(Y/N) POV
I look around and see the same. Red darkness, it looks like something from a desert, no signs of green anywhere...or even any form of life
"What's your name?" The boy asks
"I'm (Y/N), who are you?" I ask
"I'm Karp, nice to meet you," The boy says.
Karp looks about 4 years younger than me. He has dark skin with black hair and wears very little clothes, just some rags to cover the important bits.
Speaking of which, I look down to make sure I'm not naked myself. Thankfully I'm wearing some decent clothes.
In fact, I see Karp eyeing them with jealousy
"So what's this place?" I ask
"It's the dark territory, that's pretty much all we know, most of us have been taught to stay away from it. And then suddenly we ended up here, I don't know why," Karp says thinking
"Hmm," I say
"Do you seriously not remember how you got here?" Karp asks
"No, I don't," I tell him
He is quiet until we reach a cave, we enter and I'm met with 2 other people
"I'm back," Karp says after we enter
"Karp!" I hear a little girl say in excitement but stops as she sees me
"Who is he?" She asks as she backs up a bit
"This is (Y/N), he is like us," Karl explains to the little girl. I smile and crouch to her eye level. She has purple hair with matching eyes, unlike Karp, she has much better clothes, but they are still rags.
"I'm (Y/N), nice to meet you," I say smiling
"I'm Angalo," she says fiddling with her hands as she rotates her body side to side shyly
"She's rather shy," Karp explains
"It's fine," I say. She reminds me of Jenn, even though they have no similar features.
In fact, every child I see reminds me of Jenn. I remember her all the time, and I'm always missing her
"Karp your back," A man says walking from within the cave. the entrance of the cave is very discrete.
The cave as you enter it, curves and bends, so it's almost impossible to spot someone deep inside
"I'm Kent," He says shaking my hand
"(Y/N)," I say to the Buffy red-haired guy. Normally I'd say he has a lot of muscle, but the three people I've seen so far look very malnourished. They all look far too skinny
"Garth is farther in, he is trying to get us back to the human empire," Karp says
"Garth?" I ask
"He's our leader I guess," Kent says frowning
"Follow me," Karp says as he leds me deeper into the cave
"So how do you survive?" I ask
"We live off crops we make in this cave, it's not much but it's enough," Kent says
"I see," I say as we enter an opening. There's a crop of some kind growing and a well-built man watching over it. He is well-fed, or he is the newest member and hasn't been here long enough to lose a lot of weight
"Karp, I see you brought another person," He says looking at me and Karp
"Yes, I found him a mile out," Karp explains
"I told you we can't bring in any more people, Kent was the last person we could bring in," Garth says.
Looking at him, he is in his mid-40s and has a gut to him.
"But I figured we could split your rations in two, having 5 minds is better than having 4," Karp asks
"That's stupid! My brain needs energy so I can think of a way to get us out of here! That's why I eat 2x more than you guys, it's so I can think!" Garth out lashes as Angalo hides behind Kent
"Bu--" Karp says before Garth continues
"Do you remember what happened when you talked back to me, you may think your handy with a sword, but your no match against a holy knight like me," he boasts
Karp scowls
"I see how it is," I say
"Yes, you need to leave...now," Garth says smugly
"No, you're using these guys," I say as I take a step closer to him
"I'm saving them!" He defends himself.
"No way in hell, your starving them as you get a full meal every day," I say taking another step
"Stay back or I'll stab you!" Garth says taking out a short sword that was behind his back
"Bring it!" I yell as he charges me.
I let him get close before I attack.
The attack is very sloppy, he has almost no reaction time to see that I dodged his attack and jumped so his face knocks itself into my knee.
What was it he said? Holy knight ...that's funny. He gets knocked to the ground and eats dirt as I stand over him
"Coward," I say looking at him
"I will be their saviour," he says
"No, you will be their destroyer," I remark
"This isn't the last you'll see of me," He says running away to the exit of the cave
"Are you ok?" Karp asks
"Yea, how long has he been here?" I ask
"Since I got here," Karp shrugs
"So he's been getting fat as you starve....pathetic," I say
"We tried to get equal rations, but he says he needs food to figure a way out," Kent says
"A way out, I don't see how he can do that in a cave," I add
"His plan was to tunnel to the human empire," Karp explains
"With what? a spoon?" I ask
"With that," Karp says pointing at the short sword on the ground that he dropped after I kneed him
"Seriously?" I ask
"Ye," Angalo says
I sigh as I look at it
"He beat it up a lot, it used to be mine," Karp says as he picks it up and draws an S on it which brings up a menu. I must be in a game if this happening. But what am I doing here?
"Thank you, we never could stand up to him," Kent says
"He sounds like a grade-A asshole," I say
"I know your new, but you've already gained our trust, would you be our new leader?" Karp asks
"Me?" I ask surprised
"Yeah, I mean, you kicked Garth out. Something we had to do a long time ago but didn't," Kent explains,
"I mean, if you guys want," I say
"It's settled, your our new leader," Karp says smiling
Kate POV
"Kate I'm sure he is fine," Linda says
"Yea, it just concerns me that they moved him without telling me," I say nervously
"Asuna said she found him and Kirito right?" Linda asks me
"Yea, on a sea turtle ship thing," I say
"See, he is all safe," Linda says comforting me
"It's just, it's been a while since he hasn't been by my side when I need him," I tell Linda
"Ah yes, if he was awake, he'd be right here right now," Linda says
"He loves you a lot," Linda continues. My eyes get watery as Linda hugs me
"I haven't seen two people who love each other as much as you two in a long time," She says stroking my long dark blue hair.
"I miss him," I say
"I'm sure he misses you too,"