by Ennki Hakari
An even larger man followed Goemon. He must have been at least 270 centimeters tall; his head almost scraped the ceiling. He bowed several times as he entered. The muscles in the man’s back bulged, as did his thick, muscular arms. His legs were short for his height, and two cute round ears sat on his head. Deep wrinkles creased his face, giving him a commanding presence.
Behind him followed a small, middle-aged man around 160 centimeters tall. The determination in his eyes made it clear that he was far from average. Faded scars covered his arms below rolled-up sleeves, and one long rabbit ear was torn off halfway down. As I watched, his brutal face developed a playful grin.
The four walked over to Hanzo and sat beside him, bowing to us. Ariane and I bowed back.
Hanzo gestured to the newcomers. “I believe you have both met Goemon, and of course you know Chiyome. This large man is Gowro, one of the bear people, and the chief of our village.”
The large man bowed low, forehead touching the floor. He looked back up, speaking with a heavy accent.
“I am Gowro, a member of the bear people and village chief. I am immensely grateful and honored that you will help us.” He bowed low again.
“Oh?” I said, a bit confused. “I thought Hanzo was chief.”
Hanzo explained. “This village was built by the Jinshin clan, but we don’t rule it. There are, in fact, multiple villages like this one across the continent.”
Hanzo glanced at the short man with rabbit ears.
A menacing look returned to the man’s face. “I am Pittah, one of the rabbit people. I serve as the village’s military commander. I will lead the advance party to prepare the new location for everyone’s arrival. I look forward to working with you, Arc.” His voice was an intimidating growl. Ponta scooted backward slightly at the sound.
So, a walking, talking skeleton like myself was fine, but the Yakuza-esque Pittah was a no-go for Ponta. I wasn’t sure how it decided where to draw the line, but clearly, spirit creatures weren’t drawn to beast species unconditionally.
Pittah slumped at Ponta’s rejection. It seemed he had a soft spot, despite being fierce-looking.
“What advance party, Pittah?” I asked.
Hanzo stroked his beard as he explained. “The Dragon Lord told Chiyome of a place that would be perfect for us: an open plain beside a large lake. However, I want an advance party to check it out personally. Once we examine the land, we would like you to teleport an engineering group to our new home. They can prepare the basic necessities for the rest of the village’s arrival.”
Traveling to the lake on foot would take quite a long time. While the advance party was busy examining the land, I would need to get a good feeling for the surroundings, so I could teleport the engineering group there. Since this new land didn’t have walls to drive off monsters, like the village did, they would need to build temporary defensive structures, along with sleeping quarters.
“How many days do you believe it will take until the engineering group is ready to accept the first settlers?” I asked. “And how many groups do you plan to break the village into?”
I wanted to know the plan so I could prepare accordingly.
Hanzo arched an eyebrow. “It will be at least a month or two until we’re ready to move the first settlers. After that, we plan to relocate about half the townspeople.”
“Ah, I see,” I said. “So, you won’t be abandoning this village?”
Hanzo shook his head. “This village belongs to our people. The place we’re moving to is safe from outside attack, but also incredibly difficult to reach. The third Hanzo abandoned the shrine because he couldn’t assist his comrades while maintaining a base there.”
Without the ability to use space-time ninjutsu, or some other teleportation magic, the only way in or out was through the monster-infested forests and cave.
The hulking warriors in front of me could probably make the journey, but there were also plenty of civilians and children in the village, who would undoubtedly suffer many casualties.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why do you wish to return to a place you abandoned?”
Hanzo shook his head. “Back in the days of the founding elder, our people settled in many villages. Whenever humans abducted our comrades, they were rescued and returned to their homes. But as the human population increased, it pushed the villages deeper into the woods and higher into the mountains, until we found ourselves where we are now, living only in places where humans dare not venture. Our numbers have dwindled greatly, as has travel between our villages.”
Everyone sat in silence, eyes downcast, the only sounds the bubbling stew and crackling wood.
In such a small village, with no one entering or leaving, it would only be a matter of time until everyone was related.
The new location might be surrounded by mountains, but it also had a vast field. They could even increase the field’s size by cutting down the surrounding trees. As they developed the land, they could bring settlers from other villages to diversify their population. At least, I assumed that was their plan.
According to Ariane, the mountain people had a massive country to themselves on the southern continent. Here in the north, however, the humans had crowded them into a corner.
“Should we send the advance party out first thing tomorrow, then?”
Hanzo bowed his head. “Yes, I would appreciate… Huh?!” He jerked backward to look at me, expression grim.
Until then, the conversation had gone smoothly, but the mood in the room had suddenly changed. I looked around, confused.
Hanzo wasn’t the only one who looked alarmed. Gowro, Pittah, and even Chiyome stared at me, wearing surprised expressions. Only Goemon seemed unphased.
Ariane looked alarmed. “Arc, y-you’re changing back!”
I ran my fingers across my face. The spring water had worn off much faster than I expected. I wondered if storing the water for a longer time weakened its effect.
“An undead?!”
The men on the other side of the hearth began to stand.
With a heavy sigh, I explained my body’s circumstances.
Chapter 4:
Building a Village Anew
When we got up the next morning, the sky was still a deep shade of indigo.
At the Calcut Mountains’ base, dense white mist swirled over the forest like a sea of clouds, giving the peaks the appearance of islands. The whole scene looked rather mystical.
Several tough-looking men and women, laden with equipment, had already gathered in the village square in front of Hanzo’s home. A little farther away, other villagers watched.
I stood in the center of the group, dressed from head to toe in my armor. Atop my helmet, Ponta let out the occasional yawn. Ariane was next to me, in her usual form-fitting leather armor, her long white hair blowing in the chilly morning breeze. Chiyome—along with the village chief, Gowro, and the military commander, Pittah—stood stoically beside us, wearing her ninja garb.
Last night, in the middle of my long-winded attempt to explain my skeleton body to Hanzo and the others, Ponta got fed up from all the waiting and started to howl, so we’d moved on to dinner.
The stew consisted of greens from the Calcut Mountains, meat, and flour dumplings. It had a slightly peculiar taste, but I enjoyed it. The greens, meat juices, and salt provided most of the flavor, leaving me wanting just a little something extra.
Later that evening, Chiyome revealed that flour was incredibly rare in the village. They’d really gone all out for Ariane and me last night.
From the outside looking in, the village seemed to be doing all right, but the food situation told a grimmer story about their difficulties.
I could only hope that the villagers’ new home would bring them the stability they were looking for.
***
I looked out at the people gathering in the village square. A hulking woman wielding an impressive-looking axe was speaking with Gowro. She was slightly shorter than the village chief
, standing around 250 centimeters tall. She wore her reddish-brown hair short, and had two round ears on top of her head. Red-dyed leather armor covered her skin, suntanned the color of golden wheat. I guessed that she was also one of the bear people.
Gowro bowed his head in my direction and walked over, gesturing for the woman to come with him.
“Thank you for your assistance today, Arc,” Gowro said. “This is my daughter, Rowze. She will be Pittah’s second-in-command in the advance party.”
She bowed her head and offered her hand. “Name’s Rowze, just like Dad said. I’ll make sure that old fart Pittah doesn’t stab himself with his own weapon. I guess you’ll be looking after us for a while, eh, Arc? Thanks.”
“Pleased to meet you, Rowze.”
She had an impressive grip. After we shook, she flashed me a warm, toothy grin.
I had to tilt my head back to look up at her, since she had a full fifty centimeters on me.
I’d thought I was a pretty impressive sight myself, but quite a few people in this village alone struck far more intimidating figures. The bear people were an extreme example—a species any human would be wise to fear.
Hanzo called to me from behind. “I entrust the safety of my people to you, Arc.”
I turned to see the elder wearing a warm, grandfatherly grin. Pittah, the rabbit-eared man I met the previous evening, stood next to him, smiling as well. He wore leather armor with a dark, almost menacing sheen, and two scimitars strapped to his back.
“Kyiiiii…”
I felt Ponta recoil atop my helmet, clearly put off by the sight of Pittah. I reached up and scratched its chin to comfort it. There was just something about Pittah that Ponta really didn’t care for.
Pittah again looked crushed.
The advance party consisted of ten people, including Ariane, Chiyome, and myself. Pittah was in charge, with Rowze as his second. The party also included Goemon, one of the Jinshin clan’s top fighters. The other four members were village soldiers.
The party might have seemed small for such a journey. However, speed was of the essence. There was also a limit on the number of people I could teleport at once. I decided to think of us as something like a special operations team.
“First, we’ll teleport to the base of the mountain, where the shrine is,” I said. “Please circle around me, everyone.”
The members of the advance party hefted their gear and moved toward me. I was now surrounded by large, muscular fighters who looked at least as strong as—if not stronger than—me. After I made sure that the villagers who came to see us off had stepped away, I looked to Hanzo.
“I will wait here for your fortuitous report,” the elder said.
I nodded, then summoned my long-distance teleportation spell.
“Transport Gate!”
Bluish-white light spread underneath our feet, forming a rune on the ground. The world went black, and a moment later, everyone found themselves in completely new surroundings. The mountain people, aside from Chiyome, gasped in surprise as their village disappeared before their very eyes.
I’d teleported us to the torii at the mountain’s base. Looking up, I saw the Lord Crown’s massive outline poking out near the peak.
“Hmm. Well, it certainly smells different here than in the forests near Calcut.” One of Pittah’s long ears—the intact one—stood at attention as he listened intently, nose twitching as he sniffed the air.
Rowze hefted her massive battle axe, muttering to herself as she looked around. “It’s one thing to hear it described to you, but it’s something else to actually teleport like that.”
One of the village soldiers—a young man with pointy ears—stood next to her, looking around in alarm. Rowze smacked him lightly on the back of the head.
He cried out in surprise. “Oww! Whaddya doin’, lady?”
“Don’t call me ‘lady,’ Gin. And quit being so jumpy. Act like a real soldier in an advance party. That cottontail fox over there is calmer than you.”
“Kyii?”
Rowze gave a hearty laugh as, atop my helmet, Ponta scratched its ear with one hind leg.
Standing around 190 centimeters tall, the soldier Rowze called Gin was hardly dainty or childish. Still, the taller, bulkier Rowze seemed to enjoy teasing him in a sisterly fashion.
Judging by Gin’s tail and ears, I figured he came from a dog or wolf species. His ears and tail drooped at Rowze’s rebuke, as though he were a scolded pet.
“Don’t let your guard down. This is unexplored territory. Check your gear one last time, everyone.” Pittah glared in Rowze and Gin’s direction as he gave his orders.
Silently, Chiyome came down from a tree she’d climbed when I wasn’t looking. She made her way toward us.
“Ah, Chiyome. Did you get your bearings?” Pittah asked.
Chiyome pointed into the forest. “It’s directly east of our location. Maybe a three-day trip.”
Pittah nodded. “From here on out, everything we do is for the fate of the village. I want you to give it your all!”
“Hoorah!” Rowze, Gin, and the other party members raised their weapons and gave a hearty cheer.
Pittah took a spot at the head of the party and headed in the direction Chiyome indicated, leading the way into the dense forest.
Ariane and I followed, with Chiyome and Goemon bringing up the rear. I felt as though we were survivalists testing our mettle against the land. Unlike human survivalists, however, this group consisted of species who lived in forests and mountains, and could maintain a nearly unthinkable pace.
In fact, I was probably the party’s slowest member.
We moved at about the same speed I could manage when teleporting along a road. Even more impressively, the mountain people could smell monsters’ presence. Therefore, they could adjust the route and avoid the creatures entirely, leading to a relatively conflict-free first day.
As night fell, we set up camp in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by massive trees. The party members put down their bags and began performing their assigned roles: preparing dinner, standing guard, and setting up tents.
Ariane and I were treated like guests, and weren’t given anything to do. Even when I tried to help, Pittah told me it was unnecessary. I drew the Holy Thunder Sword of Caladbolg and started chopping down wild grass to make the camp a little tidier.
A short time later, someone called to me. “Dinner’s ready, Arc! Just what are you doing over there?”
I turned to find an exasperated Ariane with her hands on her hips. “I, umm, I wanted to clean up the area. I guess I got lost in thought.”
Looking around at the well-manicured clearing, I felt pride well up within me.
“We’re only going to be here for the night, you know. We don’t need it to be pretty.”
Of course I knew that. “Well, I didn’t have anything else to do. Besides, what’s so bad about sprucing up our camp?”
“I get it, but…really, Arc, the way you use your sword is all wrong.”
Ariane’s complaints continued as we returned to the group and sat for dinner, which was a stew of simple preserved food. Everyone, except those standing watch, slurped it down eagerly.
No sooner had I pulled off my helmet than I felt the advance party’s eyes on me. Although they had been told about my condition, it was entirely different to see it with their own eyes. They stared intently at the skull looking back at them.
If I’d been able to blush, I would have. But alas, my skull remained expressionless.
“Get back to eating, rubberneckers. We ain’t got time for that.” Pittah seemed to pick up on my discomfort. The party members went back to eating.
Like the elves, the mountain people had excellent vision, and their other senses were far more acute than humans’. I was touched by the fact that, in spite of all that, they still accepted me, a skeleton, as a member of their party.
I thanked Pittah, and began eating my own stew.
As I chewed the soft meat, I co
nsidered what I wanted to do once I helped the mountain people migrate. I could now lift my skeleton curse temporarily, but I had a dark elf’s body. Perhaps it would be better to try to live among elves than humans.
A human soul in the body of an elf… I wondered if this was how bats felt, stuck somewhere between birds and mammals. Except, in my case, the whole notion of a soul also complicated things. Was my soul human? Or, now that my physical body had changed so completely, was my human identity nothing more than a collection of memories from my past life?
This was all getting rather philosophical.
Ariane nudged me with her elbow, a perplexed look on her face. “Hey, what’re you thinking about?”
“Huh?” I realized I’d stopped eating. “Ah… Umm… Nothing important, really. I was just wondering what I want to do with my life after this.”
Under Ariane’s scrutinizing gaze, I lifted my bowl to my mouth.
Ignoring the problem of confirming my species, I decided that finding—and defining—a clear place of my own was a good idea.
I thought of Ariane’s parents, Dillan and Glenys, and figured it would probably be a good idea to get their thoughts too. I took a sip of broth.
“At the very least,” I said, “I’d like to avoid living like a bat. It’s no fun spending your time in a cave and only moving under the cover of darkness.”
I’d meant the comment for myself, but Ariane’s ears perked up as she combed Ponta’s fur. She turned a quizzical gaze in my direction.
I replied with a simple shake of my head, and turned my attention to the star-strewn sky. It looked like a glimmering ocean that could swallow me at any moment. I didn’t know much about constellations, but the fact that I couldn’t spot any of the ones I was familiar with left me with an odd, cold sensation.
Even so, I was happy in that moment. Happy to be living in this strange world, eating a warm meal, bantering with friends. I wasn’t sure whether that positive outlook came from the fact that I was a skeleton incapable of feeling negative emotions to any strong degree, or if it was because I wasn’t facing any real issues, like the ones I had back in my own world.