Chương 103: The Thing Missing
*yeppa, we're going on with the story. More stuff here to come. Peace out and Deus vult*
Lucas stood there, wondering about the unknown person for a while longer; his mind seemingly drowned in endless possibilities about his being there. None could provide an answer, and Mark was taking too much to arrive. His eyes checked around the Express, noticing that everyone seemed to be a little tense. Himeko walked back in, looking directly at Welt as she let out a heavy sigh.
"I can't seem to contact Mark," she said firmly, her gaze betraying a bit of the internal turmoil that had been there since Lucas met her.
"Well, judging by the situation," began Welt, fixing his glasses, "chances are that both he and Firefly have made it, but, thanks to the same phenomenon that led to our sudden arrival here, they were taken someplace else. This world seems pretty strange when compared to those we know, and it being inexistent on maps only fuels all suspicions."
Dan Heng, holding his spear at the side, was prepared to lend a hand in the entire ordeal, his calculated approach pointing to him going to find out some data about the world around.
"I will head outside to try and investigate the area. There was a settlement in the distance; perhaps someone will be able to provide some answers."
"Now that we've seen what dangers lurk around, it would be better for us to act cautiously. We cannot spend an eternity here waiting for Mark, so we need an active approach," said Welt, aware that waiting wouldn't solve their issues. Still, their powers being suppressed cut down on the number of members able to explore without issues.
"Is it alright if I go with you?" asked Lucas, his voice firm despite the hesitance in his actions. He was about to get up, but already knew that the others were about to shut him down.
Glances were exchanged subtly and quickly, and the answer came out in a different way than he expected from Himeko.
"It could be dangerous outside, and Dan Heng might not be able to take care of you as well. Do you still wish to go with him, even knowing that you could get hurt?"
With a bit more courage, Lucas nodded, standing up firmly as he stretched his limbs a little.
"Yes, I'm sure of it. I want to go outside despite what might happen. After all, the more, the merrier, right?" he chuckled, trying to ease the tension. Still, it wasn't working that well.
"It's not a matter of how merry the situation is, but about trying to avoid any casualties," said Dan Heng, his voice firm in a matter-of-fact tone, suitable for his usual attitude.
"Come on, just be nice. It's not the end of the world, right?" chuckled Lucas, trying his best to calm down his nerves and just go along with it. It was, after all, a unique situation—and the opportunity to go on an expedition with the Astral Express Crew in the flesh.
March chuckled a bit, while Stelle checked her for her bat at her waist.
"Indeed, Dan Heng. Just be nice, as Lucas said. I would go too, but my bow is kind of useless as it is, and I don't think I'd be of much help otherwise."
"I'll go with them," said Stelle, giving her bat a good twirl, the weapon feeling light in her hand, molding to the familiar grip.
"See? I feel safe now with you both coming," said Lucas, smiling a little. Still, he did realize one thing—there was no weapon he could use. "Uhm... do you guys perhaps have some weapon I could use?"
Welt fixed his glasses, and everyone just looked to each other, thinking with the same answer in mind. With a heavy sigh, it fell once again on the poor grandpa of the group to make the heavy decision, since he and Mark were actually somewhat more understandable towards each other.
"I know where to get you a weapon, but it's not the best, and it certainly doesn't fit your definition, but he used it well."
He walked over to the living quarters, closing the door behind him with a soft thud. Moments later, he was back, carrying a long metal pipe, one of its ends marked with subtle signs of grime and wear, despite the attempts at cleaning it.
"Is that the actual weapon you were talking about?" asked Lucas, confused at the odd sight. Welt nodded, and the younger trio had hints of melancholy in their eyes, as if reminiscing something.
"This is the first weapon that Mark used," said Stelle, staring at it intently. Welt handed it over to Lucas, who took it carefully, giving it a few swings. It felt light enough to be moved decently without putting too much of a toll on the wielder, while also being sturdy enough to take a beating. "He used it back when we met and also for some time after, until he upgraded to his sword. He had one of those too, made by himself, yet it's not as sturdy as one would think."
Lucas nodded, staring at the simple pipe with a different attitude now. It was the weapon that someone like him had used at first, a person aware that the world was a game. He could only wonder if Mark had been dragged into the whole situation like him, just waking up someplace and joining the Crew. Still, he knew that his situation was a bit different, special in its own right, for he had appeared in a place unknown in the story.
"I see. Well then, I guess we should head out now, right?"
With a nod, Dan Heng began walking to the exit, carrying his spear close to him. Stelle motioned for Lucas to follow, and they all went out while the other members waited inside, possibly planning themselves on what to do moving forward.
The wind blew through the tall grass blades, their gentle sway hypnotic as Dan Heng walked ahead, putting them to the ground with his steps. Stelle and Lucas followed, their weapons at the ready, as they made haste for the faraway settlement, hoping to find someone in there. Lucas kept thinking of the whole thing, excited to be on what was his first Trailblazing expedition, even if no one called it that officially.
From time to time, they would all look to the sky, hoping that no other weird shadow would come their way with the same intent as the dragon.
"I wonder what type of world this is," said Stelle, spinning her bat in her hand, the action unconscious.
"The dragon being a thing makes it feel like some fantasy world, but we've got no way of knowing," replied Lucas, keeping the pipe by his side, thudding it on the ground with each step, using it as support.
"Heh, if dragons made it a fantasy world, then Dan Heng being here automatically turns everything into one," she teased, a smug smirk on her lips as the man just walked ahead, feeling the tiny headache that came with Stelle's teasing comments.
"I guess I'll have to take your word on that one."
Their way through the grass soon led to a beaten path, its traces still visible despite the patches of grass that began growing along, a signature scribbled in it by a lack of people threading it, with nature reclaiming what belongs to it. It went parallel with the forest, while the open field stretched out on the other side for quite a distance before another patch of the same ancient trees swallowed the horizon.
"I guess this path leads to the town, right? It stretches out in that direction."
Dan Heng just nodded absentmindedly to the man's words, following the trail with his eyes. The forest off to the side bothered him slightly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced its way. The shadows ran deep under the foliage, thus boosting the chances of things hiding in there.
"Just be careful, everyone," he warned, clenching his spear firmly. Their steps were perhaps a touch more hurried, as if the looming threat lingering in the darkness was ready to lunge their way.
While the settlement was growing in the distance, showcasing more and more details, something shuffled to their side, coming from within the forest. Dan Heng instantly turned that way, pulling his spear close, ready to aim it at whatever walked out, while Stelle got the bat to her side. Lucas, seeing the others ready for combat, held the pipe by the lower side, sort of holding it like a sword with a bigger handle, aiming to just smack his foe should it happen.
The rustling sound grew louder, and so did Lucas' heartbeat. His heart thudded against the ribs, pumping his blood with a hefty dose of adrenaline, preparing himself for whatever was bound to come.
"Just what is that?" he whispered, and Stelle shrugged.
"No clue, but be careful either way," she whispered back, her tone wary.
Dan Heng tensed and pushed his spear forward, halting it midway as the figure of a man holding his arms up appeared from behind the bushes.
"Woah, woah, calm down now, alright? I didn't even introduce myself, and you want me dead?" he chuckled, speaking calmly.
The man's outfit was a simple one, looking a bit rustic in its own right, with a pair of simple pants of a sturdy dark material, his dark blue coat a touch loose on his slender frame, hiding the messy dark hair under his hood, its shadow falling all the way to his hazel eyes. His wooden walking staff was attached to the backpack he had on, the crude thing more like a sack with two wide straps attached to it to put less pressure on his shoulders.
"Who are you?" asked Dan Heng, the tip of the spear still pointed forward, yet the man didn't seem too bothered by it.
"I see, you won't lower the weapon. Well," the man said casually, almost as if fear was just something elusive in his life, the concept of death unknown to him. "People call me like the one thing that's missing in barren lands, Law. I'm just a traveler set on his own journey to nowhere specific, simply traversing the world each day, helping where I'm needed."
"Your name is Law?" asked Lucas, feeling a strange sense of deja vu he couldn't quite place.
"In flesh and blood, my friend," answered the man with a smile. His gaze then moved to Dan Heng, who didn't seem as convinced as Lucas. "Could you please lower that pointy thing? I'm just a meager traveler, alright? I don't want to be stabbed anytime soon, you know?"
Dan Heng sighed but put the weapon down, still keeping his distance. Seeing that there was a chance to discuss, Law finally lowered his arms, letting them slide in the pockets of his coat, before taking them out quickly as he realized how badly the gesture could be interpreted.
"Sorry, my bad. I got nothing in these pockets of mine; don't get the wrong idea."
The silly smile on the man's face seemed to just lay bare his heart, showing a hint of childlike wonder and a warm demeanor.
"Well, Law, since you claim to be a traveler, you must have passed through that town there in the distance, right?" asked Stelle, fixing the bat down by her waist. The man nodded, humming calmly.
"Mhm, mhm, I have. Strangely enough, the place was empty."
Silence.
"Empty?" asked Dan Heng after spinning the gears in his mind as quickly as possible, trying to make sense of the information.
"Yes, empty, devoid of life. No traces of anyone in there, just silence and an even stranger building somewhere in the distance. I visited it in passing, but I didn't bother too much with it thanks to the warning carved on the entrance."
"What warning?" he asked, something about the exchange bugging him. Lucas somehow sensed Dan Heng's tension, so he stepped in.
"Woah, let's take a moment to breathe, all of us. It sounds odd, but just think about all that's happened until this point, alright? We're in for a strange adventure."
Law's eyes lit up, the mention of the word 'adventure' igniting something inside of him.
"Adventure? I'm in. Let me tag along, please."
Stelle sighed, silently looking to Dan Heng, who shook his head while she nodded. His eyes narrowed, but it was too late.
"Sure, Law. Come on with us. Just tell us what else you've seen around, alright? Meanwhile, we'll keep heading the same way. Maybe we'll find some clues as to what happened in there."
"Sure, let's go. I didn't check for anything; I just bolted through, fearing that maybe bandits have had their fun around."
"A viable reason if you ask me," added Lucas, nodding along. There was something about the man that just struck him as familiar, and yet he couldn't make the tie yet. So, instead of focusing on that, he chose to look forward to their journey.
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