A Carefree Journey

The (The present)

As high noon approaches, we had a whole hour of serious discussion about Noah's opinion of our journey to the Capital with his father.

Fortunately this time, his father listened to his opinion in a more civilized way and it seemed that we were lucky enough that Jonathan had agreed with Noah's plan and permitted us to go there(most of the permission was meant for Noah btw).

We're also have been ordered by Jonathan to gather up at the village gate by evening for despatch while preparing ourselves for the journey.

-Later in the evening-

-At the (destroyed) village main gate-

Me: "You sure you don't wanna come with us to the Capital, Jonathan? It'll be great if you join us too."

Jonathan: "Please don't try to tempt me that much, Bal. You must know on how much I wanted to go there with you two, watching over Noah while we're at it so that he'll not cost any trouble for you on the journey."

Noah: "You know that I'm standing right in front of you."

Noah abruptly interjects himself into the conversation, standing next to me who's fully equipped with travelling gears like an overstuffed backpack, travelling outfit and whatnot.

I did tell him to let me store some of his belongings inside my inventory but he instantly declined my offer as he said that it will ruin the travelling mood.

Noah: "...And father, I'm fifteen."

...Excuse me, what?!

Jonathan: "Heh, keep talking to yourself like that and let's see where will you end up next time."

Noah cringed by the blow.

Jonathan: "Besides, I've got a village to take care of. There are lots of properties damaged in the village due to the recent accident so my people need me and I can't leave them behind just like that."

Me: "Don't worry, I understand."

I gave him a good squeeze on his right shoulder and rub him gently with my hand as an assurance.

Jonathan: "Just be careful when you go there. And as for you, young man. Remember what we've discussed before. Do not-"

Noah: "...Do not go ahead of myself or get distracted or do anything that would bring us into any harm. I know, I know. You've made me memorize that over and over now."

Jonathan: "And whose fault is that?"

Noah: "Yeah yeah, I know it was my fault! You don't need to rub it on my face. Just give me a break, sheesh!"

He frowned his eyebrows in angst as he crossed his arms, turning his head away from Jonathan with a loud huff.

Me: "Yeah, I think you're being too harsh on him."

Jonathan: "I know.... It's just that.... I just got too worried about this whole thing. There are all kinds of dangers lurking in the forest and I am not there to take care of him... My only son. Maybe I've told you this before but I'd made a promise with my late wife that I'll take care of him."

Me: "Aight, what if I make a promise with you? I promise that I'll never take my eyes off of Noah and will always protect him when we're on our way. Sounds good?"

Jonathan: "...."

Me: "What? You want me to pinky promise with you?"

Jonathan: "Nah, no need. I believe in you. But please! Please take care of him."

Me: "I will never let him out of my sight. You have my words."

He nods in response.

Noah: "Um, didn't mean to interrupt you two but are we going or not?"

Jonathan: "Oof, too eager to leave this old man behind, huh?"

Noah: "Don't need to be too sentimental and guilt trip is not going to work either. I'm doing this for Bal, nothing more and you know it."

Jonathan: "I know. Just... Be safe, alright?"

Noah let out a soft sigh then carved a sweet smile to his father.

Noah: "I will, father."

He then gives his father a tight hug wholeheartedly as Jonathan returns his hug, slightly lowering his head down to look at his son who's hugging a man three times bigger the size of him.

Jonathan: "I will miss you."

Noah: "Miss you more."

They eventually broke their hugs apart from each other, small tears dripping from their eyes as proof of their love for each other as a family.

The last time I remember hugging my dad like that when I was a pup. When I was...nine maybe? I can't really remember. All I can remember that he died because of a car crash.

The saddest part of it that I can't even remember his face anymore. Of course I could remember him through the family album but most of those photos and pictures of him are kinda.... Blurry. More like empty for me.

In those photos, showing him smiling, laughing, being happy together with my late mom and little brother, Tarry. But I can't remember the moments of me being with him. His voice, his laughs are all slowly fading away from my head from time to time.

I don't wanna lose him but it is inevitable.

Because it is what it is.

Noah: "...Hey."

Me: "Hm? Huh?"

Noah: "Bal, are you okay? You were spacing out just now."

Me: "Oh, y-yeah. Just thought about something but it was nothing. You were saying?"

Noah: "We're leaving now."

Me: "Oh yeah, r-right."

Jonathan: "Are you sure you're alright?"

Me: "Yes, I'm good. Don't worry about me."

I smiled sheepishly at Jonathan with a thumbs up.

Jonathan: "Good. Now go. I hope you will find what you're looking for."

Me: "Thank you... For everything."

Jonathan: "No problem. And thank you for saving my village."

Me: "It was nothing really."

We embraced ourselves in a warm hug.

Shit, his smell's so nice.

Soon I tried to break our hug apart as I thought it's would be weird for us to hug each other in a long run but later when I was about to turn around, he then quickly grabs me by my waist gently but strong enough to pull me towards him and kisses me on the lips when his son is not looking.

Me "Mmph!?"

I froze by the unexpected movement he made towards me.

The same feeling I felt when we were in the barn then happened again.

It was like as the time itself froze and the world stops for what it feels like an eternity.

My heart skipped a beat and continues to beat faster as the blood in my body pumps faster into my blood veins.

His lips were so soft and tender.

Jonathan: ".....~"

He's completely enjoying this that's for sure.

Am I enjoying this?

....

I do.

This feels so good.

My body then moves by impulse as I pressed myself harder into him as I kiss him back.

Me: "Mmph~"

I hope Noah doesn't notice this.

Then we're finally break it up.

It wasn't a particularly long kiss.

...even though it felt like forever when we did it.

The two of us pulled our face at the same time, seeing as our faces are exclusively red.

Me: "That was...amazing."

Jonathan: "It sure was. That's my thanks to you for the barn."

I can feel my face getting hot again.

Me: "You're most welcome."

Minutes later, as we're ready to get on ourselves into the journey, Noah and I turned our back at Jonathan and walk out from the village, passing through the gate.

I turn my head around to look at Jonathan for the last time as he seems to be smaller and smaller at the moment I walk further from the village. And I noticed that Noah was also doing the same thing.

Then, after the tiny figure of Jonathan completely disappeared out of sight as he walks himself into the village, we paid full attention to the road ahead of us which lead us straight to the Capital.

I idly brush my finger to my lips, reminiscing my last moment together with Jonathan as I blush again.

Noah: "We're actually doing it, huh? Right now, I feel like I'm still dreaming that I still can't believe that I got to get out of that damn village! Woohoo!"

Me: "Wait what?"

Noah: "Hey, my father had always kept me inside that village all the time because he's being overly protective of me. So, you don't have the right to judge me, understand?"

Me: "Ah, so you're saying that you've gained your freedom, is that it?"

Noah: "Exactly."

Me: "And perhaps that you even thought that you might probably get a chance to do whatever you want, right?"

Noah: "Yep!"

Me: "Well, news flash, kid. You're not gonna do anything or go anywhere as long as you're under my care."

Noah loudly choked himself by the statement.

Noah: "Wha- why!?"

Me: "Because I said so. And I've also made a promise to your father that I'll take care of you until we're done with our business in the Capital. So you have to follow my orders from now and then."

Noah: "Aw, come on!"

He pouted his mouth as his cheeks blow up like an inflated pufferfish.

And the fact that both of the burden and responsibility that I'm having on my shoulder which continues to pile up by themselves slowly due to my concern for others is making me a little bit anxious.

Old habit dies hard I guess.

Ugh, responsibility. I hate that word.

-A few minutes later-

-Rakia Village outskirts-

Holy crap it's hot out here!

Only 15 minutes of walking and I'm already here feeling like I'm going to melt like a little ice cube stranded in the middle of a desert basking under the sun's heat.

My fur is now matted all over my body because of the sweats!

You'll never know the pain of a beastman with thick and fluffy fur like me to suffer this kind of extremely uncomfortable situation!

A week of walking under this condition is such crude torture for someone like me!

Me: "Aight, I'm done with walking. We're gonna take a bike."

Noah: "Hah? Not even walking close to half an hour and you're already whining like a bitch."

The fuck!? Did I just get sass by a fifteen years old boy?

Me: "Hey, don't you dare sass on me! I'm a person that lives in a huge city surrounded by vehicles, alright!? There are barely people who live in a big city that walks! Plus, the heat is grilling me alive to the core right now!"

Noah: "You're just being overdramatic. For your information, city boy. We do move from places to places by walking. So if you want to live here in our world, you will have to get used to our traditional style. Which is by walking."

Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I'm stuck in a medieval era.

Noah: "Anyway, what's a 'bike'?"

Me: "Well basically, bike is merely a vehicle... But stands only with two wheels."

Noah: "Woah, cool. How does that work?"

Me: "Hm, I don't know where to start but the bike is technically a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel. A bike or so-called, motorcycle, possesses an engine which enables them to run faster. If you want to enhance your speed, you use more gas or electric power."

Noah tilts his head to the side, frowning his forehead a little.

Noah: "Sorry but I can't quite understand what you're trying to say but it still sounds cool though."

Me: "It sure is! Let me show you no-"

Noah: "But if it's a vehicle I suppose it's not going to work for our plan."

Me: "Huh? Why not?"

Noah pauses his steps and I'm doing the same.

Noah: "Seriously? Don't tell me that...you've already forgotten our plan!?"

Me: "Whaaaat!? I would never! I just simply don't remember what we were talking about."

I shot him an innocent smile, averting my eyes from his while scratching my cheek.

Noah: "That's the same thing, idiot! Were you even listening to our discussion back in the village with my father?"

Me: "Fine! I forgot! But I did listen to you guys!"

Noah: "Really? Then tell me what's the plan."

Me: "....But! I eventually lost you guys when you guys after you started talking about going through the forest."

Noah loudly slaps his forehead dismissively and winces at the pain of his own doing.

Noah: "You-... You're kidding right?"

Me: "Yyyyyeeaaa- no."

Noah slaps his forehead again and winces....again.

Noah: "BUT IT WAS YOUR PLAN DAMMIT!"

Me: "Ahh....that's true."

Noah: "And you can't just simply forget about your own plan!"

Me: "I know and I'm sorry!"

Noah: "You're the most hopeless hero that I've ever seen!"

Me: "I get that a lot but I know!"

Noah: "I wanna kill you so much right now!"

Me: "Me too!"

Minutes later after yelling at each other on how useless my brain was, Noah calms himself down by taking a couple of deep breaths and kneels down on the ground and took off his backpack, putting it in front of him and rummages his hands inside of it.

Shortly, he came out with a sheet of a world map of the Meruvel Kingdom in his hand.

Me: "Are you sure you don't want me to take care of your things?"

Noah: "No thanks. As I said before, I don't want to ruin the travelling vibe. So listen close now on what I'm about to tell you. This is your plan and I can't afford myself to let you go anywhere else without it so please remember it inside that thick skull of yours."

Why do I feel like we're switching roles now?

Me: "Fine, fine. Stop getting mad at me."

Noah: "Borrowing my father's words, and whose fault is that?"

Me: "Pssh."

Noah: "Firstly, we've planned ourselves to get through the forest in order to reach Sentua Village which is probably gonna take us three days to get there by following the safe path here."

He pointed his index finger at the wiggly thin black line on the map which he laid it on the ground.

Me: "Wow, that's a really nice cartography right there."

Noah: "I know. This is the best map that we could ever have from the village and we only have one. So we have to make good use of it and try not to lose it."

Hey, that reminds me...

I rustle my hand inside my pocket to take out my phone as I turn it on and point it to the map and...

Me: " ..*click*....,there. Now we've two maps each."

I showed the screen at Noah with a proud smile carved on my face.

Noah: "Shit, you just duplicated it! How did you do that?"

Me: "Meh, it's nothing. I can do a lot more than that, you know."

I just remembered myself about a certain scene from a movie and I've never thought that it would gonna turn out to be useful for me someday.

I put my phone back into my pocket.

Noah: "Hah, of course you can. I've seen you kill a bunch of Devilings before so I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise anymore."

Me: "You got that right."

Noah: "Anyway, back to the topic. Like I said if we want to go to Sentua Village we have to go through the forest."

Me: "And there's gonna be a 'but'."

Noah: "But, the thing is.... I had never been so deep into the forest before or even knew which way to go."

And you dare to call me hopeless!?

Me: "So you're telling me that you've never been to Sentua Village before?"

Noah: "Nope."

Me: "So does this also mean that you have never been to the Capital?"

Noah: "... Yes."

Me: "Then why the hell did Jonathan send you to escort me to the Capital!?"

Noah: "It was because he said that you're going to protect me when we're going there!"

That's too much of a faith to put on someone who you just met in two days, Jonathan!

Remember readers! Do not lend your children to someone you've just met for two days!

...or whoever you only just met!

Noah: "It's fine! I know him! He's my father after all. I know that you might think that he is a simple-minded person(well actually he is) but despite being a simpleton he knows what he was doing and he believes that you're someone who can be trusted. That's why I'm going to believe that I'm in good hands by believing my father."

Me: "Oh, yeah? What does he know about me?"

Noah: "I don't know. Maybe not much. But he did say to me that you're not a bad person and can be trusted wholeheartedly. He trusts his gut."

Then the memory of me and Jonathan kissing each other starts to play inside of my head by itself.

Stop it, brain! Do not distract me here!

I blushed by the answer as my tail wag a little.

Me: "Good enough."

I continued to walk following the path, unconcerned as I leave Noah behind then I fasten up my pace.

Noah: "Hey, wait for me!"

He folds the map dismissively as he hurriedly carries his backpack and tried to run to catch my speed.

-A few minutes later-

An identical earthy scent that I'd merely forgotten immediately starts to soak my nose as we've arrived at the edge of the forest.

Noah: "And here's the entrance."

He led me to the entrance of the forest which is to be an open, spacious area that's connected to a narrow path inside as he pointed at the wooden sign on a stake with some wriggly scribbles on it which I assumed to be human handwriting.

Truth to be told, I'm still unfamiliar with their handwriting and all and it's quite irritating for me to be honest. I'm sure it's going to be troublesome for me in the future someday.

Me: "Well what does it say?"

Noah: "It says 'Nutur Forest'. According to the map, this is the nearest forest that could lead us to Sentua Village."

Me: "I see. What about that one?"

I pointed my finger on the small scribbles written inside of a bracket under the big ones.

Noah: "Ouh, that. It says "Beware travellers! Follow the path! Do not seek to astray! If you did, only death awaits!".... Just that it. That's all that it says here."

The fur behind my neck stands as I simultaneously felt an eerie sensation crawled down into my spine after hearing the warning.

Me: "That is... Completely not a good sign(no pun intended)."

Noah: "No, it's not. But like the sign said, the only thing we need to do is to follow the path and try not to stray out from it. It's as easy as that. Also, we have a map."

He swayed the map in his hand lazily at me.

Me: "That's not what I'm worried about here."

Noah: "Don't overthink about it. Just focus on your destination and everything will be fine."

Seriously, how can you be so calm about this? Your way of thinking is far too mature than I gave you credit for.

Me: "Okay then."

I finally calmed myself down thanks to the reassurance that I just constantly received from a fifteen years old boy.

Me: "Please, Bal! Stop your whining and start acting like an adult! Don't you feel ashamed to be always comforted by someone younger than you!? Get a grip!"

I grumbled to myself quietly.

Right after passing the entrance into the forest, fighting marks from a ferocious battle were shown before our eyes all over the ground and tree trunks.

Mixed scents of gunpowder and the stench of blood from a Devilling rushes through my nose ragingly, covering the place. A huge puddle of dried blood could be seen splashed onto the ground.

I also sense raw magic weakly lingering inside the air.

Me: "Wait a sec. Is this the place that..."

Noah: "Indeed. This is the place where you were fighting with those Devillings during the night the first time we met."

I raised my eyebrows, gaping my mouth a bit in surprise.

Me: "This place is a whole lot different than I could remember. Was it because it was night?"

Noah: "Maybe? I don't know. But I'm pretty sure that you left a huge parting gift to this forest before we left that night."

He gestures his hand at the huge burnt terrain further into the forest that was left by me the night when I shot a heavy blast using my sniper to kill a runaway Devilling.

Me: "Oops."

Noah: "Seriously, oops?"

Me: "Alright alright! I overdid it! I get it! I'm sorry!"

It is a huge gift all right.

Me: "But what about the body?"

Noah: "You mean the bodies of the Devillings you killed? Who knows. Maybe they've already got eaten by wild animals from the forest."

Me: "Wild animals.... Eat their corpses?"

Noah: "Probably."

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he walked further into the forest as I chased him from behind.

Me: "Hey, what's up with the vague answer? Come on, tell me!"

Noah continues to ignore me as he proceeds to fasten his pace.

I sigh in dissatisfaction.

-2 hours later-

I'm bored.

Sure, the forest looks rather refreshing when I can see the whole environment of greenery better than at night but for me it's getting old pretty quickly.

A certain feeling of deja vu suddenly hits me.

We've been walking for hours and Noah and I hadn't been talking ever since when he's too focus walking whilst reading on his map and I know that I can't disturb him while he was doing so but I need something to kill some time for myself!

This silence is practically trying to kill me!

...

Ah, I know!

I grab my phone out from my pocket and open the camera app and switch it to video mode.

I point the camera in a good distance from my face and hit the recording button thus letting out a soft beeping sound as my phone starts recording.

Me: "Hey, Balthazar here! So this is my first vlog ever since I've been stuck in another world, in a kingdom known as Meruvel Kingdom and I've been stuck here for like...three days or so. It's a long story actually."

Noah: "Bal, who are you talking to?"

He asked in a curious tone as he turned his head around to look at me while walking.

Me: "Uhhhhh? No one?"

Noah: "Oooo... kay?"

He shook his head and continued to read himself the map in his hands.

Hehehe. I stealthily point my camera at Noah from behind as I whispered to my phone.

Me: "I also got some huge news to tell you. First, it seems that I've discovered a living fossil; A human. Like...can you believe that? A specific kind of creature that's supposed to be extinct millions of years ago is somewhat living and walking right in front of me."

I shifted my position a little bit to the right for a better angle and zoom in the camera on his face.

Me: "See? No pointy ears, no fangs, no animal traits, no nothing. He's totally a human. Second, it's about this world. They don't have any information about us. About creatures of Agrian. They don't even know what Agrian is as this world surrounded only by humans. Crazy right? Another thing is that-.."

Noah: "Alright, I've enough of this bullshit. What the hell are you doing!? You've been blabbering to yourself like a crazy person!"

He snapped as he caught red-handed of me recording him, looking straight at the camera.

Noah: "And stop pointing that thing at me!"

Me: "Relax. I'm not doing anything. I'm just documenting about your species. This is solid proof of my discovery of a living human. This thing about your species existence needs to be known to the whole world of Agrian. Not only be one of the top heroes and a scientist, but I could also be the founder of the long-gone species and my name will be known as "Balthazar Brook! The top hero of Agrian! The Captain of Wild Spirit Squad! And the founder of human species from another world!"."

Noah: "So you're doing this for fame?"

Me: "No it's more than just about fame. It's about us. Talk as a species to one another."

Noah: "What do you mean?

Me: "If I could ever get this video to the upper hands perhaps all the creatures from Agrian will be happy to coexist with the humans. We'll open up a portal to your world and share our knowledge with your people and develop the economic status of your kingdom...or with any other kingdom. And we don't have to walk on our feet anymore to go to any other far places under the heat, haha."

Noah: "That...would be nice. But not now. Not with our current king ruling the kingdom."

Me: "Now you mentioned the king, from your father I know now that your king sounds like a big jerk."

Noah stops walking as he stares at the map absentmindedly and speaks.

Noah: "Yes he is. Lots of people suffered, covered in fear under his rules. He brings nothing but only misery and despair to his own people especially for the poor district of Capital."

He said in a slow tone filled with full irritation and anger as he clenched his hand on the map.

The atmosphere suddenly becomes heavy as I felt like I just brought up a topic that I shouldn't have.

Both of us went silence for awhile until Noah starts a conversation to swat away the awkwardness between us as we continue walking forward.

Noah: "King's foolishness aside, could you be as kind to tell me on how exactly did you document using that thing in your hand just now?"

Me: "O-oh yeah of course."

I look at the screen of my phone and it seemed that it's still recording as I forgot to pause it. Then I hover my thumb and hit the recording button to stop the recording.

The video then smoothly stores inside the gallery.

I hand my phone to Noah as he takes it carefully in his hand after putting down the map into his pocket.

Me: "Here. This thing called a smartphone. You can do lots of things with this."

Noah: "How do you use it?"

Me: "Let me just.."

I put my finger on the backside of the phone at the fingerprint scanner and the screen automatically comes alive which brings the screen straight to the home screen.... FUCK!

Noah: "Wait, is that..."

I abruptly snatched the phone away from his hand as I dumbly forgot that I'd recently changed my home screen wallpaper with Jonathan's abs on sweet display back from our date night in the tavern.

Me: "YOU. SAW. NOTHING."

Noah blinks his eyes for a moment at me trying to process on what just happened.

Noah: "Fine. I don't care what's going on between you and my father and it's not my business either way so yeah."

He simply shrugged the situation off of his shoulder as nothing happened at all with a blank expression stuck on his face.

I furrowed my eyes at him, concerning about his calm reaction despite what he just saw.

Fuck, I need to be more conscious of what I'm about to do and try not to dig my own grave next time.

Noah: "You can show me your smartphone later but now we've to find a place to make a campsite for ourself. It's getting dark. There are lots of dangerous animals and beasts wandering around at night than the daylight. It's just our luck that we got to pass the forest peacefully earlier."

He gestures his head upwards to the sky above and it sure is getting dark as I watch the sun is slowly setting including its agonizing heat.

The air is starting to get chiller than before.

Me: "No time to waste then."

Both of us then split up hastily as we started searching for a good place to make a campfire for us to rest for the night as we pace around the forest.

That's when I saw a cave located nearby not too far away from us which I assumed to be 20 metres from our vicinity.

Me: "Noah! I've found a place that we could stay for tonight."

Noah: "....."

Me: "Noah?"