Arisen: Memoriam Amicitiae

CHAPTER 1: THE RIGHT THING TO DO

CHAPTER 1:
THE RIGHT THING TO DO

"Yawn! "

I barely moved my body. It's daytime now, however I don't feel like waking up. My alarm clock rang. Shoot, I've got to get moving or I won't make it to work. I prepared my stuff and ate my food fast then locked the house. I waited for a bus to come by and rode it. A few moments came after and we reached the terminal. I like thin air, walked unlikely to notice the fleeting time. Oh?! The time on my wrist watch is already past seven.

"Well time to go, Geez I'm late."

I started to run as quickly as possible. My name is Maximo Armada and I am a police officer ranked as a second lieutenant. I was assigned to Travos City's Fugitive Hunting Division, FHD for short. It happened just about two months ago, but I was tasked to do computer stuff. So I'm not really thrilled to go to work, unlike those ones to go and set foot into ground zero. I wonder if I can perform well on the battlefield.

"Help Me! Someone Please!"

On my way to the police station I heard something. It was a desperate cry for help. Judging from the voice it must have come from an old woman. The voice must be from eight buildings away on where I stood. Eh?! What should I do? I asked myself a question that I couldn't easily come up with a proper answer. My mind went blank for a moment; I don't really know what I needed to do.

"Help, someone..."

The second scream I heard was weaker than the first. Then the situation would be the old woman was being strangled or choked by something. Don't hesitate furthermore; go for it is part of your duty to do so. Go and run as swift as you can! You need to help those in need. I cleared my mind and ran into where the voice came from as fast as I can. I kept running until I reached it, it was a back alley located between two buildings. I made it but I was just too late, my body started to crumble as I saw the old lady's neck. Her neck was slit and she was already gone, she's dead. All of it happened because of my hesitation. My legs fell into the ground and my body lost its strength. I leaned on a wall as my heart was being shattered in regret. I couldn't look at the old woman's corpse. I felt I was going to vomit, I was lost in thoughts.

"Aren't I a police officer? I was meant to serve and protect the people. Why? Why did I fail to fulfill my role?"

"What is it? What was the right thing to do? I don't get it, if only that I have gotten here faster. This horrible event must never have taken place."

So many people started gathering up over the old lady's dead body. I've got no time to waste now. Bringing her corpse to a morgue would be the least that I can do in respect of her soul. I tried to make my body move, and shown my police badge on the people grouping up to make them move. I carried her body on my back and walked towards the nearest hospital that was just a few buildings away. I walked and walked and suddenly I heard her breathe and coughed blood unto my shoulders.

"Cough! Cough!"

At that moment I knew there's still a chance that she's alive. I hoped that she is, and ran without hesitation forward the hospital. Each step I feared, I feared for the old woman's life. Please Gods just this time make me fast. I ran and ran until I reached it, we reached it; the hospital. She was quickly taken by the nurses into the emergency room. The nurse on the counter asked me if I was a relative of the old lady. I said and replied her "no", and sat over the waiting area. I looked up at the ceiling with high hopes that I saved her. A few minutes have passed and she's still inside the operating room. I looked at my wrist watch and the time is already eight fifteen in the morning.

"I've made my first absent in history, huh?" I muttered

My eyes wandered around for a while. Many patients were being charged into the emergency room. Until a group of people asked at the counter, it seems the group was
likely a whole family. One man, two children, one teenager girl, and a woman; yep no mistaking they're a family. My eyes gazed into the hospital's surroundings a little more until I heard the man say.

"Did you see an old woman was taken here? She wore a silver necklace with curly white hair. And her left eye is color white because of blindness? Please tell us if you've seen her!"

The other family member started to cry. So it seems they were the family of the old lady. Since their description of her has matched what I saw. I'm glad, I felt like I saved the day. I stood up from my seat and walked towards them. I told the old woman's family about what happened and tried to calm them.

"Oh, is that so. I'm happy to know my mother's safe. Thank you, I'm thankful to you." The man said

They seem to be fine now. I decided to leave the old woman to her family's care. As I walked outside the hospital it felt like a big thorn in my heart vanished. I remembered the park where I would always go when I was a child and decided to head there. I sat on bench watching the clouds pass by; I didn't have the intention to go to work now because I'm super late. I sighed and let my body loose. A memory from my past started flashing into my head.

"Grandfather..."I murmured

That memory was way back year 1245 A.F. when I was still a seven year old kid. It was nighttime grandfather would always tell me a story that he created with his own mind. However this time it's different he carried a book and it's a big one. It was entitled "Crepusculum Deorum" and it was a story about a fallen god and how it brought ruin. And in that ruin heroes started to arise. I always liked that story. The story of heroic deeds and courageous acts, because of that story I hoped and dreamed for a better world. My tears dropped a little however I opposed its flow. My happiness of having saved a person has now changed by sadness of reminiscing the past.

1.1

My tears stopped. I was amazed at the sky was and it was so calming it's so beautiful to look at. I wasted my time at the park looking around. And enjoying my alone time on viewing what a magnificent world we have until it got dark and left. I was walking my way to go home and remembered what my grandfather always said.

"Do not falter, for you have the strength. Go and fight for what you think is right. "

Yeah right, he always said that. Fight for what you think is right. What is the right thing to do? I don't know. Wait, I've been absent the whole day. Oh shoot! I'll receive a salary decrease for sure. I truly need to report to the station tomorrow and tell them what happened.

"What I think is right, huh." I told myself.

I was walking to the bus station to ride home. A stranger came out of a bus and caught my sight. I think he's a man I couldn't really say because he wore a mask. It's a suspicious encounter, I don't even know him. We were perfect strangers and yet something is familiar. The stranger walked straight towards me. And I also headed towards him, our paths crossed. Without looking back I walked, a few seconds after we crossed paths the stranger talked.

"Do I know you?" he said.

"No, I think not" I replied and turned back facing his direction.

"Maybe we've met each other before and maybe we have not, however I don't care more or less. Just don't look at people like you know them, farewell."

He said while walking with his face in the opposite direction. But still something feels familiar. I don't know, haven't I saw him somewhere? Was it a friend from the past? No I'm just thinking it too deep. I ceased on thinking and decided to head home.

1.2

The next day I came to the police station and reported the cause of my absence. However they said that I'm already dismissed of service. I was shocked, me dismissed? What? But I've just, I just left for one day.

"What! How did this happen?" I told them with frustration.

"It's because the FHD assigned you to the city of Tharus" Said a person who came in the police station wearing our uniform.

"I am Police Captain Pierre Vonreagal of Tharus. You will be working under my supervision from now on. "

Pierre Vonreagal, captain? What's going on? Tharus, assigned? Wha—"

-Chapter End-

[Postscript: A.F. is an abbreviation of the word "After War" it is used by people to remember and honor the two great wars of the past. Two great wars that are said to have ended the reign of the Gods.]