’s going more and more difficult to manage the food and necessities of the orphanage. Their best bet is to walk around the city, hoping that some good people will be kind enough to spend a little of their money for them.

That’s why the idea of going out and finding work is being discussed between Kiki, Pina, and Jerry. Sometimes after that, they manage to find jobs. Jerry being an extra power to carry stuff at the market, Pina becoming a house servant, and Kiki, is right here, doing the most dangerous job.

Of course, their Father is very against the idea at first, but in their condition, nothing else can be done.

“Actually, I leave the orphanage secretly and only leave a letter. They might be very angry when they see me return,” Kiki laughed bitterly.

Hearing her story, giving Adma a new perspective on how hard it is to live in this era. Children are forced to work, while the ones with power are easily leeching of the less fortunate. It’s even crazier after Adma sees people like Wesser, who have hidden agenda while managing institutions like a guild.

Kiki is not always speaking though, since it will tire her out eventually. Sometimes, she is sleeping, sometimes, she tells the story of her life in the orphanage to Adma, and sometimes, she just gazes to the sky outside of the carriage. No need to explain how Kiki has longed to go home, but her expression looked worried. 

“I wonder what will they say later,” Kiki said, not looking at Adma. Instead, her head is looking down, as if emotion weighted her again. “Father and Sisters… They would hate naughty child like me right?”

Adma looked at her in silence, for someone who doesn’t have family, moreover, knowing the origin of himself, he doesn’t know what to say for Kiki.

Instead, he just lifts one of his hand, rubs it right on Kiki’s head.

“If your feeling is that strong for them, they are probably also waiting for you,” said Adma, still rubbing the little girl’s head.

Kiki lifts her head with a smile for Adma.

***

The horse and carriage do not travel all the time. At night, the rider and passenger are working together to set up a camp. The ideal place for the camp is located not too far, but not too close either for a source of water. Luckily for them, today they are camping beside a small river, which provides refills for their canteen, and water to cook.

Of course, everyone on this journey needs to work together on setting up the camp, cooking, and managing the safety of everyone else. Adma and Kiki, together with a carriage driver, a parent with their baby, and one man, sitting around the bonfire, finishing a soup that was previously made by the driver. Anyone knows that this is a good time to strike up a conversation and get to know each other. This is a long journey after all.

Kiki seemed to find no difficulties chatting with the parents. Looks like she has a lot of experience handling babies, from her life at the orphanage. On the other side, Adma just sat silently, staring at the bonfire, until the last man of the passenger (presumably a merchant or something) started to speak to him.

“So… What is your business in Horundah?” he asked. 

Adma lift one of his eyebrow, the man beside him looked around at the end of their 20th, with short brown hair, green clothes, grey pant, and wrapped in a dark chocolate cloak. Adma stares at him a little bit before answering. 

“Nothing… Just looking for a job,” he said.

“Is she your daughter? or little sister perhaps?” 

Started to feel uncomfortable, Adma gives him a sharp look.

“Gulp… Alright, alright, sorry if you don’t like it. I just wanted to get acquainted,” he lifts his palm, like a pose to give up. “Please call me Gon. I’m a merchant who has opened my business for three years. People also called me Mr. Green, since that is my favorite color.” 

“Alright Mr. Green,” Adma replied unamusedly. “If you are a merchant, where are your wares?”

Gon chuckled. “Not every merchant has to carry their merchandise. Especially, if they also doing business for ‘other’ things.”

“What do you mean?”

“Information, duh? Alright, I'll cut the nonsense. From the first glance, I know that you have what it takes to be a fighter. If you are looking for a job, why don’t you become my bodyguard?” asked Gon, Adma still won’t get rid of his sharp eyes for the man.

Although Adma had prepared a cynical answer for the man, Navigator suddenly raised an alarm inside his head.

“Caution, an object comes near at the radius of 1 KM,” in Adma’s vision, the upper grid interface that functioned as a course indicator, started to showing a red blink.

Adma got up all of sudden, surprising the rest of the passengers. “Watch out, something is coming!” he said.

Adma looked at his 8 o’clock, and Navigator automatically showing the threat that was coming to their way. He sees a beast that is shaped like a bear, but with spikes all over his back, and empty white eyes without pupils.

All of them also started to worry and noticed the huge thing moving inside the darkness. The family, merchant, and driver start to stay away from the bonfire. But Kiki is right behind Adma’s back.

“Adma! I’ll give you support!” she said, as Kiki started to chant a spell.

Actually, Adma want to tell Kiki to stay back even further, but there is no time for that. The monster-bear is getting closer, and Adma have to pour all of his focus.

“Combat mode engaged, Navigator, i will leave it to you!”

“Affirmative. Automatically calibrating strength according to body part that will cause impact for the target.” replied Navigator.

Ten meters left. Adma prepared his stance, and lift his right hand far behind, with a clenched fist, he gave the bear a hook right when it came near contact. A clean hit for the bear’s face, as blood and drool coming down from its jaw. The Bear stopped its advance, but that does not mean it has given up. Instead, it tries to crush Adma, with both of its huge claws. 

Can not act on time, Adma has to withstand a lumbering weight right above his head. The bear seems planning to win the fight by crushing Adma under his weight. To not let that happen, Navigator has to evenly distribute energy across Adma’s body, and that means even less choice for Adma to strike back.

“Grant power and victory to my companion! Triumphant Shout!” Kiki screamed from behind, channeling her mana into Adma’s mechanical body.

“Alert! External energy charge detected! Proceed to unload excess into kinetic strength!”

After the Navigator said that, Adma suddenly felt a surge of energy on his body and jumped up right into the bear’s face. With a growl, it fell backward, and can’t get up because of his weight. Adma used all of this moment to land his final attack.

“Go to hell!” screamed Adma, he landed on the bear’s neck and launch one, two, five, and dozens of jab to the bear’s jaw and face.

Its growl is muffled by Adma’s punches. seconds after that, what is left from that monster’s face is a messy lump of meat.

And so, their night ended up with Adma becoming a hero for those people.