Dawn- An Age Of Darkness

The old man came along with Bonkarin and a two-horse-driven cart: Bonkerin was driving.

The old man had changed clothes and now he was in black and white clothing. They looked kind of like a suit but it was leather armor. It was definitely fancier than mine, no doubt.

"Whoa! Where did you get that?"

"You don't want to know those," he said, showing his crooked teeth. He hid his head with a hat. I didn't like that.

I got up on the cart and Jowy took the reins. He was old enough, so I didn't really mind. But then again I didn't know how to drive a cart either.

Things moved fast and before I knew it, the cart set off.

"Take care ya hear!" Old man Bonkarin shouted.

"You too, old man. " I didn't think he'd show up but I suppose he favored friends over business.

With hearty goodbyes, the journey to Elicanne began. It didn't really feel all that bad to leave this town. I didn't have any attachments here but I did have people I could call friends. And I certainly didn't want disaster to fall on them. After all, wherever I went, things got bad, whether I liked it or not.

I didn't know what was to come and I didn't care about it. But no matter what, I couldn't forget that I had a demon to contempt with. But come to think of it, I never really heard people talk about the guy. I did come across one rumor though. If someone badmouthed the emperor in broad daylight, his lights would be snuffed before the next day. To a guy who bad-mouthed the damn rascal from day one, it was nothing more than just a rumor anyway.

Green lands filled our peripherals. There were various types of plants, mostly grass, but fruit-bearing plants were here too. Large lone wood trees were also placed here and there. The God who made this place must have overused the greens a bit.

There were no traces of monsters. Only wild animals roamed the area. I couldn't spot any goblins nearby either. The breeze and birds up in the sky made an odd combo of sound. It kind of blended with the sound of the horses. I for once had no complaints with the sound.

Maybe this part of the world wasn't rotted like the rest. And that's why I couldn't help but feel like something bad was about to happen again.

"Those look rather delicious."

I looked out from the carriage. "Yeah," I said.

There was grape-like fruit hanging from trees. They were red in color and looked rather delicious: probably poisonous.

Wait, who said that?

I was looking at the outside and suddenly found myself in a predicament. There was a high-pitched uninvited guest amongst us.

"What are you doing here? Jowy stop the cart!" I yelled.

The cart stopped but the situation didn't improve.

"What's wrong?" Brenda said.

"Don't 'what's wrong' me! Can't you see this girl!?"

There was a young girl seated next to us. I never even noticed her.

"I thought she was with you!" the old man said.

Huh!

"What are you talking about? Why would she be with me?" I said. Did I look like a pedophile or something?

They looked at me like I was some sort of pedophile: they really did. My respect for them had drowned a long time ago but what was left now just sank to the deepest depths of hell.

There was one particular reason that justified their thoughts though. It was probably because the girl had bunny ears. And I may or may not have said something about bunnies before. I'd just dug my own grave.

"Umm, excuse me." Her voice was small and delicate. It was the same girl with the fluffy snow-like hair and ears that followed us in the garden: back then I didn't even look at her twice. Did she follow us the whole time? If so, then how? How was it that I didn't notice?

"What are you doing here?" I tried to be as blunt as possible.

"I liked his melody, so I-I thought I'd ask him to make me his d-disciple. And-" She curled her brown hair and didn't look me in the eye.

I wasn't surprised, rather I was thunderstruck! What was the girl saying? She was too young to make that kind of decision.

"I think we should take her back," I said.

The girl couldn't have been more than twelve. She looked back at Jowy who said nothing. Then she looked at me. "I don't have any family in that town. Please, take me with you!"

She revealed her colors. It wasn't because she liked Jowy or anything; rather it was because she was alone. But I didn't trust her. I didn't want to. If anything, she just went to the top of my suspicions list.

"This isn't a charity! And the journey isn't some picnic either!" I was just stating facts. I might have come out a little too hard but the outside world wasn't for kids. And I knew that from firsthand experience.

"I know and I won't ask you to take me for free too." She paused. Afterward, she added, "If-if you want you can have this pendant. Before passing away mother told me to treasure it. Bu-but I'd still give you this, my only precious thing to you…" Tears welled up in her eyes and a few drops overflowed.

Somehow I was made the villain in all that. This girl was good, she knew too much.

"Do-don't cry and please don't say things like that…" I said and then I looked at the old man.

Do something!

"We are heading to Elicaane anyway. As I said, I have a family there. They might be able to give her some work there too. Only if she survives this three-day journey that is…" And the geezer broke into laughter.

Useless.

So in the end, it was decided. I couldn't believe that I was saying stuff like that. "You heard him. You would only be allowed to travel with us for three days." I really didn't want her to come with us, but it was decided for me. "You better take responsibility geezer." I cursed under my breath.

The old man grinned and I knew him for long enough to know what he was thinking. He didn't care even in the least.

"You mean, to travel with you guys more than three days, I'd have to give you more than just my pendant? But I don't have anything else…" Tears welled up again in her eyes and she was about to broke into tears.

My eyes started twitching and I felt the urge to punch something but controlled it. "I'm not a hyena you know. Why would you even assume I'd want your pendant, or something else?" Of course, I was half grinning, half threatening.

This time she ended up crying loudly. After all she was just a little girl.

"Way to go Daarc. Look what you did." Brenda glared at me with blank looks. "There, there sweetie. Don't mind that jerk. This journey is too dangerous. So it would be best for you to get off in Elicaane and stay there." She started to pet her like it was no big deal and they were long-lost sisters or something.

"But-"

"It's settled then," Jowy said and we dashed forward.

Look at him talking like its none of his business.

I glared at Jowy. The cart moved on and eventually the darkness crawled over the world. We took shelter by a tree.. Somehow the region seemed somewhat familiar to me. Was I imagining things?