Both men turned towards Zephyr, who was donning his GDF medic uniform.
"Hey, Zeph! What are you doing here?" Karl was surprised.
"I have something I need to find in Tenogawa island, and since we're headed for the same place, I figured I might as well hitch a ride with you," said Zephyr as the three of them headed for the hangar.
"Oh, okay! I don't mind. Rywa's fighter is still in the mechanic's bay, so he'll be riding with us as well."
"What happened?" Zephyr asked.
"It sustained slight external damages from when I flew in along with the meteor shower," said Rywa.
"Ah, right. On the night of the Star Festival," Zephyr nodded.
"Star Festival?" Rywa sounded curious.
"It falls on the 7th of July every year," said Karl. "According to legend, two lovers separated by the Milky Way can only meet once a year, on that day. People celebrate it by writing their wishes or goals down on paper. Then they hang it on bamboo branches."
"There's one over there," Zephyr pointed to a makeshift wish tree by the dormitory's entrance, visible even in the dim surroundings thanks to the bright porch light.
"That's beautiful. And what an interesting story." Rywa then boldly declared "If we were ever separated, I, too, would fly across galaxies just to see you again, Karl."
"Yeah, well, we have fighters so that won't be a problem for us," Karl blinked owlishly.
Zephyr snorted, muttering "See? Told you it's too early for flirting."
"Hm?" Karl shifted his gaze to his younger brother.
"Nothing," Zephyr pointed to Karl's travel mug. "Done?"
"Oh, yep."
Zephyr took his older brother's travel mug and slipped it into his own backpack, then asked, "And the rice balls, did you eat them already?"
"Not yet." When Zephyr gave him The Look, he quickly added "They're in my pocket though!"
"We have a few minutes to spare. Eat."
"Yes, Doc," Karl pulled out the rice ball from his pocket and started munching on it. "Wanna try it?" He offered to Rywa, who grinned as he said, "Thank you, I'd love to."
He was about to take a bite when Zephyr wedged another rice ball between their faces.
"I made extras," Zephyr smiled sweetly.
"Why thank you," Rywa took it and ate as well.
At the hangar, Karl inspected his fighter before boarding. He settled on the pilot seat as the two men got on the passenger seats at the back. After completing his pre-flight checklist, they took off. En route, they were treated to the spectacular view of the sunrise while flying above the sea. As the sun peeked from the horizon, Karl noticed an eagle flying alongside the fighter, almost matching its speed. In just ten minutes, they were already hovering above the island.
"Tenogawa Island doesn't have an airport. So I surveyed the map last night for a suitable terrain we can land on, and it looks like there's a small clearing in the woods at the foot of Mt. Niji," Karl easily spotted the mountain as it was the tallest point on the island.
"Mt. Niji... From there, I believe we just need to cross rice paddies to get to the port," said Zephyr.
"Looks like a tough spot," Rywa said, even though his eyes were closed. "There seems to be a crevice in the clearing that the fighter could slide into on one side, but land too close on the opposite side and you could slam into trees. You would need impeccable precision to land on such a narrow space in-between."
"How do you know all that?" Zephyr asked.
"My friend allows me to see through his eyes."
"Wow..." Karl was awestruck when he saw Gobaith flying above the spot Rywa had just described.
"Impeccable precision, eh?" Zephyr snorted. "Yo bro, seems like Rywa hasn't seen GDF's ace pilot in action."
With a confident smirk, Karl said in a playful voice "Good morning, our dear passengers this is your ace pilot speaking. Thank you for flying flight Alpha 005. We are currently at 7,500 feet above Tenogawa Island, current temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, and for the local time please look at your watches. We'll be landing shortly, so please make sure your seatbelts are fastened, which I hope you didn't take off at any point during our flight, and oh look, we're here."
Karl made a swift, smooth landing in the same amount of time it took for him to say his mock flight announcement. He looked over his shoulder and flashed a mischievous grin at Rywa, who looked impressed. "That was amazing..."
Zephyr coolly unbuckled his seat belt and put on his backpack. "I knew you could do it."
Karl opened the door and disembarked from his fighter. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he spoke to his watch. "Ava, activate stealth mode on Alpha 5."
"Roger."
A shield formed around Karl's fighter and as it did, it reflected the surroundings, making it seem like the spacecraft had vanished from view.
He looked up when he heard the cry of an eagle and waved at the familiar bird of prey circling above them. "Hi, Gobaith! Good morning!"
Gobaith cried out as if in response, eliciting a chuckle from Rywa, who commented "He's really fond of you." His face was relaxed into a smile as he gazed at his bird companion, his long hair dancing with the wind. Rywa's flaming hair painted a stunning contrast against the deep, lush palette of the woods. Karl had not realized he was staring until Rywa spoke, "Your eyes are glued to me. Are you starting to see my charm?"
"I was just thinking you hair reminds me the girl in the forest wearing a red cloak," said Karl.
"Who was she?"
"A character in a fairytale. I wasn't too fond of it though, because in it the wolf wanted to eat the girl. As it is, some people already have a baseless, irrational hatred towards wolves..." Karl sighed.
"I see. People easily forget that words can be just as destructive, if not more so, than any weapon," Rywa said pensively, which Zephyr wordlessly nodded to.
They got out of the woods and walked along the road in the middle of rice paddies, where cars were also passing by leaving just enough space for people to walk in one line. When they reached the port, they met with a fisherman, who had just finished dropping off his catch to his partner vendors.
He was a tall man with a large build, rugged features, and an intimidating face that made him look like a thug, at least until he noticed them and flashed a bright, boyish grin.
"Oh, looks like the GDF people are here. Mornin'!" He quickly folded his net and unceremoniously tossed it into his boat then jogged towards them.
"When they sent me a picture of the operative I was meetin', I couldn't believe it. It really is you. Long time no see!" He said to Karl.
"H- Hi..." Karl racked his brain to remember the man.
"It's me, Tetsuro. Don't you remember me?"
Karl's eyes widened in recognition when he noticed Tetsuro was missing a front tooth. "Ah! Mo- Mohawk..."
Karl's words made Tetsuro erupt with boisterous laughter.
"Yes! That was me. I was quite the rebellious brat back then. And I... I also bullied you because of your weird eyes. And because you were so quiet."
That earned a look of reproach from Zephyr.
"But I'm a hardworking fisherman now, just like my old man." Tetsuro looked at Karl apologetically.
"It's all in the past now. How's your father?" Karl asked.
"Still as stubborn as ever. But he's calmed down a bit now that he's retired. No need to worry, he's looking after my kids now, so he won't be that reckless anymore."
"That's good. Dad would be glad to hear that."
Karl's words earned a curious look from Zephyr.
"This is my brother, Zephyr. And this is our friend, Rywa."
"Nice to meet you," Zephyr nodded.
"Pleasure," Rywa smiled amiably.
"Nice to meet you, too." He nodded back to both of them."You don't seem like you're from around here. A foreigner?" Tetsuro asked Rywa.
"More or less," said Rywa. "I come from a planet called Zirka, many galaxies away."
"Ahhh... I see. Alien stuff, eh?" Tetsuro vigorously shook Rywa's hand. "Welcome, welcome! Tenogawa may be a small town, but we have the best sea sea grapes in Japan! Please try it while you're here. Come follow me. I'll show you what you came to see."
As they were walking, Tetsuro told Zephyr. "Your father and brother used to come here all the time. Your father was a brilliant man; he redesigned our boats so we can make them better and stronger. Since then, we've had no capsizing incidents at sea. The only boats that ever flip around here are empty fishing boats tied to the docks when there's a storm.
During one of those visits many years ago, there was a forecast of a storm. Dr. Lyle came to help us reinforce our houses and build shelters for wildlife before the landfall. But, you know, my dad was stubborn. He went out there along with his equally hard-headed friends, even though they were warned not to set sail.
I was really scared! I thought that would be the end for my old man. But something mysterious happened.
A wolf howl, so powerful and loud that it subdued even the roar of thunder and the raging winds, resounded through the land and the sea. And right at that moment, the storm was calmed. I mean it was still rainin', but the waters were still, letting my old man and the other fishermen come back to the shore safely.
They learned their lesson and never did that again. And even to this day, we're thankful to that wolf. Everyone on the island knows of that story, and we make sure to pass it down to our kids, so future generations will remember and protect wolves and wildlife in the future as a sign of our gratitude. I know it all sounds like some urban legend, but it really happened. Right, Karl? You saw it with your own eyes too, didn't ya?"
"Mm-hm," Karl nodded. "That time, I wished really hard for the storm to stop, and then the wolf howled and it really did. Rywa, do you think it's possible that it was really the wolf's doing?"
Karl and Tetsuro both looked at Rywa expectantly.
"I don't doubt it. However, the only one who would be powerful enough to calm a storm is the guardian spirit of wind himself," Rywa explained. He paused for a bit, then looked straight into Karl's eyes as he continued. "Hm... If it's the same wolf I met in the island that time, then that would explain why I felt there was something different— special, even— about him. Perhaps he's the guardian spirit of wind of this world?"
Karl's face was filled with awe. "You think so? Wow..."
"I'm not exactly sure how things are here. But in my world, the guardian spirit of wind is known as 'He who protects'. You see, all the other guardians are loyal to the king. But the guardian spirit of wind serves no one. He listens only to the dearest wishes of the people. Perhaps the wind carried your wish to save everyone, and he listened." Rywa smiled at Karl, who turned away and looked down.
"It's not something that noble. When I saw my dad run towards a boat to try and help them, I was frightened. I didn't know where it came from, but I was overwhelmed with so much fear that I was going to lose him. So I wished with every fibre of my being for the storm to stop, so my dad wouldn't have to go anymore..." His voice trailed off, and with a voice barely above a whisper, he added "Sorry, Tetsuro"
He was unable to look at his friend. Tetsuro, however, put his hand on Karl's shoulder as he said, "There's no shame in that. I was the same. You and I were just kids who wanted our parents to be safe. That's natural."
At those words, Karl nodded with a weak smile.
"But boy, am I glad to see you're finally talking now." Tetsuro gave Karl's shoulder a quick pat before letting go.
"'Finally talking now'...?" Zephyr frowned. "What do you mean?"