The Emerald Soulmate

01. Wood Civilization

The change from the stone age to the wood age really made a big change in this era. For example, the habits of people who originally used stone as a tool of daily needs. Now change materials into all wood, such as wooden chairs, wooden tables, wooden brooms, even houses with walls and roofs made of wood.

Midorizawa Ten, one of the children in a village was seen pounding rice using wooden mortar. Not only Ten, other small children look to be doing similar activities. Because the economic conditions of the village are relatively low, inevitably all children in this village have started to work to help their parents.

Ten never complained. He does his work with pleasure. For the sake of his parents who are often tired after returning home from work, Ten would do anything to help ease the work of his parents. Although you could say the age is still quite young from the many village children around it.

Ten rubbed the sweat on his forehead, his work pounding the rice would be finished in a moment. After that, he had to go hunting in the forest with his father to catch rabbits to serve as a dinner menu later. Imagining the aroma and taste of a roasted rabbit made him even more eager to finish his task immediately.

"Ten, come!" pinta his father who was picking arrows to be used as weapons, Ten knew that his father was preparing to go hunting.

After pounding the rice was finished, Ten immediately approached his father who was beside the house. "Yes Dad, do I have to prepare now to accompany Dad on the hunt?" ask Ten.

Midorizawa Ken, Ten's father, stopped his activities for a moment and looked at his two sparkling eyes. He crouched down to equalize his height in front of Ten. "Sorry Ten, it looks like you can't go hunting today" Ken said, wiping his son's hair.

Ten who heard that was disappointed. Today was supposed to be the first day of Ten hunting. Because he was not yet proficient in using weapons, his father said he would invite Ten to hunt while teaching him how to use arrows. But what did he just hear?

"Why didn't Dad take me? Did I make a mistake today?" tanya Ten with a frown. Hearing that, Ken smiled and shook his head.

"No, you're a good boy, Ten. You didn't do anything wrong. But, did you not listen to the myths circulating from your friends?"

Still pouting, Ten shook his head, "I haven't played with my friend today. What's the myth, Dad?"

Ken immediately put on a serious expression. "Recently, I heard from the village next door, if anyone has ever seen a woodman in the forest. Although many do not believe and say that it is a myth, but just in case, you do not come first. Because you're a kid, Ten," explains Ken.

"But, Dad. I went hunting with Dad, not alone. So there's a Father who will take care of me, let me go hunting with you, Father," asked Ten in a sulking tone, he still hoped his father would allow it.

This time Ken shook his head firmly, "No, Ten. It is hard to believe this myth. But this is for your own good. Because if you come along, even if you have Dad with you, but I'll focus on hunting. What if you were kidnapped by one of the wooden men?"

Ken was trying to scare his son into stopping sulking at him. But not Ten name if it would just follow, he still shook his head dissatisfied even though in his heart felt a little fear. After all, today was the day he had been looking forward to, he did not want to accept his father's decision to just cancel it.

Ken sighed, "Look, what did you order? The bunny? I'll be hunting a lot today. So we can have a bunny party tonight, will you?"

If scaring is useless, then seduction is a powerful way to persuade young children. The proof, Ten was finally willing to nod.

Ken smiled with satisfaction, he immediately stood up and took the arrow on the table. "Well, when you're done with your work, go play for a while. Remember, go home before evening, okay? I'm leaving now."

Ten nodded his head, "Okay Dad, be careful on the road."

Soon after, Ten ran small towards a large field near his home and gathered with his friends who had already finished their work.

"Hi guys, I'm sorry I'm a little late" Ten said. One of his friends named Kai said, "It's okay Ten, we're also waiting for Kyo, he's still mowing the lawn in his yard."

Ten nodded in understanding. Ten, Kai, Kyo, Hiro, and Zou, the five of them had always played together. So when any of them are still working, they will wait until everything is done.

"Oh yes, Ten. Didn't you say yesterday that today you wouldn't play with us because you were going hunting?" ask Zou to remember.

Hiro refutes Kai's question, "There's no way hunting will be that fast, Kai. My father just went hunting in the afternoon. He said finding the prey wasn't as easy as it seemed."

Kai looked at Hiro. "I didn't say hunting was fast, I just asked Ten why he could hunt so fast" Kai replied.

"There's only one answer: ten doesn't hunt. Am I right?" Zou is indeed the smartest among them, so he easily remembers and his thought analysis is always appropriate.

Ten nodded slowly. "You're right, Zou. I didn't go hunting, my father forbade me."

Now the three of them are staring at the focus towards Ten preparing to listen to the reason.

"My father heard no-"

"Hi friends, I'm so sorry I made you wait so long. My work is a lot today," suddenly Kyo came and said making Ten's words cut off.

"It's okay, Kyo. It's just that you came at an inopportune time" Hiro replied. The others nodded in confirming.

"Eh? What's the matter? Are you guys done playing?" Kyo panicked himself.

Kai shook his head. "We haven't played because we're still waiting for you, only Ten will explain why he didn't go hunting and you cut him off."

Hearing that, Kyo was a little relieved. But after that he immediately bowed his body, "Sorry for my actions just now, please continue, Ten."

Ten immediately began his explanation again, with now the four friends focusing on him. "My father heard there was a myth of a woodman in the forest from the people in the village next door. He said someone had seen him. So my father didn't ask me to go hunting for fear that I might be kidnapped by the woodman" Ten explained at length.

"Ma-human wood?" Kyo immediately shuddered in fear. He was the most timid among the five of them.

"Do myths really exist? It could be that some rumors see that as a lie, right? Why did your father trust him?" ask Zou. "In my mind, if there's no evidence, then facts can't happen."

Hiro confirmed Zou's words, "You're right, Zou. I salute that cleverness of yours," Hiro slightly clapped his hands.

Meanwhile, Kai was immediately annoyed at Hiro. His words were quickly refuted by Hiro, while Zou's words were immediately praised, "Basic Hiro!"

Hiro raised his eyebrows, "I why?"

Before Kai's anger exploded, Ten immediately stopped them, "Already. I don't know the truth, Zou. And my father didn't want to believe it just like that, but, just in case, I was forbidden to come along because I was a kid."

Everyone is silent now. The myth of the wooden man Ten had just told made them think between disbelief and fear if only the myth was true.

"Here you go, why do we think about it, let's just play," asked Hiro who broke the silence. The others immediately agreed.

"All right, come on."