1 Day LaterLocation: Kingdom of Vorgod – Kormot Island – Derhim Village
Erlik was helping Ella and Burla on Burla's farm next to their house.
While working, Erlik was sweating heavily. Burla had managed to find him a set of farming clothes from the children of some friends in the village.
Erlik paused for a short break. First, he looked at Burla's farm, then at the neighbors' fields.
Erlik (thinking):The knowledge of farming here is almost as advanced as in our world. I guess when magic isn't involved, technology and knowledge grow naturally instead.
As Erlik was lost in thought, Burla came up to him.
Burla: Are you comfortable in those clothes?Erlik: To be honest, they're a little tight, but I can move around just fine, so it's no problem.Burla: Don't worry. Tomorrow, villagers from Kerpiz Village will come to sell fabric and clothes.Erlik: Kerpiz Village?Burla: A village near Prison Lake, just south of us. While our village relies on agriculture, theirs produces textiles, wool, and cotton.Erlik: How often do they come?Burla: Once every two weeks.Erlik: Hmm, isn't that difficult to manage?Burla: It is, but we have no other choice. Things aren't like they used to be.Erlik: What do you mean?
Burla grew somber and began to explain.
Burla: Three villages are tied to the city of Darkiz. Our Derhim Village farms. Kerpiz Village to our south deals in textiles, cotton, and wool. Further south, bordering the Prison Mountains, is the village of Behind-the-Lake, which handles mining and blacksmithing.
Erlik: Sounds like a good system—a nice cycle of trade.Burla: Yes, it was. We didn't even use money, really. Each village had small embassy huts in the others.
Erlik chuckled warmly.
Erlik: Inter-village embassies, huh. That's nice.
Burla laughed as well.
Burla: Yes. Every month, different villagers would travel to the other two villages with goods to sell, staying there until the next group arrived.Erlik: A clever system. And I suppose they had embassies here as well?Burla: They did. But after the bandit attacks, no one was willing to volunteer to come here anymore.Erlik: Still, they had to continue trading for farm goods, right?Burla: …Yes. That's why every two weeks, some of them come, sell their goods for a day or two, and leave.Erlik: And do you still send envoys?Burla: Yes, every month different villagers go, and those who had gone return.
Erlik frowned a little.
Erlik: Doesn't that feel unfair? Why don't you treat them the same way?
Burla smiled sadly.
Burla: They're afraid, and it's understandable. I don't think they're doing it out of malice. We're just weak people living quietly. I can't blame them for following their survival instincts.
Erlik didn't reply. He returned to work, lost in thought.
Erlik (thinking):Burla and this village have such a weak mindset. Instead of helping, the other villages disrupt equality for their own gain. Reducing this cowardice to survival instinct feels far too generous.
He sighed.
Erlik (thinking):I have a bad feeling about all this.
As Erlik, Ella, and Burla continued working, Volgar, Hira, and two more guards came to visit Burla's farm.
Of course, the true purpose of the visit was to observe Erlik.
Volgar stared at Erlik with anger, though he managed to stay calm for now. After inspecting him for a bit, he spoke.
Volgar: Don't even think about trying anything, stranger. Or you'll end up straight in the Guardians' Detention Hall—and truth be told, I'd be glad if you did.Erlik: Strange. This village has problems with a bandit gang, yet you're more concerned with picking a fight with an innocent man?
Volgar frowned but then smirked.
Volgar: What's wrong? Feeling uncomfortable? Good. Get used to it—you'll be seeing more of me.
As the tension rose, Burla stepped in. Ella, meanwhile, had her eyes fixed only on Hira.
Burla: Volgar… If you have no business here, would you please leave my farm?
Hira remained unusually silent, which caught Erlik's attention.
Erlik (thinking):Hira always spoke less when with Volgar, but not this little. Is it because we're at Ella's place? I need to talk to Ella and find out.
After a moment of exchanging looks with Burla, Volgar smiled and backed off slightly.
Volgar: Forgive us for the disturbance.
He stared at Erlik for a while longer before leaving. Hira gave Ella a sorrowful glance, lowered her head, and followed Volgar.
Erlik turned toward Ella, starting to approach.
Erlik: Ell—
Just as he began to speak, a loud roar echoed from the sky. Erlik quickly looked up.
It was a dragon.
The very same dragon he had seen upon first awakening in this world. Even from afar, its red scales gleamed.
Erlik immediately looked around. As the dragon passed overhead, no one seemed to care.
Burla returned to his work without a second thought. Erlik couldn't hold back.
Erlik: WHAT WAS THAT?!
At first, Burla didn't realize what he meant, being so used to it, but then he understood.
Burla: Ah… the dragon, you mean? It flies over from time to time. Its nest must be in the Prison Mountains.Erlik: And why is everyone so calm? It's a dragon, isn't it?
Burla answered with a smile.
Burla: Merak etme. Buraya asla gelmez. Erlik: Nasıl bu kadar emin olabiliyorsun? Burla: Ejderhalar hakkında ne bildiğini bilmiyorum ama onlar akılsız yaratıklar değil. Hatta bazıları bazı ejderhaların insan dilini bile konuşabildiğini söylüyor. Erlik: Ama bu, bize neden hiç saldırmadığını açıklamıyor. İnsanlar bile birbirlerine saldırıyor; hiçbir şey onu saldırmaktan alıkoyamıyor.
Burla bir an düşündü, çenesini ovuşturdu ve cevap verdi.
Burla: Bir yolda yürüdüğünüzü hayal edin. Kenarda bir karınca yuvası var. Sadece üzerine basmak için yolunuzu değiştirir miydiniz?
Erlik hemen anladı.
Erlik: İşte öyle.
Burla, onun bu hızlı kavrayışını görünce gülümsedi.
Burla: Kesinlikle. Köyümüzün varlığı ona ne fayda ne de zarar sağlıyor. Kısacası, bizi umursamıyor. Kim bilir? Belki de yüzyıllardır burada olduğumuzu fark etmemiştir bile.
Burla işe geri döndüğünde konuşmasına devam etti.
Burla: Ama unutmayın... karınca yuvasına basamayabilirsiniz, ama bir karınca evinize girerse, can sıkıcı bir durum haline gelebilir.
Erlik teslim olurcasına ellerini kaldırdı.
Erlik: Ben ejderha yuvasına girecek kadar deli değilim.
Burla kahkahayı bastı.
Burla: HAHAHAHA! Bunu duyduğuma sevindim.
Biraz daha çalıştıktan sonra Erlik, Burla ve Ella yemek yediler. Gece oluncaya kadar bir süre sohbet ettiler.
Burla gözlerini hafifçe ovuşturdu.
Burla: Ben yatıyorum. Yaşlı bedenim çok yorgun. Ella: İyi geceler baba. Erlik: İyi geceler Burla Bey.
Burla odasına çekildikten sonra geriye sadece Ella ve Erlik kaldı.
Ella: Ben hallederim. Dinlenmelisin, bugün çok yorulmuş olmalısın. Erlik: Evet, bitkinim. Erlik (düşünerek): İlk defa böyle çalışmanın vücudumu ağrıtacağını düşünmüştüm ama hiç yorgun hissetmiyorum. Sanki bu vücut bana verilmeden önce çalışmaya alışmış gibi.
Ella oturma odasındaki küçük mutfak alanına doğru ilerlerken Erlik seslendi.
Erlik: Ella.
Ona bakmak için döndü.
Ella: Evet? Erlik: Sana bir şey sormak istiyorum. Kişisel bir soru olabilir ve cevaplamak istemezsen anlarım... Hira ile aranızda neler oluyor?
Ella'nın yüzü asıldı. Üzüntüyle Erlik'in karşısındaki masaya doğru yürüdü ve oturdu.
Ella: Demek fark ettin.
Erlik ona en masum gülümsemesini sundu.
Erlik: Aslında bunu anlamak o kadar da zor değildi.
Ella bir süre düşündü, sonra içini çekti.
Ella: Tamam, anlatacağım. Gerçek şu ki, Hira'dan nefret etmiyorum. Onu hâlâ arkadaşım olarak görüyorum ama...
Erlik (düşünerek): Yüzündeki ifade sadece üzüntü değil, aynı zamanda hayal kırıklığı ve kendini suçlama duygusu da var.
Kısa bir sessizlikten sonra Ella tekrar konuştu.
Ella: Belki içimi dökmeme yardımcı olur. En baştan başlayayım.