Normally, villages are usually bustling with activity in midday. Parents doing chores and preparing meals for the day, children running and playing around and last but never the least grumpy elderlies shouting at every child they see running or doing something that's hyper active. This is a day to day norm for any active village. Activities might vary but one thing is always there, voices.
For the past five days, while the sun was still up, New Salur was noisy. Amidst the quiet of the forest, the village never lacked an air of excitement. Whether it was a small quarrel between the locals or just gossip spreading like wild fire on dry autumn leaves. And more so with the beautiful display of falling lights in the sky that had occurred just a few hours ago, Sen didn't expect the village to so quiet.
It was strange. There wasn't a peep in the air. No creaking from the wooden boards of the village houses not even one sound to displace the silence of the forest. The chimneys which by noon were letting out white thick smoke were still cold with no smoke insight. The doors were locked leaving the small village a ghost town.
" This is strange. " Sen remarked.
He was currently hiding in a narrow alley amongst the dark shadows of the houses. Non like earlier his breath had settled. His chest was against the wooden wall of the house as he scoped out the street for any passerby.
" No one. " he said retreating back to the darkness.
The street was clear of any footsteps. It was slowly drying out, the intricate patterns drawn during the Arcane Circle slowly disappearing with the evaporating moisture. As far as he could see there was no soul in sight.
" Where could they be ? " he asked himself as he crouched down.
As lightly as his feet could step, Sen rushed across the street sliding into another alley amongst the houses. He paused before checking the streets again.
" … "
Something didn't add up.
" There should be more people. "
Earlier, while he was running away from the pursuit of the village guard, he jumped from roof top to roof top. Back then he didn't prioritize stealth nor keenness of step. His steps were loud as they met the roofs of the village house and even more so, his weight combined with Liora's should've rattled the fragile thatched roofs.
" So where are they ? Why is it so quiet even with the commotion I caused earlier ? "
Sen was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the two village guards heading in direction engaging in idle chatter.
" Wasn't the Cleansing Star Shower beautiful ? " one of the guards asked. Their voice was girly and had a slight hint of shyness as she asked the question.
The other guard strode bashfully besides her. Even though his face was covered anyone's could tell that he was blushing.
" Yeah… but not as beau… "
Some footsteps interrupted.
" Did you hear that ? " the girl asked.
She left the main path they were on and slowly creeped over to the alley she had heard the footsteps.
She gave the other guard a quick nod and drew a small knife hidden her garments.
" Ha ! " she shouted as she jumped out into the alley, knife pointing out.
She froze.
" Are you okay ? " the other guard asked worried after she suddenly froze.
He quickly paced to the alley where she was. His eyes quickly scanned the area for any oddities.
There was no one, only the other guard who's cheeks were currently as red as they could ever be.
" So embarrassing, " she thought as he approached her.
On seeing her eyes the other guard finally realized why she had frozen.
" ' Ha ! '. Really?" he asked teasingly.
" We're you trying to scare them or make them laugh to death ? " he continued.
" One more word and I'll… "
" Okay, okay. " he interrupted her threat.
" But it looks like no one's here. " he added.
" We should keep on looking. "
With that the two left the alley back to the main path. The man was still chuckling remembering the little jump she did before shouting ' ha '. The girl looked at him with threats as she asked him to forget what he had seen.
They walked onwards still engaged in chatter.
" Do you think Elren will be able to do it ? " the girl village guard asked. Her hands were crossed together, looking like she was hugging herself.
The man's eyes dropped.
" I don't know. " he answered.
The girl's hug grew tighter.
" How about we escape… you and me ? " she asked looking to the side trying to hide the flush on her face.
The man was quiet. Their faces were covered by their guard uniform with only their eyes visible, but even with that he could see her adorable blushing face.
" You know we can't, " he said.
The girl's shoulders dropped.
He turned to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He tried to look into her eyes but couldn't. Her eyes couldn't face him right now.
" The world outside the village is... dangerous. Even more so if you can't muster arcane well, "
" That's why you want to stay in the village ? " she said her tone low.
" No. I just… " he paused rethinking his words.
" We won't be safe out there, But in here… Elren can give us the power. "
" Power, huh? " she said withdrawing her shoulder from his grasp.
" Yes. Power to push back those selfish land grabbing nobles and take back what was ours. "
" … power to take back Laptove. Power to take back our home. " he added.
The girl was standing a few steps away from him, her back towards him. Her eyes were closed as she listened to him continue talking. She could feel the conviction through his words. Though pushed by a little anger she still knew that it came from his heart. One of his redeeming qualities.
She turned to him, her heart still heavy. She heaved a sigh as he lifted his eyes to meet at hers.
" Come on let's go, at least you got one thing right. " she said as she paced forward along the path.
His eyes widened as he watched her walk forward. He was safe, for now.
Suddenly the sound of a crashing clay pot broke the quiet and slow tempo of the atmosphere.
Startled, they both quickly brandished their knives, their eyes locked onto the cracked flower pot that lay at the front porch of a nearby house.
The male guard's eyes narrowed as he slowly advanced towards the broken pot. The damp smell of recently watered soil diffused across the air, getting stronger as he approached the clay flower pot. He was holding his breath without realizing it, his attention fixed to the porch.
Suddenly a wood creak broke the silence.
" The roof top !! " the girl guard shouted.
His eyes shot to the roof catching a silver haired boy slowly rising from the wood bark roof.
" The wind rune cuffs ! "
In that moment he reached for the strap bag strapped to his back brandishing out a pair of cuffs. They were dark with blueish rune symbols etched across their surface. There was no physical connection between them, each held independently in both hands.
With a click the man threw one half of the cuffs at the boy. The cuff spiraled through the air as though surfing the wind towards the boy's open wrist.
Click !
Was the sound of the cuff attaching itself onto the boy's wrist.
" Got you. " the man said as the second half glowed to life, runes flaring as arcane energy surged between them
" Shoot, " the boy cursed trying to yank the cuffs from his hand. Before he could even pull again a stream of air shot from the cuff on his wrist towards the other cuff. The other one did the same resulting into two streams of fast moving air interlocking midway.
" You can't run now… " the female guard shouted as she drove a fist into his face. The boy spiraled down off the roof crashing close to the spikey debris of the flower pot.
Click !
A few seconds later the second cuff closed.