Chapter 40 - Guiding Light

01.09.1642

The Southeast Military Base

17:42

The morning has started a few minutes ago, all the members of the base got back to their work after their rest and it does look as this work they have isn't as stressing as it was before. At the moment though, nothing interesting happens. They do their usual tasks and talk to each other while wandering a bit around the hallways towards their next destination.

From them, even the brothers seem to do the same, just having some relaxing time and talking to each other. And for some reason, the Great Leader looks as if He is ready to leave on His own again.

[RY4N]-*sigh* You sure are something else these days, Ches...

[CHE5TER]-Hmph. I was just saying. Why would you consider it being a reason for me to be strange?

[RY4N]-Oh, come on. It wouldn't make sense to you either if I told you that I'm going to leave another day with a stranger just to "find the truth". Something is pretty suspicious about your behaviour and this trust you give to this outsider alone. Heck, you've trusted him way quicker than you did with most of the members!

[CHE5TER]-I told you, it's not trust alone. I want to find that village as soon as possible and see what's happening. If our ancestors have something to do with that part of land, then someone from that village should be able to answer all of my questions.

[RY4N]-But the kid didn't even hear about our name! How are you so sure that there is someone who might give you the truth?

[CHE5TER]-I-I don't know! I just... feel it.

[RY4N]-Alright, alright... Say, what have you planned with that kid for today? I mean, I know already that you are going to leave the base and let me lead the team.

[CHE5TER]-Just to explore further. But if we are on this subject, may I ask what would YOU do while I'm out? Did you have a possible mission in mind?

[RY4N]-It's not like it is extraordinary or something like that. I was just thinking of assisting Mrs. M4EK0 again. There are still a few parts of the city that we didn't manage to investigate in more details from what I know, so a small mission with her won't be such a bad idea.

[CHE5TER]-Then I guess I will have to prepare the papers of the mission before I leave?

[RY4N]-No, not really. It shouldn't be such a huge problem that I cannot solve alone. I have to learn at some point, right? And just some patrolling shouldn't really cause me a lot of things to note.

[CHE5TER]-So I have to expect the base to be on fire when I come back?

[RY4N]-Oh, you fucker! I've led these people in the past so many times!

[CHE5TER]-*chuckles* Doesn't make you a good Leader, but alright...

[RY4N]-Yeah, yeah...

There is a moment of silence as they laugh a bit, yet then, CHE5TER gets in His serious state again and speaks once more.

[CHE5TER]-Then I... guess this is goodbye, RY4N. We will see each other either late at night or tomorrow morning.

[RY4N]-Do you expect something huge today?

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* Not really, to be completely honest... But I do hope for some progress. If I'm keeping myself busy all the time just with this matter alone, then I might as well retire from the title of "Great Leader" and pass it to the next person.

[RY4N]-And that might be...?

[CHE5TER]-Who knows. I just know that at some point, I will be obligated to choose someone to take my role and bring this land at peace if I can't do it myself. Though I do not see myself adopting any kid in the near future...

[RY4N]-I mean, our father didn't see Himself doing it either, yet He ended up having two sons, didn't He?

[CHE5TER]-Weird way to see it... But I guess you are right. Though even so, I really hope I'm the last LENKOV of this title and that I will manage to end this whole suffering in the future. Because if I can't do it... who says that my descendant will be able to do so? Our father wished to end it too after all, and it seems as I had to continue His dreams... The cycle won't stop until someone manages to do so, but if we keep it for too long, who says we will survive? Problems are getting harder, the M soldiers are progressing in their plans... The new generations won't be able to keep up anymore if we ourselves can't solve them.

[RY4N]-Yeah... In a world where the weak are hunted down, they must survive on their own or die by simply not being able to adapt... I wonder if He ever thought of giving up one day...

He is rather upset to think that maybe even His father couldn't bear all the problems of this city alone, maybe even wanting to give up but couldn't do it because He felt obligated to continue. But there is a small proof that this is not the case, what CHE5TER thinks that He has to find.

[CHE5TER]-...No. If He gave us this hint, then there is something that made Him continue His journey for sure. We are just not aware of that something, but we will find out what it is eventually. And that village is our key to the answer.

[RY4N]-Heh, maybe... I wonder what that is...

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* Me too.

They make a small pause once again, maybe thinking of their fate of ending this whole war. They know after all that this conflict has to be put to an end soon, or else they might as well just give up and die.

[RY4N]-..."For I am a son of M1NERV4 and descendant of the God of War"...

[CHE5TER]-..."I shall bring the hope in everyone's life and the light for the fallen ones."

Then, they look at each other for a last goodbye, even smiling to themselves, even if CHE5TER's smile still seems pretty empty from that void from His eyes, but sincere at the same time, before taking each other's arms to shake hands and giving a simple nod...

[CHE5TER]-...Alright. Then I will see you later.

[RY4N]-See you.

...finally for CHE5TER to take His leave towards the exit of the base and meet up with the outsider. But even so, RY4N remains behind to watch Him from the distance, yet with such a strange joy that never appeared on his face before when seeing his own brother go away. He isn't sad that He leaves far away from him anymore, he just seems happy.

[RY4N]-...Even if you come empty-handed or not manage to do your work as you used to, I'm glad to see that you finally return to your old self, CHE5TER. Even if it will take some more time until that day comes... Thank you for making it happen, Father.

The City of Above

19:02

Minutes later, we seem to be watching the view of the City of Above, being present in one of the tall buildings of this city, and accompanying the outsider in its loneliness. Maybe it wasn't much of what this person did while the ruler was in His city, only watching the views and thinking of its home. It is for whatever reason in such an upsetting mood, while it just continues to do whatever it wants, and even...

[General]-..."For a god's blessing we will fight / And the Light to guide us; / Show the liars who is right / And cover with love our scars."

...recites a poem that it knows. But we don't really know anything about it though, as this isn't the poem present in "Legend of the God of War". This is a complete new thing that we hear, a poetry from its culture, before giving such a sad breath and taking a rest from the view.

[General]-...I wonder where are you, dear siblings. Why is it so hard for me to find you?

It is now simply standing with the back on the view, looking at the floor as it thinks further and further about these sad thoughts. But at some point, it even seems to hear countless voices, screaming for a reason it doesn't understand.

"...Do you s-... -hat star? Fa-..."

...

"...Yes, I see i-..."

...

"...-t shall be your-... Your guiding light."

...

But these are no voices that it doesn't recognise, these are familiar ones, which probably even concerns it more.

[General]-...Why are my memories... so vague? Where is my home, dear gods...?

And even if it stood all day to think about them all, it won't solve the problem. Its home is far away from it, somewhere outside these cities, yet it is trapped here until it finds a way back home.

But in the end, the Great Leader finally appears, seeming even a bit exhausted but also relieved when He finally stops His searching for the outsider.

[CHE5TER]-...General! Where have you been!? I've been searching for you in the entire eastern part of the city! Didn't we agree on meeting up at the same spot yesterday??

[General]-...Oh? Wait, this isn't the spot you were talking about?

[CHE5TER]-Wh... No! We are six streets away from that spot!

[General]-Oh, sorry then. But everything looks the same to me in this city. I really thought that this is the spot.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* I get that point, but if you moved here, then it should mean that you've also wandered around the city in my absence, even though we've agreed on you staying there to rest and not move anywhere! Didn't you tell me that you fear you will get lost in the city?

[General]-I just... walked a bit above the streets to see it on my own! I got bored, you know?

[CHE5TER]-Y...tt... You know what!? Never mind! ...Forget it.

[General]-So, should I expect us to start our journey outside the city now? Did you prepare for today?

[CHE5TER]-Yeah, I did. I brought the map and a few supplies in advance. But if we are on this topic, are you interested in a small change in your appearances?

[General]-What do you mean by that? I'm not changing my clothes just for you to hide me easier. These are representing my culture. My people!

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* That's not what I meant. You will need only a thing on your arm and it should be fine. You won't change anything about your clothes.

[General]-Aha... And what do you want to give me exactly?

[CHE5TER]-Just... give me your hand and you will see.

[General]-Give you my hand...?

[CHE5TER]-Roll up your sleeves and hold out your left arm.

The outsider is a bit confused at first, but it does as He says. It rolls up its sleeves and gives the left hand to the ruler, who looks around His equipment, searching for something. When He finds it, He holds still the boy's hand to fix a device on its arm, a communication one similar to those that Him and His people use. Of course, the outsider seems pretty curious of what this man does to it, but when the Great Leader manages to set the device and activate its attachment mode, it gets rather an uncomfortable looking at it as if it felt the device crawling under its skin. So when CHE5TER is done and lets go of the hand to look if the device is finally fixed, the boy can't help but get a chill down its spine and even try to move its hand slowly, maybe thinking it would take it off.

[CHE5TER]-Alright, that's it. It should be fine for now.

[General]-...What in Heaven did you give me here, Seven? Is it going to eat my hand?

[CHE5TER]-No, it's just a communication device. We will use it from now on to keep in touch with each other and not let what happened today happen again in the future.

[General]-Are you sure it won't cut my arm when I least expect it...?

[CHE5TER]-Oh, for the love of... Yes, I am sure. I set the device to be connected only to mine so that we can talk even from long distances. I don't know if you can use it in a C born way yet since you don't seem to be used to it, but it should be enough even the traditional way. To open it, you will only need to position your hand in a way for the device to understand that you are looking at the screen.

[General]-Aha... And how do I use it again...?

[CHE5TER]-Simply touch the screen on the icons you want to use. It shouldn't be hard since yours is only connected to mine, and other uses don't really exist.

[General]-If you say so...

[CHE5TER]-Now, we should get going. We still need to find a way to your village and ask your people about my ancestors.

[General]-Right... So which way are we going today?

[CHE5TER]-I was thinking of going at the corner of the borders first and see if we can maintain a straight line from there in the outside. Then maybe the east part or south part with the same idea so that we can explore the area easier and cut what we already used.

Yet the boy seems a bit upset when talking about this subject, as it looks at its hand to analyse the device with such a joyless face, before starting to talk again.

[General]-...Seven?

[CHE5TER]-Hm?

[General]-Are you sure you can... find my homeland?

[CHE5TER]-Why are you asking all of a sudden?

[General]-*sigh* I just... feel like I'm lost from my people forever since we struggle to find something that for me was so easy to go back to. I simply don't... understand how I can't remember my own way back home. Have you... ever found yourself completely lost? In a world that you don't recognise?

Yet the ruler gets pretty irritated by that question, as if He tries so hard to avoid this subject each day.

[CHE5TER]-...Yes. One time.

[General]-And how did you find your way back?

[CHE5TER]-I fought until I lost myself.

[General]-What do y--

[CHE5TER]- --Now let's get back to our plans. We don't want to stay all day until the night comes after all. A battle with the demons is the last thing we would wish to happen.

Yet even the outsider can notice the sudden change in His mood, as He simply tends to leave as quick as possible, not even caring if the boy follows Him or not. But as He tries to do so, He notices in the distance some soldiers that seem to investigate an area, so instead of going to follow His plans, He simply decides to go near them and hear the conversation.

As He does so, of course the boy got confused as it followed the man, but instead of talking, it simply stays silent, staring at Him, before finally noticing what He is looking at.

[MSoldier1]-...The investigations are leading nowhere, I told you already! No matter the equipment we use, we cannot see what force could ever cause such a massacre without anybody noticing!

[MSoldier2]-Then I guess the Officers won't be happy to hear the news...

[MSoldier1]-And what do you want to do? You have a better plan? Whoever this person is, we cannot simply catch him like we did with Seven Two! He is way powerful than him! WAY more powerful!

[MSoldier2]-Instead of complaining that we don't have clues on what's happening, why don't you inform all the others Officers from the city about this new enemy? Maybe someone can find him and execute him!

[MSoldier1]-At how easily he vanished without leaving any trace, I doubt that!

Yet when hearing these words, even CHE5TER was surprised on how scared the soldiers are about this new "enemy". But when looking at the boy itself, with such a perplexed face, it rather turns into one of embarrassment, but also fear, seeing the boy trying to avoid eye contact with Him since it knows damn well the conversation is about itself. But the embarrassment rather comes that such a child could have even more power than the ruler Himself, and the fear explains itself.

[CHE5TER]-...What did you do to scare them all in such a short period of time?

[General]-I-I didn't really do anything, really! I just helped some kids!

[CHE5TER]-And what are they talking about when they say "such massacre"?

[General]-W-Well, I kind of... killed a few soldiers to help them escape...?

But His face rather turns into disappointment in a second when He hears that sentence.

[CHE5TER]-...And what did I say about staying hidden, god dammit?

[General]-Well, I tried! I really did! I-I just couldn't leave the kids to die!

[CHE5TER]-Oh, gods... Okay, let's leave it for another day and just go before any of them notices us.

And so, the boy goes to climb up a building nearby to look in the horizon and wait for the ruler's order, but CHE5TER remains a bit puzzled, watching the soldiers for just a few moments more.

[CHE5TER]-...You sure are a mystery, stranger. Who exactly are you that made the gods give you such gifts?