Fractured Peace (Stardew Valley AU)

A Calm Fishing Trip

Elliott smiled as he began to hear the ocean waves, strong yet gentle that night. The sound was something he had grown used to after months of living next to them, but that did not dull the peaceful feeling it gave him.

He met the old sailor at the docks. Willy had already set up the worn rowboat and tied it to a post, complete with two fishing rods and a container of bait.

"Ya ready?" Willy called.

"Yes!" Elliott considered taking off his tailed coat, but the autumn wind swept a chilly ocean breeze in his direction and he decided against it. He buried his hands in his pockets, remembering the old heater in his cabin that was in desperate need of repair or replacement.

The boat swayed as Willy stepped into it. Elliott quickly reached out to steady it, but the sailor was able to do it himself. He felt a little lightheaded as he looked at the rocking boat. Maybe he shouldn't have had that drink earlier.

Elliott shook his head. The cold air would probably clear it soon, anyway. He gingerly stepped into the boat.

"Stop! STOP!"

The boat swayed under Elliott's foot, and he looked towards the beach. A tall, broad-shouldered figure was running across the sand, flashlight in hand. Elliott quickly recognized him as Kent, the veteran who lived near the center of Pelican Town.

"Get out of the water! Get out of the damn boat!" he shouted.

Willy stood in the rowboat, sharing an uncertain look with Elliott. Both knew very little about the man, and Elliott was unsure how his years abroad had affected him and his mental state. The two climbed back onto the docks as Kent reached them.

"'Evening, Kent," Willy said cautiously. "What's-"

"They're coming!" Kent yelled. "The doctor just told me-he heard it on the radio. They're coming to our shore!"

Elliott placed his hands firmly on Kent's shoulders. Even though he had quite a tall stature, the older man dwarfed him, and he hoped the gesture wouldn't make him panic. Elliott tried to speak as calmly possible, even though he was starting to shake. "Calm down. What is it, Kent? Who's coming?"

Kent's eyes were still wide with fear, but he lowered his voice. "It's the Gotoro Empire. We're being invaded."

Willy gasped. A rock fell into the pit of Elliott's stomach.

"The Gotoro?" he asked. "I thought we were winning the war!'

"They must have been preparing for this." Kent closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he looked at Willy and Elliott again, his voice stern. "Get whatever things you need, and quickly. We're meeting at the old community center now. We won't be safe, least of all here."

Without another word, Kent ran back to the shore, his flashlight lighting the way as the sky darkened. Elliott found himself staring down at the worn wood of the docks, his jaw loose and his knees locked.

Willy gave him a firm whack on the shoulder. "Go! Like he said!"

Elliott snapped back to the present, stunned but understanding of the sailor's harshness. "Yes! Sorry, I'll meet you there!"

He sprinted across the shoreline and beach to his cabin, which rested on a small hill of sand. The door nearly fell off its creaking hinges when he threw it open and began to frantically gather everything he thought he would need into a suitcase. He hadn't brought much with him when he came to Stardew Valley in the first place, so most of the items he cared about easily fit. While searching for his important papers and documentation, he came across a stack of notebooks hiding in the back of his desk drawer. The multicolored covers greeted him as they were pulled out into the light they had been hiding from for, what, two, three months now?

Elliott placed the notebooks into a hidden pocket of the suitcase, along with the other important papers. While he didn't want to stall, he could not help but look back at his house as he headed to the door. If the enemy soldiers reached the shore, what would remain? The cabin with one bathroom and a single area to sleep, eat, and live wasn't exactly the envy of the town, but it was all he had ever since he moved from the city.

Closing his eyes, and telling himself to believe all would be well, Elliott closed the door and ran into the oncoming night.