Legionnaires
Chapter 6, Some Normalcy

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The pair walked through the woods in relative silence. The only sounds that could be heard were their boots as they crunched leaves and twigs underfoot as well as the chirps of local wildlife. Misaki had not spoken to him since they left an hour or so ago, and he had not felt the desire to try and get her to talk. He figured she’d come around on her own, and thought making small talk was a good way to forget you were walking through enemy territory.

Akihiro could see the trees begin to thin out ahead and he stretched his hand out behind him to halt Misaki from walking any further. He pulled out some binoculars from one of the many storage pockets on his suit and scanned the area to see if there were any threats. It looked completely clear aside from an aged wooden cabin. From this distance, the small home appeared to be abandoned. He could see no tell tale signs of recent living surrounding the home or through the windows. The lawn showed definite signs of neglect though as the grass rose up a half foot from the ground and weeds grew up the side of the house.

“Looks clear,” he said hesitantly. “Stay here. I’ll signal if it’s safe.”

Misaki nodded, pulling out her own small binoculars so she could see his sign when the time came. Akihiro made his way as quietly as possible to the edge of the forest. There was a small clearing around the backside of the house and a long dirt path that led out to a larger road far off in the distance. He could see no other structures, but there was a lot of open space past the house that made him nervous.

Prepared for the worst, he exited the treeline quickly, making a break for the backdoor of the cottage. He gently tried the handle and found it unlocked. Aki didn’t waste any time in moving through the doorway, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him. At first glance, it was obvious the home had not been lived in for quite some time. There was dust absolutely covering every item and counter-space visible. The floors were a dingy brownish-grey color and seemed to have lots of grooves and indentations which kept it from taking on the dust the same way a smooth surface would. He was thankful for that considering he didn’t want to leave footprints everywhere.

It was a very small home. There was a kitchen, which he had seen first upon entering, and a small dining table was inside the room as well. The kitchen was directly next to a quaint living area with a couch and a reclining chair; a big, oblong rug ran through the center of the room with a coffee table nestled on top of it. Past the living room was a small hallway that led to a bathroom that wasn’t much more than a hole in the wall. There were a couple of doors closed along the hallway with one at the very end that was left open. Akihiro checked the first closed door to his left, and found it to be stairs leading down to what looked to be a dirt basement. The next door was a storage closet and the room at the end of the hall was a bedroom.

There was a neatly made bed in the center of the room covered with a rustic plaid comforter. Even with the dust, it looked a great deal more comfortable than his recent sleeping accommodations had been. There were some end tables and a dresser in the room, but otherwise his search had been uneventful. The cabin was clear. Akihiro made his way back to the kitchen and opened the door slowly, looking around to make sure nobody had shown up while he had been checking the house. The yard and surrounding areas remained empty and so he waved for Misaki to come.

He kept guard as she crept up anxiously, eventually hitting the treeline as he done before and making a jog to cross the backyard. When she made it inside, Aki closed the door behind them and locked it. He then realized the front door in the living room could be a potential hazard as well. He not only locked it, but pushed the couch against it to block any entry at all.

“At least we won’t have to worry about anyone sneaking in that door, right?” he said to Misaki who simply nodded her assent.

Misaki went about her own reconnaissance and relaxed noticeably as she came back finding nothing out of the ordinary. “Do you think they were taken or did they just leave their home?”

“It was unlocked, so I’d opt more for the idea that they were taken. Except there is no sign of a struggle, so perhaps people just don’t lock the door around these parts?” Aki said thoughtfully. “It is pretty remote... but still seems kind of stupid considering the bandit problem.”

“If they’re even bandits,” Misaki considered. “A Plasmacast is a pretty big deal to be parading out to battle on a planet like this. It looked brand new too! Where would they get that kind of equipment?”

“It’s probably the Elizabethans...” Aki offered. “But really, who knows without more information. The real question should be... How do we get off this planet?”

At that moment, they were interrupted by an audible sound reminiscent of a small animal growling. Misaki’s cheeks turned pink as she looked down at her stomach in embarrassment.

Akihiro smiled knowingly, “I know, right!? I’m starving too. Don’t remember when the last time I ate was.” He walked back to the kitchen and starting checking the cabinets for any canned goods they could eat. “Banzai!” he exclaimed happily before pulling a bunch of cans out of the corner cabinet. He placed several different cans of varying sizes onto the counter, lining them all up to show the selection.

“Would you prefer mystery critter stew or exotic fruit salad, my lady?” he asked her playfully, bowing slightly and gesturing his hands towards the cans.

Misaki giggled before realizing that she had, and then hardened her exterior again to correct the error. She walked over to the counter and started poking around through the drawers. “Is there a can opener? Or are we stuck using a knife?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said, aiding her in the search. “Maybe we can even find a bowl and eat like civilized people.”

Misaki came back from a drawer gleefully with a manual can opener, placing it on the counter first and then going back to the drawer for something else. She produced two spoons with a smile, but it soon turned to a frown as she realized the counter was covered in dust and she likely didn’t want to place something she’d eat with onto it.

“Allow me,” Aki suggested before pulling out a handkerchief from one of his many pockets, unfolding it and laying it down on top of the dusty counter.

Misaki couldn’t seem to help but keep a cheerful expression on her face as even a simple thing like eating a meal felt like such a hurdle to overcome in this situation. She placed the spoons down on top of the handkerchief, and then picked up the can opener and wiped it off on her jumpsuit before placing it down next to the spoons. “Did you ever find some bowls?”

“Well...” he said trailing off. “I mean, I did... but I don’t think we should eat out of them. He placed some gnarly looking wooden bowls on the counter that looked like any sealing to ward off moisture had worn off long ago. They were moldy and black in places, looking absolutely disgusting when you considered eating out of them.

“We’ll just eat from the cans then! Not a big deal!” Misaki assured him waving her hands frantically. She looked around, focusing in on the table and said, “I wish we could clean this though, it’s going to kick up dust like crazy.”

Akihiro walked over to the sink and tried the faucet, but nothing came out. He looked below the sink and brought out a clear plastic spray bottle that had a piece of masking tape plastered across the front of it. It read: “Cleaner.” Aki unscrewed the top of the bottle and smelled it. “Smells like some kind of soap and something else. Maybe baking soda?”

“Do we have anything to wipe the mess up with? Like a towel?” Misaki asked.

“There’s a linen closet back there in the hall. I think I saw some towels in there,” Aki informed her. “Honestly, it’s probably a good idea to wipe all of the surfaces down while we’re at it, to conceal our movements in case someone stops in here.”

Misaki retrieved a hand towel from the hallway and they cleaned up the dusty counters and the dining table, as well as any other obviously smooth surfaces. Misaki transferred the spoons and their freshly opened cans to the table so they could eat. She had chosen what looked like a beef stew and she looked on as Akihiro began digging into something that looked like a barley soup.

She made a wincing face, asking him, “Is it any good?”

“I didn’t spit it out, did I?” Aki said with a full mouth, devouring his food.

Misaki hesitantly inserted her spoon into the stew, pulling back a small amount of it and tepidly tasting it with her tongue, afraid to put it in her mouth.

Akihiro started laughing at her, “Oh just eat it, you wimp!”

She made a face of annoyance at him before sticking the spoon in her mouth. She might as well have said, “Fine!” as a child might say when told to finish their broccoli before they could have desert. As soon as she gave in to trying it though, she began heaving spoonfuls into her mouth as her ravenous hunger took over. It didn’t take long for them to finish their respective meals. They then sat in silence looking at each other as though they both wanted to ask the same question and knew it.

“Are you still hungry?” Aki asked her, finally giving voice to their thoughts.

“Gods, yes!” she said with enthusiasm. “One more can of something... I’m so hungry.”

“Don’t eat too much though or you’re going to puke,” Aki warned her as they hurried back to the counter to get more food. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

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