5:40 p.m. November 23rd, 2000. The higher-ups of a nearby town called Ironwood have grown worried due to Oakney's lack of regular communication. Fearing the worst, Ironwood sends two Warriors to check in with the small village. While scouting ahead of the others, one of the men spots Kye and Kian passed out under the tree.
"Captain Clarke, you won't believe what I found up ahead!"
"What is it, Logan? An enemy?"
*Dean Clarke, a 46-year-old A-Rank Warrior from Ticu who is 6 foot tall. Dean was on a trip to visit a friend in Ironwood when he heard the news of Oakney's sudden loss of communication. Being the only A-Rank Warrior around, he volunteered to check it out in case something bad happened. Dean has a long beard and a bald head as shiny as a mirror.*
*Logan Wyatt, a 22-year-old C-Rank Warrior from Ironwood. He is 6 foot 1, has short red hair, and a scar on his left cheek. Being great at sensory, Logan travels ahead of the main squad.*
"No sir, I've found two young boys up ahead." says Logan. "They look to be in terrible shape."
"Hmm, what could two boys be doing out here?" Dean strokes his beard, "Lead me to them, quickly."
"This way, sir!" Logan leads Dean to the twins and checks each of their pulse. "Well, they're alive at least. What should we do, Captain?"
"First, we should wake them up and question them. They may be from Oakney, and if that's true, it confirms that something did indeed happen to their village." Dean explains, "We'll decide what to do based on their answers."
Logan gently shakes the twins, but only Kye wakes up. "C'mon now, you two, wake up already! This is no place for a nap."
"What is it, Kian?" Kye rubs his eyes. "Did you find more-" Kye's heart skips when he sees the two men standing near him. "W- Who are you?"
"Hey kid, my name is Logan Wyatt, and I'm a Warrior from Ironwood." Logan reaches his hand out, but Kye scoots back. "What's wrong?"
"Is Ironwood the name of your bandit camp?" asks Kye.
"My… bandit camp?"
Dean smiles. "Hohoho, I assure you we are not bandits. May I ask what your name is, young boy?"
"My name is Kye, and this is my brother Kian."
"Kye and Kian…" Dean strokes his beard. "By chance, are you the sons of Nicholas Carter?"
"You know these kids, Captain?" asks Logan.
"Well, not personally, no."
"Who are you, and how do you know my dad?"
"My name is Dean Clarke. Your dad and I fought on the same squad a few years back. I remember him mentioning your names to me once." Dean holds out his hand and helps Kye to his feet. Now, what are you two doing so far away from Oakney? Are you lost?"
Kye frowns. "Our village… was destroyed."
"Completely?!" shouts Logan, "By who?"
"By a group of bandits a few days ago." explains Kye, "Not one building is still standing…"
"And your dad? Where is he?"
"I think we are the only two that escaped." Kian says sternly.
The three look over at the now awake Kian.
"I see…" says Dean, "So my fears are true."
"Who are these people, Kye?" asks Kian.
"They are Warriors from a place near here. They can help us!"
Kian stands up and dusts himself off. "And how do we know we can trust you?"
"Hohoho! What a cautious young man, just like your father!"
"You know our dad?"
"He was just telling me that he fought together with dad before." says Kye, "Isn't that cool?"
"Well, I guess so."
"You two look hungry. Let's head back to Ironwood and get you something to eat. It's not too far from here." says Logan. "Is that okay, Captain?"
"Yes, returning to Ironwood is the best option right now. I'll get them some food and get them checked out by a doctor. So it'll be your duty to report this destruction of Oakney to the Elders."
"Yes, sir!"
When the group arrives in Ironwood, Dean takes the boys to get a meal at a restaurant.
"Yum!" says Kye, stuffing food down his mouth, "I've never had steak this good before!"
"Thanks again, Mr. Dean." says Kian, "You saved me and my brother."
"Hohoho! There's no need to thank me, young Kian. I'm only doing what's right. Any disciple of Lady Una would've helped you two out there."
*Lady Una, a goddess worshiped by most people of this world, is thought to have traveled to this world from the strange portal on an island in the middle of the ocean back in 1722. Historians believe that Lady Una has blessed all living things with the gift of Spiritual Energy. However, a couple of years later, a man that villains worship as The Almighty Fritz emerged from the portal to retrieve Lady Una. After a destructive battle, Fritz defeated Una, and they returned through the portal.*
"Yeah, but is there anything we can do in return?" asks Kian, "We can work or clean."
"Kian, you have to try these mashed potatoes! They're amazing!"
"I will make you do no such thing." Dean insists, "You've been through a lot recently, so I only care about you and your brother's safety. I don't live here anyways."
"You don't? Then where are you from?"
"Nope, I just happen to be visiting a friend. I live in Ticu." Dean explains, "Have you heard of it?"
"Ticu is our capital, right?"
"That's right, Ticu is the capital of this area. I have a lot of connections there, not to mention my family."
Kye finishes his third plate of food and grabs another. "Here, Kian, try this too!" Kye insists.
"Kye, I already finished eating! You should quit being greedy!"
"Hohoho, young Kye is just excited, that's all. Let your brother eat; he deserves it for being so brave!"
"I guess so…" whispers Kian, "Anyways, Mr. Dean, you said you have family in Ticu, right? Does that mean you have kids?"
"Just my daughter Daisy."
"And your wife?"
"She passed away… about ten years ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry for bringing it up…"
"Not a problem, young Kian. She wouldn't want me to get down thinking about her when it happened so long ago. I know that she's waiting for me in the afterlife."
A waiter walks up to the table.
"Is everything tasting all right, gentlemen?"
"It's so good!" says Kye, still working on his fourth plate, "Thanks!"
"Hohoho, yes, everything tasted perfect." says Dean, "I'll take the bill now."
"Good to hear! I'll be right back."
The waiter walks away and returns shortly after with the bill. Dean pays, and then he and the twins go to the hotel he's staying at on his trip. Meanwhile, Logan chats with the two town Elders.
"That's correct, sir. According to the two boys, Oakney was destroyed, and they were the only two survivors." Logan explains, "The kids mentioned bandits, so I assume the rapidly growing Night Riders are the culprits."
One of the Elders stands up and walks to an open window. "So, it's begun."
"What's begun, Elder Nim? Do you know why they attacked the village?"
*Nim, the male Elder of Ironwood, spends most of his time overseeing the village's trade routes. Being 88 years old, Nim isn't physically capable of protecting himself anymore but refuses to have personal bodyguards.*
"I do." says Nim.
The other Elder pulls a sheet of paper out of her desk. "We received this note a few weeks ago."
"What does it say, Elder Palma?"
*Palma Mccormick, the female Elder of Ironwood, oversees the village's defenses and money. Being younger than Nim at only 57 years old, Palma can do far more than Nim and even takes care of him when he becomes sick.*
"Well, it simply says, 'We are coming; the Night Riders will rule this land.' I assumed it was a child playing a prank on us, but it seems I was incorrect."
"A prank?! With all due respect, many people died because of you, Elder Palma!"
"Yes, I am aware of that fact. I have to live with my mistake for the rest of my life. But may I ask, what purpose do they have sending a note to us here in Ironwood and not any other village? Or even Ticu?" Palma puts the note down and stands up. "I sent letters to those villages, and they said they received no such notes from the Night Riders."
"We now know that the threat was real, so we'll send out warnings to the other villages and towns of Ticu." says Nim, "We don't know when or where they'll strike next."
"So, we just wait for them to come to us?"
"What else do you suggest we do, Logan?" asks Palma.
"We can gather up a bunch of Warriors and-"
"Nonsense!" shouts Nim, "That will only result in our men being defeated!"
"He's right. Although we are slightly bigger than Oakney, our strength is similar. We don't have a single Warrior above a B-Rank," says Palma. Oakney at least had one, a man named Nicholas Carter."
Logan pauses, remembering that Dean had figured out the two boys were Nicholas' sons.
"Listen, Logan. We'll continue this conversation at a later date. Right now, we have to warn all of the other villages."
"Yes, ma'am." Logan sighs and walks towards the door.
"Oh, and have Dean bring the two children to us tomorrow morning." says Nim, "Since they were the only survivors, we'll have to find them a place to stay."
After leaving, Logan stops by Dean's hotel room. They chat about the current situation while the twins rest.
"The Night Riders, eh? I've had a couple of run-ins with them before." says Dean, "They're a group of horrible and dangerous people."
"Yeah, the whole situation is crazy." says Logan, "I can't believe the Elders knew and did nothing."
"It's not entirely their fault. I also can't see why they only sent a note to Ironwood."
"Maybe someone here is their real target?"
"No, I don't think that's the reason. Although, we can't rule it out completely."
Logan lays down across the couch.
"What do you think will happen to the boys?" asks Logan, "In all honesty, I feel like the Elders will just put them in a homeless shelter."
"A homeless shelter?"
"Don't worry, the homeless shelters here aren't too bad. They'll be well fed and have a place to sleep."
Dean strokes his beard in deep thought.
"Anyways, I should get going. Have a safe trip back home. I wish your family well."
"Thanks, see you on my next trip."
"Looking forward to it!"
Logan leaves, and Dean picks up his phone to call his daughter.
"Hey, Dad!"
"Hello Daisy, I wanted to ask you something…"
"Yeah, what is it?"
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