Chapter 21: The Rebels

Retas

"Stop right there, Titanos soldiers!" a voice echoed behind us.

My eyes widened. Had I been discovered? No, he said soldiers. It had to be a mix up.

I looked over my shoulders. My eyes widened as a brown-haired boy with pink eyes who resembled Commander Zolstein stood far behind us, bow at the ready. Why did he look just like my comrade?

"Titanos? We aren't!" Day protested.

"We're not your enemy," I called out, keeping my voice steady. The last thing we needed was a fight.

The boy didn't lower his weapon, his gaze hard as he studied us. "Then who are you? I've never seen you two before."

"Can't you see our clothes?" Day asked.

"Ha! You could be disguised for all I know."

Unfortunately, he was half right.

Day huffed. "Are you thick? We aren't your enemies. As for who we are, I'm Sarudei and this is Ret! We're both rebels. Sorta."

The boy lowered his bow slightly. "Rebels, huh? What do you mean by sorta?"

Day looked down. "Well, we aren't part of an official rebel group. We're just trying to survive. But the plan is to fight Titanos, eventually."

The boy walked over to us. "Eventually? Why wait?"

This guy seemed like more of a hot head than my fellow Commander. Seemed looks was all they had in common.

"Because," I interjected, "even rebellion needs a plan. And right now, there's a lot we don't know about Titanos."

The boy seemed to ponder over my words as he sheathed his bow. "So, you're not with them?" he asked, his suspicions seemingly abating. 

"No, we're not," I confirmed, my gaze steady. "We've been on the run, just like you."

A moment of silence passed before the boy extended his hand. "Name's Zane," he introduced himself. "And if you're really against Titanos, then we're on the same side."

Day shook his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Zane. So, are you part of a formal rebel group?"

He looked around, checking to see if any other people were around. "Yes. But we aren't any less ragtagged than your group probably is."

"Uh, since we're here. Could you take us to meet them. I mean, Ret has a point, but so do you. We can't wait forever."

Zane eyed us for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. Then he nodded, sheathing his bow. "Alright," he agreed. "Follow me, but stay quiet. We're not far from the village, but it's important we don't draw unwanted attention."

We followed Zane through the dense underbrush, keeping our footsteps light and our voices silent. Every now and then, Zane would glance back at us, as if to make sure we were still following.

After what felt like an hour, we finally arrived at our destination. It was an underground village, hidden beneath the forest floor. The entrance was cleverly disguised, almost invisible if you didn't know what to look for.

Once inside, I was amazed at the sight that met my eyes. The village was bustling with activity. Men, women, and children moved about, going about their daily routines. It felt like a real town.

"Welcome to our humble abode," Zane said, gesturing around him. "This is our safe haven, our home."

Day looked around, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's amazing," she whispered.

Zane led us through the village, introducing us to the villagers as we passed by. They were wary of us at first, but Zane's reassurances seemed to put them at ease.

Finally, we arrived at a large stone hut at the center of the village. "This is our group's HQ," Zane said, nodding proudly.

"Woah, you even got your own HQ," Day muttered.

He pushed open the door and gestured for us to enter.

"Zane, you're back!" a voice called out. An orange-haired guy with red eyes jumped over and hugged him.

"Ugh, stop hugging me!" Zane said, trying to push him off.

The guy turned and gasped as he stared at Day. "So pretty!" He glanced at me. "And a handsome guy too! You really got yourself a pair of gems, huh, Zane?"

"That's not why they're here, Kaeii," Zane grumbled, finally managing to extricate himself from the hug.

Kaeii just laughed it off, turning his attention back to us. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Kaeii, the second in command of our merry band of rebels."

Zane rolled his eyes. "Second? More like third or fourth!"

"Nice to meet you, Kaeii," I said, offering a nod of acknowledgment. "I'm Ret, and this is Day."

Kaeii's grin widened. "I can see why Zane brought you here. You two definitely look like you can handle yourselves."

Before I could respond, a new voice echoed through the room. "Kaeii, Zane, who are our guests?"

I turned to see a woman stepping into the room. She was older, with silver hair and sharp, intelligent eyes. There was a sense of authority about her, a commanding presence that left no doubt that she was the one in charge.

"These are Sarudei and Ret," Zane said, smiling slightly. "Sarudei is a fellow rebel from another town. You two, this is our leader, Arisa."

She looked up Day up and down. "I see. So, Sarudei, was it?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever fought a Titanos' before?"

She lowered her gaze. "Yes, but I have yet to take one down."

"I see. It appears you still have a long ways to go. Being a rebel isn't all fun and games."

Kaeii sighed. "I sure wished it were!"

"Kaeii," Zane snapped, shooting him a stern look. "This isn't the time for jokes."

"Right, sorry," Kaeii replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

The leader, however, merely shook her head in exasperation. "Really, Kaeii, you should know better than to make light of such matters."

Despite her stern words, I could see a hint of fondness in her eyes as she looked at Kaeii. It was clear that, despite his lack of seriousness, Kaeii was a valued member of their group.

Turning back to Day, the leader's gaze softened. "I didn't mean to discourage you, Sarudei," she said. "We all have to start somewhere. The important thing is that you're willing to fight."

Day nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "I am. And I won't stop until Titanos is defeated."

The leader nodded approvingly. "Now, how about I test you two?"

"Test?" I asked.

She put her hands on her hips and nodded. "Indeed. Kaeii, Zane. I am going to have you two face off against these two."

Zane nodded.

Kaeii sighed. "Alright. Just don't hit the face, okay?"

Day wrinkled her nose. "Okay?"

He grinned. "Great!"