I don't own Harvest Moon or any element within it. I, however, do own any new elements or characters that I introduce to this story. And… that's about it! Without further introduction, here is the prologue to Harvest Moon: River of the Underground.
Harvest Moon: River of the Underground
Prologue
"What are we going to do, Thomas?" asked an elderly, balding man with round glasses. He was short and hunched over, dressed in brown gi with yellow shorts, and smelled heavily of animal dung and sweat.
Thomas, a short, chubby, similarly balding man dressed in a red suit and top hat, took off his hat and rubbed sweat off his brow with a white handkerchief. The spring had only just begun and already the temperature was climbing.
Barley, the first man that had spoken, opened his mouth again, but another man, this one tall, brawny, and rough looking with brown hair and a full beard spoke up. "If Louis dies, will the—"
"No, Gotz," a frail-sounding woman said, cutting him off. This woman was very old and had small spectacles on her nose. She was dressed in a long, old-fashioned dress, and a bonnet covered her hair.
"Ellen is right," Thomas finally said, nodding towards the woman. "We are safe as long as we keep our own side of the bargain. It will not harm us."
"But what about Forget-Me-Not Valley?" asked another man; this man was very tall with broad shoulders, short, brown hair, and beady eyes, dressed in a white muscle shirt. "Is there any guarantee they won't be harmed?"
Thomas sighed and placed his hat back on his head, adjusting it so that it was straight. After doing this, he blew his nose on her handkerchief and placed it slowly back into his pocket. During this time, he never met the eyes of any of the surrounding villagers, nor did any of them try to speed him up in his reply. Finally, after straightening out his bow tie, he looked up.
His eyes were sad and weary.
"If Louis dies, its food supply will run out by the end of spring, if our estimations are correct. Seeing as it will not hurt us, it will eventually go searching for food other than just berries," he said softly.
"Then we should warn them!" said the tall man urgently.
"No!" said Ellen so passionately that her spectacles slid precariously down the bridge of her nose.
"She's right, Zach," Thomas said somberly. "We swore to secrecy, and it isn't our place to tell anyone."
"But what about the villagers there that know about—"
"And what will happen if we tell them?" asked Barley, silencing Gotz. "Will they try to warn the others? Either way, the oath is broken and our children will be in as much danger as those in Forget-Me-Not. We cannot allow that."
Silence fell upon the group and finally, shaking his head, Zach said, "This is wrong. Who are we to decide who lives and dies?" When no one replied, he turned and walked towards the door of his own seaside home. "I need to do my rounds." With that statement, he walked out onto the beach and slammed the door shut with such force that it sounded more like a gunshot than a door.
"We can only pray to the Goddess that Louis survives this," Thomas said before turning. "I believe that there is nothing more to discuss in this meeting."
One by one, the committee filed out of the shack and walked solemnly across the beach. Not one of them bothered to notice the beautiful, warm day or the sounds of the waves crashing up on the sand bar.
