Chapter One
First Steps
Gareth decided to take the safer path down the mountainside when escorting the strange man back to his village. After all, he wasn't entirely sure that this man had made a full recovery, and being unbalanced when climbing a mountain was tantamount to suicide if one wasn't particularly careful in where they stepped. Thus, he took the longer route on a winding dirt path that snaked through the cliffs to where it split off in two different paths which wound down to the village below.
The man had did his best to brush the clay out from his hair and succeeded relatively well, leaving only a faint reddish tint in his hair if one were to look quite closely.
During the descent he would sneak glances at the man who had up to this moment followed silently while scanning his surroundings for any and everything he could, as if he were expecting danger to pop out at any turn. Had he had such a catastrophic emergency that he still was on edge and jumpy despite having walked for almost ten minutes with no ambush or assault?
The boy stopped at the crossroads of the path that had branched in front of him. Two roads diverged from the singular path they had been treading down. The right sided road twisting off into a deep forest of blue pines and large rocky boulders that refused to give way to the trees in as defiant a manner as stones could show by just existing. The path seemed to curve upward towards a large roaring waterfall a good mile or more away then travel down the river to the town much further downstream.
The rocky mountains had largely gave way to lush grass and small boulders, with several variants of bushes that reached up to heights taller than the young boy. A Jack-Rabbit hopped towards the road, giving the passersby a quick once over with it's large black eyes before getting distracted by something in the distance and hopping off with very little care as to the two people on the road.
The boy who had stood still for a moment turned to the man and said in a voice that seemed much more relaxed than previously up the mountain as he pointed down each road, "The path to the left is shorter but very rocky, and the right is long but much safer".
The man didn't take very long to come to a conclusion, and he said "The left is good" and began down the leftmost path causing the boy to break into a spirited jog to catch up to the man who had taken off at an almost inhuman pace. It seemed that the man's patience wasn't unlimited and he very much wanted to arrive at the village sooner than later.
With the path chosen, the boy followed the silent man as he easily trekked down the rocky dirt path that dipped down into a deep ravine in which it skirted a small bubbling brook. The trees were sparse here, giving way to smaller bushes that clung to the ground like grasping claws. The leaves and little round berries on the bushes were fresh, being green and red respectively.
There were even blueberry bushes that were occasionally visited by large insects that would buzz and hum with their speedy wings and brilliant carapaces that shone with dozens of colors in the mid day sun. All in all, they gave off the look of a scene fresh out of some novel, landscape painting, or animated movie.
It was at this moment that the young boy's steps went from a jog to half skips. He couldn't help skipping, as he always did such on the way back to the village. It was what all the young children did, and for good reason. Skipping helped him think to the extent it was almost habit to him and he would sometimes even find himself skipping at inopportune times.
After the path curved away from the brook and towards a sloping grassy plain, the two could see the wooden walled village which had several large guard towers along it's expanse.
While there had never been any serious conflicts for the past twenty or so years, there once was a bandit raid on the village in it's founding days, so they built the defenses to a suitable standard in such a way that the town could withstand a modest siege from bandits. However, any proper siege would flatten the town in mere hours. A trebuchet or other such catapult would bypass any and all defenses, and that was to say nothing of Ballistae or a skilled wizard.
Thankfully, no such assaults happened in the history of the village.
Android 17 was beginning to get restless. He had humored the boy, but all this walking was beginning to irritate his feet. The rocks and uneven ground were beginning to poke into his shoes that were not meant for mountain hiking or rough use. He noticed the village in the distance and smiled for the first time since they descended the mountain. The wooden houses with shingled roofs and the small steeple of the local church rose above the wooden walls, giving Android 17 a quick oversight of what to expect in the town. It seemed aside from the steeple there were no buildings taller than two stories in height.
Also, there was a distinct lack of air traffic. Not once had he seen a plane in the sky or even the trails of some long passed plane. No, it seemed that in this mountain there were no planes, trucks, cars, or any such vehicles for that matter.
As they made their way through the grassy plain, the boy sped up and began skipping full stride. His mood had drastically brightened upon approaching the village. Android 17 caught sight of smoke rising from several chimneys in the village, likely from an active fireplace or oven.
The two approached the town quickly and before they arrived, the clatter of horse hooves and the rolling of a carriage's wheels over dirt was heard behind them from another road that rose from further down the mountain. The carriage, which was a large box model that extended long enough to fit a very long couch in both length and width was drawn by four white horses that all bore cloth coats of blue with golden edges. The carriage itself was painted blue and had a golden house emblem consisting of a shield crossed with two intersecting spears. The flag of the house rose from the front and rustled gently in the mountain breeze.
Android 17 didn't have any idea what that symbolized, but the young boy quickly knelt down as the carriage passed by them on it's way to the town. The coachman at the front of the carriage gave a disinterested glance at the two, fixing his top hat with one hand as he held the reigns in the other. Not that he needed them, for the horses were splendidly trained and wouldn't spook or startle easily.
The boy rose only after the carriage was long gone and looked incredulously at Android 17.
"Mister, that was the carriage of His Grace Duke Joseph Platini. Why did you not kneel?" the boy asked, shocked at the man's brazen disregard for the etiquette everyone in the land should know by their sixth birthday.
Android 17 just shook his head.
"I don't kneel to anyone, kid" He said, and a dark look flashed across his face, as if remembering some horrible experience that was still fresh in his mind.
The boy, stunned momentarily just stood there gaping fish mouthed at the man's gall and impressive bravery. It was obvious that the man wasn't a Noble, or even a Vassal of a Noble. He was something else entirely. From his strange clothes to his reserved but bold demeanor, the man was an enigma.
Recovering from the shock, the boy gulped and tried to warn him of possible problems that could arise from ignoring the customs of the land.
"Don't let the His Grace the Duke catch you badmouthing him. Who knows what would happen then" the boy warned, but Android 17 didn't have much else to say on the matter other than an amused "He can try if he wants to do anything".
It wasn't hostility, as he didn't dislike Nobility the Aristocracy. In fact, as a very small child he did enjoy the stories of fantastical worlds full of knights, dragons, kings, and princesses. However, that was removed partly by Dr. Gero in his recalibrating and programming of his brain, leaving it a distant memory of a faded past. It Moreso was his free spirited nature and impressive power that gave him the confidence to not kneel to anyone. Not after Dr. Gero. Not after Cell. Never again would he be a tool for someone else. He was free now, and he didn't have any plans of taking orders or kneeling to anyone.
Besides, from the quick glimpse into the passing carriage window, Android 17 saw that the passenger was a young woman who looked to be around eighteen or nineteen years old.
She had long flaxen hair that curled ever so slightly at the ends, and a thin face. He couldn't make out much more as the windows were only half visible through the open blue window curtains and shadows covered her face as well. She was likely one of the Duke's Daughters.
Turning back towards the village, Android 17 waved for the boy to follow him.
"C'mon we don't have all day" he motioned, walking closer to the village. A few minutes later the two came across the open gates to the village and the two men standing guard greeted the young boy. It seemed that him coming and going was a common occurrence, and strangers were many over the years so they didn't spare Android 17 much more than a second glance, especially since he was unarmed.
The village itself looked much larger from the inside than when Android 17 saw it from high up in the mountains. The sounds of people talking, chickens clucking, cows mooing, bells ringing, and carriage wheels crushing small stones on the dozens of dirt roads that went about the village was quite rustic, and Android 17 got the strange feeling that he was either somehow in the distant past, or in some strange alternate world.
This was compounded by the distinct lack of any modern technology. There were no electric lamps, cars, phones, or any of the modern necessities of the present. This town felt very much as if it had been pulled from the distant past and plopped into the modern day and age with out compensating for the era difference at all. Also, he saw the signs on the nearby stores, and he couldn't read any of the wooden and metal plaques that presumably told what they were. However, he could see the basics of the buildings, as many of them had stalls in front where they were selling their wares which ranged from smithed goods, furniture, baked pastries, to fruits and vegetables.
Several bystanders gave Android 17 a look over and were intrigued by his unconventional outfit. Two young ladies with brown hair and pale skin in yellow and blue bell dresses and bonnets respectively found themselves captivated by this dashing stranger and whispered to each other hurriedly whilst sneaking glances at the man that had just arrived.
Android 17 could hear the raunchy things the young women said to each other, given his enhanced senses and frowned. Normally he would be flattered, but these girls were a bit too young for his comfort, being barely of the age of fifteen or sixteen.
Gareth spoke up from next to him, snapping him out of his discomfort.
"Would you like me to show you around?" The boy asked, now much more comfortable since he was in town.
"No. I'm good" Android 17 said, waving the boy away.
The boy nodded and addressed him respectfully.
"Well, it was nice meeting you Mister" He said before giving a polite bow and scurrying off down a side street into the throng of busy pedestrians.
Now rid of the boy, Android 17 looked around him. Aside from the men and women in various clothes ranging from hunter clothes of leather and brown cloth to fine dresses, suits, and suit jackets, there were various animals. Dogs that looked akin to tame wolves leisurely strolled throughout the crowd, and occasionally a brown furred long horned Ox would tread up and down the side roads with several bags on its back that looked quite heavy and full of valuable items.
Noticing a man on the porch of what looked to be an open lawned restaurant leaning against the corner wall that was flat instead of a sharp edge in a gray suit that was made of a fine fabric, a monocle, and slicked black hair that was capped by a gray top hat. He seemed to just be observing the people passing by and taking in all the sounds. His face was sharp and had several wrinkles on his forehead that were very visible on his lightly tanned skin.
"Excuse me" Android 17 said as he approached the man, making his presence known.
The man who had watched him approach carefully responded in kind.
"What can I do for you good sir?" he asked tilting his head to the side slightly and giving the android a slight bow.
"I'm new to the area here. Can you tell me where this town is?" Android 17 asked calmly and to the point. He wasn't one for beating around the bush.
The man raised an eyebrow at him, but seeing that Android 17 was quite sincere in his words he answered moments after.
"Our town of Dussel is in the northwest of our Re-Estize Kingdom. Does that help?" The man said, still slightly confused as to why he asked where the village was instead of what the name of the village was. After all Dussel was far out in the mountains and a multi day carriage ride from anywhere near the heart of the Re-Estize Kingdom. That was to say that you couldn't accidentally stumble into it by sheer happenstance.
"That doesn't ring a bell. Thank you" Android 17 said now confident that his hunch earlier about no longer being on Earth was solidifying.
The man thought that he was awfully queer in his questions, but didn't say anything as to not be discourteous. Many queer and odd folks showed up around this time of the year from all over the Kingdom to take the trails and look at the spectacular glaciers and meadows.
Android 17 turned away and looked to the sky. Staying in this village was not a good idea. He would need to find a city of significant size to find information he needed.
He crouched down for a brief moment, getting odd looks from several nearby bystanders. Then, a bright aura of white energy flared around him.
Crack! The sound barrier was instantly shattered as Android 17 extended like a uncompressed spring and flew high in the sky, eliciting some frightened and amazed gasps from the people down below.
Now high in the sky, Android 17 looked down upon the mountains and lands before choosing a direction. South.
Shooting southward with a blazing aura, Android 17 searched for a city of sufficient size from his heavenly altitude.
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