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Burst Mode
 Author
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Windsor, Ontario
Age: 37
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Well this chapter isn't that long, but it ended at an ideal place. Anyways, here's
The Location of Happiness chapter 3
Previous chapters here.
Spoiler for The Location of Happiness chapter 3:
The commander was reluctant to have a civilian go on patrol, but he eventually consented when informed of Yuuno’s abilities as a mage and Fate gave her reassurance. So now Yuuno was walking through the wasteland along a predetermined path.
Everything was dead save for him. The only sounds were his feet against the rock and the occasional blast of wind rushing past his ears. There were no bird songs or anything of the sort, just utter silence.
Around him was nothing but dirt and sharp rocks, the landscape permanently scorched by some long forgotten battle. The only appealing view was the cloud spotted sky above him, but he had to keep his eyes downwards to watch his footing.
Despite it being the winter months, the sun bared down in full force, causing distant sights to appear wavy and allowing Yuuno to roam in just light clothing.
The relative lack of any sort of external stimulus let his thoughts take center stage and he decided to voice them in an attempt to inject something into the barren environment.
“Well, what now…” He wondered, chuckling derisively. “Here I am out in the middle of nowhere, talking to myself.”
He thought back to the events of the day, particularly his conversations with Fate.
“I should apologise to her again later.” He decided. “I shouldn’t have made her deal with this… Well, I do feel better, but it’s what I do now that’s important. Maybe it’s time I took the initiative in regards to this. If my empty apartment bugs me so much, maybe I should get a pet? Or better yet, maybe I should create a familiar to be my companion. I do have lots of mana reserves I hardly use so I could pull it off. I could ask Fate to help me too.”
He shook his head. “That’s an idea, but it’s not exactly the kind of companionship I’m looking for… I guess a good place to start would be on a guy’s night out.” He mused, referring to how Chrono and his other male friends would often drag him out to bars and clubs and such. “It is an opportune time to meet people, but…” He frowned, recalling the times he had been hit on during those nights. Women would approach him, but upon realising he was a guy, they quickly excused themselves. It should be statistically impossible, but apparently all women he encountered were indeed lesbians. Men would hit on him as well, and run away just as quickly.
“Am I really that girly?” He sighed. There were times when guys that approached him wouldn’t be deterred by his gender, and while Yuuno was flattered, he had to decline. “I’m completely straight, and it’s not like I can flip a switch and become gay. People can’t just choose like that…”
“Using a dating service is also an option.” He went on. “Even if it can be seen as a pathetic desperation attempt, I could swallow my pride and go for it.”
“Just have to keep trying until I get lucky I guess.” Yuuno decided before switching gears. “On the library front, all I can do is accept that I’m not needed anymore. Maybe I should take the chance and do some travelling? If I don’t get invited to dig sites, maybe I’ll get back to searching for my own? Or I could get back into contact with my clan. Even if few remember me, I could still be useful. Maybe I can teach the younger ones in the ways of the tribe?”
“There’s plenty that I could do.” He said with a slight smile. “I should stop feeling sorry for myself and go out and do them. But for right now I’ll help Fate with this case.”
Pleased he had devised potential courses of action, he continued his patrol in silence. He reached the top of an embankment which he remembered being the point furthest from the based. That meant he would start curving back to it and he began to do so when sounds sliced through the dead air.
He recognised the sounds almost immediately, both being things he rarely heard. One was the sound of gun shots, and the other was a scream.
“Some one please help!!!”
Yuuno sent a mental message back to the base before running towards the sound.
X-X-X
“There’s no one around to help you!” A man growled, pointing his gun at his prey that had tripped and fallen. “There’s no escape.”
A mass of black and white attempted to scramble away, but it only had the energy to pant heavily as three men advanced on it. Clutching a cloth wrapped object to its chest, the figure could only hope for a miracle.
“This is what happens to those who try to defy us.” The men cocked their hammers. “Goodbye!”
They all fired at once, three bullets streaking towards their flinching target. They might have hit their mark if not for a glowing green wall that deflected them.
“What?!”
“Hold it right there!” A voice declared, drawing the men’s attention.
“Who the hell are you?” One of them demanded.
“I’m just a passing-through archaeologist.” Yuuno declared. “Now put down your weapons and surrender.”
“Like hell!” The thugs shifted their aim and fired at Yuuno, but he pulled up a shield that the bullets harmlessly bounced off of.
“Damn, he’s a mage!”
“Grrr… We have to fall back!” The lead goon ordered before the three turned and ran.
“Not so fast!” Yuuno said, stretching out a hand. Two of them men were out of range of his bind spell, but one wasn’t so lucky. His arms were pinned to his chest and his legs bound together, causing him to fall over. “You’re going to have to answer some questions.”
“Screw you, Bureau dog!” The man spat. “You won’t get anything from me!”
Yuuno tried, but he wasn’t able to prevent the man from placing the gun under his own chin and pulling the trigger. Squeezing his eyes shut, Yuuno turned away in disgust as the ground absorbed another life.
Gatherings his wits, he turned to the one he had just saved.
“Everything’s going to be okay now.” He smiled. “Are you all right?”
The other person seemed to just stare at him a moment before suddenly jerking and scrambling backwards.
“W-Who are you?” A voice demanded. “Don’t come any closer!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t harm you.” Yuuno said calmly. He reached into his pocket to pulled out his ID card and showed it. “My name is Yuuno Scrya and I work for the Time Space Administration Bureau.”
“You work for the Bureau?” The figure relaxed considerably. “Thank the Kaiser, I’m saved!”
“Back up should be here shortly,” Yuuno informed. “We’ll get you somewhere safe after that. Can tell me your name?”
“Miyako.” She said, brushing her long black hair out of the way to reveal a young face with red eyes. She wore a simple white dress that was spotted with dirt and a little bit of blood that originated from the scrapes on her bare limbs. “Miyako Tsuzuki.”
Yuuno blinked, wondering what a girl like her was doing out here, but first he knelt down and started applying healing magic to her wounds.
“T-Thanks…” Miyako’s face tinged a bit from the contact.
“If you don’t mind me asking, who were those men and why were they chasing you?”
“Those guys work for a man named Hummer.” She explained. “I was being held by them but I escaped so they went after me. I’m sure they wanted to get this back at all costs too.” She held out the object she had been carrying and slowly began to unwrap it. When it was revealed, Yuuno couldn’t help by gawk.
In her hands, she held the Light of God.
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