Suta POV

Before Suta realized it, several days had passed by.

And by the mid-morning, a curious glint had settled in his youthful gaze. He spent most of the day observing the rural landscapes delicately fading away past their moving carriage. Here he finally encountered the faces of people, most of which were tilling the land or cultivating a large spread of farmlands. Gently this particular rural ambiance faded in place of what he could vaguely consider, a slightly more urbanized environment.

Tall man-made walls appeared more frequently, wrapped around clusters of purposely built brick-layered houses. The previously flat grassy earth had turned into uneven hard soils, with a few slender blue streams winding beneath these sparse hills filled with purposely built stone towers.

Suta kept his eager eyes out the window, observing rows of settlements passing them by. Almost immediately he felt more memory shards surfacing.

"There is a very old style to this place, it's giving off a homely and somewhat countryside feeling to it. I guess we're heading towards the outskirts.' He deduced this was probably the case

Soon enough the convoy of carriages smoothly rolled through a wide, arch-shaped entrance. Suta propped his head halfway out of the opened carriage window and happened to catch a glimpse of a large signboard adorned with strange lettering.

He gawked at the signboard displaying the name of this town, but he couldn't for the life of him make any sense from the strange symbols. Then, something curious happened: before his very eyes, the strange words seemed to unjumble themselves after a while. And suddenly, Suta could bizarrely understand the strange letters.

"H-h-hobble...ton?" He mouthed slowly,

'Why does that sound somewhat familiar...' He was just about to question that frightening realization about what had just happened with those jumbled words suddenly becoming clear. Almost on cue, Suta heard a voice from the front of the carriage announcing their entry into the approaching town.

"HOBBLETON! THOSE OF YOU DISEMBARKING BE QUICK ABOUT IT! NEXT STOP...THE GAELID FARMS!"

Amidst his swirling thoughts, Suta locked eyes with a pretty blue jay adorned with fluffy a silver belly, perched on the edge of the slightly swinging signpost. Its beady dark eyes beheld him with a strange wonder for a short while before it slightly tilted its helm to one side.

While he stared dreamily at the bird in his concentrated state, he could feel the shroud of mysterious haze slowly dispersing away.

'W-wait...that's because...y-yes I can remember, I live on that farm...with Gr-granny and...and...someone else but why can't I remember her name?'

"Oi kid! Snap out of it! "

He jolted upright after hearing his name being called so harshly. The burlier fellow had one of his brows arched while he looked him over a few times.

"You ain't half bad kid, but you're a little weird if you ask me!"

Suta smiled awkwardly in response to that.

'Given the current circumstances, can't say he's completely wrong with that statement'

"Nonetheless, this is where our journey together ends kid, if you ever find yourself back in Hobbleton, keep going west until you meet the next town. Look for the Chairs and Staple Inn ! Buahaha if you're old enough I'll even buy you a drink, and if you're not hahaha who gives a damn"

He gently patted Suta against his shoulder this time, although gently was putting it mildly since it felt like a bear was slamming its paws against his back repeatedly. In response he could only crease an awkward smile, watching the rough-talking fellow making his way out of the carriage.

Shortly following behind him was the handsome fellow, the one who taught him briefly about Arcane and overall was a lot friendlier compared to the rough-looking brute beside him.

Suta couldn't hide the disappointment in seeing this fellow leaving, he had quite a host of questions to ask him and was probably forever grateful he had explained so much about the basics of Arcane to him without needing so much as a push.

"As the lout said earlier, it's time for our farewell young hopeful. May your fortunes be graced with adventures and song, and of course, may we one day meet again at perhaps more favorable circumstances." He performed a slight bow, that somehow made Suta half perform the same as well, a little awkwardly of course

"Oh right! Before I forget, here this is for you. "

Suta watched with growing anticipation in his eyes, watching the fellow slide one of the Sapphire studded rings away from his fingers. He wore a charming smile before he gracefully placed it on the palm of his hand. The boy felt his heart beating rapidly from excitement. He wanted to say something but felt his voice catching in his throat.

"Haha- don't look too surprised now kid, I'm merely carrying out one of the essential mantras of those of us who follow the true way of the Celestial Will .

At any given opportunity, an Arcanist must spread the art in its truest form, especially to the future hopefuls of tomorrow." He sang this with an air of pride in his words

"And despite your low Rank, I must admit I am fond of your eagerness to learn. So I hope this ring brings you a step closer into the world of Arcane. And if not...well, you can sell it for a fair bit of Sails right...fair well now kid, may the stars forever be in your favor."

And with that, Suta bade fair well to the second person. Now it was just both he and the mute elder fellow, who he noticed was also steadying to disembark. Between the three fellows, Suta was intrigued the most about the old man considering the slightly harrowing things he saw written on his Adventurer card.

Not forgetting, there was that obvious issue with the man not having said a single word since they embarked on this journey.

'Maybe he can't talk. Or maybe there's something else wrong with him entirely. Could it be a spell cast on him? But what a strange thing to do, to remove someone's voice.

What good could that possibly do.'

Whilst Suta thought a little bit deeper on the possible and rather ludicrous plights of the elderly mute, the elder himself was already halfway out the carriage when Suta noticed him turning around to say his goodbyes.

"Ah-er...G-goodbye then" He sounded awkwardly gently waving his hand. Carefully watching the elder's movements, he noticed a slightly hesitant look against the elderly fellow's demeanor. Observing him, the silent elder started fishing into the deep pockets of his large beige robes.

He continued this for what felt like an age until a look of triumph flashed across his wrinkled features. The elder pulled out a peculiar-looking pouch away from his pockets. Suta barely had any time to react before the elder tossed the tiny-sized dark pouch onto his lap. He creased a jovial grin and waved him goodbye in response, seconds later he closed the carriage door and was gone.

'What a strange old man, but he doesn't seem so scary. Anyhow, what's the deal with this thing?'

Suta pinched the top of the closed pouch whilst he dangled it just before his questioning gaze. He held many questions and was about to pry it open when he suddenly heard the hallowing voice erupting from the carriage driver.

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"LAST STOP, GAELID FARM!"

The carriage was on the move again.

***

After the convoys disembarked at Hobbleton, two of the 5 carriages continued their journey to these supposed farmlands dwelling towards the fading horizon in the distance. Somewhere along the journey, Suta felt his heavy eyelids close and the sweet peaceful feeling of sleep beckoning him into the sea of darkness.

Sometime later the carriage came to a grinding halt at the edge of an uneven dirt road. As Suta stepped out, he noticed that the ground beneath his feet felt oddly compacted, a stark contrast to the softness he had expected to feel looking at the soil beneath his feet.

Barring that, he felt the immediate onslaught of heat bearing down against him from above. He was compelled to shield his gaze from the relentless sun. This experience made him even more certain that the carriage's interior must have been enchanted with some form of cooling magic. This realization spurred his thoughts, reminding him of what the thin-faced individual had mentioned about the current world being founded on Arcane principles.

'This probably won't be the last time I encounter arcane being used in such a way. I should hurry myself with understanding how it works, there's no telling when these gentle days might suddenly change.'

After casting a final glance at the sturdy steeds behind him, he gave the horses a gentle wave. And shifted his gaze towards the sprawling landscape ahead of him.

A soft gasp escaped from his lips once he finally beheld the picturesque scene ahead of him, a sight that instantly stole away all his previous thoughts.

He beheld a golden splendor of rolling hills that spanned across a vast region. Tall stalks of golden wheat swayed gently in the warm breeze, with the landscape bathed in a warm, golden hue. Nestled among these hills, his eyes caught sight of a quaint cottage, its red and white tiles gleaming beneath the enriching sunlight. A sudden wave of familiarity washed over him, bringing an unexpected sense of relief to his previously quite unsteady mind.

As he stared out at the vast expanse, a thought, one of almost certainty, whispered through his mind.

'Could this be...my home?' Suta thought to himself. With all the strange occurrences, the faces he had met thus far, and the very real feeling that he had somehow transmigrated here from another world. Suta hadn't felt as confident about this as he had done with any of the shattering fragments of memories returning to him.

By a strange twist of fate, his attention was drawn to the ground, where a glimmering blue substance caught his eye. Nestled beside his worn boots was a glowing bluish slime. With a nudge of his foot, he kicked away some of the matted dirt to get a better look at it.

"What is this?" perplexed by the sight, Suta drew a little closer to inspect the glowing blue substance a little more. The substance, thick and vibrant, seemed to pulse with life, trailing a distinct line across the earth as if wary of crossing an unseen boundary. Driven by curiosity, Suta bent down to follow the trail, determined to find its end or its start.

He placed one foot over the line with a cautious step, and a sudden crackling sound filled the air around him, an echo likened to the sounds of ice breaking filled his entire thoughts with overlapping distortion Panic surged through Suta as he scanned the clear sky above for answers, finding none, he was left to the harrowing feeling of darkness swiftly invading his mind.

Suta lost his balance and very quickly fell to the ground, losing his conscience almost instantly.

'Mortal, I know you can hear me...

"..."

In the end, the voices of my kin continued to haunt me, even in the deepest hollows of my heavenly, enriched slumber.

Dear Mother,

Why were you so repulsed by the sight of my grace,

That even my uncles reveled in the spectacle of golden shackles being fastened to my limbs?

My powers were stripped from my very bones,

You allowed them to maul me, cage me, and seal me within a chaotic embrace.

Was I destined never to know the breath of true love?

Was there never any love for me, or was it all just fear, misguided by a capricious will?

Was I...

Merely destined to become this...this tyranny?'

An emerald flame crackled into life, followed by a swirling orb of spontaneous, pulsating fires. Soon, a second, third, fourth, and fifth joined, continuing until a line of adjacent, dancing flames formed down a narrow aisle. The air was cloaked in foggy darkness, with only the faint, smoky shadows of a throne visible in the night. Suta's breathing became labored with a sense of impending danger slowly engulfing him whole. He positioned himself on the aisle where the emerald flames flickered.

He reached desperately toward the throne but caught nothing but the thick smoke surrounding it. Fear began to swell within him—the fear of losing what he had once lost and regained, the fear of forgetting what mattered most. The sound of shattering glass echoed in his ears once more with a resounding crash that sent a painful pulse through his mind

Suta blinked a few times and was sure he could now see a figure seated on the overbearing throne, golden chains crackled softly. He saw a pure jade pair of feet, with slim ankles bound in chains. The feet moved slightly and then a voice broke free through the frigid darkness.

"I should thank you,

For without you,

None of this would be possible.

But In the end, mortal one,

You will question why they all turned against you...

And it is then when you will seek me...and we shall meet again.

For now...you should find those hearts...find the hearts of my Dra-'

An unnatural warmth enveloped him, his body could feel the outdoor world invading his senses again.

Instinctively, his heavy eyelids fluttered open, allowing a flood of memories to pour into his vacant mind, fragmented like shards of ice falling from the stars collapsed on top of him. The essence of Shoba's 'self' returned as if he had just emerged from a long-winded nightmare.

"Huh?" His dry mouth barely moved. His head felt both sore and heavy, and his gaze, uncertain whether it was fixed on the sea or the most beautiful blue sky he had ever seen, 'My head...it feels so heavy...so terribly heavy.

He soon realized why he felt this way.

Lying on prickly blades of grass under a cloudless azure sky, the golden sun was hidden, yet the air remained oppressively hot. Strangely so, since the last memory Shoba recalled was that cold palace, and the anguishing sensation of his...death?

Shoba sat up abruptly, gasping in fright whilst those dark memories of the last day merged with vivid recollections of his life back in his own world ran amok throughout his mind. The catastrophe he witnessed, the loss of his family, and the encounter with the enigmatic being wearing a fishbowl as his head. A sudden, intense pain throbbed at the side of his skull as a wave of sinking anxiety threatened to seize his sanity.

"WAHHHHHH!?" A terrible wail cried forth

Shoba clutched his head in agony, his teeth clenched tightly together in an attempt to alleviate the pain. But the memories were too heavy, too much sorrow to bear all at once, and those fragments continued bombarding his mind just like a waterfall being forced into the mouth of a narrow cave.

"M-mother... Fa-father... Ringo..." He whimpered ponderously, forced to remember what he had believed what one long terrible nightmare.

Shoba cried again, and his wails of anguish pierced the cloudless skies until his throat ached.

He cried and cried, until he could cry no more