Chapter 9: New Goal.

Kouji: -smiling- let's get through this together. *I looked at Aldreuno after clearing my head, while he watched me with admiration. It felt so good; the one who was your role model is now looking at you with a sparkle in his eyes.*

Kouji: Come on. Nothing is as bad as we think; there's nothing we can do to change the past. Let's come up with a strategy, get out of here, and in about ten years, we'll be telling everyone this story over a meal.

Aldreuno: Hahaha, ten? You're too optimistic. I was thinking more like forty.

Kouji: Haha... * "There's a ray of hope," I thought, even if there's no one in my family I can save now, I won't give up. I forced myself to accept reality and think about what I should do now; my family was dead, I know damn well, more than anyone; however, getting angry would cloud my judgment, and yelling... wouldn't make my problem any smaller. Pondering over the problem was a waste of time; I had to think of a solution. Then, I also remembered what my father always told me when we were in a tight spot or when we had a job to do *

...

Dionisio: Seek information.

Kouji: Just that?

Dionisio: Yes, before deciding, you must be informed, or at least as informed as possible.

Kouji: What if there's no time?

Dionisio: You must think ahead.

Kouji: What? I don't understand, father, at least pay attention to me...

Dionisio: Kouji, as I answer you, I have to make sure the rice doesn't burn; you wouldn't want your mother to send us for more grains to the other village, right?

Kouji: Mmm... please, father, tell me how I can be a village chief.

Dionisio: -Stares- Listen carefully, Kouji, what makes a chief is that he can decide as quickly as possible and make the right decision. Even if he didn't have time the moment the problem arose, the chief had already seen it coming. How? Because he had information. Do you remember the war against the Salas village?

Kouji: Yes...

Dionisio: Good. Do you remember the messages you carried to and from the chief to us? That was important to know how the war was going. However, the war had ended before it started, and we had won.

Kouji: What?

Dionisio: Hahaha, I was waiting for that reaction. Listen, Kouji, the reality of wars and what happens in the world is much more complex than you can see. I'll tell you, the chief, our chief, decided to declare war on the Salas village because they were planning to attack us. However, they were already coordinating an attack with other villages to invade us. What they didn't know is that our chief had made a different agreement with Salas' allies, who were supposedly going to invade us. He made them a proposal they couldn't refuse, not necessarily a better one than what Salas was offering. So, when the chief had the best opportunity to declare war on them, he did. We won because the people of Salas simply had no idea that their plan wouldn't work; they lacked information, or at least a better one.

Information doesn't only cover things you can read; information is also behavior, likes, way of thinking, preferences, and everything you can use to your advantage. The chief knew that Salas had made an agreement with the other villages, but even though these agreements were better proposals than what our village could propose, they ended up accepting ours. Why? Simple, Salas' Chief knew what the other villages wanted, what was best for them, but our Chief knew about their desires, the deepest ones. So, he didn't make an agreement with the village itself; he made an agreement with the Chiefs of the other villages, who had their own goals, their own desires, their own opinions, which sometimes went against what was best for their village.

Kouji: That doesn't sound good... but... our Chief isn't like that. He always cares about us, right?

Dionisio: That's true, but what you're saying is only one side of the coin.

Kouji: Yes, please, tell me, father.

Dionisio: Haha, alright. It's true that the chief's desire is for everyone to live well, but, on the other hand, the chief desires recognition and status. This isn't necessarily bad, Kouji. Sometimes you'll see people do the right things for the wrong reasons, or vice versa. In this case, the chief knows that what he does allows him to gain the best status and at the same time be recognized by everyone as the best. Of course, having a chief like him is perfect for the village. However, a chief like him coming to power is not usual. As a general rule, the strongest is the chief or the most deceptive.

Kouji: Dad, you're not a liar, right?

Dionisio: Of course not.

Kouji: Strong... didn't you tell me you were stronger than the Chief?

Dionisio: Of course I am, hahaha, but before the village, there's my family. You probably don't understand now, but if I were Chief, I wouldn't be preparing rice with you... rice... The rice!! -Uncovers the pot- -Looks at Kouji with surprised eyes-

Kouji: Uh, it's burnt... mom will give us the most burnt part.

Dionisio: Haha, well, that's what it is. Don't worry, I'll eat the burnt rice. A man must always take care of his problems.

Kouji: Then I'll eat burnt rice too. I was the one who distracted you.

Dionisio: -Smiles at Kouji with pride- On the other hand, you learned something crucial. Seek information, about your surroundings, about your enemy, get to know them, find out what they want, how they think, how they behave, and before declaring war on them, make sure you've already won.

Kouji: -smiles- Alright, Aldre, first, we need to understand the situation. I still have some doubts like... How did we end up being only 3? Are we really just 3? Are there no more people in the center of the village?

Aldreuno: I'm not sure, most likely not. Not only has it been several hours since we separated from them. Hmm... listen, after I was dragging you, my mother came running worried and helped me lift you. You were bleeding; we couldn't let you lose blood, so we reached this straw hut. After my mother attended to you, you were asleep for hours.

Éstefer: I was worried, but to be honest, I didn't know whether to run. You were starting to take too long; going for you was the best decision. Who knows what would have happened to me if I hadn't run to you.

Aldreuno: -Looks at her and smiles- After a while inside the cabin, we heard screams, many screams.

Kouji: Yes, the screams were caused by the first encounter with the thing.

Aldreuno: No, they weren't that kind of screams. They were screams of a massacre.

Kouji: Massacre? I see... That's why they thought only we survived... "I need more information."

Kouji: Wait... The thing. That thing didn't enter the village at any time, right? Aldre, did the thing enter the village when you found me unconscious?

Aldreuno: I... no, I don't think so.

Kouji: And the screams from earlier, if you say they were different screams, we can assume that the thing didn't reach here because the people who hadn't seen the thing should have screamed differently, but it didn't happen... right?

Aldreuno: Yes, the people who weren't near the gates and were in the center of the village hadn't seen that thing, but I still don't understand where you're going with this...

Kouji: Listen, think. Why wouldn't it? The North gate was open, and still, the thing didn't enter. My... my sister was taken by my father to the thing, but it could easily have entered and eaten everyone. The same happened at the main gate; the thing didn't pass, even though it could have easily slipped through. Plus, our weapons didn't affect it... so, what was stopping it?

Aldreuno: That's... true. I also don't understand why it wouldn't.

Kouji: Why? Maybe we don't understand because we're thinking like humans, and whatever that thing is, it's anything but human.

Éstefer: I have an idea of what it might be. It may be an envoy of the Pact God.

Aldreuno: Aren't those superstitions?

Kouji: Certainly, they are, after everything that has happened, anything is possible.

Éstefer: Not only that, those who made a pact with the Pact God must follow the conditions set by the god.

Aldreuno: Conditions? What do you mean, mother?

Éstefer: I heard it from my grandparents, myths that were passed down. That thing we saw is what it is, a demonic being, there's no other explanation. Moreover, demons are bound by contracts and conditions related to the Pact God. My grandmother told me this. Demons lurk everywhere; all it takes is a weak heart offering its soul in exchange for something. I'm sorry, Kouji, since the demon first went for your father, and at the North gate, it first attacked your family... I thought it was just claiming what was rightfully his, and because of that conflict, the damage affected others. However, this being... this being doesn't seem to have made a deal with a human.

Kouji: What else do you know about this god?

Éstefer: I'm sorry, Kouji, I'm not a fan of the mystical. I just heard stories from my grandmother; they were supposed to be myths.

Kouji: Could I know someone who knows more about this?

Éstefer: There's a fortune-teller who used to come to the village; when she came, she would reveal the future to people. I'm not sure if she was real. However, she might know more about that thing.

Kouji: We have to find her to learn more.

Éstefer: That won't be possible, Kouji.

Kouji: Why?

Éstefer: Because she lives on the outskirts of the village.

Aldreuno: That's bad... well, we can manage and leave the village. Seeing her could mean many things... It's possible that... it's just a possibility, but -looks at Kouji- maybe she knows how to reverse the effect on our families.

Kouji: -Looks at Aldreuno- *I knew I shouldn't, I knew I shouldn't think that way, but Aldreuno was giving me hope. I knew I shouldn't assume, as I was already focused on being in the present and stop thinking about whether I could still... but I wished for it, I needed it. Aldreuno probably thought of it for his father and sister; he also wanted a glimmer of light in this dark hole.*

Éstefer: No... please don't do that, don't get the idea of being able to recover them because if that possibility doesn't meet your expectations, you will succumb to despair.

Kouji: Succumb... Aldreuno... Were you also in some kind of limbo like me when you found me?

Aldreuno: -Looks down- It wasn't a good moment I spent there. I remember very well what happened to me and the things my sister said. They were ugly things, and I couldn't believe she was saying them; they affected me so much that I just wished it would stop. I didn't want to accept what she was saying; in fact, I still have doubts... -Looks at his mother-

Kouji: I understand. I went through the same... maybe one of the conditions for the thing is to first subdue its victims before it can eat them.

Aldreuno: I understand why you say that, but what about those who left the village to kill it? Besides, what happened to your dad and uncle?

Kouji: That's true... in fact, something happened before that. When I was running to escape from the thing, I ran into a girl I hadn't seen before in the village. The only thing I thought of was to take her hand and run. The thing was in front of me and the girl; I was in shock, but the girl screamed and ran. The thing went after her and ate her... it wasn't like inside the village. In fact, I was in front of her; I still don't understand why it ate her.

Aldreuno: Damn, drawing conclusions is too complicated if we don't know how anything works. Also, there's the possibility that it didn't enter because it simply doesn't want to and wants to play with its food. Maybe it just wants to see more desperation.

Kouji: That's also possible, well... Let's do this. First, let's get out of here, second, let's go to that fortune-teller, and third, let's get rid of that thing.

Aldreuno: It's still night; it's better if we sneak out now before it gets light. During the day, we might be an easy target. Also, the screams must have been caused by people under the influence of that thing.

Kouji: I understand; those were probably the ones who had to forcibly take or even kill others... but, it's the same as with that thing. They didn't try to kill; their goal was most likely to bring people to the thing.

Aldreuno: That could be a good guess, too; before that, let's first get out of here. We're running out of time.

Éstefer: And what if we encounter people who want to leave the village? It will be harder to get out of it with more of them.

Kouji: That's true... Even so, we can't leave them there.

Éstefer: Yes, but if we can't get out on our own, how can we help someone else?

Aldreuno: That's true, Kouji. The best thing now is to get out and notify the count. Maybe he can do something.

Kouji: Possibly when we leave the village, we should split up. I think it's better to gather more information before doing anything.

Aldreuno: Okay, that's a valid option. While you go to the fortune-teller, we'll go for help. Let's do our best -smiles-

Kouji: Let's get out of here.

Aldreuno: Okay, listen. There was charcoal in the cabin, so we smeared it on our clothes and skin. Every corner was covered in something black; this way, in addition to the dark night, we would be difficult to spot.

*We left the cabin while it was still night. Getting to the South gate wasn't too complicated; we just had to sneak quietly for about thirty minutes. The village wasn't huge, and it had several streets that interconnected. Therefore, at the last moment, we could split up and regroup at a point, as there were many escape routes. However, I was uneasy about not seeing anyone.*