Reece moved silently through his home village that grew quiet and dead, houses or small shops which were busy in everyday living were now hollowed out by flames. He watched his steps for those empty shells from the poor soul that were turned into demonic husks, their pieces now littering the village's roads...
'If... If it wasn't for them becoming stone-like, my stomach couldn't handle that sight.' He dreaded that thought.
A shattered obsidian arm laid in his path and internally imagines the gore it'd would've been. An awful sickening sensation drenched his guts looking downwards at each of those pieces with somber eyes. It was a brief moment before a determined gaze turned back up onto his current path.
He steps around that tragedy which lays at his feet feeling a flame within his heart. Simply reaffirming what must be done but nasty inklings of doubt form at the edges of his mind.
'What if I'm not helpful enough for the hero?' Reece thinks about this mess and him leading this village to disaster.
[You know all kinds of things about this world and you're aligned to the group who wants the hero to succeed! You were assigned to this job for a reason that might as well be your mind after all! Of course, I don't really know why.]
'I... I really don't need to worry about the mystery of why I was selected for this job.' The sigh escaping from his mouth can't be helped.
An idle back and forth began between the two, a silent conversation with beings from beyond this world. Reece could feel a lighter chest while talking to this odd helper that Penelope assigned him for his stock hero duties, however, it did feel purposeful as he'd likely need someone? Holding back one's thoughts reaches a breaking point eventually.
'Anyway, I've been pondering the name of my patron Idol, her name is similar to the primal Idols but the history books only registered 5 of them outside what Grandpa said.' Reece steps through the empty fields surrounding his ruined home.
[In what way?]
'Well, The Solar Idol's title is Matriarch of The Sun and the Ocean Idol has a similar one with Patriarch of The Sea.' He thinks while looking up at the mouth to the grand forest that dwarfed the village.
[What's the pattern that I should be seeing there??]
'There's a counterpart for each one like the Sky Idol and Beast Idol being called Mother and Father respectively but the Earthen Idol is called Master of The Earth, however, with my patron idol that's resolved...' Reece had an odd feeling about that thought which makes it feel right in some ways and wrong in something.
After long moments of walking, Reece felt something else much more pressing as the harsh feeling of hunger hits him with full force. He'd ignored it during the acts of mercy and waking up but walking made it flare up greater than he could bear to have. A single loaf from his supplies is pulled out, it was a buttery bread that was easily known to him who'd baked it.
"Miss Spellmeyer..." He muttered looking down at the bite mark in the loaf.
He takes a deep breath and exhales before slowly eating that bread piece by piece. It wasn't hard to notice him trying his best in savoring this baked good. This might've been one he baked in helping her or hers but that didn't really matter. Those memories within that cozy bakery warmed his heart and stomach whenever he came over.
'I did learn her recipes despite her saying they're family secrets... I feel guilty now.' He thought to himself seeing the empty paper in his hand.
After a moment, it clicked in his mind. The paper might be a little buttery from the bread but it's still good enough. His small hands started folding it as he walked down this forest path without a second glance since this consumed his full attention. What the folded shape needed was just a quick cut from his dagger and he managed to finish a paper flower!
'Man, I was worried that the dagger wouldn't be sharp enough but it's probably supernaturally sharpened.' He appraises his work with the dagger's blade. It'd slice through bone with how easily this was for paper.
Reece moved a hand to open up a door into his castle before suddenly tripping on something. It was a fragment of some wood, he felt dumb for his attention being spent too much on old childhood crafts. The place he stands at is... where Helma attacked him and his family from this world. His body gulped instinctively while looking around for any trace of that monster.
A trace of golden shine catches his eyes from a fallen tree. It was across that crater formed by Helma's clash with Aurel. He felt a lump in his throat seeing the black stain painting the wooden pieces around that point of interest but he slowly makes his way past the cavity carved by titans of power fighting.
He's hit by a slight metallic scent from his strong sense of smell. It made holding down his simple meal down knowing why he smells this but he continues towards the small golden oval sitting in front of the massive stain. He hesitantly picks it up not really knowing what this object was.
'There's a broken hinge on this, was this a locket?' Reece turns this broken locket around in his hand.
On the other side was a woman he didn't recognize but in his gut reminded him of someone- No, this woman looks a lot like his mother? He couldn't make out much detail as her appearance was simply an art piece on a ceramic plate with little color.
[Bounty Quest: Repair the Heirloom
Your grandfather's spirit calls out to the lost relic, Blood spilled by blood needs some ease for their pained souls. It begs for you to fix his old locket and keep it close to your heart as he'd always done.
Rewards: 50 coins, Blessing from Patron Idol]
A system screen suddenly appeared in front of him and that word "Grandfather" caused his heart to drop. He stares at this broken family heirloom in his hand then a long sigh leaves him before opening a door into his castle. A space built for absolute safety just to set down this heirloom and a single paper flower.
'I can't afford to slow down but that single loaf wasn't filling enough.' He sits down within his castle to enjoy another one but with one of those jams that he got from Adelbert. It was a marmalade-like jam that melted away dread with sweetness. His shoulders droop after a simple bite of buttery bread and sugary jam.
"You know if you want to stress eat then the phantom food of the castle should be suitable!" The system's holographic persona manifests besides him.
"I know but if I indulge in false flavors then normal food might become dull to me." Reece spoke with dramatization one would pen on a page before smirking to himself.
"Noted! If a situation requires it, I do recommend using this ability! Who knows if your next body will have taste." The projection grinned at Reece while drifting away from him.
Reece looked at her while moving the jammed bread up to his mouth. He had an unamused stare towards his virtual companion until his lesser breakfast had finished. That statement left an ugly lump in his stomach despite the bread's sweet jam.
He sighs, grabbing the door knob of the castle's exit. Reece closes his eyes before muttering a single sentence. "After this I really hope stock heroes can submit complaints to their gods."
"Of course! Just know what aspects you directly signed up for and you'll have no problems." The System chirps behind him being naive to how a job usually goes.
"Let's hope they're not like my old bosses were then..." He shook his head speaking up for the system who'd hear him no matter what, being honest with himself.
He opened the exit to the humid but cold air of his long journey. In his heart, it felt like a road paved with countless spikes and blades, however, the simple oath about for everyone left behind embedding memories of Aurel, Janine, and Pascal in his mind on top of why he'd sell his soul for... Reba.
'Reba, I hope you're doing better than me, if this is my date then you must be living well without me.' This was all he could think about looking outwards to his upcoming path. He should know better being her brother but those naive wishes are human after all. That's just what he desires for her to have from suffering loss on that cruel night.
End of Little Folk Saga Prologue...
Thank you all for reaching this point. Things will be getting much more interesting beyond this point. That's a promise.