The World We Do Not Know - 153 Caracus

Caracus had a massive amount of 500 soldiers on their sides already, from which 200 will be on the front lines with barricade walls and heavy shields that can defend against heavy fire. Following them will be 50 guards with spears from Mindoro and 100 guards and raiders from Caracus with swords and hammers and axes. Behind them are the archers and mid range fighters. And the rear will be protected by 150 soldiers consisting of again Guards from Caracus and medics from Mindoro and on a completely different unit are 100 soldiers along with the supporters and communicators of Mindoro, will be concealing themselves behind the hills to ambush if the opportunity is created. And the four soldiers along with the general of Caracus will be leading this massive army standing in between the barricades.

“Ah by the way, It don’t seem like there is someone from Sable village here, did they not come?” Edward asks with surprise.

“Yeah right, they said they would rather try to flee the island if they were attacked, but said they won’t be standing along with us in a fight. It is expected since we have been attacking their village from a long time.” General Gideon spoke without a hint of remorse.

“But I’m not ashamed of what we have done. Our village suffered harsh climatic conditions and droughts. Our ancestors were kicked out and thrown rocks at by both of your villages when asked for some roof and food after the great calamity.

They even had to feed the dead to their kids to keep them alive. It was what shaped us into war freaks. We didn’t want to suffer anymore, which means we have to take from you guys. We did what we had to. Now I look forward to work with you guys to protect my people.” Gideon said compassionately and was determined to do anything for the sake of his village.

And Edward doesn’t even know what to say at this moment to Gideon and was left in a shock. He cannot completely agree to what Gideon said as it is the ancestors of Mindoro that treated the people of Caracus like animals. Whereas Mindoro now, is a changed village which always gave help to anyone in need.

The war siren has been given by Caracus as a message to the warriors to standby in their respective positions.

All the soldiers started taking their positions. The rear guards and medics equipped with basic armor and weapons. The archers have been given the finest of bows made by the best Craftsmen of Caracus village and the four soldiers along with Edward and General Gideon had taken cover inside barricades waiting for the enemy to show up as the first rays of sun hit the shields of the warriors near the sea-shore.

*”Why is everyone waiting near the shore? Are they expecting the enemy to show up? Do they know where the enemy is going to come from, or are they expecting them to show up from the same entrance as last time?”* Ares stands in between the barricades wondering as the whole area is silent. Only the sounds of wind blowing can be heard as no man standing is uttering a word.

*”As someone who came to the island from outside, I know how hard it is to enter the island through the whirlpools and giant storms that always lurks around the island. Half of your forces will get wiped out before they reach the shore”* Ares started to have a really uneasy feeling about the air around him.

It’s been hours since the sun has come out, all the soldiers were still being put in the positions they were offered to.

The sun now reached above their heads. Some of the soldiers were getting impatient little by little. They had been standing here for 6 hours already, and the heat of the sun was taking a toll on them. However, the waves of the ocean were very pleasant as there are no visible objects in sight. Nero, the chief provided water to the men at shore with the help of the women of his villages.

It was eve already, the sun was setting down. Every villager was too tired to even move their limbs, they were standing on the shore all day.  Even the supporters had been searching other places to see if the enemies are coming from other parts of the island. Yet, no signs of enemies were found. Alex, who was looking inside the island on his own for the traces of enemies or enemy camps, could spot nothing.

“This is quite a situation isn’t it?” Gideon, the General of Caracus village nervously asked Ares while he repetitively gripped the handle of his spear over.

“It is indeed an unexpected situation, we don’t know what to do from here on out either.” Ares replied while smiling.

“I don’t see one of your friends anywhere” Gideon asks Alex with a hint of suspicion on his face.

“Ah, he is actually the youngest of us all. The younger one doesn’t have much endurance so he went back to camps to rest, but be assured we will be the one fighting. He is someone who repairs our weapons and upgrades them to be useful in battles” Ares told Gideon to avoid him from suspecting them.

“I see.” Gideon said while his eyes scanned around, counting the soldiers and villagers from Mindoro.

If anything, Ares and his gang do not want to anger the Caracus village. After all, Mindoro will be the one that would have to take the responsibility for any misdoing done by them, since these four are from Mindoro.

Alex comes back from searching all over the island but nothing abnormal came into his sight. Ares realized this with one look from Alex’s disappointed face.

The sun had set down and the waves of the ocean became rough as soon as the moon was up and it started showering snow. The cold is biting the bones of the soldiers that are still on the shore.

Nero decides to call back the villagers since everyone is tired, sitting on the shore and staring at the ocean will just make the villagers more tired.

Meanwhile Ares’s heart is beating fast and he can’t help but feel uneasy. If the enemy showed up as they’re supposed to and get into fight, things would have gone smoothly. They would have a chance to win, but now the enemy is not showing up like they said they would. Are they plotting something elsewhere? Or are they going to attack at night? Or hiding already on the island? or is the enemy near Mindoro as they keep waiting for them here? Ares have been bothered by these doubts in his mind.

Meanwhile in Mindoro,

Infants’ cries are heard, the air was violent, Gus had a serious look on his face and holding only his wooden sword with a despaired face while he stared at something burning near the shrines on the hill. Are the shrines and villages on fire?

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“Achoo~~ ” a villager of Mindoro sat with Gus beside him guarding the shrine on the hill with a campfire. Gus is staring at the campfire while reminiscing Ares’s words.

“Gus, knock that look off your face already, brother. Just because Ares didn’t take you to war, you have been staring at the fire for a long time. It’s creeping me out. Anyway, why would we have to guard this shrine at night too? We only have a tent here and it’s too cold.” A villager complained while getting impatient.

“We can’t help it. The other day when Ares and his friends visited the shrines on each of these hills, they told us that our village will be in grave danger if a foreigner is to find about these shrines. So we need to guard it at night too. We shouldn’t let anyone who is not from our village to approach these shrines.” Gus replied to the villagers with a serious look on his face

“Ehh, but these shrines are in bad shape, I wonder who would want these stupid shrines. And why are those infants from that house at the foot of this hill crying all night??? I can hear them from here. Gosh, feed them something, stupid parents” The villager mumbles grumpily.

“You heard what Ares said, there is some energy flow and oscillation here. I didn’t understand what they said, but it must be important. I have never seen Ares that surprised, so we better do our jobs correctly.” Gus told the villagers.

Gus had been ordered to guard the village and he was carrying his job out well.

*At caracus*

The war however, didn’t seem to happen any time soon, no enemy was showing up. All of the barricades and shields had come down. The whole army is in deep sleep, while villagers from Mindoro are guarding the sleeping warriors of Caracus.

“Why did you accept to guard these people voluntarily Edward? We could go back to let our chief know.” A villager asks Edward.

“It can’t be helped. They have been carrying barricades and heavy armor all day. And they’re hurt from defending their village already. Let us be the guards and I have sent 5 messengers back to Mindoro to relay what happened here. If this is how it will be and the enemy doesn’t show up. We can go back to our village and live peacefully.”” Edward replies to the villagers.

“Oh right, how old are your two daughters now?” The villager asks to bring up Edward’s daughters.

“They’re two years old now, they never go to sleep without me and cry a lot if I come home late. Hope they’re not giving trouble to their mother.” Edward smiled slightly to himself as he recalled his daughters who would call out to him happily each time he was home from work.

In Mindoro,

“Ahhh, calm down, daddy will be here by tomorrow. Please calm down the whole village will get mad at us for not letting them sleep” Edward’s wife, placed at the foot of a hill near the shrine, tried her best to calm her crying children, while she herself was crying inside, worried about her husband.

“Man, these kids are never going to sleepppp” The villager guarding with Gus, yelled out loudly with frustration.

And the next day after acknowledging from the reliable messengers that no enemy had the temerity to show up at Caracus, Gus stormed out towards the war field.

“Good Gracious , what do we do with this kid now? I hope he will be ok. You guys can go now and aid Caracus and see if there are any signs of war today or tomorrow. If not; we will withdraw from Caracus in a week.” Mars narrates the message of whole planning to the five messengers and sends them away on their way.

*In Caracus*

“General Gideon, a young boy has arrived claiming he is from Mindoro and wants to meet the villagers.” One of the warriors of Caracus informed Gideon about the unusual arrival of Gus.

“Take him wherever he wants to go. We’re not confiscating anyone here. Moreover tell him to find his people, himself.” Gideon roared agitated while Gus is standing near the door listening to all and at the same time despising him and Caracus.