Chapter 8

Mina's POV

"The land here is really pretty, wish we could have visit more often." There were many sights to behold, I snapped pictures to look back on after this. I ran up to Sydonna and Ayano and held up my slate in front of us for a picture. And then I took one of Erika without her knowing.

Jasper was gathering fruits and vegetables for our breaks, after the picture Sy and Ayano were talking about swimming and diving competitions, Tindu and Amane were fiddling with their slates, might be adding a new function.

"The countryside is huge, it's been half a day and I haven't seen much of technology or that many houses," Said Jasper. 'It is barren, maybe this is what the countryside is like.' I thought, we're so use to so much that this is something new.

"It'll be an extra two days before we get there, it'll be faster if we had some form of transportation. But they stopped coming this way because of those strange creatures roaming around." Erika explained still walking ahead.

"But we haven't seen anything for miles," I replied. I walked up next to her and she pulled out her map, "The capital is through this path here and we're here, once we get to this intersection tomorrow, we'll run into them." She put the map back into her pack, "It's a pain, but the plan is to try to avoid them or at least try. There too many loses since their arrival and I don't want to be the next candidate for their killstreak."

'That got dark.' We continued our way, I decided to help Jasper gather resources, the sun was starting to set and we would have to make camp soon. The land was eye catching during the sun's setting. The oranges and pinks created a wonderful effect on the ground and trees and it made everything so peaceful that I forgot the world was in danger.

Erika lead us to a clearing in the woods near a pond. Ayano pitched up little coverings to sleep under using the sticks we found and some sheets and as a finish placed blankets underneath. Amane created the fire and started setting up the kitchen ware for cooking. Sy went to get water for cooking and drinking, Erika was preparing the ingredients for our dinner with Jasper and giving instructions on what to do, Tindu and I just sat there watching everything. There wasn't really much to do and I couldn't stop looking at the sky, there was such a big difference between a city full of lights and the country where the only lights were the stars and moon.

"We should come back when everything is finished, but with our families. Dad would love to be back out in the wild." I caught Tindu turn his head to me in the corner of my eye, he was smiling so I knew he agreed with me.

"Everything happened so fast, I always wished for us to go on adventures to help people and now that it's happening. I'm a little scared." Tindu was fiddling with his slate again when speaking.

"Same here," I turned around to Sy sitting next to me on the log, "I'm really worried about our families, I just hope that there wasn't damage caused by the attack or those pillars. I…I." She was stuttering to speak and when I got a better look from the fire there were tears forming in her eyes. "You're thinking about your mother?" I asked her, I knew there was more.

"Yeah, I mean when that guy had her. I didn't know what to do, I was panicking and screaming on the inside of what could have happened and us surrendering feels like it didn't help anything. And my father," the tears were dripping down her cheek, even Jasper, Amane, Erika and Ayano stopped doing their jobs.

"We fought a lot the last few years, since I told him what I wanted to do. I knew why he didn't want that and knew why he stopped doing it, I wished for an adventure, but with the way everything is going…. I don't know anymore." She sniffled trying to regain some composure, "It's alright, everything will be fine," I tried to reassure her, but she shook her head, "We… we can't guarantee that Mina…. I was such a brat to him and now we put them all in danger. What if…. What if…. We go back and they're dead?!" She placed her head on my shoulder and let the tears fall, I felt myself getting ready to cry. It wasn't a healthy thought, but she was right and it hurts.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, "Please d… don't say that. When we get back everyone is going to be fine a…*hick* we're going to end this." I felt a body lean against my back and it was Tindu, eyes watering and face wet with tears, Jasper and Amane did the same.

Jasper's POV

I think what happened was well needed. We were all bottling up our worries and the best way to get through it was to be there. And Sydonna spoke up for all of us, what we were getting ready for was going to be dangerous. Erika and I finished up dinner, I haven't cooked much when it was just us, usually Amane was the chef. After all this I have to see about getting a special place in the palace kitchen or his own shop.

We all washed our dishes in the pond and since we had a long way to go we turned in early.

Sleeping was a lot harder though, the adrenaline was different than usual. I turned on my side hoping to this would be comfortable to sleep, across the way by the pond Sydonna was sitting along its edge.

I got up from my spot and walked over to her. "Couldn't sleep," I asked. "No, not really. What about you?"

I took my shoes off and sat right next to her putting my feet in the water. "Same, I have this insane adrenaline rush."

"And you can't get rid of it, because of what we're doing?"

"You read me like a book. About earlier."

"I'm sorry to break down like that, it was really embarrassing."

"N… no it's not that. It was something that would have been brought up anyway. You said what everyone was thinking and you're worried about your parents just like we all are."

"I'm happy if it helped you guys."

"How long you think it'll take for us to get back, it's taking us forever to even to the capital. I hope once we free the country we can find a way to get to Afrin and get some form of travel instead of walking."

"That's true, especially if that Torn guy is on his way back, hopefully takes him longer to get back then when we all left. It'll give us time to get everything ready to fight back."

She leaned against me and placed her head on my shoulder, "I also want this time for all of us to get closer. We're going to need each other and any type of conflict that breaks us will not help. And maybe… hopefully…. Nevermind." She got up from her spot, "I'm going to head to sleep, might be a good idea for me to sleep in the water for right now. You should head on to sleep as well."

As she said that she jumped in the pond, 'I wonder what she was going to say, maybe it wasn't that important.' I headed back to my sack, closed my eyes and dozed off.

Third Person

Just at the crack of dawn, our heroes were packing up all their gear to continue the track to the capital.

"It's really tiring carrying all this stuff plus our instruments. If only we made something to carry and drag." Said Jasper.

"Maybe we kind find something at the capital, but for now we have to deal with it," Mina replied and Jasper pouted.

Erika was further ahead looking out for any threats along the way. In the distance there was a small line of smoke, "Take a look, you think that's a village or a camper," Asked Amane.

"Haven't been this far, I only been told by the village soldiers about this area and to stay away. There shouldn't be anyone." Replied Erika.

The group walked on until they got to the location where the smoke was coming from. They all gasped at the sight, as Mina was the first to speak, "Oh my goddesses."

It was a small village, what used to be houses and shops have been burned to the ground, from the state of there still being smoke and some embers the destruction was recent and has taken a while for the place to become nothing but rubble.

"Erika how long ago, did the soldiers come through this way," asked Jasper. "Maybe a few days before you all got here, the land is pretty big so they didn't get this close to Kawa Village until recently. I actually don't think they know there's a village that far out."

"That's a good thing, because you guys wouldn't have the means to fight against them." Said Tindu.

Mina and Sydonna walked ahead of the group to inspect the village in hopes there might be evidence on where the enemy went.

"Anything will help, I don't think we're ready to face off against them, especially in our state." Said Mina.

"Yeah, I mean look at Jasper, he has to carry a violin case and his sledge hammer, I wonder how Amane was able to carry all our weapons onto that ship." Replied Sydonna.

"He's a pretty strong kid, it's not much of a surprise. If we had our firearms we would have a better chance against these things."

"I forgot those were left back home, I miss my shotty. Amane worked so hard on the customizations."

Jasper walked further along and expected what looked like a house, the sight was too much for him and he ran to some bushes heaving, the others ran up behind him asking what was wrong. He pointed to the house and they went to look. Sitting in the middle of the rubble of what used to look like a sitting room laid three charred bodies, two adults and a child, next to the child was a small doll burned and unrecognizable.

"Oh my goddesses," Mina covered her mouth and tears began to stream down her cheeks. All of them had the same expressions on their faces, they were worrying about their own kingdom and the state it can possibly be in.

"Y… you guys, we have to hurry and get home." Said Amane. He headed out the other end of the village wanting leave it behind. The others did the same and moved as quickly as possible, it was sight that would burn in their minds for a long time.