Ryoiki: Return to The Beyond (6)

CHAPTER 8: Reuniting.

Ita looked silently at the cave opening...

It was the one in their vision from Corvan...Orix was inside, apparently.

As Ita neared the cave, they stopped their horse and got off...pulling out their rifle and entering the cave...

There was silence, the cave was completely black...

Until.

Ita got hit by a flashbang, blinding them for a second.

By the time their vision came back...there was a sword at their throat.

"Drop your weapon traveler!!!" A familiar voice shouted...

Ita looked up, past a small wooden barricade.

Orix, wearing his hunter gear under a flowing black cloak, was holding a flintlock at Ita...there were also several rangers aiming at them with bows.

Ita smiled under their mask and put their rifle down on the floor.

"Now take your face coverings off, unless you prove yourself an enemy."

"...Very serious, aren't you father?" ita said sarcastically, removing their goggles and mask.

All the resistance members immediately lowered their weapons...

"...By the Flame..." Orix mumbled, a smile appearing on his aging face.

He immediately holstered his flintlock and jumped down. Runing over and hugging Ita.

"My little bird!!!"

Ita chuckled and hugged their father tightly.

"How are you, my child!?" Orix asked, his face beaming!

"I'm...great! Just, hungry..."

Orix gently patted Ita's shoulder.

"Right...right..." He said, turning to the barricade.

"Let us in! And get us a table and some food-!" Orix commanded some of the group immediately followed orders.

Ita picked their rifle up off the floor, slinging it over their back.

"So, what's that?" Orix asked, pointing at the rifle.

"An assault rifle." Ita replied, smiling at him.

"Think...a musket. But with way more shots."

Orix lead Ita through the resistance base...it was decently large and was contained in a sprawling cave system.

The two were led to a private room, with a small table and wooden chairs.

"So...how have you been?" Orix asked, removing his cloak and weapons...

"I've been, truthfully? Amazing! Ryoiki, my universe...it has gone so well! I came up with so many ideas on how to build it, like we have a system to track time! You know, like cycles...but its all organized!"

"We have this big pantheon of gods...some of which are my direct children! Kuta got married and had a daughter, Nuzgul is living happily, Aria is still imprisoned-!"

Ita began to gush about their time...but Orix stopped them.

"Okay. Okay. Wait...I have grandchildren?" Orix asked, leaning on the table.

Ita let out a big sigh...

"Yes. You do."

"Haha-! When can I meet them!?"

The two chuckled...

"I uh...actually came to talk to you about that..." Ita said, looking down.

"Oh? What happened?"