B2A1 - The World of Myths

Chapter 48 : Berberoka & Kataw II

Chapter 48 : Berberoka, Kataw II

-Lucy-

            As we got to the nearest village, we sat down a bit as we got tired all of a sudden. But I know that this isn’t a part of the story line. Though it’s not so us to feel tired all of a sudden. It’s just that we fought so much a while ago and the diwata didn’t even let us rest in her place or something.

            Or wait… maybe this is really a part of the story line because the developer won’t let us suffer like this. Like, what if trouble suddenly appear? And our health is like, zero to no at all. I noticed that the village had so many fishes around. Some are in a wooden pail brought somewhere.

            While others are hanged into something, dried and deboned. Maybe their main source of food is the fishes? So the Diwata didn’t lie when she told us that the next villages are near the seas. I could feel the sea breeze from here, and I could also hear the waves hitting the shore.

            “Gosh, I’m so tired, let’s stay here for a while and regain our health” Reiven said as he sat on the ground and leaned his back on a tree “I have used all of my potions back with Lucio’s men…” he continued

            “Mine either, I don’t want to die in there” Vic said agreeing with Reiven

            “Have you noticed them? They’re level 20, while we’re just level 36, and there’s too many of them…” Avery cut himself off telling about their levels

            “Yea, so 20 times their number… we really are doomed” Vic said as he also sat down

            “I wonder what took the diwata so long?” Raizen askedas if blaming the diwata for being so late when she arrived to rescue us from those men

            “Didn’t you see? She was with me… ahahahaha” Darxi jokingly answered as he laughed saying that he’s the reason why the diwata came late

            “Yea we didn’t see that ‘cause it’s not true” I said negating him as I chuckled silently as if I’m teasing him

            “Shut up” he shortly answered as he glared at me for negating him though I know he’s not mad ahahahaha

            “Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I don’t wanna bust your fantasies anyway… go on, dream big” I said teasing him more and laughed louder than how I chuckled a while ago. Nothing, I just like teasing him. Whatever, he does the same to me too.

            “No… she was staring at me the whole time that’s why she got out of focus and came late” Darxi was about to speak to counter my attack but Raizen spoke that made him look at him and had his attention making him unable to speak to me once more

            “Here… I made you guys some potions so that at least you’ll gain some of your health back” Scarlett came to us giving us potions to at least help us have our strength and be able to stand

            “Look father… they’re the heroes right?” we heard a child’s voice not far from us. We all turned around to see who that was. We saw some unfamiliar faces near us and it looks like they’re pertaining to us. We just looked at them until they slowly walked towards us as if scanning us to see if they’re not mistaken.

            “Yes we are…” Darxi answered as he looked at them intently. They look like villagers from this village yet the man with the child is carrying two bags full of fruits and vegetables “Who are you?” he continued asking to see if these people would bring us harm or not. And if not, whether they help us walk through the village or not.

            “So you are that heroes that will help us be freed from Lucio, those brave people that Nunong Lino mentioned…” the man said as he put down those bags from his shoulders to the ground and looked at us again as he stood properly and at ease. He looked so tired or something.

            “Yes we are… how did you know?” Elliot asked him. This village is quite far from Nunong Lino’s, so it’s a mystery how news comes faster than us, he must have thought. Gosh, we’re not even fast ahahahaha we have encountered so much that slowed down our journey.

            “Everyone knows about you… except Lucio of course. We had secret messengers all around. Isn’t that how we got you here?” he said explaining to us how they had the news and how they called us.

            “Yea, before we got here, we talked with someone right? That must be their secret messenger” Enzo said confirming what the man said

            “Wait, there is?” Elliot asked as if he never knew. Me neither, I haven’t been to that

            “Yes there is… you didn’t know?” Scarlett agreed with Enzo “I see, that’s why all of you had no idea when you came here. You guys must have skipped that. Unlike us, we heard everything the man told us” she added explaining as to why we couldn’t recognize that secret messenger. But why we haven’t had them?

            “I’ll just bring this to the village, and I’ll talk to you later…” the man told us pertaining to those bags of fruits and vegetables as he carried it again in his shoulders. That seemed to be very heavy as he struggled to do that “Son, take them to our nipa hut, I’ll get there as soon as I bring this to them” he said talking to his child

            “Ok… come with me” the child said as he motioned his head that we follow him while his dad walked entering the village with the bags. If their house is this way, why isn’t he bringing it there? is he selling those to other people? Maybe…

            We continued to follow this child towards their nipa hut quite far from all the other nipa huts. He pointed it to us a while ago, though it’s not that far. It is a nipa hut that seems to be so old, as if the one living here is so poor or something. It can’t be, the man is a businessman and he have those fruits and vegetables for sale right?

            “This is our house…” the child said as he entered the small nipa hut, yet enough to accompany all of us. Just a little crowded for nine people and him “Can I get you something? Though we don’t have much…” he asked us as we all sat down next to each other as he told us so

            “No, thank you…” I said answering him. He said the don’t have that much, so it’s better not to ask them something. I looked around observing the whole place and it really looked old as if it needed repair. It’s like it would be carried away whenever a storm comes.

            “Good thing you didn’t enter the village immediately” the child said as he took a crate and sat on it

            “Why?” Avery asked as he said that as if something is suspicious

            “Lucio has taken over our village with his men… we waited for you to come with the hope of saving us…” he answered as his face looked so sad “If you came there having no idea what’s going on, you’ll be in great danger. Good thing we found you before they do” he continued

            “Why? How did that happen?” Enzo asked the child once more

            “I don’t know, I heard my father talking with the others that he wanted to conquer the whole world. I heard that from this village on, you’ll see that everyone had been under his power. The next villages would be the same as ours too. The only villages that haven’t been conquered are the ones you already went”

            “And I’m sure he’s planning on doing it, so please help us… do whatever you can do” the child told us as he begged us to save them “My father had been working so hard to work in his farm and gather some fruits and vegetables but we don’t even get a taste of it… everything goes to Lucio and his men” the child added telling us what cruelty they’ve been through

            “Oh my gosh, is that true?” Scarlett asked in shock as she can’t believe what had happened. Neither do I, I feel so sorry for them. I want to stop that Lucio now 

            “Yes… see those bags that my father is carrying? He just harvested that, and it’s supposed to be for us… but he had no choice but to give it to the general… we’re the one who worked for it yet we’re the one who’s hungered so much… I hope you could help us

            Gosh, I know so many things about people not having their portion of what they worked hard for. Especially these farmers here, they stay under the sun burning their skins to gather rice for people to eat yet those people in higher position as the General takes all of it leaving them nothing.

            How ironic is it that they plant to have food yet they still hunger… it’s because they’ve been cheated upon…

            “Since when did this happen?” Vic asked him with a concerned tone. Even he felt the same feeling that I felt. They’re just so cruel, I wanted to stop them now to free these people. They wanted to be in position as the ruler saying to serve people, yet all they do is to steal from them and gain their benefits for their own.

            “I don’t know, it’s already there since I started to have my own understanding…” the child said shrugging his shoulders. It looks like he’s in his eight to ten years of age. So these people had already been suffering for years. Gosh, I don’t know what to think anymore. I can’t imagine this happening to me. But it does in some ways.

            After a few minutes, we heard some knocking on the door. The child’s father entered his house and looked for a place to sit but we already occupied all of it. Vic and Avery quickly stood up to give him space because I’m sure he’s so tired carrying those heavy bags that was supposed for his family but was forcibly taken from them.

            “Where is your mother?” Reiven asked the child as the man sat down

            “They took us all to work for them, even these little children” the man answered the question “My wife is in their quarters serving them with my daughter. While I and my son had to bring them fruits and vegetables that I harvest from my farm” he answered sadly as if he can’t do anything about it

            “They made everyone work for them, they obligate us to give them ninety percent of our income while leaving us with the ten percent which isn’t enough for our whole family. Tonight, my wife and daughter will be here and we still have to think where to get that only meal we’ll be having for this day” the man continued telling us the story

            “Gosh, that’s too much! What can we help?” Elliot asked as he can’t take the cruelty they’ve been experiencing anymore. He stood up as he looked at the man intently

            “We’ve been preparing to strike against them, but we just thought that we’re too weak and we lack strength and weapons to do it, so we’ll just fail… but now that you’re here, you can help us drive them away. I’ll inform the others about your arrival and plan our attack… come with me” he said as he smiled and stood up leading us the way.