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Chapter 3: A new lifestyle

A new lifestyle

The hunters gathered around them slowly until someone from beyond the group shouted something.

"Stop! They're not enemies."

A man also wearing primal clothes, however with green markings on his face and brown hair stepped forward as everyone stepped out of the way.

"You are Gando and Isaac. Correct?"

"How do you know our names?" Gando asked.

"Come with us. The elder of our village predicted your arrival."

Gando looked down at Isaac who was still teary eyed from the truth of what happened to his mother. It looked as though he could care less about the situation. Gando tapped Isaac's shoulder, who suddenly snapped back.

"They want us to go to their village. Let's go, we'll probably find food and shelter."

Isaac nodded his head robotically and followed the hunters along with Gando.

A few moments later:

"Here we are." The hunter leader said.

Gando followed on while Isaac was astonished. A giant waterfall behind the village was the first thing he saw but also noticed the straw and hardened mud houses. He could see children running around carefree, stalls and shops open, mothers putting up the washing and hunters returning to their homes. Near the waterfall, there was a giant mud house, it looked to be where the elder lived.

"Come on Isaac don't fall behind." Gando said.

Isaac quickly jogged forward feeling much more comfortable after seeing such a wonderful environment which mildly reminded him of home.

Gando and Isaac continued to follow the hunters leader while people on the street gawked at them. Eventually, they reached the giant mud house at the end of the village. The hunters leader knocked on the door and spoke.

"Elder. I have brought the ones from your premonition. They have arrived just like you said."

The door opened from the inside, revealing a room with candles lit and an old woman sitting on a chair placed at the foot of her bed. The one who opened the door was a beautiful dark skinned woman with fair silver hair. Isaac immediately took notice of her after looking at the candles and village elder. He felt his heart skip a beat, his cheeks flush a little but immediately looked back at the village elder.

"Come...sit." She said slowly.

Gando and Isaac walked over and sat on the large pillows placed on the floor in front of the elder.

"It seems you two narrowly escaped death by the hands of General Archibald. One of the most notorious Government officials. I'll take any questions you may have." The old woman said in a soft tone.

"Yes ma'am we did. But I do have a question, why did you have a premonition about us?" Gando asked respectfully.

"Please call me Tabith." She said while ushering for the silver haired woman to come over. Tabith took a piece of paper from her hands and handed it to Gando.

Gando looked at the paper seriously and then over to Isaac who was just looking around the room in awe of all the little items, candles, books and papers.

"My premonition mostly revolves around Isaac here. However, it will come to play in the coming years."

Gando looked at Tabith suspiciously but the silver haired woman spoke up.

"The elder's premonitions have never been wrong ever since she gained this power six decades ago."

Tabith put a hand up to the silver haired woman as a way to stop her talking.

"It's alright Anya. It's up to them decide if I am telling the truth."

Gando hands the paper to Isaac who looks at it in shock. He immediately slumps back shaking.

"No way..." He stutters.

The paper lands upwards, everyone looking down at it and reading the words on it.

> Wanted alive

>

> Isaac

>

> 500,000 silva reward

Isaac focussed on the photo of him crying for a second, frowned and then spoke.

"I'm worth five hundred THOUSAND!" He screamed while shaking. His eyesight slowly began to fade to black as he became light headed and weak. Soon, he was knocked unconscious on the floor.

"I knew he wouldn't take it well.." Gando said bashfully.

"You're not in the clear yourself Gando. Seems like they've added to yours." Tabith said, handing Gando another piece of paper.

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Gando looked down at the paper and scoffed.

Capital city Yoranda: Fasho Continent

"By order of the Fasho royal family, Helga Green is to be sentenced to death by beheading for her crimes consisting of; birthing the child of a notorious criminal, feeding the criminal and housing the criminal for multiple years. Any last words?" The executioner said while holding papers.

The crowd below murmured and talked. Some cheered for the Fasho Government and their absolute justice to stomp out disorder.

A little girl pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She had brown gleaming hair, wore a white and red polka dot dress and was holding on to a toy dinosaur. She looked up at the execution stand in awe. All her life, she was told about the absolute justice that the Fasho Government upheld in the continent. She looked up to the soldiers like idols, the captains like heroes and generals like legends.

Helga stumbled to her feet, the chains on her rattling loudly. She opened her mouth and uttered her final words.

The crowd was speechless.

"Are you serious?"

"Do we even know who she's talking about?"

"This woman dares to ask us for such a request? After what she did!?" someone said angrily.

"She put all those people on Shinoa in danger. We have no obligation!"

The executioner sat her back down and then raised a hand to silence the crowd. Helga just stared at the ground, shaking with tears rolling down her face. She said what she wanted and was now going to die.

The axe went down hard and fast, the crowd looking up seeing her head roll.

Soon, the crowd scattered and the executioners made their way to the castle grounds, Helga's head in brown pouch and her body covered and taken away in white cloth by others.

The little girl in the dress still looked up at the execution stand and the giant white castle beyond in awe.

"Absolute justice.." She muttered as her eyes sparkled.

"Naomi! This is where you were. Your father is horribly mad that you went off to see the execution at your age. What were you thinking?" Her furious mother walked over. She also had brown hair and dark brown eyes.

She took her daughters arm and dragged her away from the plaza as Naomi still looked back at Helga's death location.

Inside Fasho Castle:

"Let them in."

The throne room doors opened as the executioners walked towards the throne, stopped a few meters away and crouched down in respect.

"Sire. The deed is done, Helga Green is no more, but her son is nowhere to be found." One of the executioners said.

"No matter. He is probably dead at sea anyway. However, we should be worried of how the father will respond. Send General Faarn to Shinoa to find any remaining survivors." He said to a servant.

"Yes Sire." She answered, leaving the room soon after.

"You two are dismissed too. I want to be left alone."

The two executioners stood quickly and left the throne room, closing the doors behind them and leaving the King alone.

"The Green family huh." The King said, placing his balled fist on the side of his chin while leaning his elbow on the throne's arm rest.

Hunters island: Isaac and Gando

Isaac grunted, feeling the softness on his back and a cold towel on his forehead. The sun shone through the window, the sounds of children playing and people talking echoing from outside. He looked to his left and children, much younger than him, all with their noses dripping were staring into his soul. He looked up and saw Gando in a chair, also to his left reading a book.

"You're up. Finally."

"Yeah. Is this a spare room they gave us?"

"Mhm."

Isaac sat up, the towel falling from his forehead and the children immediately running out of the room laughing. He rubbed his eyes and had a sudden epiphany, remembering his missing mother, the bounty on his head and the destruction of his old life. Tears began to form in his eyes and he began bawling.

"Again?" Gando looked at him concerned. "I guess he is still just a kid."

"Stand up Isaac. Let's have a chat in the jungle. I think it's time I told you everything."

Isaac looked up, rubbing his eyes and looking at Gando concerned.

They made their way to the jungle and began their discussion.

"Clearly you're just way too young for all this. You've lost your home, mother, connections with your father."

Isaac remained quiet while trudging behind.

"Maybe there is hope for you. I'm sure you want to find her, your mother..."

"Of course I do." Isaac cut in, now intrigued.

Gando went over to a large rock and sat down on it.

"First off, let's talk about the bounty on your head. You'll be chased and hunted in this continent since the Government here issued it. For now, you're lucky its not a worldwide bounty or else all four continents would be after you."

Isaac nervously sat down on the floor after hearing how lucky he was to an extent.

"You've been living in a bubble your whole life Kid. The world isn't going to be all puppies and rainbows for you now. Do you understand?"

Isaac looked at the floor. If he wanted to find his mother, learn where his father disappeared to, he would have to work hard to get to the level of power his enemies were at. He looked back and remembered the speed the general had to grab Helga in the blink of an eye.

"I have many more matters to talk with you about. Lets start with your father and how I'm connected to him."

"My dad..?" Isaac asked.

"That's right. We used to be in the Fasho Army together, from this Continent. He would push me to get stronger, and I'm sure it was the same both ways. One day, we were sent on a mission, on this mission we saw the corruption of the Government and their true nature. He left the army soon afterwards, branded a deserter, a bounty was placed on his head. The same going for me. He became a pirate, a criminal and something even worse, a man who abandoned his own family for his dream. It's up to you if you want to find him, but I think he lost his true way." Gando said all this while picking the hair from his forearms.

Isaac looked at the ground awkwardly and in confusion while thinking. "Is this guy really telling the truth? My dad..."

"I mean, it is up to you if you want to believe me, but the only reason I came to Shinoa was because I was sent to warn your mother about the incoming threat. The one who sent me was your Dad. We both went separate ways after the mission incident but he sent me a letter to protect you both. I just didn't expect a General to show up. The fact that you landed a hit on him is phenomenal enough but it does put you in a tight spot."

Isaac looked up at Gando and then back down at the floor, his lip trembling.

"What does he want me to do? I want to find my mom but I want answers from my dad too. Should I just stay here and hide?" Isaac thought, tears forming in his eyes once again.

Gando stood up quickly and walked to Isaac.

"I think you want to find your mom first. I know its hard for you to decide at such a young age, but I'm offering you the easiest option besides hiding forever. Don't forget all she's done for you. I'm surprised she was able to protect you from the horrors of this world so well, knowing who your father is and all."

Isaac wiped his eyes.

"You're right. I want to find my mom first. I can't just sit here and hide if she's become a prisoner to the people who ruined our life. I can't just.."

Gando put a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "I have to lay low for a while now anyway. I'll help you get strong enough to fight for your mom, and then move on with my journey as well. My guess is that she's a prisoner to the Government right now since she hasn't done any crime worth death. Deal?" Gando smiled.

Isaac smiled back, more determined than ever to find his missing mother. She protected and helped him for as long as he could remember. This would be him returning the favour.

Isaac stood back up and walked back to the village with Gando, knowing that he would need to get even more stronger than ever.

"Tomorrow we'll start with martial arts basics and move on from there. You ready?"

"YES!" Isaac exclaimed.