Groups of patrollers camp in each boundary of Irca scouting for anomalous things that usually happen. There were groups assigned per town in each territory. Irca is a small nation comprising of four lands—Leyte in the east, Boho in the south, Nego in the west, and Ilo in the north.
A deafening rumbling sound overwhelmed the peaceful night in Leyte and covered the night sky with aesthetic aurora. A simultaneous happening that started in a gust to a squall of wind followed by the wild, frantic flight of the birds in Boho, and the eruptions of the volcanoes in Ilo. For a very long time, no natural disaster has occurred or any unusual things happened not long before the dark sorcerers left the earth.
"...phecy."
One scout slowly stood from his seat, putting aside his bowl of hot potato soup, and mumbled while staring at the sky.
"It has to do with the prophecy," the scout declared.
"How do you know?"
A girl beside him also stood up and looked at him with a concerned expression.
"Rai, we have to go to Leyte."
He said sternly without giving any other thoughts.
"But we can't just leave our posts. The Captain is in Elshire right now."
Rai held him back when he started picking up his sword and satchel.
"I can feel the captain will be here in no time."
The scout spoke nonchalantly while fixing his things.
In no time, just as the scout said, a burst of wind started to distract Rai's worries. Riding a fiery dragon-like bird silhouette—the guardian Minokawa, the captain is now in front of them.
The Minokawa made Rai flinched with its scorching aura, incredibly strong and potent. It was her first time to see the guardian in close proximity.
"It doesn't burn… me."
Rai stood in total astonishment and adulation in front of the great Minokawa. She wanted to come closer and touch it but to her surprise, the scout hurriedly prevented her from doing so.
"You want to vanish from this world?"
Rai was perplexed hearing his apathetic voice.
"Eh?"
"Come on, Agor. Lady Leuve will not die from Minokawa but in your hands."
The captain jumped off from Minokawa.
"Captain Ravil!"
Agor and Rai, along with the scouts and cadets in the campsite saluted the captain. He waved and put everyone at ease; he spoke to Agor calmly like he knew what he wants.
"Don't be in haste, boy."
The captain discouraged the scout.
"It will be a long ride even if it's by air. This Minokawa won't even be able to bring you there right away since its post is within Boho."
Agor didn't speak of any response but looked at the captain unwaveringly.
"The oracles in Bethil are certainly running to the Mountain Temple as we speak and the wizards are already creating the barrier."
Captain Ravil continued to speak while beckoning to the Minokawa to notify the other territories that Boho is safe.
"Permission to speak, Captain Ravil!"
Rai, who is apparently perplexed with the conversation, chimed in.
"Lady Leuve—"
"Ca... Cadette Leuve, Captain." Rai desperately corrected Captain Ravil. Her stance, though shows a little lady-like, is infuriating and displayed a convincing manner with her astute azure eyes.
Before the captain could speak, Agor approached beside Rai and tapped her shoulder.
"Let me speak with the captain, Cadette Leuve."
Rai wasn't able to move right away when she felt Agor's warmth and heard his monotonous voice emphasizing the word cadette. She blushed and touched her face with her both hands while being deeply baffled.
While the two were taking their leave, Captain Ravil received telepathic voices sent from Leyte and Ilo. The Minokawa successfully sent the signal and so the other two lands were safely ascertained from their territory guardians, Leyte's Manaul and Ilo's Bakunawa. Nego lost contact with the other territories due to the barrier experiment conducted three days ago. Maybe it was also the reason why there were no sightings of differences in the area. However, there's also the possibility of an even bigger occurrence. The barrier experiment was certainly a success if that was what it that even their guardian, Garuda, can't be sensed by other guardians and wizards.
"On the contrary, we should be heading to Nego. You can't do anything as of now even if the incidents were because of the prophecy and whatnot."
Captain Ravil tried to appease the disturbing aura of Agor. He flashed a map of Irca and pointed out Nego in it. Until now there was no news about the area. If the events were caused by an emerging prophecy, there should be no land that's left out. The possibility of Nego in danger is a foregone conclusion.
"I know you worry about lots of things but—"
Agor tried to argue but Captain Ravil discouraged his dispute.
"I am not worried at all. Time is crucial but you have to learn how to handle it properly. The time is not now."
Agor clenched his fists but he understands his captain. He also felt how the captain is holding back as he has waited for a prophecy to be claimed longer than him. He truly is a wise man and deserving.
They continued to study the map. Exactly three days, Captain Ravil and Agor will arrive at the boundary of Nego if they'll be blessed by the Elf Guardian. The blessing will make Minokawa take them and leave them there once they set foot. The other soldiers who will travel by horses would be expected to arrive in 15 days. They will be traversing the Capital before they can get to the west. If the north has sent their soldiers by land or water in haste, it could be dangerous. They might be able to come earlier than the Boho troop without passing the Capital but the waters are very treacherous. Should they be able to receive blessings from Bakunawa, it would be worth the risk of rushing. Their hope is Leyte which sent their soldiers for inspection two days ago.
"The oracles saw an obscure omen so they coordinated with the Capital to send soldiers and wizards in Nego." Captain Ravil explained seeing the probing face of Agor.
"Wasn't an omen a signal of a prophecy?"
"It varies and diverts the path of a prophecy sometimes. There were omens decades and decades ago that helped Irca but no specific omen prophesized that Irca will soon be freed. Omens could be a sign of fortune to one but a bad one for another. A prophecy is a sacred message from the gods."
"Isn't the probability of Nego being in great danger, not just a simple omen?"
"If it's not the will of the gods, it won't be studied by the oracles as a prophecy while believing Nego's incident as an omen would either affect Irca in a good or bad way depending on how we perceive or believe it. It'd be a warning for the nation that Nego should stop the hell they are doing now."
Captain Ravil tried to hold his temper and not express his dismay to the neighboring land. There were already disputes in the continuation of the experiment from the towns' people in the west because of labor and resource exploitations. The Capital might have been in contradiction since the people have been rallying, but the reasoning of safety measures is holding the other half of the decision. In the end, they have come up with a compromise for the people.
Captain Ravil sensed no further danger in the boundary of Boho and assigned enough soldiers in each town of Boho. He prepared to leave the same night for Nego with Agor and left Cadet Commander Farel in charge to report directly to the commander.