Earthling in Uncharted Dimensions

The boy's face lit up with happiness. The joy of being bestowed a name was evident on his face.

"Thank you."

Jonathan was delighted to finally have a name. his words were brimming with blissfulness.

Aleria was still discontent with the naming ceremony. She exhibited displease on her face.

"Hey, stop pouting. You are being a party-pooper."

Her mother threw a cold blanket over her emotions.

Eventually, she had to submit to her mother's verdict.

The time was just past morning and they chatted until it was time for lunch. Jonathan listened to what Miss Aleria's mother was saying without blinking, with undivided attention. She started to address him as son as it would be extremely awkward to call him a grandson.

Aleria spoke her part in the conversation while Jonathan had near to nothing to say. He conveyed that he is a stranger to the outside world and does not know anything about almost everything.

This made the old woman tell him a story. It was the story of their family. The woman gave a beautiful introduction about their forefathers and dragged Jonathan's attention into it.

***

Time flew past and Aleria and Jonathan were absorbed in the narration. The old woman's storytelling ability was beyond comparison and the duo did not feel the change in the warmth of the atmosphere.

The house was silent as the narration continued with its innate charm. The voice of Aleria's mother could be heard echoing through the room.

Then, a series of knocks disrupted the serenity of the atmosphere.

"..."

Her mother became silent as their heads turned to the door. Aleria got up from her seat and walked to the door while hiding the displease with the interruption.

She opened the door and a soldier was standing in full-armour attire. When she saw the familiarity of the face, her expressions probed his intention of arrival.

"The Lieutenant is back and he has summoned all military personal to the base."

The man spoke and then left quickly. Aleria closed the door and walked to the couch.

"Mom, the Lieutenant is back from the kingdom. He had summoned all of us at the base."

She quickly went inside her room and came back wearing her armour and sword.

"I'll be going now. If it gets too late, you eat and sleep. Don't stay awake late at night."

The mom nodded at her daughter with a smile. Aleria then turned to the boy.

"Jonathan, let's go."

The leader of the 12th squad walked in front and Jonathan followed her lead. He silently followed her footsteps to the base.

As they stepped into the premise, their sight fell on the disorderly bunch of soldiers standing here and there.

Aleria walked to the main building with Jonathan in tow. But before they could enter the building, the Lieutenant exited the building with a sense of sadness and worry looming over him.

Upon seeing him, the soldiers came running from all directions and stood in lines.

"Attention!"

The gloomy face shouted out with vigour and a wave of concealed anger swept across them. The soldiers were all stunned by this as they stood still like a statue.

"I summoned you all to tell important information.

The last True God passed away!"

The gasp and murmur that rose was unsettling and disrupted the tranquillity of the noon. But the piercing stare of the Lieutenant killed the disturbances. Yet, the gloominess was looming over his being.

"The True God has been alive for more than 900 years. Though their names are unknown, they acted as a beacon in distress. She, with other True Gods, established the kingdoms and positioned the towns surrounding the kingdoms. Their contributions are unforgettable in our history. When the great calamity hit us hard, they rose to keep the entire world together, from falling apart. Ever since that day, they have led us and sustained peace.

With the demise of the True Gods, their descendants, Demi-Gods have taken over the power. And the rumours were true, those rulers are indeed immature and powerful.

The peace established by the True Gods is on the verge of being reconstructed. Those who support the Demi-Gods had already infiltrated the council and have forcefully taken the authority into their hands before the pyre of the True God had been extinguished.

When implored for opinion, I represented our town and voted against the forceful power transition."

A round of applause filled the atmosphere and many were delighted to hear this piece of information. But the Lieutenant raised his hand and gestured to stop.

"But the defence failed. The council fell into the hands of the Demi-Gods.

Out of the eight towns surrounding the kingdom, four had voiced their disagreement. Thus the council's authority was forced to put to a standstill at the moment.

Three days after, a royal convoy would arrive at our doorstep to hear whether we agree to the transition of not. We can choose to be rebels or slaves.

Personally, I choose not to be driven by power, but by the gratitude of what the True Gods have done for us mortals. They protected us from the continents. They created an asylum for the broken and wounded. They built kingdoms for the safety and future of all races."

When the Lieutenant paused, his elevated breathing could be heard by everyone. Every single soldier in armour was staring at him in expectation. The passion and reverence to the True Gods overflowed from the Lieutenant's words and influenced the hearts of the soldiers.

"So I ask you, my fellow citizens of Emogus, should we kneel and accept the fate?!"

The query was answered by the soldiers in unison, creating a thunderous roar.

"NO!!!"

Jonathan was taken aback by the unity of the soldiers. Though they were few and insufficient to protect the town at a full-scale war, they expressed their declaration without reserve.

***

The assembly was dispersed after ordering the soldiers to go around the town to let everyone know that the last True God had passed away.