Atomos

by Silver5596

Summary:

Originium has always been Terra's staple energy source, yet its risks and damage find victims no matter what. When the world begins to tip after centuries of persecution for the Infected, an odd glimmer of hope comes in an unlikely and unfortunate visitor from another world. After smashing into Lieutenant Swire's car, an unlucky undergrad finds himself stuck in Terra with more than enough knowledge to choke a whale. Using his knowledge of a world without originium, he makes it his goal to integrate alternative methods of power to this odd world. Of course, such knowledge can be used for unscrupulous purposes, but who ever said change was easy?

Arknights AU & Isekai

Chapter 1: Yawning to Another World

Traffic Incident Report

3:24 PM, Thursday. March 3rd, 10XX

 

At approximately 1:24 PM, an incident occurred on the streets of Lungmen’s commercial district, witnesses reported a flash of bright light from which a vehicle appeared. Before the light, the vehicle was not present, and appeared as if from nowhere. The Vehicle then proceeded to collide with Officer Swire’s vehicle who was off duty at the time. CCTV footage confirms this testimony to be true. 

 

The suspect driving the vehicle, a male with straight brown hair and green eyes, proceeded to exit the vehicle with documents of unknown origin. Despite Officer Swire’s aggression, the suspect was profusely apologetic and cooperative even before Officer Swire revealed her identity as an off duty LGD Officer. At 1:36, on duty LGD Officers apprehended the unknown individual and their vehicle. 

 

Inspection of the vehicle’s contents revealed an unusual amount of notebooks and books on various subjects which, the LGD presumes, are primarily academic. However, the text of the books is not legible. No one in the LGD was able to identify the language. The subject also held identification with the same language on their person. Within the subject’s wallet, there were also various other cards that can be assumed to be used as payment, but said cards do not match to any account within the Lungmen databases. 

 

Inspection of the vehicle revealed a peculiar system that does not contain originium circuits, machinery, or originium of any kind. 

 

Subject was examined at the LGD Headquarters for intoxication. None was found with any tests. Subject willingly provided a urine sample for further testing and will be detained until Higher Ups determine the proper course of action.

 

Ch’en placed the report face down on the table and looked at the subject of the report, calmly staring back at her, but she could clearly see a very bewildered expression as he stared back at her. His gaze also shifted to Hoshiguma who was there to take notes. The clock ticked to 5:30 PM and Ch’en finally spoke. 

 

“So, Mr. Evan, M, Carthey, tell me again why you are here.”

 

“I do not know.”

 

“How did you get here.”

 

“I do not know.”

 

“What were you doing at 1:24 PM today?”

 

“Driving to the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.”

 

Ch’en heard Hoshiguma writing. The young Senior Superintendent was starting to get annoyed. So far his answers, according to the previous interrogations, came out the same. He was consistent if nothing else. No one could tell traces of lies. Where in the world was this ‘Chicago’ though? She looked back at him and noticed him staring very, very intently at her face.

 

“Why do you keep staring at me like that?”

 

“Why do you have horns?”

 

Ch’en raised her eyebrow.

 

“Are they real?”

 

A long exasperated sigh escaped Ch’en. “I wanted to be done today. Why did this incident have to happen today? And why did it have to involve that stupid tiger of all people?” After that, a faint snicker was heard behind Ch’en and she glared at Hoshiguma who had managed to compose herself before she looked at her. 

 

“Yes, they are real. This is not my interrogation, however,” Ch’en replied with a dangerous glare at Evan.

 

“Apologies, Ma’am,” he responded politely, looking down at the table briefly. Cooperative and polite, just as the report said. 

 

“Alright, let’s continue. What happened when you found yourself in Lungmen? More specifically, what action did you take right before the light spit you out onto the street leaving you to collide with Swire’s car?”

 

“I yawned.”

 

“Excuse me?” Ch’en asked with a perplexed expression. She noticed that Hoshiguma hadn’t written anything. “Can you repeat that?”

 

“I yawned, and then I found myself collided with Ms. Swire’s car.”

 

Ch’en nearly cracked a smile at that. How rich, that damn feline had gotten her new car totalled by this man, who just happened to be yawning. She had to remain stoic though.

 

“What race do you belong to?”

 

He gave a great deal of thought to this one surprisingly. He looked between Hoshiguma and herself before answering.

 

“...human?”

 

She could feel the wrinkles growing on her forehead and her hair greying. Everytime she asked even the most basic of questions, this person somehow made it complete nonsense or just seemed like he was avoiding the question altogether. 

 

“Give me a real answer for that,” Ch’en demanded in a low voice.

 

“Caucasion,” Evan stated without missing a beat. Again, back to the nonsensical answers. She wanted nothing more than to flip the table over and be done with this stupid interrogation. She almost had it with this situation. 

 

“I could be drinking with Hoshiguma by now, but no, the damned tiger just had to drag this special case in right before I retire for the evening.” 

 

Seemingly sensing Ch’en distress, Hoshiguma proceeded to ask the next question. This took Evan by surprise some, but he could see why the single horned oni was taking the horned lady’s place in questioning.

 

“What is a…’caucasian’?” she asked in a surprisingly smooth and formal voice.

 

Evan didn’t entirely know how to respond at first. At this point, he had resigned himself to the fact. He got isekai’d, and instead of getting any interesting powers or items, he had a metric ton, literally, of knowledge from his old world. The amount of academic texts would make him look crazy, but he really wanted them. He just hoped the outlets of this world were compatible. 

 

“Someone who can trace their ancestry to Europe,” he replied with some degree of uncertainty. He really had no idea how helpful the description was. 

 

“And what characteristics do caucasians have?” the oni woman asks. 

 

“...light skin,” Evan said with some uncertainty. The giant of a woman blinked her single showing eye a couple times before asking her next question. The horned lady was still composing herself some. They had been at this interrogation for nearly half an hour despite him being completely forward with every answer. 

 

“So...to clarify, no special abilities or traits?”

 

“No,” Evan replied quickly and after a second added, “Unless you count having a good head on your shoulders, I’m completely ordinary.” 

 

To his surprise, the oni woman cracked a genuine smile while the scary lady looked at him with increasingly hostile intent. Evan let this slide and looked down to avoid her gaze. Something about those eyes didn’t sit right with him. They were cold in their anger. Yet, as he did so, it gave him time to think. What they didn’t know was that as they were gathering information about him, he was gathering his own information.

 

Currently, Evan was in what could only be called a fantasy world. He could understand the locals, but he could not read their language. He was in a city called Lungmen. This world had modern or possibly futuristic levels of technology. This world consisted of extremely varied races of primarily demi-humans by his world’s terms, yet they seemed to think themselves as human. Not to mention, with his run in with the tiger lady named Swire, he learned first hand that this world’s residents were likely very, very strong.

 

He glanced back up and felt a chill when he met the horned lady’s eyes. After that, he heard a sigh and looked back up. To Evan’s surprise, her expression was now neutral. She then closed her eyes and sat with her elbow and forearm propping up her head. 

 

“Excuse me. You’ve been very cooperative so far, and it seems you are as clueless as us,” she said, eyeing him. For once he didn’t feel threatened, almost as if they had finally reached an understanding. That was thrown out the window in a heartbeat with what she said next.

 

“I’ll deem you safe, for now. Until I have determined with absolute certainty you’re not a threat to Lungmen or its residents, your car and the strange devices found in it, as well as those on your person will be confiscated.”

 

His heart sank at those words. His games were gone. 

 

“However,” the blue haired police lady continued. “You will be able to have everything else returned to you. You’re free to go, I’ll notify the front desk soon.”

 

Maybe it wasn’t all bad. He’d still be able to have his books, for whatever that’s worth. The door opened and the tall green haired woman was gone, and the horned lady stood up and motioned Evan to follow. She led him out of the interrogation room and into the main lobby of the headquarters where someone was waiting.

 

“Finally, I thought that would never end,” a familiarly pompous voice commented. Evan looked to see his first unfortunate run in staring at him and the horned lady expectantly. She held a piece of paper up to his face. The only recognizable thing was the absurdly high number, and was in the millions. Noticing his confused stare, the tiger lady named Swire continued, “This is the car you totalled!”

 

“I’m very sorry, Ms. Swire,” Evan responded surprisingly quickly. She did not seem to be impressed, and he was dreading what would come out of her mouth next.

 

“You trashed a brand new Columbian car worth five million LMD. If you’re really sorry, you’ll cough up that money here and now.”

 

Evan was about to open his mouth again, when both heads turned to the horned lady. She was snickering, desperately trying to hold back her laughter. Well, maybe not that desperately.

 

“What was that bitch?!” Swire shouted, her attention drifting to Ch’en. “This is no laughing matter, I had that car shipped to Lungmen in one piece. Do you have any idea how hard it is to do that? I’m letting him off nice only having him pay back the car.”

 

Ch’en couldn’t hold it in anymore. She let out a series of laughs and Swire continued to shout at her, calling her more absurdities that would make a sailor in Evan’s world blush. Once the dragon lady calmed down, she wiped her eyes and looked at Swire. 

 

“You, you didn’t read the report?” Ch’en asked while threatening to burst out in laughter again. “He doesn’t have any LMD, and much less can he read that paper which details the ridiculous amount you paid for that car.”

 

Swire’s eyes went wide as saucers, and Ch’en thought there was a silver lining to this day after all. “Don’t tell me, you came here, without reading the reports to see if he could pay you off. We couldn’t learn a thing about him, and you come here thinking he has five million LMD in spare change?”

 

Swire didn’t have a retort to that. She had spent the last few hours trying to see how she could salvage the car. Until the messenger got back from Columbia, she was in the dark about how much she would actually have to pay. She even managed to scrounge up the CCTV footage to send with as proof. She heard footsteps and turned to Evan who was walking off to another part of the lobby and pointed at him, shouting, “You! Don’t you walk away from this.”

 

Evan sighed in frustration, he had hoped she was distracted enough. He was only planning to sit down since he had no idea where he was going. As soon as he walked back to Swire and the dragon lady, Swire looked him up and down. 

 

“You really don’t have any money?”

 

“No, I do not have any of this...LMD. Only US Dollars, and cards,” Evan said, pulling out his wallet and showing Swire the green bills and various credit and debit cards he had on his person. She squinted at them for a while, and it was clear that she did not understand a word on any of them. 

 

“How much would one of these...USD buy you where they can be used?”Swire asked with a surprising level of inquisitive expression. 

 

“Probably a cheap bag of chips in a vending machine,” Evan responded without missing a beat. After a moment, Swire asked another question.

 

“Are you literate?”

 

“Yes, in my writing at least.”

 

Swire gave a short ‘tsk’ before looking at the dragon lady and saying, “Ch’en, I’ll bring him back tomorrow and have him examine the evidence for us.” 

 

“He can have his books back, so if you want to work with him tonight, be my guest,” Ch’en stated before turning her eyes to Hoshiguma who had come out of another office. She grinned smugly then looked at Swire to say, “I’m leaving, so since you offered to take his case, have fun.”

 

“Bitch!” Swire shouted to Ch’en as she walked off. “One day I’ll take that sword from your hands and shove it up your ass!”

 

Once Ch’en was gone, Swire turned her gaze to Evan and with only trace amounts of malice asked, “Your name?”

 

“Evan Carvey.”

 

Swire looked around to find a random officer without something to do and yelled, “You, bring the suspect’s books outside.”

 

The officer gave affirmation then walked off to another room in the headquarters. Swire then took out a small mobile device and placed it to her right ear.

 

Evan watched as she walked towards the exit and chatted on the phone, beckoning him to follow her. As he walked behind her, he noticed her striped tail swaying with her hips and thought to himself, “How does it work?”

 

“...yes, thank you,” Swire finished as she hung up the phone. They were now outside, and she turned to see Evan staring at her behind. He noticed she noticed and swiftly looked away. She grinned for the first time that evening and said, “Oh~? You think I didn’t notice?”

 

His face blushed, and the tiger lady walked into his gaze with a mischievous grin on her face. “Well, I’m not going to be paying you to stare there, but I don’t blame you for looking.”

 

She turned around and gave a rather intrigued look with the same grin to Evan, seeing where his gaze wandered. However, instead of his eyes being on a fixed spot, they followed something. That’s when her smile fell some and she started moving her tail. His gaze follows and she screams internally, “What the hell is his deal? Was he not looking at my ass?”

 

The moment Swire’s tail stopped moving, the doors to the LGD headquarters opened and the officer dropped a box of books on the ground. He looked at this situation, then grinned at Evan and gave a brief thumbs up. It was Swire’s turn to blush and she looked off to the streets, away so no one behind her would see her face. She was relieved when a long black limo pulled up to the side of the LGD and she turned back. 

 

“Our ride’s here, get your box in.”

 

She then watched as he struggled to pick up the box in the most pathetic display Swire had ever seen in her life. At the very least, he used his legs, but once Evan had gotten the box off the ground his face started flushing red with effort and his breathing became irregular. The box also shook a little, but he did manage to sloppily drop it in the Limo. That’s when Swire stepped in and pushed the box with her foot farther in so she could enter.

 

Evan watched her tail disappear into the limo and he followed. After getting in, he was greeted with a splendid array of decorations that seemed to be of varying cultures. The young man stared in awe at this decoration for a while when he was interrupted by Swire.

 

“Quite elegant, is it not?” she asked with a smug look on her face with her arms and feet crossed. She then looked up with her eyes closed and gave exactly two claps. Doors under the seats opened and startled Evan. He was then greeted by a robotic limb bringing up a tray of varying alcohols and glasses. It moved to the center of the limo where the floor split open and pulled up a small table which the trays were placed on. He looked at Swire who was already pouring herself something. She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. “What are you waiting for? The invitation is there.”

 

Evan still did not move. He looked at the bottle of what he could only presume to be gin, and examined it closely. It was clearly very, very expensive. He then placed it down and said, “Sorry, I don’t think I would ever be able to afford it.”

 

“Who said you were paying?” the tiger lady asked as if he was dumb. Evan looked at her in surprise as she took a small sip of her glass before continuing. “All you have to worry about is paying off the car. Besides, I didn’t buy this Victorian Gin for it to collect dust.”

 

She placed down the glass and reached for the box, pulling out the first book on top. She looked at it then leaned forward to hand it to Evan. He took it and looked at it, a paperback copy of Dracula.

 

“What is this?” she asked. 

 

“Dracula, a novel set, I believe, in Victorian Era England about a vampire named Dracula who plots to take over the country.”

 

Swire stopped her glass at the mention of Victorian and placed it down curiously. 

 

“I’ve never heard of that book. Much less of Victoria ever occupying a place named ‘England’.”

 

Evan bit his cheek a little. Seems some of this world’s countries had very, very close cultural similarities to his own, right down to the name. “Maybe I should just say it. Yeah, that might help clear things up.”

 

“Well, that’s because England is a country, and the Victorian Era took place around the nineteenth century. In my world, this novel was quite popular when it came out.”

 

“I see,” Swire commented as if she knew. That was until she slammed her glass down, rattling the table and began coughing violently. 

 

“Are you alright?” Evan asked almost immediately with urgency in his voice. 

 

“I’m hack fine,” Swire replied before pounding her chest some and continued coughing for a few moments longer. “Ugh, that’s not pleasant,” she said with some small heaves. Once she had her bearings, Swire leaned forward on the table and exclaimed, “Hold up, did you just say you’re from another world?!”

Chapter 2: The Generous Tiger

The rest of the ride was, interesting, to put it mildly. Swire kept pulling out books and looking through them briefly, very focused on something. She even took long stares at Evan when she thought he wasn’t looking. Revealing the whole, other world thing, she was surprisingly calm about it. She only asked a scant few questions about the books she picked out of the box and placed them down gently. 

 

Evan resigned himself to drinking some of the gin that Swire had opened. After making a simple Gin and Tonic, he stared at the sight ahead while looking at some of the books. “Odd how well she’s taking this, but I guess it makes sense since she was one of the few who saw me come out of that light.” Evan thought to himself with a sip.

 

After a brief glance outside, Swire placed all the books back in the box and shut it. Evan looked out to see a skyscraper many, many stories high. The limo parked outside the reception and Evan moved towards his box, only to have Swire pick it up, giving him a strange look once she had it in her hands. Both of them walked out of the car in silence and upon walking to the doors, they simply slid open. 

 

Once inside, Evan stared at the lobby. The floor was made of polished marble and there was a rather artistic fountain that seemed to be one of those sculptures made of metal rods except out of a shiny polished metal. Swire walked over to the next door, and Evan noticed the person at the desk gave a somewhat intrigued look to the two. Once they were at the door, Swire pulled out an ID card from her purse and swiped it. A clicking sound later and the door unlocked, leading to a hallway with roughly five elevators. 

 

With a press of the call button, the third one opened and they stepped inside. The tiger lady then pressed one of the highest buttons and a long elevator ride ensued. Naturally, since they were alone in the elevator, an awkward atmosphere could be felt until Swire spoke up.

 

“So, what’s your world like?”

 

Evan took a moment to think. He certainly had his opinions about his world, but he doubted Swire cared much. Really, he had no idea what Swire was like. Sure, he’s seen many different sides of her in a short time, but he couldn’t really say he knew her. So when she asked that broad question, he drew a blank and responded with another.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

Swire looked up a little bit in thought then responded, “You mentioned something about a country named England, particularly that it had a Victorian Era. What’s that country like?”

 

The elevator dinged.

 

“I’ve never been to England, and the Victorian Era of that country ended over a hundred years ago. But they definitely had some strange ideas on things like social behavior.”

 

Swire chuffed a little in amusement. 

 

Both walked out of the elevator and made their way down the hall where a single door sat. A camera light blinked by it, and Swire took out a set of keys from her purse, and one key went to the door where a click was heard. 

 

With a turn of the knob, a truly wonderful sight. A large main room with various decorations stood before him with the outer wall being all glass. A polished wooden floor stood out, and a single step led to a living area where a set of furniture sat in front of what Evan could only assume to be a television. Somewhere between a stair set and the living area was a glass panel sliding water down the room, creating a pleasant sound. To the right, there was a kitchen area with a door that led into a pantry of sorts, and there was even a little bar-like counter area between the kitchen and the main area. Plants also dotted the household, and there were enough of them that the air quality really felt different. 

 

“Normally I don’t have people over, much less overnight,” Swire casually remarked as she stepped further in, and placed the box down between the downstep to the living area and the main portion. She turned around and gave an exaggerated pose to the rest of the apartment complex and said with great enthusiasm, “But tonight I’ll make an exception. You are an important investigation, and not to mention my new assistant, so tonight you have the privilege of staying in my apartment.”

 

While he had to admit, the lady knew how to give a speech on the dime, but Evan still couldn’t brush the unease of her excessive pride. However, despite clearly being a rich lady with unhealthy pride, even he had to admit she was rather surprisingly good. She had given him a place to stay and was offering him a job essentially. No matter how he looked at the eccentric person before him, it was clear that she cared in some regard. 

 

“Much appreciated Miss Swire,” Evan said with a nod before walking in further. Almost as soon as he reached his box, he felt something knot in his stomach. Soon after that a large growling was heard from it, and hunger began to take hold. He looked to the tiger lady, and it was clear from her expression that she had heard his stomach. She then walked off wordlessly towards the kitchen area while pulling her phone out and hastily dialed a number.

 

After reaching the bar counter, she opened a binder type book and flipped through it some, placing her finger on certain items, as though she was making an order as she quietly spoke to whoever was on the phone. Evan sighed and bent down to his box of books and picked up a large academic text. Of course, he could pick up one of the novels, but he had planned to take a look at this before his flight anyways.

 

Carrying it over to what Evan presumed to be a dining table, he took a seat and opened it. Scrolling over contents which were mostly about various forms of energy production. Yes, it was a text on methods humans harnessed energy, at least in his old world. Who knows, maybe he could do something with this knowledge here, but he was curious about something. Once he found it though, the sound of a chair sliding was heard, and Evan looked to see Swire sitting down nearby, looking at his book with some curiosity. 

 

“What are you reading there?”

 

“A text on energy production.”

 

Swire’s face shifted a little before she responded, “Oh, so are you an Originium Researcher of sorts?”

 

Evan looked up and asked something that made Swire’s eyes nearly bulge out of her sockets, “What’s originium?”

 

“Y-You’re joking...right?” she asked, clearly bewildered at Evan’s answer. When Evan shook his head she looked back at the book. “How do you produce power then?”

 

Evan then looked at her and smiled. “There are many methods. You see…”

 

“What the hell? What is he talking about? Conservation of energy? Oil can be used that way?! Whoa, whoa, magnets do that? What is the photovoltaic effect?” Swire thought throughout the one sided conversation. She began feeling dizzy after a while. “Just how many different methods of producing energy does his world have? This is way over my head…”

 

“Then there’s one of my favorite, n-” 

 

Evan was suddenly cut off by the door suddenly opening. 

 

---

 

He walked down the aisle of a plane, his backpack slung over his shoulder. It was a peculiar backpack, as it had a solar panel on it. A really bad solar panel. It only worked in direct sunlight, and it only charged things at half the speed of a regular outlet. Yet, it was one of the last gifts he had been given to from his mother. 

 

Window seats were always nice, and he was glad he was lucky enough to get one. The familiar feeling soon took hold during take off, an increase in G-forces which made his body feel slightly heavier as the plane took off. 

 

Evan opened one of his novels for the flight, and after a shockingly short while, some turbulence appeared. Evan looked up to see the plane suddenly empty, and he began feeling lighter and lighter until he was practically floating. Warning signs and oxygen masks came down, and he looked out the window to see a swirling mass of black clouds glowing red and barren landscape closing in onto the plane. 

 

“Oh god no!” Evan screamed as he sat up. Feeling cushions and covers being subconsciously drawn to him. A small ticking of a nearby clock answered him in the darkness, and he looked around. He was in a surprisingly large bedroom, filled with some fancy decorations. 

 

“What was that dream? Why...was it so vivid? I rarely get lucid dreams. Why can I remember each and every detail?”  

 

Evan shuddered at the feeling of his impending death in the dream world. It wasn’t the first time he experienced that feeling of the world threatening to just cease. A few calm breaths and he felt better.

 

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside and the door flung open and lights came on. “What’s going on in here?!” A female voice shouted as Evan shielded his eyes. It didn’t take long for his pupils to shrink and adjust to the light, and when he did open them he saw Swire standing in the doorway in some very fancy looking silk pajamas with what could only be described as a bladed chain yoyo of death. She looked at him, then gave a brief sigh before giving him an annoyed stare.

 

“What was that about? Why did you scream at five thirty in the morning?”

 

Evan got up, yesterday's clothes still on and stared at the ground. “A bad dream…” he said, getting up and walking out. 

 

“Where are you going?” the grumpy tiger lady asked as she followed him downstairs, leaving her weapon by the door. She watched as he walked down the stairs, with a seemingly hollow gait and walked to the kitchen area. 

 

“Coffee.”

 

He then started looking around, all confused. 

 

“What a helpless imbecile,” Swire thought to herself as she walked down. She really didn’t want to get up now, but she would be a bad host if she didn’t help him out. Once she walked over, she pulled out some small cups of espresso and pulled some milk out of the fridge. She then walked over to a small machine and pulled out its water container. She filled it up and inserted the little container of espresso, turning it on. She then poured the milk into a sort of mixer and it began stirring it up.

 

She looked to her awakened guest and saw he was sitting at the counter, looking down in some kind of thoughtful state. 

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

 

Evan looked up in surprise, Swire gave a small sigh and rubbed her head which was rather wild and clearly suffering from bedhead. It looked nothing like he had seen it yesterday. The humming of the espresso machine stopped, and she poured his stuff into a mug before starting one for herself. 

 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But will this become a nightly occurrence?”

 

“I don’t know,” Evan responded. “I don’t usually have lucid dreams, but that one felt almost...real. I didn’t feel in control, and I felt fully conscious. When I woke up, I had a feeling like I was about to die.”

 

“Hmmm,” Swire hummed as she mixed up her makeshift latte. After she took a sip, she looked at him gingerly pulling the cup to his mouth. “So long as it doesn’t become a regular problem, it’s fine. If it does happen again, just try not to scream. I thought you were in some kind of danger.”

 

“Alright,” Evan casually responded before finishing his cup and standing up to place it by the sink. “Thank you.”

 

Swire gave a ‘humph’ before sipping her own latte. Evan then walked away to the living room area and grabbed a paperback book before sitting down. 

 

---

 

“So that’s why you look so awful,” Ch’en commented to Swire as they sat in her office. 

 

“Can it,” Swire responded swiftly. Ch’en sighed and placed her coffee down, pulling out some papers from her desk and handing them to Swire. “What is this?” She asked while picking them up.

 

“The test results from the tests we did on him.”

 

“Why would I want to look at the result of his piss cup?”

 

“Look at the Originium tests,” Ch’en replied, pulling the coffee back up to her mouth.

 

“Yeah, it’s…” Swire began until she read the number. “What in the name of-” She looked at Ch’en. “This can’t be right.”

 

“Yet, it’s the results,” Ch’en responded with a cool voice. “And given what you’ve told me, perhaps not surprising if we believe what you’ve said.”

 

“What do you want to do about it?” Swire asked, surprisingly calm. Ch’en then shoved a newspaper over, showing a specific article. 

 

Mysterious Anomaly in Lungmen’s Streets

 

Yesterday, witnesses reported a flash of white light from which a mysterious white car appeared and crashed into another in Lungmen’s Commerical District. Suspect was taken in by the L.G.D., no information about the situation was given. 

 

Swire stopped reading and looked at Ch’en with an odd expression. “Why are you showing me this?”

 

“We need to do something about him. I’ve sent a report of what was found last night to Chief Wei. It’s already been agreed on to send another sample to some experts, but until we get those results back, Evan Carvey is to be under strict supervision while I discuss with Wei what to do with him.”

 

“You’re not going to detain him, are you?” Swire asked with a low voice. 

 

“No, I’ll file another report based on what you’ve just told me, but don’t expect to have him around for long. I don’t know how this is going to go. As it stands, he’s a man with no background, citizenship of any kind anywhere, and we don’t know what his intentions are.”

 

Swire stood up and leaned over the table. “Don’t act like I don’t understand the situation,” she growled in a low voice. “But it seems clear to me that, just like always, you’re the one who doesn’t want to cooperate.”

 

Ch’en’s brow furrowed. The two stared at each other for a good long while. The room’s air practically stagnated as some kind of ferocious energy born of an ancient rivalry threatened to explode, all it would take was even the smallest spark, and they would be at each other's throats.

 

The door opened, and a tall figure with long green hair barged into the room. “Ch’en, Chief Wei has-” 

 

The oni woman stopped when she saw Swire’s butt in the air and tail higher, her hands on Ch’en’s desk and a fierce look on both their faces. “I can’t believe you two…”

 

Swire sat down silently and Ch’en’s focus turned to Hoshiguma. 

 

“What does Chief Wei want?”

 

“Read it for yourself,” Hoshiguma said, handing the file to Ch’en. Swire huffed in annoyance, as though the decision to have Ch’en read it excluded her from the situation. When she saw the stamp on the file though, her anger shifted to curiosity. 

 

“Alright, send some undercover detectives to look into it. After that, we’ll make our move.”

 

Ch’en handed the file back to Hoshiguma who left the room, looking back cautiously at the two. The door shut, and the air returned to an unsteady stagnant stare off. It didn’t last long though, and Ch’en shot the first question.

 

“So, what would you propose?”

 

“Have him tell us what the evidence is, he didn’t seem to have anything to hide when I asked,” Swire responded with one eye open. “It’s not going to do you any good sitting in here all day, brooding over this mysterious stranger.”

 

The Superintendent gave a hefty sigh and sat back in her chair looking up at the ceiling. As much as she hated to admit it, Swire did get results. Everyone at the department also knew why. Swire was a team player. She’ll work with whoever she needs to for the job to get done. 

 

“Fine, just get out of here. I’ll call him in once my other duties are finished,” Ch’en agreed. The chair moved, and the door slammed shut. Finally, some peace and quiet. She then slipped the report under her current stack to remind herself. “Looks like I could be leaving late again…”

 

---

 

“Hey Mr. Assistant, I could use some coffee over here,” one of the LGD officers called to Evan in a rather demeaning voice. Just great, as soon as Swire leaves, he’s getting hazed by the officers. Well, it probably didn’t help that Swire treated him more like an errand boy than anything he could think of for the word assistant. 

 

“Fine…” Evan said in a defeated tone as he walked towards the desk the communal coffee machine sat. He poured a cup and set it down on the officer’s desk. 

 

“Heh, thanks,” the officer replied before taking a drink. Evan was well on his way back when a sound of disgust was heard behind him. “Hey, this is black coffee!”

 

“You didn’t specify,” Evan retorted flatly with a tone that screamed ‘I don’t have time for this bull’. Some of the other officers snickered like a collection of school kids. “If I remember, your exact words were: ‘I could use some coffee over here’ not ‘Could I get some coffee with cream and sugar’.”

 

The officer grunted and sipped down his black coffee, his animal face scrunching in disgust somehow. That was another thing Evan noticed, some people had basically no human characteristics apart from being bipedal and having opposable thumbs. Most appeared to have a few animal characteristics, but there were quite a few with few human characteristics as well. “What kind of evolutionary...you know what, never mind. Why do I even bother asking?”

 

“Alright, back to work all of you,” Swire’s voice boomed. Everyone immediately had a shift in posture and work speed. That’s when the tigress herself walked into the lobby and eyed everyone. She looked over to Evan and began marching over. Evan was a little concerned by her gait, but that was dissipated when she just strolled right by him and sat down. 

 

“Take these files to inspection. Down the hall, go up the stairs two floors, and then the left door before the armored one at the end,” Swire said while giving a bundle of papers to Evan. He of course, took them and followed her directions. After a short stroll, Evan opened the door with the strange characters above it. 

 

“Inspection…” he muttered to himself while observing the sign. Oddly, it had the same number of ‘characters’ as English on a small tile below what appeared to be Chinese characters.

 

“Yes, this is inspection,” a smooth voice sounded behind him suddenly. Evan turned around and looked up to see a single eye poking out of an incredibly long set of green hair, with the eye only being freed by a single horn.

 

“Ah...Hoshiguma, right?” Evan asked while handing the papers to Hoshiguma. 

 

“Correct,” she said while taking the papers and glossing over them. “Thanks to you, Ch’en was pretty quick to compensate for lost time last night.”

 

“Oh,” Evan sounded then scratched the back of his head. “Sorry…”

 

A light chuckle was heard from Hoshiguma. Evan looked up in confusion. Once she stopped she replied, “Oh, it’s fine. It was quite easy to get her to sleep once she was drunk. It’s not often I get to carry her home, and even less often when she falls asleep halfway there.”

 

The image of the cold and serious Ch’en Evan remembered fell apart in an instant as the image of this incredibly tall oni lady carrying Ch’en filled his mind. It was quite an entertaining thought as he wondered how Ch’en might act while drunk. Before he knew it, a small snicker escaped him. Once he looked up, Hoshiguma looked at him with a small smile before thanking him and entering the door.

 

The rest of the day, Evan found himself continuing to run various but simple errands for Swire. Not that it really mattered, but it was rather tedious. It was a bunch of small fetch quests, and he had even been handed a glob of LMD to go get lunch from a specific store. He was rather surprised to find she had left enough for two meals and ordered some for himself. When Evan returned, the tigress was still hard at work, and he kind of felt inspired by it. For all her wealth and hubris, she was a hard worker and a generous person. It was enough to get him inspired to work through the afternoon.

Chapter 3: Enter the Dragon

After an entire day of being Swire’s errand boy, Evan was already deciphering just a tiny bit of the writing system. After all, the spoken language was the same. Of course, he still couldn’t tell what meant what yet. At the very least, he had memorized the written form for ‘inspection’ and even started thinking about how he would practice it. There also seemed to be articles in the writing system as well. There was, occasionally, some words that were spoken he couldn’t understand. So far, that list included what Evan could only assume to be swear words from Swire. 

 

It was roughly 4 PM when Ch’en walked down and asked Evan to come to her office. After the dragon and tiger exchanged glances, the two began their trek up to the floor where Ch’en’s office was. 

 

Ch’en glanced behind her, looking at this man with some interest. Swire’s earlier words repeated in her head as they walked. ‘But it seems clear to me that, just like always, you’re the one who doesn’t want to cooperate.’ Those words, for some reason were haunting her. Once she turned her gaze, she began thinking to herself. 

 

“I wonder...he seems very honest. What am I afraid of?” Ch’en opened the door to the floor they would go to and walked to her office door. “Yes, he’s honest, that’s why I’m doing this. Maybe then Swire will get off my case about cooperation for the rest of the week.”

 

Ch’en opened the door to her office and let him go in first. Once he was in, she closed the door and drew the blinds. She then made her way over to her chair where a box labeled ‘evidence’ sat on the floor. 

 

Evan looked around the room briefly, no doubt noticing just how empty Ch’en office was. Aside from writing supplies, a lamp, and a coffee mug nothing else sat on her desk. The room wasn’t much different, just the bare necessities. 

 

As he sat down, Evan wondered why Ch’en called him up. He had answered all of her questions so far, but it was always possible she would want to learn more, especially if Swire told Ch’en about what he had said to her last night. It was a gamble, and even he recognized that. There was risk, but it wasn’t like he had much choice. If he refused to be cooperative, he doubted anyone would let him walk around freely. 

 

“Alright,” Ch’en started, pulling out a few items from the evidence box at her feet. She arranged an array of Evan’s devices on the table, and then started the second interrogation in earnest. “We’ve tested many of these devices, and for these three we cannot discern their purpose. The others were fairly simple to figure out, due to their similarities to our own. Would you mind explaining to me what these three devices do?”

 

Evan looked at them, and he learned two things immediately about the world he was in. First, he pointed to the 3DS and the Nintendo Switch, saying “These two are game consoles. They’re used for playing video games.”

 

“Video games?” Ch’en asked curiously. 

 

“Yes, they’re a form of entertainment. They…” he stopped, thinking for a moment. “Perhaps it would be easier to show you, do you have the black bag with small little cartridges in them?”

 

“...Yes,” Ch’en replied, clearly hesitating. She pulled the black bag out and handed it to Evan. Once he had it, he pulled his switch out and angled it so she could see. He pulled the compartment up and placed a random cartridge in. He didn’t bother looking. 

 

After that, he turned it on and loaded the game. After roughly ten minutes of playing, Ch’en was satisfied and had the two devices returned to the box. That’s when she asked about the third one and Evan froze up a little. It wasn’t dangerous or anything, but it certainly was unusual, even in his world not many people casually carried it around. 

 

“It’s a Geicker Counter, a detector of sorts.”

 

“What does it detect?”

 

“Radiation.”

 

Ch’en then looked at it and asked with a raised brow, “Radiation?” She clearly didn’t understand. 

 

“Yes, it makes a click every time it detects some, and the small screen displays the rate of particles it detects,” Evan tried explaining. He then looked at her face, and he could tell she didn’t understand a word he said. “If I had to explain the theory to you, we’d be here all night.”

 

Ch’en looked at the clock, less than forty five minutes until her shift was over. “Yeah, I’ll pass on that.” She put the device away, and then closed the box. She looked at him and started another set of questions. “From what we could see with these devices and your vehicle, nothing you own operates with originium or originium arts.”

 

There was that word again, ‘originium’. Evan could guess it was a power source of some kind, and he wondered what it was. Now it was paired with another term, ‘arts’ which sounded like another word for magic to him. 

 

“What is originium anyway?” Evan asked, but when he looked at Ch’en’s reaction, he wondered if he should have said that. She was wide eyed and had a look of minor awe on her face, completely different than any expression he had seen on her normally stoic face so far. “Did I say anything wrong?”

 

Ch’en blinked a couple times then shook her head while saying, “No, you didn’t. That just...caught me off guard.” She then sat back in thought for a little before responding to his first question. “Originium is an element. It’s hard to explain, but think of it as the primary energy source. It’s also used in arts, and by extension, most machinery.”

 

“So...a primary power source in this world?” he kind of half asked. 

 

“Exactly,” Ch’en nodded. “It’s astounding really, to think that other worlds exist out there, and that they don’t have originium of all things.” 

 

A moment of silence passed after that, and Ch’en worked through some thoughts. “A world without originium...is that even possible? Or is it that they just don’t use it?” She then looked at him and decided to ask a question out of curiosity. 

 

“Evan, is your world peaceful?”

 

The moment he heard that question, Evan looked at her. It was as if her entire demeanor had changed, as if for a moment her entire mask as Senior Superintendent had faded away, but that was only for an instant. She waited for an answer, blocking her mouth with her hands. He thought for a moment about his homeworld. Then he thought about his home country, and its history.

 

“It’s...complicated,” he started, looking down at the desk. “Where I live, it’s generally peaceful. The nation I come from hasn’t seen war on its soil for well over a hundred years. Yet, the world is far from peaceful in many areas, even within that nation. Some are peaceful, some aren’t. It depends largely on time and place”

 

“I see…” Ch’en replied, her facade slipping for a moment. Her words sounded, disappointed almost. As though she really hoped for something from Evan’s explanation. He couldn’t quite place his hand on it, but just like with the last, that facade slipped. With a sigh, she transitioned to being Officer Ch’en again. “Alright, I need one last thing from you.”

 

An empty urine cup plopped onto the table. 

 

---

 

“Oh, you’re back,” Swire greeted. She then stood up and tossed Evan his jacket. “I’m done for the day. So, let’s go back.”

 

“You’re still letting me stay in your apartment?” Evan asked without any regard for his situation. A lot happened in that moment, someone started coughing, papers dropped, and heads turned. Suddenly, both could feel a lot of eyes on them, staring in bewilderment. “Oops.”

 

“No, he’s not going back with you,” a voice sounded from the hallway. Evan looked, and there was Ch’en, holding a paper. “I’ll be in charge of him tonight.”

 

Gazes turned, and Evan wanted to sink into the ground. What kind of comedic romcom situation was this? Sure, he got isekai’d, but why was this situation unfolding?

 

“Excuse me?” Swire asked with a nasty look directed at Ch’en. “What could you possibly want with him now?”

 

“None of your business.”

 

“Both of you, please shut up!” Evan shouted in his head as he shoved his hands in his pocket and hunched over to make himself look smaller. Why could he practically feel the gazes?

 

“None of my business? I’m pretty sure he’s my responsibility, so tell me what you’re trying to pull,” the tigress demanded, marching up to Ch’en. The stare off started, and Evan just couldn’t take it anymore. 

 

“Will both of you just stop?!” Both heads turned in surprise to Evan after he shouted. Now that he had their attention, he turned to Swire and said, “I’ll go with Ch’en, it can’t be that bad, can it?”

 

“Fine, do whatever you want,” Swire responded in a low voice before walking to her desk. Shortly after, both Evan and Ch’en walked out the door and Swire pouted at her desk. 

 

“Did Miss Swire just get rejected?” one of the officers asked another in a quiet voice, but it was no use and a stapler flew through the air and slammed square into his head. 

 

The thunk was heard from outside, and Evan turned around only to be met with Ch’en saying, “Don’t bother. Come on, we should arrive as soon as possible.” She then led him to a nearby parking lot where Ch’en pulled out a set of keys and walked over to an open topped car. Evan just stood there, looking at the car. It was surprisingly nice, a well kept blue and red paint job along with a rather nice set of leather seats on the inside. He didn’t think Ch’en would have such a nice car.

 

“What are you waiting for? Get in.”

 

That snapped Evan out of his trance, and sat down. After buckling himself in, she started the motor and flipped the lights on. With one arm hanging out and one on the steering wheel, she went onto the streets and started driving. 

 

“So, where are we going?” Evan asked, looking at the sky nearly ready to turn orange as evening inched closer. 

 

“Chief Wei requested to meet you personally, so I’m taking you to him,” she eyed him for a second then continued. “All I’ll ask is you be respectful. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

 

The ride continued for a good while with neither saying anything. Ch’en gave side glances to Evan, just to check. Ch’en had quite a few things on her mind with this. Particularly, Wei’s request to meet with Evan in private. In truth, the request wasn’t urgent, it was just Ch’en’s sense of duty that was driving her to bring Evan there tonight. Knowing the man, Ch’en imagined he had accounted for this. After all, she was one of his closest subordinates. 

 

As they drove, however, Ch’en decided now was a good time as any to at least attempt conversation. “Just for investigative reasons,” she convinced herself. 

 

“What did you do back in your world?”

 

His eyes went forward, thinking. Then he gave an answer.

 

“Well, I just graduated from University, and I was going to go work somewhere, but I don’t think that’s going to happen now. My flight’s probably long gone, and I imagine that I’ll be declared missing, then possibly dead later,” he replied with a rather somber voice. At that, Ch’en felt some regret for asking. She didn’t expect such a deep response from that simple question. It did shine a new light on him, despite taking being in another other world rather well, it sounded like he still had some regrets of his own. After that, the rest of the ride went in uncomfortable silence.

 

Once they had parked in a nearby parking ramp, Ch’en and Evan walked into one of the largest buildings in Lungmen. When Ch’en explained the situation to the receptionist, someone came out from the back of the reception to guide them to an elevator and to the floor where Chief Wei currently was. 

 

The moment the elevator opened, Evan could tell almost immediately that this Chief Wei really liked his reds and oranges, and eastern decor. The entire floor was awash with red, various tapestries, lush carpet, and various other decorations, but the orange and red theme was almost entirely constant. 

 

“Please follow me,” their guide said as he led them through the floor. After some twists and turns, they arrived at a door with a very pleasant food aroma wafting through it, but there was another more unpleasant scent in the mix too. The guide asked them to wait and walked in front of the open doorway. “Master Wei, Madame Ch’en has arrived with your guest.”

 

“Very well, let them in,” a powerful aging voice said. The guide let them through, and Evan saw what could only be described as, well, he couldn’t describe it well. An animal man with an elongated dog-like snout with pointed teeth and deer-like antlers greeted him in a cross-legged position by a very low table with food on it. Two other spots were available. The waft of food was interrupted with the stink of smoke, and Evan noticed fresh smoke coming from the man’s mouth. “Good evening, Evan Carvey. I’m Wei Yenwu, Lungmen’s Leader.”

 

“And I am Wei Fumizuki,” a very demure and quiet voice said. Evan looked over to its source to see its owner, Wei Fumizuki. It didn’t take long to connect the dots that she was Chief Wei’s wife. She was dressed in a black kimono with an orange and red flower pattern. A single orange horn or antler with one branch sprouted from the crown of her head, and he really couldn’t describe well what she was.

 

“Please, both of you, have a seat,” Wei Yenwu offered with a motion of his smoking pipe. Ch’en was first to sit down, followed by Evan. Plates had already been prepared, and he could see that their hosts had been eating before they entered. Wei Yenwu then nodded to the servant outside the door, and he walked off. He then turned to Evan, looking him up and down. “So, according to reports, you’re from another world, correct?”

 

Evan nodded and answered, “Yes, at least, that’s what I think has happened.”

 

“I’ve read Ch’en’s reports on you,” he said while pulling the pipe to his mouth and exhaling slowly. “Some of it is very interesting, such as the entire lack of Originium in any device you own, as well as your biological tests.” 

 

Evan coughed a little once the odor of the smoke reached his nose. He tried desperately to hold it in, but he was failing. He then took a cup of tea and drank. All eyes looked at him, and he felt rather embarrassed. Yet, from the rather tense atmosphere, he didn’t dare speak of his intolerance to smoke. Even vapes could get to him, so living in the college dorms was a hell for his first year.

 

“Dear, perhaps it would be polite to put that away for now,” Fumizuki requested on Evan’s behalf. 

 

“Very well,” Wei Yenwu responded, turning his pipe over and tapping some of the ash into a nearby ashtray of sorts. He still held the pipe when he next spoke though. “As I was saying, these things are very interesting, and there’s definitely nothing like them on Terra. According to Miss Swire, you were not familiar with originium at all. Does it not appear in your world?”

 

“My world lacks originium.”

 

“I see…” Wei responded, his face shifting to be deep in thought. The next line he muttered surprised everyone at the table, “That must be fortunate.”

 

“Fortunate?” Evan asked curiously. Ch’en’s gaze swiftly turned to him, waiting to see his next action. 

 

“In our world, Terra, originium is a great energy source, but it comes at a price. Great natural disasters called catastrophes rain heaps of the stuff from the sky, and when they do it becomes a breeding ground for Oripathy. A disease where the crystals slowly replace the body’s tissue and cells, leading to death. It also isn’t uncommon for the death to be violent, the creature literally exploding. Either way, the crystals become a new vector of infection, and the cycle continues. Even if that cycle is stopped, more comes from the catastrophes and what originium lies in the earth. Such, it necessitates the use of Nomadic Cities, like Lungmen.”

 

“Wait,” Evan said suddenly and in bewilderment. Ch’en glared at him, but he didn’t care or notice. “Nomadic, as in they move? Are you saying this city moves?!”

 

“Evan!” Ch’en whispered harshly to him. Yet, even she was surprised by Wei because he started laughing. It was an amused laugh, more of a chuckle really, but that fact he did it left her stunned. She sat back down and waited patiently.

 

“Is such a thing not commonplace where you come from?”

 

“Dear god no,” Evan responded. “Moving a city like this...that would be an astronomical feat of engineering, not to mention the fact that it would take enormous amounts of energy just to move it even a few feet. There wouldn’t be much in my world that could accomplish that.”

 

“I see,” Lungmen’s leader responded with an amused grin. He pulled the pipe to his mouth, only to realize it was empty. He gave a small grunt of frustration then set it down. “Well, I believe our food will get cold at this rate. Perhaps we should eat.”

 

While the conversation had been going, Fumizuki had made good headway on her meal in a very lady-like fashion. Ch’en clasped her hands and gave a short bow before eating, and so ended perhaps one of the most tense pre-meal conversations Evan had ever had. After the meal, both Ch’en and Evan thanked Wei Yenwu and Wei Fumizuki for their hospitality and left. 

 

Neither said anything to each other on the elevator ride down, and they didn’t say anything to each other when they left the building. The dinner had been nice. He had a few minor conversations with both of his hosts during the meal. After the initial conversation, the tension in the room had fallen apart. Considering he had a rather luxurious feast in Swire’s apartment last night, he had to count his blessings his culinary introduction to Terra had been very excellent.  But, he had learned an absolute lot about the world he was in from that one pre-dinner conversation with Chief Wei. 

 

“Terra? If I’m not mistaken, that’s the greek word for earth. This material, originium, also is unlike anything from my old world. It must be an absolute energy powerhouse if the risks are that great, and not to mention capable of moving damn cities. I wouldn’t like to explode though...”

 

“Hey, you’re going the wrong way,” Ch’en called from behind. Evan looked back to see her car, and turned around to go enter the passenger’s seat. “So, what now?”

 

Evan looked at the dragon lady next to him curiously. “What?”

 

“Do you want to do anything? The night’s still young, and I’m pretty sure Hoshiguma went home by now. I could take you back to Swire, but I’m just saying, if you want to do something, I’ll drive you and pay for it. Just this once.”

 

Considering what he had heard, Evan immediately knew where he wanted to go.

 

---

 

“Why did I agree to this?” Ch’en thought as she parked. She and Evan got out almost simultaneously, and she walked over to where Evan wanted her to take him. 

 

“Holy shit,” he muttered as he looked over the railing. “It really is…” Like a little kid, he stared wide eyed down to the earth very, very far below. Looking at him, she let loose a small grin. 

 

“First time seeing something like this?” she asked, leaning on the railing and looking down to the barren wasteland below. “You said your world had nothing like this?”

 

“The largest moving structures in my world are all seafaring ships, but they could never compare to this,” he said in awe. 

 

“Hmm,” Ch’en hummed as she looked down. She had to admit, she wasn’t impressed. The sights of Lungmen, she had seen all of it so many times. She was prepared for him to gawk for a long time, but about fifteen minutes seemed to be enough. Suddenly, he turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes with a wide eyed smile. “W-What?” She was feeling a little uncomfortable. “I hope I’m not blushing.”

 

“Thank you, Madame Ch’en,” he said earnestly with a great deal of gratitude clear in his voice. She felt her face heat up a little, and turned to look at the wastelands.

 

“I-It was nothing…” she muttered. “I’m really not good with this sort of thing.”  

 

“Well, it’s pretty late, but I don’t know if I should bother Swire again…” he muttered. 

 

With a hefty sigh, Ch’en resolved his dilemma with, “I can help you with that.”

 

The next ride in the car was to the LGD where Ch’en casually opened the door where some overnight officers looked at her with surprise and immediately stood up straight. She ignored them and brought Evan to a room with lots of boxes. She requested the person in charge of the area to bring something. 

 

After a short wait, Evan’s suitcase was given back to him as well as the rest of his stuff. Well, not all of it, but most of it was in his possession now. Most of his books were with Swire, and some of the other much larger stuff was likely in his car. They both then walked out of the LGD and Ch’en helped him place stuff in the trunk of her car. 

 

A surprisingly short ride after that, they stopped in a small lot and looking at the building, only one thought came to Evan’s mind. “Don’t tell me…”

 

Yet, his suspicions were confirmed when he walked into the hallway, took his shoes off, and watched as Ch’en immediately made her way to a small kitchen area and pulled down a teapot. 

 

“Do you want some tea?”

 

“Do you have chamomile?”

 

Ch’en then pulled down a pair of boxes and started boiling water. Meanwhile, Evan’s mind was racing as he tried to keep his cool. 

 

“How the hell? How the actual hell? What in the everloving shit is this shitty romcom situation?” he thought to himself as he sat on the couch and tried to make sense of this situation. Ch’en left the main room, and his thoughts continued soaring. He pulled his eyes down while thinking, “I can’t believe this. I’m staying the night at a pretty girl’s house, again, and again said lady is a police officer. A police officer! Ok, calm down. Nothing’s happening.”

 

“Evan, are you alright with having a futon in the living area?”

 

“Yes,” Evan responded politely without missing a beat. 

 

“What. The. F*ck. I’ve only seen one door that looks like it leads to a bedroom, did she just casually give me a choice to sleep in her room? What’s with this lady? Why am I in a cheap anime cliche?! Have I become anime?!”

 

The thunk of a futon hitting the floor snapped Evan out of his internal monologue, and he looked to see Ch’en in a simple T-shirt and shorts. She then walked back to the teapot, and Evan really had to wonder if he didn’t just die or was now in a coma. 

 

“This is too much for my stupid virgin mind…” he muttered under his breath.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.”

Chapter 4: An Offer of Employment

Rhodes Island Medical Report of Lungmen Special Investigation’s Request

 

On Friday, March 4th of 10XX, Rhodes Island was contacted by the LGD Special Investigation unit to examine a urine sample. The reasons were not cited, but it became clear once the sample was tested. Whoever the sample belonged to had an impossibly low Originium density. In fact, only trace amounts of originium were discovered. The probability of the trace amounts coming from the environment are quite high, but it cannot be ruled out that they came from the body either. Everything else about the sample was normal, aside from signs of drug metabolization of unknown and known substances. Excess signs of vitamin metabolization were also discovered. 

 

Medical Examiner Testimony:

 

This is a unique sample, with such low signs of Originium, perhaps we could learn more if we had the subject’s blood as well. We have no idea what their u/L are, but given the signs of the urine sample, it could be incredibly low. So far, we are trying to keep this a secret from Warfarin, but we’re not sure how long that will last. Many of the medical operators are hopeful that whoever this individual may be, they may be able to shed new light on treatment methods. Assessment: Acquire the mysterious subject if possible, and as soon as possible. 

 

-Dr. Kal’tsit, Head of Rhodes Island Medical Department

 

It was a relief to wake up in the morning without a nightmare. Evan was far more familiar with just waking up in the morning with an empty void in his memory. He was unsure why he woke up though, his phone said it was nearly five in the morning. A familiar short puff from the coffee machine, and he understood why. 

 

Almost immediately on the dot of 5 AM, the machine beeped and moments later, Ch’en walked out of her room, hair unbound and only slightly frazzled. The fridge opened, and some creamer was pulled out. That’s when Evan sat up, still fairly groggy. 

 

“Good morning,” Ch’en greeted plainly without turning her head as she poured herself some coffee. “Do you want some coffee?”

 

“Sure,” he replied in a tired voice while getting up. Ch’en poured him his own cup and left the creamer out for him to determine how much he wanted. The dragoness leaned on the counter and Evan looked at her. One thing that was immediately noticeable were dark circles and rings under and around her eyes that he didn’t see yesterday. “Did you not sleep well?”

 

Silence followed, and she continued to drink her coffee. After a few sips she rubbed her eyes and groaned in frustration. 

 

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing new,” Ch’en replied without much emotion beyond a tinge of grumpiness. 

 

“You sure? Sleep is incredibly important.”

 

“You sound like Hoshiguma.”

 

“Well she has a point. Your body doesn’t do nothing while you sleep. It replaces chemicals, does maintenance, and solves problems. People can die if they get no sleep at all, and stay awake for far too long.”

 

“What are you, a doctor?” she asked rather annoyedly and with some cynical sarcasm. 

 

“No, but my mom was. I also know quite a bit about psychology, and I know that sleep is important for mental health and work,” Evan said, then took another sip of coffee. Ch’en’s response to that was to give a rather annoyed ‘tsk’ before taking her cup to the couch and sitting down. The television came on, and the familiar sound of news filled the background. 

 

Actually, Evan had noticed that contrary to her office, Ch’en’s apartment was rather well decorated. There were a few plants, and each corner had something in it. It wasn’t anything compared to Swire’s, but Evan thought it was nice and quaint. After roughly an hour, Ch’en told him to start getting ready and walked into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of a shower was heard and Evan worked on ignoring it as he sorted his items and picked out his clothes for the day. 

 

After a while, the shower stopped, a blowdryer was heard, and Ch’en walked out in the same outfit he saw yesterday. He noticed that when she got out, the circles and bags were no longer visible, implying she had used makeup to cover the signs of her insomnia. After Evan’s turn in using the bathroom, she had piled his stuff by the door and she stood there with an impatient look. 

 

Once they were on the road, she was rather impatient with her driving as well. Hell, it reminded Evan of his mother when she was going to be late to her destination, so he really didn’t try to say anything. Especially not when the amped up drive had two swords with her. “I like having my limbs, thank you.”

 

Upon walking through the doors, another person waited, clearly annoyed in their own way. 

 

“Where the hell were you last night?!” Swire asked, approaching Evan. She saw Ch’en and froze in her tracks. “Wait, don’t tell me. Ugh, you slept at her place?!”

Heads turned in shock. 

 

“I swear to the god of shit!!”

 

“Why do you care so much?” Ch’en asked with some frustration clear in her voice. 

 

“I lent him those clothes yesterday, and his box of books are still at my place. Of course I care, if you wanted to take him over to your place for the night, you could’ve at least told me.”

 

“Please just stop,” Evan whined in his head. 

 

“Oh shut it, you’ll get your clothes back. It doesn’t matter that they ended up at my place for an extra night.”

 

More eyes fell as officers came to see what the fuss was about. 

 

“You f*cking bitch!” Swire screamed with her face going beat red with anger. Then she turned her attention to Evan. “Why didn’t you come back? Was my hospitality that poor? All this dragon eats are cup noodles, does that really compare to a glass of fine wine and a five star meal?”

Whispers started going rampant, and the two ladies were too focused on each other to bother listening. 

 

“Are Miss Swire and Officer Ch’en fighting over him?”

 

“Holy shit, did he sleep with both of them? Two nights in a row?”

 

“Lucky bastard…”

 

“Please, god, I will never complain about my luck with women again, just please stop these two from fighting.”

 

“Both of you shut up!” a voice boomed from nearby. All heads turned to the more than six foot tall, single horned oni as she marched over to Ch’en and Swire. Both had looks of dread on their face as the angry, six foot tall, single horned oni marched over with steps that sounded like they would go through the floor. “It’s seven in the morning, and you two are already going at it?! Do you even hear yourselves right now?”

 

Before either could speak, Hoshiguma turned them both around to face Evan and used her hands to force all three of them into a deep bow. “I am so sorry on behalf of these two. Now, both of you, apologize before I bend both of you another ninety degrees.”

 

“We’re sorry…” both of them said simultaneously. Hoshiguma let go and gave an exacerbated sigh, her face returning to normal and her voice quieting down. “Sorry you had to see that, Evan.”

 

After a moment of blinking, he responded, “No, I should be thanking you. If both of them continued, I dread to think what kind of rumors would spread. Though it might be too late now…” 

 

With that, they finally realized what they had said, both ladies’ faces turned a deep shade of pink and Swire ran off, screaming between her teeth. Ch’en coughed and walked away, LGD officers cowering or moving several feet away as she did. Even though those reactions didn’t help the new rumor mill that just got flooded, Evan turned to the last one there and bowed to Hoshiguma.

 

“Thank you so much, I shudder to think what would be swirling around if those two continued.”

 

“It’s nothing,” Hoshiguma responded with another deep sigh. “They’re normally not that bad. But, I have never seen them this bad first thing in the morning. Swire was waiting there before we opened, which was unusual. Now that I think about it, Ch’en appears like clockwork every day at exactly seven in the morning.”

 

“I see…”

 

Surprisingly, Hoshiguma gave a light chuckle afterwards. Then she said, “I’ve never seen them fight over someone before. For either one, it isn’t easy to invest interest in a person, so I must say you’re quite unusual in that sense. See you later, maybe I’ll take you with us next time we go out to drink.”

 

Evan was left there, stunned for a good long while. That day, none of the officers dared try hazing him. Rumors about the mysterious stranger who may or may not have slept with the two senior officers would continue for quite a while. On a technical level, they weren’t wrong. That was only if ‘with’ meant the same apartment and not the same room and bed or a very specific elicit activity.

 

“Dear god, please don’t tell me I’m the protagonist of a harem anime.”

 

---

 

It was reaching noon when Evan got called to Ch’en’s office. When he left the lobby, he could hear the sound of Swire throwing something at a gossiping officer, again. 

 

“Don’t think I didn’t hear you!” 

 

With a simple head shake, he continued to walk up. As he approached Ch’en’s office, some of the officers began to whisper. All he could really make out was that there was a rather attractive young girl who came in and asked for him. This gossip was proven true when he opened the door to Ch’en’s office and saw just that.

 

“Oh, you must be Evan,” she said with a rather happy demeanor. Evan looked her up and down. She was dressed rather heavily, and carried a staff of sorts. She also had a very large volume of brown hair with two pointed ears sticking out either end. She also had a black bag and wore a red hairband with white edges. Her hair was done up in two comically large twintails. Evan looked at Ch’en for an explanation who just shrugged. Evan looked back to the girl and she continued after giving a ninety degree bow. 

 

“My name is Angelina, a messenger from Rhodes Island.”

 

“Rhodes Island?” Evan asked curiously. Angelina didn’t seem fazed, she just kept going after that.

 

“Yes, Rhodes Island. We’re a pharmaceutical company who primarily research methods of treating oripathy. Madame Ch’en here sent one of your...erm...samples to us for testing.”

 

“Ok…” Evan said with some unease as this young girl who looked like she should be in school about now began shuffling through her bag. She then handed him a couple pieces of paper that looked like an application of sorts and a report of some kind. 

 

“He can’t read,” Ch’en stated matter-of-factly. 

 

“Oh, my apologies,” Angelina said. She then began pointing to the papers as she told him what they were. “That’s your test results, which are really, really fascinating to the Medical Department for some reason. Then that is an application to join Rhodes Island should you choose so.”

 

“Wait, what?” both Evan and Ch’en said simultaneously with confusion. 

 

“I’m not a doctor,” Evan said waving his hands in a ‘no’ fashion. Ch’en on the other hand was looking at Angelina with a suspicious squint in her eyes. 

 

“Oh, not to worry. There’s lots of positions to apply for. Engineering, Human Resources, Messenger and Transport work, Logistics, and even Combat Operator.”

 

“Are you really a pharmaceutical company?”

 

“Yes,” both ladies said with varying degrees of enthusiasm. 

 

“Then why do you have that many vastly different positions?”

 

For the first time since he met her a minute ago, Angelina looked confused. Ch’en on the other hand, pinched her nose as though something really annoying happened. 

 

“Angelina, may I ask who requested him to join?” Ch’en asked after taking a deep breath.

 

“Doctor Kal’tsit and The Doctor of course,” Angelina responded. “Both were very interested in his test results, and most of the medical team too.”

 

Ch’en’s head hit the desk and she uttered some Lungmen profanity before pulling something from her drawers and plopping a stamped and sealed folder on the desk. She then took a deep breath and lifted her head, glaring at Angelina. “Here, this is what we’ve found out about him so far. You may take that back at least, but do not, under any conditions, open it. Only those two can.”

 

“O-Ok,” Angelina replied meekly and nervously as she gently placed the folder in her bag. “What about him?”

 

Ch’en turned her gaze to Evan and offered him a choice, “Well, I’ve cleared you of suspicion, so you have a choice here. If you don’t go, you can keep working as Swire’s assistant. On the other hand…” Ch’en paused a great deal, clearly thinking a lot about her words before continuing. “Rhodes Island, I’m a little suspicious of it. But, it would be stupid of me to deny that they’re very impressive and have far higher potential than a career as a nobody here in Lungmen.”

 

Both eyes looked at him, and he looked between Ch’en and Angelina. After a short moment of waiting, he nodded his head then answered. 

 

“Angelina, I’ll accept.”

 

“Oh, thank goodness. Kal’tsit really, really, wanted me to bring you back today if possible,” Angelina said with great relief. She took the papers back from Evan and stuffed them in her bag and gave a big smile. “Well, I have some other errands to run. You should get packed, I’ll be back soon to pick you up.”

 

Angelina left the office, leaving Evan and Ch’en alone. The atmosphere was tense. It didn’t last very long though.

 

“What are you waiting for? Go tell Swire. I’m certainly not going to tell her.”

 

Evan left the office and shut the door, the officers on the floor stopped talking and looked at him curiously. Yeah, he made the right call getting out given how things were going. Hopefully, if he came back to Lungmen the rumors won’t have gotten worse.

 

A short walk down to the lobby, Evan approached Swire. 

 

“Hey, Miss Swire?”

 

“Yes?” she asked with a small smile, looking up from her work. Suddenly, he felt nervous. 

 

“I’ve accepted an offer of employment.”

 

Her ears perked up, and her smile grew a little. “Oh, who offered?”

 

“...Rhodes Island.”

 

Swire’s smile vanished in an instant. It wasn’t a negative expression, but it was clear she was very surprised at the answer. She turned back to her work and thought for a moment. 

 

“I see...Rhodes Island,” she muttered, thinking. She then turned her head to Evan and asked, “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes, I’m sure.”

 

Swire looked down at her desk for a little bit then pulled out her phone and immediately dialed in a number. 

 

“Hello Sebastian...yes, I’d like something brought over. Could you bring Evan Carvey’s books to the LGD please? ...thank you.”

 

She placed her phone down and turned to Evan. “Well, I’ll let you know what your final debt to me is once the messenger I sent to Columbia comes back. If you’re ever in Lungmen…” Swire pulled out a pen and paper during her pause and wrote down a series of numbers. She handed it to Evan and finished her sentence. “Let me know.”

 

Evan took it, and walked to where his stuff was. Soon enough, he was waiting outside the LGD patiently. Swire’s butler got there first and he nearly had everything back. As he was waiting, Ch’en of all people came out.

 

“Here, this will get you in and out of Lungmen with ease. Until next time,” she said in a business-like manner as she handed a card of sorts to him. He looked at it for a bit, but before he could thank her a jeep of sorts playing pop music pulled up and the window rolled down. 

 

“Heyo,” a merry girl with orange hair and horns sung. “Penguin Logistics at your service~.” 

 

Evan looked inside one of the back windows and saw Angelina waving to him. When he turned around, Ch’en was gone.

 

---

 

True to Ch’en’s word, the pass worked its magic. The moment whatever Lungmen called customs saw it, they just let the entire car pass without inspection and just let them on the elevator. 

 

“Good golly Mr. Carvey, you must be well connected to the LGD to have a pass like that,” the girl named Croissant stated quite happily. 

 

“Not really, Ch’en just gave it to me as a parting gift,” Evan responded a little nervously. 

 

“Still, I’d call that good connections. Maybe you could-”

 

“Croissant,” a quiet voice interrupted from the driver’s side. A wolf girl with her focus still squarely out the window put something that, thankfully, wasn’t a cigarette in her mouth before speaking again. “Don’t get any ideas.”

 

“Aw come on Texas~” Croissant whined. “You know how much more we could expand operations with something like that? We’d make sooo much money.”

 

“No,” Texas chastised. That’s when the elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal a tunnel. Texas started driving, all the while her choice of pop music played. 

 

The rest of the ride was something else. Croissant and Angelina proved to be very, very talkative. Just about every mundane subject came about, and they kept asking questions, even when it confused them. They asked Evan about, well, basically everything about him. Where he was from, what he did, and about his hobbies. They basically got his whole life story out of him over the course of the car ride. Somehow, they didn’t find out he was from another world, yet. Even Texas asked a few questions or gave minor remarks during the trip, but she really didn’t say much. Though once he noticed that the wolf girl was eating pocky, he asked her something that steered the conversation that way.

 

“Isn’t chocolate bad for canines?”

 

Angelina covered her mouth in an effort to stifle her laughter, and Croissant blinked a little before laughing hysterically. 

 

“Oh, haha, that’s, snort , amazing. Pffft, Texas, Texas, did you hear that one? Oh my gosh, it’s like he’s never seen a lupo before,” Croissant said while laughing. After a while, he looked to Angelina who turned her head, holding her mouth with some quiet giggling coming out. 

 

“Well, I haven’t seen a lupo before.”

 

“Wait really?” the joyful horned girl asked with genuine surprise. “You haven’t? Wait, what races live where you do?”

 

Evan froze a moment, both girls’ eyes were on him. “Erm...well...I don’t know how to say this…”

 

“Oooh, a secret? Come on, spit it out!” Croissant eagerly requested, her hands grabbing the back of her seat and leaning forward to stare at Evan. 

 

“Croissant, sit down,” Texas futilely scolded. It did buy Evan some time though. He remembered that file Ch’en handed Angelina, and realized that perhaps the information about him being from another world would be best, not said everywhere. 

 

“You can trust us,” Angelina said with a smile. “I’ll make sure Croissant doesn’t run her mouth.”

 

“Meanie~” the horned girl playfully whined. “But yeah, I’ll zip my mouth. So tell us.”

 

“Well...I come from somewhere where no one has...animal features at all,” Evan said. Both of them looked at him with curiosity, clearly expecting more. Well he had already said his hometown, the University he attended, and other such things, so he thought, “Eh, what the hell, they’ll find out eventually.”

 

“I come from...another world.”

 

“Whoa, awesome!” Croissant shouted. “Hey, you hear that Texas? Another world!”

 

“Yes, that is interesting,” Texas replied robotically. “So, will you sit down?”

 

“Yeah yeah, you’re so stuffy in the car.”

 

“I am driving after all.”

 

Suddenly, laughing started filling the car again. Even Texas looked in the rearview mirror at its source, Evan. He laughed, and laughed some more. Even Angelina gave a small giggle, and Croissant gave a small snort. 

 

“What’s so gosh darn funny Mr. Carvey?”

 

After calming down, Evan answered, “That’s the most positive reaction I’ve seen about my otherworldly origins. It’s not exactly hard to conceal since it was probably on the news in Lungmen.”

 

“I’m going to guess it’s that Traffic Anomaly from two days ago,” Texas added as she pulled another pocky. 

 

“Yeah, not exactly a very fun time,” he replied with a rather casual way. 

 

“Oh yeah, the city net was blowing up over that,” Croissant added. “Lots of people were wonderin’ about it. But yeah, that makes sense. Not like anyone could use arts like that without being detected.”

 

Evan was really curious about that word, arts. Considering he was in a fantasy world, he assumed it was magic of some kind. His gaze turned to Angelina’s staff, his curiosity returned about the world he was in. 

 

“By the way, what are arts?” he asked Angelina. She then immediately frowned and pouted, turning her head away.

 

“Rude, did you assume I’m an arts user because I have a staff? What if I just use this to walk?”

 

“Oh, sorry,” Evan apologized sheepishly, but immediately she began laughing. “Don’t play with my heart like that.”

 

“I’m just kidding~” the teenage vulpo responded with a rather joyful smile. She then held her staff up for him to see. “I’m still learning, but think of arts as a method of harnessing the power of originium. With the originium in our blood, we can draw out energy from an originium source and use it. My staff has one such source in it, or a catalyst if you will. The rest of the staff itself helps me control my arts.”

 

“So...kind of like how a laptop uses electricity from a battery to use its circuits. I see,” Evan said with a nod. Angelina looked like she sort of followed, but not entirely. 

 

“...Yeah,” she responded. Then her attitude shifted, “Some people are more talented in arts than others, and some types of arts are easier to use depending on the person. I’m just an apprentice though. If you want to know more you could talk to someone like Miss Skyfire, she’ll give you an earful all day.”

 

“Duly noted,” he replied before looking forward. That’s when he saw something in the distance, kicking up a massive cloud of dust behind it. “What’s that over there? Ahead of us.”

 

“That would be Rhodes Island,” Texas matter-of-factly stated. They were pretty far away from it, but he had to admit it was something else. The sheer size alone was something to behold, and the fact it was moving added to Evan’s awe. 

 

As they approached it, the dust cloud began getting smaller and smaller, and the size became even more astonishing. It wasn’t merely a landship, it was a moving fortress. Once the dust cloud finally reached a certain height, a great moan was heard as the island slowly stopped which turned into a deafening roar and a puff of steam came from the top. 

 

“First time seeing a landship?” Angelina asked as she stared at his awestruck face. Evan’s response was to merely nod. 

 

A massive door on the side of the ship opened and a ramp lowered for Texas to drive into what seemed to be a garage of some sorts which contained a large array of vehicles of various types. Some were armored company vehicles with the Rhodes Island insignia on them, and others seemed to be more personal. There were also others he couldn’t identify the purpose of. 

 

After Texas found a parking space, the group walked to a large elevator and both Angelina and Texas pressed different floors. Texas and Croissant got off earlier, so some brief farewells later, Angelina and Evan were riding the elevator up.

 

“So, where will you take me?” Evan asked casually. Soon after, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. 

 

“First, I’ll take you to see Dr. Kal’tsit. She’s head of the Medical Department. She’ll decide what to do with you then,” Angelina explained as she led him through a series of corridors then to a large set of double doors with various signs on them that Evan couldn’t understand around a much larger name. Angelina casually opened the door, and he was greeted to see what seemed like a hospital reception. Over at the counter, there was a white haired girl with owl-like feathers sleeping at the desk. 

 

“Oh, she’s asleep…” Angelina observed. She looked around, then quietly motioned for Evan to follow her. A few twists and turns later they arrived at the end of one with a very important looking plaque with two lines on it. Angelina gave two knocks on the door and shortly later, it swung open dramatically.

Chapter 5: Welcome to Rhodes Island

Time seemed to move slowly as Evan sat in the office. In front of him was a cat woman with green tinted blonde hair, and a pair of cat ears that sort of reminded him of a lynx. The moment Kal’tsit had opened the door, Angelina got in trouble for not notifying her right away, and the folder along with the two extra files were swiped out. First impressions, Kal’tsit was very strict and hard to read. Yet, that poker face fell as she read the LGD’s files on him. Giving occasional glances with dilated pupils and only mildly wider eyes as any indication she was interested. 

 

“I hope I never end up playing poker with her.”

 

The folder was closed, and Kal’tsit took out a pen along with a clip-board where she clipped on a blank piece of paper, and the application she had sent with Angelina. 

 

“Alright, so your name is Evan, M, Carthey…” she said, writing down something on both pieces of paper. “Possibly from another world. Unknown race. No knowledge of originium, and self proclaimed university graduate despite being illiterate.”

 

“Ouch, you could stand to be a little less blunt lady.”

 

“But,” Kal’tsit continued. “All evidence seems to point there. Untraceable history, and first known appearance is on the news of Lungmen along with footage of what would only be impossible for Originium Arts. Large amounts of text not matching any language, and machinery containing zero originium dependent parts. According to this, your world does not have originium, yet appears to produce power through a number of means.”

 

She looked at him for a good long while. She noticed his gaze turned to her right shoulder where surface crystals were growing. She didn’t care, and it wasn’t that surprising if what was stated in the file is true. Likely to be true since multiple parties, not easily fooled in Kal’tsit’s opinion, said so. 

 

“First time seeing Oripathy?” she asked when his gaze continued to eye her crystals. 

 

“Yeah, I heard only a little bit about it. This is my first time seeing symptoms of it.”

 

“Angelina has Oripathy. You may not have seen them as her lesions are located on her thigh. Some people also don’t know they have Oripathy for years until crystals start developing on the surface or the internal tissues are affected greatly by metastasis of originite crystals,” she pulled a cup of coffee up and brought it to her lips. “Today, we can only control its growth, but the end result is the same. Oripathy is fatal without fail.”

 

“Sounds awful,” Evan sympathized with clear emotion in his voice. Kal’tsit took note of this. No disdain to Oripathy, and sympathy despite coming from a world without it. Did he have similar diseases in his world? 

 

“I have a lot to do today, and now getting this person into the database is one of them. I should probably contact The Doctor and Amiya after I do some proper testing,” Kal’tsit thought to herself. She stood up and beckoned Evan to follow her. All the while, she asked a few questions so she could fill out more parts of the application and her impromptu medical sheet. “Age?”

 

“Twenty four”

 

“Birthday?”

“October sixteen, 19-”

 

“Just the day and month, I can already tell the year will make no sense. How’s your diet?”

 

“Where I came from, you could say the diet mainly consists of cheap food without much nutritional value, but I try to eat well when I can and I supplement my diet when needed.”

 

Kal’tsit paused for a little bit before the next question. “Blood type?”

 

“O negative.”

 

“Universal donor, interesting…” she remarked. “How’s your physical activity?”

 

“Poor.”

 

Kal’tsit approached one of the rooms and flipped a red tab out which had ‘Do not Disturb’ on it. She scanned her ID in front of the lock and it opened. Both of them walked inside to a room with various kinds of equipment. Immediately, Kal’tsit began shuffling through the supplies in different drawers and pulled out a needle and some glass vials. 

 

“In order to properly test you, we’ll need to take blood samples.”

 

As a donor in his last world, and one who would give two units of red cells at that, he just plopped his arm on the nearby table. A small rubber strip was tied around the left arm and alcohol wipes were applied. Silently, the blood was drawn and Kal’tsit eyed the vials briefly then proceeded to speak again. 

 

“That should be enough for now. I’ll have someone else do a more general exam later. I’ll also place you on the list for an Oripathy scan. I’ll take these samples to be processed.”

 

With the exchange done, Evan calmly retraced his steps back to the waiting area where the owl girl was still sleeping. He looked around the reception for others, but it was empty save for this one girl who was still sleeping. 

 

“Hey, excuse me,” Evan said with restraint. No reaction, she just continued breathing quietly as she slept. One of the weird feather ear things wiggled upon hearing his voice though. “Cute,” he thought before gently reaching for her shoulder. Almost as soon as he did so, her eyes shot open and the strangest sentences spoken by a living person was said. 

 

“Physical stimulus received...exiting sleep mode...rebooting system…” she said while pausing. Then, a yawn escaped her and she stretched her shoulders a little while moaning like she had been asleep for a while. “Accessing archives...restoring previous session.” She finally looked at him, and Evan could immediately see her bright orange, shockingly wide eyes staring at him emotionlessly. “Operator Ptilopsis is online, how may I be of assistance?” 

 

“Ok...that was weird. But I imagine that’s the norm now,” Evan thought to himself before asking her his question. “Do you know where Angelina went by chance?”

 

“Searching temporary archives...error, Operator Angelina’s whereabouts are unknown to Ptilopsis.”

 

“Ok…” Evan expressed as he thought to himself. He was really hungry, he hadn’t eaten for a while and it was starting to get to him. “Is there a cafeteria? I’m pretty hungry.”

 

“Yes, the cafeteria is…hibernation activated, initiating sleep mode…” Ptilopsis started until she initiated the code speak and plopped her head on the desk, quiet breathing immediately following. Evan just stared, bewildered at the sight until she opened her eyes again. “Troubleshooting successful, reloading conversation...reload successful. Apologies, due to Oripathy, Ptilopsis suffers from narcolepsy and enhanced racial traits. Restoring conversation...the cafeteria is located down two floors, perhaps you can find someone to guide you. Ptilopsis may not leave her post per Doctor Silence’s orders.”

 

“Alright, well thanks anyways,” Evan responded before turning around and walking out. 

 

“Reinitiating hibernation... yawn …” Ptilopsis said to no one in particular as she put her head in a comfortable position and began snoring quietly.

 

---

 

“And I’m lost…” Evan said to himself as he looked at a nearby map he found in a hallway junction. He couldn’t tell which room was the cafeteria or not. “I’m hungry though...when will I get to eat.”  

 

The faint sound of footsteps was heard, and Evan turned his head to see its source turn a corner. A girl half a foot as short as him with a pair of long grey ears, a pulled up faceshield of some kind, and a long pole-arm locked eyes with him. Soon after she gave a beaming smile and gave a very big wave. Evan waved back a little sheepishly. Said girl then proceeded to walk over.

 

“Hey, there, my name’s Grani. I haven’t seen you around before, you new around here?” she asked with a small but genuine smile.

 

“Yeah, I’m trying to find something to eat,” Evan explained.

 

“Oh, I can help with that!” Grani exclaimed. “I notice you don’t have an ID yet, so you’d have to pay for the meal. But, I can get you one for free, my treat!”

 

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver,” Evan thanked Grani. 

 

“No problem. Follow me...erm...sorry, what’s your name?” 

 

“Evan Carvey.”

 

“Alright Evan, I’ll take you to the cafeteria. I’m hungry too, so great timing.”

 

After a short walk and an elevator ride down, Evan and Grani found themselves in the cafeteria. It was a large room with not only the necessities of a cafeteria, but also a collection of lounge rooms. Grani led him over to the counter and they were given food rather swiftly. Soon after, they sat down and without a word, both began the rapid consumption of their respective plates. While Grani did finish faster, it was only by a small margin. Upon both noticing this, they shared a laugh before initiating conversation.

 

“So what brings you to Rhodes Island?” Grani initiated. 

 

“Employment, and the medical department is interested in something to do with originium in my body.”

 

“Oh…” Grani sounded with a clear downtone. “Are you infected?”

 

“Not that I’m aware, I have yet to get the results of an Oripathy test, but I’d say my chances are statistically insignificant,” Evan answered. He noticed a small morsel still left and scooped it up. “Doctor Kal’tsit took my blood for testing not long ago, so I don’t know.”

 

While Grani’s face didn’t look down anymore, she did look rather confused. She tilted her head a little as she looked closer at Evan. “Hey, where are you from?”

 

“Another world.”

 

Instead of shock, Grani started laughing as though he told a funny joke. All the while, he took a sip of juice that had come with his meal. As she continued, she noticed his general lack of reaction and finally started to calm down. Once she did, they stared at each other for a good while before Grani finally realized.

 

“Wait, you’re serious?” Evan nodded. That’s when Grani held a mile long stare for a good while. Once she recovered, she stared at Evan very intently then nodded. “I would’ve thought that with the lack of any racial traits, maybe you were from Ægir.”

 

“Where is this...Ægir?” Evan asked with some difficulty. 

 

“The bottom of the ocean.”

 

Evan’s eyes widened and he looked at Grani stunned. There were people at the bottom of the ocean? Were they mer-people or something? “Does that mean they can breathe both air and oxygen? And I somehow look the most like them? Wait, maybe they have structures to circumvent this, this world has some crazy infrastructure engineering after all.”

 

“Though, if I think about it, Adreana keeps some of her tentacles out.”

 

“Tentacles?!”

 

“Yeah...how do these people look anything like me in the first place?” Evan asked, genuinely curious. How the heck did he get associated with things that lived in the abyss known as the ocean? “I know for certain I look nothing like a fish person. Unless it’s like that one weird HP Lovecraft story.”

 

Grani just shrugged then calmly replied, “I don’t know, they disguise themselves or change their bodies. That’s what I’ve heard anyway.”

 

“Huh…” Evan expressed with interest. “Well, I’m definitely not from the bottom of the ocean. I’d probably have my ribcage squeeze my organs out the nearest opening if I tried.”

 

“That’s pretty gross, do you think about that stuff normally?” Grani asked as she put her silverware down. That didn’t go unnoticed by Evan.

 

“Oh, sorry.”

 

“No, it’s fine, I mean, we were done anyways,” Grani replied with a mild smile. “But, where do you plan to go after this? You don’t have an ID, so you can’t enter a room without one.”

 

“I don’t know, Angelina took me to Doctor Kal’tsit, but she wasn’t there when I came out.”

 

“You called?” a voice cheerfully responded directly behind Evan. It was close enough for him to briefly panic as he turned around.

 

“Holy shi-” 

 

Bonk

 

“Language!” Angelina chastised after bonking Evan on the top of his head with her staff. Boy did she hit hard, Evan rubbed his head and felt a small bump already forming. “I thought I would be done with lunch by the time Kal’tsit let you go. Also, hello Grani.”

 

“Hi Angelina!” Grani cheerfully declared.

 

Angelina gave a smile at the kuranta’s cheerfulness before looking at Evan who was rubbing his head still. “Oh, sorry...did I hit too hard?” Evan shook his head, and Angelina gave a small sigh. “Oh, ok. Still, sorry for hurting you, I didn’t mean for it to last. Anyways, how was your visit with Doctor Kal’tsit?”

 

“She took some blood then sent me back to the waiting room. I asked Ptilopsis about where the cafeteria was, got lost, then met Grani,” Evan explained. “God that bonk hurt though.”  

 

“Ah…” Angelina expressed with a rather nervous look. “I have a feeling she’s going to come looking for you at some point.” A small chuckle escaped Angelina. “I might be in trouble…”

 

“Did Kal’tsit tell you where I should go next? Because she didn’t tell me,” Evan responded. To that, Angelina’s face darkened and she looked around the cafeteria rapidly. 

 

“I-I just remembered I have some errands to run, bye~” the teen messenger hastily said before swiftly walking for an exit to the cafeteria. Evan and Grani watched with some fascination as Angelina walked to the door, but it opened before she could reach it and the Medical Department Head herself walked up to Angelina and began laying into her. Evan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could tell Grani did by her humored snickering.

 

Once the young messenger was laid into, Kal’tsit dragged her over to Evan and looked at him with the same scary expression she always seemed to wear. 

 

“Apologies for Angelina’s conduct, and sorry for not telling you what to do. Clearly,” Kal’tsit said before staring at Angelina with a harsh look in her eyes, “I have overestimated Angelina’s capability.”

 

The subject’s vulpine ears bent inwards as she looked down with a rather guilty look on her face, like a child who had been caught doing something they shouldn’t. Evan felt Angelina looked rather cute, but he also felt some pity for her as she truly did just make a bad call by mistake. 

 

“Now then, I’ve sent a message to Human Resources. I’ve let them know which department I want you assigned to, and I’ve sent all the basic information needed to make your ID. Grani, could you take Evan there?” Kal’tsit turned her head to Angelina whose ears shrunk again at her gaze. “I think I need to have a conversation with Angelina.”

 

“Roger~!” Grani affirmed with a salute. She got up and led Evan to where the trays were disposed of. Once the trays were disposed of, Grani guided Evan to the cafeteria door,  all the while Angelina gave a sad look to him before giving a small wave with the tiniest of smiles. The door shut and they began their trek to HR. Grani took the time to explain to him some of the layout. Mostly it was things about what the map he was looking at didn’t tell him, so it was rather informative despite being short. After that, Grani asked some rather regular questions, well regular for him by now. Much like Angelina and Croissant, she responded with enthusiasm and fascination to some of his answers. It was fairly interesting how she didn’t seem skeptical at all.

 

The two made their way down a floor to a large office space where three people at the desk were in a conversation of some sorts. One was behind the desk, a very sharply dressed woman with white hair and two feathers poking at odd angles. The other two were in front of the desk. One had a couple of long ears poking out of a head of blonde hair, and the other had some oddly styled orange hair. 

 

“How many times do we have to go over this?” the receptionist asked with a rather annoyed tone. “Please, do not re-submit your applications or retake the entrance exams.”

 

“Yes, yes~” the blonde girl sang in a very laid back voice that clearly stated she probably didn’t care much. 

 

“I-I’m sorry Miss Orchid, I didn’t do very well on my entrance exam...so I thought I could do better, again. It’s just that to take it, I need to submit my application…” the other girl nervously explained while looking down a little. 

 

Orchid gave a heavy sigh and let them go, seemingly resigning herself to the fact she would have to deal with this again. She began pulling out a magazine when she noticed Grani and Evan. “Welcome to Human Resources, what is it you’re here for?” she said in the best professional voice she could seemingly muster.

 

“Hi, Doctor Kal’tsit said she sent some information to make my ID and assign me to a department.”

 

“Oh, so you’re the one that has the Medical Department so worked up,” Orchid replied with an observation. She then started typing on the desk’s computer. “Ok, Evan Carvey...unknown race, place of birth is...classified, that’s interesting. It looks like your oripathy tests are negative, but the access to the actual data seems to be restricted for now. It seems Kal’tsit wants to assign you to Engineering as an intern under...Miss Closure? I didn’t think she would take interns under her wing. Do you have a history with her?”

 

“No, I don’t know anybody here,” Evan responded flatly. Orchid gave him a curious look before continuing.

 

“The only things left to fill out are combat experience and prior experience or qualifications.”

 

“Is this seriously a pharmaceutical company? Why are they so focused on combat experience?” Evan thought to himself before answering. “I don’t have any combat experience, and I’m a University Graduate who majored in a scientific discipline, so I’m familiar with important concepts of engineering.”

 

“Very well,” Orchid finished. “Doctor Kal’tsit already gave a green light, so I won’t bother giving you an exam or anything like that. The only thing left to do is assign you a room, and then I can get your ID made. Would you like a shared room or a single?”

 

The soon to be intern looked thoughtful for a moment then asked, “Anything I should know?”

 

“Shared rooming’s only differences is that the responsibilities are shared among the roommates. Ups and downs depend only on the synergy of the roommates. To get a shared room though, you’ll have to submit a request to the current occupants.”

 

“Oh, could he stay with me?” Grani asked excitedly.

 

“Grani, I believe you already know the answer to that. Unless two people are in a relationship, we can’t assign two people of a different sex to the same dorm.”

 

“Aw~” Grani whined with her ears folding to the side slightly. 

 

“Sorry, rules are rules. You can visit each other though. If you’d like, I can make you neighbors.”

 

Grani perked back up. “Really? You mean it?! Yay! Yeah, do that!”

 

Orchid turned to Evan with a small smile then repeated, “I’ll ask again, shared or single?”

 

“Single sounds fine, I enjoy having space to myself,” Evan replied. 

 

“Very well, Grani lives in section C3, which isn’t all that far away from Miss Closure’s office. You won’t have a long way to walk to work. Now then, I’ll send a request for your ID to be made, it won’t take long. Feel free to have a seat. Also, welcome to Rhodes Island.”

 

Once the ID was, literally, tubed into the HR office, Grani led now intern Evan to his room which was labeled C3051. At least they did once they took a detour to the Penguin Logistics jeep to get Evan’s stuff out. Looking at the door to the room, there was an empty nameplate on the wall by the door under a scanner. Evan placed his ID to a scanner and a click sound was heard after a beep. The door opened, and he looked into an empty room with a bed built into the wall, a door to a small bathroom of sorts, and dressers built into the wall near the bed along with some shelves on the other side of the wall bed. Another thing to notice was that there was dust that got kicked up once it was opened. 

 

“Looks like it could use some dusting,” Grani commented. “I’ll go get my duster.”

 

With great speed, Grani sprinted out of the room and Evan was left to his own devices. He shrugged and opened the dresser, putting his clothes into a specific order he was used to. There was also a closet by the dresser with coat hangers too. The door opened, and Evan turned around expecting to see Grani, but he was met with a very different sight. 

 

“So you’re my new intern…” a girl with long black hair, red eyes, and pointed ears said. She wore a black jacket with lazily slumped over her shoulders with the ID hanging lazily off of it. A white shirt with a weird devil looking design showed, and she had a toolbelt loosely strapped on her waist. This girl looked him up and down, then said, “You don’t look that impressive, but I’d rather not piss of Kal’tsit. Just remember your shift starts at 8 o’clock sharp tomorrow.”

 

The door opened again.

 

“Evan, I found… Oh, hi Miss Closure,” Grani greeted with a big smile. 

 

“Heyo Grani,” Closure returned with a two fingered salute. She then turned back to Evan and said, “Well, see you tomorrow.”

 

With that, Closure left and Grani started dusting while humming softly. At Evan’s request, she did the shelves first so he could place his astonishing number of academic texts on them. He did have novels, but not a lot when compared to his non-fiction and textbooks. Thanks to the help, the room was in good shape in under an hour, but it was still rather empty on account of having no furniture. 

 

“Well, I’ll leave you to get comfortable. I get up at six and go train before starting my patrols, so if you want to get some exercise in, I’m in the training room towards the end of the ship before eight. See you around,” Grani said before giving a joyous wave. 

 

“What a nice girl,” Evan thought to himself after the door closed. “I want to take a nap, it’s been quite a day. Oh, this bed’s real comfy.”

 

Once he shifted around, he laid down and slept. For once, he was optimistic about tomorrow. Maybe life here would be good. 

Chapter 6: Slobs and Snobs

From across the room, an alarm sounded. Whatever music it played roused a figure that was twisted in their covers. The blankets flew off, and with a groan Evan walked to his phone to shut the alarm off. Once that was done, he found the light knob and turned the lights on slowly so his eyes could adjust. Once that was done, he looked to the bathroom and hollowly made his way there. Looking in the mirror, he noticed his facial hair had started growing out. A single razor sat in some form of holder along his toothbrush. No cream though, but he sighed and turned on the hot water. It would have to do.

 

A few cuts formed, but nothing he wasn’t used to. Every shave, cuts formed on his skin. He had tried to use different gels and creams, but to no avail. Minor scabs would always dot his face after shaving. It didn’t hurt, unless one touched them. Sensitive face skin was just a fact of life now. A hot shower later, and he looked in the mirror, ready to somewhat start the day. He really, really wanted coffee first though. 

 

The door opened, and Evan looked down the hall to his left. It was almost six in the morning, and if he remembered, Grani said she went to exercise at six. “I just showered, so maybe not…”

 

Somehow, he found his way to the cafeteria where some other early bloomers were. One trip to a coffee machine and a meal later, he was walking back down. By the time he reached his room, he realized he didn’t know where Closure’s office was. He had enough time, so might as well spend some of it walking around. He did end up finding Closure’s office. He just didn’t notice and continued to walk by it when someone approached.

 

“Morning,” a girl roughly Grani’s height greeted impassively from nearby. He looked at her. She had red eyes, silvery white hair, and a strange outfit that seemed to have plastic parts. She was also accompanied by a robot that was carrying stuff for her. She looked like she would wear a sprout ribbon really well too for some reason.

 

“Good morning,” Evan returned. Then he asked, “Do you know where Miss Closure’s office is?”

 

The girl raised an eyebrow then responded, “You just walked by it. Can’t you read?”

 

“As a matter of fact, I cannot yet read.”

 

She looked somewhat surprised by that answer and responded with a short ‘oh’ before properly apologizing. “Sorry.”

 

“It’s fine, you didn’t know. By the way, I’m new here, Closure told me to arrive at eight o’clock sharp.”

 

“She did? Well, hopefully she cleaned up her office,” the girl responded with her eyebrow raised curiously. She then walked over to the door and pulled out an ID. The door opened and the girl gave a frustrated sigh. Evan walked over and was rather surprised to see an absolutely horrid workshop with empty drink pouches of some sort strewn all over the desk, machine parts haphazardly strewn across different countertops, and some machine oil leaking out of a project of sorts onto the floor. “Every darn morning…” the girl grumbled to herself as she picked up some cleaning supplies from the robot. Then she got to work.

 

Evan just walked in the rest of the way and over to Closure’s desk where some weird brown stained cloth sat. Looking at the desk, there were a bunch of sketches and blueprints along with a computer that had trash placed on the tower. 

 

“How disrespectful…” Evan muttered as he took the empty chip bags off the computer tower. He then moved to the garbage can and threw them out. The little girl was still cleaning, and Evan watched as she sprayed solutions, sorted parts, and even pressure washed the floors occasionally. At about eight, Closure didn’t come in. “Is she usually late?”

 

“Yes,” the girl responded. 

 

Fifteen minutes passed, and Evan had resigned to helping the poor girl clean. Mostly, he tidied trash off of Closure’s desk and just left her papers where they were because he couldn’t read. Nothing really seemed to irk people more than messing with their papers without permission, and Evan counted himself among them.

 

Finally, at 8:32 AM, the door opened and Closure walked in with a bag of chips and casually chugging one of the many drinking bags he saw on her desk, some of the red fluid dripping down her chin. She stopped for a moment and narrowed her eyes with a frown at the bag.

 

“Ugh, that’s a little less appetizing than usual. Can’t Warfarin make something better?” Closure walked over to the desk and took the brown stained cloth and wiped it on her chin, leaving the red fluid stains alongside the brown. Then she tossed it down, and Evan immediately knew what it was she was drinking when he considered the brown stains alongside the fact she was drinking something red.

 

“Is...that blood?” Evan asked, looking at the cloth.

 

“Yeah,” Closure casually responded, clearly still waking up. She then opened the chip bag and started logging in. She then looked at Evan who was wearing a look of pure shock on his face. “What? I’m a vampire.”

 

He really didn’t know how to reply to that one. Now that he looked closer, he saw a pair of pearly white fangs occasionally show themselves when she talked. He got an even better look at them when Closure stretched wide in her seat and let out a very long yawn. The girl cleaning Closure’s room gave her the evil eye for a moment.

 

Suddenly, Closure started sniffing the air curiously. Her gaze soon turned to Evan, and she looked intently at his face. Particularly, she was looking at his recently shaved spots.

 

“So you’re what smells so good~” she said with a smile as she examined the still fresh scabs. “Hey, if you have time, go to the Blood Bank and bring back some of your blood. I haven’t smelled anything like it in a long time.”

 

“Miss Closure!” the girl shouted. Walking over and standing between Closure and Evan, for what good that did, holding a spray bottle of some kind. 

 

“Aw, you trying to protect him, Weedy? That’s cute~,” Closure cooed. She then reached her hand towards Weedy’s head until she pulled out another spray bottle and sprayed it on Closure’s hands.

 

“Wash your hands!”

 

“Yeesh, fine,” Closure grumbled with a pouty face while rubbing it on her hands like sanitizer. She noticed her desk was a little neater than usual. “Odd, normally you don’t touch my desk.”

 

“I didn’t, it has gross blood stains all over it. I’m not touching it!” Weedy shouted.

 

“Oh, so it must’ve been you,” Closure turned to Evan. “Hey, you did a task as my intern. Yaay~.” Closure then proceeded to clap mockingly with her cheer. She still had that devil-may-care smile on her face and snickered a little when she noticed Evan was kind of glaring at her. “Oh don’t take it personally, I’m just teasing. Anyways, could you grab a coffee? Come on, you’re my intern. Plus, I know you can’t read yet, so you’ll have to learn by watching until you figure it out.”

 

“You have got to be shitting me. So far this is many levels worse than Swire making me her errand boy,” the new intern complained in his head as he walked over to a rather run down coffee machine. After starting it, he watched as Closure casually ate chips while working on her computer. Just to get back at her, he did the same thing he did to that LGD officer who tried to haze him. To his surprise though, Closure made no comment and continued drinking as though it were completely normal. He inwardly sighed and resigned himself to watch as Closure seemed to be checking what appeared to be a 3D model of Rhodes Island with numerous little notifiers and statistics. Some graphs also appeared to be changing as time went on. 

 

“What is all this?” Evan asked as he leaned in for a closer look. Closure was still munching on a handful of chips when she answered. 

 

“The ship’s vitals. Custom made program which monitors everything. The power generation, the pipes, and all sorts of other crap.”

 

“Miss Closure, please finish chewing before talking,” Weedy chastised as she performed maintenance on her own robot with Closure’s personal workshop tools.

 

“Yeah yeah,” Closure said with a lazy wave before zooming in. “Like here, this is Power Plant One. This graph shows its power output, and if anything exceeds a certain value, an automated program forces it to shut down and disconnects it from the rest of Rhodes Island.”

 

“In other words, a circuit breaker,” Evan immediately replied. 

 

“Yeah! Hey, you do know something practical,” Closure teased. “I read your file. If it weren’t for Kal’tsit, who isn’t gullible, saying so, I would call whoever made that thing stupid for believing you. On another note, a good chunk of people in this world go to higher education do so to study something specific. Yet, you seem to know a lot of different subjects.”

 

“I enjoy learning how things work,” Evan responded. Clover gave a different sort of smile than her regular carefree one.

 

“You and I might get along just fine then. Anyways, lots of engineers and mechanics run different facilities, and I stand above it all, giving them instructions, telling them where problems are, approving or disapproving projects. Pretty lax job most days. I even made an AI program to do all the grunt work automatically. I’m just doing routine checks to make sure everything’s normal and said AI didn’t miss anything overnight. Besides, I have tons of backup systems, so we could keep going for a bit even if someone blew a hole through the ship.”

 

“Amazing,” Evan remarked. This earned a smirk of smugness from Closure. 

 

“Yes, I am amazing, aren’t I.”

 

“Kinda, but it sounds like you make the robots do a lot of heavy lifting for you.”

 

Closure stared him dead on with a blank stare of surprise and Weedy snorted, failing to hold in the laughter that followed. 

 

“Shut it shrimp!” Closure responded, taking her frustration out on Weedy. 

 

“Then do something about your nasty habits. I’m sick of having to work on cleaning your trash every morning. You might as well just be sitting in this room all day tinkering with machinery you don’t understand, or even when you do you just do what you please to them until you destroy them. It makes a big mess, and the oil spills don’t help. Maybe I could help you if I could bear to touch your notes, but I can’t because you sloppily drink whatever you get from Warfarin, and it’s no different than blood! Blood is an awful thing and causes so many sanitation problems,” Weedy started lecturing. At this, Evan watched in awe as Weedy just continued to lay into Closure for a good long while. Closure just had her head down and avoided eye contact as the little Weedy continued to lay out everything wrong with her for the next thirty minutes. 

 

Evan just walked over to pour himself a cup of coffee and watch the show unfold. He even saw Closure giving him apologetic glances, hoping he would save her. The new intern just mouthed to his boss, ‘have fun’ and raised his cup, to which Closure stuck her tongue out at him. 

 

“And don’t show me that filthy tongue, I’m not even sure you brush your teeth!”

 

This continued for a while until Closure pointed out the time and Weedy left for Bioengineering, leaving the vampire and her intern alone. 

 

“Before you can do any real work, you have to work on your literacy. Once lunch break is over at one o’clock, go to the library and find someone to help you with that,” Closure spoke while putting her feat on her desk. “Until then, I’m going to watch this a little longer, then start tinkering around at about eleven. Lunch break starts at twelve. You can head up an hour early though. Run into some others who’ll be there doing whatever during lunch time.”

 

“What are you going to be doing?” Evan casually asked. 

 

“Paperwork, going over ideas with other engineers, actual engineer stuff, maintenance of Rhodes Island, and then I’ll be running the shop when your shift’s over,” Closure replied. She looked at something on her computer then back to Evan. Her eyes were on him, and she wasn’t exactly looking at him in a demeaning way. One way it was observed was the typical smile seemed to vanish a little. “Though, you wouldn’t happen to have any ideas, would you? I read your file, and I’m very curious. Let me ask, how is the majority of your world’s power generated?”

 

“Are you familiar with the fact electric current can induce a magnetic field?” Closure nodded then continued to stare at him, awaiting an explanation. She had a minorly raised eyebrow. Evan looked around the room and noticed a random copper pipe on one of the tables. “Do you have a magnet anywhere? Just a regular one.”

 

“Yeah, check over there,” Closure pointed to a table where it seemed some kind of unfinished project sat. Evan took the copper pipe, and picked up the magnet. Closure’s feat left the table and she stared with somewhat dilated pupils as Evan took the magnet and dropped it into the tube. For a good while, a very long sliding sound could be heard, but the magnet took its sweet time. 

 

“What the heck?!” Closure shouted as she walked over and took the magnet from his hand. She then touched it to the copper pipe a few times then looked at him rather wide eyed. She then dropped it down and watched the thing fall ever so slowly until it dropped to the floor with an audibly clang. “W-What’s going on? Copper isn’t magnetic!” She then had a visual flinch as it suddenly clicked in her mind. “Wait, what does this have to do with current creating a magnetic field?”

 

“Because you can do the reverse,” Evan explained while picking up the magnet. “A changing or moving magnetic field can induce a current in the copper pipe, therefore creating a magnetic field which acts upon the magnet against gravity.”

 

“I get it, but what the heck?” Closure asked as she placed the magnet in the tube for a second time. “How does this generate your world’s power?”

 

“Would you believe me if I said really big fans and steam?” 

 

Closure looked at him funny again. Her jaw was hanging open a little this time. 

---

After lunch, Evan walked back to his room and brought some books with him to the library which he got very detailed directions to from Closure. Once done, he picked up some texts of his choosing and made his way to the library.

 

There were two things that Evan had learned in the conversation that followed with Closure. First, was that essentially all energy on Terra was generated using originium. He already knew that they used originium for basically all machines. Yet, he was pretty shocked to the extent. Closure told him how originium could be used to just induce current with minimal effort by creating an electric imbalance, hence the vast majority of power relied on this strange McGuffin material. 

 

It also made some sense to Evan when he thought about it. If all power could be generated with one resource that is in high abundance, relatively speaking, then what use would research into other things go? It made sense when he thought of previous conversations with Swire, Ch’en, or even Wei Yenwu. Originium, this strange fantastical element, is synonymous with power in this world, so all research goes to it despite the downsides. 

 

“Deja vu,” Evan sarcastically said to himself as he thought about some other points of humanity where he came from. There was one thing he wanted to know now though. Could he get some of the materials from his world necessary for alternative technologies? Hence, he was now walking to the library with a few texts in hand. Hopefully someone would be interested in his world’s knowledge enough to help him.

 

When he entered the library, the intern saw a familiar sight at the desk. 

 

“Greetings,” a robotically monotone voice said. 

 

“You also run the library desk?” Evan asked Ptilopsis who wiggled her feathers slightly. 

 

“Ptilopsis’ primary role is Database Manager; however, Rhodes Island requires its employees to fill multiple roles. This often leads to Ptilopsis performing receptionist roles where she is in charge of vast amounts of data.”

 

“Are you a robot or something?”

 

“Negative. Ptilopsis’ unusual speech pattern is the result of oripathy crystals metastasizing in the cerebral cavity. In no way does Ptilopsis enjoy articulating her thoughts this way,” the unusual owl girl responded. While her facial expression didn’t change, and neither did her voice. There was something odd to how she carried her words Evan couldn’t quite piece together. He did recognize, nonetheless, he may have offended her somehow. 

 

“Sorry,” he apologized while nodding his head. “Anyways, I’m here to hopefully do some research, do you think you could point out where books on Geology, resources, and other such topics are? There are some things I would like to check.”

 

“Please wait,” Ptilopsis responded swiftly while typing on the computer then taking out a pen and paper. “Please refer to the following texts I have written down.”

 

One thing immediately stood out when he looked at the paper. 

 

“This is the Dewey Decimal system,” Evan commented as he stared at the paper. 

 

“Error, Dewey Decimal System not found in lexicon archives. This is just how we organize our books.”

 

“This is the same method as in-” Evan began before pausing. Why was he questioning this? “You know what, forget it. Thank you.”

 

“Glad to be of service,” the robotic voice of Ptilopsis stated with a couple flicks of her feathers. Somehow, that small set of gestures she did with those feathers seemed very cute. Perhaps they were how she communicated her emotions? Evan tossed the thought out for now and walked over to a table around where the section he was looking for was. The texts he had were placed down and off he went to find whatever he was looking for. Of course, not being able to read was a detriment, but if the spoken language was the same it would probably be like learning a new alphabet. 

 

“I wonder why the writing system is different. The number system uses the same Arabic numerals, and there are English letters in the context of sorting…” Evan thought to himself as he filed through the books until he found the last one. Then a new thought hit. Could it be possible he wasn’t the only instance of otherworldly teleportation? Was there a possibility his case wasn’t exactly unique? It did seem possible. Sadly, he didn’t get to think much about it when he looked over at the table he had set up on.

 

Looking at one of his books was a girl with long brown hair, a red overcoat, and a suit. A pair of cat ears protrude from her head with one being pierced, and her tail swished slightly as if she was very interested. She was leaning down, flipping through the book, intently reading it with widened eyes and the utmost focus. Next to her was a staff of sorts, leaning on the table. 

 

“Um…” Evan tried to announce his presence to the cat lady. She didn’t seem to notice. Evan coughed a couple times and the tail stiffened. She looked at him with her brows furrowing slightly. “Can I help you?”

 

Just like that, her expression changed and she stood up straight. 

 

“Are you the owner of this mysterious book perhaps?” a voice that seemed rather excessive in trying to sound important asked, almost as though it were a declaration. 

 

“Yes I am, may I ask who you are?”

 

“Very well,” she responded. Tightening her stance, and holding her hands together, she gave a smug look before answering. “I am Skyfire, King’s Wand’s number one fire caster. I’m also a Geologist who primarily studies Originium Geology. I wish to inquire about this geology text written in strange writing. I’ve never seen anything like it, so I must know more about it. If you require compensation, I would gladly pay handsomely for the information in this book.”

 

Evan watched the lengthy introduction and how her demeanor changed as she switched from the self introduction to the question. Her smile changed from a prideful sneer to a rather genuine look of excitement. The compensation part did make him think. She already knew his book was about Geology, and that made him think. Evan looked at Skyfire and responded with another question.

 

“How did you know it’s about Geology?”

 

“Well, when I opened it, I noticed some images of familiar things like volcanoes, rock formations, and other such things. I then compared the writing to standard scripture and deciphered some of it that way. So far, it’s very interesting to read. I had no idea the ocean floor could be responsible for so many geological events. If this is true, it could revolutionize our current theories of geology. You simply must explain this to me!”

 

As Skyfire got more and more animated, she was stepping closer and closer until she was mere inches away from him. Suddenly, the room was feeling much warmer. At first, it was pleasant, but that pleasant feeling gave way once the air around Skyfire started waving and wiggling. Shortly after, a bright orange light could be seen on her tail. 

 

“Oh my god, your tail! It’s on fire!” 

 

The burning cat lady casually looked at her tail then simply said, “Ah, excuse me. I got a little excited.” The flame puffed out almost immediately and the heat that was building up was gone. She then stared at him in anticipation, tail swishing like a cat that was very focused or fascinated in something or someone. Given that she already offered compensation, and had already deciphered some of his writing system it seemed clear to Evan what his request could be. 

 

“Sure, if you can teach me how to read and write normally,” Evan responded without missing a beat. After saying that, he noticed Skyfire was staring at him with a very strange expression where one brow was raised while her lips curled into a slight frown. It honestly felt like she was judging him. 

 

“You’re asking me? An Originium Researcher of King’s Wand to teach you how to read and write? Can you even read the books you have?”

 

He really didn’t like the tone she was taking with that. In response to the haughty question, he decided to sarcastically reply, “Yeah, sure. You did offer something in exchange for the information in this book. Clearly the geological knowledge of another world is worthless if it means having to teach one as lowly as myself.” 

 

The book shut and Evan began to pull his stuff together to leave. That’s when Skyfire responded with a little urgency, “Very well, I’ll teach you. I...just wasn’t expecting that.”

 

It wasn’t an apology, but it would have to do. Hell, it even sounded like she was rationalizing with that pause before her explanation. Evan set his stuff down and slid the geology text the next seat over. He also took out his pencil and opened a spare spot in one of his multi-subject notebooks. A sliding sound was heard shortly after and he looked to see Skyfire had placed the text in the middle and had a smaller notebook of her own along with a pen. She then looked up suddenly and turned her head in his direction.

 

“Oh, I forgot to ask, what’s your name?”

 

“Evan Carvey.”

 

“Very well, now I have to ask, what does the rest of this part say?” Skyfire asked while pointing to a section on plate boundaries which covered basic things like plate divergence and subduction. 

 

Never in his whole life did Evan think he would be reading an academic text to someone out loud, but when he watched as Skyfire hastily scribbled down her own notes in the writing he didn’t understand, Evan realized that this was just the first step in overcoming the writing barrier that this world posed to him. Everyone seemed to want to learn something from him, and this would definitely help if he could overcome the barrier.

 

It quickly became clear that while Skyfire was interested in the book, she was also working on decoding the language in it. Eventually, once an entire half a section was done, she drew his attention and pointed it to her notebook. 

 

“So far, it seems the two writing systems are remarkably similar. A few minor differences. It seems that your alphabet doesn’t contain all the same characters. In fact, it contains less characters. I’ve noticed that for certain sounds, your writing seems to use compound forms of certain consonants rather than assigning them a character.”

 

“Huh…” Evan sounded with interest as he leaned over to take a closer look at Skyfire’s notes. Indeed, for certain words he did see Skyfire’s characters were minimized in some areas. Particularly ‘sh’, ‘ch’, and even ‘tri’ like in patriarch or other words that combined t and i at the end. “So, do you think you could write down the alphabet compared to mine?”

 

“Certainly, I’m not in King’s Wand because I’m dull after all. I must say, I am impressed with the knowledge of your world. To be able to probe the depths of the earth in this much detail, do you know how it’s accomplished by chance?”

 

“I think it’s...mostly sonar if I remember correctly,” the engineering intern answered with a degree of uncertainty after his pause. 

 

“Sonar? As in sound waves?” Skyfire asked with a strange look on her face that had her brows bent in a strange confused way. “What kind of arts accomplish that?”

 

“No arts, we don’t have originium and much less any ‘arts’ in my world, so it’s all just electrical equipment,” Evan responded normally. “Um...Miss Skyfire, are you ok?”

 

The self proclaimed number one fire caster of King’s Wand was now staring directly at him with the thousand mile stare, her pen already dropping off the table when it fell from her hand. This time, her hair started catching fire as she continued to stare at him with complete and utter disbelief for the next few minutes, the only movement being blinking. Evan moved any and all paper away from the burning cat lady, so as not to damage the texts which might as well be priceless now. Thankfully he didn’t have to pay them off like he did the rest of his college debt.

 

“Are...what...I…” Skyfire started stuttering. Her entire head was threatening to catch fire now, and a fire alarm started going off which seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in. She then looked at Evan, grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little. “What do you mean your world doesn’t have originium?! What kind of messed up place is that?! How, how did you gain all this knowledge without arts? Is there a different material that might be similar to originium? Yes, that’s got to be it. Is there another material that allows you to do such miraculous things?”

 

“Ow, ow! Your hands they burn!” Evan yelled as he tried to pry her hands off of his shoulders. Sadly, her grip was like iron and he hoped she didn’t end up crushing his shoulder blades instead. “No, seriously! Now let go of me, my world doesn’t have a magic rock!”

 

“What do you mean magic rock?! Surely there must be something. I demand to know, how could you possibly-”

 

“Will both of you please be quiet?” a surprisingly calm, yet powerful voice asked from nearby. A pair of hands then grabbed Skyfire’s and ripped them off Evan’s shoulders. “People are trying to work. The library is one of the few quiet places on this landship, so don’t ruin it for others trying to do their research in peace.”

 

The victim of Skyfire’s hands began gingerly touching his shoulders and hissed as his fingers touched the spots. Suddenly, the hands of his savior gently pulled his shirt over to take a look at the burns. 

 

“First degree burns, nothing major or seriously damaging. You must be lucky, I thought Skyfire would burn the entire library down at this rate,” the person said while turning her gaze to Skyfire with narrowed eyes which made the prideful kitty droop her animalistic appendages in guilt. “Come with me, I’ll take you to the Medical Department to help with the wounds.”

 

“Um...what about my books?” Evan asked with a small voice as he gazed to them. The tall, stern looking lady said nothing and merely picked them up. “Oh, thank you. What’s your name?”

 

“You may call me Saria,” the woman responded without changing her expression. The stern look kind of reminded him of Kal’tsit in expression only. “Now, let’s go. We should treat those burns quickly so as to avoid any lengthy pain.”

Chapter 7: The Rhine Lab Operators

First impressions aside, it seemed Saria was nothing like Kal’tsit. When rubbing cream on his burns, he could feel how gentle she was trying to be. Nothing quite like how when Kal’tsit drew his blood. Where Kal’tsit was quick and efficient, it seemed Saria was careful and methodical. Yes, the touch felt incredibly gentle when compared to how she effortlessly wrenched him from Skyfire’s grip or picked up his books. It was also clear when she attempted to stir up a normal conversation with him. While she didn’t always have something to add, he could tell she listened quietly as she focused on her work.

 

Once she had finished, Saria placed the burn cream back in the cabinet and pulled out a different one, a tube this time. She then handed it to him and said, “If you need to relieve the pain again, use this. It isn’t as effective, but if you need relief fast this ointment is best.”

 

“Thank you,” Evan responded with a smile while taking the cream. Saria gave one of the smallest smiles he had seen in response before closing the cabinet and walking to the door of the storage room. Before Saria could open it though, the door slid up to reveal another woman. This woman had short brown hair, comically large circular glasses, and the similar headfeathers as Ptilopsis. Her eyes, which were half closed, widened upon seeing Saria. They soon narrowed sharply though.

 

“Hello, Doctor Silence.”

 

“What are you doing here? It’s not your shift in the Medical Department today.” Silence asked with a low voice and a suspicious glint in her eyes. She looked at Evan and turned her attention back to Saria. “Who’s he?”

 

“I’m Evan Carvey.”

 

Silence’s eyes widened again and her head snapped to Saria with a far fouler expression gracing her face. 

 

“Saria, what in the world are you doing here with him?” her voice nearly shouted while somehow still remaining relatively quiet. 

 

“He sustained some burns, so I came to treat them,” Saria stated matter-of-factly while directly looking Silence in the eye.

 

“You expect me to believe that? Get out, right now. I don’t want to see you in the Medical Department again today,” Silence ordered in a low voice. Saria knew she didn’t have the authority, but obeyed anyway. It was better to just leave without a word. 

 

Once Saria left, Silence approached Evan and asked in a much calmer, gentler voice which seemed to flow smoothly, “Are you unharmed?”

 

Evan was obviously confused. That clearly showed when he spoke back.

 

“She really did just treat some burns. Look, she even gave me some cream for myself.”

 

Evan raised the cream up and showed it to Silence who very closely examined it. Once she was satisfied, she returned it to him. “I see,” she affirmed. “Nevertheless, please don’t let her treat you without notifying someone. I wouldn’t trust her.”

 

“Why not?” Evan asked with his brow raised and a small frown present. “She was very kind, and she treated me very well. Is there a reason?”

 

The owl lady gave a sigh before saying, “I’m sorry, but I can’t disclose the reasons. All I can say is that I have my own personal reasons for distrusting Saria, that’s all. Now come, I’ll see you out.”

 

Before leaving the room, Silence glanced back at Evan. So this was the anomaly that had drawn the attention of the top two doctors on Rhodes Island? She knew about him. That’s because she was the one who initially tried to test the urine sample the LGD sent. She had to call Kal’tsit because it was that unique. After that, the lynx took the case on herself, and that didn’t bode well for any of the medical department’s chances of research. After all, Skadi’s case was famous for more reasons than her blood results. 

 

There was also the matter of last night. Warfarin had been called in because the machine couldn’t identify any originium in his blood. Half the department knew by now, and it was causing quite a stir. Silence had asked Ptilopsis to look into the database and figure out who the samples belonged to. Now that she thought about it, there was no way Saria could know Evan Carvey was the one who had such unique results. She had to wonder though, what in the world was he? His results had been thoroughly discussed with many other medical operators. If he really did have no detectable originium in his blood, could it be used to treat Oripathy? The image of a certain young girl popped into Silence’s head and she slowed her pace with her gaze tilted to the floor.

 

The footsteps passed her and Silence looked up to see Evan walking to the other side of the waiting room. She hadn’t even noticed. She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. What was she going to ask? Kal’tsit was very strict with her patients. If Silence so much as took a sample of anything, she could be fined very heavily. Warfarin was fined an entire month’s salary for attempting to retrieve samples from Skadi. It just wasn’t worth the risk. 

 

The door closed and Silence turned around to walk back in the storage room to get what she needed. When she did though, she noticed a hardcover book sitting on the counter. She couldn’t read the title, and upon picking it up, she flipped through it. 

 

---

 

Skyfire was still there when Evan returned to the library. She was sitting at the table, looking down at it with a rather anxious looking face. Her lips curled in weird ways and she was staring very intently at a table that otherwise had nothing on it. The moment she noticed Evan, she donned a serious expression and placed her hand over the top of her chest. 

 

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said with a bow. She opened one eye to look at him. Evan seemed to have a concerned look with his brows furrowing upwards and a small quiver on his right lip. Then, he put his things on the table. 

 

“It’s fine. As Saria said, it wasn’t anything serious. Just, don’t touch me or my books when you’re excited.”

 

Skyfire gave a small cough out of habit and replied, “Understandable. Though, I would never dream of damaging such valuable texts. Also, I finished the transcription. If you want, you can study it on your own time.”

 

A slip of paper with the two alphabets lined up side by side was shown. Evan took it and took a moment to look at it before looking at Skyfire. He then gave a smile and a nod before thanking her. Her tail swished and she stuck her nose up with a smug grin. 

 

“Oh, Skyfire,” Evan started. She looked at him, letting her silence tell him to continue. “Since you’re an expert on originium, could you tell me more about it? As I said, there’s none of it where I come from.”

 

This time, the haughty cat took a moment to think. She took some glances at Evan before she nodded to herself. She then looked at him and replied, “Certainly, but only if you’ll continue to let me read your literature and help me understand it in turn. Be grateful, not many get a chance to learn from me.”

 

That last line had returned her to a lady pointing her nose up. 

 

“What a snob,” Evan thought to himself while looking with lips curled in disgust and eyebrows furrowed in judgement. He had to admit though, she could be a useful acquaintance and mentor if she was as good as she said she was. He had no idea what King’s Wand was, but Angelina had mentioned she was really good on the subject of arts. He might as well try to understand the world he was in after all. 

 

“First, practice your literacy, then we may meet tomorrow. Do you have a preferred time?”

 

“Perhaps in the evenings? After dinner? I have no idea what my shifts with Closure are like yet.”

 

“Miss Closure?” Skyfire asked with her pupils dilating some as her eyelids split apart slightly more than usual. The fire kitty then regained her composure and remarked, “Well it makes sense if your claims are true. I’m sure the technologies of another world would be very interesting to Miss Closure. Very well, we may meet tomorrow evening and discuss how to partition our time even further. Until next time.”

 

Skyfire departed with a half-hearted wave after the last sentence, leaving Evan alone with his guide to reading and writing in this new world. Since Closure gave him essentially the rest of the day to work this out, he just sat there, studying for the rest of the afternoon. The time was well spent, and when evening rolled around he just went back to his room. He did learn something from the books though, and it just made him more convinced he was far from the only isekai victim. Greek letters and words appeared in some text, which could mean the mathematics side of the science he knows should be easy to translate. 

 

What was really odd though was how Terra had the ability to recognize different chemical elements, but it lacked the modern atomic theory to back it up. No universal periodic table seemed to exist, and there was also a lack of understanding on some of the technologies used. That in of itself wasn’t too surprising. It isn’t necessary to know every fundamental property of a material to understand how it works. Wires and electricity can still be used without having to understand the electron cloud or what electrons even are.

 

Before Evan entered his room, he looked down the hall. He hadn’t seen Grani all day. While not worried, the intern did wonder where she was. That train of thought ended when he walked into his room. Beyond placing the books on the desk in the wall, he didn’t really do anything else. He stared at the table, thinking for a bit. The last couple of days, he had learned enough to start getting some thoughts going. There were also some ideas brewing in his head, but there were still too many gaps in his knowledge. 

 

Oripathy, originium, and catastrophes seemed like they fed a nasty cycle. Those who had talked to him about so have either stated or implied that this mysterious McGuffin mineral is dangerous. On the other hand, it was the only power source this world knew. Then there was the weirder stuff. Over the course of reading texts and experiencing Terra he found that certain things from his world may have leaked over. He would have to ask Closure about some of the other technologies because he couldn’t find anything explaining things smaller than chemistry, yet this world used LED lights and Lasers. Both those technologies in his world relied on Quantum Mechanics, particularly Atomic Theory. There also seemed to be no explanation for such technologies on Terra. 

 

After a certain point, his thoughts became more erratic and nonsensical. Evan just stared at the wall and let his imagination run wild, but eventually a sound broke his train of thought. A knock on his door. Quickly checking his watch, he noticed it was the evening and went to answer the door. Upon opening it, he was greeted by a rather cute and beautiful face with pink hair and two long floppy bunny ears. A stethoscope was wrapped around their neck and an ID along with a Medical Department seal was on their jacket. 

 

“May I help you?”

 

“Yes, my name’s Ansel. I’m Doctor Kal’tsit’s intern. She asked me to come bring you to the medical department for a General Exam.

 

“Thank you,” Evan responded automatically. He then walked out of his room and the door automatically closed. He and Ansel proceeded with an uneventful walk to the Medical Department. Once there, Ansel led him straight to a regular looking room with medical equipment of various kinds. Ansel asked Evan to sit on the bed, and began a rather boring procedure where blood pressure, lungs, heart, ears, and reflexes were all checked. 

 

During the reflex check, a conversation popped up. 

 

“So, how long have you been an intern?” Evan asked Ansel as the mallet hit his kneecap and it reflexively flinched. 

 

“A few months now,” Ansel replied. “So far I enjoy working here, so I’m considering staying once my contract is over. Stand up please.”

 

Evan complied and Ansel began shuffling through the drawers. For some reason, Ansel’s face was hard to piece together, it seemed almost androgynous. A sense of foreboding filled Evan. Ansel’s hair was short, but the ears gave an illusion of long hair. There was also a lack of other physical features, and when he looked really closely at Ansel, he felt more and more doubt begin to creep in. 

 

“Turn around please,” Ansel requested. 

 

“Hey, can I ask something?” Evan asked while he heard Ansel shut the drawer. Ansel hummed in affirmation. “Are you a boy or a girl?”

 

“Boy,” Ansel deadpanned as a rubber snap was heard. “Now pull your pants down and bend over please.”

 

“Oh fuck,” were the last words in Evan’s mind before he got his prostate thoroughly fondled by a trap.

 

---

 

When Kal’tsit walked into the room, she saw Evan wearing a hollowed look of despair as he sat in a chair. In the trash was a long rubber glove, and she could immediately piece together why. She gave a small deep breath and called, “Evan.”

 

The eyes of a broken man turned to face her, and she just sat down. 

 

“Congratulations, your Physical is perfectly normal. I thought Ansel would be a better choice since he’s a boy, but it seems your expression says otherwise.”

 

“I feel violated…” Evan replied with a raspy voice.

 

Kal’tsit took one more deep breath then looked him straight in the eye. “Very well. Regardless of how you feel, we need to talk. Your blood tests have me fully convinced of what Ch’en said in her report of you. In fact, it can almost only be made sense of that way.”

 

With a complete transformation in posture, the intern donned his regular neutral expression and sat up straight. 

 

“Our machines couldn’t detect any originium crystals in your blood. We had to bring in Warfarin, Terra’s greatest expert on blood, to examine yours. Not even she could find anything. As it stands, you’re more impossible than I previously anticipated. Of course, such low levels means you will never be able to use arts. To that extent, I’ll say you were lucky the LGD sent us the sample.”

 

Evan was taken aback by those words for a moment. He had no idea what she really meant by that, and it made him think. Why would Rhodes Island be the best place to end up in this world? Granted, he hadn’t seen much of it, but he really wondered what the rest of Terra was like in terms of society and civilization. Before he could speak, however, Kal’tsit continued. 

 

“If it had been Rhine Lab, you would not have the degree of freedom you have now. They’re the world superpower in scientific research, and as of late they’re the ones with the worst reputation.”

 

That sounded really ominous, and it sent shivers down Evan’s back when he heard that. 

 

“You’ve already met three of the four operators who were formerly associated with Rhine Lab. Ptilopsis, Silence, and Saria. Silence and Ptilopsis are here for the same reason, but Saria’s relatively new. All three are excellent minds, and they’ve more than proven themselves in the short time they’ve been on Rhodes Island.”

 

Now that Kal’tsit had explained this much, it made the isekai victim all the more curious. Suddenly, something started to click. Silence’s disdain for Saria could have something to do with why she and Ptilopsis left Rhine Lab. It was an easy connection to make, but it brought him to ask a question. 

 

“Why did they leave Rhine Lab?” 

 

Kal’tsit paused, looking at Evan for a good while before closing her eyes briefly and adjusting her position. 

 

“As of now, only Rhine Labs knows the full story. Silence, Saria, and Ptilopsis are directly related to a very infamous incident that happened six months ago, the Di⍺bolic Crisis. On that day, Rhine Lab’s Oripathy Research Facility nearly burned to the ground. Several people died, and even more contracted oripathy. After the incident, several cases of infected, claiming to be Rhine Lab test subjects wandered Columbia giving horrifying stories of their time in the Oripathy Research Facility. The entire incident was hushed down by Columbia, blaming radical groups of infected and Rhine Lab has yet to state the truth. Silence and Ptilopsis contracted oripathy thanks to the incident, and they came to Rhodes Island. Currently, they’re under a non-disclosure agreement enforced by Rhine Lab.”

 

“And Saria?” Evan asked curiously.

 

“She was Rhine Lab’s Head of Defense. She personally subdued the incident within the facility. All we know from her is that she cited personal reasons for leaving Rhine Lab on her resume. Those were the exact same reasons the other three Rhine Lab operators before her cited, but Saria is the only operator who truly knows the full details of that day. As of now, this is all I can say to you without leaking classified information. You should be able to find records in the form of news articles and public reports, but they all generally say the same things I just mentioned.”

 

Nothing was said between the two for several moments. Kal’tsit just casually watched his expressions shift as he tried to make sense of it. She could see his lips curl in disgust, his eyes widen with disbelief, and his brows scrunch in confusion. Before he became lost, she decided it was time to turn back to their original topic. 

 

“Back to our previous discussion. You’re an anomaly to all known life on Terra, and to that end I must advise you to be cautious. By no means should you ever reveal this information to anyone other than medical staff trusted by me, and this medical information does not leave Rhodes Island. I’ll also be ordering regular draws of blood for reasons that should be obvious. Speaking of the blood, it may only be retrieved by me or individuals I trust. If anyone asks you outside an appointment, deny them and report it to me. If Warfarin tries to obtain anything from you or do anything questionable around you, the proper course of action will be to immediately report it to anyone in the Medical Department and have you admitted to a guarded room. That will be all for today. I’ll send you a schedule for your blood draws later. Until next time.”

 

With those last words, Kal’tsit stood up and opened the door for him. Both walked out and Evan walked back down to his dorm. It was still a little early for bed, so he decided to see if Grani was in her room. After a few knocks, he came to the conclusion she wasn’t home. With a shrug, he entered his room and prepared for bed. 

 

---

 

Over the course of a few days, and at the start of a new week. A rhythm of sorts had been established. At eight in the morning, Evan would show up to Closure’s office and tidy it up with Weedy. After a short time, Weedy would leave for Bio-Engineering and he would spend the rest of the day around Closure. Before lunch break, the two tinkered with various things. Sometimes Evan watched on the sidelines as Closure rambled on about engineering on Terra, and other times they collaborated to test theories of technology of his world. So far, they had managed to get a lightbulb going with a hand crank. Occasionally, an emergency would pop up and Closure had to go solve the issue. It was an exceptionally rare occurrence though, but it still left him alone in the disorganized workshop with little to do. 

 

After lunch break, Closure truly treated him like an intern. He would run errands, grab snacks or coffee, and he was given simple paperwork to do as of recently. According to his vampire boss, it was to show him the bureaucratic side of engineering as well as because she just didn’t feel like doing it. It was very simple stuff too. Orders for parts, statistics of minor systems, complaints and concerns, or it could be something weird to do with the Procurement Department or Closure’s shop. 

 

The evenings were then spent in relative peace as Skyfire taught him basic Originium stuff. In reality, they met only on specific days, but it was rather refreshing when compared to studying alone. Both of them proved eager to learn from the other, and it wasn’t long before Skyfire began referring to him by name regularly. True, that didn’t seem like much of an achievement, but it was clear that a mutual respect had blossomed between them.

 

Studying alone, however, always brought some clarity. Tackling a problem on his own was what Evan was used to. He never joined study groups or had set study partners, so a peacefully quiet library was often an enriching environment. That changed, however, when one of his books slid off. He turned his head to see a young girl with horns looking at the book rather confused. 

 

“What is this? It’s weird,” she casually remarked as she flipped through it. Evan looked back to see a group of children at a table, and guessed she had come from there. A peculiar sight too as one had nine tails, another was sewing a macabre looking doll that seemed to flinch in her hands, and there was also one with a cap and eye patch. He returned his gaze to the girl who had grabbed his book and noticed her unusual curved horns which were very polygonal and shone like crystal with her tail seemingly the same. Oripathy crystals were all over her arms and legs, and her gaze seemed harsh. Their eyes met and the girl’s eyes narrowed at him. 

 

“What?” she asked with a rather nasty tone as if she would spit. She then looked at the book and her brows folded as her grin grew wide. “Is this book valuable?”

 

“Priceless, actually. The only one of its kind in the world,” Evan calmly replied. He then held out his hand and tried to take the book. The girl backed away and held the massive text book above her head. What she did next shocked him. Her other palm faced upwards and a flame spouted out from it. 

 

“If you don’t want me to burn it, do something for me,” the little demon demanded with a nasty sneer for a smile. She then casually waved her flaming hand around and tempted fate by drawing it closer to the book. She watched his reaction then hummed before speaking to herself. “What shall I have you do? Oh, I know! Call me Lord Ifrit and I’ll consider giving your book back.”

 

For the first time since entering this world, Evan felt real and true anger boil in his blood. With grit teeth and a low voice he growled to the child, “You wouldn’t dare.”

 

For several moments, the two stared at each other intensely. Ifrit held the flame and book with a sadistic grin growing wider and more menacing as Evan stared at the child with furrowed brows and a tight jaw. This went on until a voice called out, “Ifrit! What are you doing?”

 

Ifrit’s eyes widened and her flame vanished in the blink of an eye. Even the victim looked up with a change in expression, but that expression was one of calm followed by a sigh of relief. In a moment he ripped the heavy text out of Ifrit’s hand, nearly pulling a muscle as he yanked it and it thunked onto the table. The child didn’t even acknowledge it and just looked down at the ground with an expression he knew very well, the face of a guilty child trying to avoid their parent’s gaze.

 

“Ifrit, aren’t you supposed to be doing your homework?” 

 

“Yes, Silence…” Ifrit groaned at the feet of the doctor. 

 

“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

 

A small and pitiful groan escaped Ifrit as she turned her head and looked at Silence in her wide owl eyes. 

 

“What were you doing to Mr. Carvey?” Silence asked. Ifrit’s gaze immediately turned away from Silence and towards the walls lined with books. Silence called Ifrit’s name slowly and leaned in closer.

 

“She was threatening to burn my book,” Evan casually answered while tapping the aforementioned book. Silence stared at him with eyes the size of grapefruit, and Ifrit’s slits narrowed as she shot daggers at him with her gaze.

 

“Ifrit, I can’t believe this. Why did you do that?”

 

“I-. He-. But-” Ifrit stuttered, clearly looking for a response that didn’t exist. 

 

“Apologize,” Silence ordered. 

 

Ifrit’s head turned and she gave a mellow glare to Evan as she mumbled ‘sorry’ under her breath. She was nudged by Silence’s feather arm and regained balance before looking up at Evan then back down. 

 

“I’m sorry...for threatening to burn your book,” she disparagingly apologized with some sincerity behind the words. Looking at Ifrit, he felt something bubble up. An impulsive child with an attitude sent some memories to the surface of his thoughts. As the two turned around to go back to the study table, his emotions compelled him.

 

“What were you studying?” Evan asked the child. Both Silence and Ifrit looked back curiously. Ifrit’s expression reminded him of a puppy dog with how she looked, and he tapped the spot next to him. “Do you want to study with me?”

 

It wasn’t hard to see that both were shocked. Silence’s eyes had swollen past the size of grapefruit, and Ifrit’s eyebrows couldn’t decide what they would do once they were high up. The two looked at each other and Silence nodded. Soon, there was company on the table in the form of a young girl doing simple math equations next to Evan who was reading about basic level Originium Control. 

 

Silence watched from a distance. Evan peaked over from his own work to look at Ifrit’s and casually pointed out mistakes then went back to his own. At a point, Ifrit started asking him when she got stuck on trying to correct or when she just needed help. Silence felt her lips curl as a warm feeling set in her chest watching Ifrit. Sure, some minor bickering existed, but Evan somehow managed to get the rowdy Ifrit in line without ordering her or anything. Ifrit even finished sooner than usual, and that’s when Silence walked up to Evan. 

 

“That was quite remarkable, I must thank you for getting Ifrit to do her homework. Still, I’m very sorry she threatened to burn your books, I imagine they’re quite valuable,” Silence thanked and apologized as she reached into her lab coat. 

 

“It’s fine, I-” Evan was cut off when Silence produced a paperback book about the human brain. The book was quietly handed over, and Evan was speechless for a while as he looked at it.

 

“You left it in the medical supplies room the other day, when Saria addressed your burn wounds. I must say, Ptilopsis and I are quite impressed with it. Once she managed to decipher it, it was quite insightful. There aren’t many experts on the brain in Terra, and fewer still in number are psychologists. Ptilopsis told me this book’s author simply doesn’t exist on Terra. The place you come from must be incredibly impressive to determine the evolutionary function of individual parts of the brain. Do you by chance have books about evolution?”

 

That in of itself was very interesting to Evan. Evolution and psychology were also behind? From what he saw, robotics were leagues ahead. Then again, the robots also functioned on Originium Circuits, so it made sense that with a system like that they could do more than traditional electric circuits. Geology, psychology, and evolution were all behind in this world compared to his? 

 

“Mr. Carvey, are you alright?” Silence asked with a small upturn of her eyebrows while her eyes somehow stayed half closed. 

 

“Oh, I’m fine. Also, yes, I likely have some texts with evolution on them. I don’t think they’ll be very useful though.”

 

“Oh? Why is that?” Silence asked while adjusting her glasses. 

 

“Because there’s nothing about originium?  Also, many of the species described as well as geological times won’t match up I believe.”

 

“Fascinating...I would still like to read them if possible. I could ask Ptilopsis to transcribe the texts to standard writing if you want.”

 

“Sure,” Evan responded as he looked at his watch. Then he gathered his things and stood up. “Though I have to go, I could bring a book to Ptilopsis when she’s next in the Library.”

 

Before Evan could start walking, Silence called back with some urgency in her voice, “Wait…” Evan turned around and she stood there, looking towards the floor before making eye contact. “Thank you again for helping Ifrit. She’s quite challenging, but you handled her so easily. Could you spend more time with her in the future?”

 

Evan smiled kindly before nodding and saying, “I’m in the library often. You can find me while I’m here.”

Chapter 8: A Devil's Woes

“Evan, what’s this word here?” Skyfire asked as she pushed the book over to him while holding her hand on the word that was confusing her. When he looked at it, his entire thought process and facial expression shifted to one of either confusion or worry. 

 

“That would be Ethical.”

 

“I can read that, but what does it mean?” Skyfire asked with some annoyance clear in her tone. 

 

After that, Evan just stared at the book as if he were looking at the earth below the entirety of Rhodes Island for a good several minutes, tapping the table. Right before Skyfire was about to interrupt his thoughts out of impatience, he spoke.

 

“Think of it as consideration. Consideration of how an action affects the environment, the people involved in it, and perhaps how to make it better suited to not harm either. Perhaps certain mining techniques harm the environment and therefore the people who live in that environment. It could also be if a position of power was abusing its power on the people who can’t do anything about it.” 

 

Skyfire gave him a funny look, and when he returned it with a raised eyebrow of his own, she spilled her thoughts. 

 

“I know we have nothing like that here. I’ll be honest, I never thought once about how my research might affect others in such a manner. Does everyone in your world consider Ethical procedures?”

 

“No, but it helps to try,” he explained as he flipped through another page of his own text. Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the table drew his attention. Looking up, Evan saw a familiar set of black polygonal horns to his side. “Well hello Ifrit.”

 

“Hey,” Ifrit mumbled as she opened up her book and shoved a paper to Evan’s side. “Can you help me with this?”

 

“Sure, let me take a look at it.”

 

The other member of the table looked curiously at the situation that had just unfolded before her. It was well known among Rhodes Island how Ifrit behaved. Easy to anger, distrustful of adults, and rather mischievous in a destructive way. Skyfire had no clue how, but she was watching a child with such a description taking advice from Evan on her homework. Not only that, but he was avoiding telling her the answers. 

 

“That makes sense…” Ifrit mumbled to herself as she solved the problem. She then went back to doing her homework in the spot she had just sat down. Skyfire turned her head to Evan who had a rather pleased smile on his face as he stared at the child before going back to his own book. She decided to do the same and the routine continued as normal.

---

Weedy’s eyes scrunched in concentration at what she was looking at. Days ago, Evan had given her a request and a book. It involved a funny contraption he called a ‘combustion engine’ which was rather fascinating. It was a little similar to the Originium Dynamos commonplace across Terra. What was odd to her was the fuel source, a strange hydrocarbon chemical. As of right now, she could not make heads or tails of it which was bothering her a lot. As she stared at the book and her own notes, she failed to notice a large figure standing behind her with their arms crossed and a hand on their chin.

 

“Perhaps that could be synthesized with the assistance of some microorganisms,” a voice sounded from behind Weedy. The small bio-engineer whipped her head around with eyes wide with surprise and fright, knocking down her writing utensils in the process. “Ah, sorry for startling you.”

 

The victim took several deep breaths as their offender bent down to pick up their utensils. Once Weedy composed herself, she glared at the Vouivre and chastised, “Saria, have you ever considered breaking your habit of lurking like that? It makes people nervous.”

 

“Apologies, a work habit I developed as former Security Director of Rhine Lab,” Saria apologized with little change in her expression beyond her brows becoming less intensely arched. “What are you working on? I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

 

“Evan asked me to synthesize a biofuel for this contraption referred to as a ‘combustion engine’.”

 

“Closure’s new intern?” Saria asked with a raised brow as she leaned in and examined Weedy’s notes further. “I must say, this is certainly fascinating, but it seems to be lacking something...”

 

“Originium? None of Evan’s knowledge from texts to his own includes knowledge on it, but he knows what he’s talking about on almost anything but. He knows how to generate power without it too.”

 

At this, Saria's gaze turned to nothing. All the while, her mind rushed as she thought about the man she met the other day. It seemed to explain some things like Skyfire’s episode and Silence’s urgency to get her away from him. Her focus sifted more into her own mind as she thought about the excitement around the Medical Department recently. Could Evan’s presence be a result of this? It wasn’t out of the question.

 

“Saria.”

 

Silence was more aggressive about getting her out of the Medical Department when she was treating Evan, and now she knew why.

 

“Saria…”

 

Evan was the anomaly that had the department in a frenzy. He was the one with an impossible blood originium level of zero. Saria’s eyes narrowed and brow furrowed as she looked at the ground. What was going on? 

 

“Saria!” Weedy’s voice screamed. The vouivre’s head whipped to the small Ægir who was trying to get her attention frantically. Weedy’s adorable pouting face stared at her with hostile intent, but she looked like a child. In her professionalism, Saria didn’t smile and merely coughed into her hand. Her eyes locked with Weedy and the Bio-engineer finally had the chance to say what she wanted. 

 

“You said this fuel could be made with microorganisms?”

 

“Yes, structurally, it’s almost like a chain of continuing methane. It would be relatively simple with an arts unit to convert it. Similar to making carbon bricks surprisingly.”

 

“In other words, ferment something, collect the methane, and process it into this fuel?”

 

Saria gave a firm nod and a brief ‘correct’ which led to Weedy scribbling down in her notes. Then something clicked. As she looked at the book which contained the structure of the material, she then looked closely at the diagrams of the chemical she was going to make and then went back to Saria. 

 

“Do you understand this?”

 

“Yes, my old mentor who taught me what I know pioneered the idea of chemical structure. This is very similar to some of his work,” the former Rhine Labs Security Director mused as she looked at the book. “You said Evan Carvey was in possession of this book?”

 

---

 

“Whoa, amazing! I do say we can make a pretty good team,” Closure excitedly celebrated as the mechanical whirring of an engine filled the room. Attached to the engine was a simple alternating current generator which fed into a basic circuit to power a light bulb. “To think, Terra’s first originium-free power generator. Now if we can make the fuel reliably, we’d have a monopoly on an entirely new market. Oh, all the LMD flowing in…”

 

Closure began drooling at the thought of the money they could make with the patent, and Evan just stared at his boss with a somewhat disappointed look. He then looked back to the small generator and turned it off. 

 

“Why’d ya do that?” Closure asked curiously.

 

“This type of power doesn’t come without downsides of its own. In an enclosed space, some of the combustion produces Carbon Monoxide which is toxic.”

 

“I see, so you can only use this in a well ventilated room or outdoors…” Closure noted to herself. “I thought you said this method was very common in your world. How do you avoid the poisoning?”

 

“Catalytic converters and filters, you just turn the monoxide into something inert or less toxic.”

 

“Really? Normally we use arts filters to scrub and change dangerous byproducts. So your world is using regular non-arts chemistry for these things?” Closure remarked as she started dismantling the engine. “I’ll see what design kinks I can work out, and find me something about this catalytic converter if you would. Take your lunch break early.”

 

With no ceremony at all, Evan simply left the workshop office and began making his way to the cafeteria. If he had stayed, he would have heard an annoyed grunt from Closure at his continued silence before she realized he was gone. That small tidbit aside, nothing was being missed. A curious thought did pop into his head as he walked though. It had been more than a week since he last saw Grani, and that worried him a little. 

 

Upon entering the cafeteria, he queued himself in line and waited. One thing he had noticed among his time at Rhodes Island was how sugar was treated. Being an American, Evan was used to grotesque amounts of sugar in his food. Everything at Rhodes Island, and, as he learned, Terra at large treated sugar as a scarce resource. The closest answer Evan had gotten was that it was a pain to acquire ‘valid sources’ of sugar. He had to wonder if this world had corn or sugarcane with how scarce the sweet granules were made out to be. 

 

After sitting down, Evan began to scarf down his food out of habit. The only time he ever took time with his meals was when he was with others. Talking and eating were somewhat mutually exclusive for him. 

 

“Good day, Evan,” a familiar voice properly greeted as a tray was set down on the other side of the table. Evan looked up to see four horns popping out of a head of long white hair and took a gulp of what was in his mouth. 

 

“Hello Saria,” he replied while setting down the silverware. “How’s your day today?”

 

“I just finished running some synthesis tests in the Medical Department,” Saria replied as she cut up a small piece of her meal and put it in her mouth. 

 

“Synthesis tests?”

 

Saria finished her small piece swiftly before opening her eyes and looking at him curiously before responding. “Synthesis tests are incredibly common in all industries. Using arts and arts machinery to synthesize materials is necessary. So long as the raw materials are present, a finished product could be made by using arts to re-arrange the materials.”

 

“So you can use arts to just rearrange atomic bonds however you wish? That sounds like cheating,” Evan commented. At that, Saria, who had been sawing her food as Evan spoke, stopped her fork just short of her mouth and lowered it.

 

“Did I say something weird again?” Evan thought to himself.

 

Saria nearly had a full flashback as she remembered where she last heard that term. It had been years since then, and she felt compelled to know more about Evan suddenly as memories of her mentor filled her head. Looking at Evan more closely, she finally noticed one peculiar thing: he had no defining racial features. No ears, no tail, no horns, no wings, no scales, nothing on him pointed to any known race on Terra. 

 

“Evan,” Saria started, looking at him intensely as she leaned in and hushed her voice. “Who are you? I’ve only ever heard the phrase ‘atomic bond’ from my mentor, and he was a man of many mysteries. Two big ones were his place of origin and race, but I could tell his extraordinary knowledge was involved in the former.”

 

“I knew it!” Evan screamed in his head. “I’m not the only one.”  

 

For the first time, he felt some hope glimmer since coming to this world. He was not the only victim, and maybe that meant his situation wasn’t a freak accident. If it was deliberate, was it possible to send him back? These thoughts began flowing through his head as he looked at the table with his brain working harder than ever. Saria watched this with fascination then decided to ask a question.

 

“Do you by chance know who I’m talking about?” Saria inquired with a scant hint of her own hope present in her voice. 

 

“Likely not, tons of professionals in that field where I come from. Could be anyone really, so I don’t think it would matter. I myself am a nobody, just a poor sod with an undergrad transported to another world before I could even start my career, much less my graduate degree. How much do you know about Atomic Theory anyway?”

 

“Not much. No one truly understood him when he talked about it, but he did have a lot of interesting things to say about chemistry as a whole when he did that. Most wrote him off on those ideas, but he did introduce a way to measure substances with very high accuracy. I could tell he was holding back a lot of knowledge too.”

 

That was interesting to hear. So far, Evan understood that most forms of conflict technology involved rather fantastical elements on Terra. Swords and melee weapons still being in wide use was a sign, and he had yet to see a single gun so far. 

 

Before Evan could formulate a response, however, a large clang of something hitting the floor drew both their attention. Behind Evan a small sarkaz girl he knew well by now was staring wide eyed in his direction, her tray having long ago hit the floor. She stared, eyes watering slightly as she stared at them. 

 

“Ifrit?” Evan asked as he turned around and started to get up from his seat. “Are you alright?”

 

Ifrit didn’t say a word, instead she stared straight past him. After a couple moments which dragged on for an eternity, she said one word. 

 

“Saria…?”

 

IIfrit began walking, when an arm grabbed her by her collar and pulled her in. 

 

“Ifrit, no!” Silence yelled as she pulled the small girl close. This, however, prompted Ifrit to start flailing. “Ifrit, it’s ok. I’m here!” Silence said while trying to hug her closer to protect her. 

 

“Let me go!” Ifrit screamed. Evan watched silently as a single tear began to roll down the poor girl’s cheek. “Let me see her! Saria!”

 

“You can’t! Ifrit plea-”

 

“I said. Let go of me!” Ifrit shouted with rage as flames spit out from random points on her body. Silence obeyed, stunned as she looked at the flames that could have easily burned her. Immediately, Ifrit ran forward, nearly tripping on her tray as she ran to the table and set her knees on the seat, leaning over to look at Saria whose head was tilted at the table, eyes closed tightly. “Saria, it’s really you!” 

 

Tears began puddling on the table as she repeated Saria’s name, trying to call out to her. It kept going on, and snot even started dripping down Ifrit’s face as she desperately tried to get the Vouivre’s attention. 

 

“Ifrit,” Saria finally spoke. Ifrit’s expression shifted and she sucked her snot in. Her eyes lit up and a wide, happy smile graced her face as she stared hopefully at the woman she had been crying to. “I’m sorry.”

 

Saria’s figure grew taller, and shrinked into the distance until it finally left behind a door. Ifrit stayed in her position, looking with wide, reddened eyes for a good long while. Silence finally mustered up the will to walk up and put a hand on Ifrit’s shoulder. 

 

“Come on, let’s get you another lunch,” Silence quietly spoke. Ifrit nodded, wordlessly following Silence toward the counter. 

 

After consuming one more item on the tray, Evan stared into space for a while before chugging his drink and dumping the remainder of his lunch into the garbage and leaving. How the hell could he even eat after witnessing that? His appetite was gone. That night, he didn’t even bother going to the library and opted to stay in his room, hoping to avoid any more awkward situations.

 

Surprisingly, while he was drawing rough schematics for his next idea to show Closure, someone knocked on his door. Once the door opened, he saw no one outside. At least, not until he looked down. Standing at the door was Ifrit with a blanket and pillows, looking sadly at the floor. No words were said as he let her in and closed the door. After that, he prepared to walk back to his desk. 

 

“She knew…” Ifrit choked out from her pillow. Evan stopped in his tracks and looked back at the small Sarkaz. “She didn’t say it, but I could tell. She knew Saria was here, all along. I always wanted to see her since that day. I always wanted to thank her, but Silence wouldn’t let me. She knew I wanted to too, she kept me away from her! I trusted her, I thought she’d be different from all those white coats!”

 

As Ifrit ranted on into her pillow, sobs leaked out and Evan kneeled down to eye level, listening.

 

“All those adults from Rhine Lab, they all used me, lied to me, hurt me! The only two who didn’t were Silence and Saria. Why...why did Silence have to do that too.”

 

Ifrit sobbed harder after that last sentence. If she wanted to say more, it was drowned out by tears. Evan said nothing, and wrapped his arms around her. She was surprisingly warm, like a radiator in a winter basement. Her sobs weakened and paused after that. Slowly, she calmed down. Once Evan couldn’t hear anymore sobs, he patted her back.

 

“We adults can really suck, can’t we,” he muttered with a hint of sarcasm. Ifrit nodded in agreement along with an affirmative hum. “Why’d you bring a pillow here?”

 

“I don’t want to sleep with Silence and Ptilopsis, so I came here.”

 

Evan released her and looked her in the eyes as she looked at her pillow. 

 

“I’ll see if there’s a futon, and you can stay here. Whenever you’re ready, we can talk about it. If you feel like it tomorrow, we’ll ask Silence to let you see Saria.”

 

The child devil wiped her eyes and sniffled, “Ok” before sitting down on the bed. While she did, Evan took his communication device which was oddly similar to a smartphone outside after telling Ifrit he would get a futon. He dialed Silence’s number which she had given him since he started working with Ifrit. Evan looked down his left to the hallway, a small note sat on his roommate’s door.

 

“Is she with you?”

 

“Yeah, can you bring a futon over? She wants to sleep in my room.”

 

Silence lurked on the line for a while before a response was formulated by the former Rhine Lab doctor. 

 

“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t-”

 

“You’re welcome,” Evan kindly cut off. After that a small chuckle was heard on the other end. 

 

“You’re truly too kind, Ptilopsis should arrive shortly. When should I expect to see her again?”

 

He thought about it for a little bit. Then he decided to answer.

 

“Before I answer that, can you elaborate on something? You don’t trust Saria, yet it seems she and you are the only people Ifrit truly trusts. Ifrit said she wanted to thank Saria, do you know why?”

 

It took a couple minutes, but during that time dead silence dominated. Finally, a breath released. Silence responded first with, “I’m sorry...for involving you in this. I hope you can understand that I cannot give a perfect answer.”

 

“Non-disclosure agreement, I know, but what can you say? Can you just tell me the part of why you don’t trust Saria around Ifrit?”

 

“I-” Silence tried to argue, but cut herself off and gave a small composure cough. “Very well. I myself was not involved in the experiment that started it. Saria and Ifrit were in that experiment from start to finish. Ifrit was...hurt from that experiment, and…” chokes and half sobs were sounded from the other line before Silence continued. “I saw Saria....carry Ifrit out from the burning facility. Her oripathy had clearly worsened, and she had to be injected with emergency stabilizers or she could have… All I could focus on was keeping her stable. Saria was the Head of Defense, and she never allowed dangerous experiments. That day, she failed her own oaths. In doing so, she also failed Ifrit. That’s why I will never let her near Ifrit again. She’s been through enough.”

 

The response from Evan was quick and to the point, he asked, “Have you ever asked either for their side of the story?” 

 

If he was in person, Evan would have seen Silence’s eyes open wider than grapefruit. Her mouth was hanging agape in some form of shock or awe as though she had a breakthrough. That expression would have told him the answer he needed. Instead, he observed an empty hall with his environment quiet. 

 

“My only thoughts are to keep Ifrit safe from those who would use her. She deserves a normal life after all she’s been through.”

 

A sour expression formed as Evan scrunched up his face. 

 

“I’m not an expert in psychology, but it seems to me Ifrit would gain a lot of closure and peace from being able to speak with Saria. Speaking of Saria, she’s not even a Rhine Lab employee anymore. It sounds to me like you’re dismissing Ifrit’s thoughts and feelings, which is never good for a child.”

 

“Are you lecturing me on childcare Mr. Carvey?”

 

“You know what, yes I am. As a brother who had to help raise siblings as a parent figure and help them through grief, I believe I know what I’m talking about. You’re not thinking of Ifrit, you’re avoiding your own trauma.”

 

Quiet once again took hold, and anyone who might be listening could tell that the tension was so thin it would take so much as a breath from the other to send either off the edge. Thankfully, footsteps drew Evan’s attention to Ptilopsis along with an employee he couldn’t see behind the mattress being carried. 

 

“Ptilopsis is here, good-bye.”

 

Evan hung up immediately, not bothering to consider how his actions might be viewed and turned his attention to the other owl. 

 

“It appears you are upset. How may Ptilopsis be of assistance?” 

 

“I want to know where Saria is tomorrow.” 

Chapter 9: Magic Plasma

Rhodes Island’s upper sections were always quiet at night. With the landship parked at night and most duties over, all that was usually left for employees was to clean up their work stations and go to bed. There were, of course, late workers like a certain lynx feline entering a break room, holding a thermos. As soon as she entered the room, Kal’tsit sniffed the air a few times. Her gaze turned to her target, and upon walking closer the smell became stronger. Her sensitive eyes could make out the line of dark liquid in the glass pot. She set her thermos down and opened the trash can, gazing inside to see a few creamer pods dumped in the bottom.

 

Kal’tsit poured coffee into her thermos and briskly walked out, turning the other direction where she came from. Soon enough, she came to an open door with light streaming from the room. Upon walking up to it, she looked in to see a person in heavy black clothing sitting at a large desk with several monitors. A masked head lay on the desk, a small glistening puddle coming out from some spot that was hard to perceive. Kal’tsit walked around and looked at this person for a good long while. Her face barely shifted, but one could tell that her gaze held something. 

 

Her feline eyes drifted to a stack of papers under the left hand and she picked them up. The following was highlighted in yellow.

 

Ursus’ winters is a frightful beast, and few dare live in the north due to it. Such conditions mean that supplies must be imported, and with Lungmen parked near the border it should stand to reason trade would go well, so why is Yen making a fuss? As it turns out, several supply caravans in winter were raided. Ursus tried to blame the weather, but later it was discovered that Ursus had been hiring Columbian Mercenaries to help transport the goods. One such company leaked the information that a mysterious squadron had ransacked the caravan with Ursus Military tactics. Yen, in turn, demanded an investigation which was promptly denied. Many traders have halted trade with Ursus on the eastern borders.

 

Kal’tsit didn’t even bother reading the rest, she rolled up the newspaper and smacked it on the head of the late night worker who promptly grabbed her wrist out of reflex and then gained consciousness. She just stared at the gripped wrist with a bored look in her eyes, as though she was very used to this transaction. 

 

“Oh, Kal,” a male voice called from the dark mask. He gave a stretch and a yawn then asked, “What time is it?”

“A little past eleven. What are you still doing up?” she asked sternly. Somehow, his gaze turned to the thermos and a small snicker escaped. “What’s so amusing?”

 

“Seems we share habits still,” he murmured in the right volume to make even her sensitive ears feel tickled by the softness. “Ow, don’t hit me with a rolled up newspaper like some disobedient pet.”

 

“Then go to bed, you know how you get when you lose sleep. Who do you think has to pick up the slack when that happens?”

 

The mystery man pushed his swivel chair from the desk with his feet and looked at Kal’tsit with crossed arms. “Then why did you wake me up?”

 

“I’m holding it.”

 

After gazing at the item in her hand, the masked associate punched the side of his fist on his palm and said, “Oh yeah, I made a full pot of coffee. By the way your gaze just sharpened, I’ll take that as a no.”

 

Kal’tsit gave a hefty sigh before placing the newspaper back on the desk. She closed her eyes and grumbled, “You’re so annoying when you’re fully awake. It’s also so hard for you to get back to sleep.”

 

“And you, my dear lynx, don’t want to sleep if you can help it. Why do you think I made a full pot of coffee?”

 

“Doctor,” Kal’tsit called softly and calmly. “Why are you getting involved in this? I thought you swore off doing war work.”

 

The Doctor’s gaze turned to the ground and then his knees. He just looked at them for a while and Kal’tsit decided to sit on the desk, sensing she would be there for a while longer. After about five minutes she unscrewed her thermos and took a generous sip. 

 

“You better not be asleep again.”

 

Doctor looked up and gazed at the lynx, looking at her for a good long while before gazing out into the hallway.

 

“I’m just doing my job, why do you think Ursus is being so cautious with information? Clearly they’re hiding something up there. The only things they hide up north enough where winter is a constant are prisoners.”

 

“You think the north is connected to this? It’s as you said, only prisoners up there. Guarded camps, protected by winter soldiers. Why would the soldiers go about raiding supply caravans?”

 

“It’s not the soldiers. The Ursus Army has been conscripting as though it’s wartime, but no signs of invasion have been seen. There’s also been a massive influx to the supply of winter gear, some of that gear is also our own medicine.”

 

Kal’tsit handed the thermos to him and he somehow drank it though his mask, the tip disappearing behind a veil of darkness before a sip was sounded. 

 

“Something’s happening in the north, and whatever it is, the army is having one hell of a time with it. It also isn’t the first time winter caravans from Yen have been pillaged. The raids have also been getting worse each winter. Fascinatingly, of the conscripts there’s none of the usual cannon fodder Ursus amasses from their infected population. Not since the second winter of these attacks anyways.”

 

“I see, but what good will worrying do now?” Kal’tsit inquired. She crossed her legs and leaned her hand on one end of the table. As she stared, she could tell in his posture that something changed and a small electric tingle ran down her spine. 

 

“I don’t know, but something I do know now,” the Doctor started as he leaned closer to Kal’tsit with a hand on his chin. “Is how much I missed you on my desk like this.”

 

Bonk

 

Like lightning, the thermos swung and knocked his head back to the desk. 

 

“You’re tired, go to sleep!”

 

“Follow your own advice, it’s a pity those bags have found residence under your eyes, however telling they may be of your perseverance,” Doctor called as she walked out. Once out of the light of his office, she could feel her cheeks glow lightly in the dark.

 

---

 

Two busybodies rushed around Closure’s office, hooking up wires and beginning a test. Early in the morning too, leaving Weedy cleaning Closure’s office alone for the first time in a while. She looked at the newest addition to the morning routine staring intently at jars of her bioengineered combustion fuel. 

 

The small Ӕgir’s complicated gaze turned back to the the two eccentrics hastily assembling some kind of construction involving two beakers of fluid, a gelatinous separator, and a lightbulb. Two rods were inserted into the beakers and the lightbulb suddenly went on. The spray bottle was dropped and Weedy ran up to it, making even Ifrit turn her head as she reached for a jar.

 

“What in the world is that?!”

 

“A lightbulb,” Evan casually responded which made Closure giggle a little.

 

“No, what kind of freak contraption have you concocted to power it this time?”

 

“A battery. Most common form of portable power where I’m from.”

 

The small bioengineer looked at the large setup and then back to Evan with a skeptical gaze as her eyebrows arched down. 

 

“Clearly, that’s not portable,” she deadpanned. In response, he pulled out a small little metal canister with a little protrusion at the end. 

 

“Well, this is the small version. Same general principles, just compacted and arranged differently.”

 

“Give me that!” Closure yelled as she swiftly snatched the battery from his hand and ran over to her table. She pulled out a few tools from her beld and immediately dissected it with the precision of a surgeon, but she still did it shockingly fast. 

 

“That was a perfectly good double A battery, you’d better replace it,” the intern complained to his boss who was far too focused on looking at the dull chemical power source to respond. With no response, the babysitter turned his head just in time to see Ifrit open a jar of gasoline and make a fire in her finger. “Ifrit, no!”

 

The demon child gave a ‘tsk’ before putting out her flame and turning the lid back on under Evan stare. She looked at the jar still, clearly rather bored with the whole situation. 

 

“Closure, do you have plates that can be charged to different polarities?”

 

“Oh I see, so this is that,” Closure mumbled in amazement as she examined the battery. Evan repeated his previous question, except much louder and the vampire glanced briefly in his direction. “Yeah, in the middle cabinet on the north side of the office.”

 

Over the days, Evan had gotten rather used to how to hook up wires to originium power cells, and he knew exactly where Closure kept most of her wiring and other such junk. 

 

“Ifrit, could you bring me one of those jars?” Evan requested as he set up the two charged plates near each other. The demon’s eyes lit up and she rushed her previously opened jar over to Evan. All the while, Weedy stared with upward arched eyebrows as she silently set her industrial robot to fire extinguishing mode. 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Testing something.”

 

The head of bioengineering felt a vein nearly pop in her head as he said that so casually. Such insufficient explanation before the demonstration, as usual. She watched, however, as Evan set the two plates on either side of a dish he poured a wee bit of gasoline into. Ifrit was given the honors of igniting it, which created a flame between the two. Nothing happened, until the power was flipped on and the flame split in two, gravitated toward either plate. Weedy’s surprised expression had donned her face for the fifteenth time that week as she stared at the phenomenon. 

 

“W-what did you do to the fire?!”

 

Closure turned her attention from dissecting the battery and ran up to the new thing her intern was demonstrating. 

 

“Wow, what’s this? What new wondrous piece of technology have you graced me with this time?”

 

“This isn’t technology. Just a demonstration that fire is a plasma. It holds a charge, so the ions in it head for the opposite charge.”

 

“What’s an ion?” Ifrit asked as she stared at the split fire intently.

 

“A charged particle.”

 

“A charged...particle?” Weedy repeated pensively as she watched the flame as well. “Like a dust particle or something?”

 

Evan looked at Closure who just shrugged in response.

 

“...I’m truly amazed. How in the hell did science in this world get so far without any concept of the fundamental units of matter. Ok, you know what, stay here, I need paper and books for this.”

 

That was the last thing Evan said before leaving the room, leaving those he left behind stumped. Then Ifrit touched the negative plate briefly, causing a spark to flow into her finger. Nothing serious, just a light shock. 

 

“What the heck! It zapped me.”

 

“Well, yeah, electricity’s trying to flow out of it. You sure Silence is your guardian?” Closure snidely replied, only to be met with Ifrit’s gaze turning to the floor. After that, a stinging sensation hit the side of her head and she looked to see Weedy pulling her hand away, giving her the ‘you really screwed up’ glare Closure had seen more times than she could count. 

 

The Ӕgir girl knelt down slightly to Ifrit’s level and rubbed her back. A little surprised, the little sarkaz looked at Weedy with a wonder filled expression before looking back down, leaning into the touch a little. All the while, Closure stared at the scene with a soft smile on her face. 

 

This went on until footsteps were heard outside the door before it opened and Evan returned, holding two text books, a notebook, and a small bundle of blank paper.

 

“I’m back, who’s ready to learn about Atomic Theory?” 

 

---

 

“You’re sure he said that?” 

 

“Affirmative, I inquired myself the reasons for him asking.”

 

“Do you think he was lying?”

 

“He maintained eye contact, his line of sight didn’t wander more than normal, and his pupils remained a consistent diameter. All signs point to negative, and he did not appear to be using methods to mediate those responses.”

 

“I see...” Silence expressed in a whisper. Her attention shifted back to walking along the hallway. 

 

“Silence,” Ptilopsis initiated. “I have been thinking. If our objective is to allow Ifrit to live a normal life, then that would require she learns to make her own choices much like we do. Would it not be counterproductive to make choices for her as to who she can and cannot interact with? Does that not mean we’re limiting her to-”

 

“I really don’t want to talk about this.”

 

Ptilopsis’ right feather twitched and she turned her gaze to Silence for the first time in their walk. Her colleague did not face her like she normally did when speaking, but Ptilolipsis respected her and faced their walking direction again. 

 

“Request received and acknowledged.”

 

Their conversation had been about what Ptilopsis discussed with Evan after he had rudely hung up on Silence. Of course, of all the people wrapped in this situation, Ptilopsis was the most logical. Her thought pattern was definitely more machine-like than she cared to admit, and she was capable of recognizing that logic wasn’t always correct. If logic could solve every problem, then she would rightly be the smartest person in existence. 

 

She had also been searching for any trace of things in Evan’s book even since Silence gave it back to Evan. If it was a matter of data, no one could hope to outperform her. The data around Evan hit a dead end though. His history was untraceable, his knowledge untraceable, and even his machinery couldn’t be traced. Yes, she knew about this mystery vehicle he had appeared with. After all, she was the manager of the Rhodes Island Database. Special permissions were guaranteed, and she had looked at even his classified records. The only commonality is Lungmen, and totalling an off duty officer’s private vehicle. That was the earliest record in his history. 

 

Weeks, of course, wasn’t enough to track a person’s entire life history. This was especially so with those of unique circumstances. Some operators were already enigmatic, but Ptilopsis usually could construct a rough theory given enough time. She was by no means done looking into this situation. 

 

As the two liberi approached a door they recognized as Closure’s office, they heard a lot of commotion inside. 

 

“This makes no sense!” 

 

“What doesn’t make sense?”

 

“It’s not charged, look at it! It’s supposed to be charged by definition.”

 

The door opened and the sight of Ifrit holding a flame between two plates hooked up to wires caught their attention. The flame itself seemed normal, and nothing special was happening. 

 

“It’s magic I say, this violates so many Physical Laws! What on earth did I go to school for anyways?!” Evan continued shouting as he pointed at the flame. 

 

“C-Calm down, what are you even talking about anymore?” Weedy tried defusing desperately.

 

“I’m saying, this fire is magic. Look at it, it can’t even be called fire anymore.”

 

“It’s arts, not magic,” Closure casually remarked from her desk, clearly enjoying the show. 

 

“Tomato tomato, it violates physical laws of nature, it’s magic. Arts is magic fuelled by your weird McGuffin rock.”

 

None of them had noticed Silence and Ptilopsis. When Silence was about to announce her presence, she noticed Ifrit chuckling along at the situation. She walked a little to get a better look at her face and saw something she rarely got to see, Ifrit smiling and laughing normally. Not the scary sadistic ones that scared others, but a genuine content smile and laugh. 

 

Ptilopsis noticed Silence by the way her expression sombered and chose to walk up. 

 

“So, what you’re saying is that fire is a plasma, and plasmas carry charge,” Closure reiterated. Evan affirmed then she continued. “And you’re saying Ifrit’s arts fire is not a plasma, and therefore not fire?”

 

“Yes! Besides, what is she even burning as fuel anyways?!”

 

“That would be the originium in her body since Ifrit does not have her catalyst right now,” Ptilopsis joined in. Everyone’s heads snapped to the blank faced owl suddenly and in unison. “Infected can use originium crystals within their body as catalysts, allowing for casting without a device. However, this method also progresses the caster’s oripathy. Simple spells don’t progress much, and even increase progression at an almost negligible rate. Does this answer your question?”

 

“Wait,” Evan started. “So, you’re saying she uses her own oripathy crystals growing in her body to cast, and that makes them grow faster?”

 

Ptilopsis nodded. 

 

“I never would have imagined, in my life, I would be the first person to witness the First Law of Thermodynamics be broken in such a spectacular way. Also, hello Ptilopsis, Silence.”

 

At the mention of Silence’s name, heads turned again and Ifrit, who had long since stopped putting her flame between the plates, walked over to Evan and tugged his shirt, staring at Silence with her head tilted down and her brows arched upward slightly. 

 

“...Hello,” the liberi researcher returned, surprised by Evan’s greeting. She hadn’t expected him to just greet her normally, as though last night’s conversation didn’t happen. It was clear though, that Ifrit’s reaction showed she hadn’t forgotten last night. “You said I could pick up Ifrit before lunch if I so desired. Sorry to disturb you during work.”

 

The mystery man laughed at that response, and replied with a chuckle, “Work, yeah I guess that’s one way to put it. I’d rather say it was us messing around, but in a way I was testing stuff.”

 

After looking around, Silence noticed a lot of strange diagrams with circles and circle clusters along with chemical symbols scattered by text books. 

 

“What were you testing?” Silence inquired, her body language and expressions returning to normal. 

 

“Basic stuff. Charge, properties of charged material in an electric field, and reviewing some basic Atomic Theory.”

 

Weedy, who had been quiet for a while, watched Ptilopsis’ eyes widen to the size of saucers and her feathers start to spin slightly. What the heck did that mean?

 

“...I see, well is it alright if I bring Ifrit with me?”

 

“Ask her,” Evan responded, drawing attention to the sarkaz. 

 

Silence waited, looking at Ifrit who stared at her much like she did other researchers. A small girl in a lab held her jacket, staring at the other researchers as they prepared their experiment for the day. Ifrit always looked at them with great fear or concern. Whenever a researcher other than Silence or Saria walked up, Ifrit would scooch up to her or Saria, holding their jacket and trying to hide. 

 

“I…” Ifrit struggled to speak. She tightened her grip on the shirt and looked at the floor. A hand patted her head and she looked up at its source. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Silence apologized as she caressed Ifrit who leaned into the touch. “I’m so sorry if I hurt you, that was never my intention.”

 

“Will you let me see Saria?” Ifrit quietly pleaded. Silence didn’t respond immediately, choosing to rub Ifrit’s head more. She looked at Evan who smiled in response then turned her gaze back to Ifrit. 

 

“We’ll see.”

 

“Do you mean it this time?” the child asked, looking up from the head pat and staring Silence in the eye, eyes full of hope. 

 

“Yes, I mean it this time,” she answered without missing a beat. In response, Ifrit gave Silence a hug, and the little devil’s warmth flooded her core. 

 

“Thank you.”

 

The two just stayed there for a while, Silence’s wing and arm wrapped around Ifrit. Once the two had their fill of hugs, Silence took Ifrit’s hand, appreciating it more than she used to. Her gaze turned to Evan and she felt something warm seep from her chest to her lips. A smile graced her face.

 

“Thank you, Evan,” Silence said before turning around and leaving the room. When the door closed, however, there wasn’t an overall population decrease. 

 

The three engineers watched in fascination as Ptilopsis stood there, her head feathers wiggling about in every direction as though the most exciting thing in the world had happened. Her eyes darted between directions, and her gaze was fixed on the various notes and texts Evan had brought in. 

 

“Are you alright there? Your head looks like it could explode any minute,” Closure asked with a raised brow and not much concern in her voice. Almost immediately, the head snapped and Ptilopsis’ gaze bared down on Closure, her eyes focused as though she were a true bird of prey. “Do we need an exorcist? I’m getting some weird vibes right now.”

 

“Miss Closure, I request that I be allowed to have shifts in engineering as soon as possible.”

 

Chapter 10: Protect and Care

Evan Carvey, File Entry 1

 

The situation of Evan is rather complicated, none of his history points to any place on Terra. In addition, his medical records suggest an impossible Originium blood density of 0u/L. His vitals, anatomy, and physiology are all remarkably ordinary which does not suggest any unique racial ability. This could be because Evan has no racial features to speak of, no tail, ears, horns, scales, teeth, or anomalies that suggest anything. In fact, his racial appearance is akin to that of Ægirians who have transformed their appearance for terrestrial life. 

 

Despite being closest in racial appearance and originium blood density to Operator Skadi, Evan insists he has no connection to the mysterious Ægir region. His physical and fitness assessment make it abundantly clear that beyond appearance and blood density, Skadi cannot be compared to him. His physical strength is, in fact, more on par with Operator Weedy who has struggled to pass fitness tests as a Field Operator and is still struggling to pass the Combat Operator exams. 

   

Furthermore, Evan has shown extensive understanding of scientific principles never before tested and principles with cryptic origins and little explanation. He even mentioned ‘Atomic Theory’ which has only been mentioned by Operator Saria’s mentor in Rhine Lab, Doctor Wernhoff. Wernhoff himself was a very enigmatic figure within Rhine Lab with an equally mysterious origin to Evan Carvey. He was notable in introducing Terra to much more precise methods to measure substances as well as their makeup. It’s thanks to him we can now define what elements exist within substances and measure them with incredible precision. He also gave Terra the concept of chemical structure which has allowed the creation of new materials to propel Terra further into the modern age. 

 

From all this information, it can be concluded that Evan Carvey shares an origin with Doctor Wernhoff. Wherever they hail from, it can be concluded Originium does not exist in enough quantities to be useful, and the residents had to study the world in much greater detail to approach our level or higher in technological advancement. Operator Ptilopsis will continue investigation with the new insight.

 

---

 

 

“Thank you so much for getting me out of there.”

 

“It was nothing, besides, we left Closure alone in there, so it is a little cathartic,” Weedy responded with a small grin on her face. 

 

After Ptilopsis had asked to take shifts in Engineering, she had begun hounding both Evan and Closure relentlessly. Well, it was more like intense inquiry for Evan and nagging Closure to allow her to spend time in engineering. In the chaos of Closure and Ptilopsis having a very heated discussion on bureaucracy and Closure’s periodic disregard for it that was borderline blackmail, Evan and Weedy snuck out. After all, Evan had plans to go speak with Saria about yesterday, and he knew where she would be thanks to Ptilopsis. 

 

Weedy led Evan to an elevator which they took to the first floor and down a hallway not too far away from medical. At the end was a door which was well sealed off and even contained a biohazard warning on it. Before heading in, Weedy handed Evan a full face gas mask with hers already on. 

 

“Don’t worry, it’s my spare.”

 

“A spare gas mask? Well, whatever,” Evan thought to himself as he placed the device on his face. After that, the flying robot named ‘Leaf’ opened the sealed door and they walked inside. The door was resealed afterwards, and he got his first glimpse at the Bio-engineering department. Unlike the messiness of the Engineering Department which mostly existed on the lower fourth floor, every surface was clean and various lab equipment laid organized as various people in white coats did their experiments. “Just like chemistry labs back in university.”

 

Near one of the fume-hoods, Saria in a lab coat with protective goggles over her eyes and a clipboard jotted down some notes of a petri dish which clearly had bacteria growing on it along with a number of small black crystalline structures forming from it. As soon as Evan was behind her, she held out her hand with a single finger up. Shortly after, a miraculous event took place within the fume-hood. One of the crystals began glowing and after light obscured and bent, it grew a small bit. Notes were jotted and the fume hood was opened. A small beaker of mysterious clear red fluid was poured on the petri dish and the fume hood sealed once more. Shortly after, a sharp set of hissing, cracking, and other odd sounds came from the hood as a black powder emerged from the dish.

 

“Thank you for being patient, I-” Saria began as she turned around. Once her eyes sat on Evan, she stopped speaking and set her clipboard down on a nearby table. “Hello, what brings you to Bioengineering today?” 

 

“Could I talk to you when you have time?”

 

“Is this about yesterday?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Saria gave the first sigh Evan had seen from her and she picked up her clipboard. 

 

“Come with me.”

 

Somewhat surprised, Evan obliged and they walked out of the room and down the hallway until she opened up a door which led to what looked like a small conference room. Evan removed his gas mask once they were out of the lab and Saria placed her goggles down on the table. Then she immediately turned around and asked, “How is Ifrit doing?”

 

When she asked that question, her eyebrows arched upward slightly and her eyes seemed to glimmer sadly. It didn’t last for long, but it showed Evan that Saria did indeed care. 

 

“She’s shaken up about it. She and Silence got in a fight, and she spent the night in my dorm.”

 

“Really?” Saria asked with a slightly higher tone and her eyes going wider. “Ifrit must trust you then, which is unusual.”

 

“Maybe...I guess I do have an understanding of kids like her. I was one of them, troublesome and resistant to authority.”

 

After saying that, Evan saw Saria smile for the first time since meeting her. It was a warm smile, a loving one that he could tell meant she was happy for someone she loved. Truly, it looked as though she had transformed completely in that moment. 

 

“I see, it’s wonderful to know she has someone like you to depend on.”

 

“You really care for her, so why are you avoiding her?”

 

Any joy once seen on Saria’s face snapped off and was replaced with a brief look of pain before she looked Evan in the eye with her regular stern expression, but with her eyebrows pointed in further and her lips tighter. 

 

“I know about the incident, I heard Silence’s side of the story.”

 

“Then you should know what she said is true,” Saria replied, pausing for a while before she walked a couple steps forward and straightened up. “I failed Ifrit, I couldn’t protect her. Silence has that much right, I failed as Rhine Lab’s Head of Defense, and I failed Ifrit herself.”

 

“Ifrit doesn’t see it that way, she misses you.”

 

She paused, a brief look of shock washing over her face like a wave, a single ripple that was gone in a moment. She closed her eyes, expression softening. 

 

“Then, you may tell Ifrit this: No matter what happens, I will always protect her.” Saria picked up her clipboard and walked to the door. Before she left, she added one more thing. “You don’t have to play mediator to the problems of Rhine Lab.”

 

The door shut, leaving Evan alone in the conference room.

 

---

 

“I see…” Silence replied while staring into the library table. “I never thought Saria…” Her head turned, and Silence’s eyebrows arched upward as her pupils seemed to quiver. It was clear there was a lot going on in her head, so Evan just retreated into his own book. This particular book was given to him by Silence, and it was really quite interesting. A text on various life on Terra and their infected counterparts. On the other side of the table, Silence had Evan’s own biology text. Of course, comparing notes was just an excuse for them to talk about Evan speaking to Saria. 

 

“Even though I am under a non-disclosure agreement, I know almost nothing about the actual incident. I was just an unfortunate observer to its results. Perhaps I was too harsh on Saria, when she came to me with Ifrit, her clothes were in tatters and burn marks were visible. I’m honestly surprised she herself didn’t end up infected like Ptilopsis or I.”

 

“Why would the fire be infectious?”

 

Silence’s gaze snapped up to Evan, and she looked at him without a word for several seconds before answering, “I’m afraid that would violate the non-disclosure agreement.”

 

Evan gave a short ‘tsk’ in response then looked back into his book, replying, “Sounds to me like Rhine Lab was experimenting irresponsibly. Clearly they messed with something until they couldn’t control it and it blew up in their faces. Then to try and sweep all that under the rug, it’s damn shameful.”

 

Silence’s gaze returned to Evan from her book, and she watched a little before commenting, “You sound like Saria, she was always concerned with that kind of thing.”

 

“You mean Ethics?”

 

“Ethics?” Silence asked curiously, tilting her head. “What does that mean?”

 

“It’s about applying morality. How does research or development affect those around it? Asking oneself whether or not going through with a plan is worth the cost in lives and livelihoods in the people or the environment. It’s a pretty common concept where I come from.”

 

“Your world sure is fascinating. That certainly explains some of the talk of habitat destruction or human interference in your book. It must be a peaceful place if you can think about something like ‘ethics’.”

 

“No,” Evan replied, earning Silence’s gaze once again. “Just because we don’t have originium and have moral codes in science doesn’t mean we’re peaceful. We’re all still plagued by greed, political strife, oppression, and all forms of disasters all the same. It took over a century before we realized ignoring irresponsible industrial practices or disasters would harm others on a massive scale. Even with ethics, we still turn a blind eye to some of those problems for our convenience.”

 

“If that’s the case, why bother worrying about it?”

 

“Because doing something is better than doing nothing. Just because it’s not a perfect solution doesn’t mean it should be thrown away.”

 

Silence merely nodded and hummed before they returned to their separate books. Of all the things Evan read, this had to be one of the most fascinating. He could tell that creatures evolved their own defenses to originium and oripathy, and they could even use it to their advantage in unique circumstances. One creature mentioned a lot was the Originium Slug, a strange being that was surprisingly adaptive. Mentioned in the book was that the slug had two physiologically separated components to its body. An outer infected shell and an interior uninfected shell separated by an odd membrane organ which was rich in chemicals capable of suppressing, absorbing, or even processing originium. It was also highly adaptive, and anomalous specimens were reported to be able to utilize the originium for defensive purposes. Specimens capable of reaching high levels of arts usage were about as rare as siamese twins however.

 

Beyond the slugs, the defenses against oripathy became more subpar and less effective. More complex, mammalian life had little more than an immune response to the disease which was ineffective to say the least. Due to this clear gap, originium slugs seemed to be the most well-researched specimen. 

 

What was rather concerning was the fact that oripathy infection opened a window into the infected creatures for casters to control with arts. It seemed that the capacity to control an infected creature was related to its intelligence. 

 

In the midst of his reading, Evan felt someone yank his shirt and he looked over to see Ifrit. Behind her was a younger girl with braided blonde hair and a lot of tails behind her. Aside from the many, fluffy, cute little tails, he took notice of the young girl’s left arm which had oripathy lesions lining it. 

 

“Ifrit, who’s your friend?” 

 

At that question, the little demon crossed her arms and pouted away from both Evan and the little nine-tailed vulpo who giggled cheerfully at Ifrit being a tsundere. 

 

“Hello, my name is Lisa, I’m also a combat operator in training under the codename Suzuran. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Evan-san,” she greeted with a bow. 

 

“I think I just got diabetes,” Evan thought to himself as he watched Lisa introduce herself. His brotherly and parental instincts were going into hyper-drive, and he had to resist the urge to touch the many, many floofies. 

 

“Nice to meet you too, Lisa,” he replied with a little bow of his own. “Why did you and Ifrit come to see me?”

 

“Ifrit-chan said you’re very good at math Evan-san. Our regular instructor is out on a mission, and we didn’t get a substitute. Since you’ve been helping Ifrit around this time, I thought that...maybe you could help the rest of us...please?”

 

The small, adorable being bowed again as she fidgeted with the staff in her small hands. 

 

That did it, he would protect and nurture this precious little cinnamon bun all he could. He didn’t entirely know why either. Something about Lisa called to him. If not for the fact he was completely heart healthy, he swore he got heart palpitations. 

 

“It would be my pleasure, lead the way.”

 

“Thank you very much!” Suzuran exclaimed with a deep bow and a beaming smile. Without much else being said, the three of them wandered off to another part of the library, leaving Silence to just stare into empty space for a while, trying to process what she had just seen. 

 

---

 

Never before in his life did Evan ever imagine he would be in this situation. Sure, he was in his mid-twenties, but he could never ever have imagined that today, he would be sitting at a cafeteria table, listening to a girl who was technically his boss, complain to him like a broken record. 

 

Closure didn’t often come to the cafeteria, but today was special. The vampire was sick and tired of the day, and had decided Evan was the perfect outlet to vent all her problems into. Sure, he knew how to listen, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being Closure’s outlet. Her problems seemed downright selfish or silly. Right now, she was telling him about how Ptilopsis basically blackmailed her into requesting those shifts. Apparently Doctor Kal’tsit had to greenlight the transfer since the computer owl answered to her. This combination was just one reason why Closure was beyond herself this lunch break. 

 

“Then, I hear that one of our contracts in Ursus got sliced, again! This is the fifth time this year that we’ve had that happen. If this keeps up we won’t have any foothold left in that frozen wasteland. Sourcing that crap from Columbia is expensive, and Victoria’s tariffs make buying from there out of the question. At least with Columbia I get what I pay for, but we don’t need that much bang. I might as well just rip apart some Raythean machinery and cobble it together myself to get the necessary dependability.”

 

Honestly, he had lost track long ago what she was complaining about. Sadly, there seemed to be no escaping this situation. After lunch, he had to go work in engineering again. Not to mention today was the day he had to work with some of the other engineers to further advance the engine and battery prototype. It was honestly kind of fun to work on an actual project, even if it wasn’t nearly as advanced as he would have liked. 

 

Of course right now, he missed having access to the internet. Anything Evan could do on his phone would call for way too much of his attention, and he had tried only to get chewed out by the vampire. Now, he was only left praying for divine intervention to give him an excuse to not listen or to forcefully change the subject.

 

“Evan-san,” a young voice sweetly called. Closure finally shut up to see its source, and Evan turned his head to see Lisa holding a small mini cake wrapped in paper. Once she had his attention, she gave a big, joyous smile and handed him the cake. “Thank you for helping us yesterday, you were a really good teacher.”

 

“Oh, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m happy to help.”

 

“That’s wonderful, do you think you could help us again?”

 

“I’m in the library most evenings, so just come look for me if you or the other children need help.”

 

“Thank you very much,” Lisa graciously replied with a deep bow. “We all look forward to seeing you again.”

 

With another set of thanks that ended up in a small bowing match, Lisa took her leave and Evan turned to see Closure looking at him with a really cocky smirk that had both her pearly white fangs poking out like snake fangs. 

 

“So, little Suzuran, huh? First Ifrit, and now her. How many little girls are you going to become friendly with, hm?”

 

“I regret praying for divine intervention now!”

 

“Well, it’s about time to go, so take my tray over and get started. I have to go to the Blood Bank and grab a little after-meal drink.”

 

Did God treat his prayers like a damn monkey paw? He really had to wonder since anytime he actually asked for help from a higher power in this world, it seemed to have a sick sense of humor in giving him that help. Everything from Ch’en and Swire arguing in his first week to now just seemed to be met with a twist that harmed him. It certainly didn’t help that Closure was still treating him like an errand boy. 

 

After taking Closure’s tray over along with his own, Evan left the cafeteria and made his way to the first floor’s engineering section which contained several workshops, including one that was almost always noisy with its refining and crafting. Certainly, he had to admit he was impressed with the materials engineering of Terra. Carbon bricks and carbon-based building material was so common that he had to wonder if this really was a world without Atomic Theory. Sadly, that seemed to be the case as when he was talking to some engineers about allotropes of carbon, they seemed completely dumbstruck that diamond and graphite were barely different from the carbon blocks they used in construction. 

 

Speaking of engineers, Evan was assigned to work with two in the workshop. One specialized in moving parts and structure, and the other in electrical engineering and power generation. The latter greeted him after recovering from the shock of him walking in unannounced. 

 

“M-Mister Carvey, good day. I-I was just going over the capabilities of the batteries. D-Don’t worry, I didn’t destroy any more research materials,” a young boy stuttered at the start of every sentence. 

 

“It’s fine Greyy, so long as you remember that we don’t use arts to control the devices. Has Harald popped in at all?”

 

“No, I haven’t seen him yet. Maybe Miss Closure is having him assist her in lower maintenance again?”

 

“Not possible, the vampire decided to give me a headache during lunch. Find anything new with the batteries?”

 

“No, but I’m still struggling to understand the principles behind them. Your devices are very strange. It would be much easier and efficient to just use arts to create a polarized rod, but you’ve insisted we cannot use originium at all.”

 

“I’d rather not mess with a magic rock with cancer as a side-effect, thank you,” Evan remarked as he walked over to a table with a bunch of engine components as well as a partially constructed combustion engine. Some of the parts, especially the pistons were taken out and a ruler was sitting by them. “Well, the beaver was here, so maybe he’s doing some metalwork?”

 

Almost as if on cue, the door was slammed open, giving the perro shota such a startle he visibly discharged electricity into the test circuit. The smell of smoke immediately alerted Evan who had decided to keep the fire extinguisher out and ready at all times since this kind of thing happened a lot now. Thankfully, all that seemed to have burned out in the circuit was a disposable fuse.

 

“Oh, hey Evan,” an oddly high, but very much adult male voice spoke to Evan. Turning around, he saw Harald in all his beaver glory. Brown fur, orange teeth that were chipped on the end, and a large paddle tail. Goggles were pulled over the forehead, and his stubby rodent hands were holding a box with metallic clinking sounding every time he moved. “I got a great idea for the engine. Since it creates electricity by spinning, what if we also upped the size and power to be comparable to the originium dynamos found in cars?”

 

“You don’t say,” Evan remarked sarcastically, with his voice completely monotone. Clearly, the rodent man didn’t hear him as they began outfitting the newly made parts into the engine. That was when Evan noticed him hooking the pistons up to an axle. “Yup, that’s how cars work where I’m from.” 

 

“Are you serious?!” Closure’s voice sounded from an intercom speaker. The result was a bunch of spilled lubricant and greasy engine parts spilled on the floor which was then ignited by Greyy’s static. “You can make cars like this?! Hold on I’m clearing my schedule for a bit.”

 

“I really have to watch my mouth,” Evan told himself as he switched on the fire extinguisher he was already holding. 

Chapter 11: A Ripple

Friday and Saturday on Rhodes Island was usually the day when messengers and the Procurement Department returned. Goods, letters, and work came flooding into the island, sending everyone from the most basic of maintenance to the upper brass into a work frenzy. Supplies were received for the week and some were eager to use it, and new contracts or requests would flood in. Usually, it was at these times that the three leaders would work together to chip away at a mountain of paperwork. Today was Friday, so they got up early to start the day and lessen the load for tomorrow as much as possible. Only one of them was a morning person, however. 

 

“Kal’tsit, Dokutah, I brought coffee~” a young girl sung happily as she brought two mugs into an office where three desks overflowing with paperwork sat. Her large, long ears, noticeable from a mile away along with the smell of roasted bean tea the other two were craving.

 

“Thank you, Amiya,” Kal’tsit formally replied as she took her cup.

 

“Ah, you’re a saint, Amiya. Please, let me thank you properly,” Doctor said as he got on his knees in prayer. 

 

“Hehe, thanks Dokutah,” Amiya replied with a laugh and a blush. The third person groaned, clearly annoyed as she took a sip of her coffee. 

 

“What was that my dearest Lynx? Do you want me to pray to you too? I do that every day and every night, if-”

 

“If you say another word, I will personally sew your mouth shut.”

 

The Doctor and Amiya got a good laugh out of that remark and the victim of the laughter rolled her eyes before pulling another piece of paper to her work area. The other two returned to their desks and began working on the pile. Not too long in, Amiya pulled out a paper that looked rather funny.

 

“Um, Kal’tsit, Closure signed a request for Ptilopsis to take shifts in engineering.”

 

“Why engineering? That should be way outside her expertise,” Doctor commented. After saying that, he found his own unusual document, but kept quiet and observed the lynx as she answered Amiya. What was odd was how a brief flash of surprise crossed her face before she waited a bit. Her hands and eyes even stopped.

 

“Does it state a reason?” Kal’tsit inquired. 

 

“No.”

 

“Denied, Ptilopsis has a full work schedule as it is.”

 

“But couldn’t you-”

 

“I said, no. Besides, if we allowed everyone to switch departments on a whim it would be chaos.”

 

Amiya’s long ears drooped slightly with Kal’tsit’s harsh reply. After that, Doctor found it time to join in and expose the cat. 

 

“Would it have to do with why a Columbian vehicular company has sent a joint request with Rhine Lab because of a strange vehicle?” Doctor asked in a subtle tone all familiar with him knew of. Amiya’s ears perked up and she snapped her head to Kal’tsit. The head of the Medical Department looked down and grabbed her head as though she had a hangover. “Kal, what are you hiding this time?”

 

“Don’t use that nickname,” she growled while keeping her current posture. 

 

“Why not? I think it’s cute,” Doctor replied cheerily for someone who had only slept a couple of hours. 

 

“Doctor Kal’tsit, why can’t you be open with us?” Amiya asked with a sweet, innocent voice that finally sent Kal’tsit over the edge. 

 

“Fine. Look at Evan Carvey’s files if you want to know. It’s hard to explain, but he’s the reason for some of the weirdness that’s been happening around here lately.”

 

“It’s always weird here,” Doctor replied instantaneously, earning a giggle from Amiya. 

 

“I think you know what I mean. Warfarin went on a mission with you not too long ago, right?”

 

Now that he thought about it, the vampire lady was acting a lot weirder than normal. She didn’t even care when his blood spilled out of a minor cut, normally she was resisting the urge to lick him or suck on the wound. 

 

A pencil flew through the air and landed in the Doctor's visor. He pulled it out after exclaiming, “What the hell?!” and looked at Kal’tsit who was staring at him from the direction it came from with a harsh glare. She then gave a ‘tsk’ and eyed her work once again. 

 

“Pervert.”

 

Doctor would never know what he did to piss off Kal’tstit in that moment, but he only had one thing to say.

 

“I hate Fridays.”

---

Engineering at Rhodes Island was its own beast on the weekends. Closure kept a loose hold on everything, so ten different projects could be happening in the same room. It also bled into several other departments due to the wide range of use for the subject, and its leader would happily spend her days sloppily drinking blood and crunching chips. It wasn’t that Closure was bad at her job, but it was a very Laissez-faire approach to a workspace. A far cry from the Medical Department, but Rhodes Island Engineering wasn’t trying to compete with the likes of Rhine Lab and Raythean Industries, at least not yet. 

 

“I sure do love Fridays! New stuff, and some time in the sun for everyone,” she happily declared as Evan shuffled through paperwork. For once, most of it wasn’t Closure’s. The weekend had started with heaps upon heaps of requests, questions, suggestions, and even statements on the two new inventions he and Closure had made. To top it off, she had deflected the responsibility of organizing it to him. Her reasoning was that he needed to learn how to conduct his own engineering projects, but he had barely been there for a month. 

 

“Every time I start to think more of you,” Evan groaned as he swiftly typed up a reply to an engineer. “You do something like this, to throw all that away.”

 

“Well that’s harsh, you really need to learn how to talk to girls. You’re not getting anywhere like that,” the vampire pouted, leaving one eye open as she watched his head slump on the desk. A smile graced her face as she popped a chip in her mouth and turned to her own project. 

 

At the moment, they were in the actual Engineering Department’s main facility which was really quite noisy. Machinery hums and lively chatter were accompanied by chaotic clangs and exclamations of various emotions. Hell, there was even some weapons development happening on the other side of the room. 

 

Between the noise and his own focus, Evan didn’t notice until a hand poked his shoulder twice that someone was trying to get his attention. 

 

“Oh, for god’s sake what is it now?!” he shouted while whipping his head around to see who was bugging him this time. The sight made his heart sink and his demeanor change immediately, the poor victim of his fit was Angelina who looked like she could burst into tears. 

 

“Angelina? I’m so sorry!”

 

“I-....” the vulpo girl started before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “You’re fine, you clearly have a lot on your plate. I’m just here to deliver some letters, and you just so happen to have one.”

 

Just one? He couldn’t hide his surprise at that after all the noise flooding his virtual inbox. The teenager dug her hand into her bag and produced an envelope with a stamp bearing Lungmen’s seal and a small sticker with another, different seal holding it shut. The information gave a return address of sorts, but he wasn’t familiar with the residence.

 

That assumption ended when he opened it and pulled out the paper, unfolding it to reveal the actual letter itself. 

 

Evan,

 

I finally got word back from Columbia regarding our fender. Turns out, the CCTV footage proved the case and the warranty went into full effect. All that was left were the transportation fees, but it certainly cost far less than I was anticipating. I’ve also taken the liberty of using your unpaid hours working for me to repair your own car. The mechanics sure are having a difficult time with it, but I’ll be sending it to Rhodes Island along with what else was in it once they’ve finished. Just make sure to write from time to time, and I’ll consider it paid.

 

Beatrice Swire

 

“I guess I owe her a favor at least,” Evan muttered to himself before folding up the letter and setting it aside before going back to work. 

 

“Who was it from?” Angelina asked curiously. 

 

“It was from Swire, she’s repairing my car for me, and all she wants in return is a penpal.”

 

“You have a car?” Angelina asked with a trace of surprise in her voice which caused Closure to turn her head.

 

“Yeah, runs off of a combustion engine, which is what’s leading to this massive pile of work. That and an acid battery. Funny enough, I guess it’s a good thing I made those two technologies since it would make car repairs go smoothly.”

 

“Hold up,” Closure inserted before he could say more. “You’re telling me, that you own a car that runs off those two things?”

 

“Of course. They feed on each other, the battery starts the car, and the car engine charges the battery. A vehicle engine would run off of the kinetic energy of the pistons. Mine’s a hybrid though, so it runs off of battery and engine when it can. Incredibly fuel efficient that way.”

 

At this point, Closure started hyperventilating and drooling at the thought of getting to see the machine and possibly recreate it. 

 

“D-Does this normally happen?” Angelina whispered to Evan as they watched the Head of Engineering nearly foam at the mouth in excitement. 

 

“This is the first time I’m seeing it…” Evan whispered back. Thankfully, Closure managed to get a hold on herself and start calming down. After that, she turned her head and grabbed Evan’s shoulders.

 

“When will it be here?”

 

“I don’t know...apparently it’s still receiving maintenance, so no indication was given.”

 

“You’re going to write Swire back right now and have that thing delivered pronto! We can’t risk anyone learning how that thing works, otherwise we won’t have a monopoly!”

 

“You’re so damn greedy!” the intern exclaimed as he shoved his boss off of him. Closure landed on her rear and Angelina covered her mouth as her eyes widened and she took a couple steps back. 

 

“Owieee...you didn’t have to shove me like that,” Closure whined as she rubbed her rear and straightened up, seemingly unharmed. “That’s an order though, that car will be delivered here and I’ll work on it personally.”

 

Her only response from the intern was a defeated sigh as Evan turned around and opened another message. Angelina then left with a pleasant good-bye which was returned by both of them. Closure’s PDA, or smartphone as Evan called it, rang and she began to go paler at the sight of the caller. With a meek glance at the busybody, she snuck away and answered it.

 

“H-Hello?”

 

“You and Evan Carvey are to report to the first floor Control Room office immediately,” Kal’tsit’s voice deadpanned from the other side. Before anything else happened, the lynx hung up and Closure turned around to Evan, cautiously pondering what was about to happen. 

 

---

 

If it weren’t for Closure’s clearly shaken demeanor, Evan would have considered a visit with Kal’tsit a completely normal thing. She usually saw him every week to measure his vitals and study him, and it didn’t make him feel uneasy. The fact, however, that his boss was a nervous wreck who looked like she could suffer a nervous breakdown any moment had him thinking otherwise. 

 

The two walked through a massive room called the Control Center which had huge monitors and a large control panel along with a view outside. After walking down another hallway, they came to a large, unmarked door which Closure opened and peaked her head into. She opened it all the way and walked in. Evan followed suit.

 

“Welcome, come in,” a cheerful voice called. The source of it was a very young looking girl with tall ears poking out of her head. Without hesitation she walked up and extended her hand while looking up to Evan. She was a whole foot shorter than he was. “My name is Amiya, and I’m the Head Executive of Rhodes Island.”

 

“What the hell? This kid is the CEO?” Evan briefly thought as he looked at the young girl who looked younger than sixteen in front of him. He extended his hand to grasp her own hand then noticed an Oripathy crack on her hand and arm along with five identical rings, one on each finger. “Nice to meet you too.”

As soon as Amiya shook his hand, she immediately let go and took a couple steps back, looking at Evan and giving a beaming smile. She then turned around and walked towards a desk which she sat down at. She beckoned to the two chairs in front of it and invited, “Please, have a seat.”

 

Evan just casually walked to the chair while Closure struggled to keep her legs from shaking. He noticed that two people were on either side of the desk. On the right was Kal’tsit while a mysterious person in full black and a visor that seemed to go to the abyss was on Amiya’s right. Noticing Evan’s gaze, Amiya introduced the mystery man. 

 

“This is Dokuta-” she stopped and stuttered madly to correct herself before taking a deep breath.  “I-I mean, this is Doctor Frewgar, but everyone just calls him Doctor.”

 

The one known as Doctor nodded, then Amiya continued. 

 

“Apologies for that, he’s a dear friend and my mentor alongside Doctor Kal’tsit. I called him Dokutah when I was much smaller, and haven’t corrected it since,” Amiya explained with a small blush. “He’s in charge of Combat Operators and Field Operations, but these days he’s mostly our respected Neurologist.”

 

Evan turned his sight to Closure who was fiddling nervously, then looked back to Amiya who began talking again.

 

“This morning, we received word from Columbian Auto alongside Rhine Lab about a vehicle supposedly belonging to you. Doctor Kal’tsit hadn’t notified Dokutah or I about you or your unique situation, so it caught us by surprise. It was also brought to our attention that you have created two very unique devices never before seen on Terra. After reviewing this information, we came to a decision to send the two of you to Columbia to negotiate with Rhine Lab and Columbian Auto.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa ,” Closure started waving her hands to signify Amiya to stop. “The devices are still in their prototype stage, so what exactly are we negotiating? If possible, maybe we could hold out a little bit longer, see what these can really do before we rush in and possibly lose our only foothold in the global machine market.” 

 

“On the contrary,” a new male voice sounded from Amiya’s right. Eyes turned to the enigmatic Doctor. “When we started expanding in the security and mercenary market occupied by Blacksteel, we found rapid success by working together. If we hadn’t taken that deal, we wouldn’t have an exclusive partnership with them, we’ve been able to participate in new missions jointly. Blacksteel may have otherwise hired its own experts in Oripathy and Originium. Now, consider this, if we send these new devices into the market without a cooperative partner, who’s going to stop them from reverse engineering the devices and overtaking us anyways?”

 

Closure raised a finger and opened her mouth for a retort, but then she stopped and reversed her action. She then crossed her arms and pouted like a child, earning a small giggle from Amiya which then made the vampire engineer flush a little red. 

 

“Evan,” the Doctor spoke, earning the engineering intern’s gaze. “What do you have to say about this?”

 

“Well…” he muttered in response, trying to collect his thoughts. The Doctor was pretty much on the money, and it would be very reasonable too. Rhine Lab and others likely had the reputation and resources to back up the project substantially. If it worked as intended, Closure would make a killing much longer than she otherwise could. There was also the consideration of his previous world’s knowledge about the Scientific Process and Monopolies. When that came to mind, he had his answer. 

 

“I think the Doctor is correct. I also have my own thoughts to give, if we want to further technology on Terra, that will require cooperation anyways. Sharing knowledge and resources always furthers progress according to my knowledge.”

 

“So I take it you would be fine with taking on this task?”

 

“Yes, Doctor, I’m perfectly fine with this arrangement.” 

 

“Then it’s settled!” Amiya gleefully declared with a clap of her hand. “We’ll make arrangements for your travel. You’ll be notified of the specifics at a later date, and I hope for good things from this visit.”

 

In response, Closure turned her head and gave a quick ‘tch’ which earned a harsh glare from Kal’tsit. 

 

“You’re dismissed, Closure,” Kal’tsit deadpanned. Without a word, the slob got up and pulled her eyelid down and stuck her tongue out to Kal’tsit on the way out, still clearly miffed she didn’t get things her way. Once the door slammed shut, Evan returned his attention to the three. Now that he was the only one in the room, he felt rather claustrophobic for some reason. No one spoke, and Amiya, the only one whose face he could read, had an expression of some form of worry along with a meek smile. 

 

“Am I in trouble for something?” 

 

“Ah, no, not at all,” Amiya tried to ease his worries. “Dokutah and I were just curious as to what kind of person you are. Rhodes Island has never yet had someone from another world on its team.”

 

That was rather curious, around him Evan had seen the signs of people from his world. If he was truly the first one of his world to be an employee of Rhodes Island, he had to wonder what usually became of those like him. Saria had described that her mentor modernized chemistry on Terra by introducing units of measurement he could only guess as the Mole. Being able to tell how much of a substance one had was indeed crucial to chemistry, and using moles meant one could count the individual atoms or molecules of a substance based on its mass and chemical formula. Then there was the Dewey Decimal system which allowed libraries to sort books efficiently. Both had clear origins in his world, but the origins on Terra were muddied and shrouded in speculation. 

 

“Do you know anything about people from other worlds?”

 

“No, there are legends and myths, but nothing substantial to suggest this is by means a repeating occurrence. As far as we know, you’re the first proven case,” Amiya responded. She then switched to a smile and continued to speak. “I am very hopeful though, I can tell you’re a good person and proper use of your knowledge could very much further our fight against Oripathy. I wish you the best of luck with Miss Closure as well as the negotiations with Rhine Lab.”

 

With that sign, Evan thanked the shining little CEO and made his leave. Seriously, was this the typical anime trope of adults with children-like bodies or was Amiya an actual child? He really couldn’t tell. Whatever the case, she was surprisingly sweet and kind compared to Kal’tsit. Then that Doctor, he couldn’t pin it, but something about the neurologist was ominous, not to mention the strangeness of his profession if what Silence mentioned was true. 

 

Whatever the case, he was more than happy to work in engineering right now. As for the immediate present, Closure was still upset when he returned to his work station, facing away from his chair with her arms crossed. 

 

“If you’re going to act like this, I’m not doing your procurement paperwork today,” Evan commented as he dropped a fat stack of paper onto Closure’s nearby desk. Closure turned to him with a harsh glare then stuck her tongue out and buzzed it at him like a little kid, but she took the papers anyway. Evan rolled his eyes and returned to his own work. On what he knew as emails, Evan noticed an odd message that could easily be an excuse to get away from the wallet sucking vampire who stunk of machine oil. 

 

“I got a request from someone, I’m heading over to Workshop 21.”

 

Closure didn’t say anything, and he sure didn’t want her to, and this was becoming a new norm very quickly. Since the engineers were starting to work with things only he was remotely an expert in, things have gotten hectic. Maybe he should just ask the robot-speaking owl to make copies of some specific parts of his books.  

 

Upon arrival to the workshop, a sign outside said, “WARNING: Large EM Fluctuations, do not bring electronics.” Outside was a drawer that was hard to pull out, and inside was some stuff. Evan put his watch, phone, and wallet inside. After that, he opened the door. Inside, a girl in blue and black clothing with a hood pulled over her head, a lollipop in her mouth, and tools in her hand was at the table in a chair rather than standing up. The table itself had an array of electronic devices on it alongside some incredibly well-sealed samples Evan had come to recognize as Originite, a very pure form of the McGuffin rock. 

 

Upon his entry, the girl turned her head to him and hummed a greeting with her hands busy and a piece of candy in her mouth. She then turned her attention back to her item and finished up whatever she was doing. That was when she pulled out the lollipop with one hand and turned her chair over to face him. 

 

“Are you Evan?” she asked simply with a neutral expression. 

 

“I am, did you call me here for assistance?” Evan asked. 

 

The girl nodded with a small hum of affirmation then turned back to the odd device she had on the table. 

 

“They say you’re incredibly good with electrical properties. This device uses fluctuations of an EM field to disable enemy drones and can even function as an arts staff.”

 

Looking at it, it was an odd device. The innards were unlike anything he had seen so far, and some large power cells with warning signs on them were seen, the warning was for potent and infectious originium. There was some circuitry he recognized, such as wave generators, antennas, and capacitor banks. Near the dangerous power cell, a large device sat.

 

“What’s this large device that draws large amounts of energy from the original source?”

 

“A device I made myself, it releases a large EMP, but can only be used once every so often. It also damages all electronics within a certain radius.”

 

“Well, a large enough EMP will knock out electronics due to how delicate they can be. Frying components and interrupting current flow. Is the smaller one with antennas and capacitors more targeted?,” Evan commented as he studied the device. When he turned back to the girl in her chair, she was staring at him quite intently. This staring contest continued for several moments before she finally replied.

 

“You’re the first person capable of understanding how my weapon works.” A long pause again as her eyes glanced between Evan and her device. “Do you have any recommendations to improve it? It would be nice if I could control the damage it does to ally electronics.”

 

“Beyond shooting microwaves with a high amplitude, not much else. Though it seems like you do have an HPM device here, just unfocused.”

 

“What do you mean by unfocused?”

 

“Because the smaller scale one here,” Evan said as he pointed to the antenna and capacitor banks that made a majority of the weapon’s electrical circuitry, “doesn’t have a focused high-gain antenna. If you installed one specifically to shoot the microwaves at the same frequency, you could make it so the waves shoot in one specific direction.”

 

“I see...I’ll try that. I’ll call you when I’m ready to test this idea out. Can I do the same for the larger EMP device?”

 

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Though, I can get the idea that it’s far different. I don’t think it can, unless it generates the same wavelengths of light.”

 

“Hm...then maybe not, but the ability to aim the other form would help a lot. Thank you.”

 

“What’s your name by the way?”

 

“Glaucus.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Glaucus.”

Chapter 12: Roadtrip

In a darkened lab-office hybrid, a lone figure of pure white sat in the darkness, illuminated by the light near her microscope. A box of vials sat near, and she carefully watched a sample of blood under the microscope. Handwritten notes on the vials said things like, uncontaminated, contaminated inactive, contaminated active, mixed non-infected, mixed infected, and so on. The box itself had been broken open by force with the broken latch a clear sign of the person’s tampering with it. 

 

Several ‘uncontaminated’ vials sat opened and on their side, fully drained. The white woman took another one and popped it open, pulling it to her mouth and downing it in one go. A red streak of blood flowed down her chin and she shuttered in ecstasy. She then returned her gaze to the microscope and continued her observations. 

 

“Amazing…” she said to herself as her red eyes stared down the microscope. “This is truly remarkable! What is Kal’tsit thinking, keeping this away from me?” 

 

Notes were hastily jotted down, and a knock on the door which had its curtains drawn and an absent sign on the glass. The white figure froze and stared intently at the door for several heart pounding moments. The door handle began being fidgeted with, and she started moving the vials back into place rapidly. The knocking continued.

 

“Shit, shit, SHIT,” the woman screamed in her mind as she hastily tried to clean up her mess quietly. The deadlock clicked to signify its unlocking, and the handle turned again. She held her breath and leaned back in her chair, staring wide-eyed with fear. Luckily, the chain-lock stopped. Her light was off, and she could feel a gaze scanning the corners it could see, checking for a sign of habitance.

 

The door then shut, and footsteps were heard. The white woman let her breath out and relaxed some. 

 

A loud bang sounded, and the woman turned around just in time to see black, green-tinted spikes pierce her door with ease. Metallic creaking and snapping sounded as the door was ripped from its hinges and thrown to the other side of the room. The mystery woman in the dark peaked up from her chair’s backrest to see an elongated flying creature made of black crystal-like material stand at the door. Soon after, another familiar figure walked in.

 

“O-oh h-hey boss…” she meekly muttered. The figure of Kal’tsit was blinded by the light from the hallway behind her, and even the unfortunate medic knew she was absolutely screwed. “W-What brings you to my office?”

 

Kal’tsit merely crossed her arms. 

 

“Look, whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it!” she yelled, bumping the table and leaving an empty vial to roll off and shatter. She looked back to Kal’tsit who was still staring at her, menacingly . An awkward smile born of fear donned her face as Kal’tsit inhaled sharply and quickly.

 

“Mon3ter, restrain her.”

 

The spine dragon named Mon3ter growled happily and charged at the woman who had stolen the lynx’s blood samples. A scream of bloody murder sounded from the office/lab along with several sounds of struggle which were slowly muffled out over time.

 

---

 

Like any week, Evan was sitting in Kal’tsit’s office, going over his vitals as she continued to ask questions about his health and other such experiences. Currently, she was reviewing the clipboard containing his medical files on paper, staring at them with her cold gaze. 

 

Today’s tests were especially thorough since he would be traveling to Columbia soon. Hell, his arm was going to be sore for a couple of days since a good chunk of this clinic visit was getting vaccinations pumped into his arm. 

 

“Personally, I’m against the idea of sending you to Columbia,” Kal’tsit started out of nowhere after she licked her finger to separate a sheet. “I respect the wishes of Amiya, and even The Doctor, so I will leave with some advice. Under no circumstances should you so much as hint at being from another world or anywhere outside Terra. If you do so, you will put your safety at risk.”

 

“How ominous,” a sarcastic quip escaped Evan’s lips. It was quiet, but Kal’tsit’s sensitive ears twitched and her eyes rolled up to bore into him. “Sorry, that was inappropriate…”

 

“No, not at all. It would be unwise to ignore that advice, however, if you consider Ifrit’s state of being. Rhine Lab is not kind to its test subjects in certain, unique, cases. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about though. You will not only be traveling with combat operators, but you will also be joined by Saria in the negotiations.”

 

Kal’tsit placed the clipboard down then walked to the medical cart she had Ansel bring into the office. 

 

“For now, I need more blood samples. I want to see how your vitals compare before and after your trip. Apologies, but it will be a little more than usual.” 

 

After getting more of his circulatory fluid drained into small glass tubes, the visit was practically over. 

 

“Please feel free to ignore any strange sounds or sights you might hear from Doctor Warfarin’s Office.”

 

“Alright, see you when I get back,” he replied. That last sentence was strange though, and it made him mildly curious. Especially since he heard a loud thump from the room he was told to ignore. He shrugged and continued walking on, unaware of the fact that a very pale vampire was bound and gagged to a chair that had just fallen over. 

 

Due to a fair volume of blood being drawn, he decided a visit to the cafeteria was in order. The last thing he wanted was to worsen his chances of getting anemia. Nothing of note happened, other than catching a glimpse of a group looking like they were going to vomit with one lone purple-haired girl with a staff looking incredibly confused at the sight. Nobody visited him, and he didn’t see anybody he might have known. It wasn’t anything other than expected since he had the day off to prepare for a roadtrip to Columbia. Everyone else was probably working.

 

That didn’t mean he had nothing to do, however, since it turned out planning a roadtrip on Terra was a lot more complicated. Since one could be driving for a few days through uninhabited wasteland to get to a city that was capable of moving, an entire team usually spent an entire day planning before they left. Saria had sent the details of where to go and what to do, so all he had to do now was show up. 

 

Walking to the area, he rounded a T intersection to get blindsided from behind. Stumbling forward, he had heard a lot of crashing behind him and turned around to see a catgirl with dark steely bluish hair with red dyed tips on her rear with tears starting to roll down her eyes. She swiftly got up and began bowing furiously.

 

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t see where I was going, and….um….,” she erratically stammered. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a wallet which she pulled out a wad of cash from and held it out. ”T-Take this, please forgive me!”

 

Just by eyeballing the cash, it was a sizably thick wad of rather large value LMD bills. How the hell had she fit that cash into her wallet? 

 

“I don’t want to take that much money. I’ll just help you pick up,” Evan declined while working on stacking some boxes. 

 

“B-B-B-But-”

 

“No buts, it’s not a big deal. I should have looked over the corner as well, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“T-Thank you very much...I don’t deserve this...” the nervous cat thanked as she walked over, waiting for the last of the boxes to be stacked. 

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“M-M-My n-n-n-name? You want to know my name?” the catgirl asked, flushing somewhat while trying to look anywhere else. “My name is J-Jessica, I’m a Blacksteel Worldwide intern here at Rhodes Island as part of a training exchange program.”

 

As far as Evan remembered, Blacksteel was a Security company of sorts from what Doctor Frewgar said. Looking at the cat, he noticed she had a pistol at her waist. Oddly enough, this was his first time seeing a gun on Terra. He decided to shrug it off, maybe the LGD just didn’t use them or something? Regardless, she gave her name, he ought to give his.

 

“I’m Evan Carvey, Closure’s intern.”

 

Jessica suddenly stiffened and looked at him with wide eyes and very high eyebrows. 

 

“Y-You’re Evan? I-I’m actually part of your security detail. Oh, I’m so sorry for bumping into you.”

 

He was starting to feel bad now, her incessant apologizing was really starting to get to him. With half her boxes, he turned around and made his way down the hallway. 

 

“Well, let’s not keep Saria waiting.”

 

“Oh, y-yes, let’s go!” Jessica panicked before trotting up to his side. 

 

Thankfully, the garage wasn’t much farther away, and some others were there. Of course, the only person Evan recognized was Saria, but the others were all new to him.  In total, not including him, there were six people in the area.

 

There was a large jeep with an open trunk with supplies loaded into it, and Jessica moved to put her boxes and containers in. Once they were in, a brown-haired vulpo girl hugged Jessica from behind with a wide smile and eyes narrowed from the upturned lips. Jessica gave a brief ‘eep’ before visibly calming down then blushing. The vulpo girl giggled and didn’t let go.

 

“It’s been a while since we’ve gone on a mission together, hasn’t it, J e s s i c a,” the vulpo woman teased. 

 

“Franka, please don’t bother Jessica while she’s working. Honestly,” a woman with blue horns and a blue tail that glowed ever so slightly chastised. 

 

Franka looked back to her partner and said, “Oh, I’m just having a little fun. Jessica’s so adorable, is she not?” Franka replied while ruffling the feline’s hair. “You can be such a stick in the mud sometimes, Liskarm.”

 

Liskarm crossed her arms and gave a loud ‘hmph’ to show her disapproval to Franka. The vulpo relented and let go of Jessica who let out a sigh of relief to being released from her co-worker’s clutches. 

 

“And you must be Evan,” Franka’s smooth voice oozed. “My name is Franka, Blacksteel Operator. If there’s anything you need, just let me know~.”

 

The last sentence came out as she leaned forward and grinned suggestively at him. Evan felt his face warm up and he tried to look away, but she was yanked back by Liskarm. 

 

“Franka, can you hold yourself back just a little bit for once?” 

 

“Oh, you’re no fun, I was just teasing him a little. Are you upset I’m not giving you enough attention?” Franka asked that last sentence with a very suggestive smirk and a pur. Liskarm closed her eyes and threw the vulpo off to the side. Franka herself didn’t seem to give much rebuttal. She was giggling to herself in fact, and that’s when Liskarm took a sharp breath.

 

“Apologies for my partner. My name is Liskarm, Blacksteel Operator and partner of Franka. We will be responsible for your safe transportation to Columbia alongside the other operators.”

 

“Nice to meet you both. My name is Evan,” the intern greeted while holding out his hand. Liskarm took it and she gave a firm shake. In fact, she overpowered his grip and movement entirely without so much as a move of her shoulder. If it weren't for the fact the riot shield gave away her role as a combatant, he would have just as well assumed she was normal. 

 

After Liskarm and Franka introduced themselves, there was still two others he didn’t know. One was a petite, short girl with long red hair with a spear strapped to her back as well as a guitar case slung over her shoulders. The other had purple hair and bull-like horns with a tremendously massive sword on her with a rack to match it seemed. She seemed to be holding the makeshift packaging that held the engine he was going to use as a presentation.

 

“Who are you two?”

 

“I’m Vigna,” the redhead cheerfully stated. “Band enthusiast and guitarist. I may be Sarkaz, but I’ve spent most of my life in Columbia. I also know the best places for karaoke and music.”

 

Once Vigna’s introduction was done, the bull girl followed in with her own. 

 

“Sideroca, Minos mercenary. I’m most experienced in bodyguarding and transport missions. I’ll make sure we get to the meeting and back with minimal issues.”

 

“Great to meet you both.”

 

---

 

“I can’t help but think this is an excuse.”

 

“I told you, the lower systems need maintenance. I’ve got my hands tied fixing up systems I put in place.”

 

“You’re doing this to spite me, I know it.”

 

“Noooo, why would I ever do that?” Closure asked sarcastically. “What, you think I engineered a catastrophic hydraulics failure so I wouldn’t have to go to Columbia?”

 

“So that explains the recent inputs on your computer.”

 

“What, how did you-?! Ok, just don’t tell Kal’tsit...or Amiya...or anyone for that matter. Pretty please?”

 

“I see why Ptilopsis blackmailed you, and you’re terrible at lying.”

 

“Still how did you get into my program, much less look at the inputs?”

 

“You just told me, you greedy vampire.”

 

“You don’t play fair,” Closure pouted. “Besides, this will be a valuable learning experience for you.”

 

“Quit throwing me into the lion pit!”

 

“Oh quit being such a baby! You have Saria, and Liskarm, and Jessica! You’re not lacking in people who know what they’re doing in negotiations.”

 

“I really can’t wait until I graduate from being your intern.”

 

“Then who’s going to make me coffee?” 

 

Evan pinched his nose and walked out, resigning to his defeat with Closure grinning in victory. That was until the intercom beeped and Amiya’s voice sang through. 

 

“Miss Closure, please report to the Control Center immediately . If you aren’t here in the next ten minutes, we’re automatically cutting all your funding for the next month.”

 

The screaming was music to Evan’s ears after walking out. The sound of a desperate vampire running like a maniac while swearing brought a smile back to his face. At least he wouldn’t be starting today’s roadtrip bitter. 

 

It was still odd to think, only about a month in Rhodes Island and he was already setting out on a business venture. While from a certain standpoint, he could say he got along well with Closure, she really got on his nerves sometimes. She even had this weird concoction called a ‘sanity potion’ which she gave him when he was exhausted. Upon reading the thing, it was basically this world’s version of caffeine pills, Five Hour Energy, or Monster. The only difference seemed to be it also used spices like mustard extract. He refused to take it and went to rest properly instead of breaking his soul for a vampire boss who was just plain lazy at times. That certainly hadn’t helped his view of her when he caught her catnapping when she got tired. 

 

With only his backpack left carrying the things that would keep him entertained and informed, Evan entered the garage to find everyone else already waiting. None seemed too surprised about Closure not joining them, and the decision to start the journey was unanimously agreed on. Within an hour of their first trek through the barren wastelands, Jessica had fallen asleep and slumped onto Liskarm’s shoulder, Vigna was almost silently jamming out to tunes only she could hear, Sideroca’s eyes were glued on the horizon, watching out for any signs of danger, and Franka was taking pictures of her fellow Blacksteel operators. 

 

Evan was currently in the passenger’s seat next to Saria, and he was reading a book. It was just a novel he never really got around to before, and was hoping his time on the plane would be filled by it. It did come in handy though, as he silently read the book. Having a quiet car ride wasn’t too unpleasant.

 

His bad luck with whatever being ruled Terra’s karma proved to despise him once again as Vigna’s humming began picking up and she was practically bouncing in her seat, playing an imaginary guitar. At first he thought nothing of it until she started tapping her feet rapidly.

 

“Yeah, whoo!” Vigna shouted. 

 

“Awawawawawaaaa!” Jessica stammered as she forced her head up and reached for her pistol, saliva from her drool flying off of her face. She wiped it after she had determined nothing was a threat. 

 

“Well look at that, looks like you got a little drool on you, let’s clean that up~” Franka cooed as she pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed Liskarm where Jessica had drooled, making the seemingly straightlaced Vouivre blush a little due to where Franka was wiping.

 

It didn’t take long for Vigna to realize what she had done when she opened her eyes and all gazes fell on her. Her face flushed red and she looked down, fidgeting with her tail. 

 

“Sorry about that. I got a little excited…” When no one responded, she pulled up her ‘smartphone’ and said, “I’ll pick something a little calmer.”

 

“We’re...ok...there’s nothing bad happening?” Jessica asked as though she was about to cry. 

 

“Besides the interruption of your adorable sleeping face, nothing really,” Franka cooed as she showed Jessica the photos she took. 

 

“Muuuuuu…” the mercenary cat moaned as she buried her head into her hands. “How embarrassing…”

 

Liskarm just sighed and turned her gaze back out the window after rolling her eyes at her partner. 

 

“I’m really sorry Jessica, I didn’t know you were napping,” Vigna apologized. 

 

“It’s fine...the sun felt so good, and…” Jessica struggled to form proper sentences while the parts of her face not covered deepened further towards crimson. 

 

For some reason, Evan felt his lips curl up as a warm feeling set in his chest. 

 

The next interruption came in the form of a low rumbling growl that was telltale of a stomach begging for food. When Evan looked to the source, he saw Sideroca holding her stomach with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. Almost as if on cue, the jeep began to slow to a stop. 

 

“It’s about time we have lunch. Everyone out, stretch your legs if you need to,” Saria ordered, putting the vehicle into park and opening the door. After she did so, she walked around back and opened the trunk. Everyone else eagerly left the vehicle and began stretching, relieved to finally have blood flowing through their legs again. Sideroca on the other hand started doing an entire stretching routine that lasted all the way until the food containers and coolers were opened. 

 

During this break time, and with barely a cloud in the sky, Evan used the opportunity to charge a device with the solar panel on his backpack.

 

“What is this?” Liskarm asked as she leaned in to look at the alien device. “Is it generating electricity?” 

 

“Yeah, it’s a solar panel. It turns sunlight into electrical current. Well, it can just turn light in general into electrical current, but it’s designed to be in the open sun. The stinking thing can only charge at half the rate of a home outlet in full sun though.”

 

“That’s amazing, wouldn’t it mean you don’t need to haul originium dynamos when setting up a stage or something?” Vigna asked, drawn to the conversation. 

 

“Oh they can be surprisingly cheap to produce, but they are only limited by sunlight availability. If you don’t have enough light, you won’t get sufficient energy.”

 

“How does it convert sunlight into energy?” Liskarm inquired.

 

“Well…” Evan droned, trying to gather his thoughts. “I mean, it requires some understanding of Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Theory…but to simplify it, light can bump little particles called electrons, making them move. Moving electrons is what makes electrical current, so if you have enough light particles bumping into material you can push enough electrons around to make current flow.”

 

“Do you know what he’s talking about?” Franka asked Saria out loud. 

 

“Barely,” the white-haired vouivre responded. “If I’m not mistaken, my mentor said something about electrons being responsible for all chemical bonds. No one took him seriously on that, but you seem to know about it.”

 

“He’s right about electrons. Electrons are responsible for just about every chemical bond in nature. If you control the electromagnetic forces between atoms, you control their bonds.”

 

“Where did you learn all this?” Liskarm asked with a raised eyebrow. Suddenly, Evan felt very claustrophobic as he noticed almost everyone’s attention was on him and him alone. He also remembered what Kal’tsit said about Rhine Lab finding out he wasn’t a denizen of Terra.

 

“For this mission, the fewer who know, the better. Perhaps we should talk about something else,” Saria chimed to bring focus away from Evan’s origins. 

 

“Oh, I have a story. One time back in BSW, Liskarm was in the changing rooms-”

 

“Franka!” 

 

“Oopsie~” Franka deflected while looking away innocently. 

 

“Maybe...we should get going…” Jessica suggested. 

 

“Oh, I want to drive,” Franka eagerly volunteered. 

 

“No, you may not drive, we have cargo on board.”

 

“Then let me sit next to you?” Franka asked Liskarm with a devious grin and a wink.

 

“You sit in the back, away from me.”

 

“Oh, you just suck,” the vulpo woman complained while crossing her arms and pouting. This earned a very heavy groan of frustration from Liskarm at which Franka gave a soft giggle under her breath.

 

“I call shotgun!” Vigna declared. 

 

Once they were all loaded back up, the afternoon ride had the jeep filled with tunes from Vigna’s playlist and Evan found himself dosing off watching the landscape pass by. When his eyes next opened, the blue sky had shifted to a fiery orange and shadows stretched for miles across the wasteland. The reason for his waking up became clear as he felt his own inertia shift back to rest. Looking around, there was a large sheltering rock formation that Liskarm had parked next to, and the jeep was turned off. 

 

“Is this a good spot Miss Saria?” Liskarm asked the squad leader. 

 

“Yes, let’s set up camp.”

 

A journey through the vast empty wastelands most nomadic cities roamed required all necessary materials for not just spending a day in the car, but setting up a place to sleep out in the middle of nowhere. They had packed some wood, but only enough for one fire, and tents were also in the back. A total of five tents were erected around the firepit, one incredibly larger since it would be shared by the three Blacksteel operators. 

 

Dinner itself was rather pleasant, with the seven of them sharing conversations and stories or listening to Vigna play songs on her guitar. Granted, bickering between Franka and Liskarm seemed to always be a constant even though they would be sharing a tent. When the time came, however, not a peep was heard from the Blacksteel tent for the entire night. 

Chapter 13: Burgers and Ale

For someone who lived in rural cities for his entire life, Evan had only been camping once. Just like last time, he ended up arising incredibly early with going back to sleep an impossibility. The only two differences was that he was in a desert wasteland instead of woods and he wasn’t the first camper up. The honor of earliest riser went to Sideroca who was currently doing a calisthenics routine a little ways away from camp. Currently she was doing squats with a random boulder that seemed to be twice her size. 

 

He had to admit, that was impressive. Since she didn’t have her jacket on, he could see just how much work this girl put into her body. Toned, lean, muscles lined her arms with scar tissue, and the legs were similar. Somehow the legs still had a layer of smooth fat around them, but it was clear from her lifting many times her bodyweight that those legs could crush his skull into dust.

 

“The fuck am I thinking?” Evan asked himself. Immediately after he stopped his train of thought from going that direction. A heavy thud rumbled the air and ground around him. 

 

“Good Morning, Evan,” Sideroca greeted with the boulder now behind her. She then walked over to where a towel hung from the jeep and began wiping off her sweat. Her gaze went to the horizon for a moment before adding, “You’re up early.”

 

“Yeah, I’m an early riser by nature,” he commented while giving some good stretches. 

 

“Do you train in the morning?”

 

“If by train you mean, prepare myself for combat, no. Maybe I’ll exercise, but not much beyond half to an hour of using exercise equipment.”

 

“Have you ever thought of expanding your exercise regime?”

 

“Yes, I’ve thought of doing resistance as well, but I’ve never had or given myself the time to build muscle.”

 

“If you ever want, you may ask me for assistance in training your body.”

 

“Thank you for the offer, I’ll keep it in mind,” Evan thanked. Sideroca’s tail briefly swung side to side once, and she smiled.

 

“No problem, I’m happy to help if you ever need it.”

 

After that, a noise came from the direction of camp in the form of a familiar voice.

 

“My oh my~, what are you two doing up so early together?” Franka insinuated. Almost immediately after, two hands appeared on either side of her head and made a two-finger point and jammed them in both her fluffy ears. 

 

“ AAAAAAAAAH ”

 

Franka’s ungraceful scream woke the rest of the camp up rapidly, Saria and Vigna bursting from their tents with weapons in hand, and a surprised ‘eep’ was barely heard from the Blacksteel tent. 

 

“Liskarm, what was that for?!”

 

“Stop harassing our coworkers, honestly. Must I say it every time?”

 

“You never seem to mind when you’re getting teased,” Franka smirked as she let that out, and Liskarm looked nervously away and coughed into her hand. She glared at her partner, but both were lifted up off the ground by the collars of their shirts.

 

“Would you two mind explaining why you woke the rest of us up at this hour?” Saria’s voice harshly questioned with a great tinge of annoyance dripping from the words. 

 

---

 

Evan felt bad for Jessica, she was sitting between the two like a bystander as they looked out either window. With the mischievous vulpo behind him and the punk rock sarkaz to his side, he felt the car ride was going to be long. 

 

Suddenly, after turning his head back to its original position, Evan was met with an earbud being handed to him. The owner of the earbud looked at him expectantly. Internally shrugging, Evan took it and took the opportunity to see what Terra’s rock music was like. 

 

Surprisingly, just like his own world, which wasn’t too surprising at this point. Vigna seemed to listen to more of an upbeat punk style or something of the like to his ear. No, he wasn’t an expert on rock, but it was interesting to have an ear developed by having a couple musicians for parents. Granted both were classically trained, his mother’s ear was not discriminatory compared to his father’s. 

 

After a while of silent riding, Franka asked him a question. 

 

“So, where are you from?” Evan took some time to think about it, but the Vulpo didn’t give him a chance to cover his trails. “You have a face like a Victorian or Leithanian, but you don’t match the description of any common race living in those regions. Not to mention, your knowledge seems leaps and bounds above what the whole of Terra knows.”

 

Evan turned to Liskarm for help, but the vouivre was fast asleep, leaning against the window. How much had this damn vulpo thought of?

 

“She is quite adorable when asleep, but pay attention to me please. You’ve struck my curiosity, and I wonder about Miss Saria, hmmm?” 

 

Evan glanced over to Saria and noticed her gaze shift back to the road for a brief second. 

 

“Don’t worry, whatever secrets you have, they’re safe with us. That, I can assure you, I never tell a man’s secrets after all~”.

 

Defeated, Evan sighed and looked up, gathering some sliver of courage to wash the pressure away. Franka had him cornered, even he admitted to this. If she could stop teasing him, he could be more level headed.

 

“I come from another world, one without Originium or strange animalistic features on humans. Got teleported here without warning, car and all I had with me at the time. It’s incredibly ordinary compared to this world with a magic McGuffin rock with cancer as a side-effect.”

 

The car jolted briefly, waking up Liskarm, and his gaze looked to a wide-eyed Saria who swiftly refocused her attention and continued driving as normal. 

 

“Ooh, how fascinating. It certainly explains why you don’t need originium to generate energy. Say, what are weapons like where you come from then? They must be very fascinating.”

 

“Quite ordinary, and probably underpowered. Melee weapons are all but useless, and most warfare is conducted with firearms and artillery.”

 

Something changed in the atmosphere when he said that. Franka blinked several times, mouth slightly agape, and even Liskarm seemed in awe of what he said. He didn’t think it would be a surprise since Liskarm and Jessica literally had pistols strapped to their waists, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

 

“Oh for the love of-, what unusual thing did I say this time?”

 

“Everything,” Liskarm chimed in. “Firearms on Terra are incredibly rare. Only the Sankta in Laterano get access, and Blacksteel sidearms are a trade secret. Every other form of ranged attack uses crossbows, bows, or other similar forms. Artillery is more common, but it is very dangerous and risky due to the highly volatile originium used in ammunition production. Larger artillery is reserved for nomadic city defense or destroying large creatures. By no means are firearms or artillery normal or ordinary to us.”

 

“Well then, I didn’t know since you and Jessica carry pistols. You say they use originium as well? Wouldn’t that be dangerous? How do you propel it?”

 

“Normally, I would never explain trade secrets to someone outside the company, but it sounds like you could improve upon the weapons or make them yourself. I’ll make an exception,” Liskarm permitted before pulling out her gun and releasing the magazine. She handed a bullet to Evan and he immediately noticed small, circuit-like, etchings of black and red on the bullet. The butt didn’t seem to have an opening or a striking object oddly. 

 

“The bullets are essentially a disposable arts staff, propelled using originium arts. This is accomplished by etching the bullet with originium. The gun is mostly a mechanism to control direction and reload the bullet. Artillery devices are similar, but the ammunition carries more volatile originium on top of being loaded with explosives.”

 

“And let me guess, the explosives are made of originium…” Evan said while staring at the object. 

 

“Yes.”

 

In that moment, he realized something. Oripathy was common because people didn’t seem to care, accidents caused by so much as treating an everyday appliance wrong could lead to someone being infected. It was nuts how much of this dangerous material was adapted for everyday use when it was basically a mega carcinogen. 

 

“No wonder oripathy is such a problem, one little accident with just about any item that uses power, and boom, you have rock cancer. Not to be rude, but you people really need to consider safety and alternatives more, this is madness.”

 

“Yet,” Saria interrupted briefly. Once silence was met with it, she continued. “It remains the only energy source we know. I do understand now why Wernhoff was so concerned with it, he came from your world, didn’t he.”

 

“Well, well, the father of modern chemistry comes from another world,” Franka chimed. “Who would have thought? I always thought he was some brilliant nutjob who avoided originium like the plague.”

 

“He was indeed brilliant no matter how you put it,” Saria commented, returning her focus to the road and her own thoughts.

 

At twilight the group arrived at their target city. Upon entering it, Evan’s eyes were bombarded with an assortment of colors and lights. Ads galor hounded his vision, and the businesses using them were quite varied. After that, the light was replaced with a more gentler one as the car moved its way to the upperclass portions of the city with dimmer more ambient lights which signified things like cafes and hotels over pubs and brand merchandise stores. 

 

One of the hotels, Saria drove right up to, parking the car outside where one of the hotel staff was ready to meet them. Saria and he exchanged pleasantries and she instructed him to show the rest of them their rooms. Afterwards, the team leader got back into the Jeep and drove it off to find a  parking space. 

 

The lobby of the hotel was breathtaking to look at, a long glass panel with water flowing down into a fountain pool which had a skylight above, a waiting area with cushy velvet and silk furniture, and off to the right of the entrance was a high end bar and restaurant which had exquisite crystalline glassware up for display along with selections of vintage wine. 

 

If he could whistle, he would have let one out for how fancy this whole place was. 

 

“If you would please follow me, I will show you to your rooms.”

 

The rooms of the group were located on the fifth floor, so a short elevator ride and a walk saw them to the suite. Yes, they were all sharing a huge suite with a full supply of household amenities and multiple bedrooms. There was also a huge balcony area overlooking what portion of the city they could see. Various exotic plants decorated the area and there was even a bar near the kitchen area. 

 

“Everything has already been paid for by Rhine Lab and Columbian Auto, if you wish to order room service or visit the restaurant, you may use your room cards to identify yourselves as VIPs. If there are no more questions, I hope you enjoy your stay.”

 

After the door shut, everyone looked at each other, somewhat stunned at what had just been said. 

 

“I am so glad I volunteered for this mission,” Vigna squealed like a schoolgirl. “Originally I was just going to do some shopping since the Procurement Department’s been pretty unreliable acquiring good stuff, but this is waaay better than some branch department!” 

 

“You’re still our local guide, don’t forget that,” Liskarm added.

 

“Oh let the little one have fun,” Franka chided, earning a quick and hard glance from Vigna. “I say we go have supper at the restaurant, it is paid for after all.”

 

“Hell yes!” Vigna shouted. 

 

---

 

“To your right!” Grani shouted as a stray bounty hunter began charging. The person warned merely winded up a strike and spun around, not only cutting the hunter clean in half, but sending him a good hundred or so meters away. At that sight, Grani winced and stated the obvious, “Oooh, that’s not pretty…”

 

“Boss is down, retreat!”

 

“Fuck!”

 

“She’s really that powerful?!”

 

“That’s Skadi you dumbass, haven’t you heard the tales?!”

 

The bounty hunters routed like mole crabs, retreating down their path they most certainly boobytrapped along the way. 

 

“Weaklings,” Skadi muttered, swinging her massive sword over her shoulder effortlessly. She then turned to Grani. “Are you injured?”

 

“Nothing beyond that treasure box, so yeah, doing fine. That clears up this area for now. I say we’ve earned a drink.”

 

Skadi hummed in a way Grani now understood as her being uncertain. The Abyssal Hunter was rather antisocial, but somehow Grani had the feeling she longed for company. The other night, she had caught Skadi singing her sorrowful song outside the inn, and she had just sat there and listened. If what Skadi said was true, the poor girl must have a hard time. Grani smiled brightly and grabbed Skadi’s hand, leading the stoic colossus-hunting force of nature to flinch uneasily. 

 

“Come on, let’s go!” 

 

While Grani led her away, Skadi felt her chest tighten up. She grabbed at her heart, feeling something surge that she had long forgotten. The edges of her lips tensed, and she felt herself smile lightly for the first time in years. 

 

Upon arrival at the inn, Grani had Skadi seated and she asked the owner for two pints of ale. When she saw Grani holding out one of the pints with the window behind her giving the appearance of a saint, Skadi didn’t understand what she was supposed to feel. She looked pensively at the mug and gently took it. Well, as gently as her massive strength could afford. In that moment, she reminded herself what happened to everyone else she held close.

 

“Hey, I want to say, thank you so much for helping me clean up Dewville, cheers,” Grani softly celebrated, clinking her mug against Skadi’s as the Abyssal Hunter was considering whether or not to drink. 

 

“You shouldn’t be thanking me. Look at what happened to you.”

 

Grani frowned and leaned forward, nearly placing her petite figure on the whole table. 

 

“You’re still going on about that? No, I will thank you. You helped far more and have more than made up for the trouble you caused. You’ve stuck by my side and helped me drive the bounty hunters out of this region. I think the proper words are thank you, not I forgive you because I’m way, way, waaaaaay, past that point.”

 

She couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the evening light, but she could have sworn Skadi’s face became a little less pale and more red as she looked down and away. Grani giggled and pulled her mug to her lips.

 

Skadi followed, pulling her mug and taking a generous sip of the liquid within her mug.

 

It was bitter, but not unpleasant.

 

---

 

Vigna expanded the entrance into her mouth again and gave a large ‘om’ as she wrapped her lips around as much of the massive burger she could. She closed her eyes and squealed with joy, the happy noise muffled by the sound of the large sandwich currently occupying her mouth. 

 

“My god that was adorable,” Evan thought to himself. Suddenly, he had the feeling he was being looked at and saw Saria looking at him with her stern poker face. He raised his eyebrow and she turned her gaze away. 

 

Saria herself was having a rather expensive looking steak alongside a pint of beer, which clashed with some of the image he had of the proper and mildly spoken former Defense Head of Rhine Lab. Of course, Sideroca’s was similar in terms that it had a high protein and calorie count. Blacksteel was at another table entirely, and Evan was consuming a rather complex dish the chef had prepared. He had a bad feeling about that in particular, what was Rhine Lab trying to accomplish? Sure, his food was tasty, but it left a metaphorical sour taste in his mouth.

 

“Hey, Saria,” Evan called her attention. The large vouivre obliged his call and he continued. “Should I be worried about Rhine Lab? Does any of this seem suspicious to you?”

 

“Maybe, it wouldn’t be unlike them to try and butter up someone they want for themselves. It’s a pretty classic strategy among the other department heads. On the other hand, they also tend to enjoy sharing splendor with their business partners. Again, a strategy only to gain favor. I doubt you need to worry if you’re seeing through something as obvious as this.”

 

A nearby thump was heard and the source started giggling madly as her face turned redder than anything touched by beets from the copious amount of booze. Liskarm took another chug to prove her point to Franka, and the amount of shot glasses collected at the table was something impressive indeed. 

 

“That, is why you never challenge Vouivres to a drinking contest,” Saria commented as Franka went from laughing to hiccuping to nearly vomiting in a randomly decided order. It was quite a sight to behold. Meanwhile, Liskarm didn’t seem even the least bit inebriated. 

 

“So your abilities to tank booze depends on your race in this world does it?” Evan casually asked while taking a sip of his own wine. It was one tasty merlot, that was certain. 

 

“If I remember correctly, wasn’t the order from best to least best Vouivres, Oni, Minosians, Sarkaz, and Archosaurs?” 

 

“I think us Sarkaz should be ranked higher on that list. Where did you hear that?” Vigna asked Sideroca with pieces of burger flying out as her speech tried to muscle past the large burger.

 

“The study was scientific, I don’t think you can disprove it.”

 

“Liskaaaarm carry meee~” Franka whined. “Take me in your big strong arms and carry me to bed, pleeaaase.”

 

“Watch what you’re saying! It’s shameful. I’m not carrying you back, you’re clearly strong enough to get back to the room yourself.”

 

“Fine, I’ll ask Evan,” Franka pouted. “Evan, be a gentleman and lead this poor defenseless maiden back to her room.”

 

“Fine, I’ll help you, but I am not carrying you.”

 

Once she admitted defeat, a shit-eating grin plastered itself onto Franka’s face as she used Liskarm’s shoulder and leaned in incredibly close to her partner’s ear to sensually say, “Thank you~”

 

“If you try to take advantage of this situation any further I will drop you and sit back down.”

 

Franka’s only response was to giggle happily as her fluffy tail swooshed side to side. 

Chapter 14: The Gear of Oppression

As Saria stared into the mirror, she stared back at herself intensely. She looked at her face as though she were trying to bore into her own soul, as though she was interrogating herself. In some ways, she was. She never thought that after a few mere months after leaving Rhine Lab, she would be attending a meeting with them in this hotel again. She trusted Evan, he reminded her a lot of her mentor. At least minus that weird stare he was giving Vigna last night, honestly, people would misunderstand him staring at a young girl like that.

 

Yesterday was rather eventful by her standards since coming to Rhodes Island. Most days, she worked in Bioengineering or Medical as another researcher. This was her first outing to a meeting where she was part of negotiations, and she had learned the origins of her mentor. She didn’t quite know how to think about it. Another world, it sounded too outlandish to be true, but all signs pointed to that being a possibility. No one bothered to cross the ocean and see what other land was out there, but according to Evan, that was not the case. In his case, he claims to have been literally teleported to a different universe entirely. 

 

She had managed to convince Ptilopsis to peek into some of his more restricted information once, and his origin and race were of a clearance level so high only the top four administrators could possibly open it. The medical information, however, was impossible to make sense of. From the archive, not even Warfarin could make sense of his blood entirely. Yes, all signs pointed to his claim being true no matter how she looked at it. All the more reason she had to protect him.

 

If Rhine Lab ever learned of his condition, they would do everything in their power to take him in. After that, experimentation was the only possible option left. No, Saria would never allow that road to be traveled again. It’s one reason she joined Rhodes Island to begin with: Kal’tsit and Amiya forbade human experimentation. They would never condone it under any conditions without proper clearance and safety measures. It was also absent from every contract except those receiving experimental treatments. 

 

No, she would not allow Evan to suffer Ifrit’s fate. She would not fail again as she failed Ifrit. 

 

---

 

“We’re going out!” Vigna shouted to Evan who was sitting on the couch playing on his switch. 

 

“Context Vigna, don’t shout vague terms like that,” he casually remarked as he thought about the various memes born of what he was doing right now, especially one specific mashup song.

 

“W-What are you thinking?! I obviously mean we’re going shopping!”

 

Evan chuckled to himself. It felt like this sort of mild humor he could indulge in was unique to Terra’s residence. Then again, he didn’t spend too much time with other people in general. It used to be that him not caring translated to an unspoken pact of non-communication when it came to other people. 

 

“Hey, don’t tease me,” Vigna pouted.

 

“Then don’t make it so eas-” Evan started before releasing a hefty sigh. “Goddammit Ornstein.”

 

Casually, he set his switch aside without noticing someone had been looking over his shoulder while playing the whole time. He was happy enough to have Dark Souls on the go, but he honestly missed the jolly cooperation. Sure, he could summon Sun Bro, but boy did he want to try proving himself against the Super Londo Bros. 

 

“Now then, where are we going?”

 

“Dunno, we’ll find out.”

 

“I need more than that, a reminder we’re on a time schedule. We have to meet Rhine Lab and Columbian Auto’s representatives after lunch,” Evan flatly declared, remembering the school trip to D.C. where he was the only one who bothered paying attention to time in his group once. He was happy to see the museums, but they had to rush through as though they were speedrunning the sights. 

 

“I was planning to go look at some local shops, buy stuff for my guitars a certain Procurement Department Head is shite at getting.”

 

“Ok, sold, you had me at calling Closure shit at her job,” Evan agreed with a cheeky grin. 

 

“I’ll join you, for your protection of course,” Sideroca stated from directly behind him. Mildly surprised, Evan leaned to see the busty minosian leaning comfortably in a position where she was clearly watching him play. It seemed to him from the mild amount of steam and wet hair she had just gotten out of the shower. 

 

“The more the merrier,” Evan replied with a shrug. The blacksteel trio had already left to take care of their own business, and Saria could put two and two together to figure out he was with some of them. If she wanted to check anyway, she could always call them. But there was another problem. “Do we have transportation?”

 

That ended up being answered rather quickly as the next thing he knew, Evan was behind the wheel of a car he didn’t know how to drive and didn’t have a combustion engine. 

 

“Did you really think this through?” Evan asked as he tried to interact with the originium circuit, failing miserably. 

 

“It’s a universal originium circuit, can’t everybody use those?”

 

“Ok, but that’s only assuming you know how to input commands into the damn thing. How do I start it?”

 

“The switch on the dash panel...don’t you have a car?”

 

“A different kind! I have keys for it which serve as the starting switch, and...I’m used to having some vibration upon starting it. This thing sounds like an electric vehicle.”

 

“You live in a weird place…” Vigna stated. “Maybe we should just walk…”

 

“No, no, I got it now. So acceleration is the pedal, and put it in reverse…”

 

The car jolted and Vigna squealed in fright, grabbing the handlebar by the passenger window.

 

“Sorry, normally not used to a car being that responsive,” Evan stated as he backed out and turned to the exit. Thankfully the brake was just as responsive when he needed to stop.

 

“Eek!” Vigna screamed as the car stopped, nearly flinging her face forward and down if it weren’t for her seatbelt. 

 

“Ok, I should get a handle on this quickly,” Evan reassured, driving out of the parking lot. True enough, he did. Out on the road, years of driving once more kicked in and he didn’t seem out of place at all. Road systems seemed to be the same in Columbia as in his country, and people were doing the same general thing. 

 

While Vigna gave directions, he took notice of something a little odd around the retail areas. A vast majority of them had signs that said things like ‘No Infected’, ‘Infected keep out’, ‘Infected not welcome’ on many shops. While he had indeed heard about the discrimination in passing, he had to admit his time in Rhodes Island didn’t do much to show how bad it was outside. These were practically Jim Crow signs with how they worked. It made him feel sick.

 

“Are you ok?” Vigna asked, concerned. “You look a little angry.” 

 

“Just seeing the bigotry of this world for the first time, damn ‘No Infected’ signs everywhere…”

 

“Just keep your eyes on the road, we’ll get out of this high and mighty district soon enough.” 

 

Sure enough, they got out and into some very different looking districts per Vigna’s directions. Even sooner, they had entered what could be called a middle class district where some local shops in the commercial section. 

 

With more and more instruction, the three of them arrived at their destination, some sort of vintage rock store. After having to parallel park, they entered to hear some classic style rock being blared on the background radio and a few memories hit Evan, distracting him for a moment until someone spoke.

 

“What are you doin’ here?” an old man asked crudely as his eyes scanned them. “I don’t want no trouble.”

 

Evan looked back to his two companions, then he raised an eyebrow at the man and traced his line of sight to Vigna. 

 

“Hi, I’ve heard a lot about the store from magazines! I’ll just be looking around for now,” Vigna happily greeted as though this were the most normal thing in the world. The old man huffed.

 

“You can look, but don’t take unless yur’ gonna buy it.”

 

“The hell is his problem?”   Evan thought to himself. Vigna affirmed then walked off to see the rest of the store. That’s when the old man glanced at Evan and Sideroca.

 

“Are you two her chaperones or something?” he asked rather differently, but his malice was still apparent. “Make sure she doesn’t take anythin’ or I’m calling the guard department.”

 

“What is your problem anyway? Do you treat all your customers this way?” Evan spat back.

 

The old man sneered and said, “That’s rich. Do you live under a rock or something? She’s a Sarkaz.”

 

“And? What does that have to do with Vigna coming here? She’s a customer, do you not want her money?”

 

“If some grubby Sarkaz hands touched the money, I bet you it’s covered in blood.”

 

“You’re just a bitter old bigot aren’t you,” Evan chastised before turning around. He went to go find Vigna who was ogling a rather pricey guitar. When he looked at the price tag, he felt his blood pressure increase past one fifty. It looked like a nice guitar, it had all sorts of gadgets on it alongside an old fashioned whammy bar, but 100k LMD was a lot. “Do you even have the money for that?”

 

“Yes, actually, I’ve been saving up for something nice for a while. This and a guitar pick would make great souvenirs. You know what, it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve been trying to find a great affordable guitar like this.”

 

“Hey, if you have the money, treat yourself. Just make sure you don’t dip into any necessary spending money.”

 

“I’ve been saving for something like this since I joined Rhodes Island, but Closure never has one appear because it usually goes outside her budget.”

 

“What a greedy vampire.”

 

“Right?”

 

The small sarkaz rock enthusiast grabbed the guitar off the rack it sat on and walked up to the counter. Looking at the rather expensive guitar, he raised an eyebrow. “You sure you can buy this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’ll be 150k LMD.”

 

“What?!” Vigna shouted. “Last I checked the sales tax for the infected was fifteen percent!”

 

“I say it ought to be fifty,” the old man grumbled. “But, sure, I can pull it down to 140k, I thought you said you could afford it. If not, put it back.”

 

“This is highway robbery.”

 

“I’m the one who should be saying that, your infected devil hands touching something they can’t even afford.”

 

“What’s going on here?” a new voice asked from the door to the backroom. Heads turned to the source, a middle aged man who took one look at the situation and sighed before saying, “Dad, are you harassing customers again?” 

 

“They were the ones harassing me!” the old man barked. 

 

“Go in back, I’ll take over the register for now.”

 

The old man got out of his seat and grumbled some obscenities before slamming the backroom door shut. Once he was out, the manager or owner turned to them and said, “I apologize for my father. He wanted something to do out of retirement, but every time a sarkaz customer enters he does stuff like this.”

 

“It’s fine, so long as I don’t have to charge his 150k.”

 

The manager laughed, “Yeah, he tries to get sarkaz, especially, to pay outrageous sums. That will be 120k LMD.”

 

“Did they raise the tax again?” Vigna grumbled, handing over the money. “Why did they do it by a whole five percent?”

 

“Didn’t you hear? Trade routes through Ursus have been treacherous from some band of infected wandering the tundra, and Ursus has tariffs on imports. Sucks that I have to charge my customers more because the likes of Rhine want to offset paying taxes to export more equipment.”

 

“So why just tax the infected?” Evan asked, earning a rather bewildered look from the owner. 

 

“He’s…not from around,” Vigna uneasily stated.

 

“Ah, well…I’m not entirely sure, isn’t it natural that the infected are the first to be burdened when things go south? Not that I personally agree with all of it, but it’s just natural.”

 

“It’s also called oppression where I come from. A pretty shitty gear of society, putting down one group so the other can benefit a little more.”

 

At this point, Evan was used to the weird stares he got, after all he had a lot of ideas never before heard of on Terra run out of his mouth it seemed. The fact oppression was one of them was especially concerning. 

 

“That is…interesting to say the least. Do you come from Leithania, I hear they’re very tolerant of the infected there, much more so than Columbia. Not to mention the universities there are known to focus on philosophy and art.”

 

“W-We have to go now, thank you very much for the guitar!” Vigna hurriedly pushed Evan out. As soon as they were out of sight of the store, she pointed to Evan harshly and whisper-yelled, “Are you trying to blow this up in your face?! We’re going to meet with Rhine Lab and you almost blew it to some random shopkeep that you’re not from Terra.”

 

“How did you know I was going to blow it?”

 

“It doesn’t take a genius to see the dumb look on your face when he mentioned Leithania. At least try to hide your curiosity for places you’ve never seen or heard before or we may have serious trouble.”

 

“Ok, yes ma’am.”

 

“Hmph,” Vigna huffed before turning her head away and walking off back towards the parking lot. Did she really have to word it that harshly? 

 

After entering the car and starting to drive back, Evan thought about what just transpired. 

 

“Vigna, are you treated like that regularly?”

 

“Not all the time, but as an Infected Sarkaz, I do have to deal with those kinds of assholes on a regular basis. It’s normal for us to be treated like shit, so fighting for our dignity is an everyday battle.”

 

Evan didn’t really want to know anything at that point as he felt something dark swelling deep in his soul. Why was humanity cursed to treat its own so badly? He could understand reasonable dislike, but hatred for someone you never met or known of before seemed stupid to him. He had to wonder after that, who else was treated unfairly? Were all infected treated the same way or did it depend on race as well? 

 

Any dark continuations were stopped when some string plucking was heard and Evan got to see Vigna with a big smile on her face, maybe everything wasn’t so bad as long as he stayed where he was. If it took him this long to see such a divide in the world, maybe that spoke more to Rhodes Island’s character. 

 

---

 

“Alright, time to take a nap. Too much people for one day,” Evan muttered as he flopped onto the couch. Minutes ago, their first meeting in one of the hotel’s conference rooms had ended. While Saria said that the meeting went well, he just felt exhausted and wanted to punch something from how exhausted he felt. 

 

“If you’d like, you can use my lap as a pillow,” Franka offered, patting her thighs on the other side of the couch. Evan had slumped from an end of the furniture and his legs were angled off the armrest of his side. He looked up to see the smiling vulpo with her fluffy tail offering her rather well endowed thighs and said, “Screw it…” before he crawled lazily over to plop his head on them.

 

“Well aren’t you bold when tired~” Franka cooed, rubbing his head and wrapping her tail over his shoulders. 

 

“The ego depletion in my prefrontal cortex right now is no joke, I don’t think I could resist an offer from you now. Well played, Franka.”

 

The vulpo giggled and gazed with slanted eyes to Liskarm who had a rather mixed expression that screamed of something between disapproval and envy. She turned away and gave a small huff. 

 

“If you want, I could give you one too,” Franka teased her partner whose response was to just sigh and walk off to her room, clearly done with Franka’s shenanigans. 

 

“She’s missing out, I could fall asleep, and I just might,” said Franka’s current lap pillow customer lightly with his eyes closed. 

 

“We’ll enter negotiations tomorrow, so please rest up if this is your limit. Actual negotiations of the finer points and establishing a contract will be far worse than the introduction of the device,” a certain quad-horned Vouivre stated flatly. 

 

“Well we worked our way into that somewhat, but I get what you mean. I’ll share what I have in mind…” Evan responded with his head still in Franka’s lap. It was quite comfy after all. “I say we do the bulk of research and Rhine Lab can fine tune it and manufacture necessary parts. Columbian Auto can then build the finished product for cars. Rhine Lab could be in charge of making and distributing generator versions that we’ll come up with in Rhodes Island. Selling the product through recognized companies would ultimately be the better choice I think.”

 

“There are several problems with that, but I see where you’re going. Rhodes Island doesn’t have the necessary facilities for mass production of industrial equipment, but Rhine Lab does. In order to prevent Rhine Lab from doing the majority of the work, you want to make Rhodes Island the central R&D facility for these projects?”

 

“Well, not to brag or anything, but I am the only one in this world that remotely knows anything about the core principles of these engines. So long as I stay in Rhodes Island, Rhine Lab doesn’t have the necessary knowledge of the core principles.”

 

“I see, so you’re suggesting that Rhine Lab has limited R&D capacity due to their lack of knowledge of the subject, interesting. I think that is enough to start with tomorrow. I’ll leave you to…rest now.” 

 

The last portion was said with a good deal of uncertainty by Saria whose eyebrows knit in confusion seeing the sight of Evan using Franka’s lap as a pillow. It certainly was a strange way to rest. That aside, she was satisfied with his thoughts on the matter. It seemed he had given it more thought than she assumed and was truly just tired. 

 

After returning to her suite room, Saria put some thought into Rhine Lab’s representatives, Gregory and Frieder. Those two were accomplished engineers specializing in moving parts, especially those related to vehicle production. They were also somewhat clean compared to others of their statute, minus a few illegal workshop modifications. It didn’t seem to her that they were trying to gain anything, and even if they did it was swiftly forgotten during Evan’s presentation as they asked loads of questions. If anyone could learn the basic principles of the engine though, it would be them. They were obsessed with cars, and a new form of running them would certainly prompt them to understand the core principles behind it. 

 

Of course, she could be looking into it too much, and Saria was worried about what would happen if Rhine Lab wanted to send people to Rhodes Island. After all, Ifrit was in Rhodes Island with Silence as her guardian. There were very few people they would be comfortable allowing near Ifrit among their former colleagues. Hopefully if people did have to spend time at Rhodes, it would be someone they could trust. That would have to be a problem for tomorrow though.

Chapter 15: An Otter and a Penguin

“Mayer,” a cheery voice called, knocking on the door of the workshop. Without any time waiting for a response, the door creaked open and Magallan poked her head through cautiously. “Mayer, are you awake?” 

 

The answer was abundantly clear with a sleeping Mayer slumped over her work station, lubricant oil covering one of her cheeks as she snored softly. MEEBOs were curled up, mostly around the engineer’s feet, emulating snoring sounds. Her robotic arts arms were deactivated, and she seemed rather peaceful. Magallan pushed the door open and silently walked in, careful not to step on any of the robots that had been programmed to bite should they feel threatened, annoyed, or received an order. Once she was finally to her friend, Magallan gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. 

 

“Hrmgh,” Mayer grunted, lifting her head then blinking several times before it plopped back down. “Five more minutes…”

 

“I’m afraid that won't do, you’re going to want to see this,” Magallan replied, floating a document in front of Mayer’s sleepy face. The otter opened her eyes to read it. Once she got past the preliminary and into the meat of the paper her eyes widened, bloodshot from her nightshift seemingly increasing. She suddenly was up and grabbed the paper out of Magallan’s hands. She held it close to her eyes, rapidly going from line to line to confirm what it said. 

 

“Holy crap! An exchange program with Rhodes Island for development of unknown technologies?! Are you sure? I never thought we would be partnering with a Pharmaceutical Company for engineering. Is this even legit?”

 

“Yes, I confirmed it with the Head of Engineering, I thought you would want to see it. They want an engineering expert as well as an excavation and resources expert, don’t you think we would fit the bill nicely?”

 

“Yeah, and we’d get to go see Silence and Ptilopsis again!”

 

“Saria and Iffy are also at Rhodes Island, we’d get to see them again.”

 

“Hold up, I’m going to boss man and seeing if I can get us to leave with the signers of this deal,” Mayer excitedly declared before running out of her chaotic workshop, leaving Magallan behind in a room full of activated MEEBO which were staring at her, wondering what their creator was so excited about.

 

---

 

With the last contract signed, Evan felt like he could breathe a sigh of relief and placed the pen down. Of course, in the name of professionalism he did not. He had been spending a whole two days fleshing out the contracts with Rhine Lab and Columbian Auto. Thankfully, Saria did most of the heavy lifting in negotiations. Liskarm and even Jessica spoke some, but for the most part it was as though Evan himself was an observer. It was a good learning experience though, as maddeningly boring as it was. He had honestly never negotiated a contract before, and his input was really that of an expert since he was the only one aside from some Rhodes Island engineers who worked on the project. 

 

Well, at least he would get his car back finally. Some interesting things had been left with his car, but as it turned out his beloved computer and other devices were still in Lungmen as the car company didn’t have anything come with the car aside from the car. He really should mail Swire or Ch’en to ask for his other stuff back. 

 

That was another thing, the mailing system. After a bit of discussion after the second day, and some of his own digging. Turns out another difference was that long distance communication was all but non-existent. They had to lug messages and intelligence by convoys and vehicle over the wastes and other biomes, aside from long distance radio, there was no other way to do it. It really made him appreciate the permanent infrastructure of his old world. All the residents of Terra had to move constantly or put themselves at risk of these Catastrophes. While there were some exceptions, the vast majority of cities were nomadic. Because there were no railways, radio or cell towers, or satellites, communication over long distances was primitive compared to what he was used to. 

 

It wasn’t as though all communication was as pathetic, cities and neighboring hamlets have city networks which function as the internet to him. These city-nets could be inter-city in rare cases, but beyond that it was as though Evan had travelled back to the communication era of the early 1800s. 

 

“Mr. Evan, if you have any more ideas to share, Rhine Lab will always be more than happy to take them,” Frieder, a lupo with greying hair, shook his hand. “If you ever need a change in employment, you will have a place at Rhine Lab as well.”

 

“I’m quite content with my current employment, but thank you for the sentiment. I will be sure to forward any research Rhine Lab can easily build and market as per the agreement.”

 

“Oh, you won’t have to worry much about that. We sent up a notice yesterday to acquire the requested personnel, and we already have two very enthusiastic applicants. Ms. Saria knows them. One of them is particularly excited about the opportunity.”

 

Suddenly, a bang was heard as the door slammed open, to everyone’s shock, leading some of the bodyguards to take position. 

 

“Rhine Lab’s walking workshop is here!”

 

“Mayer!” Gregory shouted. “We are in the middle of a meeting, why in the world-”

 

As he spoke, Gregory was taking steps towards Mayer. Suddenly, he fell to the floor as though he tripped and started screaming “get it off!” as a small quadruped robot, or rather robots, were biting his feet. 

 

“Ah, sorry about that,” Mayer chuckled while entering in a command on one of her many Doc Ock style arms. 

 

“M-Mayer,” a second voice from the door gasped. Catching her breath at the door, a second girl appeared. She had short brown hair with a several white strips. Her clothing was large and bulky, and seemed like a board. She also had a pin with an emperor penguin dressed like a gangster or something. “Oh, I’m too late…”

 

Evan leaned to Frieder and asked, “Are these by chance, the two applicants?”

 

“Y-Yes, but rest assured you won’t find many more talented individuals.”

 

Considering he was currently working with a greedy vampire for a boss, a neat freak as a close second, and was partnered with a shota and enthusiastic beaver, it was honestly not that much of a change. At this point, Evan shrugged. Currently, Gregory was locked in a verbal beatdown of the two with Mayer looking away with the ‘I’ve heard this a thousand times’ face and Magallan struggling to retain her composure as her eyes glistened over. As for how he knew the latter one’s name, he had heard it from Gregory going off to the two. 

 

“Gregory, don’t you think it’s unbecoming to verbally berate colleagues in a meeting, regardless of their entrance?” Saria asked from behind the upper level executive whose face was now red. In response he coughed into his hand, color mostly draining from his face while he regained his composure. After a bit he returned to his seat. That’s when Saria turned to them sharply. Mayer finally tensed up and Magallan started whimpering, moving behind the girl with the otter tail. “What are you two doing here anyway? We’re in the middle of a meeting.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Mayer barged in and threatened the receptionist. I tried to talk her out of it.”

 

Saria huffed and turned away from the two. 

 

“We were just about to finish, if you want to join us on returning that badly, we can talk in the room.”

 

---

 

Two papers plopped on the table, Saria on one end and the two new additions looked at them. 

 

“If you want to come aboard Rhodes Island, you will need to accept the conditions upon these contracts…Mayer, put the pen down.”

 

The otter girl pouted and placed the writing utensil on the table with a clank.

 

“I would appreciate it if you read the contracts, Rhodes Island is unique in its terms and conditions. Many of them deal with treatment of Infected individuals, and there are plenty on the landship. You will be required to treat the infected and uninfected no differently from each other, do you understand?”

 

“Crystal clear,” Magallan responded with a small salute. 

 

“Yeah, so can I sign this yet?”

 

Saria let out a hefty sigh before saying, “Fine, do what you want.”

 

At that point Mayer hastily signed the contract while Magallan was reading. She then turned to Evan and walked over. She leaned in and stared deeply into his face, scrunching her eyes as though she was making a judgement. 

 

“So, who or what exactly are you?”

 

“I believe that you mean whom,” Evan said back without missing a beat. To his surprise, Mayer immediately puffed her cheeks as a rumbling sound in the same interval of a chuckle escaped her sinus cavity. “I did not think that would work.”

 

“Ok, you got me,” Mayer said between laughs. “I’m Mayer, inventor of the MEEBO robot.”

 

“You mean the bitey little robot otters?” Evan asked as one trotted up and nudged his leg. 

 

“Hey, he likes you.”

 

“Does that mean he won’t- OW!” Evan lifted his leg up with the MEEBO still attached to his trousers making squeaking noises. Between the spider man villain arms and the bitey little robots, he had to admit that she had made an impression. 

 

“Hehe, sorry. That’s an affection bite, but sorry it hurt you.”

 

“Why did you even program that in?”

 

“Dunno, felt like it.”

 

If he didn’t have a robotic otter hanging off his leg, he would’ve facepalmed so hard he would turn his forehead red. At least none of Closure’s drones had personality and merely did their job, even though laziness fit his direct superior at this point.

 

“So, what unknown technologies are we developing?” Mayer asked as Evan finally peeled the MEEBO off his pants. “Oo oo, does it self-destruct? My MEEBOs can self-destruct.”

 

“You mean to tell me these things are also bombs?!”

 

“Yup, and they disassemble into nice clean reusable parts.”

 

“The only rapid disassembly I want is the unplanned kind. Actually, no rapid disassembly at all please,” Evan said as he placed the squirming bomb down at which point it started running circles around his legs. “Anyways, the technologies we’re developing are primarily alternative energies. Energy production without originium.”

 

“Whoa! Is that even possible? That’s wild, I didn’t think it would be that impressive.”

 

“Power without originium, it sounds like fiction. Is it truly possible?” Magallan asked curiously while putting a finger on her chin and tilting her head upwards. 

 

“Yes, actually. It’s possible to generate electrical energy without the use of originium. There are several ways actually, and I’m trying to use those principles to hopefully make it so the cancer metal is less common,” Evan explained.

 

“Name one,” Mayer demanded, crossing her arms. 

 

Evan grinned and proceeded to explain what he did to Closure about how power was generated on Earth. Progressively their eyes widened and Mayer’s tail started wagging excitedly. 

 

“So that’s why you needed a resource expert,” Magellan commented. “You would need to mine, refine, and use materials we have not yet used.”

 

“Exactly, so did I alleviate your doubts?” Evan asked, turning to Mayer after addressing Magallan.

 

“Alleviate? You completely annihilated them! Why didn’t I think of inverse electromagnets until now?”

 

“They’re not really inverse electromagnets…well…more the same principle in the other direction…so reverse electromagnets,” Evan tried to explain, pausing several times as he realized Mayer was sort of right. Well, he couldn’t exactly explain how she was wrong. Maybe she wasn’t. “Or you might be right. You catch on fast.”

 

Mayer’s tail wagged happily as she pointed her nose up. Magallan seemed to giggle at the sight and he turned his attention to her. He could take a guess that this person was the resources expert he had requested. While her choice of clothing seemed rather odd, bulky and suited for winter, she had mentioned the reason he needed her services.

 

“So, anything else?” Mayer asked. “Any other crazy ways you might know of to produce power?”

 

Evan thought for a moment then grinned. 

 

“Well, let’s say light is made up of many little particles bouncing around.”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa, light’s a wave. What are you talking about?”

 

“Well, it has wave properties, but it is ultimately both. That’s a conversation for another day though. Now, for the further sake of argument, consider that all matter is made of a fundamental unit called atoms…I think some paper and a pen would be useful.”

 

Evan looked around and found a scrap piece of paper and took out a pen, he then drew two circles. A large circle with a plus sign and a smaller circle with a minus sign along with some squiggles going around the large circle, looping back to the smaller one. 

 

“This is an atom. A positively charged nucleus with a smaller negatively charged particle bound on a wavelike path around it. Now, take the hypothetical light particle, what do you think will happen when it hits this?”

 

Mayer stared at the diagram for a long time while Magallan held her chin intently. Suddenly, the penguin liberi had a lightbulb moment and said, “Wouldn’t it bounce off?”

 

“Well, most of the time it does. What can happen, however, is that the light particle transfers all of its energy to the negatively charged particle, freeing it from the atom as electricity.”

 

“So…like knocking it out?” Mayer added with a good deal of uncertainty. 

 

“Yes, so do this millions of billions of times over in a soup of this, and you build up an electrical current. That is a simplified version of the photoelectric effect, and with it I plan to create a panel that will turn sunlight into energy.”

 

Jaws across the room hit the floor at the last part. It wasn’t hard to imagine why, the sun’s light turned into energy when the only energy source for them had been a cancer causing rock. 

 

“Are you sure that will work? It seems so…”

 

“Outlandish,” Saria completed Magallan’s sentence. “But somehow, like most things with Evan, it’s almost certainly true. Even I must admit I’m impressed, sunlight to power, can we even make such a feat widely available?”

 

“Yes, it is a relatively cheap way to produce energy for the material cost. Effectively infinite, but only so long as the sun is shining. It’s mostly a semiconductor sandwich if I remember correctly.”

 

“You truly never cease to amaze, if producing power is that simple, it makes one wonder what we’ve been using originium for this whole time,” Saria commented.

 

“No kidding, I make semiconductor sandwiches all the time, but I’ve never seen them produce energy from light.”

 

“Oh we’ll get into the nitty gritty of all this at some point, but congratulations, you’ve just learned a Quantum effect. The photoelectric effect is easiest to learn, but it’s just a gateway to weird BS like how all objects have a wavestate of varying degrees that limits our ability to accurately measure them within a certain realm of error. For now, all you need to know is you can split everything down to discrete units, quantizing something you think of as a wave.”

 

“What. The. Heck,” Mayer responded, pausing for each word. “What is going on inside that head?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” the seemingly talented intern said with a laugh. He sure got a kick out of the reactions from something he found extraordinarily ordinary. Yes, the uncertainty principle did indeed give an insight to how even a basketball had a wavestate, but one completely negligible in measuring the ball in spacetime. 

 

No, Evan’s thoughts were indeed extraordinary to the residents of Terra, should they ever piece them together.

 

---

 

Never before in his previous life did Evan have luck with women. His entire two and a half decade existence he had never so much as kissed a girl, so it almost felt like a slap in the face when he travels to an anime world and suddenly he had some interesting situations that had developed straight out of a romcom. It was rather confusing for him, someone who was comfortable around women because mutual sexual disinterest could easily be established, that now he had an attractive girl leaning on his shoulder, sleeping soundly. All the while, Franka and Mayer gave him smug looks that really made him want to just vanish into the void. 

 

How long would this last? He had no idea, but he sure was surprised Magallan was as comfortable as she was on his shoulder. She was softly breathing in regular intervals, her hair smelled of nostalgia attached to playing in the snow, and-

 

“Mayer, if that MEEBO bites me, I will personally disassemble the damn thing,” he whispered harshly. Mayer’s grin sharpened.

 

How did it ever come to this? Another two day ride, but this time with more people in the car. He’s going to get sick of the MEEBOs really fast, he could tell. He could understand Mayer’s enthusiasm, but he really didn’t understand why she had to come with them. He hoped that it wasn’t the result of the little metal jaws of her robots. Whatever the case, he was now stuck with yet another weirdo to help him develop Earth technologies. 

 

Now he really wanted to make a solar panel to see how the engineering department reacted to it. While Skyfire wasn’t in engineering, it would be interesting to see her freak out over it and possibly call it magic, ironically. As far as the fire cat was concerned, originium and its arts were scientific and his was the weird one. Nonetheless, they had begun exchanging their knowledge in great detail. She was very curious about his knowledge despite her misgivings. 

 

The car jolted and woke up Magallan. The penguin liberi looked to where her head was and her face transformed as though she had just consumed a ghost pepper. She gave a long squeak of embarrassment muffled by her forcing her lips shut and turned away sharply. It was possible she turned even redder, somehow, from Mayer and Franka’s chuckling. 

 

The jolt itself was a result of the car entering the Rhodes Island ramp. Waiting for them was Closure and Kal’tsit. Almost as soon as they stepped out, Kal’tsit flatly said, “I see your trip was a success. Saria will give a full report. Closure, would you show the two newcomers around?”

 

“Since when was I a tourguide?” the lazy vampire nearly shouted, but her expression shifted when Kal’tsit gave a spine-chilling glare which made her go, “Yes ma’am.”

 

With Closure gone, Kal’tsit turned to Evan and ordered, “Follow me.”

 

The walk from the  bottom of Rhodes all the way to the medical department was lengthy, so it came to no surprise when Kal’tsit started some small talk, asking about how the meeting went. Evan explained how the entire meeting was fairly unremarkable. Rhine Lab didn’t try anything funny, but there was one thing that came to his mind as they approached Kal’tsit’s office. 

 

“Doctor Kal’tsit, I witnessed discrimination against the infected, is that…normal in Columbia?”

 

“It’s normal across the world,” the green lynx responded without a pause. “I thought you had discrimination in your world.”

 

“Well…yes, but not against sick people…most of the time. Why are there all these laws targeting the sick?”

 

Kal’tsit paused, gave a good long look at Evan, then her right ear twitched twice.

 

“Most people do not consider discrimination against the infected as objectively immoral. To them, the infected pose a risk. That and they believe being infected is a result of personality flaws.”

 

“So they think the sick are all criminal bums. That in of itself is sick.”

 

“Indeed, they believe the infected are the pus of society’s illness. Yet, like most pus, it is not itself the source of the infection. You may find this out, but I believe it is worth saying now. Most people do not refer to the infected as sick with a traditional disease. Once one is infected, the state of their humanity changes. Many states and cities no longer consider them citizens, people consider them less than human, and the infected may consider themselves cheated by the system if they drop their previous prejudices. In terms of thinking, you are an anomaly, but only for considering oripathy another illness.”

 

“So, oripathy itself is a social divider, a way to tag people with certain concepts.”

 

“If that helps you recognize what I am trying to say, then yes. I personally think it will be refreshing to some of our operators if you treat oripathy merely as a disease, so you do not need to change your behavior. Just remember that some will see you differently as a result.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Evan commented as he watched his blood fill up another vial. Indeed, Kal’tsit had been doing her examination throughout their little discussion. She examined the blood briefly before stuffing it in a jacket pocket. 

 

“There’s also another subject to be brought up. There’s a recommendation for you to teach the children who live on the landship. I’ve been looking into your academic material, and I think teaching the children some of your world’s science would be good. You may also help teach them mathematics, I’ve heard you’re good at that.”

 

“Now when you say teaching children…”

 

Indeed, when she said teaching children, she meant he would be assisting children that couldn’t be taught algebra in his world. Well, some of them could, but the ones that couldn’t were currently running around and playing.

“Alright everyone, let’s sit down. Let’s all say hi to our newest instructor,” Savage called cheerfully. Some of the older children obeyed immediately, and the younger ones even fewer. That’s when Savage gave a loud clap and the rest rushed to sit down in the makeshift classroom area of the library. “Everyone, this is Evan, he will be teaching…what are you teaching again?”

 

“Today, I’ll be assisting in math until I have a lesson plan for the other.”

 

While normally good with children due to him somehow understanding the child mind on an intuitive level, herding them to listen was another matter entirely. Frankly, he had to question Kal’tsit’s decision to let him teach. As expected, a bored child is about as good at sitting still as a pig is at flying. They could try, but eventually they would give up. Thankfully, Savage, despite her name, seemed to be experienced at herding the little nuggets. Everytime a child started to get rowdy, she helped redirect them. 

 

Some got it, some didn’t, and some needed an extra push. All in all, once the lesson was over, he was about ready to collapse. The difference between teaching one and many, he had a lot more respect for elementary school teachers now. 

 

“You did quite well, normally the children chew new instructors numb,” Savage’s honey-like voice said next to his seat.

 

He didn’t even lift his head up to say, “Yeah, well I need a stiff one after that.”

 

“You sound like Blaze,” the grey cautus said with a chuckle. “Not that’s a completely bad thing, the children are always happy to see her. Perhaps it’s the upbringing…”

 

“Upbringing?”

Savaged hummed an affirmative before continuing. “Most of the children have a difficult past. Many of them are infected and receiving treatment, but we also receive orphans, children of those receiving treatment, and other various cases. Some of their stories are truly terrible, yet they always seem happy here.”

 

“Sounds like Rhodes Island is rather charitable, and that’s a good thing. Good Samaritan companies can be hard to come by.”

 

“I agree,” Savage paused after that. She looked at the tired man before her then stood up. “Now let’s go get you a drink, I think you’ve earned it.”

 

---

 

Mornings, even after a month, were still the same. Get up, shave, then go to Closure’s Workshop to help Weedy clean since he felt bad the poor girl had taken it upon herself to clean that slob’s messes. Still, he wondered if using enough hand sanitizer after tidying the desk to create wrinkles was necessary. That aside, he was expecting it to be another normal morning until he heard a high pitched scream come from his destination. 

 

Picking up the pace to a jog, he ran over to see Weedy in front of the door looking like she was going to faint any minute. The reason, something that made him want to already start considering his payment. Closure and Mayer were on the floor, both covered in machine oil as they jointly disassembled basically anything they were getting their hands on. They had run out of room on the tables, and Closure was ripping open a MEEBO as though it were a frog in biology class. Mayer and her Doc Ock arms were ripping apart various machines. A combustion generator sat between them, ripped apart and its guts splayed around. 

 

“Weedy, how about we leave them to clean it up.”

 

“I don’t think-”

 

“Tell me, do we get a pay raise for cleaning up the messes of these two?”

 

“No…but we can’t-”

 

“I’d rather spend my time talking to the bio-engineers about ways to produce fuel for these generators rather than this. If you want to clean up their mess, go ahead. I sure as hell am not.”

 

The two self proclaimed geniuses were too busy using power tools and blabbing to each other to notice Evan’s words or his departure. Dealing with children was one thing, but if anything in Rhodes Island truly drove him to drink, it was Closure. As he walked away, he heard some footsteps and saw a certain little seahorse had decided to join him in leaving the two maniacs to their devices. 

 

During the elevator ride, Weedy broke the previous silence by asking, “So, if you don’t use originium where you come from, how in the world do you synthesize the fuels you use?”

 

“We use similar molecules. Diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, petroleum jelly, and other such combustion fuels are normally extracted from oil deposits of long dead organism deep within the earth. Recently, there were some new revelations such as using bio-fuels which are slightly altered organic oils from more renewable sources like sugar cane for jet fuel, oh, and sewage can be turned into biodiesel.”

 

Weedy’s face visibly greened and she opened her mouth to gag a little at the thought. Once she finished stomaching the thought she commented, “I guess you would have to use what you can. Though, recycling sewage seems like it could be extraordinarily useful. Are there any non-combustible alternatives to energy?” 

 

“There is hydrogen gas, but hydrogen cells are a little beyond me. I’d need to go digging through the books to find out the precise mechanism, but I know the fuel can be extracted from water using electricity if you don’t use chemistry or from processing ground oil. Its only byproduct is water, so the cycle could be repeated with enough power, but that would be pretty inefficient compared to just using originium.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds like a hassle of extra steps just to produce a fuel you have to use energy to make anyways. Though, is using other sources more energy efficient?”

 

“Look, if I can help it, I’m going to keep this world away from developing a petroleum industry. My world has long rotted in places from the substance otherwise known as black gold.”

 

“That’s surprisingly idealistic of you. Thoughtful too that you’re not trying to subject Terra to new problems.”

 

“I guess so,” Evan commented. “Though to be honest, I’m not eliminating the possibility. I just don’t know if this world has such resources yet. I also really like Saria’s ability to synthesize these resources with already available things.”

 

Weedy didn’t respond after that, but she did hand him a gas mask, telling him he would be entering bioengineering soon. Not everyone wore a gas mask, but refusing the neat freak’s offer of safety would be rude in his eyes, so he took it and strapped it on. As soon as the door was opened, something flew over Weedy’s head and hit his instead. Upon opening his eyes, Evan saw a drone hovering mere centimeters away from his face.

 

“I am so sorry!” Magallan’s voice came from both the drone and behind it. 

 

“Perhaps you should store it away for now, before it causes any more harm,” Saria suggested to her former and new coworker. Magallan then worked on landing the drone. 

 

“Miss Magallan, this is an R&D facility, not a test ground for field equipment. I must ask you not to fly drones recklessly in a lab full of dangerous chemicals,” the department head chastised the penguin girl. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Once the drone itself was packed away, Evan looked around and noticed they were the only ones in the bio-engineering R&D facility, and decided to ask a question he wanted to ask his newfound resources expert. 

 

“Magallan, have you ever come across a flammable black natural oil or gas buried in the ground?”

 

“Yes, a few times I have happened upon such materials. They’re considered a fire hazard by most, but some companies including Rhine Lab have been known to purchase it, occasionally. Iberia used to buy the stuff in bulk, but have stopped for one reason or another since the Inquisition started and the country isolated itself from the world.”

 

Great, now there was an inquisition to worry about.

 

“Petroleum or Crude Oil is what it’s known as where I come from. Also affectionately named Black Gold as it’s one of the most common sources of energy there. It can fuel combustion engines, power plants, make asphalt, plastic, and a bunch of other uses. Like any industry of a widely useful material, it can be corrupt once a solid industry forms around it. Well, at least that’s the case where I’m from.”

 

“I-I see, so why are you telling me all this? Do you want it?”

 

“As a matter of fact, kind of. I don’t want a monopoly on it, and I certainly don’t want to sell it. I just want to conduct studies on it to see how this oil might differ from my own home.”

 

“Oh, that makes sense. If I find any on my next expedition into the arctic, I’ll be sure to bring some back. It’s decently rare since Catastrophes have been known to make those deposits spontaneously explode at unpredictable intervals.”

 

And they could explode in this world. The news just kept getting better.

Chapter 16: The Horse Returns

It was early in the morning on Rhodes Island, and Doctor was passed out over his desk, drool seeping out from his mask. A soft snore escaped during his inward breaths, and papers were sloppily sprawled out along his desk. Various things too, but currently his desk was full of reports from the last mission he had conducted. And under all the medic, combat, and scouting reports did Kal’tsit find the reports related to money. Upon reading one, she rolled it up and smacked Doctor’s mask three times. Paper, of course, did nothing but mildly bother him, a moan being the only response she got.

 

“Wake up, or it will hurt next time,” she threatened. At this, Doctor lazily pulled himself straight and splayed out his arms, yawning before looking at her.

 

“Good morning Kal, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

“It’s noon,” she corrected. Afterwards she crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. “I came to see if the monetary reports were finished.” She then handed the rolled up paper to him, which he took and opened before setting down. “As much as you bother me about working late, you sure don’t heed your own advice.”

 

“You know as well as I do why,” he said while looking around his desk for something. His veiled face landed on a thermos and he twisted the cap open, the fresh smell of roasted coffee beans greeting his chemoreceptors. “Do I owe you a thanks for this delightful beverage?”

 

Kal’tsit huffed and turned away, affirming his suspicions. He grinned under the mask and took a sip of the bitter liquid. 

 

“You always did make good coffee.”

 

Her ear twitched, and the thermos was placed down. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was in a good mood today. She had made him coffee without bothering to wake him up, and she hadn’t said anything negative yet. He looked at her, facing away and staring so long in time even he couldn’t comprehend what she was looking at. He wouldn’t be able to focus on the paper if he tried, so he just stared at her, mesmerized, taking in what he could before she ultimately realized where his attention was.

 

“Let’s go out, for old time’s sake.”

 

Her gaze turned, no emotion showing physically on her face, but he could tell that she was surprised. Her eyes said so, and her ears perked up slightly. It was only for a moment that he could see she was curious, yet the words to escape her mouth betrayed her incomprehensible body language.

 

“No.”

 

“Playing hard to get? I always did admire your stubbornness,” he said while getting up from his chair and approaching her. Her back was turned, and he slowly reached his hand to her shoulder. “Perhaps you could reconsider if-”

 

As soon as the hand touched the shoulder, a syringe was a mere centimeter from his eyeball. He had barely seen the movements, and he grinned under his dark veil which he knew she could just see through at this distance. For a brief moment, nothing was said as they stared at each other, unmoving, unchanging, unyielding. 

 

“Is that really necessary?”

 

“It wouldn’t be if you didn’t understand the meaning of no.”

 

Doctor let out a lengthy sigh,and when he opened his eyes the brows arched upwards near the center, magnifying the sad look in his eyes as he stared back at Kal’tsit whose expression softened by roughly ten percent at this.

 

“I know, I’m not the man you first met, but that wasn’t the man you swore an oath to.”

 

“And?” Kal’tsit spat back. “You had your chance.”

 

“I changed, Kal, I truly did…” he inched a few millimeters closer to the syringe. “But if what you’re saying is that you loved the man I was, the man who let her die, then do us both a favor and don’t hold back with that syringe.” 

 

A defeated sigh escaped her lips and the medical tool used to threaten him was pulled back. He had a point, he had changed. Sure, they broke up after Theresa died, but after he conquered his grief, he had become vastly different than when she first met him. She didn’t move as he took her hand and knelt, holding her hand gently while rubbing the silver ring she still wore. Why did she still wear it? She asked herself that question every morning. Despite all her foresight and experience, she still could not answer that one question.

 

“Please, grant the current me a chance, just one.”

 

How could she say no to this? Even though he had changed, she still fondly remembered their brief time together and uttered, “Fine, I’ll consider it.”

 

“Yes!” Doctor shouted, standing up and raising both hands in the air in triumph. He then returned to his seat. Once he sat down his attention was on the desk, but he still spoke afterwards. 

 

“Next time we’re parked in a city, let’s go to a nice restaurant. If it ends up being Lungmen, I know some great ways to spend our evening.”

 

As he blabbed on, she felt the edges of her lips strain. A rare feeling for her, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Somehow, she felt at ease with the thought, perhaps a little excited herself. After all, he was the only anomaly capable of disrupting her predictions by wide margins. The only one who understood her, and the only one who surprised her on a regular basis. Perhaps it was time to grant the fool a second chance, he had earned it if nothing else.

 

---

 

When Evan first walked into the Convalescence garden, he thought he had walked into a living dream. A large domed multi-roomed greenhouse where it felt as though the world outside was inconsequential and time felt different in a wonderful way. The smell was also something wonderful, the light fragrance of many different plants, some of which he recognized, tickled his nose as he strolled down the cobbled masonry of the garden. It could only be described as a Garden of Eden, and he had seen nothing like it. The central dome itself was clear and transparent despite it being a barrier to the outside world. He could already imagine being there in the evening, a clear set of moon and starlight under a clear sky. He was so distracted he didn’t even notice the young woman calling to him, at least until she waved a hand in front of his face. 

 

“Ah, so you finally noticed,” she beamingly said with a wide smile on her face. She was dressed in a work outfit and held a mop. Two large ears sagged out on the side of her head, and a look to her feet would reveal a small fox pet about the size of a fennec fox. “Welcome to the Convalescence Garden. My name is Lena, I oversee the entire greenhouse. I don’t believe I’ve ever met you before. It would be hard to forget someone with your smell.”

 

Ignoring the comment about how he smelled, Evan greeted her back, “I’m Evan Carvey, Closure’s intern. This is my first time here.”

 

Lena’s eyes widened and she stood on her tippy toes and leaned forward slightly to look at his face. Once she did so she exclaimed, “So you’re the anomaly the medical department is so excited about. I work there part time. I wondered what was so interesting about you, but I can tell already. You smell unlike any living thing on Terra.” Noticing the strange look he was giving her, she backed away slightly and gave a little giggle before saying, “Sorry, I have an incredible sense of smell. Most people who come here do so for my expertise in aromatics and herbal remedies, so I usually don’t have to explain it. What might you be here for?”

 

“Weedy said this was a nice place to relax. Things have gotten…hectic in engineering lately, and I don’t have many of my normal ways to relax. I can already see why she recommended the Convalescence Garden, you do a wonderful job of maintaining this place. It’s mesmerizing.”

 

Lena giggled a little then responded with, “Thank you. If you would like, take a seat over at the gazebo and I’ll bring some tea.”

 

“That would be lovely.”

 

Lena gave a large beaming smile before walking off to the north wing of the garden. Heeding her suggestion, he walked over to the large gazebo and took one of the chairs. In the center was an aromatherapy device gently releasing a relaxing smell that made him so calm he felt rather sleepy. Frankly, it put him in a daze as he looked at the various plants in the background, and just before he was about to shut his eyes, the clinking of fine china could be heard. The source was of course Lena, who had returned with a Victorian tea set. She placed a cup next to him and gently poured a brew equally as seductive on his nose into the cup. He could tell how fresh it was from the steam. He was no stranger to teas in his old life, but this had to blow away anything he had smelled before. The gentle hint of spices added with fragrant herbs and flowers tickled his nose so much that it took all his self control not to foolishly burn his mouth. 

 

To his surprise, the young vulpo lady took a seat to his right, giving him space of course, and poured herself a cup. After taking in the smell of her own tea, she spoke to him.

 

“I make it my business to know whoever comes to my garden. Would you like to talk about yourself, or would you like to know more about me?”

 

Considering his position, he thought for a little while. It wasn’t as though his origins were exactly a secret at Rhodes Island, and Kal’tsit hadn’t said anything about him revealing his true origins to anyone. Yet, he sort of wanted to hear what others’ lives were like. 

 

“Well, since you offered, tell me more about yourself.”

 

“Very well. I was born to a well off Minosian family. Due to my uniquely powerful sense of smell, I developed a fascination with botanicals. I enjoyed it so much that I requested to use our family funds to start a small business. I so enjoyed those days, managing my garden in Minos, making perfumes and herbal remedies with what I grew, and of course making money from my passion.”

 

“So what brought you to Rhodes Island then?” Lena’s gaze suddenly became somber and distant. Her smile faded rapidly from that question. “Sorry, did I breach a sensitive subject?”

 

“Yes. It’s not your fault though, and I am not hesitant to talk about it. It’s just…bitter. Minos is a country that does not allow the infected to live within its borders. When I became infected, I was deported. From their research, my family discovered Rhodes Island and sent me for treatment. When I discovered this unused space, I requested to turn it into a greenhouse, and so, here we are today. I consider coming to Rhodes Island a blessing though. Here, I feel as though my work is part of something more, and I know I can put it to good use.”

 

Lena took a sip of her tea and gave Evan an expectant stare. He hadn’t forgotten she wanted to learn about him.

 

“At least you can continue what you love. While I’m learning to enjoy my work in engineering, it certainly wasn’t how I expected to live my life,” Evan stared into his tea, seeing his reflection shake a little in the ripples. “Coming to Rhodes Island wasn’t ever in my plans, but it was the best bet at the time. There’s so much of my future that has vanished in an instant. I’m grateful for the opportunity to introduce what I know here, but part of me wishes I could have gone further in my studies before I stopped.”

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what did you study?”

 

“Well, I study Physics, or the study of the physical world. Particularly I enjoy studying all the tiny details of the universe. In fact, those tiny details explain chemistry, and why something such as cyanide smells of almonds.”

 

“Well now you have my attention. Smell is something I’m good at, but not once have I noticed a stark difference between those two. If you say you can explain it, I would love to hear it.”

 

“Well, to start, chemicals are composed of various elements bonded together. You can think of these bonds like little strings that vibrate, though the nitty gritty is something that requires very high level math to explain. Anyway, when a particle, such as one responsible for smell, is captured in chemoreceptors in our nasal passages, the chemoreceptors detect what frequency these bonds vibrate at, and our brain interprets that as smell. So chemicals that are shaped vastly differently like cyanide and whatever makes up almond smell are smelled the same way. They both have the same harmonic frequency in their bonds.”

 

Lena just looked at him, blinking with a blank face that he had seen on many fellow students and himself. Her head tilted and she just continued to look at him as if he had just stated the most outlandish thing she had ever heard.

 

“While that is fascinating, it is indeed above my full understanding. I think I will just rely on my nose.”

 

He laughed a little at that response right before replying, “Fair enough. We all have our methods.”

 

After that point, the two continued to chat about little things. As time moved by, the daylight burned surprisingly quick. It wasn’t until an alarm went off on Evan’s PDA that they had track of time, and it had already become twilight. Lena cleaned up the china, saying she had evening preparations to see to, and Evan felt a little hungry himself. The two said goodbye and he walked out the front door. The garden entrance was located upon the roof of the landship, and the deck itself was particularly hard to navigate at times. Bridges and empty spaces with no signage among other things made him wonder if he took a wrong turn. He certainly didn’t want to be lost at twilight.

 

When he did finally find the entrance back into the ship, he stopped. At first he wasn’t sure why, but then a soft tune rang in his ears from somehow nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It echoed deep in his mind, and it started to draw his attention. He let go of the handle and walked away from the doors. As he drew closer to the siren song, words he didn’t understand started to form. His legs carried him to the edge of the roof where he finally gazed upon the source of the voice, gently singing into the twilight.

 

Long silvery hair glowed amber in the setting sun, reaching to her ankles before being blown by the wind. A shawl blew with it, before the hair connected to a head with a tricorn or trifold hat upon her head in a way that reached to certain memories of a certain world he had once explored. Somehow, he could get a glimpse of her face, eyes closed as she soulfully sang the depressing siren’s song into the edges of the horizon. His footsteps now fell silently as he drew closer, spurred on by curiosity. He stopped to lean on the rails and watch.

 

Something about the song spoke to him. A tug of grief, the searing pain of loneliness, a delusional kindness, and other such emotions spoke to him listening to this song he did not know. It lasted only a little after the lights went on, spurred on by the ending of twilight and the beginning of the night. 

 

Then it stopped, and without turning the mystery woman said, “Normally I do not have an audience. Do you have business with me?”

 

“Just a stranger admiring a beautiful song. What’s it about?”

 

“Nothing you would understand,” her monotone voice spoke back. She then turned around, her unnaturally red eyes finally gazing upon him, glowing slightly in the dark as light seemed to refract through it like a cat’s. She did and said nothing for several long moments as they just stared at each other. She then tilted her head and asked, “Are you going to leave?”

 

“Do you want me to?”

“Most would be hurrying back to the doors by now, so why are you still here?”

 

For some reason she had just given more questions instead of an answer. She just awkwardly stared at him, standing there as though she were a lizard confounded by a wall that stood in her way. Staring at each other, Evan began to laugh a little. It was such a bizarre scenario.

 

“If you want me to, I will go. I probably interrupted something private.”

 

“You didn’t, people just tend to avoid me.”

 

“How come?” 

 

She didn’t speak for a while after that. She instead bored her gaze into him, trying to figure out what his goals might be. He asked an awful lot of questions, so maybe he was new?

 

“If you value your safety, then perhaps you should be avoiding me,” she said, moving her rather large legs, which were in tights so no shaming, and started walking. She then stopped when he didn’t react at all, and once again that empty emotionless gaze fell upon him. Her skin was incredibly pale in the lamplight, yet he felt unconcerned for her wellbeing. Maybe it was because he’d seen a lot of weird things so far? Once again stopping, she hummed in some awkward fashion and then turned to look around her.

 

“Seriously, if you want me to leave, just say yes. Also,” Evan started, moving to the side to allow her space to go. “I was never blocking you. Sorry if I confused you. I’m not a threat.”

 

“How could someone as weak as you be a threat?” she genuinely asked. 

 

“Huh?” he mouthed, brow raised and a double confused look crossed into his face. 

 

“Nevermind,” she sighed, walking past him and towards the entranceway. 

 

“What’s your name?” Evan asked a little bit after she had started walking away from him. She stopped and stared back at him with those crimson eyes and waited several moments to answer.

 

“Skadi.”

 

The skies were clear, so he at least had something to look at while he waited. He didn’t want her to think he was following her or anything, but it had also sounded like she didn’t consider him a problem despite her waiting for him to move before walking off the edge of the deck. He just didn’t want to come off as a creep for whatever reason, but he didn’t stare at the sky too long. As beautiful as staring at the cosmos was, it sure made him uneasy in some ways. No, the vastness of space, the sheer scale of it terrified him. The ocean depths were always more fascinating in comparison.

 

“Well, time to grab some grub.”

 

---

 

It happened only a fifteen second walk away from the door. A sudden booming sound shook the floor. He had to cover his ears some as they rang, and ran to the door flinging it open. Inside was an absolute mess. Just as he feared, several engine parts were scattered across the room as debris with a smoldering crater on the workbench being the only sign a complete device ever existed. 

 

“Yeow! Note to self, do not try to beef up the combustion chamber with arts,” the culprit said as she casually pulled herself off of her rump. She then wiped her safety goggles and pulled them over despite there being enough debris in the air to probably irritate them. 

 

“You. Did. What?! ” Evan blurted out, causing Mayer to whip around and give a cheeky grin followed by a pathetically un-innocent ‘ehe~’ which caused him to swiftly respond, “What do you mean ‘ehe’?! Look at the workshop!”

 

“Hey, at least the drawers are blast proof.”

 

“That’s the least of our problems, do you have any idea how much progress you may have dumped down the drain?!” Evan angrily responded, grabbing either side of Mayer’s coat.

 

“I backed up the blueprints.”

 

“That’s not the point!” He then started shaking the otter while shouting, “I told you that we aren’t using arts, and look what yours did to the project and several others!”

 

“Yeah yeah, I’ll pay for it all. Just stop shaking me.”

 

Defeated, he let go and packed up into the counters, causing tools to rattle briefly due to the shockwave. Shortly after, footsteps sounded nearby and someone ran into the room.

 

“Is everyone alright? That was a big boom,” the seemingly complete stranger asked. When the unfortunate intern gazed on a familiar set of grey ears with a ponytail he suddenly forgot about his current troubles for a brief moment. “Oh, hey there Evan,” Grani greeted with a smile and a wave.

 

“So you’re back, where were you?” 

 

“On a mission. Boy was that one an adventure. You won’t believe the stories I have to tell.”

 

“Then tell me over a pint, I’m assigning myself a second day off as Henry Ford would suggest. Not much I can do with an exploded workshop.”

 

“Oh, can I join?” Mayer asked as though she hadn’t been the reason for the sudden lack of work.

 

“You, will clean up this mess and report what you did or so help me, I will return you back to Rhine Lab.”

 

At this, she pouted like a child, crossing her arms then turning away as one of the mechanical arms picked up debris. 

 

As Evan turned around to leave, he heard a small mechanical whir and turned around in time to see a MEEBO lunging for his ankle. He picked up his foot and slammed it as hard as he could into the little otter, clearly done with Mayer’s shit. He thought he had stopped it until he saw the MEEBO rapidly heat up and start to beep in regular intervals, decreasing the time between counts. 

 

A shiteating grin appeared on Mayer’s face and he felt a pit drop in his stomach like a chunk of lead. His first choice was to run, but it seemed as though he couldn’t outrun the beeping. It finally stopped and he waited, only to hear a small puff as the MEEBO calmly disassembled and Mayer picked up the usable pieces for recycling. 

 

“You should have seen the look on your faces,” Mayer laughed. “Priceless!”

 

Grani gave a nervous giggle in response before looking back to see Evan was already walking away, done with Mayer’s shenanigans for the day. She waved goodbye to the mischievous otter and the two of them walked to the cafeteria where, to his obvious surprise, she bought a pint along with him. 

 

“I had no idea you were old enough to drink.”

 

“Hey! I’m a fully grown adult too you know,” Grani playfully teased with a pout, turning her head away, but not without the hint of a smile as she kept one eye on him. He laughed at that and apologized. 

 

“So where were you for the past…”

 

“Month? Well, I was on a mission to a place called Dewville.”

 

The following conversation proceeded to be one of the most fascinating tales Evan would hear so far. A tale of how Grani singlehanded rescued a damsel in distress from some bounty hunters and met up with Skadi who proceeded to demand Grani hand over the girl she had saved. Wait a minute, Skadi?

 

“Hold up, I met Skadi literally last night, she was there too?”

 

“Yeah, it was really weird. No one had said anything about her coming on the mission. I was so excited to see her too, especially after she had singlehandedly sent the entire bounty hunter gang packing.”

 

“I assume you two worked out your differences?”

 

“Yeah, but that didn’t happen until the finale. She’s really actually nice though, just bad at communicating. Helped me clean up the area of all the bounty hunters afterwards. Quite an easy chore when you have someone that can bust a hole through a cave with just their sword.”

 

He felt his jaw slack and drop at that without knowing it before he set it back. This just further reinforced his theory that he had landed himself in an anime world: a woman who could rip through the earth with a sword like it was nothing. That’s the person he had met last night? Thinking back, he hadn’t thought anything of the two-handed greatsword on Skadi’s back, but he certainly remembered it. 

 

The gray horse continued her story from that point, revealing how she met a kind bounty hunter named Big Bob, who sounded like an absolute unit from the description she gave. He learned how Bob helped them through a forest full of traps, and how the enigmatic Skadi just casually busted through them as though it was something of complete norm to deal with taking deadly traps to the face.

 

“Not one to think things through it sounds like,” Evan commented. At this, Grani chuckled and continued. Her story continued, running from both bandits and Skadi until they were separated from Bob, leaving Carol and Grani to seek the treasure out while being hounded by a confrontational Ӕgir who was rumored to cut a mountain in two. Turns out it hadn’t been until Skadi rescued Grani from rocks did she start piecing together the force of nature meant no harm to her. 

 

“So we’re right at the door when, guess who shows up? Bob!”

 

“No way,” Evan commented, totally hooked on the riveting tale. “Wasn’t he injured?”

 

“Yeah, but turns out he had his own gang the whole time. Some former Reunion goons.”

 

“Reunion?”

 

“Yeah, an Ursus based infected militia fighting for the rights of the infected, but Bob left with someone else because they thought Reunion’s methods were becoming…unsavory and dangerous to the infected.”

 

“So to recap, you’re sitting in front of a vault with a force of nature otherwise known as Skadi, and a former activist militia looming over your head for the treasure.”

 

“That’s what I thought. Bob wanted the treasure to give his men a better life, but then suddenly some rocks were about to fall on Carol and Skadi saves her. After I bug her for details, I realize she never wanted the treasure. Turns out she thought she was doing me a favor by keeping me out of the loop of her own personal mission.”

 

“Empty headed much?”

 

Grani giggled a little then said, “Yeah, she’s not one to think her actions or words through.”

 

Grani described the ensuing battle for the treasure and how she and Skadi fought Big Bob, who was capable of going toe to toe with the mountain-slaying operator. She described it in such great detail, he felt as though he was seeing the battle himself. The whirring of Bob’s chainsaw and the crashes as bounty hunters flew against the wall of the cave. Somehow, it all ended with no major injuries. Then came opening the treasure and cleaning up Dewville.

 

“So, Skadi stuck around to help you clean up the bounty hunters after you got anemia opening the treasure, Big Bob left with enough money to go make a life for him and his comrades, and together you all removed the source of conflict from Dewville. That’s quite the tale, you could make a book about that.”

 

“The adventures of a former Victorian Mounted Police, that would be fun to read. You really think I could turn my adventures into a book?”

 

“Hey, if you want to, I have some writing experience. It can be quite rewarding. Besides, I’d say that tale would be a bestseller, Grani and the Knight’s Treasure. A true story.”

 

Her response was to laugh a little, even though he was serious. That was one hell of a tale she just told, and he found his food was getting cold since he was so focused on listening. He decided now was a good time to start eating his food which was finished in a typically fast manner. Once he was done, he realized he was a good ways into the afternoon. 

 

“Sorry, I’ve got to go, but it was nice seeing you again.”

 

“Bye, see you later.” 

 

Nothing really exciting happened for the rest of the day, minus walking in on Amiya giving Closure and Mayer a lecture while both sat on their knees as she berated them for exploding a workshop. Why Closure was getting lectured, he didn’t really know. He couldn’t care less though, as it seemed he was off the hook for the lab exploding. For all he knew, Closure may have done something stupid.

 

Rather, it wasn’t until he walked into Closure’s ‘office’ that he was aware something else might be wrong. She was at the computer, highly focused on something while the seahorse was just casually cleaning up some remnants of Mayer and Closure’s first disassembly together. Currently, she had an industrial cannon pressure washing the oil off the floor. He took a random guess at what Closure was so focused on, and decided to chime in.

 

“So, how shocking is my next proposal?”

 

“What?” Closure asked, her attention breaking from the screen. Her gaze struggled to focus on him before she continued, “Oh, that. No, I haven’t looked. I have a question to ask you though, did anyone visit you last night that you’re aware of?”

 

“No…why?”

 

“Come look at this,” she said, moving her swivel chair back and gesturing him over. He walked over to the screen which was, oddly enough, security cam footage from last night. The time on it was a little after 3 AM, and once his attention was on it, he saw it play. A whole heap of nothing happened for a few seconds until he saw someone come down the hallway and stand in front of his door. Closure then proceeded to fast forward the footage, and this person didn’t move still. Evan took a look at them, the long silvery hair and hat looked familiar, but it wasn’t until she was there after two hours did she look at the camera, revealing Skadi’s full face. Closure made an uncomfortable shiver sound as though something seriously gave her the creeps. “Why does she stare at the camera like that? Did you do anything to upset her?”

 

“No, I don’t think so. All I did was listen to her sing on the deck of the ship and compliment her singing.”

 

“You what ?!” Closure reacted pretty harshly, turning her head to face Evan, clearly bewildered by his response. She then chuckled nervously and took a few deep breaths before continuing, “You mean to tell me you interacted with the Skadi, the rumored Living Catastrophe, and you didn’t know she was outside your room for two whole hours?”

 

“Yeah, wait Living Catastrophe, she can’t be that bad. Grani said she was nice, and she didn’t threaten me or anything.”

 

“Evan, Grani thinks everyone’s nice. Skadi’s a force of nature who can single handedly take down some of the strongest opponents we’ve seen.”

 

“Uh huh…” Evan deadpanned, prompting the vampire to say something else with increasing urgency.

 

“She’s an Abyssal Hunter who hunts Sea Terrors!”

 

“Uh huh…”

 

“Some of which can be huge and dangerous.”

 

“Uh huh…”

 

Closure picked up on the pattern and gave a lengthy sigh. That was when Weedy decided to come into the conversation.

 

“I’ve tried asking some of the other Ægirian operators before, and only Andreana seems to know something, but she’s pretty tight lipped about her time as an Abyssal Hunter. I’ve heard that in Ægir, Abyssal Hunters are treated with caution and avoided because rumors and events of disasters often accompany them. Skadi is rather antisocial, claiming that disaster befalls those she interacts with, and combined with her strength some took it far too seriously.”

 

“Wait, so even where these Abyssal Hunters come from, there’s prejudice against them?”

 

“As I have heard, yes. No one has heard anything from Ægir, and no one knows why. All that is known is that one day Ægir refugees flooded into Iberia, and then Iberia collapsed and isolated, starting the Inquisition.”

 

It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together that a refugee crisis following a collapse which birthed an Inquisition would be a recipe for disaster for the refugees in question. It was essentially a tale as old as time in his old world. Seems humanity has flaws in any world.

 

“Thanks, I think I get the picture, so Closure, please pull up my proposal, we have some work to do.”

 

“Alright, alright. Let’s see what we got here…” she halfheartedly replied, pulling it up on her computer. As she read it, her eyes widened and she looked at Evan and asked with a serious face, “Are you serious? This is achievable?”

Chapter 17: The Light and The Dark

One of the first steps in any discovery was usually proving it mathematically. Yes, the loathed subject of many had to be consulted in order to figure out how even everyday principles could be used. Thankfully, Evan had done all this before. In a certain class of university, he chose to create a solar panel from scratch. The only problem was the mathematics behind it all. If not for the workshop being exploded and all, he had to divulge raw theory to build on what his panels could do exactly. He also had to prove the effect worked in this universe. 

 

Oh, and the mathematics hell wouldn’t end with the theory or the creation of a successful solar cell. Then he would have to run tests, troubleshoot the design if necessary, and he also had to come up with a cost report on top of having to perform the statistics necessary to prove the theory with a null hypothesis from the tests he would conduct once he finally had a working workshop again. If anything went wrong, he would have to start all over again here at square one to check all of his work. Double check it, reference it to notes and literature, triple check it if necessary, and repeat the process all over again hoping it worked that time. 

 

Needless to say, a certain self-proclaimed genius he made a habit of visiting in the library was looking at his feverish mathematical gymnastics with great interest.

 

“So…what this is saying is that light, despite being a wave, has a discrete quantized unit of energy.”

 

“Yes, that’s proportional to Planck's Constant and the wavelength of the light.”

 

“It’s so…small,” Skyfire commented as she examined the number. “How many times would you have to multiply it to get a sensible value?”

 

“More than you could possibly comprehend. Believe me, the science of my world has had to come to terms with some pretty weird facts to comprehend all this.”

 

“Ugh, I haven’t been this confused since I tried finding the underlying mechanism to Reed’s arts. Are you sure you can solve this?”

 

“Listen, I’ve done all this crap before, and I’ll do it again. If you want to thank anyone for this confusion, thank Planck and Einstein for getting this theory rolling. Believe me, this is just the beginning.”

 

“You’re surprisingly fired up about this.”

 

“Math is frustrating, but exhilarating at the same time. Now then, I have some basic theory to finish before I build a solar panel.”

 

Basic theory being anything but basic to most, least of all someone who studied a strange magic cancer rock. Throughout the session, Skyfire stared intently at the whole process, fascinated as she watched silently. Hell, she even pointed out some basic math errors such as a misplaced number, but she didn’t really question anything else. Not that someone capable of hyperfocusing like Evan cared when someone stared over their shoulder, but it was a new experience for him to see someone trying to piece together what he was doing just through observation alone. Of course, describing math without the actual work might as well be giving the answer. Not that Evan was expecting to have a 42 in his work, but he smiled a little thinking about the complexities of this work. With renewed interest he kept going until he of course burned out. This was obvious when he closed the notes and set his head flat on the table.

 

It was then, in his darkest of hours a light came to him, bearing a minicake. It held it to him and brightly said, “Here you go, Evan-san. Thank you for all your hard work.”

 

He could feel tears start to glisten in his eyes as he stared at the light with its blinding smile. Such kindness, such generosity, he couldn’t hold back from immediately giving little Lisa a hug. She did a surprised yelp that almost sounded like a honk, but she didn’t back away or protest. He felt small little arms wrap around to start patting and rubbing his back. Skyfire just watched, baffled at the sight of Suzuran smiling gently as she rubbed this grown man’s back. The scene was quite nice though, in a sense. They looked like a pair of siblings this way, now if only Evan were a vulpo and not, well, whatever he was. 

 

“Sorry for hugging you so suddenly,” he said after pulling back.

 

“It’s fine, I like hugs. Evan-san seems stressed too, so I was glad to help.”

 

“Please, tone down the light before I go blind,” he joked, uttering a small giggle from her. She then looked to the scattering of papers and took a careful look at them.

 

“What is this? It looks difficult.”

 

“Some high level stuff. Don’t worry, I won’t be teaching any of this. I could, a little, if the age groups were divided better.”

 

“What does that have to do with teaching?” Skyfire bluntly asked.

 

“Well…it has to do with developmental psychology. Around the age of twelve is when the developmental stage of Formal Operational starts which allows kids to grasp abstract concepts such as justice or loyalty. It’s easier to teach them beyond what they can see, if that makes sense.”

 

“Ah, I skipped a lot of my early schooling, so I didn’t know that.”

 

“Well that just makes you an exception to the rules, and I have no idea how Schooling in Terra works. Tell me, when does arts education usually start?”

Skyfire paused and thought for a moment then said, “Around the age you mentioned, when kids are roughly twelve.”

 

Just after Skyfire stated that, he felt a chill come down his spine as his sixth sense screamed danger. It came with the sense of being watched, and when he looked to the source, he could see nothing. Writing it off as some kind of fluke, he looked at Lisa to see her staring intently at his math anyways. 

 

“See why I’m as good at math as I am yet?”

 

“I think so…I can’t understand any of it.”

 

“Well it would take a while to explain it to you, so stop staring before you give yourself a headache.”

 

She obliged his request then continued to sit down next to him, earning him another odd glance from Skyfire. With some glucose in his stomach and having seen the light, he silently continued his work. Somewhere along the line, the topic of arts came up and the two girls started talking about Suzuran’s progress on developing her arts. It was a somewhat interesting conversation to listen in on. While most of it went over his head, he could pick up some from the conversation. 

 

If not for the fact he had to go deliver his little findings to Closure, he would have happily stayed in the library all day. Sadly, he had to say goodbye to Lisa, and Skyfire too. Lately it started feeling more like Skyfire treated him like a librarian than anything else. It made sense, but he had to wonder if lending her all those books would be a good thing. While most material was common enough, he wondered if one day he would be probing the atomic crystal matrix of Terra’s magical element. The thought alone was almost enough to make him shutter. 

 

While he had learned Originium has demonstrated energy limits, that seemed to be less the case with living organisms. As he researched more and more about originium and its role in oripathy, the more disturbed he became with the material. According to the texts he had access to so far, its spread was characteristic of several diseases while its pathology within the body mirrored cancer in a disturbing manner. After the demise of an infected creature, the crystals aerosolized as active originium would, then with time and luck, settle as regular originium dust. 

 

With the fact the particles would become airborne and so on after death and how large chunks could rain from the sky, he had a disturbing working hypothesis about a nasty cycle. He would need to prove aerosolized originium could crystallize in its airborne state. If that was the case, catastrophes could be explained as meteorological phenomena in which large crystals form in clouds like rain droplets or hail. 

 

Speaking of proof, he still had to gain assurance that he could use the same properties from his universe. After all, it would suck if he went through all the trouble to build a functional solar cell or even solar panel only to find out it didn’t work. That was why he was off to visit Closure, he had numbers to work with and he sure hoped she was able to do what he asked of her. It was actually Phillip Lenard’s photocell apparatus he described to her. A variable voltage supply with some measuring devices connected to a vacuum chamber with two separated plates. The one light would shine on being connected to the positive end and the negative end to the one light would not be shone on. When light shines onto the positively charged plate, electrons should be freed and allowed to leave, allowing electricity to flow. That wasn’t what he was trying to prove, however, he also wanted to know if the electrons still got ejected with the same kinetic energy. That’s why light would be shone on the positive plate. Since opposites attract, a high enough positive charge would prevent electrons from leaving the positively charged plate. Some simple conversions later and he would have the kinetic energy of those electrons.

 

Granted, he wouldn’t get the exact numbers, so after gathering data he would need to run a statistical analysis to determine it was in an acceptable range, but he was prepared for that. Hell, he was glad he would be able to put his statistics class into practice. 

 

As soon as he opened the door to Closure’s workshop, he was greeted by an excited vampire gripping his shoulders and looking into his eyes with a crazed look. Now, in the month or so he’s been at Rhodes Island, Closure had yet to make any sort of move on him as a vampire. That seemed to change now as she was smiling with her two pearly whites showing and her eyes seemed to be slightly redder than usual. For a moment, he panicked and thought he was about to get bitten when she uttered two words.

 

“It works!”

 

Well, more shouting, but it didn’t take long for him to see other signs that she wanted nothing to do with his blood today, although she teased him about it often. She also had dark circles under her eyes and their redness was due to her eyes being bloodshot. Looking past her, he could already see the apparatus doing work as data showed on a little screen she had attached. 

 

“So I take it you’ve discovered what I mean.”

 

“Yes, yes, and I can already see the applications your proposal mentioned. Haaaaaa~ it’s amazing, we can generate power from light, light! Do you have any idea how much this can change small-scale power?!”

 

He chuckled a little at her enthusiasm, leading to Closure pouting a little, but she then smiled a tiny bit before turning around. This wasn’t lost on Evan, but he chose to ignore it. He had something to say in turn to her too.

 

“Well, if you want it to be small scale, sure it’s great, but what about a large scale? Once we start making solar cells, we can connect lots of them to make large solar panels and actually output power on an industrial scale.”

 

“Yeah yeah, I’ve read your proposal, but here’s the thing. Lots of nomadic cities seek to expand upwards. Lungmen’s currently investing lots of money in building a second layer of city and infrastructure on the rooftops of skyscrapers. I’m thinking we sell this to Mr. Wei for his little project as a way to produce power in those areas. Completely self sufficient! Ah~, we’re going to make so much money!”

 

The vampire’s greed never ceased to amaze him, but at least she used it for the right reasons, or so he thought. 

 

“But do we have the semi-conductor production capability to do what you’re thinking? Plus, don’t we have to outsource production to Rhine Lab now and split profits with them?”

 

“Oh yeah…that,” she said, her expression falling apart to a dark and gloomy one as her posture slouched. “Our profits aren’t entirely ours with this.”

 

“Actually…there might be a loophole with that,” a voice sounded from Evan’s feet. He swiftly looked down to see a MEEBO of all things speaking to him in Mayer’s voice. He raised his eyebrow and Mayer continued, “While you indeed share intellectual property rights with Rhine Lab, there’s no clause stating that you can’t sell the product. The seller actually receives the larger cut of the profit for reasons of having to pay for production and its profit. If Rhodes Island were the one to make the deal and sell the tech, then Rhine Lab would have no choice but to honor the contractual agreement and give you the fair share you’re entitled to.”

 

For all intents and purposes, Evan was surprised to hear this from Mayer of all people. He just stared at the robot, dumbfounded and a little slack jawed, which prompted a response from its owner. 

 

“Why are you looking at me so surprised? Of course I know this stuff, you can’t make and sell robotics without understanding how you’ll get compensated. Servos and crap aren’t cheap you know!”

 

Seemed even the chaotic otter had her moments too. If not for her tail, he would have mistaken her for a liberi or even a human since the liberi have some form of feathers on their head. For whatever reason, all humans had an animalistic feature in this world. Sure, some were more mythical like Ch’en being a dragon, Hoshiguma being an oni, or Liskarm and Saria being vouivres, but those could be described as mythical animals. Well, maybe not the oni, but it certainly wasn’t what he knew as human.

 

Thoughts and more thoughts coursed through his head until he felt the now familiar sensation of a MEEBO biting his ankle. He picked up Mayer’s proxy by its neck and held it up while she made faux biting and growling sounds through the microphone.

 

“So you’re finally out of your head? Good, now put me down!”

 

Yeah that wasn’t happening. Evan just held her as he looked towards Closure who was also deep in thought, just at her desk rather than standing up like he was. Just thinking about different things it seemed since she looked erratic as she tapped her desk and her eyes darted to and fro on the computer, which had a copy of the contract on it for the moment. 

 

“She’s right! The contract is worded that way, so if we sell the technology, we’ll be rolling in some serious dough. That settles it, everyone’s rolling up their sleeves. We’re not stopping until we have a working prototype!”

 

---

 

A pint mug slammed on the table, and Evan took a hefty sigh from the drink. 

 

“Jeepers, slow down there, you don’t want to get sick now,” Grani commented with a worried look on her face. “I may be strong, but I’m not strong enough to carry you all the way back down to the dorms.”

 

“I’ve dealt with worse, besides…that was just one gulp to start off.”

 

“Alright, what did Miss Closure or Mayer do today?” Grani asked as though she was now used to this.

 

“I swear the damn otter doesn’t listen half the time! I leave her alone for ten minutes and she’s already ruined any work on the prototype by trying to buff it with originium. All the wiring and shit burned away, the semiconductors melted, and I swear that anything she makes must explode on principle. Thank god she had enough sense to put a blast cover between her and it, I don’t want to lose another workshop.”

 

Grani giggled a little, so quietly that the poor soul couldn’t hear it as he closed his eyes and took another swig of beer. He swore, his boss and newfound partner were driving him to alcoholism at this rate, but having someone to talk to really made his troubles lighter.

 

“So long as you’re still sober, want to talk about what I found out regarding Skadi?”

 

Evan’s eyes settled on her and he let go of his mug, showing he had her full attention. 

 

“Turns out, she was actually checking on my room long before yours. I think after you interacted with her, she thought you’d be in danger or something, and stood outside while you were at your most vulnerable. At least, that’s my theory based on what I know. You’d be surprised how often she gets up in the wee hours of the morning to make sure everything’s ok.”

 

Poor girl, sounds like she must have been through a lot. At least, that’s what Evan guessed. Things were making more sense why Skadi said ominous warnings to Evan during their first meeting. In some aspect, it made sense if he thought about the information he had gathered from Weedy. If Abyssal Hunters were essentially black cats in her society, it could stand that she believes any misfortune or tragedy in her life is of her own making. On the other hand, he had no data to dispute the claim as much as he wanted to. Traditional logic had been thrown out the window in this world it seemed, so he could be wrong. 

 

Another drink was taken and Evan felt more of his mind numb pleasantly. Before he could enjoy the buzz however, that sense of dread he felt once before came at him once again. His spine shivered in unease and he rapidly looked to where his sixth sense pinpointed the source, only this time it was right behind him, closer. 

 

“Oh, hey Skadi, care to join us?” Grani greeted the source with her usual cheerful demeanor. Skadi said nothing, opting to stare ominously at Evan for a little longer before the feeling of dread washed away and she silently set her tray down on a table a little ways away from theirs. Grani pouted at this then patted the chair next to her, almost like an owner trying to encourage their pet to lie down at their side. Skadi looked to Evan, the feeling of dread did not re-appear, but remembering it made him wary to see Skadi near him for some reason.

 

Instead of answering Grani’s invitation to sit with them, Skadi just merely picked up her first morsel, a rather large chunk of meat, and shoved the entire thing in her mouth, her jaw stretching wider than Evan thought possible. Grani gave him a ‘see what I mean’ look before she turned her attention to her chair, twisting it more towards the mysterious abyssal hunter. Shortly after she turned her eyes to Evan.

 

“So this new invention you’re working on, what uses would it have?”

 

“Well, Closure wants to sell it to Lungmen for their upwards expansion. While this does make sense, I was thinking at first using it as more of a quick deployable small scale energy source to start with. I was actually going over with some field engineers how it can be packed up and folded rather than the hassle of hauling around a complete originium dynamo.”

 

“I can see that, field equipment that needs to be powered with a substantial energy source means you have to account for the logistical challenges of transporting heavy equipment. Since Rhodes Island relies heavily on small maneuverable teams, having to haul around expensive and encumbering equipment can be a disaster in itself.” 

 

Grani made a small glance to Skadi who continued to silently eat her food. After she turned back, the two continued to make small talk with the enigmatic force of nature silently listening in to their conversation. At some point, Grani decided to call it quits for their little drinking outing. It would have been a regular stroll back, if Skadi wasn’t following them from 2 meters away. Grani just smiled as though it were normal, but something about Skadi’s gaze was mildly unsettling to him. She kept staring intently at him, giving him a looming sense of dread and unease in his sixth sense.

 

“Is there…something you need, Miss Skadi?” he asked as politely as he could. He looked back and the abyssal hunter had stopped in her tracks, prompting him to stop followed by Grani. For a few moments no one said anything, then Skadi walked a couple steps forward and came right up to Evan. He leaned back instinctively as she glared into his eyes and moved her head closer until their faces were inches apart. He could feel her breath and hear air flowing through her nostrils. At some point Grani called Skadi’s name and said something about being ‘improper’ or such, but it was lost on both of them.

 

Within Skadi’s eyes he felt small, insignificant as the brilliant crimson orbs met his own hazel ones. After a solid half minute, she muttered, “What are you…?”

 

“...I’m sorry?” was all Evan could muster, causing Skadi to sigh then retreat her head and take a step back. 

 

“What are you? You’re clearly not Ægirian, yet you have the physical appearance of one of our own adapted for life on land. I ask again, what are you?”

 

“Skadi!” Grani shouted, finally drawing the stoic bounty hunter’s attention. “Can’t you tell when you’re making people nervous? You’re pushing poor Evan too hard, he’s not a threat to anyone.”

“I’m just curious,” Skadi replied, tilting her head a little. “Is that a bad thing?”

 

Grani groaned and put her hand to her head and looked at Skadi after removing it from her face. 

 

“No, but you really need to word your questions better. No one can tell what you’re thinking with that poker face and monotone expression of yours.”

 

“Poker…face…?” Skadi asked, tilting her head again and pausing as though she didn’t understand.

 

“You were a bounty hunter before joining Rhodes, and you don’t know that expression?” the horse girl asked with shock evident on her body language and facial expression. 

 

“I’ve heard it, I just don’t understand,” Skadi deadpanned. She then shifted her gaze to where Evan was and then swiftly to where he was walking away. “You, we’re not done talking.”

 

Evan let out an ‘eep’ sound before throwing his hands up and turning around. He then walked back to the two. Upon doing so, Skadi spoke to him once more.

 

“What are you? You still haven’t answered that question.”

 

“As far as I know, a regular, unordinary human,” he said honestly. To that, Skadi hummed in satisfaction and turned around. 

 

There was a great pause as she thought about his words before saying without turning around, “I was hoping for more, but perhaps I was expecting too much. Perhaps we will see each other again, should tragedy not befall you.”

 

With that, Skadi simply walked the other direction down the hall, leaving Grani and Evan to share a confused look before returning to their respective rooms. 

 

---

 

Shouting, the sound of glass breaking, and the blazing of fire sounded in the officer’s ears as another molotov slammed into his shield. Behind him a sergeant barked orders in an aging voice about holding the line and about Ursus honor. 

 

Crack

 

Another molotov hit somewhere along the line, but screams accompanied this one, it had found an unlucky mark.

 

“Retreat the injured soldier, form up the line! Don’t let them through!”

 

The screams faded in the officer’s ears as his comrade was being dragged away, still aflame and howling like a lupo pup getting whipped with hot prongs on the end. Sweat ran down as he shuffled the side, orange light fading from his center to his peripheral vision as the line reformed to compensate for their injured soldier. 

 

“Keep your faces behind the shield and the damn thing on the ground, don’t let the alcohol splash you or sneak under you.”

 

Ahead, angry infected with rags and lesions crowded behind the barricades, hurling insults and debris as their torches and molotovs lit up the poorly lit streets around them. Some held scars from their abuses while others had their face or various other body parts greatly mutated and deformed by the accursed disease. 

 

“Body! Fall back!” one soldier screamed as an infected corpse ragdolled off the line. The officers scooted back like mice away from the new infection vector, already spewing dust in the air as the crystals began to rapidly eat away at the corpse. Thankfully it dissipated upwards and the officer breathed a sigh of relief, grateful he wouldn’t join the ranks of the detestable protesters he was now keeping in line.

 

Thunk  

 

A chunk of raw originium slammed into his shield, his eyes met with the instigator and they glared hatefully at each other. 

 

“Murderers, you deserve worse than us!” a voice in the crowd shouted. “First you take our livelihoods, then our power, then our food, then our water, and now you expect us to give you our lives?!”

 

“Fall back in line vagrants!” the sergeant shouted back, but instead of listening the mob only intensified its barrage of debris and originium.

 

“I gave you bastards my life to keep this graveyard moving!”

 

“Damn all of you!”

 

“Tyrants!”

 

“My baby died, and you say it’s my fault when I couldn’t buy basic necessities?!”

 

“We can’t afford medicine, you’re leaving us to die!”

 

“You created this!”

 

The voices continued to pound on the officer’s ears as he tensed at the regular thunks of their infected garbage slamming against his shield. 

 

Somewhere in the crowd, sharp eyes met his own. In a moment, they were gone and a scream erupted behind the line.

 

The sergeant ripped whatever stabbed his shoulder out then dropped it, officers retreated a safe distance from the object and they stared at it. 

 

An originium shiv.

 

The sergeant grit his teeth and stared at the crowd. 

 

“That’s it, I’ve been lenient enough! Spears out, lethal force is permitted.”

 

“Butcher!” one of the infected screamed, but he would say no more as his skull was split in twain by an ax flying through the air and embedding itself into his skull. The sergeant’s hand sat forward, post throw as he glared a cold stoney glare at the man he just mercilessly slaughtered.

 

“March, kill them all, men, women, children, if they don’t fall back as we order, it’s their funeral!”

 

The officer put one foot forward, and the line advanced. 

 

Unbeknownst to him, or any fellow officer, their sergeant’s actions would spell their doom. Perhaps not today, or tomorrow, or this week, nor would it be this month, but it was now set in stone.

 

Chernobog will burn, as is its fate. 

Chapter 18: Turning Point

As the three of them stared at the number on a screen, they each grinned. The fruits of their labor finally realized. While it didn’t look exactly like a solar panel from Earth, Evan was grinning ear to ear practically. Meanwhile, Closer was drooling as she thought about how much she could sell this, and she would be right. Originium as a fuel was expensive, but if on a small scale it got substituded for originium dynamos, a great deal of money would be made selling this new technology as an alternative. Then there was Mayer whose eyes were practically sparkling as she thought about how she could modify this device further. 

 

“Alright, so now that this is done we need to send the prototype blueprints to Rhine lab, and-?”

 

“Hold up,” Closure interrupted, not bothering to wipe the drool off of her chin. “If we sell this to Lungmen first, then place an order with the prototype, we have the best chance to make the lion’s share. Mayer!”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Whip up a demonstration model, I’ll book an appointment to Lungmen.”

 

Mayer gave a salute and went over to her corner of the workshop. After that, Closure began walking out of the room to presumably go to her office, which Evan realized would leave him with no orders. 

 

“What should I do?”

 

Closure stopped dead in her tracks and looked up with eyes wide with some form of panic before she nodded to herself and answered, “How about you go archive the blueprint. Take this drive and have Ptilopsis do the work. Who knows, maybe you’ll find Skyfire or one of your lolis in the library.”

 

“What are you implying?”

 

Closure just laughed and gave a halfhearted wave as she walked away with her back turned. His boss could really be annoying at times. More annoying than that was the fact that when he did reach the library, Ptilopsis wasn’t there, so he had to detour over to the Medical Department where he found the owl happily napping at the desk. A few pokes, ‘errors’, and feather wiggles later her eyes slowly opened, then opened more to their full size which still slightly unnerved him.

 

“Exiting sleep mode, Operator Ptilopsis online. How may I be of service?”

 

Evan handed her the small drive that had their data, and asked, “Closure wanted this entered into the database. It’s the information on the prototype we finished.”

 

The head feathers perked up and her eyes somehow widened as her pupils dilated like grapefruits. She immediately took the drive suddenly and was working at lighting quick speeds in mere moments. After doing it, she was clearly looking over the files as she mumbled to herself, the screen somehow reflecting in her large, bright eyes.

 

“I see, according to this data, it is possible to turn light into electrical energy. This Photo-electric Effect also makes mention of ‘Atoms’. Would you be able to explain this ‘Atomic Theory’ to Ptilopsis. She believes the data would be imperative to her investigation.”

 

“That will not be necessary,” a new voice said from past the desk. Both heads turned, and Evan swore he heard a snap from Ptilopsis as she proceeded to turn her head past ninety degrees to gaze at the form of her colleague.

 

“Doctor Silence, greetings,” Ptilopsis said with both her feathers wiggling slowly back and forth in the direction she was facing.

 

“As we know, most information on Evan Carvey is restricted to the highest clearance level. His race, his place of origin, and even his basic background before entering Rhodes Island. Doctor Kal’tsit also has warned you not to go digging further than we already have.” 

 

“Ptilopsis comprehends the risks, however, Ptilopsis is interested in the data regardless of what Medical Director Kal’tsit has to say.”

 

“Please, reconsider. Just this once,” Silence pleaded with a tone of voice that made Ptilopsis’s head feathers shrink before she responded with closed eyes.

 

“Understood, an attempt to wipe the recent memories archived will be made. Entering sleep mode…”

 

Once Ptilopsis was snoring softly and they were sure she wasn’t going to wake up, Silence turned her attention to Evan.

 

“You should be more careful about the information you let loose.”

 

“How so?” 

 

Silence gave an exasperated sigh then said, “I can’t believe I have to explain this, even with accounting your origins. There are those who would use knowledge that you contain or the knowledge about you with malicious goals in mind.”

 

He could believe it, all worlds had their fair share of nasty people he imagined, but he hadn’t necessarily seen anything worrying or been around worrying people. Most who knew of his origins actually zipped their lips quite well, as far as he knew. It also wasn’t like he was gaining anything keeping information a secret. 

 

“If I run into those people, I doubt I would be willing to tell them. I don’t think Ptilopsis has any malicious goals either, she’s just curious.”

 

“The problem is that too much information about you is classified. I will admit, your achievements so far have been astonishing, but it also means you will enter a different arena than academia alone.”

 

“In other words?”

 

“Be careful who you trust, that’s all I’m willing to say for now,” Silence took a glance to her sleeping colleague, then continued, “You should go before she wakes up.”

 

He nodded then complied with her recommendation, but after he left the Medical Department, he took two steps before stopping.

 

“Now what?” he thought to himself. Sure, he could go back to his room and laze around, which was tempting, but he felt oddly compelled to continue being productive. After running through what he could do, he decided lazing around would be the nicest option. After all, he still had stuff to do on some of his games that he had wanted the time to do.

 

---

 

“Now what?” she thought to herself as she stared into the cold tundra. Ever since the Emperor’s Blades appeared that one time, the entire camp had been on edge. The Aegis were tiring in their blinkless vigil to make sure the lines weren’t penetrated, the Yetis were on edge as well, and it was affecting her too. She closed her eyes and remembered. Images of blackening snow and comrades choking in black energy flashed before her eyes and her fists balled up. The sound of ice crystals rapidly growing brought her attention back to reality and she took a deep breath. Her fogless air expired, and with it a piece of her anger.

 

“Frost…nova,” a raspy voice sounded behind her. She slowly turned her head, and she stared at a hulking figure in old battle armor and a wendigo skull helmet. A creature beyond her comprehension, but one that made even her icy heart feel warm and at ease.

 

“Father,” she responded simply. She suddenly felt warmer inside, and Patriot’s gaze felt softer. The old wendigo wasn’t her birth father, but she hardly remembers her own parents. Frankly, she preferred the harsh fatherly gaze of the Patriot to her birth father’s sad, worried expressions. 

 

“You…should be…with us. Your…presence…comforts…them.”

 

She looked to her feet. She then looked back up and plainly asked, “Is it happening again?”

 

“...Yes…”

“Understood, I’ll return.”

 

With those words, Frostnova turned around and made the trek back to camp. As she walked, her sensitive ears failed to pick up Patriot’s heavy footsteps, leading to her checking if he followed. With no presence of the old wendigo heard nor seen, she assumed he was taking time to think. 

 

They all had reason to take space to think these days.

 

As Frostnova made her way into camp, hushed whispers sounded around her. Of course her sensitive cautus ears picked up bits and pieces. She ignored them as she approached the abandoned cabin where guards stood outside. The lesser guards saluted Frostnova while the Phantom Crossbowmen gave curt nods to recognize her presence. From their getup, she could tell they were of Faust’s personal squad, so she nodded back. Being recognized, she knew how high an honor that was among some. It would be disrespectful to not recognize them back.

 

As soon as she entered the cabin, the atmosphere changed. Various sounds of anguish from grunting to occasional screaming were heard coming from the bedroom, and outside, in a chair sat what initially seemed to be nothing. Then the air shimmered and seemed to glitch around the chair to show the captain of the Phantom Crossbowmen himself. His purple grayish skin speckled with scales identified him, as well as his harsh glare that was as unreadable as ever. 

 

“Faust.”

 

“Frostnova.”

 

More screaming turned their heads to the room as well as a hiss of frustration from whoever was tending to the victim. Their attention soon turned back to each other, and the cautus was first to speak.

 

“How long?”

 

“Forty two minutes. They seem to be growing longer.”

 

A sharp ‘tsk’ escaped her mouth as she showed a rare frown and narrowed eyes. Nothing else was said until the grunts started fading and the doorknob turned. 

 

“Dammit, damn it all,” the doctor said as he walked out with his cane slamming into the floor with each step, his usual smile replaced with a much more unpleasant scowl. “As soon as the episode ended, she passed out. There are no signs of illness, no signs of arts usage, nothing points to a proper cause. It’s as if these damnable migraines are the force of something trying to possess her! I-”

 

“Mephisto, calm yourself,” Frostnova commanded without a trace of kindness in her voice. This earned her a sinister glare which she coldly returned to the spiteful liberi. Her admonishing gaze won out, however, and he gave a defeated sigh. Mephisto leaned on the wall and held his cane close. 

 

Silence hung in the room like a body, consuming all of their attention. It wasn’t until Faust shifted in his chair, an unusual sight in of itself, did the silence break. Both gazes were now on Faust, and he responded.

 

“This can’t go on. Either Patriot takes the reins or we leave the tundra. There’s no other choice in this. We can’t fight with our leader in this state.”

 

“Faust, are you seriously suggesting-” Mephisto started, only to be interrupted.

 

“We’re at a crossroad, Mephisto. Father led us before Talulah’s group joined with ours.”

 

“But leaving the tundra would mean we clash with the army! Isn’t that something even the Aegis were avoiding? Admit it, you and Patriot aren’t willing to take the losses!”

 

“You…” Frostnova growled at the little shit. How dare he, how dare he belittle their work on the tundra as avoiding the army. Ice crystals began growing, radiating from her position, causing the two to flinch as the frost slowly enveloped the floor they stood on. “How dare you suggest we never clashed with the army out of cowardice. We faced off against the Emperor’s Blades themselves to keep your ilk alive.”

 

Frostnova and Mephisto glared at each other, leaving the third member of the conversation to let loose an open sigh. He looked to Mephisto and said, “Mephisto, I would have thought you of all people would see reason in avoiding picking fights with comrades.”

 

“But-”

 

“Drop it,” Faust snapped back before Mephisto could say anything. Mephisto’s eyes widened in shock as he just stood there, slack-jawed like a little kid who had just been scolded by a parent. At this, Faust let loose another sigh and stood up. “I’m keeping watch outside. Please keep quiet, for Talulah’s sake if nothing else.”

 

Frostnova shut her eyes and hung her head, ashamed at how she had lost her composure, even for a moment. Her lip quivered and her fists trembled, turned away from Mephisto as she considered leaving.

 

“Listen, I’m sorry. That…was wrong of me, I know you’re still grieving their deaths. I was stressed, and it wasn’t right to take that out on you. Go, I’ll make sure big sis sleeps peacefully,” Mephisto’s voice sounded from behind her. 

 

Frostnova’s fists came undone and she felt a cold sensation well up in her eyes. Visions of the terrified child hiding behind Faust filled her memory and she let loose a cold, cathartic breath from her nostrils.

 

“Leave it, it was a pointless spat. Nothing more.”

 

As she left ,” Frostnova replied coldly. With that said, she walked out the door, not bothering to look back and see the sadistic liberi’s response. She didn’t understand. How had the sweet child named Eno turned into such a monster on the battlefield? His tactics earned him a nasty reputation, and it was clear watching him that he enjoyed reveling in the suffering his power created. She remembered Eno’s songs, those sweet tunes that helped put even her mind at ease. She still sung some of those tunes to this day, in his place. All that was left after losing his singing voice was Mephisto, a commander who treated the battlefield as a chess board. 

 

“How did it turn out like this?” she thought to herself as she watched the snow fall during her walk. A divide had formed in their movement. At first, Talulah had united the infected of the tundra, and now they had sent the infected patrols running. When the army took a stab, they were more united as Patriot declared his fealty to Talulah’s cause in his victory speech. They had done it, they had become the dominant force of the tundra. Everywhere they went, Reunion was hailed as the true defenders of Northern Ursus. Then Patriot’s oripathy caught up with him, the old wendigo losing his commanding voice to the raspy, clattering, mutated larynx he now spoke out of. Then, Talulah changed. One day, they lost someone. A kind soul one might see in the background, tending to children, baking treats should the materials present themselves, mending tattered clothing, comforting the many lost souls with her radiant kindness. A true saint among the infected. 

 

For some reason, this one loss among many weighed heavily on Talulah. Their leader went into a depressive spiral of grief. Frostnova only met Alina a scant few times, but she had seen it, the radiant kindness glowing like the sun. Her smile was bright enough to melt snow, her motherly aura threatening to warm even Frostnova’s icy breath, her gentle kindness enough to chase away any and all pain. The clothes she made were warm, the food she made was delicious, the songs she sang were hypnotizing. 

 

It wasn’t hard to see how their idealist leader fell so deeply in love with Alina. They thought they were hiding their relationship, but if one looked between the lines even a little bit, it was easy to see how deeply they cared for each other. Much like Frostnova was grieving for the brothers and sisters she lost to the Emperor’s Blades, Talulah was still grieving Alina’s death. They could both function, until the migraines started.

 

One day, Talulah went out to an isolated village to talk trade. She came back covered in ash and with broken eyes, eyes her father had seen in many soldiers. The eyes of someone who had finally broken. Someone who had seen enough horrors that they would become numb and unfeeling to the hells of tragedies Ursus’ wars brought forth, be they a war between sovereign states, or a war against their own civilians.

 

Against her better judgment, Patriot went to investigate. Frostnova hesitantly followed, but what she saw made her wish she hadn’t. The entire village had been burned to ash, the charred corpses, the smoldering houses, the sight of a village consumed by wrathful flames. 

 

Only one person in the tundra could create such a sight.

 

If it hadn’t been for Patriot’s quick actions, Frostnova was sure they would have lost the Talulah they all knew. That night, Patriot shared his woes to Talulah, the reason he came to the tundra, the reason he turned on the Empire. That was all Frostnova heard from Talulah herself, and the two had grown even closer somehow. They trusted each other.

 

Ever since that day, the migraines have delayed the push to leave the tundra. Food was scarce, desertions rose, and the Emperor’s Blades have put them all on edge. Sometimes, Frostnova would hear the hiss of an oven or boiler and she would mistake them for the monstrous hissing of the Liches’ masks that housed their accursed abilities to suffocate even the very earth. 

 

“Frostnova.”

 

The Yeti’s leader whipped around and held out her hand rapidly, cold sweat forming as she came face to face with one of her own unit. 

 

“Easy big sister, it’s just me.”

 

“Ivan, don’t scare me like that.”

 

“I wasn’t hiding my presence, are you alright?”

 

“Yes…I was just…”

 

“You should take it easy, everyone’s been on edge. We need at least one leader in this damned hellhole to keep a level head.”

 

Frostnova gave a light smile and nodded, “Thank you, I’ll try to rest up.”

 

“Also, don’t be so hard on yourself. Nothing could have prevented their deaths.”

 

Frostnova watched as their first sentry started grabbing his throat, gagging and sputtering as the ground whipped up black miasma and the snow itself shifted to a dark color. Snow enveloped, turned black, and sizzled out of existence. As if he was the snow, the soldier followed the same fate as he became a black statue and pieces of him started to whisk away in the wind. Frostnova turned her head to the other sentries and began barking orders.

 

“Run! They kn-”

 

One by one, each sentry fell, gagging as the first one did. Some resisted being killed, but the ground around them became tainted as one lone figure came into view. Black miasma hissed out of his mask as the ground beneath him turned black and snow crumbled with each step. 

 

“Pathetic, so this is the legendary Yeti Squadron? Guerilla masters of the Ursus North? What stroke of luck allowed you to aid in the defeat of one of our glorious armies,” a ragged, muffled voice came from behind the mask. As the figure walked, the miasma spread and he looked upon the yetis. 

 

Frostnova felt her heart stop beating as it glared at her. Her breath hitched in her throat, but when she saw  the arm of the Blade move, a wave of dark crystals shot forth and speared a caster trying to ambush the blade. He became a pincushion and dark miasma left the crystals, spreading to the snow which began to fall and sizzle on the ground. It was only overtaken by the spread of red as one of her brothers bled out.

 

“Fall back, don’t attempt to ambush!”

 

“Wise choice. We’ve already pinpointed your numbers. Now, let’s see if the Yeti’s leader lives up to her reputation.”

 

His arm waved, and a torrent of black miasma erupted from around him and made its way to her.

 

“Sister!”

 

Frostnova woke up to Ivan shaking her. His gloves freezing to his hands as he did. She immediately backed off before she could give her brother frostbite, and his eyes softened as he saw her finally meet his gaze.

 

“Finally, you’re back. Go, get some rest.”

 

“I’ll do that,” Frostnova replied with a downward tilt of her head. 

 

With that, Frostnova made her way to bed, the cold trailing with her a little stronger than usual. 

 

---

 

A long puff of smoke escaped into the air, gaze never leaving the paper. For seemingly hours, he flipped through each and every one of the pages, scrutinizing each word, each letter, and even when smoking he didn’t stop reading. As she took a ginger sip of tea, Fumizuki found herself becoming more and more curious as to what her husband found so interesting. He only behaved this way when he found something particularly interesting. He would take small glances to her while smoking or close his eyes, perhaps he would take his time flipping a page and intake a larger breath than usual, or maybe he would take a sip of his coffee to keep himself focused.

 

The fact he wasn’t doing these small things to cope with his boredom told her that whatever he was reading caught his attention. So, she decided to take a stab at asking.

 

“What has captivated your attention so, dear?”

 

Wei Yenwu grunted in minor annoyance and looked up from the paper to his wife. She waited patiently as he took another smoke to give himself time to think.

 

“Do you remember Evan Carvey?”

 

“The otherworldly traveler whose vehicle crashed Miss Swire’s car? That was quite the event, it would be hard to forget.”

 

“We’ve received a proposal from Rhodes Island, an exclusive offer to have Rhine Lab sell their first joint product to us. Specifically, it seems to be targeting the upwards expansion. Apparently, a new technology that doesn’t use originium which can generate power from sunlight.”

 

“That…” Fumizuki tried to start, but the words failed her and she looked at her husband with her version of surprise. 

 

“It sounds impossible. But, it is backed by Rhine Lab, and an otherworldly traveler…” he said, going into thought as he gazed at the paper again. “But from the information, it would take impressive amount to match an originium reactor…”

 

“He did say there were few technologies in his world that could match what we use originium for.”

 

Yenwu scratched his chin a little as he thought about uses for this technology. Surprisingly, the paper talked about how this technology was an amazing small-scale power solution. It could power small low-power electronics, it could power individual homes well, and it could be used to make charging stations for non-originium electronics. The last one didn’t make much sense to him, but thinking about it did make sense if someone were to work on moving away from originium power. 

 

“Do you think it would be worth moving away from originium power?” 

 

This earned the aging chief’s attention. He looked into Fumizuki’s eyes, narrowed slightly and her posture straightened and unrelaxed. He met her gaze as he thought. He thought hard about what she was thinking, and both of them knew it. Fumizuki had her moments where she really wanted him to figure out what she was trying to imply. 

 

“It would certainly help reduce accidents. We lose too many damn engineers to oripathy already.”

 

“And what of your niece, is she lost to us?”

 

Wei Yenwu’s eyes widened suddenly and his gaze swung fiercely to Fumizuki. So that’s what she was thinking. He let out an annoyed sigh, earning him a harsher glare from his wife. He met her gaze, his own eyes narrowing and his lips tightening. This earned him a less serious gaze from her, but she still gazed at him with her determined expression.

 

“I made a vow, I will never give up on her. To that, you have my word.”

 

“I see,” she said, closing her eyes and tilting her head downwards demurely. “I hope, for your sake, that is enough.”

 

A low groan escaped his lips and he took a puff of his pipe. He then shifted, unraveling his tall, large form from the floor to leave the room. He had some calls to make. Even so, he gazed back at Fumizuki, she hadn’t moved an inch since she last spoke. 

 

After he left the room, he cracked his neck, savoring the brief feeling that something had been set right.

 

---

 

When she woke up, she was in a cold sweat. Shooting up out of bed, she looked around the room of the simple log cabin she sat in. Even though her surroundings were completely normal, she couldn’t help but feel panicked. The remnants of her fight stung in her head and had reduced to a mild throbbing, but she could tell. It was still there.

 

“Damn him!”

 

As soon as she thought it, a needle of pain shot through her skull. She gazed to her sword, propped up in the corner. Images and memories flooded her head and she held her head. She grabbed her head and cursed him again and again. Mental pain shot through her head, images flashed rapidly before her psyche, amplifying the pain. Tears enveloped her eyes and leaked out the corners.

 

“Damn you, Kaschey! Vile snake!” she shouted, throwing her bedding with enough force to thump against the wall. That was enough for the door to swing open, leading to Mephisto frantically hobbling to her aid, his cane struggling to keep up with the pace he needed. 

 

“Talulah, are you alright?” he asked with panic in his eyes. He noticed her trying to get out of bed and she felt a hand push down on her core. 

 

“No, let me up. I need to-”

 

“What you need is to rest! Now lie down or I will force you.”

 

Talulah looked at his face, and what she saw relaxed her muscles and she allowed Mephisto to gently lie her down. After that, she turned away from Mephisto, ashamed to meet his gaze. She felt the bed move, signifying her doctor had taken a seat on the bed. She looked at the bedding and felt her eyes tremble. Her eyes shifted to her hand as it bunched up, fist twitching. 

 

“Some leader I am, huh?” She asked no one in particular.

 

“That’s not true.”

 

“I can’t even look after myself.”

 

“Stop it.”

 

“I can’t even shake my past, I’m still chained to it…”

 

“Talulah…”

 

“At this rate…Patriot should-”

 

“Enough!” Mephisto shouted. She felt the bed rise behind her. Footsteps and slams of the cane were heard, and she watched as Mephisto’s small frame entered her field of view. “Talulah, look at me.”

 

She looked to the sheets below her.

 

“Look at me!” he commanded, slamming his cane on the ground.

 

Her eyes met his, a scowl present on his brows with a disapproving frown arched on his lips. 

 

“You’re our leader. Patriot didn’t unite the tundra, you did. Patriot didn’t barter for food and clothes, you did. He didn’t give us a chance to fight, you did. Talulah, you gave us a future. You saved the Tundra, and now you’re going to give up and hand the torch to Patriot?”

 

“But-”

 

“But nothing, where’s the Talulah who dreamed? The one who swore she would give us a city, a land, a future? It wasn’t that blasted old wendigo parading around the tundra like some folk hero, you made these promises. You’re the strongest person I know, and I won’t allow you to give up on yourself.”

 

“I see,” she said with a warm smile crossing her face. She looked deep inside herself, seeing the embers of her passion and reached out to touch them. Outstanding, there was something left in there after all. By now she had been so convinced they had burned up to nothing but ash. Yet, she saw the embers crackle and glow. 

 

But what could relight it? She looked deep inside her heart. What did she hold dear? She gasped as an image of Alina flashed to her mind and the embers sizzled. Warm liquid streamed down her face and sizzled to steam on the coals of her passion. She groaned and tightened her grip, but once she had enough hold to grab Alina she felt something else pull out with it. 

 

Hatred.

 

Attached to this desire was hatred, wrath, anger. She was angry she had to walk this path without her, wrath flowed in her as she thought about what people would do to her for being infected, she hated those people. She hated them. 

 

A crack sounded as the coals responded to the hatred. Why shouldn’t she feel this? They had been wronged, forced to live in hell because they were alive. She hated it. The hatred pulsed in her hands and she dropped it on the coals. 

 

No resistance was given as it began blazing into an inferno.

 

“Mephisto,” she said, looking up to the liberi with a renewed look in her eyes. “Leave the room.”

 

“Very well.” 

 

After the door shut, she lifted herself out of bed. She walked to the wardrobe and opened it up. Old and tattered clothes showed, and she looked. As she moved them around, something in the back caught her eye. Reaching out, she removed the old cloth to reveal a dress, neatly folded and kept in remarkably good condition.

 

Moving it to the bed, she splayed it out and admired it before moving to unbutton her officer uniform. Each button that came undone, she remembered another vile lesson of the snake. Each button felt as though it were a lock on a gate holding her back. Once that gate opened, she placed the dress on. 

 

The old mirror reflected her new form and she looked back to the uniform. She tossed it to the air and snapped her fingers.

 

In a flash, flames licked and lapped away the cloth to embers and ash. She smiled a little at being free from her past. 

 

Or so she thought.

 

The door opened to the cabin and she stepped out, the camp’s heads turning to see their leader in a new dress, her sword clutched in her hand. She had their attention, good. 

 

“My infected brothers and sisters, I would like to apologize. I am aware that I have worried you, that my condition hindered our push to the south, to a future.”

 

People began streaming in from around camp, listening intently.

 

“Today, I am glad to announce that thanks to Mephisto’s efforts, I have recovered a fading flame. I promised you a future, a path out of this forsaken wasteland they cage us in like animals.”

 

Patriot stood in the trees, like a sentinel. Listening quietly as he took in the words with his expressionless mask.

 

“Today, I would like to renew my promise. I will lead those willing, out of the tundra. I will show you a new path, a new future. We will no longer live in fear of the patrols and their savagery. Should you have me as your leader, I will promise you that we will not only have a future, but we will have justice for our wrongs. Those of you who have doubts about this plan, you are free to leave. You are free to continue living in the tundra as banished from society. But if you find your backbone, if you’re willing, I promise to show you a life with meaning, hope, and happiness.”

 

She paused, and at that moment the old wendigo moved from the trees and walked to her. Those who were ready to cheer halted their celebration. Silence permeated the cold air, leaving only an ominous feeling of foreboding. 

 

Once Patriot was steps away from Talulah, he stood there, and their eyes locked. Seconds turned to minutes as their breaths crystalized in the cold air as ice. Neither of them said anything for many moments, until a rattling was heard from Patriot’s throat. 

 

“The army…waits. Are…you…ready to…face…the loss?”

 

Talulah straightened her posture and held her arms at her side. She inhaled, gaining some height as she did so. She stared back at Patriot, unflinching, unyielding and responded.

 

“I am. I am willing to face the losses and the risks of this plan. If we don’t try, how can we say we gained anything?”

 

“...Good. As…a leader…should be,” he muttered scratchily to her before turning. When he spoke, his voice was louder, and all across the camp heard it. “ The guerillas…shall march. The army…will…face…our might. We…are…Reunion!”

 

Upon the declaration’s end, thumping sound as the earth reverberated. In a synchronization reminiscent to that of war drums, the old wendigo slammed his spear to the earth, making it sing. The guerillas followed suit, the Aegis’ shields making the most noise. Chanting soon followed, and the campsite erupted into a chorus of booms and chants. 

 

Inside the newly ignited flame inside Talulah, a sinister grin appeared on the hatred that now fueled her heart, pleased with the outcome. 

Chapter 19: Back to Lungmen

Yet another month had passed by for Evan since he had been unceremoniously isekai’d. Now, he was packing up to go back to where it all started, Lungmen. He had to admit that he was a little excited, but he was also nervous. Why? Well, he hadn’t left Lungmen on the greatest of terms with rumors that he slept with two of the LGD’s top officers, Senior Lieutenant Beatrice Swire and Senior Superintendent Ch’en Hui-chieh. Yeah, he was a bit nervous given Swire’s quick temper and Ch’en’s cold ruthlessness. He didn’t think they would blame him, but he didn’t like the idea that the rumors could have gotten worse. 

 

Speaking of Swire, she actually still kept in touch with him, via mail of course, and one such letter contained her PDA contact information for when he did get into Lungmen. After all, Beatrice was rather generous, offering him work and fixing his car, which had undergone minor modifications to allow it to traverse the wastelands. Nothing much beyond a tire change and a change in suspension height, but it had been changed from a vehicle used to having road infrastructure. 

 

“Well color me surprised, it actually looks nice,” Closure commented before popping open the hood, stars sparkling in her eyes as she looked at the interior. “Whoa, look at all this! I’ve never seen anything like it. Oh look, a battery. You said this thing can help assist the car?”

 

“I’m not sure, it might be a larger battery stored in a different part of the car, but I think this battery starts the combustion engine.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. But wow, this is much more complex than anything we’ve made. Hey, would you-”

 

“No, you can only study, not touch or take apart. Use laser scanning or something to figure it out.”

 

“Ugh, fine, I’ll use non-invasive, non-damaging arts procedures to scan it. You’re no fun.”

 

“Quit pouting, you know I’m not letting you deconstruct my car!”

 

After that, Closure sputtered and then started laughing merrily. Unable to help himself, he joined in a little. This earned them glances from their travel partners who were already there, which included the two Penguin Logistics operators who had taken him to Rhodes Island in the first place. Add in Mayer who made the demonstration, and then you had almost everyone.

 

“Seems you two get along well,” the final operator said from leaning on the wall. “Closure works with almost nothing but her drones for a while, it’s nice to see her taking on more.”

 

Closure turned to him and put her hands on her hips, “Oh, quiet Ace. Even you can’t tell me the service drones haven’t been useful.”

 

Ace merely grinned at this. The man himself was obviously liberi or something with minimal animal features, but what was most striking was his chiseled facial structure full of masculine features almost hidden by his scruffy, thick, but neat beard. He wore heavy sunglasses and had a headset that didn’t seem to muffle outside noise given the fact he could talk normally. Beside him was a massive riot shield and a large backpack full of god knows what. Finally, strapped to his belt was a simple hammer for a weapon. The man himself was very meaty, and it made Evan wonder how strong he was by this world’s standards if Swire lifting him like a ragdoll was anything to consider.

 

It didn’t take long for the preparations to get finished, and once they were it was time to divvy up who rode in which car. Closure, of course, insisted she was riding with Evan. Surprisingly, Texas offered to ride with them, under the pretext that the car needed at least one combat operator in it. Thankfully, Lungmen wasn’t going to be a long trip, but it wasn’t going to be any easy one with the head of the Engineering Department sitting shotgun in a car from another world. 

 

“What’s this button do?” she asked, pointing to the buttons not in Terran Script, as Evan took to calling it, which was surprising as he nearly grabbed her hand expecting her to haphazardly push the button.

 

“That’s the fan, for the AC.”

 

“Oh, duh. Fan, how does it cool itself without using arts though?”

 

“It just pumps hot air out.”

 

“Whoa, that’s so simple of an explanation,” she spat, which made him snicker a little, which in turn earned him  an elbow to his arm. “Seriously though, how does it work? How do you separate the hot air anyways?”

 

“Well, you heat up a refrigerant-”

 

“Refrigerant? What the heck is that?”

 

“A coolant, essentially, I’ll see if I can give specifics later. Anyways, the refrigerant is heated up by its environment inside the space you want to cool. After that, it’s pumped into a chamber connected outside where fans blow air out as heat transfers from the coolant to the outside air, then it’s pumped back inside and the cycle repeats.”

 

“That’s…a lot more complicated than pumping hot air out, it’s more like you’re pumping heat and then using air to blow it out. Anyways, normal AC is made by using arts to cool down the air then releasing it back in, much simpler.”

 

“Except you need originium, so if the AC needs repair or breaks down, you have what could be active originium being spewed into the air or you need to be careful your energy source hasn’t been ruptured.”

 

Closure just blinked dumbly at this, a little wide eyed, but then she grinned shortly after.

 

“Well I’ll be damned, I never thought about it that way. Normally we just contain the originium as best we can, but I guess if that breaks down it does pose an infection risk. I never thought about that.”

 

“I’m so surprised that this world flocks to such a dangerous material for energy. Sure, it’s convenient, but it makes me wonder how many billions of dollars is spent treating the infected rather than implementing better safety measures or alternatives.”

 

“It’s too easy to make money off of,” Texas chimed in from the back. “If you see the price on originium products and originite fuel, it’s pretty clear whoever is making money makes a lot of it.”

 

What Texas just said made all too much sense, which was rather depressing. It also explained why even though there were signs he wasn’t the first transported here, no serious effort to change the status quo was made. Just like how his world continued to use fossil fuels to make money the old fashioned way, Terra had its own old fashioned way which had its own drawbacks. It seemed oripathy was just another tragedy to mix into the consequences. 

 

“Hey, don’t look so gloomy there. You’re helping, after all. Besides, this works right into one of Rhodes Island’s base goals of fighting oripathy if you think about it. Who knows, maybe thanks to you a day will come when the mines are quarantined and we’ll be left wondering why we ever used it for things other than arts in the first place,” Closure encouraged with a much more somber smile on her face. He didn’t get to enjoy the moment long as it quickly gave way to her greedy drooling as she added, “And think how much richer we’ll be when that day comes.”

 

Again, just when he was starting to think better of her.

 

Getting into Lungmen was relatively easy, considering he still had that little pass Ch’en gave him was still on hand, so when they pulled into Lungmen, they reached their destination just a little earlier than expected. This became especially evident when a certain duo came into the door, bickering as usual, only for a large thump to be heard as a certain heiress pounced him in the split second she saw him.

 

“Hey, Evan!” Beatrice excitedly said before curling her fingers and giving a bright smile. “Gao~.”

 

“What are you…oh my god I really have entered an anime universe.”

 

Not far off, some lungmen explicatives were clearly said as Ch’en ripped Swire off of Evan.

 

“Let me go!”

 

“Get off our guest, you’re being shameful.”

 

The tiger lady then flashed Ch’en a wicked grin and said, “What, you jealous?”

 

Evan was hoping Ch’en wouldn’t fall for the obvious provocation, but to his horror she immediately blushed and let go, crossing her arms and turning away. To his further horror, Beatrice snickered and leaned behind her superior and continued teasing her, “I knew it, you’re totally jealous. Aren’t ya, aren’t ya?” 

 

This earned a very quick explicative and for Ch’en to whip around and point her finger at the rich lieutenant.

 

“I am not, you-!”

 

“Ugghh…” Evan groaned very loudly and openly, drawing both their attention. “Do either of you have the self awareness to the rumors of me allegedly sleeping with both of you?”

 

This earned more than a gasp from Closure and Croissant in particular, and Texas’ attention apparently. 

 

“Oh. My. Gosh. Evan!” Closure said with her mouth barely covered by her open hand and an ear to ear grin. “You didn’t tell me you slept with Madame Ch’en and Miss Swire?!”

 

“I did not!” all three of them shouted in unison, Ch’en blushing the heaviest. 

 

This earned a very hearty laugh from Closure as she wrapped her arm around Evan and cheerfully poked, “Just messin with ya, there’s no way this guy isn’t a virgin.”

 

“You’re exactly right, Closure.”

 

“Eh?” she sounded, a blank stare aimed at him, as he stood there with his arms crossed, genuinely surprised at this revelation. “Wait, are you serious?”

 

Silence.

 

Evan dared to peek an eye open and saw everyone staring at him.

 

“What? Is it seriously that surprising?”

 

“N-No, I-...Wh-...Uh…” Closure struggled, clearly still trying to process the confirmative information she just received. Swire’s mouth hung dumbly open, Ch’en had a raised brow, and he had no idea about the operators behind him, but judging from the silence it was surely as surprising to them as well.

 

“Oh come on, is it really that surprising?”

 

“N-No, I just…didn’t expect you to…say it. Hehe,” Closure responded, laughing nervously to try and clear the air, slipping her arm off him to rub the back of her head. “Ok…, let’s get going. Which floor is the meeting on again?”

 

Following the awkward elevator ride, the group made their way to the meeting room. Again, Wei loved his reds and oranges, but this one was a proper meeting room with an array of people at it. Immediately, Ch’en and Swire took their respective seats. The dragon taking a seat to the right of Wei Yenwu, and the tiger took a seemingly random seat. If distance from Lungmen’s chief was any indicator, Swire’s seat was surprisingly close.

 

Once he was seated, Evan noticed something, almost everyone in the room was looking at him. Well, everyone that wasn’t a Rhodes Island operator. He took a mental gulp for courage and took time to think, coming up with scenarios in his head. He hoped Closure and Mayer would take the bulk, but he had a bad feeling about those odds with the amount of judging he was clearly receiving. Many of the elites in the room were sizing him up, trying to see what angle he would play. The room wasn’t hard to read, but the people, that was another story. 

 

“Everyone appears to be here. First, I would like to introduce our guests. No doubt, you all know of Rhodes Island, the pharmaceutical company that managed to partner with Blacksteel and more recently, Rhine Lab. This,” Wei started before pointing his pipe at Closure, “is Rhodes Island’s Head of Engineering, Miss Closure. The one next to her is the pioneer of this remarkable technology, Evan Carvey. They are here to sell us a new technology, a device that can turn sunlight into electrical power. If you would, we would like to see the device.”

 

“Certainly,” Closure responded. She then took the device from Croissant, who was charged with transporting it, and opened its container. Afterwards she placed the device on the table, and those who haven’t seen it looked at it in wonder. A thin board of solar cells attached to some electrical equipment, including a switch and a lightbulb. “This is our demonstration model, once Rhine Lab has access to the prototypes, they will be the ones responsible for optimizing the device for consumer use.”

 

Once that came, a round of questions came to Closure which she answered readily and happily. Watching their reactions, he could tell each of them was impressed the more that was explained, and then someone broached the subject of arts. This was when Closure gave a grin and turned her head to Evan that clearly said ‘your turn’.

 

“Actually, the device does not run on arts or originium, rather it only takes advantage of something called the Photo-electric Effect, I won’t get into the full explanation, but it is when electric charge is created and moved when light strikes certain materials. By placing n-type silicon over p-type silicon, this effect can be controlled to create an electric current. Here, I’ll show you through the demonstration model.”

 

Once the switch flipped and the light turned on, a few gasps were heard and a wave of questions started pouring in. He had to explain things such as how no, this couldn’t replace originium reactors unless it was a lot and yes, it didn’t produce power during the night. More technical questions such as its uses in small scale power came later. 

 

After a time, the meeting was dismissed for lunch and Chief Wei said that Lungmen needed time to come to a decision and they were dismissed for the day as they would announce the verdict on whether or not to buy the technology tomorrow.

 

After that, the group itself split up between the Penguin Logistics operators who were going back to said logistics company and the rest of them who made their way to the branch office. In all honesty, he was kind of hoping he would’ve gotten to spend some time with Ch’en or Beatrice as it had been three months since he last saw either. It seemed that would have to wait though. 

 

After checking in at the front desk, they walked through to an area that looked an awful lot like the Rhodes Island dorms, with hallways of rooms that had one or more beds built into the walls. That was when Closure turned around and announced how they would bunk.

 

“Alright, I’m going to take this room, Evan and Ace, you two share a two bed room, since Evan hasn’t had any combat training, I think this would be in his best interest. Can’t have our guest of honor getting kidnapped in the middle of the night.”

 

“Has that happened?” he asked nervously. Closure’s response was to giggle before replying.

 

“Nope, but we have had raids by underground organizations. Typically they spike when Penguin Logistics operators are in the building, but we should be safe tonight.”

 

What in the world was Penguin Logistics up to if they were a variable in mobster raids?

 

“But, regardless, you should be in good hands. Ace is one of our finest, an Elite Operator of Rhodes Island’s combat operators. Well, ciao, have a good day. I’m off to check stuff around the facility. Been a while since I was off the landship.”

 

With that, his boss and the otter were gone, leaving him alone. Well, not entirely if he counted the bombastic Mayer and the hulking presence of Ace. 

 

“Well, since it’s around lunch time, how do you two feel about grabbing some grub? I know a good noodle place not too far from here.”

 

“Ooh, it’s been a while since I’ve had Yen style noodles, authentic no less. Count me in!”

 

“Sure, I’m up for some Chinese,” Evan said out loud by mistake, this earned him some weird looks, leading him to scratch his head nervously while looking for an excuse. He gave a nervous laugh before correcting, “Yes…Yen…um…cuisine?”

 

“Yeah, great going there.”

 

To his surprise, Ace just gave a smile and said, “Alright, let’s go.”

 

Mildly confused, Evan just decided to ignore it for now and followed Ace as he led them to the aforementioned noodle place. A short walk through Lungmen’s busy streets revealed it was indeed a noodle place. A noodle stand was more like it. By that he meant your stereotypical outdoor ramen restaurant with cloth screens displaying the logo being the only semblance of doors. The smell of ramen was quite welcoming, and his nose could already tell he would be enjoying the food here, if his distinguishing palette didn’t have anything to say about it. 

 

Upon sitting down, he found himself flanked by Mayer on his left and Ace on his right. Immediately, the shopkeep noticed his new customers and greeted them fondly. Evan noticed a pile of menus and took out two, giving one to Mayer as she was farthest from them. There was a listing of tap beer, and after a small inquiry about what each were, he settled on an amber ale which Mayer also ordered. Ace didn’t even have to ask to get what looked like an IPA to Evan at first glance. Ace offered a sip, which he decided was worth trying, only to have his mouth assaulted by the sheer bitterness of a very, very strong IPA which he visibly struggled to swallow. 

 

“Guess I should’ve warned ya,” Ace grinned before taking a sip of his own.

 

“No, just, wow that is strong. I guess it fits your character though.”

 

“Ha, I guess you could say that. You wouldn’t be the only one either.”

 

The two shared a short laugh, and then Ace changed the topic.

 

“So how’d a rumor that you slept with Miss Swire and Madame Ch’en get started anyway?”

 

With his guard completely fallen, beer flooded his sinuses and he nearly screamed. Evan earned a concerned look from Mayer while Ace had a shit-eating grin on his face. 

 

“Ugh, not pleasant. Also, you bring that up here, now?”

 

“I’m curious, it sounds like an interesting story.”

 

Before reciting the story, Evan poorly decided to begin chugging his beer down. Liquid courage, or social lubricant as one could call it. “Another beer please. Thank you. Now then, it all started when I collided with Beatrice’s car.”

 

---

 

A splash resounded as a large object slammed into the river. Above the bridge it was chucked from, an emperor penguin dressed in gangster attire looked down and whistled. 

 

“Well that made one hell of a splash, hey send the next fat tony down.”

“Aye aye, Boss!” a cheerful acknowledgement came from a redhead with short hair covering one eye as Croissant lifted a comically overweight mobster onto the railing with gag covering his face. With one swift motion, the knot on his hands was undone and the redhead smiled cheerfully, face lit by a halo of light as she kicked him down with a smile. “Have a nice trip!”

 

The muffled cries sounded all the way down and a small wave rippled from the source of impact, creating a sizable up and down in the water along the banks. Both penguin and angel watched with great satisfaction as the fat mobster then struggled to swim his way to shore, the river carrying him down away from them.

 

“Next!” the penguin called in his surprisingly baritone voice as another mobster was handed off to Croissant from Texas, and the process repeated, angel giving a cheery farewell to the mobster who screamed the whole way down, muffled by the gag he had on. “Nice, big splash! Alright, send a skinny guy in so I can see how pathetic of a splash he makes.”

 

Texas effortlessly lifted the collar of the designated target who began shaking his head and muffled screaming sounded from under his gag. It was in vain though as Croissant slung him over her shoulder like a sack and set him over the railing like he was laundry out to dry. This rather chaotically entertaining string of events went on for a while before the emperor penguin called for the next one, only to be met with silence.

 

“What are-, oh that’s all of them,” he said before hopping off a crate he had dragged to the railing to get a good view. “Alright, let’s pack up and go home, whatever’s left of it anyways. Hopefully that’s the last of these wannabe Sicilians for the week. That’ll teach ‘em to mess with the Emperor.”

 

“You said it boss,” the angel cheerily agreed as she gathered up the rope she had saved. 

 

Meanwhile on the railing, a girl in an idol suit kicked the air as she made conversation with the least talkative of the group. If one knew what to look for, however, they would be able to tell Texas was in fact listening intently to this girl’s idle chatter. It was mostly little things, like what went on in Lungmen while she was gone, but then a new subject was broached as she began asking about Texas’ time at Rhodes Island.

 

“So, how was your time at Rhodes Island? Anything new or interesting?”

 

“Nothing of note beyond the fact both trips were transporting the same person.”

 

“Oooh, unusual. Who was it? Someone important?”

 

“An engineer intern under Miss Closure.”

 

“Aren’t ya leavin’ out the best part there, Texas?” Croissant asked from nearby. “The fact he came up with somethin’ that can turn light, of all things, into energy. Sellin’ it right here in Lungmen too. Wish I could get a hold of somethin’ that could make as much as that.”

 

“Maybe it can turn my halo light into energy,” Exusiai added, pointing to the unusual appendage unique to the sankta race. This earned a small chuckle from the two more expressive of the Penguin Logistics crew. Emperor merely gave an amused chuff in response.

 

“Does it even work?”

 

“Saw it with my own eyes, I did, Sora. I don’t think I could say ‘nuff about how impressive it is that he could make such a thing.”

 

As the four continued their banter, Emperor pulled a cigar to his beak. How he managed to light it with his flippy flappers would be anyone’s guess, but something as basic as logic wasn’t going to stop him from having a puff. 

 

---

 

 

Dark clouds swirled overhead, unnatural lightning flickering as originium crystals exchanged energy through the means nature gives clouds. From atop a hill, he could only watch as the catastrophe brewed, like liquid death in a witch’s cauldron. Dread finally overtook him and he tried to move, only to find his muscles failed to reply to the command. The clouds grew closer, and all he could do was stare at them. He had seen it when his plane first crashed, and now he sat there on the hill of a desert with no civilization in sight. 

 

The clouds grew closer, and he could start feeling his hairs standing on end, responding to the unnatural fluctuations of the mysterious black crystals. Yet, he could only watch as he stared at the storm, blinking and curious, like a deer in the headlights. 

 

The catastrophe finally drew close enough for the booms and crashes, large black crystals began falling from the sky like large chunks of hail. As one came for him, he felt his body twitch, only to find he could only watch as the large chunk fell. Time slowed and his heart began picking up. This is how it ended.

 

“Oi, wake up!” a voice shouted while shaking Evan around in his mass of covers. “Wake up! I’m not paying you to sleep in.”

 

Evan nearly screamed, only for the terror to be quickly replaced by annoyance as he saw his boss shaking him. He felt his old time acid reflux gargle in his throat and he sat up, still being shook. One swallow later and he grabbed Closure’s wrists to get her to stop.

 

“Finally, you’re awake.”

 

“Next time be more gentle, I normally wake up easier than that. Besides, you nearly made me spit up digestive juices like an infant!”

 

Closure immediately pulled back with a look of disgust on her face. 

 

“What, can handle blood, but can’t handle other bodily fluids?”

 

“I’m a vampire! I drink blood because I have to.”

 

He held his head, feeling vertigo set in briefly from sitting up so rapidly. He pulled himself out of bed, wobbling a little for some reason that he couldn’t comprehend. 

 

“A-Are you alright? You can lie down if you want, you were just having a nightmare is all. At least, that’s what I assumed was happening.”

 

“That was a dream? Shit,” he said, trying to straighten his posture. “Why is it my first nights in Lungmen have started with lucid nightmares?”

 

“Wait, this isn’t the first time?”

 

“Nope, first night in Lungmen, I dreamed of crashing into the earth. You know the story, Swire came in with some ridiculous looking chainsaw yoyo.”

 

“Well at least it isn't the alcohol.”

 

“I told you, I metabolize that crap faster than you do what makes your stools black.”

 

“Hey! Alright, I’m getting you coffee. Lie back down mister, you’re not cleared to get up until you get some caffeine in your system.”

 

“At least it’s coffee and not Terra’s version of monster.”

 

“Now you’re talking nonsense, sit down or I’m calling Ace to hold you down.”

 

“Fine fine,” Evan said while slouching against the bed. After what felt like only a few minutes, Closure came back with a piping hot cup of fresh coffee which he took with a small ‘thanks’ before immediately chugging the drink of the enlightenment, at least in his world. During this, he noticed Closure looking at him with a small bit of concern visible on her face. “What is it?”

 

“Just…” Closure tried to start, only to let out a cathartic breath before continuing with a hardened expression. “Are you ok, really?”

 

“I should be fine, just recovering from waking up too suddenly.”

 

Closure seemed, unsatisfied with the answer. He sighed and took another sip before getting up naturally. They said nothing about the subject after that, and Evan took only a few steps outside the room before he turned back to Closure.

 

“So what did you wake me up for?”

 

“Oh, right. Lungmen decided to accept our offer, we have to go to a meeting to hash out details later this afternoon.”

 

Well that was good, he even felt the edges of his lips upturn a little at the news.  

Chapter 20: Cocktails

Without so much as a knock, the door to the Doctor's office slid open. As soon as visibility was possible, a pair of sharp, green eyes looked up from their documents to the messy sight of the office with the Doctor slumped over his desk, snoring deeply with a pen pinned under one of his hands. 

 

Kal’tsit stepped over some debris to reach the desk and took a good long look at one of the top most executives of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, clearly exhausted from overworking himself. Not like Kal’tsit was entirely one to talk, but she was confident in her abilities in working overtime. Never in the past did she allow herself to fall asleep on the job, but even then, she noticed the sanity potion bottles scattered about. Bottles that weren’t there yesterday. Seems the fool finally reached his limit.

 

One by one, her hands reached for the bottles, not making so much as a clink when she piled them up in her free hand. Quietly, she placed each individual one in the office recycling bin. Looking over her head, she gazed at the Doctor snoring with moderate loudness. He was out like a light, she could tell. She noticed that while the bottles were cleaned up, there was still quite a mess.

 

“Hmph, useless,” Kal’tsit muttered as she bent over to pick up some of the rubbish lying around. “Can’t even keep your own office clean, same as ever.”

 

A snort escaped him and her ears stiffened as her eyes looked with dilated pupils, carefully observing him with great focus. Her efforts were rewarded with the sound of his normal snoring continuing. She let loose a small sigh, thanking whatever stroke of luck allowed her to go this far without him noticing. 

 

“But perhaps it is telling, just how dedicated you are to your own work,” she whispered softly. Trash quietly fell into a bin with a soft sound near his desk and she paused to look at him. His sleeping posture was beyond terrible, but he was sleeping at a desk after all.

 

As she stared at the Doctor, she felt something stir. 

 

“You’ve been through much since I met you,” she whispered, finding herself lost in the sight. “I wonder, what spurred you to change this time?”

 

Suddenly, the snoring stopped and words escaped the Doctor’s mouth, “I…wished…it had been different…”

 

Hairs stood on end as she straightened her posture, but instead the snoring continued. Kal’tsit relaxed her posture and leaned down. Slowly, she lifted a hand to the mask and wrapped her fingers around the locking mechanism. She knew how heavy of a sleeper he could be when truly exhausted, but she still moved with the utmost care.

 

How many years had it been since she allowed herself this privilege? To gaze upon his face once more. There was a time she wanted nothing more than the mask to be his face, so that she couldn’t see him as human. After all, it was his fault.

 

She was almost surprised to see how peaceful it was, and she felt her lips twitch ever so slightly at the sight.

 

“I wish…we could’ve trusted each other,” she said softly to him. 

 

Trust, what an odd word. If anyone looked to Kal’tsit’s actions over the years, any outsider could tell she trusted the Doctor. She would say she trusted his skills, but if one read between the lines of their relationship, it was indeed an unconditional trust for the man himself. She just didn’t want to admit it herself. After all, she still wore the ring, as though they never ended their relationship on a bad note, perhaps there were many things she didn’t want to admit.

 

“...I’m sorry…” Doctor mumbled in his sleep. Kal’tsit blinked, a blank yet shocked expression showed on her face as she held her lips open ever so slightly. The mask was put back on, clicked into place gently while he continued snoring.

 

Perhaps she had been too hard on him for the past three years. 

 

“No matter what,” she softly told him. “I will never forget the oath I swore to you and Amiya. I will never abandon that. Perhaps…”

 

“...Perhaps I’m the fool…”

 

“...Perhaps one day, we can mend this rift.”

---

“That concludes this meeting, we’ll send a messenger to Rhine Labs in Columbia to finalize the transaction.”

 

With Wei’s declaration, the meeting disbanded, stuff was gathered up and some left the room in a hurry. As Evan was preparing his materials to return to the branch office, a hand slammed on his desk near him. Looking up, he was greeted with Beatrice’s shiteating grin and soon a few strong slaps on the back.

 

“Well look at you, three months later and you’re selling some new revolutionary product. I certainly didn’t expect this out of you.”

 

“Gentleman that I am, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

 

“Good choice, hey, let’s you and your buddies hit the bar to celebrate. Feel free to use me as a tab if the bar won’t accept one.”

 

“So, more debt?”

 

“As much as it takes for you to keep writing letters to me.”

 

The two continued their banter as Evan collected his things, under the watchful and curious gaze of a certain dragon. Once they were finished, they moved to meet with the rest of the group who seemed rather amiable to drinks. After a little bit of suspicious whispering between Ace and Closure, it was quickly decided where they would go for their little celebration. Evan noticed Ch’en seemed to flinch at the mention of the bar name, but he didn’t read into it any further.

 

“Oh, I’ll let Hoshi know where we’re going and she can join us after she wraps up.”

 

“She might have a lot more than normal to do, are you sure she has the time?”

 

Swire looked at Ch’en with her brows knitted together which seemed to agitate the dragon lady, visibly at that if the tail was anything to go by. It swished like an annoyed cat’s ironically. With interest from various eyes, they were observed as though they were street cats about to fight at any moment. That was until Swire gave a long, low, exasperated sigh and continued typing into her phone.

 

“You really are dense as a brick, you know. I’m willing to bet 10k LMD that she’ll show up.”

 

“...Fine, see if I care,” Ch’en replied dismissively before waving her off and walking away.

 

Some quiet swearing and a cramped elevator ride later, they ended up back in the lobby. Each person entered their assigned vehicle and they began the drive to the bar. Ace called shotgun for the purpose of showing him the way to the bar, leaving Closure in the back to fiddle with whatever she could back there. Not that there was anything of significance for her to damage in the first place. 

 

The drive wasn’t particularly long, and the traffic was rather light that day. Of course, pulling up they found the lungmenites had arrived just a tad earlier. 

 

“So, this is what totaled your car, huh?” Ch’en asked with a rare bite to her expression. 

 

“Shut up.”

 

With that jab done, they went on in to find a rather nice looking bar with what seemed to be relatively new furniture. A wall behind the back was absolutely lined with expensive looking liquors, but no bartender could be found. Instead, the penguin logistics operators were on a couch with Texas sitting next to a literal angel with glowing halo and wings while Croissant was next to a penguin dressed like a stereotypical gangster with…

 

“Is that a tupac shirt?!”

 

They were all watching a girl dressed in what seemed like a suit at first glance singing on the table they were surrounding with a mic in one hand as she made wide gestures with the other. 

 

“Oh, welcome!” the blonde idol girl said with a wink and a peace sign before losing balance. 

 

In a flash, Texas shot up from her seat and set her arm to catch the falling blonde who had her eyes closed, waiting for the ground to hit. When she got caught, she opened her eyes quickly to see Texas’ face and immediately flushed red with embarrassment. 

 

“Oi, who’s barging in at this hour, didn’t you see-. Wait, who was supposed to put up the closed sign?!” the gangster penguin spouted from his seat, bottle and a cigar somehow being held in the flippers.

 

“I’m sure it’s hardly a bother, you looked like you were enjoying yourselves,” Ace commented with a somewhat cheeky grin on his face. 

 

“Let’s see, LGD, Elite Combat Operators, Closure, and a new face…or two, where did you come from?” Emperor asked as he pointed his cigar at Mayer and then Evan.

 

“I’ve been here since the beginning.”

 

“Really? Odd,” the penguin commented. He hopped off the chair and waddled over to Evan, staring at him for a good moment or two while muttering to himself. “Oh, ooooooh, I get it. It’s one of you, haven’t seen your kind around for a while.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do you mean by that, Emperor? What do you know about Evan?”

 

“Easy there Closure, I know about as much of these matters as you do, probably. No doubt, you have a lot of questions, and I could only answer the meaningless ones for now. But I don’t want any serious talk today, you guys came here to wet your beaks, celebrate a little? Well you’ve come to the right place. Feel free to use the bar as you see fit…just so long as you don’t take anything without paying.”

 

To some surprised looks, Evan walked over to the bar and behind it. As the penguin instructed, he looked at the rows of bottles and picked out a few. Afterwards, he began picking up the various barkeeping equipment and set it in an order that made sense to him.

 

“Well, color me surprised, I didn’t know you could bartend,” Closure replied with a pleased grin and took a seat at the bar. 

 

“Well, I don’t know about drinks from Terra, but I can certainly give you what I know.”

 

“Do you know what a bloody mary is?” Closure asked with a sharp grin on her face that showed off her fangs.

 

“So long as it’s not literal…hope you like tomatoes.”

 

“Eh, sure, I can always spice it up with some of this,” she said while pulling out a pouch of blood. 

 

“Hey, that’s unsanitary, put it away. You asked for a bloody mary, you’re getting a bloody mary.”

 

“You’re no fun,” Closure pouted while shoving the blood pouch back in her jacket’s inner pocket.

 

“Oooh, this looks fun. Hey, give me something with that quality Londinium gin over there,” Swire ordered as she took a seat. It didn’t take long to imagine a drink that would sit well with her, but he also didn’t want to do anything overly complicated. He just didn’t want to go overboard when he didn’t know the full capacity of what was available to him. Ah, he knew exactly what to make.

 

They watched in some fascination as Evan first made Closure’s request. A bloody mary was a staple drink in his world, so it wasn’t too surprising he could find one named the same thing here if his hypothesis on otherworldly travel were correct. First was the worcestershire sauce, then he took a lemon and squeezed it over. Next was one part vodka and two parts tomato juice, he then stirred until they were thoroughly mixed together. 

 

“Any preferred garnish, Miss Closure?” he asked with a small smile. That smile quickly faded when she reached into her coat pocket. “I’m afraid you’ll have to do that yourself.”

 

Next was Swire’s. While he was sure sweet and fancy would sit well with her, he didn’t have any idea if he had such capabilities. For now, he took out a bottle of gin, club soda, triple sec, and some grenadine. For this, he put ice in a glass and placed the alcohol first. The gin and triple sec were both one part, and he filled it with club soda. He stirred it a little then added grenadine on top. Last, a single candied cherry. 

 

“And for Miss Beatrice Swire, a gin rose.”

 

The tiger took a sip and replied, “Not bad, where’d you learn to bartend?”

 

“Funny story, that. When I first started drinking, my parents enjoyed making cocktails. Mom had a book on it really. I decided I would take a course between semesters at a technical college. The idea was I would bartend while going to grad school, but…well, I think you know the end to that story.”

 

“Oh...sorry,” Beatrice mumbled, looking away as though she were embarrassed. He could understand fully why she acted as such, but the reaction just didn’t sit right with him. He didn’t entirely know why either. It was odd, he felt oddly composed since coming to the other world. 

 

“Hey, I’m not complaining. As far as I’m concerned, Evan landing his ass here is a good thing, for everyone,” Closure replied, a light tint to her cheeks. “Things were starting to get boring around Rhodes Island before you came along.”

 

“That’s just another way of saying you need to get out into the field more.”

 

“Shut up, Ace.”

 

Ace gave a good natured laugh and Closure pouted like a child. Once that train of conversation was derailed away from him did Evan notice not all attention was off of him. A certain dragoness was staring at him intently.

 

“So, you wanna order a drink, or just stare like you want something from me?"

 

Before Ch’en could answer, a certain Lieutenant gave a smug grin and teased, “Oh, it’s unlike you to stare at someone like that.”

 

Ch’en flushed red like a tomato before sputtering, “I-It’s not like that, I was just waiting for a chance to order a drink!”

 

“Then what will you order?” Beatrice probed further, her fang pointing out of her lips with mischievous intent.

 

“I…um….” Ch’en fumbled, trying to think while eyes focused on her, eagerly awaiting her answer, her excuse. “I-I’ll take a beer!”

 

“Boo! Order a cocktail bitch.”

 

“Shut up!” Ch’en shot with an angry look on her face. “I’m…”

 

“Wait…don’t tell me…” Swire muttered while squinting hard at Ch’en. “Oh my goodness, you don’t know any cocktail drinks!”

 

Evan just watched with mild fascination as Ch’en swore some unique Lungmen explicatives while he pulled out more ingredients. At the same time, he noticed Ace had snuck back behind the counter to take a bottle of whiskey while he discussed something about MEEBO combat capabilities with Mayer. 

 

Either way, midway through the dragon and tiger’s argument, a cocktail glass was slid in front of the flustered dragoness whose attention turned to the bobbing red liquid, then to who provided it and asked, “What is it?”

 

“A cosmopolitan,” Evan answered plainly. 

 

Ch’en lifted the glass and eyes the red drink carefully before bringing it to her lips and tipping it. She didn’t entirely know what to expect, but as soon as the liquid entered her mouth her tongue was assaulted by a surprisingly pleasant boozy flavor that carried the aftertaste of cranberries. It actually struck a great balance, not too sweet, not too weird, and not too hard.

 

“It’s good…” she muttered out loud. She then took another drink and placed her glass down. To that, she saw a pleased smile on her bartender’s face and looked away, heat rising to her cheeks. “G-Good job, I don’t often have cocktails, much less bother to learn their names.”

 

Evan didn’t entirely understand it, but seeing Ch’en like this erupted a desire to tease her deep within him. Before he could, however, the door opened and it drew their attention to a newcomer who gave a friendly wave and walked in. 

 

“Oh, Hoshi’s here. Looks like you owe me that LMD,” Swire cheekily stated to jab at Ch’en. While he expected Ch’en to at least react, she surprisingly just decided to let it go and turned away from Swire, much to the tiger’s visible chagrin. 

 

Immediately, Hoshiguma and Ch’en were lost in their idle banter, which of course consisted of how Hoshiguma’s day was managing the LGD office in their absence during the meetings, which drew Evan’s attention back to Closure and Swire who were already, somehow, getting mildly tipsy if their mild flushing was anything to go off of. 

 

“So, Miss Swire, what do you think so far, about Evan?” Closure openly asked with a smug grin on her face. 

 

“W-What are you asking, right in front of him no less?!” Swire tried to whisper yell to Closure, only to find his attention was indeed on them. 

 

“Ooo~? What are you so embarrassed about?”

 

“N-Nothing, get your mind out of the gutter!”

 

Unable to hold her cool any longer, Closure began laughing heartily while Swire’s tail stood on end and bristled while she grinded her teeth at the vampire. 

 

“Ok, ok, I meant as a person, an engineer, platonics like that. So, you gonna answer, or make it abundantly clear that-”

“Aaaaarrrrrgh, shut up, shut up, shut up!” Swire screamed while moving to clamp Closure’s mouth shut, nearly pushing both of them off their barstools. 

 

“At this point I might as well resign my fate to being an anime protagonist now…” Evan said to himself in his head as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

---

The door to his car opened to reveal a very, very red vampire giggling to herself like a madwoman with a half finished bottle in hand. He just sighed and helped her out, slinking her arm around his shoulder. 

 

“What a gentleman~” she cooed, barely avoiding a full slur to her words. After that, she took a swig of her bottle and the stench of alcohol filled his nostrils from her breath. 

 

“Alright, let’s get you back to your room,” Evan flatly said with a smile betraying his tone. 

 

The two stumbled through the branch office, curious gazes of various logistics operators went their way, but he did his best to ignore them. Some of them outright smiled or gave a gesture of sorts, not all of them implying what was in his mind simply a subordinate dragging their drunken boss back to her room.

 

After a trek and a couple phantom heaves from Closure, they finally made it to their rooms. Closure freed herself from his grasp and stumbled over. She carefully, and drunkenly, tried to tap her card to the lock. It beeped and flashed red and she pouted, trying again and again to get into her room. 

 

Just as she was about to do something else, she felt a warm presence on her fingers and her hand moved itself to the pad. It carefully guided her own and the light finally blinked green and the doors opened. She stared at the face of who helped her and just gazed at him for a while. After what seemed like an eternity to her, he gazed back and smiled before giving her a reassuring pat on the back.

 

Next thing she knew, she had slinked her arm around his shoulder, earning her a surprised look. Something other than the alcohol was stirring within her, and she was too drunk to bother not listening to it.

 

“Help me to bed please…” she groaned. An open sigh escaped his lips and she looked down until her hair obscured his view of her face and she smiled. She nearly tripped a few times on the way to her bed, but she was caught, warm hands catching her stomach before she could fall and a strong grip on her shoulders. 

 

“Here we are,” he said as they finally made it to bed. “Now-” 

 

He didn’t get to utter a second word into his next sentence as she shoved his back and he stumbled face first onto the bed. She used her knees to push his legs the rest of the way and snaked them over his own. The bottle hit the floor, and its remnants escaped and trickled out. She slammed her arms to either side of his head and leaned her face in until they could both smell each other’s breath. 

 

By now, he had an adorable blush on his face and just looked at her with panic. A raw, animalistic instinct took over at the sight and he squirmed his legs a little, only for her knees to tighten their grip.

 

“C-Closure, I don’t think this is-”

 

Her fingers touched his warm lips and she shushed him. Afterwards she giggled and leaned closer, he closed his eyes and she brought her lips to his ear.

 

“From here I can smell everything from the stink of alcohol to your delicious blood.”

 

He started squirming harder and she clamped her legs down more, she giggled and a little drool left her mouth and dripped onto his ear. He called her name in an effort to grab her attention, but it only made her desire stronger, and she wasn’t paying attention anyways. Her head snaked and inched closer towards his neck until he no doubt felt her stinking breath hit his jugular which pulsed quickly as adrenaline flooded his body. 

 

“Someone, hel-” Evan tried to shout before she slammed a hand over his mouth and his voice muffled out. Not that it would make a difference in her mind. Now she was in a rush though and gave a small lick to his neck, warmth flooding her tongue and a salty taste she found herself craving more of. His muffles became stronger and she clamped her lips around the warm neck, feeling every pulse of the heart. No longer was her grip tightened because of his squirming. She traced the outline of his jugular with her tongue and she felt him tighten up, the fear serving to only further fuel her desire.

 

Her fangs felt the gentle pressure of his soft skin and her vision went blank.

 

A thump sounded and the weight on top of him increased. His heart pounded in his chest and a soft feeling splayed across his entire body. He had now closed his eyes and resigned his fate, waiting only for there to be nothing. Closure’s grip on his mouth and hand loosened, and he felt her slightly cool breath alongside what drool she had gotten onto his neck. Her fangs were no longer primed to pierce his neck and she rose and fell gently on top of him. 

 

Somehow, the fear and willpower overrode the deepest instinct of his brain in that moment and he only felt a little bit of blood flowing to a certain appendage in the body. He gave an open sigh of relief and proceeded to try and worm his way out from under her. 

 

Almost immediately her arms snake around him just as he gets her halfway off of him and she grips tightly, panic rides into his system once more only for his gaze to see her soft, sleeping face red as a tomato gentle take in breaths.

 

“Warm…” the vampire murmurs in her sleep. Her legs wrap around his own and she cuddles up to him. Now the blood was fully rushing to two places in his body. He shuffled in her grip until he was facing the other way, so temptation didn’t stare him in the face. He gave a yawn afterwards and felt the call to sleep beckon. He couldn’t lie, she was just the right temperature too. Next thing he knew, she shifted to match his position, pressing as much of herself against him and he felt her breath down the back of his neck. She gave a cute little murmuring sound and he knew his fate was sealed.

 

Well, it was her fault anyways, and he was fairly tired.

 

Shortly after he fell to the sandman, the door was opened and the hulking figure of Ace stood outside the door. He walked in and pulled out his phone, opening the camera app and taking his sweet time to get the best possible angle. A fake shutter effect played and the moment was now saved forever on his phone. With his mission of checking up on the two complete, he walked back to his room, eager to see tomorrow morning.

Chapter 21: Lungmen Tour

The sun rose on Lungmen slowly, and the city slowly hummed to life from its slumber. For many it was an unordinary, boring morning.

 

“Augh… fuck …my head…” whined Swire as she got out of bed in response to the light flooding her room. “How much did I…” 

 

She stopped. Why was she on the far right side of her bed? She looked over to the left to see the reason why and images from last night flooded her mind as she remembered pieces of her night.

 

Another glass slammed the table and she gave an ungraceful burp before holding it up, ice swishing around as she called for more. To her left, Ch’en and Hoshi continued their rapid nursing of their drinks. Once they were finished, more whiskey was poured into her glass and she immediately started chugging.

 

She gauged Ch’en’s face as her neck gave way and her head slammed onto the counter. She felt closer this time, but she could tell Ch’en was still far from her limit. Ch’en herself continued with Hoshiguma and she felt her mind slip away.

 

Next thing she knew she was on Hoshi’s back as they walked her through Lungmen. She squinted at Ch’en as the two talked happily and she flipped her superior the bird before passing out again.

 

A wretched sound escaped her throat as the contents of her stomach fell into the toilet and Ch’en gave the third flush. She groaned and looked to see Hoshiguma enter with her folded pajamas.

 

“Noooo, stay! You guys always sleep over with each other!” Swire whined as she wrestled Ch’en on the bed using her horns as handlebars. Several colorful swear words were coming out of Ch’en’s mouth while Hoshiguma just videotaped the whole exchange with an amused smile on her face. Ch’en used her tail to grab her leg and managed to throw her off balance. “Hoshi, stop staring at your phone and help me!”

 

“Get the hell off of me you- gaaaah”

 

Swire’s face twisted in exertion as she pulled her whole body back and pulled Ch’en on top of her and grabbed her across her collarbone and wrapped her ungrabbed leg over the dragon’s stomach. 

 

“Cry uncle and I might let you go!”

 

“Hoshi, what are you doing there with your phone!? You better not be recording this!”

 

“You’re both so lively before bed,” Hoshiguma chimed as she continued her recording. 

 

Eventually they both tired out and she felt a third set of hands on her in her drunken stupor.

 

Right now, Ch’en’s figure was lying with her back to Swire’s side as she was crunched up in a fetal position with her mouth sucking Hoshiguma’s horn like a baby bottle. The large oni didn’t seem to care as she slept soundly with a content smile on her face. 

 

For some reason, she felt compelled to take a picture, for blackmail of course. Why would she dare think the sight in front of her was a once in a lifetime memento of a wild night with her two closest coworkers? As she tried to lift her other hand though, she felt rope-like tension hold it back and she noticed that Ch’en’s tail had wrapped around her wrist. 

 

She gently grabbed the tail and slowly but surely, peeled it off. Somehow the scaly appendage had stuck to her wrist like tape and made a slow quiet peeling sound as well which she cringed at, both due to how gross it was and how she didn’t want to wake the dragoness up. 

 

She successfully pulled the last bit and the tail flopped to the ground. With her hand free, Swire navigated her phone and positioned herself in front of it and gave a grin to the camera along with a peace sign. 

 

The flash and click sounded and Hoshiguma blinked her eyes open. The horn was slowly extracted from Ch’en’s mouth which twisted in discomfort without it. 

 

“Morning,” Hoshiguma muttered, leading the one who woke her up to bristle and straighten her tail while giving a small ‘eep’ before turning around with a quivering smile and wide eyes. While the oni woman didn’t seem bothered at all, Beatrice still felt like she was caught in the act.

 

Before anything could be said, the final person to wake up groaned and turned in her sleep as though she were uncomfortable. Her tail searched for something and she slowly but surely tossed and turned herself awake. 

 

When Ch’en’s first sight was Hoshiguma, she thought nothing of it and simply sat up and held her head, hissing with pain. After that she looked around, and she rapidly began remembering her night as well, no doubt. Her face flushed like a tomato and she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Hoshiguma and Swire shared a stare before the oni shrugged at her and sat up as well, opening the door to follow her friend. With nothing else to do, she followed Hoshiguma and walked outside to see Ch’en holding her head at the bottom of the stairs and she was reminded of her own thumping and throbbing. 

 

“I’ll make you both some coffee,” Hoshiguma said before leading Ch’en to the sofa. With no other alternative, Swire opted to join Ch’en on the sofa and they both held their heads as the only one capable of doing anything made them some hangover remedies.

 

Once coffee was made and the hungover ones got their second or third cup, all three sat around the coffee table of Swire’s apartment to discuss something of great import.

 

“So…what are you two doing on your day off today?” Beatrice asked, eyes firmly planted mostly on Hoshiguma in the lone chair. Instead, the oni grinned and set her attention to Ch’en.

 

“Yeah, Ch’en, what will we do today?”

 

“Why are you asking me? I just want to go home.”

 

“And do what?” Swire spat. This earned her a rather dangerous glare from her superior. “I’m serious, when I don’t see you at work you’re usually holed up in your own apartment for the whole day doing who knows what.”

 

“What I do in my home is none of your business!”

 

“Hoshi,” Swire called, switching her attention to the oni. “What does our superintendent do all day on her days off?”

 

“Hmmm,: Hoshiguma hummed while tapping her chin, debating whether or not she should tell the little missy what her closest friend does on her days off. The curiosity in Swire’s eyes won her over Ch’en harsh gaze and she spilled the info for the tiger. “Mostly she watches news, catches up on sleep, or she’s actually working from home.”

 

“You can’t be serious...working, on a day off?”

 

“It’s none of your business,” Ch’en complained, crossing her arms and pouting for once. 

 

“The hell it’s not! Alright, that’s it, we’re spending today together like it or not.”

 

Ch’en looked over to Hoshiguma with pleading eyes only to be met with one of the happiest smiles she had ever seen on her subordinate. 

 

Next thing she knew, they were in lieutenant Swire’s car, driving to their first destination. The grumpy dragoness just opted to watch the concrete jungle she called home move by with her her elbow leaned on the windowsill while she used a fist to prop her head up so she could lazily watch the scenery while her captors spoke excitedly about what they were going to do.

 

“Oh, after lunch we should totally go shopping, get Ch’en some holiday clothes,” Swire suggested. 

 

This earned the superintendent’s interest. Not because she was interested. No, quite the opposite. The idea of being their dress up doll sent a chill down her spine and through her tail, and somehow she knew that was what was going to happen. At the very least, she wasn’t going to be alone in her suffering.

---

As she slowly drifted into consciousness, she felt compelled to go back to drift back into the realm of dreams almost immediately, consumed by a feeling of warmth and good smells. She gripped the source of the pleasant stimuli more and took a great big whiff. 

 

“Aaah…so good~” Closure mumbled to herself as she grabbed the unknown source harder, squeezing it. 

 

Suddenly, it shifted in response and she was fully awake now. Closure’s first sight was a collection of brown hair combined with the nape of whoever she was in bed with. She let go and rapidly slipped off and scooted herself to the wall. She thumped against it and her bedside partner lazily turned to look sideways at her. 

 

“Oh, good morning…” Evan yawned before sitting up in bed, still dressed in his mildly formal attire from last night’s meeting, well as formal as standard Rhodes Island clothes could get. Her lips quivered as she tried to hold herself together, but it was clearly no use as her mind started swimming with possibilities as her memory came up blank.

 

“No way, no way, no way, no way!” she screamed in her head over and over as she stared at Evan, sitting in her bed, in the morning no less. 

 

“D-D-D-Did w-w-w-we…” Closure struggled to formulate a single sentence as she tried to make sense of the situation, her mind going further and further to the gutter with each passing second. She felt heat flush through her neck to the top of her head like a thermometer.

 

“Hm…oh, oh! Closure, I’m sorry, you see-” 

 

“No! I don’t want to hear it, get out!”

 

“No, it’s not-”

 

“I said out! Get out, now!”

 

The vampire grabbed a pillow and proceeded to chuck it at Evan with a surprising amount of force. While he managed to somehow catch it, it wasn’t the only thing being grabbed. He began backpedaling to the door and rapidly fondled around for the door button, holding his pillow up as a shield. It clicked and the door opened, with him stumbling back out of it. He thumped back into the wall and he saw his boss march up to the control panel and shut the door, a locking sound was heard soon after. Right before she did close it, she gave him an evil eye with her face so flushed that even the tips of her ears were a bright red.

 

Evan sighed and slinked down the wall. When he decided to get up off his butt and go to his own room, he turned around to see the three stooges of the LGD and Ace with varying degrees of looks. 

 

Swire’s mouth was agape as she stuttered so hard that nothing came out of her mouth while pointing to Evan, Ch’en had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed to the point he couldn’t think of a sterner expression, Hoshiguma just held a blank look on her face while her hand outstretched a wad of LMD to an Ace with a very pleased grin showing on his rough face. 

 

“D-Do I get the chance to explain myself here?”

 

“One,” Ch’en nearly breathed out with signs of venom seeping from her voice.

 

“Ok, I did not sleep, with Closure, in that sense of the word. I was just leading her to bed when she shoved me down and held me down. If anything, I’m the assault victim here.”

 

Ch’en’s eyebrow raised, but her stern expression stayed in place. Swire finally found some semblance of composure and let out a relieved breath for some reason and put her hand on her head as though it hurt.

 

It was then that the door opened and Closure stomped out. A glimpse into her room would show it was basically turned inside out with a trash bin spilled over and all her sheets and covers splayed out on the floor. She marched right on over to Evan and pointed her finger between his eyes.

 

“Alright mister, you’re going to answer this: Did we use prote-”

 

“For god’s sake we didn’t do it!” he shouted to her, grabbing her wrist and holding it above her head, his own inching just a little bit closer so she could hear him loud and clear. Her eyes widened greatly at his actions and words. “Yeah, let me say that again, you and I, we did not do any illicit activities. You blacked out before you could go through with giving me a hickey. You held me down and nearly took a good fangy bite into my neck.”

 

He pointed to his jugular specifically where she nearly took a bite with her fangs to emphasize his point. He could remember the cool scrapes of her tongue and the pointing of her fangs right before she blacked out, and it made him blush in turn a little.

 

“Ah…” Closure replied, turning her gaze and head slightly away, from even the four witnessing the whole scene ironically. “Did I do that?” A nervous laugh followed as she scratched her cheek. “Sorry…” 

 

“Yeah, oh, and welcome to the ‘I slept with Evan’ rumor club,” he said while tilting his head over to the four watching them. The two guilty offenders both looked very nervous. Ch’en was keeping her pose while trying to look anywhere but ahead with a tint of pink on her cheeks. Swire just turned her head to cough into her hand while closing her eyes then attempted to whistle away while her head was firmly turned away. Closure’s response was to rub the back of her head while giving an uneasy laugh. 

 

“W-What do you mean?”

 

After that, Evan began detailing how he walked her to her room and helped her in when she asked to be helped to bed, at which point, she started holding her face in her hands to hide her expression. He then added the fact that they had been seen together.

 

“Oooh, how embarrassing…” Closure moaned into her hands before sliding down the wall and pulling her knees closer. “Why do you have to have such good smelling blood…”

 

He didn’t really have a comment for that. Instead, he looked towards the observers of this embarrassing morning and asked, “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

 

“Well, since you’re still here, I thought the three of us would give you a tour around Lungmen.”

 

“Let me get a shower and some fresh clothes first.”

 

“Ooh~?” Beatrice teased with a hand over her mouth and a smug smile peeking out from either side of the hand. His response was to just roll his eyes and walk into his room.

 

Roughly ten minutes later he was back out, and they bid goodbye to Closure and Ace. Swire had insisted he sit up front as she drove. This allowed her to yammer on about the history of Lungmen, especially the neighborhoods and districts they drove through. What was most interesting about the whole explanation was the fact these nomadic cities weren’t one continuous machine. Turns out, one thing of common knowledge he hadn’t heard until this moment in time was the concept of nomadic city plates. Though, at this point it made some sense. If one wanted to expand a city’s territory and keep it mobile, then the concept of city plates made too much sense.

 

Their first destination, to his mild surprise, was a shopping mall. It was interesting, to him at least, to see the vast flow of people going through the entrance. It was a far cry from the malls he regularly visited in his old world, given the fact online shopping was lowering the vast majority of them into the ground. It was odd, he was old enough to remember when malls dotted the landscape and made for great shopping, so it was strange to his adult mind that he was seeing an active and flourishing one right in front of him.

 

“Hello…” Swire waved her hand in front of him, breaking him out of the trance he was in. “Geez, do they not have malls where you’re from or something?”

 

“Oh they do, just that they’re dying these days.”

 

“Really? Malls are dying in your world?” Swire asked, followed by an immediate slap on the head from behind. “Ow, what’d you do that for?”

 

“Watch what you talk about in the open,” Ch’en hissed to her lieutenant who proceeded to stick her tongue out at her like a child, making a vein threaten to pop on her head. She would have started laying into her if Hoshiguma hadn’t gripped her shoulder and gave her a stare that said a thousand words. Ch’en sighed and listened to Evan and Swire talk about how his world had a worldwide net, which seemed absurd at first until she remembered this was the man who could make energy from sunlight. Swire even inquired about it, and the answer, like most things with this strange case, was shocking.

 

“Oh, we actually have a massive network of cables running along the ocean floor between continents.”

 

“Whoa, whoa, hold up. You’re serious?! How?! How does it not get destroyed?!”

 

“I mean, there are videos of sharks trying to bite it,” he responded with a laugh. “But I guess permanent non-nomadic infrastructure is a luxury on Terra.”

 

He certainly could say that again, Ch’en could count with her two hands, maybe even one, the amount of places she knew had permanent infrastructure slated into the earth without the capability of migrating. The only way cities could communicate across their borders was by messenger, provided they were outside of radio range. Granted, there was also something in Kazimierz where several cities joined together briefly for their world famous Kazimierz Major, but then the lines between cities blurred to practically nothing. 

 

Ch’en had to admit, she was becoming engrossed in his talk about how different his world was, how something that seemed common to him was so alien and foreign to them it almost made her head spin. She didn’t even notice or care that they had already passed an escalator or entered their first store. At least, that wasn’t until Hoshiguma and Swire handed Ch’en a collection of clothes with varying levels of grins. 

---

One more stop, one more stop he told himself as he watched the burning daylight tint the city of Lungmen in an orange color. He had to admit though, these kinds of days were few and far between in his old life. He took a good long look as they passed through the various blocks of the expansive city, and holy hell it was huge. 

 

Currently, Hoshiguma was driving them to their final destination of the day. While Swire had opted to take them shopping, which turned into an embarrassing game of dressup for the dragoness with him being pushed and prodded to give compliments and comments to a blushing dragon lady he was sure could erase his existence in seconds as she gave him a look he couldn’t tell was a warning, anxiety, longing, or some weird mixture of the three. More than one Lungmen profanity was uttered for sure. Especially when Hoshiguma opened the door while Ch’en was struggling to accept the fact she was wearing something frilly and girly, which he had to admit made her look cute combined with the blush and tsundere behavior. 

 

Ch’en opted to take them to a park built in the central city. He could see something in her eyes as they walked through one of the few nature reserves of the concrete jungle that was Lungmen. He knew it very well. As they walked through the park, her eyes settled on various parts as though she was looking far, far away into her past, reliving days that he could tell she cherished very much. He had seen the same look in his mother’s eyes when they visited the neighborhood she grew up in. 

 

The last place was in some random part of the city where alleyways were a mess. Everything from rotting food to needles was splayed out in the alleyways if one looked hard enough, and occasionally he could see residents chatting or lying in the gaps between buildings, some occasionally sparing a nasty look when they caught his eye. 

 

“Are you sure we should…um…be here?” he asked uneasily before prying his eyes away. 

 

“Missy wanted to give you a tour of Lungmen, well consider this a part of the tour. Besides, there’s someone I want to check up on, maybe we’ll get an early dinner out of it.”

 

A parking garage later, and they were on foot walking through the outer slums. He could feel eyes on them as they walked through the bad neighborhood, with some civilians in rough clothing giving them an uneasy eye or downright glares of some people in classical gangster gettups. Yeah, he wasn’t enjoying the feeling of unease screaming all the way to his spine as he walked. Sure, these three guiding him were some of the top LGD officers in the city, but something in him was panicking. Actually, Swire and Ch’en seemed uneasy as well, with hands never far from their weapons as they met some of the glares with daring stares. The only one who didn’t seem out of her element was Hoshiguma.

 

Hell, the six foot plus oni lady even happily waved to some of the residents who waved back or simply nodded. Some of them mumbled a greeting while actively trying to avoid the suspicious eyes the other two officers gave them.

 

Eventually, they came to a stand where the sound of chopping was heard before Evan got a look in to see a white haired man in street clothes hacking away at a piece of fish in an open aired kitchen. Hoshiguma gave a knock on a pole and the man turned around from his work and pulled his mask down. Dead fish eyes met their gazes and upon seeing Hoshiguma he let out a sound of surprise.

 

“Ah, Madame Oni,” his monotone voice rang with a pleasant tinge to it.

 

“Hey, Jaye,” she replied. “How’s business?”

 

“Eh, same as usual. I don’t know why Uncle Tung bothers making me run stands, but I’m not complaining. So, want some finballs?”

 

“Yeah, but get some fresh ones going. Gotta make a good first impression,” she said while giving a little glance in Evan’s direction. Jaye tracked her eyesight and he stared a little before giving an understanding ‘oh’ and going back to his workstation. Whatever he was thinking of, he didn’t say anything. Jaye just casually went to work, going back to the fish meat he was working on earlier. Methodically, he sliced up the fish until it was a mince and then began pounding it into a paste. 

 

The paste was then seasoned and the collection of smells sent the observers’ saliva glands into overdrive, imagining how marinating the fish paste with those flavors would stimulate their taste buds. Jaye then poured oil onto his skillet and began the process of making pan-fried finballs. Meanwhile, he listened to the conversation behind him.

 

“So how do you know this place?” Evan casually asked Hoshiguma. Jaye simply looked over his head at that, curious to see their reaction, especially the reaction of ‘Madame Oni’ as he had called her. 

 

“Well, that’s quite a tale. We’d be here all night if I had to explain my connection to Lungmen in detail.”

 

“Can I ask for the short version?”

 

“Sure, the quick and dirty answer is, I was a gangster.” 

 

He nearly did a double take and looked her up and down all over. When Evan first met her, Hoshiguma was the calm and collected Chief Inspector of the LGD, so when she casually admitted to being a gangster, in front of the Senior Lieutenant and Superintendent of the LGD, he was rather shocked. Hoshiguma clearly found his reaction very entertaining as she let out a great big, hearty laugh before continuing.

 

“Yup, led my own gang for…gosh, years. One night we were celebrating a holiday, um…what was it again?”

 

“It was on new year's,” Ch’en commented casually.

 

“Ah yeah, New Years, we were all out drinking in the park, celebrating the new year when Ch’en Sir waltzes over and challenges me to a drinking contest.”

 

“That is not what happened and you know it,” Ch’en refuted flatly with her eyes narrowing. “I was going to offer you a deal in exchange for overlooking your reckless activities. Then you said you would agree if I beat you in a drinking contest.”

 

“Ha! Yeah, but you accepted,” Hoshiguma retorted, which made Ch’en cross her arms and pout a little while looking to the ground. “Anyways, I don’t know how she did it, but I passed out and couldn’t remember anything besides her declaration. The deal was to co-operate in dealing with The Nian, and that’s how my gang and I ended up working for the LGD and Chief Wei.”

 

“The Nian?”

 

“Some say it was a hundred kilometer long originium slug, others say it was a beast of legend, and some think it’s a myth. Kind of a New Year’s urban legend if you will. To the gang, it was a fun excuse to go out and cause trouble on New Years.”

 

“Except it’s not a legend,” Ch’en stated. “The graves stand a testament to that, even if it never got anywhere far through Greater Lungmen’s outskirts. Some of our artillery and city defenses still have marks to this day.”

 

“So...the LGD hired a bunch of gangsters to deal with a threat that people still don’t know exists?”

 

“Well, it’s more complicated than that, but I can’t say anymore. Information on The Nian is highly classified data, and that data is controlled by an entire branch of Yan’s bureaucratic courts. Stating any more than this could be considered treason.”

 

That was scary, and thankfully divine intervention came at an appropriate time and way for once as their freshly ordered pan-fried finballs were finally ready. Evan noticed that the sky was now a nice shade of purple and the street lights were turning on. They found shelter inside one of the lamps next to the shop and sat on the streets with their finballs, which were quite good for something so cheap. He had to admit, street food was mostly a hit or miss for him, but it seemed Hoshiguma knew what was a good hit. 

 

The four of them ate in peace with Swire making a lot of noise as she ravenously devoured the finballs while the other two made a point to savor them. He himself was more with Swire, devouring the balls until nothing was left and he looked to the street. 

 

For the outer slums, it was really quite peaceful somehow. The view wasn’t anything grand, but there was something oddly fulfilled about it. As though despite the clear lack of opportunity, some unseen force was keeping order among it all.

 

They didn’t do much talking, but that was fine. Slowly, the darkness grew around the environment until it was as though they were in their own little world, protected by the streetlight they were under. He decided to check the time and pocketed his phone before looking at the trio who had shown him around Lungmen. 

 

For a moment, he could see why Hoshiguma showed him this part of the city. It wasn’t glamorous or the most well off, but it was still a part of Lungmen. Sure, this wasn’t a desirable part of it, but it was still a piece of a whole. Each trip, he could see each of their eyes glitter with a love for this city, and now he was finally understanding it.

 

But still, all good things had to come to an end at some point. 

 

“I’m ready to be done, I still have to get back to Rhodes and get working on the next project.”

 

They all agreed and worked to properly dispose of their trash before walking back towards the parking garage. During the walk, he got a text from Ace, asking if he was safe. He responded with an affirmative before he pocketed his phone. 

 

Suddenly, he was pulled backwards and a brief pain in his head was the last thing he registered. Thankfully, Swire noticed his sudden absence and the sound of his head being struck and immediately turned around. 

 

“Hey! Get back here!” she shouted before taking off. Ch’en and Hoshiguma saw the resulting kidnapping attempt and followed after. Almost immediately, the kidnappers turned a corner and went into a building. Swire tried moving the knob only for it to be locked. She gave a few kicks and found something was blocking the door. “Hoshi, door!”

 

The oni woman shoulder checked the door and whatever was behind it into the wall behind the doorway. Immediately they charged through and saw a stairway with rapidly sounding footsteps coming from below. They practically jumped down each flight before sprinting and jumping down the next as they were brought to the basement level. That’s where they saw the goons disappear behind another door, not bothering to close this one.

 

“LGD, stop!” Swire commanded before running after them with Ch’en and Hoshiguma hot on her heels. They barged through the door and into one of Lungmen’s many lower levels of tunnel networks, with a van starting up in the underground area before skidding off with its doors still open, only to be closed by one of the mafioso moments later. “Stop! I command you to-”

 

Realizing her orders to cease were pointless, Swire proceeded to swear the worst of the Lungmen profanities she could think of and took her frustration out by kicking some random bottle into the wall on the other side with enough force to shatter all of it into small shards. 

 

Chapter 22: Keep of the Lock and Key

His head hurt.

 

That was the first thought that entered his mind when he finally regained consciousness, a dull throbbing in his head that he had never felt before thumped and thumped like a heartbeat deep in his skull where he got hit. He tried to move his hand to touch it, only for it to refuse his order on account of an external barrier. He opened his eyes and saw a filmy cloth layer obscured all vision to nothing but an opaque view and when he tried to scream it was muffled by a gag. 

 

“Awake, are ya?” a gruff voice sounded from nearby in the vehicle. He turned to the source and sat up, at least his arms weren’t bound behind him. He decided to just glare in the direction of the voice, for whatever good that would do. If he could see, he would be greeted with a roughed up cat-faced man who had several scars where his fur wasn’t growing back, almost like a feral. The cat man was dressed in a gray suit and a classic bowler hat. For the most part, their ride went in silence with the Siracusan mafioso looking up from tedious chores such as grooming his claws to see his victim just complacently sitting there. 

 

“You good there? Normally I’d expect someone like you to be livelier.”

 

“Rrr, Fvrt ghu jzu phync,” came the response from Evan. The mafia goon sighed, released one of his claws, and brought it to the cloth binding the gag. It scratched his cheek a little, but his mouth was now free. 

 

“Well, what do you think?” he repeated. “I wake up bound, blindfolded, and gagged in a vehicle with some mafia sounding dude who I can’t see. I’m betting dollars to donuts you’re armed with something that can at least maim me, and I’m not willing to roll for the odds that it's lethal.”

 

“Really, you put that much thought into your situation?”

 

“More or less, and I doubt any threats I do make are going to get through whatever thick skull daddy’s beatings gave you.”

 

“Why you little smartass motherf-”

 

“Niko, drop it! He’s just trying to get under your fur. Put the damn gag back on.”

 

Niko retracted his claws and lowered his hand and smiled. He didn’t get to revel in his power trip any more as Evan just casually opened his mouth and waited. The feline shoved the gag in and tied it around tighter, tight enough to leave a mark by the time it next came off at least. Neither bothered acknowledging the other’s presence until the vehicle came to a stop and a door opened.

 

“We’re here.”

 

---

 

“Ok, so…we don’t know anything …” Closure breathed as she paced around her seat at the briefing room they had set up. Out of all the attendees, she was the most anxious. Everyone else was seated or leaning against a wall. 

 

“Well, we know it was likely an organized crime syndicate,” Ace responded in an effort to try and calm her down. 

 

“Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down?!” 

 

The pacing increased and the elite operator openly sighed before looking to the three who lost their asset. Ch’en and Swire, in a rare event of synergy between the two, were already pouring over maps and files of the city’s underground with their only arguing being over candidate areas as they tried to work out the problem from their angle of expertise. He felt like he and the former gangster were the only people with a level head in the group as they waited for new arrivals they had specially called in. 

 

As if on cue, the door opened and the second most chaotic group in Lungmen walked in with the gaudily dressed Lung being the first in to enter and tip his hat. 

 

“Lee’s Detective Agency, at your service,” he cooed in a voice that seemed to carry the wisdom of the world with it. Sure, the voice and appearance immediately seemed to flag Lee as some form of swindler one could find the world over, but the man and his agency were an official partner of Rhodes Island nonetheless. If the top executives could trust the shady Lung, Ace could too. Following him were some equally interesting characters as well. 

 

The first of these characters, a large white and orange perro, gave Ace a cheery greeting which he returned with a hand wave and a smile. Ace knew Hung on account of them training together a few times. All in all, the perro was a kind soul and a great cook, that’s all Ace really needed to know.

 

Then there was a tiger feline in full fur whose clothing truly screamed of her passion and expertise in kung fu. Ace had read Waai Fu’s file before, and while he had no reason to doubt her trustworthiness, her past remained a strange mystery as far as he knew with all the inconsistencies in her story. Currently, she is studying at a university while working part-time for Lee’s Detective Agency. That much was true.

 

Finally, there was the most dubious of the characters, a very colorful feline with his fur a mix of orange, black, and white in a lab coat and a crazed smile on his lips. Aak, as he was called, was himself the son of a doctor wrongfully driven underground. As such, Aak's views on medicine and life in general were of a very twisted sort, but his raw talent for creating drugs was undeniable. A true prodigy in the world of pharmaceuticals, and a weird obsession with durian.

 

Almost immediately after coming in, Lee poured over the map and soon began removing pins.

 

“These,” Lee stated as he held the groups of pins he removed between his fingers. “Are impossible candidates. Sure, if you’re looking at crime syndicates in general, these are all fine candidates, but there’s one problem: These gangs are under the thumb of The Rat King, and he would never tolerate any of Wei’s partners or guests coming to harm. Next…”

 

Lee removed four more pins outside the neighborhood despite having substantial underground connections according to the subterranean maps, “...are these. These gangs are neutral and respect the Rat King’s boundaries, most of their time and energy is spent on conflicts with each other, none of them wants a war with Old Lin, so they’re off the table. This finally leaves us with direct opposers to the Rat King or actively hostile gangs around his territory. So, Miss Inspector Hoshiguma, did you retrieve what I asked?”

 

Hoshiguma silently handed Lee a folder and he pushed up his spectacles before flipping through the file and reading the reports. After a while, he nodded to himself and picked up some of the pins left on the table. He then placed a few around the site of the crime and looked at his handiwork.

 

“The pins I placed down represent sites of conflict, now it’s time to narrow it down further. Most of these gangs, well, they’re Siracusan branches or exiles, people with enough power or no knowledge of how to deal with Old Lin. Perhaps the most important part is that all of these groups have one consistent thorn in their side. Not enough to do them in, but certainly enough to be the cause of the vast majority of gang wars in Lungmen. And I imagine they’ll be waddling into this room any moment.”

 

Lee turned his head to the door which prompted the others to do the same, which was shortly answered by the door opening to reveal Texas with a pocky in her mouth and standing several heads lower, Emperor.

 

“Goddammit Lee, enough with the riddles and cryptic bullshit. I know you got a job to do, but don’t start doing all this when you ask me to deliver a suspect. Oi, Bicycle, bring em in!”

 

“My name’s Bison…” the boy corrected as he pulled a squirming duffle bag into the room.  

 

“Whatever, put ‘im on the table.”

 

“Please do-” Closure started too late as Bison hefted the bodybag onto the table with a thud. An audible grunt of pain was heard from the bag and it started squirming again. Emperor was plopped onto the table by Texas and he waddled up over to the bag’s opening. In some mind bending way he actually managed to undo the tight and complicated knot with his flippy flappers. Even though everyone had a clear sight of the spectacle, none of them could tell exactly how he did it. Either way, the bag opened and he waddled with its end and slid it off to reveal a mafioso dressed in classic Siracusan gray with a gag over his mouth and all four of his appendages bound. As soon as he was free, he started to panic and looked around at the people around the room.

 

The man himself was an olive-skinned feline with a comical stitch scar on the length of his right face. He also looked rather beat up with various bruises on his face and a bloody lip and several small fresh open wounds on his face. His clothes were a mess too, but somehow his hat was still firmly on his head as though his identity depended on it. 

 

Emperor waddled back and bent down, by leaning forward, to look the Siracusan man in the eye and took off his gag.

 

“L-Look, I’m sor-”

 

Slap

 

Emperor’s flipper whipped across his face and smacked the mafioso so hard it left a visible red mark that wasn’t going away anytime soon.

 

“We’ll be asking the questions. So, what are you trying to pull, kidnapping Evan?”

 

“W-What?”

 

Another comical, but much lighter slap sounded and Emperor was pulled aside by Texas. She gave a silent apology and kept the penguin from using corporal punishment. He protested some, but that was tuned-out by Ch’en as she poked the mafioso who turned towards her and stiffened when he saw who she was. 

 

“Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Madame Ch’en?!”

 

“Oh, so you know who I am. That will make this a lot easier. We have reason to believe that your syndicate is responsible for kidnapping a guest of Chief Wei’s and an asset to one of Lungmen’s allies, do you have anything to explain?”

 

The mafioso took a big long gulp and started thrashing around a little as he said, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, you’ve gotta believe me I don’t know nothing about this ‘Evan’ or whatever it is you think I’ve done.”

 

“Relax, once we’ve got our information and this whole mess is sorted out, you’re free to go. Promise,” Hoshiguma tried to ease the captive who was shaking like a newborn beast. “So, would you like to answer a few questions for us?”

 

The man gulped and nodded. Hoshiguma nodded with a pleased smile on her face. She looked at the map and pointed around the area circled. “This, is where the crime took place. The suspects proceeded to run into a building and down the stairs where they entered the Lungmen tunnel network where they made their escape by a black van.”

 

“Oh, and the license plate on the van was JFK101, suspect closing doors was a fully furred brown and black feline with several characteristic scars on his face, beefy build too,” Swire added which added an eyebrow raise from Ch’en. “What? I was paying attention.”

 

“Well…shit, that sounds like Niko alright. Dunno who was driving, but yeah, that sounds like you were definitely dealin’ with Niko. Big mean fella of a feline. I have no idea where they’re taking him, but I know who, so I can take a guess.”

 

---

 

From the echoing and the acoustics , he concluded that he was likely in some abandoned industrial building. Go figure, right? He really couldn’t determine anything other than that. Eventually, he was turned around and forcefully sat down in a chair. At first, nothing happened and he just listened to the background as the acoustics of even small things became amplified in the building. He didn’t know how long it had been before things started to move forward again.

 

“What do you mean we were attacked?!” a voice sounded from somewhere in the building. Due to the reflection of the sound waves, he couldn’t pinpoint the direction though. “Penguin Logistics?! Who tipped them off!? Jared’s unaccounted for?! Shit!”

 

Footsteps sounded shortly after as they stormed somewhere in the room. It wasn’t until he realized the echoes came after the sound that whoever was there was close. 

 

“Alright, let’s make this quick,” a voice said before the footsteps stopped in front of him. The snapping of fingers sounded and his facial bindings were tugged before they suddenly came loose. His eyes themselves were greeted by the sight of a tall, sharply dressed feline with slick black hair that was clearly well cared for. His shrewd eyes met Evan’s own, and he suddenly felt small, and as though this man was evaluating him. He grinned mischievously at his despair and pulled back some. “Well, this should be easy.”

 

“M-Maybe there’s a misunderstanding, you haven’t told me what this is all about.”

 

“Really?” the mobster said while pulling out a cigar from inside his jacket and a windproof lighter in his other hand. “So…you don’t know anything about Penguin Logistics and what you were doing at Chief Wei’s tower?” 

 

Evan didn’t answer and merely raised an eyebrow. He simply waited as the mobster lit his cigar, taking in a slow, deep puff. He held the smoke in for longer than Evan could ever stand and then released through his nostrils. He turned to Evan and gave a little smile then a curt nod before stepping forward. He didn’t take his eyes off of Evan, and then pain shot through his foot as the mobster grinded his heel as hard as he could into Evan’s own foot. When their gazes met again, the victim was clearly giving a nasty glare to his captor.

 

“Tough guy act, eh? I wonder, how much is keeping your mouth shut going to help you?”

 

“More like you suck at telling me what it is you want me to say. Penguin Logistics, as far as I know, was merely helping transport cargo.”

 

“What? You screwin’ with me here?”

 

“No, you just don’t want to believe what I say.”

 

“No, that can’t be right…why would…dammit…” the mobster said as he paced around. He then looked to his victim who seemed oddly calm about his whole captive situation. Why was this guy so calm? Then it clicked, or so he thought, they were going to be attacked for his kidnapping. It was at that moment the phone rang and he answered.

 

“Boss, we’ve got a big problem.”

 

---

 

A slam sounded followed by the falling of several objects from nearby shelves. A crack formed on the wall as well as a very irate dragoness slammed a mafioso goon against a wall.

 

“I-I’m serious, I don’t know anything!” the mobster said as he pulled at the wrists in a vain attempt to pry himself free. 

 

“Bullshit!” Ch’en spat to the mobster before leaning her face closer. “We’ve tracked the incident to this specific gang, and you’re telling me you know nothing ?!”

 

“Look, if this is about that turf war with the penguin, we’ll pay for the damages, but I know nothing about this ‘Evan’ character or his relation to Niko.”

 

Lungmen swears exited as the goon was unceremoniously dropped on the floor. Ch’en herself turned around and pulled out her sword to chop a table in half and kick one of said halves into the wall. She then pulled out her communicator and issued, “Nothing to report, gang members here have no knowledge, over.”

 

“Nothing on this end either,” Swire responded. “Are we sure we got the right gang?”

 

“Missy, we’ve run the numbers on the plates, unless the vehicle was stolen, that seems unlikely,” Hoshiguma’s voice barely sounded over the sounds of screaming and bangs. “Oi, quiet down! Also, why are you attaching fireworks to the suspect?!”

 

Hoshiguma’s end cut off and Ch’en gave a frustrated sigh and waited for the third group to make their report. When nothing sounded she gave up and looked to the gangster who was still there, for some reason. He held up his hands in surrender and just froze in place, which would have been favorable if she weren’t acting off duty. She gave a curt ‘tsk’ sound before walking out, leaving the suspect behind and walking to the randevous point she had set with her group.

 

At the point, sifting through papers was the gaudily dressed Lung she had agreed to go with. Lee himself had his ever smug swindler smile as he hummed an ancient Yanese song while he carefully mulled over the documents he had seized. 

 

“Find anything?”

 

“Maybe,” Lee responded without shifting his attention from the papers.

 

Ch’en felt a vein pop in her head and marched in front of Lee to try and grab his attention. He looked up briefly before turning his attention back to the papers.

 

“You know, most mobsters burn their documents, whoever was in charge wasn’t here to burn his.”

 

“And? What does that have to do with the situation at hand?”

 

“It means, whoever was in charge either wasn’t here or didn’t plan to be attacked. If the head’s office wasn’t cleaned before a possible raid. This could mean anything from lack of discipline to an exceptional circumstance, but I think it means whoever this mysterious Mr. C is wasn’t here to bury his evidence.”

 

As if on cue, Ch’en radio began buzzing as someone entered the line and she pulled it up to listen. 

 

“So, don’t get mad, but I hacked into the Lungmen CCTV footage and found something,” Closure’s voice sounded from the other line. I managed to use an AI program to track down the vehicle.”

 

Ch’en’s face visibly lit up and she turned around and walked away from Lee who just shrugged and turned back to his papers, keeping his ears open to the conversation.

 

“The vehicle is parked at an abandoned factory that matches up with the tunnels’ pathways. License plate and vehicle description match either way, we have a location.”

 

“Good, send me the coordinates and I’ll have the teams regroup there.”

 

“Well, here’s the thing. The infrastructure aboveground is under construction. We would have to take a route that sends us through where Penguin Logistics is, and I would guarantee that the fireworks that just went off have alerted them.”

 

Ch’en felt a vein threaten to pop in her head and gave a heavy sigh to try and forcefully compose herself. She clicked the communicator button and said, “It’ll have to do. All units converge onto the coordinates Closure sends you. Hoshiguma, make sure Penguin Logistics doesn’t cause any more problems.”

 

“I’ll try…” Hoshiguma nervously affirmed before her end went silent. 

 

---

 

Currently, Evan was being goaded by Niko as they looked for a way out. While he knew he had a feeling why they were retreating, he didn’t really want to tempt his captors into having a reason to harm him. But he could make it as annoying for them as possible.

 

“So…how’s kidnapping me going out for ya now?”

 

“Quiet, we’ll figure this out. Just shut up and don’t try anything funny or I’ll have Niko scratch you.”

 

“I’d do it even if you didn’t order me, Boss.”

 

“So, who’s attacking?”

 

“Do you really want to test us, kid?” the boss asked as they rushed through towards the underground. 

 

Evan just shrugged and decided to go against his better judgment anyways. 

 

“Well, not like you have much to lose. With scarface here I’m not exactly in a position to make a run or fight back. Besides, maybe we can work out an agreement?”

 

“Yeah, what do you have to negotiate?” Niko snarled.

 

“Well, if you release me, you can run away and get away for today, or keep me and have the entirety of Rhodes Island, the LGD, and Penguin Logistics continue to go after you. I mean, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I don’t think the Superintendent and Senior Lieutenant are keen on letting me rot in your clutches.”

 

“Do you want me to gag you?!” the boss growled lowly after stopping and turning around to put his face inches from Evan’s.

 

“I’m just saying, it makes no strategic sense to keep me at this point, unless you’re actively looking for trouble to continue. I am also technically a guest of Chief Wei’s, so if you really want to fuck up your chances, harming me is a good way to do so.”

 

Fury flashed into the feline’s eyes. Not because he found this man annoying, but because he was right . Keeping him was a strategic failure waiting to happen, every second they spent not releasing him, the LGD and Penguin Logistics raided their hideouts and weakened their position in the city. If he was really a guest of Lungmen’s leader, then harming him would only worsen his chances of being charged in the courts.

 

“What, cat got your tongue…oh, wait,” Evan said with his stupid smartass grin, only for a wad of cloth to be shoved in his mouth and he simply shrugged. It clearly didn’t bring satisfaction, but it did shut him up.

 

They continued, and then they opened a door to the under-city tunnels where the boss began walking around to the passenger seat with a driver already waiting. Niko moved to place him in the back, at least until a sound of something hitting the feline with an audible thunk sounded.

 

“What the…Niko?!” the boss asked before leaving with his crossbow armed.

 

“Lock of Shattered Time!” a voice shouted from next to Evan and he looked to see the inexplicable sight of a horned angel with black wings and a halo holding a staff up. With the incantation, the boss froze in place and a square set of rings appeared and slammed one by one into the boss until time resumed and he was slammed onto the floor, a thud sounding in sync with the pattern the rings had hit him. He seemed dazed and confused, but the fallen angel walked over anyway and gave a cocky smile, her black sarkaz-like tail waving. That was until she gave a good hit to his head, knocking him out cold. Said angel then knocked on the glass to the quivering driver and stated, “You have one chance to gather your comrades up and leave, or I do the same thing to you and leave you for the LGD to find.”

 

It didn’t take long for him to load his comrades in the back and speed off, clearly scared shitless. That’s when the black angel gave a cheerful wave and a ‘see ya’ before turning to Evan.

 

“Well, that was close. Didn’t think I’d make it in time. Bison told me about your situation, name’s Mostima. For now, let’s just say I’m a messenger for Penguin Logistics.”

 

“Well your timing couldn’t be more impeccable, or dramatic.”

 

“I aim to please~” Mostima said with a sing-song voice before looking expectantly to the door which had also been locked. After that, a few rattles were heard from the knob before whoever was behind it chose to blast through the thing with an explosive for some reason and a red-haired liberi came marching in.

 

“Mostima, what have I told you about wandering off?! This makes…you know what, I don’t know how many times this makes it I’ve had to track down your sorry ass. Next time you go on a surprise expedition, NOTIFY ME!”

 

“And the grumpy one here is…oh man, what was your code name this time?”

 

“Eat shit and die! Anyways, I assume this is the one Bison told you about?” The liberi walked over and gave him a once over before continuing. “Good, you’re unharmed, let’s go. Let’s get this over with.”

 

“Damn, not even going to introduce yourself. Just going to grab a random man by the arm off to god-knows-where without explanation? Never took you for a bold one.”

 

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up!” the liberi screamed at her partner before turning to Evan who was clearly very confused and didn’t respond to her pulling him. At that, she gave a sharp ‘tsk’ and pulled harder, nearly making him fall flat on his face. “We’re, going, now , get moving or I will drag you. BOTH of you!”

 

“Yes, Flameheart.”

 

“If you call me by my monthly code name again, I will blast you. You will call me Fiammetta.”

 

“Alright Fia,” Mostima said while holding back laughter. This earned a muffled scream from Fiametta before she dragged Evan up the stairs and out where the remainder of the mobsters who had been guarding the building were being arrested and processed by Ch’en and Swire who were barking orders. As soon as they saw him, both immediately dropped their duties and ran over. Fiammetta let go, leaving Evan to be tackled to the ground by Swire who used a bit too much force to hug him.

 

“You’re ok! Thank goodness.”

 

“And you still need to learn some professionalism,” Ch’en said while pulling at Swire’s collar. The tigress swiped it away and gave the dragoness a raspberry, all while straddling Evan who looked over to his saviors. One looked with cruel indifference, and the other with satisfied amusement.

 

“Please, Beatrice, just get off of me. You hurt me more than the mafia did.”

 

“Oh, sorry,” Swire said before getting off of him. 

 

“Now then, would you like to explain how you got wrapped up with not only a Nuncio, but also her Notarial Hall Overseer?”

 

“Wait, Nuncio and Notarial Hall?”

 

“Ah, you don’t have anything to worry about, Madame Ch’en, we were just in the neighborhood,” Mostima gave with an eerie smile Evan couldn’t quite piece together. When Ch’en crossed her arms and eyed the two harder. With a small smack to the back of the head by Fiammetta, Mostima stopped talking and the red liberi stepped forward.

 

“Our mission here has nothing to do with the events that just transpired. Mostima, on the other hand…” Fiammetta started before giving her partner a harsh glare. “Thought her responsibilities in Penguin Logistics took priority and ran off. We’ll be leaving, if you’ll excuse us.”

 

“Hold it, I still need an incident report, and you have yet to explain your mission. As per Lungmen’s agreement with Laterano, any executive functions of Notarial Hall must be communicated with the LGD or appropriate branch of the Lungmen government. Considering your partner’s record, we may have a lot to cover.”

 

“Irrumabo…” Fiammetta muttered under her breath before turning. “We’re simply investigating something.”

 

“And what, pray tell, might that be?”

 

Fiammetta clicked her tongue, only for Mostima to step forward and point her staff at Evan with a seemingly sinister smile, this led to Ch’en ripping out her standard blade and Fiammetta cocking her gun to protect her Nuncio if need be.

 

“Hey, what’s with all the doom and gloom people, I’m just pointing to ground zero of the anomaly we’ve been looking for.”

 

Ch’en sharpens her gaze and Fiammetta falters, looking to Mostima in shock which prompts the LGD superintendent to make a move, aiming to knock the gun out of Fiammetta’s hands.

 

That was until she came to a sudden halt.

 

Ch’en stopped moving, as though she were frozen in place, unable to move her eyes, as though the being before them was nothing more than a life size model posed mid-action. Evan noticed now that Mostima’s staff was pointed at the officer, with a darkly amusing smile on her face. 

 

“Mostima, what are you doing?! Are you aware of how many laws you’ve just broken?!” Fiammetta screamed at her partner, only for Mostima to look at her and motion Fiammetta away from Ch’en path. Understanding, the irate liberi nodded and moved, which was when Mostima released her grip, which let Ch’en move to strike thin air.

 

“Look, we’re not here to kidnap him or anything, I’ll give you the full story, free of charge too, if you promise to let this little incident blow over,” Mostima told a bewildered Ch’en who was now primed and ready for combat. That was until a hand slinked over her shoulder and a new voice entered the conversation.

 

“Of course we’ll be willing to hear you out, but please allow us to get things in order on our end. You know, standard procedure and all that, and we won’t mention a word about the two of you looking for one of Chief Wei’s honored guests,” Swire said with a grin while forcing Ch’en down further, despite the dragoness’ chagrin.

 

Another wide and rather unsettling grin came from Mostima before she turned and waved. 

 

“See you at The World’s End, I’ll fill the boss and others in on the situation.”

 

Fiammetta wordlessly moved, giving a moment to glance at Evan before the two simply walked off, as though nothing had happened. Once they were gone, Swire breathed a sigh of relief and released her superior.

 

“Thank goodness, that went over without any major incident…” Swire said before turning to Evan with a worried look. “Though, I wouldn’t put us out of the storm yet, if Notarial hall has your number, I’m rather worried…but still, I want answers over conflict, something this bitch doesn’t seem to understand.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Please, you were about to attack a Notarial Hall official, an elite one no less! Do you have any idea how much hot water that would’ve put us in?!”

 

“I was only going to knock out her weapon, which was aimed at me !”

 

“She was only going to fire if you attacked, which you did!”

 

“I-I…whatever, I was protecting the VIP, that’s not a crime…” Ch’en pouted, clearly defeated at what Swire said, but for some reason seemed to have a slight tint to her cheeks. Before Beatrice could rub any more salt in, Hoshiguma and Ace walked over. While one seemed amused, the other looked to her two colleagues with what could only be seen as a look of disappointment.

 

“Alright Ch’en, the suspects have been rounded up and processed, though there’s no sign of their leader. All members have been identified as members of the Cat Mafia.”

 

“Are you serious?” Evan asked in his head and internally rolled his eyes at the name. 

 

“Good, though we may have to release them after their organization pays a fine. Until then, place them under temporary arrest. We have enough to warrant that at least.”

 

“Any other news? I don’t believe we’ve initiated the sweep, yet Evan’s here safe and sound. Who brought him out?”

 

“Penguin Logistics messenger Mostima and her Notarial Hall bodyguard.”

 

A low whistle escaped the elite operator before commenting, “Not everyday we see those two in the same spot at the same time. Did they give any reason?”

 

“Aside from pointing to Evan and saying he was an anomaly they were looking for, not much. Mostima wants to meet at the bar we had drinks at the night before. Do you trust them?”

 

“If it’s on Penguin Logistics territory, I have no worries. Besides, if Notarial hall is involved, it might be best to leave the negotiating to us.”

 

“And why, pray tell, should we do that?” Ch’en nearly spat back.

 

“We have Notarial Hall officials ourselves on Rhodes Island. Our agreement would also prevent any of them from carrying out unwarranted activity as they’re only there to execute the rights of our Laterano citizenry. Unlike their agreement in Lungmen, the one with Rhodes Island is far more specific and tighter knit, and the primary operator, Executor, is a stickler for written rules. If anything that violates our agreement comes through, he will notify us. Have I convinced you?”

 

Ch’en looked to Ace then finally took a sharp intake and squeezed, “...Fine, but we’re going to be there, as a precaution. I’ll also have LGD operatives watch the building. If anything happens there, it will become a diplomatic incident and Lungmen will take appropriate action.”

 

“Easy now, Evan’s a Rhodes Island employee, and under my guard. If anything, we should be the ones saying that. Come on, Evan, let’s go back to the branch office.”

 

The last thing he saw before following Ace back was a surprisingly subdued smile and wave from Beatrice and a sharp, yet somewhat concerned, look from Ch’en before he turned his head to follow his bodyguard.

Chapter 23: A Ripple in Time

Upon entering the briefing room, Closure stood up and gave a wide smile to welcome him back with. Soon after sitting down, Ace filled her in on the situation, which left the chief engineer rather wide-eyed before she pulled at her face and groaned in annoyance at the fact they now had to deal with Laterano officials after wrapping up their little incident.

 

“Kal’tsit’s going to chew us to a pulp…” Closure whined before gazing at Evan. “I know you had no control, but seriously, do you have any idea how much trouble you are? Well, whatever…maybe we need to set some boundary rules, and sign you up for basic combat training. Though, good job for not giving into their demands and being somehow agreeable enough to not land yourself in the deep end. That at least is commendable.”

 

“Well, where I come from, you generally don’t fight back. Just let the officials handle it.”

 

“Yeah, that’s not gonna fly here,” Ace cut in. Once he had their attention he flatly said, “Rhodes Island is in an odd, but not uncommon, position where its employees are encouraged to act in tough situations. This can be chalked up to unfavorable bias from officials to downright corruption as we commonly deal with the infected. Even basic non-combat operators need training in how to handle a tough situation due to this. While what happened today was a freak accident and misunderstanding, it can be the norm at this company.”

 

“Wow…talk about complicated…though, I will admit that seeing what Rhodes does, I wouldn’t mind learning some basic training.”

 

At this, Ace grinned and said, “Good attitude, I’ll help arrange for some sessions once we get back onto the landship.”

 

Closure gave a sigh of relief then turned to the smart screen in the room, upon which it lit up to show the profiles on Mostima and Fiammetta., “Alright, now onto the next order of business. Now, we actually have a good amount of data on Mostima, on account of her being a member of Penguin Logistics. Yet, despite our general knowledge, a lot of unknown remains. So some basics, while she is a PL messenger, she is also a Nuncio, which is what complicates things some. Nuncio’s…” Closure stopped to start pulling up the general information. “...are actually rather unique. A Nuncio is a special type of messenger who answers directly to the Laterano faith. Conceived by the current pope, they’re politically neutral messengers meant to exchange information between different political factions. If two cities allied to different nations need to communicate, they typically use Nuncios. Mostima, however, is by far the most complicated Nuncio we’ve ever come in contact with.”

 

“She’s also crazy destructive with her staves and arts,” Ace chimed, interrupting Closure who happily lended Ace the limited floor. “In tests, her power with arts can reach destructive capabilities that allow her to be filed under the class of Top Operator, which is only second to Elite, in fact many Elites are also considered Top Operators due to the fact they alone can turn the tides of battle or provide an extreme tactical advantage no one else brings. In Mostima’s case, not only are her arts destructive beyond belief, but they’re unique in that they’re one of the rarest form of arts, Temporal Arts.”

 

Evan nearly did a double take before stammering a little to address his thoughts, “T-Temporal arts?! Like she can control time?! Ok, that’s just straight up magic. That would violate so many laws of physics…”

 

“Ok, now I’m curious, which laws might it violate?”

 

“Laws of entropy, things can usually only happen in one direction in time, in the normal case, that’s forward. Also likely breaks some laws of general and special relativity. Normally, only objects moving at the speed of light or near, or objects in gigantic gravitational fields can experience time distortion capable of what you’re probably talking about.”

 

Silence followed briefly before Ace turned his head and asked Closure, “You want to translate that?”

 

“...Don’t put me on the spot like that, but what I think he’s saying, only crazy fast or crazy…heavy things can do that as far as his knowledge goes…”

 

“More or less, but I mean like, cosmically heavy, that some things taken from such an object would weigh as much as a mountain in a simple spoon.”

 

“...What…?”

 

“We’re getting off topic, so, Mostima’s staff…” Ace awkwardly said, trying to redirect their attention.

 

“...Yes, Mostima’s staves…I’m not an expert in the field of arts, but they’re strange artifacts that allow her to cast temporal arts. One is known as the Black Lock, which is capable of halting time, however briefly. The other is the White Key, capable of...well, we’re not entirely sure. The best result the tests could give was it alters the flow of time, but we’re not entirely sure. According to Kal’tsit who conducted the tests, if Mostima had used the full extent of her power, it would be capable of leveling Rhodes Island.”

 

“Now when you say level…”

 

“We mean the landship could have been flattened , not figuratively, literally. Whatever the Lock and Key are, they’re some terrifying power, the only saving grace is that power takes a while to build up and channel,” Ace commented as though someone carrying around a WMD was a normal occurrence. 

 

“And amazingly, that’s all we know, but we have been told by Mostima herself, we’re perhaps the third party that knows anything about her to this extent. The other two can presumably be Penguin Logistics and the Laterano big wigs. Then there’s her overseer,” Closure commented while pulling Fiammetta’s profile again. “While Fiammetta isn’t registered in any capacity in Rhodes Island, she is frequently seen accompanying Mostima with frightening regularity. Oh, right, Mostima has a weird tendency to vanish and is nearly impossible to track down. She sort of comes and goes as she pleases, which makes Fiammetta the only one we know of capable of tracking her down consistently. Anyways, Fiammetta is a Notarial Hall Elite, and we only know this because Executor, our chief Notarial Hall official on the island called her such. Everything else is in Laterano, and they aren’t willing to give us so much as a scrap of blank paper if the situation doesn’t warrant it.”

 

This was a lot to take in, and now that Evan saw this was all they had to say about the two he would be meeting, he felt a few questions should be asked, just in case.

 

“So, should I assume that telling them about my…” Evan glanced at Ace briefly. “Origin is to be avoided?”

 

“You mean the fact you’re from another world?” Ace asked casually. “Sure, avoid it, but that information is ultimately yours to disclose. Even though it is under clearance, it does not mean Rhodes Island is capable of controlling what you share. For instance, all Elite Operators’ birthdays, such as my own, are classified information. This does not stop us from sharing it openly, but by keeping the information under lock and key, it means its only avenue is by word of mouth. As for what I’ll advise, unless Mostima threatens to level the whole city plate, I’d personally rather not tell her. As it stands, she’s not bound by any contract to Rhodes Island save for her own whims, which can be fairly fickle as far as we know. The only reason she’s in the combat operator database at all is because she chose to register.” 

 

“Look,” Closure cut in. “What we’re trying to say is, this is all we know we can give. Whether or not you trust them is up to you. We’re not going to tell you how to interact with them, but we’re not going to let you go uninformed. Now go wash and rest up, we’ll take you to the meeting point tonight, but don’t lose sleep over it. If Notarial Hall really wanted you, you would be halfway to Laterano by now, that’s all I can say for sure.”

 

---

 

Normally, LGD meetings with the chief were very tense, but there was a pattern to them usually, especially when considering official topics that became recorded and archived. One could always point to an instance of written data to have it processed if they needed to verify whether an action was warranted. 

 

Then there was whatever tomfoolery Swire had found herself in, sitting with Ch’en in the office of Chief Wei, discussing the potential disaster that had just occurred and may have occurred. 

 

And boy did she not like what she was seeing in the eyes of the chief and his niece.

 

Ch’en was simply looking down at her lap, eyes swirling in thought as she tried to salvage the situation in scenarios in her mind. The chief himself wasn’t much better as he simply stared beyond the realms of human ken. Scheming something up in his mind to the same end Ch’en was thinking: How were they going to ‘fix’ the situation with Notarial Hall?

 

Swire may have a rather lax work relationship with Ch’en herself, but not even she felt comfortable enough to so much as whisper to the dragoness. No, this is a look on Chief Wei, she had seen on her grandfather when he was thinking about how to handle his next political endeavor. A deep unsettling feeling swirled gently, but she shoved it down, opting to wait for orders rather than comment.

 

Suddenly, Wei sighed and clasped his hands together in front of him, moving to gaze at the two before saying, “There’s no way out of this…if we try to make any premature moves it gives Notarial Hall full excuse to treat it as an act of aggression. After that, there’s too many bad roads to risk taking. Even if we’re right to be suspicious, all of our connections rooted to Laterano may grind to halt. That’s a risk I’m not willing to take…”

 

“Then…” Ch’en primed before slowly re-affirming, “We aren’t going to do anything?”

 

“Well, on the contrary, you could send some public guards, increase patrols, but nothing drastic. If you mobilize a significant portion of the LGD on this issue, it will only serve to damage us in the long run. Best to keep it small and have faith Rhodes Island and Notarial Hall work out their own issues. Personally, I think it would be best to let Rhodes Island and Notarial Hall work their own issues out.”

 

“But what about Evan, what if they’re trying to use him!” Ch’en tried to argue, only for Wei to raise a hand and give a sharp glare to his niece.

 

“Evan, does not warrant a response. He is not an asset of Lungmen save for a minor business partner. I don’t know what’s so hard to understand here, but if we act secretly or too openly, we lose an important piece.”

 

“Evan’s not a piece to be bargained with!”

 

“Ch’en, please cease. You’re letting your emotions speak above your duty,” Wei warned, which to Swire’s shock, shut the argumentative dragon up immediately. Ch’en shut her mouth and settled back in her seat, although Swire could see some stress around the knuckles. 

 

“As I said, if we act, we lose. I don’t like it any more than you, but our best option is to wait and hope this blows over.”

 

“...As you wish, Chief Wei…” Ch’en struggled to affirm before standing up and leaving. Swire followed shortly after. Upon catching up with the Superintendent who was walking at a rather brisk pace, Swire decided now was the time to ask what that weird atmosphere was about, though she had a guess. Sadly, she had to make physical contact to get her attention by placing it on her shoulder. At this, their gazes met after the dragoness whipped her head around to meet Swire’s with her slits closed dangerously.

 

“What was that all about? I thought we were going here to report the incident, but you’re acting like something’s not right.”

 

“Maybe if I could get some space to think, I could sort this out.”

 

“And do what? Disobey Chief Wei’s direct orders and wisdom? That could put your career in jeopardy!”

 

“He’s not going to fire me from the LGD, you know that.”

 

Swire blinked a few times, a reminder dawning on her that Ch’en either didn’t care or didn’t know about Wei’s true plans for her. Seriously, it had been obvious since they were little, and another more envious part took root. Swire bared her fangs and soon after a slap rang out and a brief searing pain shot through Swire’s palm.

 

“Will, you, get, a, grip! Do you have any idea who you are?! And don’t tell me you’re Superintendent of the LGD, second in rank only to Chief Wei. What is it you’re trying to accomplish, to prove with this insufferable game you force everyone around you to play?!”

 

Ch’en couldn’t seem to process and simply seemed stunned, Swire nearly primed her hand for another round. That was, until footsteps sounded and Fumizuki came running into the hallway. She saw the two and immediately regained posture before calmly walking over.

 

“What happened? Is everything alright?”

 

“Clearly not, look at her. One little slap and a criticism and she shuts down!” Swire said before snapping a couple fingers in front of Ch’en. That was when a simple plop sounded from the floor, and her initial train of thought halted. With eyes that now reflected her own visage with their glistening tears, Swire backed away and watched as another streaked down.

 

“Miss Swire, you should leave immediately, I’ll handle this from here.”

 

She obeyed, stepping away to watch as Fumizuki wrapped an arm around Ch’en and dragged her to an isolated room. Yet, she didn’t leave immediately. She just stood there for a bit, watching where the two had left her line of sight before realizing herself that she was producing some of her own fluids in response. This was quickly hidden by her tougher mask and she gave a ‘tsk’ before striding over to the elevator.

 

Meanwhile, Fumizuki sat Ch’en down in a chair and gently moved her hands along the girl’s arms before silently squeezing her palms. 

 

“It’s ok dear, we’re alone, everything will be fine.”

 

Ch’en shook her head, too broken to speak at the moment. In response, Fumizuki began rubbing her palms.

 

“Let it go, you can tell me. You don’t have to, but I’m here. I will always be here.”

 

The dam broke.

 

Ch’en’s face scrunched up, finally caving and a sniffle sounded before she started simultaneously sobbing and speaking, “How can you say that? After all that’s happened, how could you ever believe the words coming from your mouth.”

 

“Because, no matter what, I will never leave you. I know it’s hard, and you’ve been so strong. I’m very proud to call you my niece, but even the strong need their time to let go and rest.”

 

“It’s not fair.”

 

“I know…but I’ll be here, a shoulder for you to lean on whenever you need it. I will be the ears you can whisper all your secrets to, no matter how embarrassing. For now, you’ve earned the right to let go.”

 

Ch’en wrapped her arms around Fumizuki and she gently patted the lung’s back tenderly. Small waves and oscillations slowly but surely calmed her down, and she hummed a soft Higashinese tune she sang to a much younger Ch’en, and still would should the poor girl let her. For a while, they were in their own world, aunt and niece, or perhaps mother and daughter if one stretched the definition. 

 

“I must admit…” Ch’en muttered into her shoulder. Fumizuki gave a hum to affirm she was listening. “I was quite happy yesterday. Being a dress up doll was embarrassing yet thrilling, walking through the parks with people I know brought me hope, and the finballs under the lamp were delicious. For once, I thought I could allow myself one day, one day, and Evan payed the price for it.”

 

“That’s not true, I don’t believe he blames you.”

 

“No, but I would understand if he did…”

 

“Don’t say that, Evan’s a smart man, he knows it wasn’t your fault.”

 

“Why does it feel like it is?”

 

She wanted nothing more than to simply sigh, to curse her husband’s name into the poor girl’s ear. Ch’en didn’t deserve any of her fate, but sadly it was the hand fate had dealt the poor child. 

 

“Dearest niece, you’re not a burden to anyone. Please, forgive yourself.”

 

“But will Lungmen forgive me?”

 

She instinctively hugged her tighter, but then she was pushed off and she saw that look in her eye. 

 

“You didn’t take your medicine, did you…”

 

Carefully, she moved to try peeling off what clothing she could, only for Ch’en to grab her wrist.

 

“What difference does it make? One dose regardless, my fate’s sealed in the end…”

 

For once, she had no response. She knew, deep down, Ch’en was right. Her husband still denied it, but she knew too. She wanted nothing more than to hug her again, whisper comforting words into Ch’en ears, but she knew the words just spoken rang true, and they struck like thunder. Even if they had years ahead, maybe decades if they were lucky, it would all come to the same result for Ch’en, one way or another. Fumizuki wanted to cry, for Ch’en’s sake she wanted to show how much it hurt her too, but something deep down told her not to. 

 

“You should have a child with uncle, it’ll be a much better heir than I.”

 

“No…”

 

“I don’t think I could bear it, watching you grow old and alone while I slowly wilt away.”

 

“No.”

 

“I don’t even know where she is, who she even is anymore, maybe…”

 

“No!”

 

She finally got her attention back.

 

“Ch’en, whatever you do, do not give up on yourself. You deserve answers, a chance to face your fate, a chance to end this cycle of suffering. You don’t have to be your uncle…but…”

 

“I know, even back then I knew the choice was mine…” Ch’en replied before giving a sigh and looking out the window over Lungmen. “I thought I could do something with my life, but in that pursuit I may have wasted it.”

 

“You still have years, you still have time.”

 

“Time or no, it doesn’t change the fact I’m infected.”

 

---

 

The first sight to greet him upon entering the World’s End, was chanting from the more rowdy and eccentric as the gangster penguin chugged an entire bottle of whisky in one go while standing on the table. He watched, a little bewildered, as the penguin refused to spill a single drop while glugging down the burning liquid, all the while everyone but Texas was chanting the same word, chug.

 

“It’s ridiculous, I don’t know what she sees in them,” Fiammetta spat from next to him after he closed the door. “Mostima’s likely in the back. Come on.”

 

He obliged and they walked over to the back room of the tavern where the blue girl was rummaging through the liquor while humming a cheerful tune. While she didn’t make any gesture to notice them, she spoke anyway. 

 

“What do you think? Hard liquor on the rocks or a nice relaxing beer?”

 

Evan looked to Fiammetta, hoping to receive guidance, only for her to simply glare, or look, he couldn’t tell the difference with her harsh gaze, always active. Thankfully, the target of her stare was Mostima.

 

“What do you think, Evan? Heard you’re surprisingly knowledgeable, making drinks and all.”

 

“Pass me a beer, it’s been too long.”

 

“You betcha, catch!”

 

He caught it, somehow knowing Mostima would throw the beverage, or her first instinct would be to. Contrary to his earlier meeting, he felt rather relaxed right now. He couldn’t tell why, but while the subject seemed as though she were nothing but air, he could still feel her presence.

 

Really, it was a weird feeling.

 

“Sorry about making a scene back there earlier, kind of got a little worked up. Also, I had to make a point.”

 

“What kind of point?”

 

At this, Mostima flashed a grin which coincided with the pop of her own beer and she pointed the beverage towards Fiammetta. He gave a brief ‘ah’ in response, and that’s when something unusual happened. He suddenly saw the image of Ch’en moving to strike Fiammetta and remembered why Mostima had been forced to use arts. Completely understandable reaction to someone you care about being threatened.

 

Hold up.

 

His eyes widened and Mostima herself finally stopped chugging her beer. She gave a satisfied breath then said, “Been a while since I had something this good.”

 

He could imagine, beer could be rather tasty, but he hadn’t opened his and he knew somehow what she was talking about. Then, a small flavor profile briefly existed on his tongue and he finally realized something, that’s when Mostima’s eerie smile appeared, wider than ever.

 

“Feel that? That’s how I knew for sure you were the anomaly. While I needed arts to enhance it, and still do to complete the connection, this marks the first time in years I’ve felt what you’re feeling right now.”

 

Yeah, it was almost like she could pick up, oh what was the word? Wait, he knew this word, but then he stopped himself and gave a bewildered gaze to the fallen angel.

 

“Would you mind explaining what it is you’re going on about?” an impatient liberi finally butted in.

 

“Oh, easy, you know that weird thing sankta have where they can…sort of vibe with each other through low grade telepathy? Yeah, somehow I have an avenue to do that with Evan here.”

 

Mostima took a sip for dramatic effect as Fiammetta’s jaw dropped and her eyes snapped to Evan. Understandable too, since…

 

“Oops, gotta cut the connection, can’t have you peering much into personal thoughts.”

 

And just like that, Mostima seemed nothing more than air, and he no longer felt her presence linger. 

 

“Alright, now I have more questions than answers, what do you mean you can make a connection with him?!”

 

“It’s pretty simple, basic telepathy arts. Buuuut, that might be because he has the same…feel as the anomaly the staves picked up. Beyond that, I really know nothing, so Evan, feeling generous enough to share, or do you want to keep your secrets?”

 

“How about you give me an explanation, you still haven’t told me what you mean by ‘anomaly’, which doesn’t tell me much other than what you want to hear from me.”

 

“Fair enough,” she said with a shrug before taking a preparatory sip. So at the start of March, the staves picked something up, or reacted. Couldn’t tell which, but two signatures came from it.” Another sip was taken. “One was the signature of something powerful , like world-bendingly powerful. The second, upon examination, was your telepathic signature. Honestly, it sort of threw me off, considering I’m a fallen sankta and am cut off from having a telepathic connection with my kind. Either way, I made notes and it pointed towards Lungmen. Before I could go ask the boss what was up, Fia here files a full report straight to Notarial Hall.”

 

“Someone had to.”

 

Mostima gave a ‘see what I mean?’ smile before taking another sip.

 

“Anyways, we wait for orders and suddenly my next mission from the head honcho of the church is to track down this anomaly that literally rippled through time and halfway across Terra no less. So, only recently did I come to ask Emperor, and here we are.”

 

Well, that was interesting to say the least. While Evan was used to tackling complicated information, this told him a few things: Mostima’s staff could act as a space-time antenna, and that whatever event happened was actually very powerful despite the fact modern arts weren’t able to pick up his location. Yeah, he was getting a hang on the subject thanks to Skyfire, he’d have to thank her later.

 

“I do have some questions before I agree to share anything, is that alright?”

 

“Sure, shoot man.”

 

“If I share, will Notarial Hall and Laterano let me live in peace?”

 

“Honestly, probably. His Holiness is a very lax and understanding man, and if you aren’t a danger to anyone, I’m like, eighty percent certain he’ll just let you do your thing. Notarial Hall might want to keep a few tabs on you, but we could probably put a cap on that if you want.”

 

“And should I worry about Notarial Hall?”

 

“Dunno, ask Fia,” Mostima answered before taking a sip.

 

Evan looked to the liberi who glared, or looked, at him and answered his question, “I will admit I speak with bias, but it’s as Mostima said, as long as you aren’t considered a risk, you have nothing to worry about. Notarial Hall cannot move against your interests unless you move against ours. Unless you want to raise our suspicion, I recommend the truth comes out so we can properly assess such conditions.”

 

“Though, I will admit resting bitch face here isn’t the most reliable or unbiased source of information, since she’s something of a career woman at Notarial.”

 

“Piss off.”

 

That one actually got a chuckle out of him, despite his better judgment, to which Fiammetta thankfully didn’t acknowledge and Mostima’s smile widened further.

 

“Well, sounds like you know something. My guess is when I got transported against my will, by some force I know nothing about, it seemed to have a great sense of irony and collided directly into Miss Swire’s car, totaling it.”

 

“Ha, serves that rich girl right, man does that sound like one hell of a situation. Where’d you transport from?”

 

“Middle of nowhere, on a highway in my home country.”

 

“Eh, your country has permanent infrastructure highways? Not any place I’ve heard of, so that firmly places you outside of most places. Mind naming this country?”

 

“United States of America.”

 

For the first time, he saw a look of shock cross Mostima’s face, and Fiammetta seemed to notice as she finally registered why.

 

“So…a little broader, any cardinal direction from here…or…?”

 

“Nope, no cardinal direction. Whole other universe as far as I’m concerned.”

 

Mostima blinked with an open mouth, and Fiammetta.exe has clearly long stopped working, so it was his turn to give a mysterious smile. This was matched by Mostima and he found himself laughing alongside her, just at the sheer stupidity of the whole situation.

 

“Alright, got me there. Oh, thank the lord, I was expecting some form of doomsday or invasion scenario at first, but considering nothing seems to be in danger, I think I’ll gladly take a surprise. Though, that does raise a question, any idea why you were transported or how?”

 

“Nope, none. Frankly, I’m just as confused as anyone else as to why or how I’m even here, much less breathing. Who knows, I’m just trying to figure out life now that I’m stuck here.”

 

“Well, you’re sure taking it in stride. Though after what you said, I’ll be sure to put in a good word for His Holiness. Just so you don’t have to see the likes of Fiammetta’s ugly mug again.”

 

This proved to snap the phoenix out of her trance as she seemingly automatically responded with “Fuck off, Mostima” before suddenly, and finally registering what had just been said. She gave Evan a once over and sighed, opting to walk out of the room for fresh air.

 

“Well, I guess I’m going to follow her for once, don’t want her doing anything to bother you. Maybe I’ll see you at Rhodes Island when I hop on by, maybe we can discuss something more interesting. I’d love to hear more about where you come from and what it’s like, since I can’t go there myself.”

 

Mostima then crushed the can in her hand and tossed it to the ground without a care in the world. A fallen angel indeed.

 

Evan walked out in time to see that the rest of Penguin Logistics had moved on to other activities while Emperor himself was passed out on the table. He just left them to their devices and made his way back to the branch office. It wasn’t the most fabulous trip to Lungmen, but he had a feeling it was going to come to a close soon enough. 

 

---

 

The next morning they were to return to Rhodes, Evan was mildly surprised to see someone new. While he had been introduced to Lee in passing, the gaudy lung was speaking to his three tour guides from yesterday. As soon as he saw Evan, his lips curled suspiciously and he seemingly gracefully strode over and said in a rather smooth voice, “Well, good morning. Sleep well in spite of yesterday’s events?”

 

“Shockingly, though that might be due to the fact I didn’t have much opportunity to sleep the night before.”

 

Lee smiled and tipped his hat. After that, he extended his hand and said, “We never got a proper greeting, name’s Lee, owner and manager of Lee’s Detective Agency, a private investigation bureau currently in partnership with Rhodes Island. Well, I say detective agency, but we take all sorts of jobs too.”

 

Evan took the hand and Lee gave a surprisingly strong shake that made him feel as though he had no control over his own arm. What was odd was how Lee wore a seemingly smug look the entire time, but he didn’t particularly feel threatened for some reason. There was an odd charismatic look about the Lung, as though he sort of wanted to know Lee’s character. Perhaps he was curious, perhaps he feared what he was seeing was a facade, it didn’t particularly matter though. He was curious, though, why this detective wanted to meet him.

 

“May I ask what I owe the pleasure of your visit to?”

 

“Well, you don’t need to worry about that. I was curious, yesterday, whether you had any run ins with the Cat Mafia that put you at risk, only to find nothing, and a little clip circulating the Citynet depicting a crash between you and Miss Swire on the road, beyond that, I couldn’t find anything. Not a scrap of information, as though your existence only started at that moment. So, I just had to see what this mysterious ghost was like, but you sure are…interesting for a ghost.”

 

“In that…?”

 

“You don’t seem to try to hide anything. Most people you find very few traces or mentions of usually have something that they want to leave behind, run away from, hide in their closet. You get the idea, but you yourself haven’t given me a suspicious gaze at all, despite likely knowing I am a detective. But enough about you, anything you want to ask me?”

 

“What does your agency do for Rhodes Island?”

 

“Oh, a number of things. Most notably we track operator histories and cross-reference the information with their accounts to help build an accurate profile. We also help gather information on anything from current events to branch office events and try to decipher a story. Say an operator was embezzling money from the main landship to his branch office, we would investigate that as well by pouring over financial records, looking for inconsistencies or signs of forgery. You could say we’re information specialists, and damn good ones at that.”

 

“When you’re not destroying property, causing disturbances, or bending the law,” Ch’en shot back. “Honestly, we’re grateful for all you do, but I do have to question your methods sometimes.”

 

“Well, if we tried too hard, we wouldn’t have any competition. Keeps things interesting, no?” Lee said with a grin and squinted eyes to Ch’en who visibly got more annoyed. “Anyways, I’m looking forward to seeing what profile you do build, I’ll be watching, Mr. Carvey. In the meantime, I’ve slipped a business card into your pocket, give us a call if you need anything done.”

 

 With that, the gaudy lung left, leaving Evan the opportunity to finally say his goodbyes to Swire, Ch’en, and Hoshiguma. 

 

“Well, guess this is goodbye, you better keep writing, you’re indebted to do that much for me at least,” Beatrice jabbed, which led to a small laugh from him, but nothing much. “Though, if you ever need anything, I’m more than happy to lend what I can.”

 

“Don’t suppose money’s on the menu?”

 

“Yeah, actually. If you need a little financial kickstart to a project, feel free to ring up, I’ll make sure the terms are more reasonable than any bank or company you could otherwise ask. You know, a friend discount.”

 

He smiled then looked to Ch’en who seemed rather pensive, as though she was still thinking about what she wanted to say. Hoshiguma noticed Evan’s expectant stare before she did and gave Ch’en a little tap with her palm. The lung looked to the oni, then to him and then immediately away.

 

“H-Have a safe trip.”

 

At this, Hoshiguma smiled then produced a piece of paper and handed it to Evan. 

 

“That’s Ch’en’s mailing address, feel free to write to her as well, mine’s also there as a bonus. You could always send the letters to the LGD headquarters. But I thought you’d like a little privacy, considering the rumors and all.”

 

A quiet swear escaped Ch’en and she blushed a little, looking away while her tail swished happily, betraying her facial expression. Evan pocketed the note and thanked them, offering a wave as the three of them started walking away, and he prepared himself to not have much contact with them for a while outside of the old fashioned way.

 

Boy did he miss the internet.

 

Penguin Logistics had other business in Lungmen, so Ace and Closure were in his vehicle while a logistics transport device carried any cargo they had to bring back. After they stopped for lunch, Evan decided to show Closure how to work his vehicle. When it started up after a turn of the keys, she tilted her head in curiosity before asking, “So…now what?”

 

“Now, put your foot on the pedal to the left, and push. That will initiate the brake.”

 

“Uhuh…”

 

“Now switch your mode to the Drive by activating the lever and pushing it to D.”

 

“Ok…”

 

“Let go of the brake, and you should start coasting.”

 

“Alright…” Closure finally let go and they both felt their inertia shift, and a sparkle appeared in her eyes. “It’s moving! All on its own?!”

 

“Just press the brake if you want to stop-” his sentence was cut off by Closure slamming the brake and their momentum came to a screeching halt. “Well, I should’ve said ease onto the brake, the amount it's pressed determines the strength of the braking effect.”

 

“Oh, sorry. That’s really weird though, if I were using a regular vehicle, it would’ve just listened.”

 

“No, you’ve got to play by the car’s rules here. Let’s try accelerating, again, ease into it.”

 

Gently, she placed her foot down on the accelerator and they felt the combined force of the car pull them with it. Only problem was, Closure kept picking up speed.

 

“Let go, you have enough speed.”

 

She obeyed and they started coasting. 

 

“And if I want to stop, ease onto the brake…” she said to herself and gently pushed the brake. Slowly, but surely they got the car to a nice and orderly stop. “Alright, this is weird. Not at all what I imagined a car to function as from your world.”

 

“What, just because we had to get creative, doesn’t mean it didn’t come with trade-offs. Your vehicles are stupid responsive to me, we always have to think about how to make the car go, not ask it and it just does. The engine is a machine and has its limits, but they can be worked around. Still, it takes some practice, learning the nuance of how to maintain a regular speed. Personally, I just constantly check the speedometer and adjust my foot accordingly.”

 

“You sure you don’t want a universal arts circuit installed for the controls?”

 

“I’d rather not. I like keeping it as it is, it reminds me of my origins or something.”

 

During the conversation, Closure had been fiddling with the brake, forgetting she had to keep it pressed and seemed to get a little frustrated until, while they were stopped, Evan pulled the lever back to park and they stayed stopped. 

 

“Oh, you have to use the lever to keep it stopped…”

 

Still, while he had satisfied his boss’s curiosity on his vehicle, he still remained the one to drive it into the ramp, and then they were back in Rhodes Island. Oddly enough, he felt a little relieved, as though he were returning home for some reason.

Chapter 24: A Shift in Routine

“I won’t beat around the bush,” Folinic said, looking at the file and the person in front of her. “Your physical does not look promising. You’re slightly overweight, signs of muscle disuse, extreme stiffness of joints, your posture suggests you spend most time in a chair, and your stamina is very short lasting. Yet, here you are, at a physical for combat training, under Professor Kal’tsit’s order no less…”

 

Evan just gave her a look that said he clearly knew all of this, which led to Folinic narrowing her eyes at him.

 

“Do you even take care of yourself?”

 

“Not particularly-”

 

“And yet you’re going into combat training? Honestly, with how glued you seem to be to sitting, it’s a wonder she wants you there at all…”

 

“Look, I know I have issues, but I came here because I needed an assessment of if I can train at all, not have all my problems piled onto me. All I really need to know is if I’m not going to keel over or get bed-ridden from my mandatory training.”

 

“Oh…” Folinic was clearly surprised about the harshness in his voice, but it really was a pet peeve of his. He knew he needed to exercise, to improve his mobility, his flexibility, his stamina, he knew all that. People like Folinic laying it thick on him in an effort to seemingly shame him into a lifestyle change like it was easy or naturally just put a bad taste in his mouth. “...Sorry…I…”

 

He may have laid it on a little thick in response though. Folinic seemed nervous and ashamed of herself at his outburst. 

 

“I should also apologize, I know you were trying to help, but this is something I’ve heard thousands of times from various people in my life. My mother in particular was quite worried about me, having been a doctor herself. I may have projected my frustrations on you unfairly.”

 

Folinic’s eyes brightened a little and she smiled before shaking her head and saying, “Ah, no, I understand. All I’m trying to say is all these subclinical issues can be easily fixed with exercise, which you would be getting anyways. So to answer your question, no, you won’t die or become ill from intense exercise. You may feel tired after training, but in a few weeks you will start feeling better than ever. Just let me update your medical profile and…”

 

An unnatural pause came and she blinked a little, looking at the profile then back to Evan with a look of shock.

 

“Oh, I think I see why Professor Kal’tsit wants you to take combat training. These results…on your blood alone…”

 

“Yup, not a trace of originium in the body, I know. That’s kind of why I was sent to Rhodes in the first place.”

 

“I see, well, at least we don’t have to worry about you getting infected for now, it seems. Well, either way you have the green light.”

 

“Thank you, Doctor.”

 

“You’re welcome. In fact, if you ever want some pointers, I’d be more than happy to help smooth your transition to a healthier lifestyle. Also, it seems Professor Kal’tsit wants to monitor your vitals and blood through this whole process too, and since she’s been a bit busy these last few days, we may be seeing more of each other. Until then, good luck.”

 

Evan nodded and left the doctor’s office before heading down to the cafeteria to finally get some food since he had to fast for this physical. One unremarkable, but arguably nutritious meal later, the next piece on his daily agenda was to meet who would be his private combat instructor. Yes, private, because it probably had to do with his special condition. Then again, he hadn’t been present in the room when the enigmatic Doctor Frewgar and Kal’tsit had made the decision. No, the enigmatic Doctor ushered him out of the room before he could witness their discussion. He knew it was about him, but something in him trusted The Doctor to see to it proper responses were taken, as though he could trust the man despite knowing next to nothing about him.

 

Then there was the fact he was back to working on writing up projects. Now, while he had to admit they had gotten lucky with the combustion engine and some battery on account of having the devices, and the solar panel was something he already knew how to do, they were going to need to enter the realm of problematic somehow. 

 

As if on cue, his PDA/phone beeped, implying he got a message and he looked to see a small profile picture of the Rhodes Island mascot modeled after their CEO, along with her name.

 

Dear Mr Carvey,

 

Please report to my office at your earliest convenience, there’s something important I want to discuss with you. 

 

Checking his time, he assumed it wouldn’t be more than an hour at worst, and it wasn’t like he was doing any training today, hopefully, which led to him scarfing down his remaining food with impressive gusto before walking to the office. 

 

As soon as he entered, ears perked and stiffened past a wall of paper and Amiya poked her head out with a smile.

 

“Ah, Mr Carvey, come in. I wasn’t expecting you so soon, sorry for the mess.”

 

“It’s an impressive workload…I don’t envy you, so don’t worry.”

 

“Ah, it is a little more than usual, but that’s partly because of you, not that I mind. It’s nice to have some spotlight for once. In fact, there’s a few letters and documents I’ve had to review before handing them off to you in person. They should be here somewhere… Oh, and feel free to take a seat.”

 

Amiya’s ears were the only thing he saw for a short while before she pulled out a thick stack of documents and folders and set them aside. 

 

“Ok, I shouldn’t keep you long, but I wanted to have a short chat, is that ok with you, or should I schedule a meeting?”

 

“Now’s fine.”

 

“Oh, thank goodness. Well, first off, I’d like to commend your performance. Despite having only been an employee for three months, you’ve increased our revenue, made new contracts and partnerships with powerful companies, and acquired more public relations for the company. Thanks to this, we’ve been busier than ever. Truly, thank you for choosing Rhodes Island, and I hope our relationship is a long one.”

 

During all this, a shining smile was emitted from Amiya which seemed to shine a rather homely glow for some reason. Maybe it was the size, but he couldn’t be sure. By now, he would be shocked if Amiya was a child, she was surprisingly mature and polite without feeling somehow distant.

 

“I would also like to offer you a promotion. I’ve been thinking about what you should do, and I’ve decided a new title is befitting of your stature. While I’m still working out the finer details of the contract, I was thinking of a title such as ‘Alternative Energies Engineer’ or ‘Expert of Alternative Sciences’ to speak to your achievements so far. This would bump your clearance level to a special grade that would allow you access to the ship’s schematics as well as your own R&D facility and workshop among other benefits we’re still working on. Among them, we plan to give you a sizable raise, and a stipend for your projects.”

 

“Oh…wow. Thanks, that’s…do you really think I deserve this? I’ve only been with the company for roughly three months.”

 

“Ah, no, it’s perfectly fine. Here we value our employees by their achievements and needs. Your achievements are rather astounding but no less worthy of reward. While it can normally take years for someone to end up at such a position in most careers, here at Rhodes Island we believe in rewarding merit where it’s due.”

 

“Well…if you really think I deserve such a position, I’d be happy to take it. I’m just shocked is all. I didn’t expect this company to be so generous.”

 

At this, Amiya gave a bright and cheerful giggle before answering with a beaming smile, “Rhodes Island is far more than a simple pharmaceutical company. We have many goals beyond monetary gain, in fact, it’s rather low on the list. Our first mission is to the infected and those powerless to help themselves, at least that’s the goal we founded this company with. We’ve been in the red for quite a while at times, where most would declare bankruptcy and dissolve the company, but thanks to the efforts of employees like yourself, we’re still going strong with that mission.”

 

“Well, you’ve certainly sold me at least. If your mission truly is to make the world a better place, I can get behind sticking around for the foreseeable future.”

 

“That’s wonderful to hear, thank you!” Amiya gleefully exclaimed with a clap of her hands. “Anyways, feel free to take your documents. I still have a lot of work to do, but should time permit it I would be more than happy to speak with you in a more relaxed setting.”

 

With that, Evan took the folders and documents then waved goodbye to Amiya who returned the gesture before her head disappeared behind the mountain of paperwork. Really, she seemed impressive, and all that while having the body of a child. He honestly had to wonder what her own childhood was like to make her like that, but he didn’t spend much thought on it. He had more pressing concerns waiting for him in the training area of the ship, and he still had some time.

 

---

 

Now, Evan had a particular image of a drill instructor, he imagined someone rough, callous in their language, disciplined, and was expecting an immediate show of tough love out the gate, but when he saw his chosen instructor, all those expectations flew out the window.

 

“Hey, Defense Operator Dur’nar here. I’ll be your personal instructor, nice to meetcha! Also, here, have a candybar.”

 

Something felt wrong.

 

“Is this a test?”

 

At this, Dur’nar began laughing heartily and unwrapped the bar before popping it in his mouth. 

 

“Nope!”

 

One thing he had come to appreciate about Terra’s chocolate in general was how it wasn’t like chocolate back in the states. Hershey’s could be as little as ten percent cocoa, making it barely chocolate. Since Terra in general had a limited supply of sugar circulating in its veins, the most common chocolate was actually on the darker side to save money on the precious resource. 

 

The chocolate bar in his mouth though was clearly some high quality stuff, something he’d have to import from another continent back home in most cases. It wasn’t too bitter or too sweet, and a faint hint of other ingredients actually gave it quite a deal of nuance to the flavor which really made him happy to be privileged enough to taste it, and he certainly had something to say.

 

“This is some gourmet stuff! Wow, that’s the best sweet I’ve had in a long time.”

 

Dur’nar proceeded to push out her chin and chest with her hands on her hips and her tail wagging wildly as she hummed to herself as congratulations on a satisfactory job. 

 

“Well there’s more where that came from, if you need a little pick me up, I’m the top snack supplier on the landship. Just…don’t tell any of the medical operators, especially Hibiscus or Folinic, those two are sticklers for proper nutrition.”

 

He had heard of Hibiscus in passing and seen peoples’ reaction to her cooking firsthand. He’s actually been tricked into having some of her treats before, and while he didn’t want to throw up, he definitely saw why people complained about her food. Whatever she did to her food, it took out all the soul, and it left behind only a supplement with the shape and texture of food. Either way, he gave a little zip of his lips then said, “Say no more, Hibiscus’s crimes on the culinary arts can’t be ignored.”

 

“I know, right? Seriously, that girl needs to actually understand food’s more than just getting nutrients in your system.”

 

“Hey, if you ever want to make a batch of homemade goods, I can certainly help there. I can make quite some interesting treats, including some unique pies.”

 

Dur’nar’s eyes took on a mischievous sparkle and her tail picked up speed. 

 

“Oh that’s great! I’ll slip some notes under your door sometime. Also, I can use some of my connections to get you access to the kitchen, after hours of course. Can’t have anyone coming in to inspect our work. Been too long since I’ve had a new partner in crime.”

 

Honestly, the fact that this was their first conversation, he almost forgot this was to be his combat trainer. 

 

“So, is there anything we should be drawing up on how to schedule our time in the future?”

 

“Oh, right! Silly me, yeah, I’ve read your physical. I think…four days calisthenics, then a rest on Friday, and then we’ll do actual combat training on Saturday. That’s just the first week though. Once we’ve got a rhythm down, I plan to fully drill you into actual combat, starting with basic self defense as per the Doctor’s orders. That’s next week though, but if you want you can always come watch or join if you have time. No such thing as starting too early. I’ll message you the schedule once we find out where to squeeze in the practice times, though they might be very late or early, sorry to say. Wish I could make it more convenient, but Doctor Kal’tsit’s orders prevent me from placing you in a regular course. Anyways, does that sound good to you?”

 

It was hard to imagine this woman as a drill instructor, but he supposed weirder things have happened. After all, most of his coworkers had rather eccentric personality traits. But, regardless it seemed Dur’nar’s character would allow him to get along quite well with her, despite the fact they were supposed to be trainer and trainee. Hell, she already showed herself to be fairly lax in her approach, giving him candy, good candy, right off the bat.

 

“So long as it doesn’t conflict with my schedule, everything should be fine.”

 

“Oh, Doctor can help me fine tune the schedule, he’s really good at that sort of thing. Beyond that, I don’t know if we have much business to discuss…though I am curious, you mentioned pies are in your baking repertoire, what’s the most interesting one you can make?”

“Blueberry Goat Cheese pie.”

 

After some thought, Dur’nar had to wipe a little drool off her chin before answering, “I have not heard of that before, but it sounds delicious! I would love to try it sometime. I’ll help you acquire some of the ingredients too.”

 

“Well then, I’ll make sure you’re first to try it.”

 

Dur’nar smiled warmly, and the rest of their allotted time was spent talking about the various treats Evan could bake. The two of them got so into talking about ideas for treats as well as some of their favorites that the two forgot what time it was. They were only reminded when Dur’nar’s phone rang and she picked up to hear a harsh voice boring into her, chastising her for being late.

 

“Ah, shoot, I have some drills to run with Doberman, see ya!”

 

The cheerful vulpo was out the door in seconds, and Evan wondered how his next week would go. 

 

---

 

By Friday, he felt like his body was going to melt, and he had already failed to get out of bed on account of his legs alone giving way under him. This led to him plopping back down on the bed and giving an open sigh as his lower half booted up like a lagging old computer. Once he was sure he wasn’t going to simply fall flat on his face or ass, he found some strength to get up and get ready for the day.

 

It also didn’t help that Weedy had been giving him sympathetic looks, as though she understood his plight in getting his body up to speed, and Closure had a few blunt comments to give such as “You look like hell” or “Are you ok?” which were accurate to his condition, but he couldn’t be arsed to care anymore.

 

Dur’nar hadn’t been cruel or overtly harsh in her training, no, quite the opposite. She gave him breaks and even allowed him snacks and water breaks when asked or not. She gave supportive encouragement and didn’t criticize almost at all. In fact, she praised him far more often than not for his continuing to work and even joined him, even if she didn’t seem to break a sweat during the hellish calisthenics. It was just that what she did give him was very good at pushing his limits.

 

Whatever it was doing was working though. In order to monitor his own progress, he actually took some ketone test strips from the medical department, which earned him a very odd look from Folinic who had still been taking over the now nearly daily medical checkups to monitor his vitals. When he explained how they would provide extra data on his metabolic process by allowing him to see if he was burning fat, she seemed surprised that he had as much of a nuanced understanding of metabolism as he did and gladly gave him some on the condition that the little strips he peed on meant for diabetes get written down and reported.

 

Now, when the body is burning fat, he had noticed a rather peculiar side effect. He needed to use the restroom a lot. Thankfully it was a quick number one, but this was sort of expected and made sense when he thought about it. As the body changed, burned energy, and even tapped into its reserves, all the metabolic byproducts had to go somewhere. 

 

Regardless of all this, his days were rather busy yet fulfilling. 

 

Also, he had started working with Glaucus more since she had started calling on him for his ‘expertise’ in electromagnetic properties that her device relied on. During these exchanges he had learned something rather fascinating about her device, originally it was a scrapped Raythean anti-communication prototype discarded due to the fact it kept damaging friendly communications as well, which made sense considering its overreliance on EMPs. That was when he took a moment to think and proposed an idea.

 

“Maybe we could make something similar, but not to quite the same scale using different properties…” he said before walking over to the smartboard and pulling up a drawing board. At this he drew a few crude drawings and labeled them. “So, Terra mostly relies on radio for long distance and portable communication, right?”

 

Glaucus nodded, showing she was following along.

 

“Radio Waves fall under the electromagnetic spectrum of waves, basically making them a form of light, though they have several unique properties, such as being able to simply go around or through obstacles. I’ve actually done minor research that required me to think about how radio waves are emitted, travel, and are interpreted. So first off, interpretation of these signals are still digital. One still needs to emit the wave in pulses which then need to be interpreted by an algorithm. So, one anti-communications weapon we could make is a signal jammer that is basically just a noise machine for radio waves, rather than trying to damage the communication devices directly.”

 

“Wouldn’t that just mean our allies can no longer communicate with radio too?”

 

“Not entirely…you see, this device could actually hone in on specific frequencies. All we would need to determine is which radio frequency the opposing party broadcasts in, which can be achieved with a simple RF spectrum sweep, pinpoint frequencies of great magnitude which aren’t allies’, and then emit a bunch of noise at those frequencies. That would ruin the message and the one supposed to receive the message would only receive nonsense signals they can’t interpret.”

 

“Is there any downside?”

 

“Well, yes. If the opposing party notices, they could triangulate the signal back and stop the jammer.”

 

“I see, but being able to prevent messages being sent between enemies without touching their communications devices is certainly valuable.”

 

“Yes, it just means you have to balance the risk versus the reward of jamming a signal. For instance, if you wanted to cut a force from the outside, this would be one way to do it rather than trying to destroy their communications devices.”

 

“Hm…would you mind helping me write a proposal for such a device? As far as I know, I carry Raythean’s only attempt at communication disabling devices, but yours seems far less troublesome in theory, if a bit more nuanced.”

 

“Sure, if you want questions, I’d be more than happy to help.”

 

“Oh, before you go, I have something I’d like to share with you as thanks for helping me. Costs due to damaging allied electronics have come down since I implemented your concept of a directional EMP.”

 

After that, Glaucus handed Evan a little treat box with a single slice of cake in it. The cake itself had a blue and pink theme to it, and it was clear that whoever decorated it put a lot of time and effort into making it, even if the coloring and design was a little unorthodox. 

 

“It’s a piece of cake operator Blue Poison made, I thought it would be a good present. She makes very delicious treats. Don’t worry, it isn’t poisonous, despite what some people think.”

 

“Well, thanks, glad I could help,” he said while taking it with a smile. “Well, I guess I’ll take it back to my room, there’s still some paperwork there that I need to mull over anyways.”

 

“Goodbye.”

 

With that, Evan left to his room where he placed the cake down and slumped back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. His muscles still ached, but thanks to some little techniques he wasn’t suffering severe aches, but it definitely made him just want to lie down and take a nap. Maybe he could get away with a ten minute break. So he set a timer and did just that before returning to Closure’s office with a stack of paperwork that he decided to tackle after his downtime. This smoothed over the fact he had gotten a free break in quite nicely, though she did suggest he ask next time so she knew where to find him.

 

It wasn’t until he was in the library, assisting Suzuran and Ifrit with their homework along with getting more free arts education from Skyfire did anything odd happen. At some point, he saw a certain blue messenger hovering over Skyfire, staring at the book he was currently loaning her.

 

“Hm…very interesting…” she mused which caused the fire caster below her to burst her hair and tail into flames, which led to Evan grabbing his book before it got burned. 

 

“W-What are you doing here?!” Skyfire blurted, her tail still burning before it was put out when fire alarms started going off. 

 

“Well, Rhodes Island’s resident anomaly is here, and I was on the ship, so I thought I’d come to say hi,” Mostima replied before eying Evan with that unsettlingly sinister smile which widened to an uncomfortable degree.

 

“Anomaly?” Skyfire asked before following Evan’s gaze and a light of understanding flashed in her eyes. “Oh, I see…I’m just going to assume you know by now.”

 

“Oh…know what?” Mostima asked Skyfire who suddenly remembered she was talking to a Nuncio about Evan and began sputtering, looking for an excuse which led Mostima to start laughing. “Of course I know, Evan’s not exactly the most tight lipped individual. We kind of came to an agreement really.”

 

Skyfire sighed in relief then looked at him with knitted brows as though to silently say ‘really?’ to the fact he had told Laterano about his situation.

 

“Either way, I got some mail, and good news. Which do you want first?”

 

“Good news is always welcome.”

 

“Sweet, good news is we managed to get His Holiness to issue ‘observe and wait’ orders to Notarial Hall, so you don’t have to constantly see the liberi I just ditched or any of her colleagues, for now. As for the letter, well, you can read it.”

 

With a minor sleight of hand, Mostima produced a letter and handed it to him. He eyed it over a little, impressed by the detail of the envelope it was in. From Skyfire’s reaction, it seemed the letter was something valuable. A special wax seal held it together, and the writing was in a fine Victorian cursive. The stamp was also something he assumed could only be given under special conditions. Sadly, he didn’t collect stamps, but it would be interesting to start if the letter was as valuable as Skyfire’s bewildered stare implied it was.

 

He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a letter which read as follows.

 

Dear Mr. Carvey

 

I write this letter on behalf of Laterano to formally welcome you to Terra. When Mostima delivered the news I could hardly believe it, a visitor from another world. That, and the information Miss Fiammetta provided show you as a man of unique insight and knowledge not yet seen on Terra. It brings joy to my heart that you would use this knowledge to better our world rather than yourself. Perhaps one day we could speak face to face, but it seems that for now I have my place and you have yours. I will say that I am rather curious about the affairs of your world, how civilization might differ and what wisdom we could provide each other from such differences. Until then, I wish you well and luck to your endeavors. May the Lord guide you.

 

Blessings from Pope Yvangelista XI

 

He blinked a little at the letter then looked up to Mostima who was genuinely smiling in a non-eery way for once. 

 

“So, what’d His Holiness have to say?”

 

“Mostly well wishes.”

 

Mostima gave a couple laughs before commenting, “Yeah, that does sound like him. Anyways, I’ve gotta go before a certain liberi blows her top at my absence. See ya.”

 

With that, Mostima simply walked off and left Evan in a surprisingly interesting position.

 

“So, a letter from the big man in Laterano, cool, I guess.”

 

“It just means Evan-san is an amazing person. I would love to go to Laterano one day to try their treats.”

 

Skyfire for her part seemed to have stopped registering what anyone was saying and opted to continue staring in his general direction, as though what happened must not have been possible. Of course, the air danced and shimmered around her as the ambient temperature around her rose. After some moments where he considered grabbing the fire extinguisher, she finally shut her mouth and the air started to cool.

 

“...To think…you of all people would receive attention from the pope, you never cease to surprise it seems.”

 

“Well, unique case and all that I guess, I certainly didn’t expect to catch the pope’s attention, hell, I didn’t even know this world had a pope. It’s kind of jarring how that has carried over…”

 

“Wait, are you saying your world has a pope?”

 

“More or less, but I imagine the faith is different. Rather, the religion that does have a pope where I came from is split between…three major…schools of thought, only one of which recognizes the pope as leader.”

 

“Huh, can’t say we have that here. Those who worship under the Lateran faith recognize Laterano as the center of the religion and the pope as the leader.”

 

“What’s even with the deal of worshiping gods and all that junk?” Ifrit commented before her eyebrows shot up and she looked down to mumble, “It’s not like they answer your prayers anyway.”

 

He couldn’t lie, that last bit stung, personally and empathetically. Yet surprisingly he somehow had an answer that seemed to come naturally.

 

“It gives people hope, more often than not. Though I agree prayer is ultimately useless objectively, it really depends on whether or not you have the power to give that hope to yourself. I believe that hope is something we give ourselves in the end.”

 

He didn’t entirely know why, but he felt like he was ready to say that little tidbit, but given the reactions, he believed he said the right thing. 

Chapter 25: Crisis in Wolumonde

“Hold…formation!” Patriot’s raspy voice rang through the battlefield. “...and…march!”

 

One by one, thunderous steps moved forward as shields bashed back ursine spears. Rings and shouting echoed through the field. Men screamed as they were either impaled or cut down, but the Aegis marched on. Over the corpses of the fallen, the Aegis pushed the line and the Ursus infantry was now on the backfoot. As they retreated, giving stabs at the shield to no avail, officers began to panic as their reinforcements failed to show.

 

No, the reinforcements and heavy infantry were either being frozen solid or burned to a crisp as they struggled to buy time and simply hold the line. As they were pushed back, officers either ordered a retreat or demanded the ultimate sacrifice of their men. The line began to fracture, and that’s when black dots took to the sky before slowly moving over the line and an Aegis pointed out the drones.

 

“Shields…!” Patriot ordered as he raised his shield skyward. “...Formation!”

 

Like a well oiled machine, the Aegis pulled their own line inwards until they had encircled the troops most vulnerable and waited. 

 

The sky screamed and howled as shells flew through air and converged onto the line. Ursus soldiers were now in a full route, but by the time they noticed it was too late, the bombardment had begun. The first shell struck Patriot’s shield and the earth cracked beneath him. Following suite were many more shells that all screamed in haphazard unison as they made to bomb their position, but the Aegis held firm. If one man fell, he was pulled in and the formation was re-established. Within the shields, the lesser soldiers held their heads and prayed to whatever forces they bothered to believe in as the crack of earth and shrapnel hitting metal sounded around them. 

 

One position was hit at point blank and Patriot watched helplessly as a chunk of their own was ripped by the shell and a rain of body parts and gear. An arm was impaled on his horn, prompting him to simply rip it off and toss it down. After that he looked to the Ursus side and his soul throbbed familiarly at the sight. Ursine bodies and wounded littered the battlefield line far more than his own, but it didn’t stop him from feeling some form of pity.

 

Once the bombardment ceased as the artillery somewhere in the distance began reloading their shells, a lone sentinel walked up to the old wendigo.

 

“Patriot, Sir, shall we give chase?”

 

“Let…them…flee. It…changes…nothing…”

 

“But sir, the enemy will regroup.”

 

Patriot simply breathed in response, a low metallic vibrating sounding from his mutated larynx as the retreating soldiers fled out of sight. 

 

“...Tend…wounded…bury…dead…” he ordered before turning to address his men and slammed his spear into the earth. Suddenly, all attention was on the old general and he said one word, loud and clear for all his men to hear. 

 

“...Victory…!”

 

Cheers erupted as the guerillas celebrated, but the battle was far from over. Behind enemy lines, another battle was still being waged as the Yetis and Talulah’s squadrons had made sure the main force of the enemies that just retreated had nowhere to go that was truly safe. As the soldiers returned to their base of operation, they would soon find themselves being greeted by a sudden onset of cold. Ice crystals created a thick fog and winter quickly overcame summer. 

 

Soldiers, still dressed for summer began to freeze and the fog made determining where they even were difficult. 

 

It was then that the sound of a bolt flying through the air and piercing bodies sounded. Screams followed shortly after and the first of the Yeti infantry began pouring in. Casters and Icebreakers worked in tandem to ensure the strong did not have the opportunity to help their comrades as the rest of the infantry proceeded to cut down the stragglers in vicious melees that left dead mostly on the Ursus side. 

 

The screams pierced Frostnova’s skull and she gritted her teeth as she watched the panicked eyes of their victims fall to glassy stares frozen in time as her body’s arts soon froze the outside, creating grim statues of the dead, many not older than their mid twenties. 

 

“Ursine scum, forcing us to kill those we should be protecting…” she said before stomping out the skull of an officer who likely took part of the suffering. Any that were barely alive faced a mercy killing, Frostnova, unable to stomach causing the men and women she killed to suffer, felt her heart sink. She should’ve been protecting these people, but here they were, simple conscripts, citizens forced to take up arms against their fellow man for the selfish select few.

 

It didn’t take long for the confused and unruly to be wrapped up and Frostnova forced her arts down. It was still cold, but it had stopped getting colder, and the sun soon began to peek through the fog and melt the ice crystals obscuring their vision. 

 

“Round them up! Bind them, but do not kill them, we will decide their fate later!”

 

Soon, Frostnova began marching out of the enemy camp with their remaining force and prisoners of war. She cast her gaze over, and wanted nothing more to set the ice crystals back up to hide the bodies, but when she saw the still shivering conscripts, she paused. With a shake of her head she ordered them to reunite with Patriot and return to base. 

 

She didn’t exchange words with her father, she didn’t even bother looking at him, yet she felt a hand bump her head.

 

“...You…did…good…” Patriot said, his gaze shifted to the prisoners she had taken. She looked at him in a stupor, why was he praising her for taking prisoners of war. For all she knew they would die being treated or Talulah and Patriot may decide to hang them. Why was he praising her?

 

“...They…are…also…victims. They…deserve…mercy…”

 

A small piece of Frostnova felt her heart warm and throb, but at the same time it was still cold. 

 

“...War…is…bad. It’s…good…you…know…”

 

“But when will it end? When will the sacrifices be enough?”

 

“...I…don’t…know…” the old wendigo rattled. Frostnova placed her head down and bit her lip before. She felt his hand again, armored and cold as the environment that followed her, but it was comforting. In that moment, she felt it fade away and for a moment there was nothing else in the world save for the marching columns of men that blurred as the only clear thing was ahead of her. “...I…did…not…find…light. But…you…can…”

 

Yelena felt icy crystals fall through her face and she moved to hug Buldrokkas’tee. At that moment, she chose to smile. It wasn’t a pleasant smile, but it was a happy one. Buldrokkas’tee’s eyes slitted as he smiled under his mask too. Even if they both felt chilled to the bone from the hug, it was still warmer than the sun itself.

 

---

 

By the time August had rolled around, Evan could now look in the mirror and see a different body had developed through all his training. It was rather impressive what a couple months of rigorous near-daily calisthenics would do, but it made sense since they were designed to create soldiers as fast as humanly possible. For once in his life, muscle was visible, if only a little bit. No, he hadn’t made astounding progress, but he had made much more than he ever dreamed of previously.

 

Sure, he still had regular work to do, but he could at least walk around feeling a sense of accomplishment, and not in constant pain. During the months he had decided to take up some of the offers others gave him once he had gotten used to training at least once a day. While by now he was far from the boulder lifting levels of Sideroca, which shouldn’t be possible for him anyways. He could at least keep up with Grani now, even if it did seem like he came out worse for wear than she did.

 

Dur’nar had also been instructing him in basic unarmed and armed combat. Essentially, how to defend oneself with a simple sword or when stuck to one’s sidearms, which meant knife in this case. Regardless, he now usually ended up returning to bed bruised in several parts which was rather annoying. But in the process he had managed to pass a basic test for a field operator. Now he was expected to understand how to assist in tight situations, which made him uneasy, but when would he really need to use it?

 

It seemed the busybody feline had taken over his regular monitoring, as Kal’tsit moved on to more important business. He had to wonder if she decided trying to control him directly wasn’t going to work or if much like Amiya, he had caused an increased workload by doing his job. Either way, the last couple months had been pretty lax in an odd way. Some minor projects of note came along like the first prototype jammer being made, or the fact he had been helping Lena install some solar panels around the Convalescence Garden so that the garden could become even more self-sufficient.

 

He did have to wonder though, if he should be concerned about returning to his old world at times, but considering he had no clue what brought him here or why, he had just assumed it wouldn’t be as convenient to get back. Despite that rationalization, he had to wonder what was going on back in his old world now that he was approaching half a year spent on Terra. It wasn’t until his thoughts became pessimistic did he decide to let out a rather forlorn sigh and wonder.

 

“Is something wrong?” Magallan asked with a concerned look. 

 

“Just…thinking about home, and how it’s going to be six months since I left it.”

 

“Ah, I see,” she commented before they both turned back to their work. From the tone of her voice, he could tell she understood somewhat. Nothing was really said for a while as the two simply performed their work, that was until a knock sounded on the door and Angelina poked her head in.

 

“Miss Magallan, I have a delivery for you,” she commented before walking over and handing a letter to the penguin liberi. “I also have some for you too,” she added before passing a wad of letters to Evan. He flipped through them briefly and separated them out from business to personal on a nearby table before looking at the personal. More letters from his Lungmen pen pals made up the personal pile, but one from the business pile seal caught his eye briefly before Magallan made a sound of surprise.

 

“W-What? My recent expedition has been canceled!”

 

“Oh, that stinks,” Angelina replied, still not having left the workshop. Actually, now that he thought about it, it was late in the day, so maybe she didn’t have any more pressing deliveries to make. “Why’d it get cancelled?”

 

“Says here civil unrest, which makes sense for Northern Ursus these days.”

 

“What’s been going on up north?”

 

Both of them blinked a little and exchanged glances. Angelina quickly remembered then decided to explain.

 

“I’ve heard that the infected militia, Reunion, has been pushing south, seeming to want to get out of the tundra. No one really saw it coming, and some sources say the Ursus Sixth Army has been struggling to halt their advance.”

 

“The people on the tundra aren’t bad, but it’s such a shame what Ursus’ infected policies have done. Expeditions have been harder and harder to get approved to the Ice Fields due to the tundra’s civil unrest.”

 

“So they cut your expedition for your own safety?”

 

“A little…specifically they can’t provide an escort on account of Reunion.”

 

“Why not have Rhodes Island serve as your escort? We have plenty of combat operators waiting for missions,” Angelina suggested, to which Magallan visibly perked up as though she had been handed a divine epiphany.

 

“Yeah! I could hire Rhodes Island operators.”

 

“Well, you wouldn’t have to hire us, so much as go ask The Doctor for approval.”

 

“Wait, really? I could have my security force for free?!”

 

“Well, you would have to either give a good reason or pay a commission fee, but since you work here I don’t think The Doctor will make it very expensive.”

 

“I’m going to go ask him right now! Sorry Evan, but this is important to me.”

 

He didn’t entirely know what to say as Magallan swiftly left the room, but Angelina giggled and said, “Well, I guess that leaves the two of us. That was my last delivery. I like my work, but it is always refreshing to see the workday end. When do you get off?”

 

“Oh, I was kind of just working to work I guess, my shift’s been over for a little bit.”

 

“Ah, would you be interested in accompanying me to dinner? I’ve only been sustaining myself on snacks this whole day, which will certainly mean a scolding from the medics.”

 

“Are they usually strict about diet here? I haven’t noticed much management for me.”

 

“For us infected, our diet is usually strictly managed. Since you don’t fall under that, I imagine there’s some leniency for you.”

 

“Makes sense, though they do allow you some decisions, don’t they?”

 

“Sometimes, but mostly we rely on the good will of others to snag some unhealthy treats from time to time.”

 

“Do you think I could make something? I’ve been considering baking something for a while now.”

 

“You cook?” Angelina asked, and when he nodded in affirmation, she beamed ear to ear. “Well, I would love to try your food. What are you considering making?”

 

“Maybe a pie, something to celebrate the fact I’ll have been here for six months in a bit.”

 

“Wow, has it been that long?”

 

Evan let loose a couple laughs before looking at what he was working on and sighing. 

 

“I guess it has…”

 

He barely registered Angelina’s footsteps as she walked closer and knelt in front of him.

 

“Do you need someone to talk to?” she asked, brows arched in worry. “I-I know what it’s like, being far from home, from where you wanted to be in life. I may still be able to see my family, and am familiar with the world, but I get it.”

 

For some reason, he felt a kinship, that she really did understand some of it, if a small piece. To this, he smiled and said, “You’re a good friend.”

 

Angelina smiled back then replied, “That’s good to hear. So come on, let’s get some grub, as you would say.”

 

---

 

It started off a day like any other. Go train, work, see Folinic, library, then free time, but when he saw Folinic, she was clearly distracted. Feeling curious, he decided to ask her what was wrong. What he got in response, shocked him.

 

“Wolumonde’s been hit by a catastrophe, and we’ve lost contact with our operators in the region. All operators in that region are considered missing in action, including a very close friend of mine, Atro.”

 

“Ah,” he said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“What I want are answers!” Folinic snapped, slamming her hand down onto the table with force enough to make his senses pop from the harsh collision. “First an earthquake hits the region, then a catastrophe clips the city, and now I don’t know if my friend is…is…”

 

“Look, if you need space, we can reschedule when you’re feeling up for it.”

 

“N-No!” Folinic snapped, grabbing his wrist suddenly as he stood up from his chair. He looked into her eyes, they were shaking wildly and she seemed panicked, worried, confused, and shocked all at the same time. “I-I’ve been assigned by Kal’tsit as your medic in her place…” 

 

The feline took a few deep heavy breaths then let go of his wrist. Where her hand had been, a red band mark was all that remained of her panic. Both sat back down, but Folinic held her head low as she gripped her hands on her lap. 

 

“There’s no shame in admitting you need some time to yourself, you don’t have to keep pushing.”

 

For once, she scoffed and said, “You sound like everyone else when you say that…”

 

“Besides, what can you do until the news comes? Worrying about it won’t do any good.”

 

“And that’s supposed to solve the problem, how? ” she spat back with a shocking amount of venom. “Atro might be dead, and you’re telling me not to worry, do you even hear yourself?”

 

“Ok, I was just trying to help. Again, if you need time-”

 

“S-Sorry!” she suddenly apologized, eyes returning to normal. “You came for a checkup, not to hear about my problems.”

 

“Yes, but you’re clearly not in your best mindset. Look, I can ask Kal’tsit or someone else to do my vitals and checkup, I don’t think any of them will blame you, and I don’t know if I can help you or provide support if you’re going to keep snapping at me. Maybe it’s best if I leave.”

 

Once again, his wrist was grabbed, but in a much gentler fashion. Instead of anger and confusion, he looked as her eyes glistened over with tears and a look of fear was upon her features.

 

“Please don’t leave…” she pleaded with an oddly vulnerable tremble to her voice. Evan sighed and sat down, waiting. After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath then began explaining. “I-If Professor Kal’tsit knows…she’ll make me stop working, if I stop working…I’ll start…” she gulped, tears starting to stream down her cheeks as she held back painful memories. Gently, Evan reached out and ever so gently reached for her back. He didn’t know why, but it felt oddly correct. It’s not like Folinic was a stranger, but this was really testing the boundaries. 

 

She didn’t pull away or stop him as he started to gently rub circles into her back. Slowly through grunting chokes, she kept herself from breaking down enough to finally reach for her tools, finally finding strength enough to go through with the brief checkup.

 

Before he left, he gave a few taps on her shoulder until she looked at him so he could ask, “Are you going to be OK?”

 

“For now…” she muttered. “...Thanks…”

 

“Hey, if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, mine’s always available.”

 

Folinic snorted before looking at him, a minorly amused pull to her lips as she smiled meekly at him. 

 

He moved to get up and leave, not bothering to look back as Folinic continued to look into her lap, pondering his words.

 

The next day, a meeting was held in which Evan sat awkwardly in the Doctor’s Office along with Kal’tsit, Closure, and Amiya as they discussed a very important fact of his fate.

 

“Absolutely not!” Kal’tsit nearly shouted, slamming her hand on the Doctor’s desk before leaning in closer. “We will not send him to a catastrophe site!”

 

“But the CC organization-”

 

“The Contingency Contract Organization will get their panels, but we are not sending Evan as a field operator!”

 

“Miss Kal’tsit, please let Dokutah-”

 

“No, I will not approve this! We can’t risk him coming into contact with active originium!”

 

“W-Well, he is the inventor, who better do we have to send in the first place?” Closure asked nervously, earning her a terrifying gaze of cold malice from Kal’tsit. “B-But they’re not particularly difficult to set up…”

 

“You all have one chance to explain, don’t waste it.”

 

“Thank you,” Doctor said before pulling the remote out and the device that mirrored a smart-board or something similar changed, showing the disaster zone. “The town of Wolumonde is located here, between the Catastrophe that hit it, and this new scar in the earth created by the earthquake. Due to the damage of the quake, Wolomunde cannot proceed through its original route to avoid the Catastrophe. Thankfully it only clipped the town, but we still have minimal data on the damage. In response, the CC organization has already sent out the call for aid and has asked us to assist in sending medics, catastrophe messengers, engineers, and emergency supplies. Problem is, the catastrophe still hasn’t left the region, so the only way to get equipment into the town is through the earthquake site. Of course, someone could ride the edge of the catastrophe and get there much faster, but for a convoy that would be impossible. Amiya, if you would.”

 

“Yes, Dokutah,” Amiya said before a number of documents were pulled up. “The CC organization has ordered a number of solar panels to serve as emergency generators, since this technology created by Mr. Carvey allows the generation of power without originium and is relatively easy to transport. We’ve been in contact with the CC organization, and we wish to send a small shipment of these panels to Wolumonde through the emergency route along with a few necessary operators. That’s where you come in, Evan. Dokutah and I believe this would be a great opportunity for you to see what we consider to be the most important missions of Rhodes first hand. As the inventor of the device, we believe you would be perfect for the transport and emergency setup of the panels as we get proper emergency resources through the earthquake site.”

 

“What I disagree with is sending him anywhere near a catastrophe site, much less within arm's reach of an active catastrophe. We don’t know how his body will respond to active originium, and I don’t think it’s a good idea, even with medic operators monitoring him the whole way.”

 

“Yes, but that’s not for you to decide, Evan will decide whether he wants to go. We’ve talked about this already.”

 

“I am his primary medic, and I say it is too risky!” Kal’tsit declared with another slam. “We haven’t even run controlled tests on whether his body will even accept originium, much less the processes it goes through with exposure! I’m not risking his health and possibly life in this operation!”

 

“And what if I want to go?” 

 

Kal’tsit whipped her head to him, her eyes widened ever so slightly.

 

“I’ve heard this before, and as Amiya said you can’t stop me if I want to go.”

 

“But it is unwise to do so, you co-”

 

“I still wish to go, risks be damned. If I run into active originium, I’ll avoid it. Besides, you can have someone you trust monitor my health.”

 

“I can monitor him!” a new voice said from the door. Standing in the entryway was Folinic along with Lisa, who looked nervous.

 

“And how do I know I can trust you?” Kal’tsit asked with narrowed eyes. “And that this isn’t some attempt to go find Atro?”

 

Folinic froze, but to some people’s shock, Lisa stepped forward.

 

“Kal’tsit-sensei, that’s not fair!” Lisa exclaimed with a slight quiver to her voice, but she stood strong. “It’s not fair to Folinic onee-san, she’s hurting really bad…she needs to find out what happened…and…I-I also want to know what happened to Atro-san!”

 

“Unacceptable, you and Folinic will not skirt the edge of a catastrophe just so you can go chasing for a single operator, Suzuran.”

 

Lisa’s ears drooped and she stammered, fidgeting with the staff in her little hands. She looked like she was about to cry, and that was what did it.

 

“Alright, enough!” Evan yelled, standing up. “I’m done negotiating. Send us through the earthquake site if you want us to avoid the catastrophe, but it’s clear to me that what’s not being valued is our thoughts on the matter. We don’t have to agree, but I’m not going to set a precedent where I can’t help those in need because of some risks, and I also don’t want Folinic and Lisa to suffer not knowing what happened to Atro. They at least deserve closure, regardless of the outcome.”

 

“You’re already at risk, we wouldn’t be able to guarantee your safety. You should also remain away from the catastrophe site so that you aren’t exposed to active originium if possible. Do you still wish to go, against my wisdom?”

 

What really bothered him was how Kal’tsit looked at him in this moment. Normally, he was relieved he couldn’t usually tell what she was thinking, but the way she looked at him now, worked up after having so many challenge her view, he could see it. She thought she knew best. She may not be willing to say it, but she was trying to control their choices through reasoning.

 

“I’m going. Folinic and Lisa can come with me.”

 

Nothing was said for a while, and Kal’tsit looked around the room before giving a sharp ‘tsk’ and said, “Do what you all want, I have other tasks to do today.”

 

Kal’tsit soon marched out of the room and the door shut was almost like a slam, despite the fact it was automatic. No one said a word for several moments, shocked that Kal’tsit of all people had admitted defeat in an argument and stormed out.

 

“Well that doesn’t happen everyday,” Doctor quipped before turning to the three volunteers before him. “I’ll work with Amiya on getting the three of you a squad. Until then, I recommend you start preparing. With the state of Wolumonde right now, I plan to send you out as soon as possible.”

 

Before they could all leave, however, the Doctor called Evan’s name and asked to speak with him in private. As everyone left the room, a few gave glances back, curious as to the conversation they would ultimately be excluded from. Once everyone was out, the Doctor spoke.

 

“Evan Carvey, I wish to appoint you as the commander of this expedition.”

 

“...What…?” he asked, simply shocked to the point he couldn’t even muster a reaction.

 

“Well, first off, this isn’t a combat operation, so you are allowed to command the unit. Furthermore, I will also allow you to transfer command at any point to any number of operators if you do run into trouble, but I want you to take a step towards being a leader.”

 

“Hold up, why do you want me to be a leader? I’m not exactly good at leading…”

 

“Well, personally I would disagree. I think we have a lot in common. I understand I’m giving you responsibility, but I believe you can be trusted. Besides, you’ll be the first responders in Wolumonde as far as anyone is concerned. I think your consideration of others will go a long way to helping the townsfolk who have been displaced and scared. I also think you work well under pressure, but that’s just a hunch of mine.”

 

Evan opened his mouth to speak, but held his words before staring into his own skull to try and formulate a sentence.

 

“Like I said, if you feel uncomfortable commanding, you can transfer command to someone in your squad. I’ll have someone who can take over if something goes wrong, but this is my decision. I just wanted to let you know.”

 

---

 

True to his word, the Doctor didn’t take long to form a squad, and the morning they were to head out, Evan entered the vehicle bay at the base of the landship to see who else would be joining him on the emergency expedition.

 

The first person he didn’t recognize, but was drawn to, was a lupo with an absurdly fluffy tail armed with a crossbow and a whole belt of survival and wilderness gear. She of course noticed this and brought her tail forward and gave a little wink, which made him a little self-conscious that he had been staring and he looked away while rubbing the back of his head. At this she giggled then walked forward.

 

“Don’t be shy, everyone stares at it at first. You must be Evan. I’m a catastrophe messenger and heavy shooter sniper operator, codename Provence. I’ve heard the children are quite fond of you, right Suzu?”

 

Suzuran looked away and nodded a little, prompting Provence to giggle then turn her attention back to him. Lisa’s hands fiddled with her staff, showing she was nervous, which made him feel some form of glowing warmth.

 

“Anyways, it’ll be my job to guide us around the catastrophe and help with setting up a communications route when we rendezvous with the squad who are supposed to scout out the other methods into Wolumonde. Nice to meet you!”

 

The other person, he did recognize oddly enough. In fact, it made all too much sense when he considered the Doctor was going to make sure he had someone he could put in charge if he wasn’t up to the task. 

 

“Well, this is quite the turn of events. Guess I get to be your tutor more than your teacher this time,” Dur’nar said with a smile. “Hope you live up to our expectations, commander .”

 

“Please don’t call me that…you least of all…” he groaned, which made the vulpo laugh, forcing him to shortly join.

 

There was one more face to their little cohort, and it was a rather surprising addition. This last person was out of the way of everyone else, simply looking on with a thousand-yard stare. Her features seemed rather draconian, with the sharp horns and a fiery tail. She wore a jacket over a sweater and didn’t pay him mind as he walked over.

 

“My codename is Reed, and my role is a vanguard operator. That’s all you need to know.”

 

Looking at her, there was an oddly jarring feature to her that drew his attention, a seemingly molten burning core shining through her sweater, glowing like a gentle ember. He realized now that standing next to her, she gave off a gentle heat, but not enough to bother him oddly. Maybe it was because thanks to Ifrit and Skyfire he was used to people that gave off heat? Whatever, she didn’t seem to want to talk. That wasn’t going to stop him though.

 

“Well, nice to meet you Reed.”

 

“You as well, commander,” she softly returned without breaking her distant stare. 

 

“Any reason you decided to come along?”

 

For the first time Reed looked at him, her stare seemed apathetic in a soothing sort of way, as though he didn’t have to worry about her view of him, the world, or even herself. It was kind of jarring, the way she stared at him almost emptily.

 

“The doctor recommended I join this mission. I’m not sure why, but he did. That’s all. I will follow your orders, and guard you with my life.”

 

“Well, again, nice to meet you, and I hope we get along,” he said, extending his hand which Reed looked at hesitantly. His smile faltered to a small frown when she didn’t return it and simply continued to stare off into the distance. 

 

Before the hour was up, they were all already on the road and speeding for their destination as black clouds crackled in the distance, growing in size as they approached.

Chapter 26: Swirling Clouds

The first time he had truly come close to a catastrophe was turning out to be a stressful experience. It was a truly eerie sight, a swirling mass of clouds crackling with a red glow and flashes of golden lightning. Every so often he saw gigantic shards drop down and he was reminded of the lucid dreams he had, how they seemed to have portrayed the very storm in his eyes.

It was nearing the end of the day as they cautiously skirted the storm. Suzuran was already fast asleep, napping on his shoulder for some reason, though he could entirely understand why she was asleep. Provence was in the passenger seat, guiding Dur'nar through their route. That was until a rather sudden, but ultimately minor.

"Why did the doctor give me these? I can't make heads or tails of these equations."

"Maybe I can see," he said. Provence wordlessly handed him the sheet and he looked. After a bit he noticed Reed had been writing and asked for a blank piece of paper and her pen, which she provided. Suzuran yawned as she woke up from the movement and buried her head deeper into his shoulder, which almost made him a diabetic.

"Ok...so…wow, this is advanced. Doable, but advanced."

Soon, the only sound within the transport vehicle was of the pen as Evan wrote down his method of mathematics and soon realized these were equations to describe the path and strength of the catastrophe over time with meteorological data. He still did it and handed it back to their guide who gave an impressed whistle before adjusting their path.

Everyone in the front was hyper focused, Reed went back to her own writing, and Folinic continued to stare out the window with a worried gaze. Lisa, or Suzuran as he had now taken to calling her for the mission, was nuzzled into his side and sleeping soundly.

If not for the low booms and crackles from the nearby catastrophe, he might have considered the ride peaceful, but the air felt too eerie for him to comfortably close his eyes as he eyed the deadly storm with curiosity and caution.

Wei Yenwu had described them as natural disasters, which made sense looking at one up close. It was like a hurricane or severe thunderstorm, crackling as it practically rained these giant crystals into the earth below, creating a soft rumbling in the earth below their feet.

Yet part of him found it oddly, serene in its own twisted way.

Regardless, they would soon approach Wolumonde's region of rest, and there they hoped their questions would be answered. They had left early in the day, and they had also been rushing to the area. It was why Suzuran was so tired, they had gotten up at the crack of dawn and were driving nonstop.

Once they finally reached their final stretch, and Provence made Evan do some more catastrophe calculations, a collective sigh of relief was done mentally among everyone. The catastrophe was past them, and now all they had to do was locate Wolumonde. For that, they would rely on Provence's expertise as someone who had to skirt catastrophe's before and then find her way to civilization.

Past the catastrophe, they came across the rift that had opened up in the earth itself, a dark scar filled with giant originium crystals from the catastrophe.

"What an incredible sight…" Evan said as he looked at the wide scar in the earth that stretched on for miles. While the crack itself had been formed by the earthquake, the catastrophe had clearly widened it further by sending fragments of its might into the crack, some of which had clearly exploded, leaving larger dots and curves in the scar. It was so deep, he couldn't see the bottom.

Soon he heard footsteps beside him and saw that Folinic had a rock in hand. With zero warning or interest upon her facial features she pressed a button on her watch and tossed the rock. All present waited eagerly, seconds ticking by as long as minutes until they heard a loud and low boom echo out from the chasm.

"Forty seconds…" she muttered to herself.

"So around…eight kilometers down, give or take some hundreds of meters…" Evan affirmed.

It dawned on them there that this disaster was close to a calamity for the region. First a chasm opens in the earth, only to be widened and warped by a passing catastrophe. How often did something like that happen?

"So, could we not throw things into the possibly volatile hole that could blow this region sky high?" Provence asked in a surprisingly lax way for the wording. Evan silently stepped away from the divide, Folinic following shortly after. "Alright, we're close to Wolumonde. Let's get a safe distance from this landmine and…find out what state the region's in."

Provence had spoken the last part with knitted brows of worry, and her tone suggested she wasn't looking forward to seeing the damage caused by the enigmatic storm they had just spent the whole day skirting. Either way, they would soon arrive in Wolumonde, and they would finally, hopefully, get some answers.

If not for the piles of fresh originium and destroyed forest around the town, it would have been a rather peaceful and quaint visit.

While they were treated with suspicion before being allowed to enter the town, news that they were here to help quickly turned the mood of the sentries and they were allowed in and pointed towards the Rathaus, which Evan assumed was essentially the town hall.

"It's awfully cloudy…"Evan remarked.

"That's not unusual in Northern Leithanien, in fact, this region is famous for its fog and clouds at this time of year," Suzuran explained. When she got a few stares of surprise, she fiddled with her staff and said, "I read a travel guide before coming, since we couldn't acquire a local guide, yet…"

"Well, what else do you have to share?" Dur'nar asked, prompting Suzuran to give them more information.

"Well, Wolumonde is one of eight towns in the region, the namie meaning Eighth Moon, and is a key stone in the flourishing northern trade network of Leithanien."

"Flourishing, isn't exactly the term I'd use to describe the place…" Folinic curtly observed while looking around the gloomy, cloudy, wet town that was currently silent.

"It did just get hit with two natural disasters…" Provence countered as she looked around.

"It's odd, even in disaster regions people would make an effort to communicate, but no one dares come out to greet us, almost as though we're targets of suspicion," Dur'nar commented as she watched the windows and doors carefully, seeing some townsfolk peek their heads out for a look.

"Do you think it's alright for us to be walking down the street like this?" Suzuran asked as she gripped her staff tightly.

"We'll be fine. The widespread use of arts in Leithanien has brought two benefits: a flourishing fine arts scene, and a broad tolerance of the infected," Folinic explained. "At least you get the right to live…"

The last sentence was a somber reminder to those there that the infected weren't welcome everywhere, and, according to Folinic, not allowed to live everywhere. Evan had seen it back in Columbia, while the infected were allowed to have more legal rights than any other nation on Terra by some accounts, they were effectively second class citizens. It sounded as though Leithanien law limited them, but from what he had heard in passing it was a situation where society largely tolerated the presence of the infected.

As they continued to walk through the town, Evan felt a small pull on his arm and looked down to see Suzuran had grasped his free arm, still fiddling with her staff as she looked around.

It was then that he was reminded of this poor girl's state, the fact she was at Rhodes to primarily get treated for her oripathy. While doctors were optimistic about her diagnosis, and it sounded like she had a full life ahead of her, his heart sank at the thought this lovely little light had to suffer the illness, and the emotional baggage that came with it.

"Ah, a Gendarmerie," Dur'nar pointed out. Indeed, ahead of them, about to cross paths was a man in a military style uniform. At this, the man took one look at them and stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ah, he's reaching into his pocket…" Suzuran whispered to herself next to Evan. "He's pulled out a cigar, now he's switching hands, he pulled out a lighter…he lit the cigar. He put the lighter back and switched hands again. N-Now he's walking away…?"

"Excuse me," Folinic said before stepping forward, prompting the officer to turn around and face them, waiting for the group to walk up to him before taking another puff. "You're part of the local Gendarmerie?"

"...Yes, but I'm off duty," the old man replied.

"Hey, what's your name?" Dur'nar asked. "This is our first time running into one of the Gendarmerie since coming to town."

"As I said, I'm off duty. I don't really want to talk to strangers while I'm off…I have my own business to deal with. Goodbye."

"Yikes, someone's in a foul mood," Provence quipped. "You'd think a Gendarmerie would be more interested in strangers when you're expecting help."

"He was kind of rude, but I think he's been through a lot…" Suzuran tried to explain, her eyes still staring at the man as he retreated.

"Hah!" Folinic exclaimed before replying, "As though we're not tired ourselves! We don't need to waste time on him though, let's go find the local-"

"Schultz Severin! There you are!" a caprinae woman shouted before running up to the officer who started coughing mid-puff. "The infected are protesting again, the Gendarmerie are on the scene, but we need you leading-"

She stopped and looked at the cigar in his hands and puffed her cheeks through pursing her lips and then scolded him with the same breath, "You're smoking again! Please, you have an image to maintain, and it's not healthy. You need the trust of the people and-"

She noticed his gaze shift to the group of foreigners and all stopped moving.

Amazingly, Suzuran was the first to speak, having failed to keep her thoughts in her own mind when she said, "Ah, so he's the Schultz…or Schultheiß…"

"Did something happen…?" the woman asked, but before anyone could speak the Schultz spoke up.

"Nothing, Tatjana. Thank you for all your hard work."

"Ah, thank you," Tatjana said with an earnest smile before returning her attention to the foreigners. As soon as she saw those of them in Rhodes Island's uniform, her face lit up. "Oh, you're from Rhodes Island? Thank goodness you're here, welcome to Wolumonde. You must be on your way to the Rathaus, oh, we must be in your way!" Her gaze turned to Severin and she began stammering, "Of course, it should be the Schultz who receives you…but he is really needed at Zwölftontechnik Strasse…um…"

The Schultz cleared his throat then said, "Very good, Tatjana. You take them. I'll go deal with the infected situation. Apologies, but our situation here is dire…as I'm sure you know."

"Yeah, we've been spending the entire day skirting the catastrophe, and we came across the rift," Folinic pointed out.

"Ah, so you've seen the Great Rift, that saves us a lot of trouble…" the Schultz said before taking another puff. "The infected, new and old, are riled up. If you don't want to get mixed up in that nonsense, stay away from Zwölftontechnik Strasse. That's where we're quarantining the infected."

"We're experts at dealing with the infected, and some of us came here to treat them. We have minimal supplies, but we're ready to assist the town," Folinic explained.

"Just like Doctor Atro…" Tatjana muttered, but it didn't escape Folinic's gaze.

"You know of Atro? Where is she?!"

Tatjana and the Schultz exchanged glances before the caprinae woman looked away and the Schultz stepped forward.

"You've had a long journey, it wouldn't be right to drag you into our mess as soon as you arrived, after skirting a catastrophe no less."

"...So where is Atro?" Folinic asked with narrowing eyebrows. She looked to Tatjana who seemed to grow even more nervous, but the Schultz drew attention back to him and responded.

"She's not here right now…"

"So where is she?"

"She…" the Schultz began before a set of footsteps came running to them.

"Schultz Severin! Fighting has broken out, and the infected are armed!"

At this, the Schultz's demeanor completely changed and he turned to the Rhodes Islanders and with a commanding voice said, "If you want to help, now's the time. Come with me."

Folinic and Provence were first to run with the Schultz, Evan and Suzuran were given a tap on the shoulder by Dur'nar so she could say, "Stay close to me" before they went running towards the scene.

Amazingly, the quarantine zone wasn't far away, and the few Gendarmerie that were there had formed a line with roadstop barriers and riot shields. People gathered had their hands gripping whatever they could get their hands on, but some in the crowd wielded actual weapons such as swords as they tried to break through the quarantine barrier.

They didn't have time, however, as the rebellious cityfolk soon breached the overwhelmed Gendarmerie and poured into the streets. Chaos quickly ensued as the streets quickly turned into a free-for-all melee and their arrival only forced them into it.

"Evan, draw your weapon!" Dur'nar shouted with her own already out. He complied and she stepped forward to prevent a few from charging him. "Also, give us orders, or I will."

He looked around, noting how most Gendarmerie were overwhelmed and that most townsfolk were poorly armed.

"Assist the gendarmerie with arresting those who attack, but try not to hurt them badly."

"Got it!" Dur'nar said before bashing her shield forward, sending townsfolk to the ground. Their resolve quickly broke at the show and they ran, but more came, spurred on. "Reed, take some of the pressure off!"

Reed proceeded to charge forward into the melee, using the handle and blunt sides of her spear alongside the pommel to push anyone off balance who wasn't paying attention or using it to counter their weapons before using blunt force to beat them to the ground if necessary.

"I-I'll do my best!" Suzuran declared before stepping behind Dur'nar and released a wave of blue flames into the crowd, causing them to panic. Those that braved the fire soon became visibly confused and batted at it, only for them to soon realize it didn't hurt. It did clearly slow them, but that was all the Gendarmerie needed to start forming the wall back up.

Folinic for her part had sent out arts that manifested as something similar teargas which easily helped create an area of denial that allowed more footing and opportunities to the Gendarmerie to reform their wall. All the while, Provence had been tackling anyone who slipped past the line and binding them with rope she had handy on her, which was good since he shuddered to think what would happen should she use her crossbow.

Soon, only stragglers were left behind the line, and one that was now all alone looked at the situation and then to the Schultz.

"What are you doing?! Siding with outsiders and putting us down? Your son died in that fire! How can you still aid those swine?!"

"...Put down the blade, and tell me who pushed you to do this. Who gave you weapons?!" Schultz Severin asked the protester who was drunk off rage. The protester narrowed his eyes and charged, blade held high which allowed the Schultz to easily grab his wrist and pin the man to the ground. "That's assault with a deadly weapon. You think you can walk away after that? The gendarmerie will hold you accountable."

"Hold them accountable?" Folinic asked curiously as she looked at the man on the ground then narrowed her eyes. "What exactly does that imply?"

"I don't need to explain our accountability process to some tourists."

"Tourists?!" Folinic squealed in shock. "We just helped you quell a riot, and we were sent here to help your town, and you call us tourists?!"

"Apologies…" the Schultz said before dragging the man up and handing him off to a gendarmerie officer. "It was a slip of the tongue. We're thankful for your assistance."

"So, will you tell us where our operators are?"

"Not here. I'll see you at the Rathaus, then we can talk about Atro."

Evan looked back to the streets as they remained silent save for the Gendarmerie escorting the protesters they had arrested out. Some screamed and kicked, others were silent, and some were just unconscious. He felt an uncomfortable pit weigh in his chest before glancing back to his allies who had regrouped around him. A gentle presence prompted him to notice Suzuran was once more at his side and he gave her a little pat on the head, which she leaned into and smiled.

"You did a good job," he said, which made Suzuran hum happily.

"Hey, what about us?" Dur'nar asked, pointing to herself. Evan chuckled before walking over and patting Dur'nar on the head. "T-That's not what I meant!"

"Of course you all did well, thanks."

Not long after, his attention turned to Folinic who was spacing out and looking where the Schultz left.

"Are you alright, Folinic?" he asked, but she didn't answer. "Folinic!"

The feline finally snapped out of her trance and looked to Evan.

"Are you alright? You were spacing out."

"The quarantine zone is right here…none of the infected were killed, most just went back to wherever they came from…everything seems so calm now…"

"It doesn't seem all too different from any other place…" Provence agreed, looking at the area. "They have shops, cafes, ads for the fine arts Leithaniens are so well known for…it's rather jarring if you've never been before."

"No one's getting rounded up by guards, murdered, sent to the tundra…" Folinic muttered to herself. "You could say they live well…" A sigh escaped her lips. "It's so different from that frozen wasteland up north…"

Now the atmosphere was awkward for Evan, and he felt out of place suddenly.

"If only every place was so good to the infected…" Suzuran commented.

"Then we'd be out of a job," Folinic scoffed back in response. At this, Suzuran made a squeak of surprise.

"W-Well, that's true, but I'd be really happy about it!"

Folinic gave a giggle then walked up to Suzuran and patted her head as well. "I'm kidding…" she said before continuing. "The fact the infected can roam the streets peacefully, or even protest at all just serves to underscore how unique the situation is."

She paused, looking back towards the Rathaus then said out of the blue, "They're hiding something from us."

"Yeah, even I find it really weird," Dur'nar added. "Some of the infected were standing by, waiting with their weapons while others went and pushed down the barrier. Not to mention how everyone's in their homes most of the time as though they're afraid to so much as peak their heads out…"

"Yeah, and the town doesn't look too worse for wear for getting clipped by a catastrophe…" Provence also added in. "Normally I'd expect a few destroyed or abandoned plates, but there's not as much damage to be found in the town itself. It's also next to a mountain and in a valley, like it came here and parked, waiting for the catastrophe to blow over."

"Well, we aren't going to get answers speculating," Evan finally decided to say. "Let's go see what they have to say about Atro and the other operators who were here."

All save for Reed nodded their heads, and the squad made their way to the Rathaus. On the way, they were intercepted by Tatjana who said, "I'm so sorry to have dragged you all into this…it's shameful…"

"Oh, don't worry, we're here to help," Evan said to her.

"Still…"

"Hey, are you part of the local Gendarmerie?" Dur'nar asked out of left field before walking up.

"Not really, but all in Wolumonde undergo some military training. We're so far from any of Leithanien barracks or armory we're expected to muster militias to keep the town safe. When the time comes, we have a duty to take up arms. Uncle…er…Schultz Severin is the highest official in town."

"The middle-aged smoker who doesn't want to do his job…great…" Folinic groaned, earning a bit of a glare from most of her colleagues, including Evan.

"There's a reason he is the way he is…" Tatjana defended while looking to the ground. When she looked back up she asked, "What should I call you anyways?"

"My codename is Folinic."

"My codename is Suzuran!"

"Catastrophe Messenger Provence."

"Dur'nar, former officer of the Columbian armed forces."

"...Reed…"

Finally, Tatjana's gaze turned to Evan and he paused for a moment. He looked to Dur'nar who just shrugged in response. He didn't have a codename as there hadn't really been time to give him one since he got approved for fieldwork, so he decided he would be honest.

"Name's Evan Carvey, I'm the engineer."

"Ah, should I call you Mr. Carvey?"

"No, Evan's just fine."

"It sounds rather Victorian or Columbian...and what race are you?"

"Well…"

"Just take us to the Rathaus already," Folinic interrupted, saving Evan from having to explain himself.

"Ah, my apologies. Come, follow me."

As they followed Tatjana, Dur'nar elbowed him and whispered, "Just say you're from Columbia, no one will bat an eye."

"Thanks," he whispered back before turning his attention back to their guide.

True to his word, Schultz Severin was waiting for them at the Rathaus. He was having a conversation with a bureaucrat while smoking, simply waiting for the man to stop ranting about the riot that had just broken out minutes ago. When Tatjana led them into the room, the ranting stopped and a smile took place on the bureaucrat's face.

"Ah, you must be the ones from Rhodes Island, welcome to Wolumonde," he greeted. "Please, have a seat wherever you please. Is there anything we can prepare for you?"

"Well, we haven't had lunch yet, so if it wouldn't be too much trouble, some food would be appreciated."

"Understood, Tatjana, tell the cooks to prepare a meal for our guests, if you would."

"Very well," Tatjana said with a light nod of her head before leaving the room. Once everyone had found a place to sit in the room, the bureaucrat continued to speak.

"I must say, I'm impressed. We were expecting Rhodes Island's emergency response team to reach us by the evening or even tomorrow, but you made it here in a single day. You must be very dedicated to make your way around to Wolumonde with that catastrophe still stirring. I must say, we're very thankful to Rhodes Island for offering aid."

"Well, we're happy to help those in need," Evan responded courteously.

The councilman smiled before speaking again, "You all must be exhausted from your journey. Please, rest up and tomorrow-"

"We don't have time to rest," Folinic sharply cut off. Now that she had the limelight, she said with a harsh glare, "Either you give us some answers or we'll go find them ourselves. What happened to Doctor Atro and her squad?"

Within seconds the councilman's smile faded and if one looked to the Schultz, he was taking a deep breath with eyes knit closed in some form of pain.

"W-Well, Doctor Atro came to our town…and she's been a great help-"

"Where. Is. She?! I don't have time for your games, you tell me where Atro is or I'm marching to this 'fire' your infected talk about and finding the truth myself!"

The councilman opened his mouth to speak, but a loud exhale from the Schultz along with a large release of cigar smoke into the room alongside a short coughing fit drew attention to him.

"Atro is missing," the Schultz flatly said.

"Missing?!" Folinic nearly screamed as she stood up. "There has to be more than that, maybe if you dropped your flippant attitude and told us the truth-"

"The truth," the Schultz interrupted. "Is in of itself flippant. Since Doctor Atro's camp burned down, we have not seen hide nor hair of her."

"Burned down?! When were you going to tell us that?"

"Folinic onee-san, calm down!" Suzuran ordered. Surprisingly, Folinic stopped and the young vulpo turned her attention to the Schultz. "I apologize for Folinic onee-san's behavior, but you tell us Atro is missing since a fire we didn't know about until now and expect us to not be upset?"

"Yes…my apologies, but it's the truth. We don't know whether Atro is alive or dead at this time…" the Schultz explained. It was then that he began a coughing fit and Suzuran stepped closer.

"Schultz, sir, you might want to quit smoking and get treated as it could-"

"I'm fine," the Schultz hacked out. "Just my lungs acting up after a lifetime of smoking."

Suzuran nodded and went back to her seat next to Evan on the couch of the room.

"I believe you will want to talk among yourselves. We will provide you lodging for the night, and we can discuss how to move forward tomorrow," the Schultz said before Tatjana arrived in the room and had her lead them to eat their lunch.

---

That night, they gathered in a room of an empty inn where they would begin discussion, or as best a discussion as they could while Folinic was pacing around and worked up.

"They're hiding something, I know it. Atro wouldn't just up and disappear, especially not after a fire. And why were they keeping that from us? That damn old fart, making us wait around while they sit on top of the truth. I smell something rotten brewing in this town…"

"Folinic onee-san, please calm down."

"I am calm!" Folinic snapped back. It wasn't until she saw Suzuran's eyebrows arched with worry and her lips scrunching to a disapproving frown did she register how she had been acting. "Sorry…I…"

"No, it's fine, Folinic onee-san is very worried about Atro, I understand," the light said with a radiant, beaming smile that finally made Folinic too weak to stand, as she took a seat on the bed.

"Aww, Suzu's the best, good job," Provence cooed, giving the little light a pat on the head, which she leaned into, enjoying the physical affection.

Now that things had finally calmed down, Evan took a look around the room to gauge where everyone was at. Folinic was sulking on one of the beds, Reed was reading over by the window, Dur'nar seemed pensive and deep in her own thoughts, and Provence was still coddling Suzuran.

Evan decided Dur'nar's thoughts were of interest and walked over.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The state of the gendarmerie in this town. Did you see how easily they were overwhelmed? I don't understand where all the gendarmerie are, or if it was just that small to begin with."

That was an interesting point. Evan did notice that, but he hadn't chosen to occupy his mind with it.

"That, and all the residents seem frightened rather than shaken. I agree with Folinic that something's off."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Provence chimed in. "I've seen many different towns in many different states, but Wolumonde is clearly experiencing more problems than just contact with a catastrophe. I can't put my finger on it, but something's dividing the town. Normally, everyone would be working together, lifting up the city in a combined effort to save their home, but that's not what I see here."

"M-Maybe everyone's just nervous from the Great Rift…" Suzuran tried to reason. This, however, earned a genuine sneer from Folinic.

"I pray that's all it is, but I doubt it."

The rest of them, save for the draco, exchanged glances before silently agreeing to something.

"Really, are you alright?" Evan decided to ask Folinic. "You've been…"

"Folinic onee-san has been scary for most of the day, more so since coming to Wolumonde."

Folinic blinked twice before pushing herself up. Without a word, she walked out the door.

"Folinic onee-san!" Suzuran called out, jumping from Provence's lap and running after her senior.

Chapter 27: Atro's Camp

Their next trip to the Rathaus was rather tense by Evan’s standards. While there were councilmen arguing in the next room over, the Schultz had decided to use the next room to discuss with them the situation at hand. The news was about as bad as one could get for a town like Wolumonde. First, homes had been destroyed by the one two punch the natural disasters nature had handed them. While they were lucky no plates got leveled, there were still shards of originium lying around that could explode in the town at any moment. 

 

Second, was the infected, both new and old, getting restless at their lack of movement alongside the citizens that remained. Turned out that most of the non-infected residents fled, leaving a gaping population difference in the town between the remaining uninfected and the infected themselves. Turns out Atro had been treating the infected when her tent burned down. Some of the infected think it was murder, which was the whole reason the riots were happening in the first place.

 

Third, were the opportunists hovering around the town like vultures. Turns out abandoned cities aren’t all too rare, so when a nomadic city is abandoned it gives scavengers, looters, and all sorts of unsavory types an opportunity to strip a town clean and set themselves up for a long time. Since the Gendarmerie was low on men due to the bulk of the force taking part in the evacuation of the citizenry, they were at risk of having to mobilize a militia with those that had stayed behind.

 

Finally, there was the lack of reserves. Wolumonde usually relied on its speed to avoid catastrophes, and was on a course for the Winterwisp mountains it was now parked in. As a result of the reliance on speed, very little auxiliary systems existed in the town, and what few did were mostly automated and were only built to last long enough to get repairs. It also didn’t help that they were just beginning their winter preparations, so food was at a risk of running low as the catastrophe ruined farms and warehouses on the outskirts where most infected live.

 

“All this and you still won’t tell us what happened to Atro…” Folinic mercilessly shot at the Schultz.

 

“Please understand, the incident was very recent, only a couple days ago. We’ve been trapped here for over a week now, and we have other priorities.”

 

Folinic was held back only by Suzuran gripping her hand and silently asking her to sit down. She complied, but it was clear she wasn’t happy about it. 

 

An uncomfortable, somber silence fell over the room as the Schultz gave them all time to process it. Looking around, no one was optimistic. Why should they be? It seemed like a hopeless situation, and the four biggest problems seemed like impossible tasks. They still had to wait for the shipment of supplies and reinforcements before they could do anything of that scale, but one person wasn’t thinking of those as a primary task.

 

“While we’re here, we should investigate what happened to Atro, at the very least. Twiddling our thumbs won’t give us answers to that question,” Folinic said. 

 

“You’re free to ask around town, but I cannot yet provide you with any substantial information as our process is also ongoing.”

 

“And what process is that?” Folinic asked dangerously, leaning forward to make eye contact with the Schultz who closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

 

“I’m not at liberty to say…”

 

“Typical…” Folinic spat before getting up. “Well, since there’s nothing else to discuss, I’m making my way over to Zwölftontechnik Strasse.”

 

Suzuran also stood up, and turned to the Schultz before giving a deep bow of respect to him before following Folinic out. This left the four remaining Rhodes Islanders in an awkward position the Schultz relieved them from.

 

“Go, make sure your colleague doesn’t cause any trouble.”

 

Evan nodded and as he stood up, the rest of his squad followed. It didn’t take long for them to catch up with Folinic and Suzuran, but no one really bothered to try speaking either. As they walked through though, the state of affairs in the town was already speaking for them. Zwölftontechnik Strasse was a mess. Buildings lay abandoned or blocked off, some clearly so due to being impaled by originium spikes or they were left at risk of crumbling from the earthquake.

 

That wasn’t all, they saw hardly anyone out on the street. Those that were clearly gave them a form of evil eye, some even spat in their general direction as they recognized them from the riot yesterday. One landed especially close to Folinic’s feet and she glared at the man, cocking her arts unit to warn him. He merely sneered and walked off, not bothering to look back as though someone hadn’t just flashed the Terran equivalent of a loaded gun at him.

 

“Are you angry, Folinic onee-san?” Suzuran asked nervously.

 

“Look at this place, it’s decrepit. What’s even going on here?”

 

“Yeah, this place gives me the heebee-jeebees,” Provence started. “There’s no economy, no daily life…”

 

“I get they’ve fallen on hard times, but this is ridiculous. Look at this bakery, how long has this place been closed?!” Dur’nar added, looking into the window of an abandoned bakery that had clearly been left to rot.

 

“Ew…there’s an originium slug in there…so unsanitary,” Suzuran pointed out with a shudder. Sure enough, when Evan gazed into the building there was a slug creature with black crystals jettisoning out of the body sitting over one of the treats in the display case behind the counter.

 

“Bleaugh, that just ruined my appetite,” Dur’nar commented now that the slug came into focus. 

 

Evan lost interest pretty quickly and turned his head to notice Folinic was still hatefully glaring in the direction the rowdy civilian had left. 

 

“Hey, Folinic, what’s on your mind?”

 

“Why is it like this? They have the right to live, yet as soon as we enter the town they turn against it.”

 

“Folinic,” Reed initiated, gaze turning to a small group of infected who were glaring at them.

 

“What? It’s not like I’m criticizing them in particular. Honestly, why are they even acting like we’re the enemies? We came here to help them, and so far our reception-”

 

“Excuse me!” a new voice sounded from the direction they came from. All looked to see Tatjana running for their position, which prompted the grumpiest of them to walk up to confront her.

 

“And what are you doing here?”

 

Tatjana paused, a little shocked at the venom Folinic managed to put into addressing her, but she remained cordial and knit her fingers together before speaking.

 

“Due to your unfamiliarity with Wolumonde, I’ve been assigned as your local guide.”

 

Folinic scoffed openly before stating, “First you refuse to tell us the fate of our operators, now you’re here to monitor us?!”

 

“Folinic, that’s enough,” Evan commanded. Folinic suddenly regained her bearings and muttered a halfhearted apology before walking away. “Sorry for that, we’d love to have you as our guide.”

 

A warm, genuine smile appeared on Tatjana’s face and she responded to the news with, “Oh, wonderful.”

 

“Folinic onee-san…” Suzuran muttered as she pulled Folinic’s coat. The sight of little Suzu did something to calm her down and she looked away from Tatjana while biting her lip. 

 

“If you would follow me, Schaukelplatz is just up ahead,” Tatjana spoke as a proper guide, giving uneasy looks to Folinic as they walked. “Zwölftontechnik Strasse was once Wolumonde’s largest infected quarter.”

 

“Yet now it’s a hotbed for protesters and civil unrest,” Dur’nar mumbled to herself as she watched a small cohort of infected assembling around a corner in an alleyway.

 

“Y-Yes, ever since the fire at Doctor Atro’s camp, the infected have been on edge. Many are blaming the council for what happened and are asking members to step down along with the Schultz.”

 

“What was Atro doing, in a camp outside town?” Folinic asked with a surprisingly non-aggressive tone for once. This gave Tatjana a pause before she answered.

 

“Treating local infected, and giving psychological counseling to those suffering. Wolumonde was unable to avoid the catastrophe because of the Great Rift formed by the sudden earthquake, and we’ve been suffering immensely. Doctor Atro refused to leave, and she quickly became a lifeline and pillar of the town during the crisis, setting up a temporary medical facility outside the city to better serve the infected, including those wandering outside the town.”

 

To everyone’s surprise a small smile graced Folinic’s lips and she spoke with a hint of nostalgia and somber joy, “Atro was always good at field-work….” a short chuckle escaped her lips. “I can see her face right now, looking so self-satisfied…that’s Atro…”

 

“Ah,” Tatjana voiced her surprise before donning her own smile. “This is the first time I’ve seen you smile, Miss Folinic…”

 

A look of surprise replaced the smile showing Folinic’s introspective thoughts and she asked, “Is it?”

 

“You’ve been scary all day long, yesterday too, Folinic onee-san…”

 

“Oh…” Folinic expressed, looking down and away in shame. 

 

As they walked, a group of infected citizens were in their path. That was when Dur’nar walked over to Tatjana to whisper, “There’s a lot of people ahead…should we be worried?”

 

“Peaceful assembly is not a crime,” Tatjana replied quietly to the former soldier’s question. 

 

“They’re looking this way…” Reed muttered, gripping her spear as she stared back at them. “Be prepared, their eyes…they’re dangerous…”

 

As they came closer, the group suddenly stopped conversing and all gave varying levels of glares to their own group.

 

“Who’s talking to…wait…why’s there a Sarkaz in the back whispering to them?” Provence whispered, keeping her voice low so as not to draw attention.

 

“Sarkaz…?” Tatjana muttered to herself as she tried to make out where Provence was looking. She looked among the sea of horns, she noticed a sharp pair of devilish horns paired with pointed ears which quickly faded back into the crowd when a woman stepped forward.

 

“Hey! You’re not from around here! Are you those outsiders who helped the Gendarmerie yesterday? Working with those morons locking us up to die?!”

 

“Watch your tongue! These are guests of Wolumonde, they’re here to help us! Besides, who were you talking to? What are you telling them?”

 

“Hah! Scared? You should be,” the woman spat. “You’re the Schultz’s niece…one of those bureaucrats…” With that observation, the woman’s eyes seemed to turn for the worse. “It’s because you people can’t do shit that we’re in this mess!”

 

By now, the crowd was working to surround them, and weapons were either drawn or prepared to be as they were slowly encircled. 

 

“T-This isn’t anyone’s fault!” Tatjana tried to reason.

 

“Really? You’re just gonna call it a catastrophe and be done with it?! Well where is everyone, why are we forced to hole up at the foot of the mountain, when are you going to start killing us?!”

 

“You’re asking for a fight,” Folinic growled at the infected woman. “Have you been to other cities, seen how infected like ourselves are treated?! Wolumonde may be in crisis, but everyone’s suffering. We should be working together!”

 

“Huh, and who the hell are-” the woman started before she noticed Folinic’s uniform and sigil. “Y-You’re a doctor, an infected doctor of Rhodes Island?”

 

“Please don’t hurt us, we don’t want trouble…” Suzuran asked, noticing the change in her tone and demeanor. Instead, the woman looked to Tatjana and she suddenly remembered why she was angry.

 

“You want us to work together? Then ask the council to do something for once! You’re from Rhodes Island, but you don’t know what the fire did to your own Doctor Atro?!”

 

Like lightning, a flash of white and brown rammed into the woman and pinned her to the wall. 

 

“Enough! Do you know about Doctor Atro? Tell me where she is, now!”

 

The infected woman looked to Folinic then to Tatjana and grinned maliciously, laughing ominously before saying, “Hah, so they still haven’t told you. That fire took everything . We’ve been holed up in Zwölftontechnik Strasse since the Great Rift, they’re terrified of us! Rounding up refugees, locking us up like animals. Doctor Atro was the only one who stood up to help us. At least if we lost Zwölftontechnik Strasse we’d still have her to guide us…”

 

“Where. Is. She!” Folinic said before pulling the woman back a couple of inches and slamming her back into the wall.

 

“Don’t you get it?! They used the fire to kill her! Not a single person made it out of that camp alive!”

 

The woman was finally released and Folinic took several steps back. 

 

“No, Atro should have survived, they said she was missing!”

 

The woman laughed again.

 

“They lied to you! They lied to us, of course they’ll lie to you too! It was arson, murder! They’re going to kill you too!”

 

Folinic took a deep breath then looked at her and said, “You’re too worked up…I’m not continuing this.”

 

Before the woman could get up, Tatjana stepped forward and grabbed the woman by the wrist.

 

“You’re under arrest.”

 

“You can’t arrest me, you’re no gendarmerie!”

 

“I’m sorry, but the Schultz will decide your fate.”

 

“You wouldn’t dare kill me, not unless you want an uprising! Just throw me out already, I’ll at least be able to join up with the-”

 

“Enough!” Tatjana shouted. “You’ve done nothing but spread lies and slander the Schultz. You don’t even see us as fellow citizens of Wolumonde anymore…”

 

For the first time, a look of sadness spread across the infected woman’s face and she bit her lip.

 

“Fine…guess I gotta go see Severin again, let’s get this over with…”

 

---

 

When they returned to the Rathaus, Tatjana handed the woman over to the gendarmerie and watched as the instigator was taken away to see her uncle. 

 

“Tatjana…” Folinic’s voice sounded from beside her. Tatjana looked to Folinic who approached her and looked to the side before taking a deep breath and returning eye contact. “I want to apologize for my behavior…you didn’t deserve that.”

 

“Miss Folinic…” Tatjana said before grasping her hands together in front of her and gripping until her knuckles turned white. “I-I’ll tell you everything, all we know. I’ll take you to the campsite and explain what happened.”

 

Folinic blinked in surprise.

 

“I don’t know what Schultz Severin and the council are thinking, keeping you from the truth, but I believe you deserve to know. Follow me…”

 

What happened next was Tatjana explaining in detail what they knew about what happened to Doctor Atro as they walked to the edge of town and out.

 

“When we started to refuse more outsiders and local refugees, Doctor Atro chose to set her camp outside of Wolumonde so as to serve everyone. There were three infected from our village there receiving treatment. Kevin, Biederman, and Eckehard were their names. There was also…an uninfected volunteer”

 

“And what was their name?” 

 

“My cousin and Schultz Severin’s only son, Thorwald.”

 

Folinic stopped in her tracks, just as they were a stone’s throw from the woods. 

 

“Miss Folinic…?” Tatjana called back, noticing she had fallen behind.

 

“I…I didn’t know…I’m so sorry…” 

 

“No, don’t be. It wasn’t right to keep you from the truth. You have the right to be upset, angry even. I never wanted to keep the truth from you, but the council was shaken and forced the issue into silence until we were certain…” Tatjana paused and once more knit her hands together as she struggled to speak.

 

“Just let it out, Tatjana-san…you need to get it off your chest…” Suzuran said, grabbing one of the hands of Tatjana and looking at her with a face full of worry, yet somehow shining with innocence. 

 

“Huh?” Tatjana sounded, clearly surprised. It was then that Suzuran gently placed her hand over the woman’s heart. 

 

“I can sense the pain…the discontent. There’s much joy, but also much sorrow…all knotted up…”

 

“Is that an originium art?” Tatjana asked.

 

“No, I’ve just seen this so many times. Everyone wants to keep their feelings bottled up, but it’s not healthy. Maybe I’m wrong, but if you treat yourself like that…you’ll worry the people who care about you. S-So, it’s ok to cry, no one will judge you.”

 

Tatjana leaned down to Suzuran’s level and smiled.

 

“I understand, but I can’t cry, not yet. There’s too much to do, before I allow myself the time to grieve.”

 

Suzuran nodded then turned her unchanged gaze to Folinic.

 

“D-Don’t look at me like that, I get it…” Folinic stuttered while rubbing her shoulder. Only then did Suzuran’s expression change to a bright smile and she nodded with a hum of affirmation.

 

When they finally reached the campsite, no one said a word. They just looked at the charred remains of the campsite and naturally fanned out to look for signs while Tatjana continued to explain.

 

“In total, we recovered eight bodies. Four from our town, three others are presumed to be wanderers who came in for treatment. The last, we fear, might be Doctor Atro…”

 

“So…seven infected, one non-infected…” Folinic thought out loud as she rubbed the ash off a crate’s serial number. “To think, some of these supplies I helped Atro prepare…”

 

“At first we thought the fire was an accident, but I never believed it for a minute. Doctor Atro would never be so careless…”

 

“An accidental fire wouldn’t be able to do this though,” Reed said as she held up a steel tent rod that was warped and bent on its own weight. Without a second thought she pulled at the rod until it snapped at the weakest point, and she looked inside. “The steel melted all the way inside, this was caused by arts.”

 

“Not a lot of equipment can produce such powerful arts…” Dur’nar asked while turning to Tatjana. “What kind of defenses does Wolumonde have?”

 

“Wolumonde is in possession of a large number of L-44 Gramophone’s, they could be powerful enough.”

 

“Was there any sign of struggle?” Folinic asked.

 

“None, the bodies were charred beyond recognition with no sign of resistance or panic, as though they died instantly.”

 

“So it was murder,” Folinic concluded before standing up and walking to another crate where she saw a simple ID tag buried under the char marks and ash. “Would you look at that…”

 

“Ah, it’s Atro’s ID tag…” Provence said as she looked at it.

 

“She never liked wearing it, always complained it ‘got in the way’,” Folinic stated before pocketing it and she snickered darkly. “Just wear it around your neck or tuck it into your chest…how hard is it?”

 

After that, Folinic turned her attention back to Tatjana, ready to ask one last question.

 

“What did you do with the bodies? Hours after death, oripathy begins to rapidly consume the body, turning any and all organic tissue into fine, active originium dust that is easily and naturally aerosolized, becoming a dangerous secondary vector of infection.”

 

“The Schultz took on the responsibility of storing the corpses. Since most of the tissue was incinerated and the victims were only mildly infected, it was determined that there wasn’t much risk.”

 

“I thought Wolumonde had no oripathy experts…”

 

“He said he was going on experience…”

 

“Hah, rich. What kind of job gives you experience handling infected corpses?” Folinic sighed after that sentence then looked at the site further. “I don’t think we’ll find much of value here anymore…I want to see Atro. I need to say goodbye, at least…”

 

“I understand…we’ll return and I’ll ask Schultz Severin-”

 

Tatjana stopped and looked past them towards a lone figure standing in the fog among the trees. Noticing it had been spotted, the figure moved forward until it was out of the fog and they could see it clearly. A lone figure dressed in heavy, protective clothing wielding a hammer and a masked hood that hid their face. As they moved closer, devilish horns peaked out from the helmet and it dragged a hammer along the ground.

 

“A sarkaz…” Folinic muttered low before stepping forward. She then walked forward and asked the lone sarkaz, “Are you the same one from earlier?”

 

The sarkaz remained silent and simply stood. Everyone waited with baited breath, wondering what the lone warrior would do. An eerie silence settled over and they naturally took formation, some having already raised shields or weapons in warning. 

 

“A-Are you one of them?” Tatjana asked nervously, only to be met with silence. “Are you one of the sarkaz who make up the Mudrock Squad?”

 

“...Niece of the Schultz, I have one question: Who murdered them?”

 

“So you are the same sarkaz!” Folinic shouted before cocking a shell. “Why are you riling up the townsfolk? Wolumonde is in crisis, and you move to turn the town against itself.”

 

“...Wolumonde was already divided before we came. We simply told the infected the truth, of what their fate ultimately is.”

 

“To what end? What will stoking the flames of anger do for you?” Dur’nar growled. “Have you no shame?”

 

“...Our only goal is justice, justice for the infected. Justice for the murderer who killed those here in cold blood. If you stand in our way…” the sarkaz warrior slammed the hammer upon the ground, and in a magical display of their ancient sarkaz arts, stones and bits of soil flew from the ground and ran around in a circular shape around the sarkaz. In a flash, a filmy ethereal shield jumped between the soil and rock. “We will not hesitate to fight back.”

 

The situation was quickly escalating out of control, a fight seemed inevitable. Evan thought for a moment, the Sarkaz had stated their goal was justice for the murder, and he would honestly agree. It was clear though the sarkaz didn’t think they saw eye to eye, so he stepped forward, ignoring the calls from the others to not approach the sarkaz.

 

“Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. We’re looking or the murderer too. They killed someone we care about, perhaps we could work together?”

 

A low chuckle escaped the sarkaz’s throat before they spoke, “And what would you have us do? They would never allow us in the city, not peacefully. No, they made clear where our place is, why should we trust those they work with either?”

 

“Even if we’re with Doctor Atro’s company?” 

 

“Indeed, Atro was a good doctor. But since coming to Wolumonde, what have you done to stand up for the infected, Rhodes Island? You put them down, helped the Gendarmerie and the council in their schemes! There is no way we will work with two-faced puppets!”

 

The sarkaz raised his hammer and made to slam Evan, but a flash of orange filled his peripheral vision and a flaming spear end slammed into the shield. Orange flames danced across the shield, and the spear halted. Reed reeled her arm back and began slamming her spear into the shield, again and again, but the sarkaz refused to move. By now, Evan retreated back behind Dur’nar and drew his standard blade. 

 

The sarkaz raised their hammer and slammed it into Reed, who barely managed to block it with her spear, and she was shoved to the side, hammer end slipping past the spear and slamming into her shoulder. Before the Sarkaz could follow up, Dur’nar moved in front of Reed and absorbed the next attack, grunting in effort as she struggled to keep her arm raised against the blow. 

 

Suzuran began pelting her foxfire balls onto the shield, watching as the shield absorbed or deflected the arts and left the opponent unharmed, but it did do something to briefly switch sarkaz's direction of attention. 

 

Folinic had finished using arts to heal Reed’s wound, and the draco ran up and tried to once again breach the shield with her spear, setting it ablaze and watching as her attack was helplessly absorbed by the shield. Before the sarkaz could strike, Dur’nar’s blade crackled with electricity and it drew the sarkaz’s attention away in time to watch as the electric blade bounced off the shield and the sparks flew between rocks and soil across the shield all the way into the ground.

 

A bolt flew through the air and slipped past the shield and into the armor, forcing the sarkaz to retreat away from Provence’s line of fire. They turned to the sniper and slammed their hammer to the ground, sending a wave of arts along through the ground to her position. Provence leapt from the wave, barely missing it before the zealot raised their hammer again, bits of earth flying around it as they charged up some more powerful arts.

 

That was when Reed charged up her spear, until her tail burst into a molten flame and her core shined. Flames converged from her arms and into the spear tip until it glowed a bright color and she stabbed.

 

Crack

 

With that strike, the sound of earth splitting sounded from the sarkaz and they were shoved forward.

 

“His shield can be overwhelmed!” Dur’nar shouted. “Dump as much power into your arts attacks as you can!”

 

With that, Reed continued her assault, but it failed to crack the shield further, and now the sarkaz was winding up an attack meant for her, but Dur’nar shoved her shield into the attack and once more tanked the damage. It was then that a shell was fired from Folinic’s arts unit and slammed into the shield before the arts splashed in all directions and those by the sarkaz felt more rejuvenated to continue the assault. Suzuran of course was charging up a powerful cast, and by the time the sarkaz noticed it, it was too late. 

 

A set of three foxfire balls slammed into the shield and a series of smaller cracks continued to sound as they spread across the shield. Taking the opening, Dur’nar and Reed slammed all they had into the shield as Folinic continued her barrage. Soon, the sound of shattering glass sounded and the shield dissipated and the earth fell. 

 

The sarkaz retreated and began channeling their arts, only for a crossbow bolt to once more fly, and it was aimed at a chink in the armor. With a sickening sound of flesh and cartilage being pierced, the bolt landed perfectly into the weapon elbow of the sarkaz and their arm fell limp despite still clutching the hammer. 

 

“Now what? Can’t lift your hammer, you might as well surrender,” Provence suggested as she cocked another bolt and aimed it at the warrior. The sarkaz lulled their head to the ground, silent as they contemplated their options. Provence inched closer, as did the others save for Folinic and Suzuran. “We promise to treat you well.”

 

“You are worthy opponents…but a true sarkaz never admits defeat!” they shouted before swapping the hammer to their other arm and it visibly began to glow an earthy gray as the sarkaz wound it up. “In the name of the earth!” they screamed before the strike. Provence was already retreating and Dur’nar moved to protect Reed and held her shield up just in time for the sarkaz’s hammer to collide with the ground.

 

Soil and rock lifted from the ground as a large shockwave moved it below their feat, forcing all of them off balance as bits of rock and soil quickly turned to shrapnel which rained upon them. Cuts and bruises were made and Dur’nar was flung back into Reed as she felt her defenses finally become overwhelmed and the shower of rocks and earthen sarkaz arts finally forced her shield out of the way. Provence and the others were far away enough to only suffer minor scratches, and Tatjana had stayed out of the range altogether and looked on in shock as soil now rose to obscure their vision briefly. 

 

When the dust settled, Dur’nar was on the ground on top of Reed and the sarkaz was gone. 

 

Folinic ran up to the two and with the help of Provence managed to move the drill instructor off the draco. Thankfully, Reed had been saved from the worst of the damage, but Dur’nar didn’t get up and her face scrunched up in pain as she held her arm. Bruises and cuts lie everywhere on the body, and her clothes were torn at the sites of impact. 

 

“Suzuran, I need help!” Folinic cried as she began activating her arts unit and worked to stop as many of the cuts as she could. “Provence, help me get her gear off!”

 

Evan could only look on helplessly, next to Tatjana, as Folinic began removing Dur’nar’s protective gear and soon some of her uniform. Dur’nar cried in pain as Provence moved the shield arm, signifying it was clearly broken. 

 

Now that Folinic’s attention was on the arm she noticed it was bending unnaturally and she cursed, “Blyat!” Before issuing orders. “Provence, make a splint, I’ll set the arm. Suzuran, use your arts to heal the surface injuries!” 

 

“Hai!” Suzuran affirmed in Higashinese before she started channeling her arts to prepare to heal Dur’nar. It was then that Folinic pulled out a roll of bandages and shoved it in Dur’nar mouth.

 

“Alright, this will be over in a moment, but I’m sorry in advance.”

 

Dur’nar nodded and bit into the roll before she started screaming and kicking as though she was being tortured. For two seconds, the makeshift gag absorbed the screams’ volume, but it still made Evan shudder to think of his instructor in that much pain. Suzuran had finally channeled her arts and sent a wave of soothing foxfire, and the wounds on the surface began closing up. Dur’nar’s look of pain then finally lessened in intensity. 

 

Once Suzuran was done patching the surface wounds, Folinic pulled out a needle and stated, “Administering emergency painkillers.”

 

The needle was pushed into her injured shoulder and Folinic pressed. Dur’nar hissed at the pain, but soon her face visibly relaxed more and more, and it kept relaxing until she finally closed her eyes and gave a sigh of relief. Folinic then slapped her cheek a couple times.

 

“No! No sleeping until we get you back to town. Provence, how’s that splint coming?”

 

“Almost done.”

 

“Good. Evan, Tatjana! You’ll be responsible for helping her back, can I count on you for that?”

 

Both nodded and Folinic turned her attention back to Dur’nar who was now clearly loopy. 

 

“Splint’s done!” Provence declared before handing it off to Folinic. Folinic then reset the arm for the splint and placed it in. Only mumbles and moans of discomfort now escaped Dur’nar. Once the splint was set and secure, Evan and Tatjana walked over to receive and pull up the patient. 

 

Reed watched the whole scene with wide eyes and arched eyebrows, gripping her sweater just above her core. She wouldn’t dare look away, no matter how much it hurt to watch, and she wasn’t the only one.

Chapter 28: Mudrock

When Folinic and Suzuran exited the room they had reserved in the Rathaus, everyone waiting stood up, save for the Schultz. The room remained silent and Folinic took a deep breath before saying, “She’s stable. No signs of internal ruptures, bruised organs, or buried shrapnel. The only thing of worry is the broken arm, thankfully.”

 

Everyone didn’t hold back their sighs of relief and the Schultz released a long puff he had been holding, earning him a glare from Tatjana and Folinic once Evan started hacking at the overabundance of smoke. 

 

“Uncle, please put that away.”

 

Severin groaned in frustration before grinding the butt into the ashtray. 

 

“Once we get back to the landship, we can treat her broken arm properly, until then, she’s not using her arm.”

 

“I-I’m so sorry, I-I shouldn’t have-” 

 

“It’s not your fault,” Folinic cut Tatjana off. “None of us knew that the sarkaz warrior was stalking us. Instead, I want to apologize. We should have been more careful, and I think…it was my treatment of that woman that turned the sarkaz against us before we even spoke.”

 

“Yet, you still fought that devil, and all of you are alive to tell the tale, that alone is impressive,” the Schultz praised, but instead of easing, Folinic’s gaze only hardened. 

 

“The term is sarkaz. I’m sure the meaning of the name ‘devil’ isn’t lost on you,” Folinic growled, only for the Schultz to ignore her. “ Bitter old bastard…” she cursed in Ursine.

 

“Folinic!” Provence shouted while covering Suzuran’s ears. 

 

“What? It’s true, first he refuses to tell us the truth, and now we know he’s been sitting on Atro’s corpse this whole time!”

 

Schultz Severin looked to Tatjana who wrung her hands nervously and looked away. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to wait for what he expected to be a verbal beatdown, only to open his eyes to see Folinic glaring at him silently. This little game of chicken lasted for a full three minutes before Severin sighed in defeat and caved.

 

“What is it you want?”

 

“To see the bodies. I don’t care if they’re charred beyond recognition, I just…want to see Atro, please.”

 

“Very well…” the old gendarmerie agreed before standing up, much to Folinic’s surprise. He then walked to the door before looking back. Instead of immediately following him, Folinic simply stood there, trying to silently muster the courage to follow. 

 

As she stood there, she thought back to the last two days. Why did she want this so much? What would she get out of this? Did she really want this? That last question pierced a needle into her heart and paralyzed her. Did she dare risk looking upon Atro, as she was now? 

 

It was then, in the darkness of her mind that a light appeared before her. This light gently took her hand and slowly wrapped it in its own, much smaller, hands. The light before her was gentle and it guided her back to the real world.

 

“Folinic onee-san…let’s go together,” she said with a small smile. No longer did she feel pain in her heart, for now it was at risk of melting. Of course, Lisa was there for her. She’s been with her since the start of this journey and hasn’t left her side, never wavering as the winds of conflict tried to extinguish the light that was Lisa. 

 

Then, after pulling Folinic out of her trance, Suzuran turned to Evan and said, “I-I’m not sure why myself, but I believe Evan-san should see too.”

 

“Sure, you’ve always had good intuition…” Folinic muttered before looking to her field captain and nodding to confirm that it was indeed alright for him to come with.

 

He sighed and stood up, while Provence gave him a small pat on the shoulder, just as a form of re-assurance before the three of them followed the Schultz, leaving her alone in the room with Tatjana and Reed, who hadn’t moved an inch since hearing the news.

 

Deciding that the draco girl needed a little attention, Provence pushed  herself up and walked over to sit next to Reed. The draco didn’t even seem to acknowledge her presence, she just continued to stare into space, clearly deep in thought about something. Instead of calling out, Provence moved her tail to place it in Reed’s lap, grabbing the draco’s attention. The draco looked to Provence with a small bit of surprise, and Provence smiled in response.

 

Slowly, Reed placed her hands on the mass of fluff. She didn’t say anything, but the tactile sense of the fluff was now at the forefront of her mind, she was no longer staring into space. 

 

“It’s softer than I thought…” Reed commented as she fluffed the tail. At this, Provence giggled.

 

“Yeah, no one has a tail fluffier than this, so I take good care of it.”

 

Reed continued to caress the tail gently, as though her hands could light the appendage on fire if she wasn’t careful. As she did though, Provence took a good look at the draco girl’s expression. There was an innocent shine to her eyes that was rarely seen as she gently stroked the fluff. Provence didn’t speak, she simply watched as the draco gently caressed the fluff. No, she wouldn’t dare ruin this moment. Reed stared off into space too much anyways.

 

Meanwhile with the other three, four if the Schultz was counted, they were brought before a cooler door where the Schultz brought out a set of keys and flipped through them until he found the right one and moved to unlock the door. 

 

With a metallic groan, the door was opened and a rush of cold air met them as the dark room came into view. Without hesitation, Folinic walked in, the remaining three following shortly after. 

 

Laid out upon the floor, eight charred mannequins that were once people sat before them, frozen in time. Folinic didn’t even give the other bodies a passing glance as she stepped around and over them to one sitting in the back of the room. She didn’t entirely know how she knew herself, but looking at it she knew. She would never forget the shape of this body for as long as she lived. 

 

“You really gave me quite the runaround, you stupid cat…” she spoke to the remains in a low and quivering voice. 

 

“I think we should give them a moment…” Suzuran whispered. Severin simply left the room, but before Evan took his step out the door, he looked back to Folinic who was now knelt over the body, choking on her tears. He decided to heed Suzuran’s advice.

 

He knew all too well that goodbyes were a deeply personal affair.

 

Outside, Severin decided to light another cigar and puffed it into the night air.

 

“Schultz, sir!” the little nine-tailed vulpo scolded. “How many times do Tatjana-san and I have to ask you to stop smoking?”

 

“I’m-” Severin tried to say before he started hacking harder than before. The fit lasted longer than some of his previous ones, and he even was forced to grab at his lower end to reset a muscle, which made Evan wince a little.

 

“Sir…you should take better care of yourself, otherwise you won’t have much longer before-” Suzuran counseled. At this, the Schultz laughed.

 

“I can’t seem to hide anything from you. You’re a very perceptive child,” he cut off. When he looked at her gaze though, he took a small gulp and rubbed the cigar on the wall. “Fine, if I last until the end of this crisis, I’ll let you treat me.”

 

“Ok…thank you for stopping,” Suzuran replied without a smile as she continued to arch her eyebrows in worry at the Schultz.

 

“May I ask a question?” Evan prompted, looking at the Schultz. Severin nodded. “Why hide this from us?”

 

Severin instinctively reached for his lighter, only to be stopped when Suzuran stomped and puffed her cheeks, growling in childish frustration. He sighed and put the light away before looking to the crescent moon barely peeking through the clouds.

 

“Because we were scared. We were worried when the infected began blaming the council that Rhodes Island would seek reparations from us. Reparations we couldn’t afford. I…had to collude with the councilors to wait for the right moment. I’m sure had they had their way, you wouldn’t know of the bodies until it was too late for both of us. That’s why I assigned Tatjana as your guide. I knew she would tell you the truth at the right time, and I trust her judgment.”

 

“Even though we were coming to help?”

 

“You must understand, Wolumonde has been in conflict for a long time. Not with another nation or city, but with a group of radical locals known as the Winterwisps.”

 

“The Winterwisps?” Suzuran asked curiously.

 

“Caprinae natives to the Winterwisp Mountains region. A radical and often violent group who have been trying to expunge Leithanien from the region for decades. When the Great Rift happened, they saw an opportunity and have been needlessly riling up the infected. I fear they plan to turn us upon each other this time…”

 

As this new information set in , the sound of the door opening caught their attention and Folinic walked out, wiping her eyes which were red and puffy from crying. Her gaze itself was more focused, but they still held the same burning light that that she had started the journey with.

 

“Are you OK, Folinic onee-san?”

 

“Yes,” Folinic flatly said with very little emotion.

 

“To exhibit such resilience in the face of grief, especially at your age, is impressive indeed,” the Schultz praised.

 

“Don’t patronize me, we still have much to discuss.”

 

“Indeed. Now, there is only one more piece of information to share with you.”

 

The three of them followed the Schultz back to where Provence, Reed, and Tatjana were. When they walked in, Evan noticed Reed was peacefully fluffing Provence’s tail and Tatjana was deep in thought. Tatjana stood up and looked at them, and the Schultz stepped forward to speak.

 

“I’m going to bring something. Please, remain here,” he requested before leaving the room. When he returned, he brought an object wrapped in cloth and placed it on the table in a tray. When it was unwrapped, bits and pieces fell onto the tray to reveal a dark purple orb, hazy and cracked, both inside and out, with a sizable chunk missing. “This would be your murder weapon. The core of an L-44 Gramophone recovered from the campsite.”

 

Everyone stared at the orb as it sat in the tray. No one could really make heads or tails of the purpose it held within the devices that were scattered around the city, but thankfully they didn’t have to. This one was clearly used up and useless, aside from what it represented. 

 

“Normally, civilians are not allowed to hold such destructive powers. The device, however, is not particularly hard to use. Any Leithanien with a moderate arts education could learn how to operate one in theory though.”

 

“We have to find the murderer…” Folinic muttered as she stared at it. Her eyebrows then narrowed dangerously as she finished, “And then he’ll pay.”

 

“How about that,” the Schultz quipped, turning the room’s attention back to him. “You move past restlessness and sorrow, and you choose revenge.”

 

“Uncle!”

 

“Folinic onee-san…”

 

“No, he’s right, I should know better. I’m a student of Professor Kal’tsit, and I’m a Rhodes Island combat medic. I should know better than anyone…” Folinic spoke, half to herself. Then, her eyes ignited in a cleaner flame as she took a breath and then said, “But that sarkaz was right. The murderer must face justice, but only the murderer. After all, Atro was a good person. She was just helping people in need, treating the infected. What did she do to deserve this? At least…let me ask them. I need to know why…why they killed her.”

 

“Very well…” Severin agreed. “Until aid arrives, we will do what we can to assist you. This murder, it happened under my watch. It wouldn’t sit well with me to further deny you the closure you deserve, that Wolumonde deserves.”

 

“Thank you…Schultz Severin…and apologies for my…erm…attitude.”

 

“I can’t say I didn’t deserve it.”

 

---

 

“...So…you initiated the fight, despite a call for peace…” a voice muffled by heavy blast-resistant armor said to the injured sarkaz as they sat in a makeshift treatment facility with their arm in a crude cast. The sarkaz, damasked and vulnerable, looked away, unable to find an excuse. “I see…you’re forbidden from leaving the camp until we leave.”

 

“B-But they-”

 

A hammer slammed into the earth, creating a cracking sound and the sarkaz warrior scooted back a little. 

 

“Sorry…” the heavily armored juggernaut calmly apologized. “ It brings me no joy, but you disobeyed orders to not start fights. I know you were simply trying to help, but what you did will only make it harder to go into town now, making it riskier to gather supplies for winter.”

 

The sarkaz warrior had nothing to say as he lowered his head. 

 

“The others will watch over you, I will go and return with supplies to treat your injuries. After I find flowers to give to the fallen, to apologize for the blood that was further shed from their deaths.”

 

“Be safe, Mudrock.”

 

---

 

Footsteps slammed onto the forest floor as they ran. Just as suddenly as they started, they stopped and the owner of the steps uttered one word, “...What…?”

 

Greythroat gazed around the camp and looked at the remains. Soon, two other footsteps of varying sizes came up beside her. 

 

“W-What happened here?!” Click exclaimed before using her drone to snap photos. “Everything’s burned down!”

 

“We’ve only been gone a few days…” Greythroat muttered as she strolled through the campsite and looked for evidence.

 

“Maybe not, had the little rodent not gotten lost in the mountains.”

 

“Hey, quit wounding my pride!” Click shouted, giving a weak punch to Ayerscape’s elbow, which he pointedly ignored. “Besides, I got some good footage up there.”

 

“And how will the footage help us now?” Greythroat prompted. 

 

“W-Well, we can bring it to Severin…and…”

 

“Regardless of what we found in the mountains, it doesn’t change the outcome. We were needed here, and look what happened without us…” 

 

“Maybe we were lucky,” Ayerscape said before looking at the steel bar that was snapped and the crate with a perfectly rectangular clean spot on it. “Something powerful did this, and someone was here to investigate it before we came back.”

 

“Still…” Greythroat quietly said to herself as she looked at the rubble. It was then that a loud snap echoed through the forest and the crunching of leaves sounded. Greythroat looked to her operators and gave a hand signal to scatter and hide, which they did. 

 

Click for her part chose a nearby bush and peaked out through the leaves to watch as a large, hulking figure walked up to the tent’s remains. In a moment of awe, she took out her camera and peaked it out to take a picture, forgetting that the shutter sound would alert the one she was hiding from. Greythroat groaned silently from a tree and pinched her nose, shaking her head at the pathetic display.

 

“...Who’s there…” the armored juggernaut muttered before turning to the bush where Click walked out with her hands up. 

 

“S-Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

 

“...It’s fine. Who are you?”

 

“I’m-” Click started before a hand covered her mouth.

 

“Don’t,” Ayerscape’s voice sharply whispered before his harsh gaze turned to Mudrock. “Would you mind telling us who you are first?”

 

“...Very well…” the figure agreed. “You may call me Mudrock.”

 

“Can I introduce myself now?” Click whispered to Ayerscape, and received a flick to the nose in response. “Ow!”

 

“You don’t seem to be from Wolumonde…” Mudrock observed.

 

“Freeze!” a new voice sounded. Mudrock silently turned their head to Greythroat who had come out of hiding with a crossbow trained on the juggernaut. “Why are you here?”

 

“I’ve simply come to pay respects…” Mudrock said before pointing to the flowers in their arms. At this, Greythroat’s aim faltered before she pushed her focus back up and the look of surprise was replaced by her stoney glare once more. “I’ve also come to find supplies left behind to treat one of the wounded of my squad Rhodes Island fought.”

 

Mudrock then turned back to the tent and the trigger was pulled. The bolt whizzed from Greythroat’s crossbow. Click’s eyes turned red, but before she could act, Ayerscape used his hand to stop her, but he did prepare his blades just in case. 

 

Mud rose from the ground and formed a ball that the arrow struck instead of Mudrock. 

 

“I asked you to freeze.”

 

Mudrock silently gazed at Greythroat, but this time they didn’t move. After moments of painful silence, Mudrock’s muffled voice spoke through the armor. 

 

“That was a demonstration, apologies if it scared any of you. You couldn’t hurt me if you wanted to. If you value your lives, don’t wind up a second, please. I would rather more blood not be spilled here.”

 

Greythroat inhaled sharply before lowering her crossbow. “Fine, but don’t touch the supplies. I also want an explanation.”

 

“Very well…and thank you…” Mudrock said before kneeling in front of the tent’s remains and using their hand to dig a hole they placed the flowers in. “It’s cold in the winter, but my friends speak of these flowers. They’re like the children of the snowy mountain, cold, but enduring. Rest in peace…”

 

Mudrock gently covered the flowers and then used their ancient earthen arts to raise the ground under the flowers and make sure the soil wasn’t tight enough to suffocate them.

 

“Now, what happened here?”

 

“...A murder. Someone used arts to light the camp on fire and murder all those in this tent, including some of our own. I can still hear them…they speak of the burning, the malice. They say it happened so fast, that they didn’t have time to know what was happening. A shame, they were all good people…save for the one who murdered them.”

 

“And who murdered them?” Greythroat asked.

 

“I don’t know, they don’t tell their names or features, just that they were here.”

 

“And who are ‘they’?” Ayerscape asked.

 

“...The soil, the rocks, and the earth. They speak to me.”

 

“And how do we know you’re telling the truth? You do wear the symbol of the reunion movement,” Greythroat pointed out. “Are you a Leithanien follower…or did you come from the frozen tundra?”

 

“Our aimless journey began in Kazdel, as so many sarkaz’s do. We left reunion and the tundra, together with Bob, to find a new life…”

 

“And what life is that?”

 

“A peaceful one, a comfortable life. Now? We simply desire justice, an explanation for the murder.”

 

“So you set up camp outside Wolumonde? How do we know you’re not camping around the city for a chance to plunder it?”

 

“No, I will not allow my people to plunder Wolumonde. The newcomers wouldn’t allow it either.”

 

“Newcomers?” 

 

Mudrock hummed in affirmation before explaining further. “Many Leithaniens, divided by the Great Rift, have joined us. We will also help them, for they are fellow infected.”

 

“You could come to Rhodes Island!” Click cheerfully suggested, earning another hand on the mouth from Ayerscape.

 

“That is very kind, but now is not the right time. Many are suspicious of Rhodes Island, hateful even, ever since more came and began helping the Schultz. They would never allow us to join you as they are now. Perhaps another time.”

 

Mudrock stood up and Greythroat raised her crossbow once more. 

 

“You’re not leaving. We need more from you.”

 

A sigh rumbled from the helmet and Mudrock didn’t even bother turning to Greythroat when they asked, “Can you make me?”

 

Greythroat didn’t move a single muscle, yet somehow Mudrock gained a conclusion from this.

 

“I thought not. Good day, Rhodes Island, I wish you luck in finding the murderer.”

 

With that, the juggernaut disappeared into the fog of the forest, not once did Greythroat falter in aiming at the enigmatic sarkaz, not until the sounds of crunching leaves vanished into mere echoes. 

 

“That was really scary…” Click commented with a shudder. “They’re scarier than Blaze.”

 

“Blaze isn’t scary, you’re just small,” Ayerscape verbally poked. 

 

“Enough,” Greythroat ordered before they could start arguing, again. “Click, follow Mudrock and scout out their camp. Ayerscape, with me. We’ll make contact with our fellow operators.”

 

Both nodded their heads and they proceeded to their assigned tasks.

 

---

 

Dur’nar awoke in the inn, and when she looked around she noticed Evan in a chair, reading a book. He noticed her movements and their gaze met. 

 

“Good evening.”

 

“It’s already evening? I slept like a rock then,” she said with a stretch. “So, whatcha reading?”

 

“Some of the local history. Trying to find mentions of the Winterwisps.”

 

“Winterwisps?”

 

“Caprinae natives who seem to be in conflict with Leithanien,” he said before openly sighing. “I guess I should’ve expected this, but it seems all mentions of conflicts past are gone, erased, or censored. That worries me.”

 

“Yeah, that usually is a recipe for trouble. Most nations have come into conflict with natives. Even in Columbia, history books and classes like to avoid the subject if possible. Some events were too big to hide, but I fear most get the treatment you’re seeing.”

 

Evan lowered the book and placed it on the nightstand in silence then looked out the window to the room and into the fog.

 

“Do you need something? Don’t tell anyone, but I hid a few sweets and other snacks among my supplies, so don’t hesitate to go digging through my stuff.”

 

He chuckled a little then looked to Dur’nar, especially at the cast she now wore, and his face fell before speaking. 

 

“Am I…really cut out to lead? I mean, I let Folinic lead us around and look at what happened. Maybe we should’ve stayed in town and helped Severin out with what needs to be done for Wolumonde now…”

 

Dur’nar hummed in thought then crossed her one arm as she leaned against the bedrest and wall.

 

“Personally, I don’t think you’re doing too bad. Sure, you’ve let Folinic wrap us up in her quest for closure, but think of it this way: At least we were there to help her. Imagine if we weren’t there when she encountered the sarkaz warrior, do you really think she would be in a state to try and negotiate like you did?”

 

He blinked in surprise a little at that.

 

“Also, you’re new to this. I mean, I’ve made mistakes. You could say I’m at Rhodes because I made a mistake, but that’s one mistake I don’t regret making. Being a leader is tough, I won’t lie. You’re always wondering whether you did the right thing, whether you made the best outcome. You second guess yourself and then the anxiety sets in. Just, do what your gut tells you, and everything might work out. Maybe you’ll grow into these shoes, but you can’t grow without proper nutrition, even I have to admit that.”

 

“I didn’t know you had a way with words,” he said which made Dur’nar chuckle a little, then she playfully told him to ‘stuff it’ and they shared a short laugh. When they stopped, Dur’nar’s expression changed to a thoughtful one.

 

“Hey, do you know how Reed’s holding up?”

 

Evan thought back then explained how Reed had seemed pretty shaken up about the whole thing. How she had waited with them in silence, but a small smile graced Dur’nar’s lips when she heard about his observation of Reed fluffing Provence’s tail.

 

“That thing’s fluffier than it looks too. Honestly, I’m kind of jealous.”

 

“What? Your tail’s plenty fluffy.”

 

“Mine’s average size, imagine if it was fluffier.”

 

The image hit his head and he gave a snort of amusement.

 

“Hey, no laughing. You’d love it if I had a tail that fluffy, don’t think nobody notices how you oggle Provence’s.”

 

“It’s almost as big as her! Of course I’m going to stare.”

 

A slam sounded from the wall and they jumped a little before a voice spoke through the thin walls.

 

“Quit gossiping about my tail, or I’ll use it to suffocate the two of you!”

 

“Yeah? I’m sure Evan would love that! Maybe I’ll beat you to the punch!”

 

“Please, you wish you had this much fluff!”

 

“You heard him, I have plenty of fluff! Right Evan?” 

 

Dur’nar then turned her head and brought her tail before Evan. “Come on, time to judge it. Is mine fluffy enough for you!”

 

“Oh, it’s a contest now?! You just wait until I get over there and you won’t be the only one in a bed!”

 

His diaphragm nearly popped as he struggled to hold back his laughter. Needless to say his anxiety was gone. He just waited while vibrating with silent laughter with Dur’nar until the door swung open. Only, the one to open the door wasn’t Provence. Instead it was a gray-haired liberi girl with a crossbow strapped to her back. Out of surprise, Dur’nar gave a small ‘eep’ before withdrawing her tail and Greythroat squinted in suspicion at the two. 

 

“Operator Dur’nar, I presume you’re the commander of this unit.”

 

“Funny enough, no. This is technically a field operation, Evan here is technically in charge.”

 

Greythroat’s gaze turned to him and he suddenly felt insecure for some reason he couldn’t exactly pin. That was answered when she spoke.

 

“So you’re telling me, a field operator with no codename is the one in charge of your unit?”

 

“By request of the Doctor, yes,” Dur’nar affirmed. Greythroat took a deep breath then looked to Evan. It was clear she was trying to gauge him off sight alone. Feeling uncomfortable he stood up and walked over.

 

“Maybe we can take this downstairs, we should let Dur’nar rest.”

 

“Good, bring your other operators with you if you wish, I’ll meet you downstairs.”

 

Greythroat turned to leave, and soon after Provence was peeking her head in the door with an awkward smile.

 

Downstairs, in the lobby of the inn, Evan told Greythroat everything. How they had come as emergency first responders and themselves learned of Atro’s fate on only their second day, which was today. He also spoke of how Folinic and Suzuran were currently out and about looking for clues as to who the murderer could be, and how he was searching for clues in the town’s literature of the Winterwisps.

 

“Actually, that’s what Click went into the mountains to find out. We couldn’t find many clues of the Winterwisps ourselves…” Greythroat added. “But I’m more concerned about the sarkaz from Reunion. If what you said about the lone warrior is true, they may have been stoking the infected’s rage before the Winterwisps, before the Great Rift.”

 

“Did Mudrock tell you why they were here?”

 

“...No, but I believe they were simply following the city as the catastrophe loomed. When the Great Rift happened, I believe they were stranded here, like everyone else. Atro chose to grant them aid anyways, along with any other wanderers roaming outside the town. I…” Greythroat swallowed, her eyes closed as a painful expression sat across her face. “...I can’t help but feel responsible…we were assigned to protect Atro as she wandered Leithanien. Perhaps the murderer struck because we were away…”

 

“Or perhaps the murderer was biding their time, and we wouldn’t have noticed anyways…” Ayerscape noted. “You saw how thorough they were. It might be for the best that we weren’t there.”

 

“I still can’t help but feel we could have done something…” Greythroat noted before gazing at Evan once more, but with a softer stare than the one she had greeted him with. “Evan, I may not trust you to lead, but I will defer to your judgment, as per the Doctor’s wish. If you so desire, I am willing to accept command of your unit whenever you see fit. What are your orders?”

 

“For now, get some rest. I’ll think over what we’re supposed to do next, and we’ll discuss possibilities with the Schultz tomorrow.”

 

“Very well, we will take up vacant rooms and rest, do you have a plan as to who will keep watch overnight?”

 

“Erm…”

 

“I’ll handle that,” Provence volunteered. 

 

“Very well. See you later.”

 

With that goodbye, Greythroat stood up and went to go find a vacant room, and Ayerscape nodded to them before following. This left Evan alone with Provence, since Folinic and Suzuran had decided long ago to retire early on account of learning of their friend’s death. Folinic hadn’t liked the idea, and her gaze to Evan when he suggested it showed that she would rather be out there, looking for clues. After all that happened, he would rather not have anyone go of their own volition. Then, there was the fact Reed had holed herself up in her room and hadn’t been out since they returned to the inn. 

 

It was then, as he thought about the troubles ahead of him, did a feathery weight plop itself on his lap. He looked to see a massive mound of fluff was now in his care, and he looked to its owner, who was smiling smugly at him.

 

“Go on, touch it. See for yourself how fluffy it is,” she invited. “I’m confident my fluff is superior to Dur’nar’s.”

 

Remembering their friendly spat from earlier, he couldn’t help but chortle before placing his hand on the tail. Once he did, he felt a soft, fuzzy sensation superior to that of the puffiest of puppies, superior in silkiness to the finest mustelid furs, and a softness that any bedding manufacturer would kill for. Indeed, it was far fluffier than it looked, and as he combed his hands through it, he couldn’t help but feel enraptured.

 

“Well we have a winner it seems,” Provence chimed as she watched him fluff her tail like an innocent child. 

 

“Well, not exactly fair when I haven’t touched Dur’nar’s tail, but I doubt anything could come close to this.”

 

“Thank you, I work very hard to maintain this gift. Even if it is just an oripathy mutation.”

 

His hands froze in place. Evan had heard of oripathy mutations before, but he hadn’t thought that Provence’s tail was the result of one. Hell, he had no idea she was even infected until just now.

 

“Don’t act so surprised, I’m a catastrophe messenger after all. Oripathy comes with the job you could say.”

 

“Well, I imagine you got the luck of the draw for symptoms.”

 

“I know, I was rather surprised when the mutation first took full effect. Most are ugly or make people self conscious, but I imagine plenty would kill for a tail like mine for theirs. So I choose to embrace it.”

 

“Well, I’m certainly enjoying it, now, is there a sweet spot on this tail?”

 

“Why don’t you find out…” Provence teased as she squinted her eyes and gave a wider smile. Evan simply shrugged and then began probing the tail, pushing his hands deep inside until he found the actual spinal extension and began probing. “Wow you’re really going for it aren’t-”

 

It was then, a squeal of surprise sounded from Provence and she covered her mouth in embarrassment. With a grin, he began gently scratching and caressing the spot, and soon he had found the sweet spot on the tail. To his mild surprise, and expectation, she swiftly retreated the tail, face beet red.

 

“I-I think that’s enough, I don’t think I’m ready for…that…” Provence admitted defeat. Hell, he could see her ears start to flush. “How did you come across such…technique? Any longer and I think I would’ve made some ungraceful sounds and given people the wrong idea.”

 

“Would you believe me if I said pets?”

 

“Geez, I’m not a domestic animal…” she said with a light elbow and a playful pout.

 

“Hey, you asked. I just gave an answer.” 

 

They shared one last laugh before he went up to prepare for bed himself. Provence just rubbed her tail back into shape as well as tried to eliminate the wondrous sensation from her mind of someone having found a sweet spot on her tail.

Chapter 29: Oh, Winterwisp

When Evan woke up, it was still dark out, yet for some reason he didn’t feel like going back to sleep. When he checked the time, it was about half past four in the morning. He grumbled a little, but wasn’t against the idea of being ready for the day hours before it began. He just honestly wished he had his computer to keep him entertained until the sun rose. 

 

Instead, he decided to go to the lobby where he noticed light streaming through where the kitchen was. Curious, he stood in the doorway to look in. There, happily preparing ingredients with a light hum was Provence. Her tail swished with the melody she sang as she prepared her ingredients. It was a light, bubbly tune, and he could see the cheerful lupo had a smile on her face.

 

“It’s nearly five in the morning, and you’re preparing food?”

 

“Yup!” Provence answered with a cheerful ring. “I switched shifts with Reed and went out to gather some wild vegetables. The forests around here are really quite bountiful this time of year, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity.”

 

“Do you often cook with foraged food?”

 

“Mhm!” she hummed in affirmation. “Usually I’m out on my own or go with minimal supplies, so I’ve had to rough it up more than a few times and get creative. I’ve gotten quite good at cooking with wild ingredients too. You’d be surprised how much supplies it saves.”

 

“And when will breakfast be ready?”

 

“About a couple hours, I plan to cook them slowly, leech out as much flavor as possible. Oh, by the way, could you go check up on Reed? She should be on the roof.”

 

“Sure,” Evan agreed before leaving the kitchen, leaving the fluff queen to her work at preparing their breakfast. At least, until he came back asking for directions to the roof. Once he received them he gave a thumbs up and made his way up. When he found the way up, he opened it to see Reed looking to the east, patiently awaiting the sun to rise as she continued to gaze to the horizon, but when she heard him she moved her head and looked at him, a brief spark of curiosity in her eyes before she returned her gaze to the horizon.

 

Deciding he didn’t have anything better to do he just took a seat a respectful distance away from her and looked at the horizon. While he did notice her briefly looking at him as he took his seat, she inevitably quickly returned her look to the horizon.

 

For several minutes, they just existed, neither saying anything as they slowly waited for the sun to rise. The early autumn morning was damp with the fog now forming within the woods and mountains on the horizon. Somewhere on the eastern horizon, light began transforming the sky from a pitch black to a dark blue, and eventually Wolumonde’s scenery began casting shadows as the sun struggled to peek through the distant clouds with a shining red and orange before the gray clouds would leave only a dull light to guide their vision.

 

“Do you normally watch the sun rise?” he decided to ask. Instead of answering immediately, Reed looked at him, and then she just stared. Unlike her usual empty gazes, he felt like he was watching gears turn in her head, thinking about whether or not she should tell him. “You don’t have to tell me, I was just curious.”

 

Reed turned her gaze back to the rising sun. After about five minutes she suddenly spoke. 

 

“I do,” she answered. Evan looked at her, a little surprised that she had chosen to speak. Seemingly noticing this stare, she looked to the rising sun before speaking again. “It reminds me that a new day dawns each and every morning, after nights both long and short.”

 

At this, he smiled, looking to the rising sun which was now slowly hiding behind the distant clouds and fog. It had been short, but it didn’t make the view any less beautiful. 

 

“That’s a good way of putting it.”

 

Reed’s gaze moved to him, eyebrows slightly raised and a glint of curiosity in her eyes. 

 

“Each day the sun rises and heralds a new day, I think watching that is a nice way to remind yourself of that truth. Sorry if I interrupted your ritual.”

 

“N-No,” Reed mumbled, her tail curling and she moved her hair back. “I may not be used to company, but I don’t think you intruded. The sun is for everyone after all…”

 

After a quick look at his phone, Evan pushed himself and said, “Speaking of something for everyone. Provence should be finished preparing breakfast soon. You can stay up here, but I think everyone would be happy if you showed up too.”

 

As he moved to the door, Reed asked him a couple questions before he left.

 

“Do you really think so? Even after what happened yesterday?”

 

Just more than a little surprised, he looked at her as she stared into her lap, contemplating. 

 

“I’m sure Dur’nar protected you because that’s what she wanted to do. I get the feeling she’s just glad you’re safe, even if she lost the use of her arm in the process. I think it would help her to see you’re doing well.”

 

Reed looked at him and blinked a couple times before he saw a rare sight he didn’t think he would see. Ever so slightly, Reed’s lips upturned a little into a small smile.

 

“I see…” she said before looking back to the sun. “ Very well. Once the sun fades behind the clouds, I will join you.”

 

He nodded and descended back into the inn, leaving the draco alone as she gave her little smile to the sun, and her tail tip thumped the roof a little, showing that she was indeed, just a little happy at the thought someone had wanted to protect her. Perhaps the day was starting off well.

 

When Tatjana arrived to guide them to the Rathaus, she was rather surprised to see Rhodes Island had made themselves breakfast and were peacefully using the inn to enjoy a peaceful morning. They even offered her a portion. She was rather surprised to learn that their catastrophe messenger had gathered the ingredients and made the dish. 

 

Looking at them, Tatjana was able to forget some of her worries as the group went about their morning. She couldn’t help but smile with the more active of the members as they conversed about menial topics. As she watched longer, however, she couldn’t help but be reminded of Atro, and her cousin Thorwald, which began to sour her mood.

 

“Tatjana-san…” Suzuran murmured as she pulled on the woman’s dress with a worried look on her face. The sight was enough to remind her, and she gave a smile before gently caressing Suzuran’s head which made the small vulpo smile, and she felt her heart pang from the cuteness. This child was so sweet it was hard to contain herself at times, but she removed her hand and noticed a couple more faces were looking at her that weren’t there yesterday, but she recognized them nonetheless. They had been with Doctor Atro and had gone to the mountains just before the fire started.

 

“Miss Greythroat, Mister Ayerscape, I’m glad the two of you are safe. Did you ever find Miss Click?”

 

“We did, she’s currently scouting the Mudrock Squad’s camp as a precaution,” Greythroat answered. “We will bring the data she found to the Schultz.”

 

“I see, at least it is good to hear she is well.”

 

“I wish I could say the same for Atro…” Greythroat said half to herself with no reservation. Tatjana’s face fell, and she looked away. This did not escape the watchful gaze of the liberi marksman. “If there is anything Wolumonde can share with us about the suspects, Rhodes Island will be grateful.”

 

Before Tatjana could speak, however, the door swung open and Click ran into the inn, out of breath and clearly shaken. While she was unharmed, her eyes were still red and she didn’t waste any time telling them the news.

 

“Something bad’s gonna happen!” she said before taking in a few deep breaths before explaining. “Ok, so I staked out the Mudrock camp, and…well…we need to see the Schultz, like right now!”

 

Comedic timing being a constant, a brief set of tremors rumbled, shortly followed by an ear shattering bang. Without time to waste, everyone ran outside, though some went to grab weapons and gear left in their rooms temporarily. 

 

Once everyone was outside, their eyes shortly followed the direction of the blast to see a column of steam and smoke rise from a more central location in town. 

 

“That’s the power plant!” Tatjana shouted before she began running to the Rathaus. Everyone instinctively followed, rushing by panicked and curious townsfolk who had finally come out of their homes amidst the disaster, all of them running to the same place, the Rathaus. As they approached the Rathaus, however, people began running the other way, speaking of infected fighting the gendarmerie at the center of the city.

 

Needless to say, they picked up the speed until they saw Schultz Severin speaking to an infected man, cigar in hand and sword sheathed while the infected man remained armed and angry in the face of the calm old man.

 

“-All I ever wanted was my job and home back! My current house has earthquake rubble around it and there’s a damn originium shard embedded in my neighbors that could blow at any moment!”

 

“If you apply through the proper channels, I’m sure we can-”

 

“Proper channels?! Like when you locked us up in Zwölftontechnik Strasse and left us to die?! Or when you hired a foreign company to bring outsiders in who helped you dismantle our protests?! I’m sick of your excuses, the only ones who’ve helped us so far are those outside the town!”

 

“...Looks like my matches got wet…let’s continue,” Severin grumbled before tossing his match and slugging the man in the face. Evan winced a little as he looked at the result. That nose was most certainly broken. What happened next was the infected man raised his weapon, only for Severin to grab the arm and flip the man to the ground before kneeling on top of him and shoving his knee down. They were still too far away to hear what was whispered, but soon the Schultz was slamming the man’s head into the ground every time he tried to bring it up. Rage soon morphed to panic as the man’s eyes were quickly replaced with fear and interrupted cries for help. Not long after, the man lost consciousness, but that’s when Severin grabbed the man by the antlers and wound up for another slam into the pavement below.

 

“Schultz Severin, stop!” she ordered. 

 

Like magic, the beating stopped. Something dark took hold in Evan as he finally understood what he saw and turned to his team to order, “Suzuran, Folinic, tend to the victim!”

 

No words were spoken as the two ran up and the Schultz stepped away.

 

“He’s breathing!” Suzuran shouted out her observation. Evan didn’t care about the man almost, knowing Suzuran would not let the man die on her watch. Soon, Folinic managed to get a hold of the man and began to look him over. Instead, Evan turned to Severin, who had been moved away by Tatjana as she scolded him. He decided to trust Tatjana in scolding her uncle and looked around. 

 

People were now streaming from far and wide across town towards the Rathaus, and the councilors had taken to trying to calm them down. It was working too, though some in the crowd clearly still seemed agitated, which wasn’t a good sign. 

 

Once the man had been treated and handed over to the Gendarmerie, Severin called everyone into the Rathaus for an emergency meeting which Rhodes Island was to take part in. There, they sent Tatjana and some other young people to go assess the state of the powerplant within the city’s foundation. The councilors were then sent to go calm down the people or arrange for the auxiliary systems to start. Soon, the only ones left in the room were Schultz Severin and the Rhodes Islanders.

 

Thankfully they didn’t have to sit in awkward silence as Click used a tablet computer to pull up a video she had taken from hiding. There, on the screen was a varied group of people with a heavily armored figure standing at the forefront who Evan presumed to be Mudrock. Mudrock was flanked at either side by warriors dressed similarly to the one who had taken Dur’nar’s arm out of commission. On the other side were a far smaller group of people dressed in dark robes with only caprinae horns sticking out, many of them held ancient Winterwisp memorabilia to decorate their clothes, but it was clear they were two different sides meeting to discuss something of importance.

 

“...So…what is it you want?” Mudrock’s muffled voice spoke from their armor. “You come to our camp, telling us tales of your lost homeland, of the crimes Leithanien committed, but to what end?”

 

“What we want is simple, an alliance. We want the land back, for Leithanien to be driven out of the region. To this end, we propose we join forces and together we could destroy Wolumonde until it’s nothing more than rubble and a skeleton. You and your forces are free to pick the town clean, and we’ll even guide your people out of the region.”

 

Mudrocked hummed, as though they were deep in thought. As the enigmatic juggernaut thought, a grizzled sarkaz mercenary stepped forward.

 

“And how do we know we can trust you? You’re right, we do have the strength if what you say is true, but then why bother going through all these games of alliances and pulling strings? How do we know once the Gendarmerie and townsfolk are out of the way you won’t go back on your promise?”

 

“Because we’re not Leithanien. We’re not the liars who helped strip your country of fertile territory and then turned you against yourselves. We should have a common enemy, and therefore our goals should align.”

 

“Even if you’re turning the Leithaniens against themselves?” the sarkaz sneered to turn the shaman’s own words on him.

 

Before things could get heated, however, Mudrock slammed their hammer on the ground, drawing everyone’s attention.

 

“You’re right, who knows the loss of one’s home better than the Sarkaz? Many nations grew fat on our resources, and then we spent years fighting each other. You’re right, we should be angry, and some of us are, but you fail to understand why we left Kazdel to begin with. We’re tired of the bloodshed, the hatred. Reunion promised us a future and a better life, but we were led astray.”

 

“Yet, you still wear the banner,” the shaman chimed as he stared at the reunion symbol wrapped around Mudrock’s arm.

 

“I wear it as a reminder of the ideals I strive for, the future I left my homeland for. I wear it as a reminder of the blood I have spilled in vain, and to never repeat those mistakes. I agree with Reunion’s philosophy, the infected deserve a future, but that future cannot stand on a foundation of innocent corpses and empty promises. So I ask you, Winterwisp Shaman, do you understand our struggle?”

 

Silence fell, and for a brief time the sounds of wind and rustling leaves were all that the microphone picked up. 

 

“Why do you refuse to trust us, Mudrock?”

 

“It is not a matter of trust, our goals are not the same. We desire justice for the murder of our infected brothers and sisters. Only one person is guilty of murdering those within Doctor Atro’s camp that night. Can you say with certainty, without a mask, that you weren’t involved in that murder? Because if you were, I suggest you leave, now.”

 

“...You’re wise, Mudrock, but wisdom can only carry you so far. When we give the signal, Wolumonde will taste our wrath. You are free to join us at any time, but until then we won’t make any promises. I hope the townsfolk don’t rip you to shreds, as you’ll likely be the first they blame anyways.”

 

With that the shaman turned to leave and the video ended. The room sat silent as all present considered what had just been said on the screen.

 

“Damn Winterwisps…” Schultz Severin muttered before standing. 

 

“Whoa, hold up. What are you going to do?” Evan asked. 

 

“Did you not just hear them? They’re going to attack!”

 

“Yes, I heard, but what are you going to do?”

 

“I’m going to make preparations to raise the militia. They’re planning a first strike, and we need to be prepared.”

 

“And what of our answers?” Folinic asked. “You said you would help provide them.”

 

“And I will, but now’s not the time. You have my word. I will provide a satisfactory answer, but that must come later or there may not be a Wolumonde to save when aid arrives.”

 

“But-”

 

“Miss Folinic, with all due respect, my duty lies with Wolumonde and Wolumonde first, not to slake your thirst for revenge. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other duties I must attend to.”

 

“Wait,” Evan said to the Schultz before taking a deep breath. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

 

Surprised a little, the Schultz raised his eyebrow and turned to the young man of an unknown race before asking, “And how do you plan to help exactly?”

 

Evan opened his mouth, but he couldn’t find the right words. As the Schultz turned around to leave, Dur’nar stood up.

 

“Schultz sir, I’m a former drill sergeant and combat officer of the Columbian Armed Forces, I can help you with preparations!”

 

“Thank you, let’s be on our way,” he said before turning to leave. As she passed him, Dur’nar gave him a tight gaze and a nod before turning to leave and help the Schultz prepare to raise a militia.

 

 “I’ll keep an eye on him. The rest of you should use this opportunity to see if you can find the murderer, maybe we still have a chance if we can single them out,” Dur’nar stopped to whisper before as she passed.

 

Evan nodded and Dur’nar turned to leave. As she did, he decided to say one thing to her, “Stay safe.”

 

Dur’nar just gave a thumbs up before she marched out the door after the Schultz.

 

---

 

When they went out to Zwölftontechnik Strasse and other parts of the town to look for clues, it seemed so easy on paper. Find the clues, find the murderer, and stop the riots. Well, anyone with a sane mind could tell that wasn’t going to be an easy task. Ayerscape had mentioned how thorough the murderer had been to leave little evidence and no witnesses.

 

After all, dead men tell no tales.

 

They did manage to narrow down the suspect list though. All of them agreed the Winterwisps were worth investigating, so while Greythroat led her team alongside Provence to search the areas outside town for signs of activity, Evan was left with Folinic, Suzuran, and Reed asking the locals of their suspect list, but when the topic of Winterwisps came up, they were quick to change the topic or disengage from conversation all together.

 

Hours ticked by as they walked the streets, asking pedestrian after pedestrian about the Winterwisps, but to no avail. As noon passed and the sun began preparing to sink over the horizon, Folinic decided to take her frustrations out on a lone rock and kicked it as hard as she could. 

 

“How is it that a whole day goes by and we’ve picked up nothing ?! Did Atro really not interact with them out there, or is this town so dead set on taking its secrets to the grave?”

 

“Calm down, usually things don’t turn up right away,” Evan tried to console her. Folinic took a deep breath and then placed her hands in her jacket pockets. “Look, maybe Greythroat’s team will find some clues outside the town, maybe it’s something we’re not looking for.”

 

“Maybe the Schultz or one of the councilmen is the real killer…” Folinic mumbled.

 

“Folinic onee-san…” Suzuran said with a tug on the feline’s jacket. Folinic couldn’t even bear to look at Suzuran and a frown appeared on the small vulpo’s face as a result. 

 

“If you want to look at it logically, I highly doubt it’s any of the government officials,” Evan commented. Folinic looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and he continued. “If they were, they would have been quick to blame anyone but themselves, but so far they’ve shared everything they know. So far, Severin also hasn’t blamed a group or person associated with a group, he’s been looking at this neutrally so far. Sure, he may have hid the truth, but he did say he owed us an explanation. If we’re going to work with him, we also have to trust him a little bit, even if it’s hard.”

 

Folinic blinked before giving a small smile and nodding. 

 

“Yeah, I guess that does make sense. Sorry, I just…have different experiences with officials. I let that cloud my vision.”

 

“If you ever want to get it off your chest, we’re always available, right Suzu-chan?”

 

“Y-Yes, we’ll always be here to support you Folinic onee-san!”

 

“Aww, you guys…” Folinic said as she rubbed Suzuran’s head. Suzuran of course hummed happily and gave Folinic a little hug in response. Folinic held her mouth as she flushed a pink shade, her heart clearly melting from the display of affection. He couldn’t help but smile at that, but he almost forgot he wasn’t the only one there to witness it. A glance at Reed showed she was looking up at the sky, observing the sun as it began to turn the sky an orange tint.

 

“The day is ending…” she deadpanned. “We should meet with Greythroat’s team and discuss our findings.”

 

Evan nodded, and the four of them began to move for the Rathaus. It was then, just before they were about to leave Zwölftontechnik Strasse did a strange phenomenon occur. An ethereal humming tune swept over the town, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. As the melody formed, they stopped in their tracks and listened as the sun’s red tint began to dull into a dark blue. 

 

Everyone within the town fell silent as strings of music resonated throughout and slowly built up. A deep, soothing voice echoed in their minds as ancient lyrics began to form. While none could understand them, it settled into their souls and reminded them of an ancient truth these people long ago must have realized when they made this art.

 

And now, all of Wolumonde listened to the spectacle. 

 

“What…is this…?” Reed asked as she balled her hand over her core. “It’s feels so…ancient…”

 

“It reminds me of the ancient arts of Higashi papa uses in his rituals,” Suzuran commented with a smile. “I remember singing one as I watched the plains from the Rhodes Island deck for the first time.”

 

Soon, Suzuran began humming along with the tune, lyrics slowly forming upon her mouth as she listened to the song and seemed to resonate with it. Her staff  glowed in response as light blue foxfire flickered into existence and proceeded to rise and fall with the melody. 

 

As the stars began to sprinkle the night sky, Suzuran hummed the tune to completion, some bystanders coming to watch as the nine-tailed vulpo sung with the ritualistic melody and her staff behaved like an oscilloscope for the music, dancing with the melody in an enthralling way.

 

The song ended, the flames flickered out of existence, and the crowd felt as though they held an empty feeling within their hearts, as though they had just all said goodbye to a dear friend or loved one. 

 

Evan managed to shake himself out of the stupor, but when he looked to Folinic and Reed, they hadn’t seemed to have done the same just yet. Reed’s mind had left the world as she stared off into the vacuum of space, and Folinic was holding her chest as small tears glistened down her cheeks. 

 

He was surprised all it took was a swallow and a blink to clear out his emotions. Either way, they didn’t have time to process the emotions as Schultz Severin and the Gendarmerie were marching towards Zwölftontechnik Strasse. What did worry Evan was that there was no sign of Dur’nar, so he and the others expected something off. They had also never seen the Schultz wear an expression so hard before then. Normally, he was firm in his expression, but calm. This though, this looked downright angry.

 

“Spread out, spread the word, and if anyone resists or disobeys, arrest them on the spot.”

 

The Gendermarie then spread out, running past them to scatter across Zwölftontechnik Strasse. That’s when Evan stepped forward to ask, “Schultz Severin, what’s going on?”

 

“It’s happening, the Winterwisps are making their move. Those arts and song just now, they were a ballad for a funeral rite of the Winterwisps, that must have been the signal. The militia is not yet ready, so I’m sending the Gendarmerie to announce to Zwölftontechnik Strasse that Wolumonde is coming under martial law and to remove any dissenters who wander out.”

 

“Hold up, martial law?! What are we supposed to do?” Folinic asked sharply. “We’ve spent the whole day and learned not one thing about the Winterwisps other than what is already public knowledge.”

 

Schultz Severin shut his eyes and groaned before saying, “I’m not at liberty to say…”

 

“And what makes you think Wolumonde’s situation is so unique? Every modern nation from Columbia to Rim Billton has had some kind of struggle with the natives in their colonial settlements, why can’t you give us any information?”

 

“To do so would make some nobles very unhappy.”

 

“You…” Folinic started, her pupils changing shape and her eyebrows knitting dangerously as the fire once more lit in her eyes. “Atro sacrificed herself for you, and you’re worried about saving face for the inbred bastards in their ivory towers?!”

 

“Folinic onee-san, don’t use Atro’s name as ammunition for an argument!” Suzuran shouted before looking to the Schultz. “Schultz, sir, please stop this! It will only agitate the people in Zwölftontechnik Strasse and make everything worse.”

 

“...Suzuran…” Folinic mumbled as she watched the young vulpo step forward to the Schultz. Her gaze soon turned to Severin and a cleaner fire began to burn in her eyes. “Schultz Severin, considering the Great Rift, when support arrives, it will include more combat operators from Rhodes Island. We won’t be able to help you if you continue to conceal information like this, so think about it! Look who’s really here to help you! Do you really think with all the nomadic cities and towns that lie out there, abandoned, that any of those nobles in their ivory towers give a shit about you?”

 

“I know. You came to help us, but I am also looking to the future. When Wolumonde recovers and Rhodes Island leaves, I don’t want to be receiving letters from those ivory towers.”

 

“You…” Folinic growled, balling her fists as she looked at the Schultz. Before things could escalate further, however, a series of explosions began sounding across Zwölftontechnik Strasse and a Gendarmerie officer came running back. 

 

“Schultz, sir, the infected are rebelling! T-They’re taking over the Gramophones, sir!”

 

“What?!” Severin shouted. “Who taught them how to use the Gramphones?!”

 

“We’re spotting Winterwisp casters among the rioters, they’re also rounding up Gendarmerie and taking them prisoner! Buildings are already starting fire!”

 

“Dammit! Pull the Gendarmerie out and surround the district! I’ll go raise the militia.”

 

“But sir, they’re-”

 

“It doesn’t matter who they are, I gave you an order!”

 

“Y-Yes sir!” the Gendarmerie affirmed with a salute before running into the chaos. That’s when Severin turned to Rhodes Island. “As for you, do what you feel is right. I don’t have the time to babysit you.”

 

“But we still need information,” Folinic tried to argue. It didn’t matter though, Schultz Severin began running for the Rathaus.

 

“Folinic onee-san!” Suzuran shouted. “We should be helping people, a lot of innocent civilians are going to get hurt. W-We need to set up a medical facility by the Rathaus. We need to rendezvous with Greythroat-san, now!”

 

“...Finding the killer takes priority…” Folinic muttered.

 

“Folinic!” Evan yelled. “Suzuran’s right, and you’re our only fully trained medical operator, I’m not letting you go chasing clues right now.”

 

“But if we find the killer, we could get everyone to calm down. We should be-”

 

“Do you really think finding the killer, now, will solve all our problems?” Evan interrupted. 

 

“I…” Folinic tried to find the words, but soon looked away and grit her teeth in frustration.

 

“Folinic onee-san, pull yourself together!” Suzuran shouted. Both looked at the young vulpo in surprise. “W-We’re not the only one hurting, or burning with rage. Nobody has a clear head. I think…we need to help as many innocent people as we can! That’s what we came here to do.”

 

Folinic sighed and admitted defeat, “...You’re right. I’ve let my emotions control me for the past week…”

 

“Oh thank goodness you’re all OK,” Tatjana said as she came running up to them. “Schultz Severin told me, but I had to see you for myself.”

 

“Tatjana-san!” Suzuran exclaimed with a smile. “Thank goodness, w-we need your help, Zwölftontechnik Strasse is-”

 

“I know, come with me, we need to evacuate as many people as possible!”

 

Without a word, they all ran back into Zwölftontechnik Strasse. Already, fires were starting and the people were in a panic. As they directed people out, some were trying to save their homes or were running towards the danger with eyes burning with hatred. More still, however, came running in various states of panic and injury as they fled from the district altogether and were soon redirected towards the Rathaus. 

 

It didn’t take long for the fire to spread and entire streets became blocked off. During one terrifying instance, Tatjana and Folinic looked back to see they had become separated from the others as a pile of flaming rubble came crashing down. 

 

“We’re alright!” Evan shouted to respond to their calls. “We’ll find a way to help you.”

 

“No, get the survivors to safety, we’ll find a way around!” Tatjana replied.

 

“...Stay safe!” he replied before turning to Suzuran and Reed. “Let’s go, we need to get these people to safety. Reed, if anyone tries to attack, respond in kind.”

 

The draco girl nodded and soon ran beside them as they all ran back to the Rathaus where a bunch of people were gathered. Thankfully, they had managed to get everyone they could there safely.

 

“Suzuran, start setting up medical treatment. Reed, keep watch for hostiles,” Evan ordered before he went looking through the crowd for familiar faces. It didn’t take long as they had clearly spotted him long before he did them. Soon, he was face to face with Greythroat, Ayerscape, and Click. “Where’s Provence?”

 

“She went into the warzone to rescue people. I don’t think we could’ve stopped her…” Greythroat responded before doing her own headcount. “Where’s Folinic?”

 

“We were separated from Folinic and Tatjana by a collapsed building.”

 

“Should we go rescue them?”

 

“Yes, and if you find Provence, tell her to meet us back here with more survivors.”

 

“Understood. Ayerscape, Click, we’re moving out!” Greythroat ordered before running back into Zwölftontechnik Strasse with her squad. Soon after they left, Evan turned his attention back to Suzuran who was with the Schultz. He turned his attention to them just in time to hear the Schultz declare Suzuran was in charge of medical treatment to those who could help.

 

“Evan, the Schultz filled me in. Good job getting innocents out, I’ve convinced him to set up a line of defense around the Rathaus,” Dur’nar praised before looking around. “Where’s Reed and Folinic?”

 

“Reed’s guarding the area, Folinic…we got separated by the fire. She should be with Tatjana though…”

 

“I think you should help Suzuran, I’ll help Schultz Severin set up the defenses. Suzuran’s one of Kal’tsit’s students, you can trust her judgment.”

 

Evan nodded and went with Suzuran to help treat the injured. 

 

---

 

When Tatjana opened her eyes she awoke to the sounds of Folinic shouting at someone.

 

“What do you mean you didn’t find anything?!”

 

“Folinic, please, we have other priorities now,” Greythroat’s voice answered as Tatjana pulled herself up. As soon as she tried to put weight on her ankle, a deep, true pain shot through it and she gave a groan of pain which drew their attention. “You should be treating your patients.”

 

“Miss Greythroat? What happened?” 

 

“You and Folinic were attacked by rioters, don’t worry, we took care of them.”

 

“T-Took care of them?” Tatjana asked with a mild amount of shock.

 

“If you think that means we killed them, no, we did not,” Greythroat said while pointing to where Folinic was performing first aid on their prisoner who Tatjana recognized as the last face she saw. When their eyes met, a sad look appeared on her face and the formerly armed infected gave a curt ‘tsk’ before looking away. “It is fascinating how you still do not see them as enemies.”

 

“Pah, rich considering she’s a noble puppet,” the infected rioter prodded cruelly before Folinic drove a finger coated with disinfectant into the crossbow wound. “Ow, watch it lady. Aren’t you supposed to be a doctor?”

 

“I am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to make this painless for you,” Folinic spat. 

 

“Even if Severin’s only had you as hired muscle? Ow, quit jabbing my wound like that!”

 

“Then kindly shut your mouth, I don’t have to take this garbage from someone willing to murder innocents.”

 

“Innocents? Haven’t you heard, they’re raising the militia! They practically have no Gendarmerie left, so they’re just gonna arm the conformists and have them kill us.”

 

“Watch your mouth! Who do you think created this situation?”

 

“What, like it’s all the catastrophe’s fault. Have they told you why there’s hardly any Gendarmerie in town at a time like this?”

 

“Does it matter? The Gendarmerie didn’t start this,” Folinic tried to point out while tightening the bandages as hard as she could.

 

“Yeah, then why’d Severin lock us up like a bunch of animals while the Gendarmerie are off attending some nobleman’s wedding?”

 

“...What?”

 

“Oh, that got your attention? Yeah, some noble’s son in his high tower’s marrying the daughter of another noble, so the Gendarmerie were sent off for their protection. Keep out some riffraff while the nobles get to enjoy their drunken revelries. Do you have any idea how long those can last? Oh, and as a bonus, while Wolumonde is steering to avoid a catastrophe, they argue over whose city should move to whose territory for days while we sit here, parked under some mountains while a catastrophe blows over.”

 

The man spit then glared at Tatjana before continuing, “So Severin sends off our protection, and probably a chunk of our food as autumn starts so as to wish this fortunate son a happy marriage and further boost his ego. My guess is he hired you to serve as assistance in keeping us in line. Dammit, stop poking where the crossbow bolt was!”

 

“Rhodes Island serves the infected, we came to Wolumonde to help you people, and this is how we’re welcomed. Tell me, do those antlers of yours take up room in your cranium by digging roots into it?!” Folinic practically shouted as she gripped the antlers for emphasis and pulled. 

 

“Yeah right, if you really did you’d be on our side, the side of Reunion! We should be taking back this city so that those of us who run it can rule for a change.”

 

Folinic paused then began gripping the antlers until her knuckles turned white. When the protester looked to see why he felt a difference in his head being pulled, he saw Folinic’s pupils shrunken to slits as she looked at him with a look that practically seethed with silent rage. For the brief moment, it finally struck him that he was at the mercy of this angry feline.

 

“You…” she hissed out before the dam finally broke. “You fucking ingrate! I should pull these useless hunks of bone out so your head is empty rather than thick!”

 

“Folinic!” Greythroat shouted, pulling the angry feline out of her fit of anger. “Don’t go threatening the prisoners.”

 

“...Fine…” she grumbled while releasing her grip. “Don’t think I’ll be treating any of them nicely after this.”

 

Greythroat took a sharp hissing intake of breath before pushing out, “Fine, but only so long as we’re not giving or falling for provocations. Now then…all of you, get up. We’re taking you to the Rathaus.”

 

“Whatever, what difference does it make dying to you or an executioner at this point?” he mumbled under Greythroat’s watchful glare. 

 

Tatjana tried to pull herself up, but nearly fell over as she struggled to put weight on her ankle. It was then that she felt something else take on her weight and she looked to see the dull stare of Ayerscape meet her own. She muttered her thanks and they began their move back towards the Rathaus.

 

When they returned, Tatjana could hardly look. People were lined outside the Rathaus in various states of injury. She felt her heart sink as she silently counted each one that had been covered, burning into her soul another tally that this dreadful disaster had taken upon her town. 

 

“Ah, Evan-san, look!” Suzuran pointed out after tapping Evan to draw his attention. He stood up and quickly walked over to them. 

 

“Oh thank god,” he said in relief as he looked at the returning group. Once he did a headcount, however, his face fell a little. “Still no sign of Provence?”

 

Greythroat shook her head. 

 

“Folinic onee-san, I need help!” Suzuran called, pulling Folinic’s attention away from them as she joined the young nine-tailed vulpo in assisting the injured. 

 

“Evan, has the militia moved yet?” Tatjana asked desperately.

 

“Dur’nar’s helping to mobilize them, I think Severin’s in the Rathaus right now with the councilors.”

 

“Take me to him, I still haven’t made my report on the state of the power plant.”

 

He simply nodded and they proceeded to make their way through the crowd and into the Rathaus where they soon found the Schultz. Once they entered, he and Dur’nar looked up from their plans to see Tatjana being led into the room on Ayerscape’s shoulder.

 

“Tatjana, you’re injured…”

 

“I’ll be fine, but the powerplant was inaccessible. The boiler appears to have been the cause of the explosion.”

 

“The city’s dead…” Severin said despondently. “Now we can’t move, even if we wanted or needed to.”

 

“With all due respect, a motionless city isn’t all that bad considering the situation going on right now. How’s that plan coming along?” Evan cut in. 

 

“We’ve drawn up a plan, since the rioting is located in Zwölftontechnik Strasse, we plan to surround it and wall the insurgents off. Direct crowd control will be left to the Gendarmerie and the militia,” Severin explained before looking to those gathered in front of him. “I’m sorry to say, the actual fight for the Gramophones must be left to you.”

 

“I have one question,” Greythroat said as she stepped forward. “How will we minimize casualties? These insurgents, they’re mostly inexperienced untrained civilians. How do we plan to minimize casualties and prevent further unrest once all is said and done? Because Rhodes Island will not aid in a slaughter against the infected.”

 

“We should cross that bridge when we come to it, but I can assure you the infected will receive fair treatment. As fair as I can grant, anyways. Even in Leithanien, Wolumonde’s treatment of the infected has been lax under my watch. I do not plan to change it, even now.”

 

“Good, then you have Rhodes Island’s continued support,” Greythroat flatly declared before turning to Evan. “Evan, with all due respect, this situation has grown far out of control and I request that you grant me full control of Rhodes Island’s units.”

 

“Granted. What should I do?”

 

“Thank you. Go assist Suzuran and Folinic, I will continue discussing plans with Schultz Severin. I also request you go inform Reed and Dur’nar, they will need to know. For what it’s worth, you’ve done well so far.”

 

With a nod, Evan turned to leave, not bothering to look back. For what it was worth, he was glad the weight was off his shoulders.

 

When he came out, he saw Suzuran was treating one of the ‘prisoners’ Greythroat had brought back and scolding him to not use arts. That was when he approached and let her know what had happened. She didn’t even give it a second thought and turned her attention back to treating the wounded.

 

Evan looked around, and he had to wonder if he had done anything correctly or if it was all destined to go this way. He shoved it down and repeated to himself that he needed to do what needed to be done and began to go look for Reed.

 

It didn’t take long as the Draco was approaching with a group of people, and at the helm was Provence, propping up an old infected man with her shoulder as she guided what survivors she had found to safety. He couldn’t lie, his heart rose at the news and he felt a smile on his face now that he knew everyone that mattered to him was safe. Hell, he couldn’t stop himself from calling her name as he jogged over.

 

“Ah, Evan! You’re here, and it looks like all of you have been busy. Good, I’ll get this man into Suzuran and Folinic’s care as soon as possible.”

 

“They’re right over here,” he responded, guiding them towards the two medics. “Also, Reed, Provence, I’ve handed command over to Greythroat. She wanted me to tell you that if I saw you.”

 

“Probably for the best. Suzu, Folinic, we’ve got another one!” Provence called. It was then, at the sight of the young child did the old man speak. 

 

“Ah, a nine-tailed vulpo. Quite a rare sight…” he muttered. 

 

“H-Hello sir, please sit down, I’ll get to treating you right away!”

 

“No…there’s no need. I just…simply need someone to talk to. Would you grant an old man that at least?”

 

“Here we go again…” Provence muttered as she helped set the old man down.

 

“No…you don’t understand, it’s important!” the old man wheezed. It was then that Evan noticed he was missing an arm, and when Suzuran pulled the clothing away to check it, a slew of ancient oripathy crystals greeted them in place of a stump.

 

“Oh my…d-don’t worry, we’ll get you emergency stabilizers as soon as possible!”

 

“No…I’m tired, I just…” the man said before coughing into his intact arm. “Just, please, listen…”

 

Suzuran tried to protest, but even she clearly was at a loss of what to do as the man’s breathing grew more ragged. She then closed her eyes and began chanting a small spell.

 

“It won’t do much, but it will allow you to speak. Please, I’ll listen now,” she said after the spell and then began kneeling in front of the man and grabbed his hand. He smiled at this and gave a small thanks before taking a few sturdier breaths. 

 

“What a wonderful child. Thank you, again.”

 

“Now then…what was it you wanted to say?”

 

“Ah, right. Don’t be alarmed, but I’m a Winterwisp. Last of the original clansmen.”

 

At this, everyone save for Suzuran couldn’t help but exchange glances of surprise. 

 

“The last, but aren’t the Winterwisps helping the rebels?” Provence asked uneasily. At this, the old man let out a long, forlorn sigh as he gazed to the cloudy sky and the moon. 

 

“It’s only when they’re filled with hate, do they think of their heritage. It’s all just an excuse…all the original clansmen, they went elsewhere or intermarried into Wolumonde. All that’s left of us who used to call these mountains home are a few of us old folk, hidden away and waiting to die…”

 

His eyes looked with regret to the sky, and Suzuran asked a single question, “What happened?”

 

“I killed…so many people. Traveling merchants, people who wandered into the woods unaware. So many…dead by my hand,” the old man said with tears as he gently gripped the vulpo’s small hand. “I used to think we were doing justice, proper vengeance…justice even…but we couldn’t kill the traitors, or the nobles who were the real cause. No, in reality I could only kill so many innocents in the name of our rage. We can’t defeat Leithanien. Not its laws, nor the mighty roars of the nomadic cities engines. We gave up, I escaped to Wolumonde while Severin picked off all my old friends, one by one. A true hunter, never doubts.”

 

It was then a small smile graced the old man’s lips.

 

“But…they say he would sit with his dying enemies, and share a smoke with them before they went. Too bad today’s manufactured cigarettes are terrible. As for me, I built a little nest on the outskirts, hidden away from his gaze. He didn’t get that, in the end.”

 

The spell began wearing off and the man’s violent coughing returned before he spoke. 

 

“Am I afraid to die? Nay. Believe me, young vulpo, I’m not afraid. I just wish…I could hear the sounds of the town’s power plant roar to life, even after a lifetime of fruitless revenge. Maybe one day, Wolumonde will grow to become a great nomadic city…”

 

A wheezing chuckle escaped him before he continued. 

 

“Listen to me…an aboriginal, a Winterwisp, wishing life to Wolumonde. I was so angry when I saw the boiler heat up for the first time…as I watched our town crawl away. I could only cry at the sight. It surged, it scorched, it singed. Unstoppable…what could I do with a bow and a shortsword? I fell in love with it…this symbol of our torment…”

 

His eyes narrowed as a more violent expression of spite donned his face.

 

“But Biederman did it, treacherous boy. To think, all that effort to use our knowledge to become a catastrophe messenger, and he did what I couldn't in my entire life…”

 

“Biederman? Wait, wasn’t he…” Folinic asked, taking an interest and pausing to think. “Didn’t he die in the fire?”

 

“Well then I must be senile, he’s the one giving the orders. I watched him, riling up the infected, leading them down a path of destruction…I was completely powerless to stop him…”

 

The old man’s eyes began to glaze over as he laughed again.

 

“Turns out what conquered us, all those years ago, was just a hunk of metal…”

 

Silence fell as his breathing began to slow and pulse across his chest in short waves.

 

“...Are you still there?”

 

“Yes, I’m listening,” Suzuran said while tightening her grip on the old man’s hand.

 

“If there’s anything to be learned from our story, don’t seek revenge. Don’t fight. Listen to me…please…us Winterwisps only ever wanted to keep our livelihoods, our traditions. Yet, in the end we doomed ourselves, fighting Leithanien. But they will never truly win, Winterwisp…it is Wolumonde…it’s the moon, and we destroyed ourselves.” 

 

The old man turned his head to the horizon. 

 

“Little Vulpo girl…where does that road lead? Where did it lead?”

 

“It leads to the Rathaus.”

 

“Nay, child, it leads to the mountain. The long banner flies…twelve twists and turns of the trail…ah…the snow blows…it sings…”

 

The light began to rapidly fade from his eyes. As the flame of life slowly faded, a melody sang. 

 

Heads turned to its source and foxfire flames flickered to life along the staff as Suzuran gently rubbed the old man’s hand, and she sang. In the ancient tongue of the Winterwisps, she sang the song she had heard mere hours earlier.

 

Mmm…Mmmhmm…

Such a brittle little branch~

Winterwisp, oh, Winterwisp~

Weary of a long life, weary of a long death~

Sing out your song, firm and strong~

Singing through the summer~

And on through the Winter~

Winterwisp, oh Winterwisp~

Even if she didn’t understand the words, she sang. Lisa sang the melody of his people, to bear witness to his last breath. Only when the song carried his last breath to the wind did she stop and let go.

 

“Good night…” she muttered before gently closing his eyes. She then wiped her own tears away and smiled sadly before grabbing his knife and journal. 

Chapter 30: Twilight of Wolumonde

To say Severin was surprised when they came in would be an understatement. At first, he looked worried, until he noticed that none of them seemed particularly alarmed, and that their group had regained one of their missing members. Nonetheless, his greeting was pessimistic.

 

“I hope it’s good news.”

 

“Actually, yes,” Evan replied. “We found out who’s behind the riots, and possibly the murder.”

 

It was then that Suzuran stepped forward with the knife and journal and handed it to Severin while explaining, “Provence-san brought an old man whose arm was long amputated due to oripathy, and he claimed to be the last of the original Winterwisps. Here are his knife and journal, we decided to bring them to you.”

 

“And how do you know he was telling the truth?” Severin asked as he unsheathed the knife to examine the craftsmanship. 

 

“I don’t think he would lie, and…they were his dying words. I think he simply wanted to tell his story, before he died,” Suzuran said somberly. “He claimed Biederman was behind the riots, and was the one to destroy the power plant.”

 

“Biederman, are you sure he said Biederman?”

 

“Positive, sir,” Suzuran replied.

 

The Schultz sheathed the knife and scoffed before handing it back to Suzuran. “Well, if he is truly alive, he is more than a likely suspect, and he has a motive. Biederman was a catastrophe messenger for Wolumonde who was of Winterwisp descent. He used the knowledge of the Winterwisps to keep watch for catastrophes from the vantage point of the mountains. When the Great Rift happened…many townspeople took to blaming him, sadly. In fact, they were so furious and desperate that in the first week alone, the Gendarmerie had to intervene on seventeen cases of violent crimes committed against him, and those are only the ones we know of…”

 

A couple gasps sounded from some of them, including Evan who hissed in sympathy at the thought of having police stop more than two violent crimes per day against a single person. 

 

“Before you arrived, he had shut himself away in his home. That is, until Doctor Atro kicked the door down.”

 

“Yeah…that sounds like her…” Folinic muttered.

 

“...But, even though she forced him out, we never saw any improvement in his mental health. He never smiled, and he often glared at everyone with a burning hatred, even Atro. Perhaps…he turned his anger to her, and faked his own death so he could exact his revenge…”

 

“Sadly, that’s not an uncommon story, and it’s why many catastrophe messengers have bodyguards, such as myself,” Ayerscape chimed in with his eyes shut. “It’s a thankless job.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve been run out of a couple towns myself…” Provence added further, looking down as she thought about the painful memories of her line of work.

 

“...I’m truly sorry. I should have seen the signs…” Severin apologized. “But, now we have a murderer to charge, maybe, just maybe, that will calm some of the people down…but I fear we may be too late, listen carefully.”

 

The room fell quiet, and as they listened, a small sound came from outside as people began chanting, chanting for war against the infected who had incited rebellion. Like rhythmic war drums, they chanted two words, ‘Fight back’ over and over. 

 

“...We at least have to try…” Greythroat admitted. “If we don’t, I fear headlines across the world will read ‘Reunion Surfaces in Leithanien and Destroys Wolumonde’, and all our work here will be for naught. After Atro, I don’t think any of us are willing to let that happen. Schultz Severin, we will disable as many Gramophones within Zwölftontechnik Strasse as we can, but we will also search for Biederman, and bring him in by any means necessary.”

 

“Good, we will defend the Rathaus to the best of our abilities.”

 

“Ayerscape, Click, Provence, we’re moving out! Evan, you are to follow Operator Folinic’s and Operator Trainee Suzuran’s orders.”

 

With that declaration, the four of them left in a rush, leaving Evan with Folinic and Suzuran. 

 

“Schultz, we’ll see to the wounded,” Folinic declared before leading them out. The sight was honestly depressing, but he remembered, for the first time, a simple truth that would sink in throughout his future journey.

 

“This is Terra, after all…”

 

Even though the Rhodes Island crew had a difficult task ahead for them, The Mudrock squad would face its own question.

 

“Infected bastards!” one riled up townsman would call during a charge, only to be met with either a mercenary’s sword or the hammer of the Mudrock squad’s own. 

 

“...Arise…” Mudrock muttered. Earth pulled forth from the ground as rocks sifted out of the soil and began coalescing into a singular form.

 

The eye flickered to life with a purple glow and the colossus looked to the townsfolk, who routed at the display of such ancient and powerful sarkaz witchcraft. They were left alone, but the group of infected who long abandoned Wolumonde started arguing, leaving the Sarkaz to discuss among themselves.

 

“Mudrock,” a grizzled, respected mercenary grumbled. “We need to make a decision, fight, or wait for death. You’re young, but I respect your judgment.”

 

“...And what would you suggest?”

 

“Hmph, personally, go about it the way us Sarkaz have for years in Kazdel: Level the city, take anything that is useful and leave.”

 

Mudrocked hummed in thought before looking to the flames burning from the city.

 

“Very well, but if we learn that, Rhodes Island were the ones on our side, we ally with them.”

 

“...Fine, but I don’t understand how that will change the outcome. Alright, we’re with you Mudrock.”

 

The mercenary moved to deliver their message to the Leithanien crowd who were still divided among looters and non-looters. Only one side would make it through the winter alive, but until then? Well, it was just fair game.

 

“...But…we are not hatred…” Mudrock muttered to the earth, reminding herself as she remembered the band around her arm. The mercenary leader stopped, and looked at her, stunned as though she knew what to say. Either way, they would march, and soon Wolumonde would face their ultimate choice, but somewhere, deep in her heart, hidden by armor, she knew the outcome. “Thank you…friends.”

For now, they marched. Sharing a banner with the ideals of Reunion.

 

Somehow, during all the chaos going around him. Evan had no idea what pushed him. He just listened, watching as his body helped Suzuran and Folinic, not recognizing the worried glances the vulpo girl gave him. 

 

Yet, even then, she continued to be a light to those suffering more than he. It anchored something in him, and he felt all right. 

 

That was until the Gendarmerie was on the defensive, then he remembered where he was.

 

“Evan-san, we won’t let them touch a single one…” she said, taking a deep breath as she looked to the crowd with a determination he hadn’t seen on Lisa before. No, this was Suzuran. The young vulpo released her breath and soon, a soul-warming stream of foxfire danced through the air. The rioters quickly became confused while the Germanderie felt a new sense of vigor. He could only watch as the foxfire haze spread across where they were. “Evan-san, help them!”

 

Caught up in the moment, he felt relieved. If Suzuran could stand up to them, perhaps so could he. Sure he didn’t have foxfire arts, but he did have the ability to take out confused ones with a bonk to the head from the flat side of his blade. It didn’t make him feel good in any way, but he had to do it anyway.

 

Once, he found himself actually in a blade fight with someone, but thanks to what Dur’nar taught him, and Suzuran’s confusing haze of Foxfire, he could keep them away from her, and the defenses. That was, until someone yelled an infected had taken over the Gramophone.

 

Arts fire sprayed into the crowd at random and for a short while the only thing keeping people alive were Suzuran’s arts. She was clearly strained, and he ran over to her. His heart ached, but the despair soon turned to a desire to protect this golden light in a sea of ethereal blue.

 

As suddenly as it started, the bombardment stopped, and he noticed Greythroat was back. The crowd finally scattered, still terrified by the bombardment that had stopped. 

 

“Suzuran, can you hold these arts?” Greythroat asked.

 

“”Y-Yes!” the vulpo girl struggled to push out. 

 

The little child pushed out her arts at a higher rate, forcing the rioters to a crawl while invigorating the Gendarmerie soldiers, save for one. 

 

“F-Folinic, Uncle- t-the Schultz has collapsed!” Tatjana struggled to call out. “He’s coughing up blood and it’s not stopping!”

 

Evan looked to the shower of blue fire that sprayed throughout the square, and the golden light that still glowed strong at its center and decided, “She’s got this.”

 

When he joined Folinic, she was struggling to find the problem as there were no injuries. Suzuran’s arts had already healed the surface wounds, but maybe a piece of the projectile and internal injury were in there somewhere?

 

“Miss Folinic! His lungs!” Suzuran shouted as she sent a wave of enemies back with foxfire.

 

Folinic began to struggle to open the suit, and called Evan over. 

 

That’s when they both felt a sharp prick and Evan noticed his hand had been impaled and was bleeding. The shirt didn’t last long after that, and both were greeted with spikes of black peeking from his right lung.

 

“Y-You’re infected?!” Folinic screamed in shock before pulling out the emergency painkillers and a scalpel. After injecting the syringe, she then cut the lung open and began pouring her arts into it. Like magic, the lung stitched itself back together and when it was covered, Folinic injected a syringe into his lung’s infection sight and the Schultz/’s life flame once more flickered into his eyes with some strength while coughing up the remaining blood.

 

“Uncle…” Tatjana muttered with wide eyes. 

 

“These…” Folinic muttered as she examined the shards. “These are possibly decades old, this usually only happens after years of being oripathic.”

 

“Yes…” Severin affirmed with a cough. “I was once stabbed with originium after tussling with a Winterwisp in the lake. I think…it’s the old man you said saw Biederman…”

 

“Speaking of Biederman, we found him,” Greythroat said, drawing everyone’s attention. She then took a deep breath and finished her report, “He’s dead, killed by the same riot he instigated it seems. The rest are investigating the site, we’ll know more then they return.”

 

“...He’s dead?” Folinic asked, voice empty and detached as she looked at Greythroat as though she couldn’t believe what she was saying. Greythroat nodded, and then Folinic’s mouth curled in a sadistic smile as she heard the news. It was hard to see, and Evan felt compelled to look away and took a deep breath, only for Greythroat to turn from Folinic to Severin.

 

“Operator Folinic, take the Schultz into the Rathaus for treatment, the rest of you, we will assist the Gendarmerie until-” Greythroat didn’t get to finish the order as loud bangs and the sound of falling stones caught all their attention and they looked to the source. 

 

At the helm, besides a colossal stone golem was Mudrock and the sarkaz mercenaries, calmly walking as Gendarmerie and townsfolk fled from the terrifying display of ancient sarkaz arts.

 

“It’s Reunion!” one of the infected rioters shouted. “Reunion has come to liberate us!”

 

Cheers erupted from the enemy, and they stopped to watch as Mudrock entered the foxfire haze, slowed, but untouched by the powerful display Suzuran gave. At first, the rioters cheered until they noticed the warrior stepped right past the child and towards Greythroat who now had her crossbow aimed once more. 

 

The gray earthen shield pushed the fire away and around as the ground practically glowed with its lightless aura that came from Mudrock. 

 

“Schultz the Mudrock Squad-” Dur’nar started before she laid eyes upon the Sarkaz’s display of their ancient arts alongside Suzuran’s. 

 

“Freeze!” Greythroat’s voice shouted.

 

“...Then make me…” Mudrock challenged. “You’re the true warriors.”

 

It was then that Reed charged forward from the front lines and buried the smallest bit of her spear into the shield and her arts cascaded around the shield harmlessly before Mudrock turned around.

 

“Very well, we decide this the old way.”

 

“Reed, move!” Dur’nar’s voice shouted in time for Reed to disengage before she was pounded to a pulp. Rocks flew into the air and were levitated by Sarkaz witchcraft before being pounded towards Dur’nar. Foxfire swished off the shield, but the bright flames did attract Mudrock’s attention briefly enough for Reed to re-engage and slam her spear into the shield, once more Drawing Mudrock’s attention before she retreated again.

 

Dur’nar used her free hand to reach for her sword as she ran over towards the back while Reed danced around the shield between strikes.

 

“Alright, anyone got ideas? I don’t think that shield is going down easily…and they’re practically invincible while it’s active.”

 

Mudrock spun and Reed managed to block a fatal blow, but not the momentum shift and was flung into the side of a building. 

 

“What about the Gramophones?” Evan asked after looking around a little, causing some eyes to look at him. “I mean, they’re strong enough to melt steel, right?”

 

“I could do it,” Suzuran volunteered. “I would have to take control of the arts’ ley lines directly, but I can control nine of them, but that would take a while…”

 

“Let’s start with three,” Greythroat suggested. “If that’s not enough, you may take control of more.”

 

“...No, I won’t let you…” Mudrock said before raising their hand and slowly gripping it. “...Arise…” 

 

Before their eyes, stones from houses and the street alike gathered into a spot, creating a creature of stone, a colossus with a single purple eye as it slowly rumbled to life and began to move. Three bolts shot into the colossus, and its attention shifted to the shooter. 

 

“We’ll distract it, get Suzuran to the Gramophones!” she ordered. “Folinic, we need support.”

 

“I’ll go with you. Evan, let’s get Suzuran to the first Gramophone. I’ll need your help,” Dur’nar said. At first, he stood there, but a small spark of courage ignited and he grabbed Suzuran’s hand. The three of them ran through the crowd and made their way to the first gramophone. Thankfully, Dur’nar’s electric arts made incapacitating any who tried to stop them relatively easy. 

 

As they approached the first of the Gramophones, they began to notice some of the rioters attempting to seize control of it fully. 

 

“Sorry, but we can’t let you take those!” Dur’nar shouted before she slammed her sword into the man and sent him to the ground. “Suzuran, now!”

 

The vulpo nodded and soon the gramophone began to glow as Suzuran channeled her arts. The Gramophone began to glow the same light blue as Suzuran’s arts as she attempted to establish direct connection with the device.

 

“Evan, whatever happens, we can’t let them touch her.”

 

He only nodded and prepared the standard blade, the weight feeling familiar as those with focus decided to turn their attention back to them. Thankfully, a little training went a long ways. Sure, he was only able to keep most busy and rarely made actual wounds that they didn’t walk off. It was through Dur’nar’s efforts of using her actual experience to keep most of them at bay did he realize that she was actually taking most of the heat. For every four people, Evan would take one and Dur’nar would probably be taking twice or more the number. Every so often, Greythroat would provide fire support, arts infused arrows whizzing through and only somehow lightly embedding themselves into non-lethal parts. 

 

“Almost done…” Suzuran managed to squeeze out as she focused and then, a flash of bright blue sounded and the Gramophone sang to life. A feeling of reinvigoration passed through them as the device looked for a valid target. The arts unit hummed as it gathered power and blasted an offensive immolation arts towards Mudrock.

 

The gramophone’s shot rang true, even though Mudrock merely flinched, they turned their heads and then had to pull up a wall to block a barrage of Ayerscape’s blades. This opening allowed those taking the gramophones to begin taking the next one. This time, now that she knew how, Suzuran made connection much quicker and they were shortly on to the third when Mudrock noticed the combined shooting of two towers. 

 

Mudrock sighed then slammed the hammer down as cracks formed along the earth and made their way towards the Gramophones. Soon, the defensive structures collapsed and they had to go take more. It only seemed to stall the process, at least until the sarkaz caught on to the fact the gramophones were being taken and moved to intervene, only for the mercenaries to soon get attacked by the return of Provence, Ayerscape, and Click. Provence ran towards Dur’nar, Evan, and Suzuran while pelting supporting fire, making their job easier. Meanwhile, Ayerscape and Click went to assist Reed in the fight against Mudrock.

 

Everytime they took a new Gramophone, Suzuran’s speed at taking them became faster, and they soon had not three, but four Gramophones converging on Mudrock. This started to wiggle the shield, and soon minor cracks began to form as it lost some of the flowing aura it once had. Mudrock simply raised their hammer, only for a wave of foxfire slam into the enigmatic sarkaz who defended against the barrage as the shield cracked further.

 

“We’re getting through! Now, pour out everything you can into your arts attacks!” Greythroat shouted, and soon a barrage of arts attacks whittled away Mudrock’s shield piece by piece as shards flew off and one last salvo from the Gramophones finally split the earthen arts shield.

 

Bolts, knives, and arts beams all slammed into Mudrock as they then continued to barrage the Sarkaz, but they didn’t flinch.

 

Mudrock then began kneeling to the ground and the earth shook. An earthen gray aura converged onto their location and rose as it centered on the sarkaz warrior. Stones shook and rose from the ground until they sat suspended. Something big was about to happen.

 

“Fall back!” Greythroat shouted as they disengaged in time for the earth to slam under an invisible force as Mudrock stood, stones and dust flying around the hammer head along with the gray aura that was characteristic to their arts showed that whoever was to get hit with that would be in for a quick, violent death. 

 

Bolts lodged into the armor, and Provence even got a lucky shot that took a chunk of helmet with it, but she soon found herself needed in taking down the colossi with Greythroat. Mudrock simply slammed their hammer wherever they could find an enemy as explosions sounded from each and every impact the hammer made with the earth. 

 

“How tough is this guy?!” Click expressed as she fired as many arts she and her drone could muster, only for them to seemingly get absorbed by the armor.

 

“They must have a limit, we’re getting through the armor!” Ayerscape yelled as they sent out a set of three arts infused blades which were lodged into the armor. Their arts cascaded onto the equipment and sunk in. They knew, however, it was now a matter of whittling down Mudrock’s endurance.

 

Thankfully, Suzuran had turned the gramophones onto the colossi, which helped immensely as precise shots from Provence finally found the core in the head and the beings tumbled, now they could shift their attention all onto Mudrock.

 

Blades, glowing from arts usage, flew through the air and slammed through the armor. Mudrock finally stopped moving as sounds of surprise came from under the now ruined helmet in a shockingly feminine voice. She looked towards the source and saw Folinic glaring at the sarkaz warrior with blades floating around her.

 

“Will you stop?! All this bloodshed, is this any way to repay the lives Atro tried to save, is it?!”

 

“Then hand over the murderer, let them face justice for their actions,” Mudrock’s voice sounded as her lower jaw moved from being exposed by the hole in her helmet as it hung off. It was then, the door to the Rathaus opened and Severin limped out. For a moment, Mudrock’s lips pursed a little, perhaps at the sight of the crystals Severin was no longer bothering to hide.

 

“Fine…does anyone have a light?” Severin asked as he pulled out a cigar and walked over to Mudrock. Once they were mere inches away, he whispered, “Please, make it quick, and end this senseless slaughter.”

 

“You…” Mudrock mumbled before gripping her hammer tighter and nodding. “Very well, does anyone have matches?”

 

A nearby sarkaz mercenary began sifting through their package, only to complain about how wet they were now, and Severin sighed. 

 

“Don’t bother, it would be my last smoke anyways.”

A pit slowly formed in some people’s stomachs as the weight of Severin’s words finally set in. Before anyone could stop him, he raised his voice.

 

“Let it be known! I, Severin Hawthorn, Schultz of Wolumonde, am-”

 

“Uncle, no!” Tatjana interrupted as she ran forward to embrace him. “No, you’re not the killer, stop, don’t sacrifice yourself!”

 

“Besides, the murderer is already dead,” Ayerscape added, earning Mudrock’s attention, which prompted him to continue. “Biederman, the catastrophe messenger of Winterwisp descent, is the culprit. We thought he was dead, but he was the cause of the riots, on testimony of an old Winterwisp clansmen. If you stop, we can show you the evidence, and we can come to an agreement.”

 

By now, the crowd was whispering among themselves, divided into different factions, and Mudrock lowered her hammer. 

 

“Is that so…” she said before taking a deep breath and turning to the crowd. “The murderer is dead, justice has already been served. There is no more need for violence.”

 

“Pah, some help you were! Aren’t you supposed to be Reunion, aren’t you supposed to stand up to the oppressors, not make friends with them?!” an infected rioter, wearing a crudely made Reunion wrapping shouted.

 

“I do not wear the banner in the name of bloodshed. If you have any sympathy in you, those of you claiming to be Reunion should leave. We, the Mudrock Squad, will no longer protect those who call for senseless violence.”

 

“Traitor!”

 

“Coward!”

 

Calls and insults continued from those still seething with rage and the desire to vent it sounded and Mudrock then ripped the Reunion banner off her arm and raised her hand. She then let the banner go, fluttering down to the ground, then began to pull her fist in, visibly struggling as the very ground began to shake.

 

“Hey, Mudrock, what are you doing?” one of the mercenaries asked as they began to panic from the ground literally moving under their feet. Bricks, stones, and all other forms of earth came from across the town square from various sources. 

 

“...Arise…!”

 

“Mudrock, stop! That’s dangerous, don’t over-exert yourself! Don’t burn your life away!”

 

“...I said… ARISE! ”

 

None dared interrupt as the bricks laid themselves and stones globbed into a giant pair of feet, then a torso, then the arms, and it all ended when a head gazed over the Rathaus, and even the control center as its gaze met the mountains.

 

“If you still wish to vent your anger on this town…” Mudrock spoke to all.

 

“If you seek an opponent…” the earthen giant spoke after.

 

“Mudrock, sharing life with your creations is dangerous, stop!” one of the zealots pleaded as they watched their leader. Instead, Mudrock poured more energy in and a giant hammer formed from the remaining stone in the giant’s hand. When they next spoke, they spoke simultaneously as they shared words.

 

“We…”

 

“Will show you the meaning of true conviction.”

 

“Will show you true strength…”

 

“In the end, it’s just an arts construction! Charge!” one still unruly rioter shouted before charging, alone to meet the colossus. Mudrock moved her hand and the giant followed. A fist formed and with a push forward, it slammed into the ground, squishing the rioter flat and unrecognizable, just a pulp. 

 

“I will not allow you to harm this town further!”

 

“We will defend them!”

 

“So if you seek to further cause problems…”

 

“Come…”

 

“...Then, face us!” 

 

Panic took both the WInterwisps and the Reunion sympathizers, and they scattered to the wind. 

 

None of the Rhodes Islanders could believe what they were seeing. From the earth, Mudrock had claimed a colossus, nay, a titan that had declared it would defend them. A being on par with the mountain it gazed at. Fists, already caked with blood, had shown the brutal demonstration of the ancient sarkaz arts construct’s capabilities.

 

“So…that’s true Sarkaz Witchcraft…how terrifying…” Greythroat spoke as she stared wide eyed and in awe at the sight.

 

Soon, Mudrock let out a breath and relaxed. The titan collapsed and it fell to a mere pile of rubble. She looked to the pile and let out a warm smile.

 

“Thank you, friends…” she said to the pile before turning to Rhodes Island. “Rhodes Island, I wish to apologize for the problems our presence has created. Should you wish it, I will repay my debt both to you, and Wolumonde however you see fit. We wish to help you, as I see now we share the same goals.”

 

“Mm!” Suzuran hummed before running up to Mudrock and hugging her. Under the suit, a look of surprise came, only to be replaced by a smile as Mudrock returned the hug. “Thank you Mudrock-san!”

 

“Such a kind child…I’m so sorry.”

 

“Hey, Schultz, here!” a mercenary before tossing a match Severin’s way. “I finally found a dry match.”

 

“Thank you. Do you wish to share one, as a sign of peace?”

 

“Nah, I quit years ago.”

 

“Yet you still carry matches…”

 

“Hey, they come in handy far more often than not. Pretty convenient what a little sulfur on a stick of wood can do.”

 

Severin lit the match and Tatjana sighed with a smile as he lit his cigar and gave a puff.

 

“Very well, we’re going to reach a formal conclusion in the Rathaus. You de-...sarkaz are welcome to join us.”

 

“Pah, depends on what Mudrock says. But, after almost calling us devils, don’t expect-”

 

“Very well, we will join…” Mudrock replied before moving to take off her helmet, revealing a beautiful face with red eyes and flowing white hair that was caked with dirt, but somehow the sight of the earthen substance only made her look more endearing. Shortly after, the armor deflated and she worked to pull her damaged suit off. Only a tank top and binding bandages covered her upper portion, and oripathy crystal lesions lined her body in spots. She noticed the stares, and with an innocently curious glint looked at them and asked, “Is something wrong?”

 

A few became embarrassed, such as Dur’nar and Click as they tried to avert their gaze. Evan and Greythroat openly stared with mildly slack jawed disbelief at the sight, and Ayerscape was nudged by Provence as she whispered something in his ear that made him look at her with a look of minor disgust and disbelief.

 

The only one who spoke after several moments, was Suzuran. The little vulpo said to herself out loud, “Mudrock-san is very pretty…”

 

Mudrock gave a quick ‘oh’ before smiling kindly and pulling her hand to her mouth and said, “Thank you.”

 

“To think…such a young age…and she wields so much power…” Severin mumumbled to himself, next to Tatjana who looked to her uncle curiously. She didn’t get a chance to talk as her uncle stepped forward and offered a hand to Mudrock.

 

“On behalf of Wolumonde, please keep us safe, at least until aid arrives. That is my only request for now.”

 

“Mm, very well…” Mudrock said before taking the hand and they shared a short handshake before letting go. She then turned to the mercenaries, followers, and other sarkaz in her care who had been standing by, some of them equally shocked as the Rhodes Islanders alongside the Leithaniens that remained, and said, “We are to protect this place. I wish for no more bloodshed or hatred, please.”

 

“Whatever you say, boss,” one of the senior mercenaries said before walking over to the rubble and began moving it. Like a magnet, people flooded from across the square to move rubble, no longer bothering to care that the person they worked beside was different or probably just an enemy mere minutes ago. They simply worked, enraptured to now aid Wolumonde after Mudrock’s declaration, and the terrifying glimpse of her true power.

 

Already, Suzuran had been placed on Mudrock’s shoulders and the two looked to each other with kind, innocent smiles, now a symbol of the unity that was to come.

 

Twilight had long ago fallen, but Wolumonde’s night would inevitably pass.

Chapter 31: Earning Rest

During the meeting held after the titan had turned to rubble, and the insurgents scattered to the hills, news of radio transmissions saying that aid was arriving followed, and most of the town ran out to greet their saviors, bearing banners of the Gendarmerie, the Contingency Contract Organization, and Rhodes Island. It didn’t matter anymore that some of these factions had come to blows within the city mere hours ago, help had finally come to Wolumonde in the form of the resources they had desperately came to blows over. 

 

Indeed, for while crates of food and medicine were being passed out, the Rahtaus was witness to a slew of activity as Ayerscape pushed forward a disturbing theory. 

 

“So, to summarize, I believe it can be concluded that Biederman, disillusioned and despondent after the townsfolk blamed him, and after Atro forced him out of his home, he committed arson to fake his own death and attempted to stage a revolt against Leithanien by colluding with the Winterwisps to take control of the town and its resources. Perhaps he was convinced that after the Great Rift, aid would fail to come and attempted to seize control of the situation through desperate means. Given Biederman’s history not only with the Winterwisps, but also with certain factions within the Contingency Contract Organization, we can determine that Biederman was most likely the mastermind behind the murder, and the plot against Wolumonde. We are unsure, however, who taught the Winterwisp rebels to use the L-44 Gramophone, as Biederman wouldn’t have had the knowledge. Sadly, it seems we will never know the truth since Biederman died under mysterious conditions during the riot, with no trails or evidence leading to any other indicator. While I try to avoid voicing my opinions in these reports, I believe another power was at play, a power possibly connected within Leithanien. The L-44 gramophone may be easy to use with good arts education, but it does not explain the fact only a core and no other parts of the device necessary to its operation were found. Whoever used it, had advanced knowledge of the gramophone that could only come from within Leithanien. This concludes the report, and Rhodes Island’s investigation.”

 

The room fell silent, and the slides went dark as Click finished the presentation.

 

“So…the full truth eludes us still…” Mudrock lamented as Suzuran sat in her lap, using the tails to comfort herself at this news. 

 

“And what of Folinic, does she not deserve to know this part of the story?” Evan asked as he watched the display of the nine-tailed vulpo sitting in Mudrock’s lap. 

 

“I have concluded that Folinic’s mental state at this time is not stable, and that her desire for vengeance should be satisfied, even if it means hiding the truth from her,” Greythroat stated. “Now that aid is here, and most of our questions are answered, our focus should remain on helping Wolumonde recover.”

 

Evan nodded and watched as Mudrock gently fluffed the tails, much to Suzuran’s visible pleasure. The two simply existed, as though all were right with the world. It did warm his heart some, even if he had been helping to try and defeat Mudrock mere hours ago.

 

“Now then, are there any other topics, questions, concerns we should address?” Greythroat asked around the room, her gaze falling to each and every operator and employee. When no one said anything, she said, “Very well. Our orders now are to rendezvous with the caravan outside town and fill them in. Operators Click and Ayerscape will assist me in filing our reports on the situation. The rest of you are expected to write up reports as well. Evan, I am re-assigning you command of your unit as this has returned to a field operation rather than a combat one.”

 

He nodded and Greythroat turned to leave, calling Ayerscape and Click before she left with them, and when Evan stood up, everyone shortly followed, including Mudrock.

 

“I wish to help, in order to repay our debt to Rhodes Island,” she explained when Evan gave her an inquisitive look. He just shrugged and smiled before leaving, and the group, now with the addition of those who followed Mudrock, walked to the outskirts of town where an aid camp was already set up, where they met up with Folinic and Tatjana helping to provide aid. The two seemed to be not only busy, but the sight of the two chatting peacefully meant all that was exchanged between them was a brief wave.

 

“Oh, Evan!” a new voice called, and when he looked to the source he was surprised to see Grani, way higher in the air than she should be. “Over there, that’s him!” she pointed to someone below her. A redheaded Vouivre with a cheerful smile nodded before jogging through the crowd with Grani on her back. Soon, the impromptu mount of the former mounted policewoman came to a stop and Evan just watched the two, a little bewildered at the sight. “Good to see you safe and sound. How was the emergency trip?”

 

He looked to the smiling redhead eagerly awaiting a response, then to kuranta on her shoulders before answering, “The trip wasn’t too bad, the wait though…well…”

 

“Yeesh, something bad happened? Hey, who’s that with you?” she asked, pointing to Mudrock.

 

“Oh, this is Mudrock…she’s…” Evan began fumbling for words as he tried to think about how best to state the whole situation with the young Sarkaz juggernaut.

 

“We came to blows, but we have a mutual understanding now,” Mudrock explained. “It’s a long story.”

 

“Well, I’d love to hear about it over a pint,” Grani said before tapping the vouivre girl on the head, prompting her to bend down and let Grani off.

 

“And who’s your friend?” Evan asked as he looked at the unintroduced vouivre. At this, the girl smiled and stood up straight, extending her hand before giving her greeting with a bright smile and cheerful voice.

 

“Codename’s Bagpipe, former soldier of the Victorian Army. Grani’s had a lot to say about you, so it’s nice to meet ya Evan,” she extended her hand during this greeting and he took it, only for his arm to be yanked around like a puppy does a toy as she gave several shakes with her smile.

 

“Bagpipe’s a good friend, sorry I didn’t introduce you to her earlier, the timing just never worked out.”

 

“Hey, better late than never, nice to meet you, Bagpipe.”

 

Bagpipe nodded, but her attention shifted and her joyful smile briefly faltered to one of genuine surprise before she smiled just a little wider and walked over to the target of her new focus. 

 

“Ah, Reed! Hello!” Bagpipe greeted, and when Evan looked at Reed he was a little surprised to see a look full of panic and surprise as the draco tried to hide behind Provence and Dur’nar now that the former soldier had spotted her. The two seemed equally as confused as Evan, and as Bagpipe walked over she pulled Provence’s tail up to try and hide herself from Bagpipe.

 

“Hey, it’s ok, it’s just me,” Bagpipe tried to comfort as she looked with a few arched eyebrows which clashed with her smile to create a look of worry. “Sorry if I scared you, I…”

 

“...Please…don’t…” Reed managed to mumble out as a reply. Bagpipe just gave her sad smile to Reed and backed away, taking a deep breath before talking again.

 

“Well, I’ve got to go help distribute food. I hope to see you all later.”

 

With that, the redhead walked away, and Evan noticed the massive piledriver spear on her back for the first time, but he turned his focus back toward the hands that peeked out beyond Provence’s floof and walked over. 

 

“She’s gone now, are you ok?” Evan asked Reed who didn’t move an inch from having her head buried in the fluff. When she didn’t answer, he looked to Provence and asked her, “Provence, can you take her back to the inn? She seems shaken up.”

 

“...I’m fine…” Reed clearly lied with a muffled voice as she kept her head in the fluff. When they didn’t respond, she finally poked her head out to see everyone’s worried gazes then put her head back in before speaking. “I…can help, I’ll be fine. Just, let me-”

 

Evan sighed then said, “It’s not a request, it’s an order. Go get some rest.”

 

As provence moved, Reed followed, keeping her head buried in the tail as the two walked back to the town. He couldn’t help but worry a little, watching the normally calm and collected draco girl hiding her head in Provence’s tail like it was an emotional support tool. 

 

“You know, that’s the first time I think they’ve explicitly interacted with each other…” Grani chimed as she watched the sight. “...At least since…”

 

He was surprised to see the kuranta girl had a pensive look on her face as she watched the sight as well. Grani shook her head and patted her cheeks before redonning her energetic smile and looked to Evan.

 

“Well, the engineers are over that way. Anyways, I’ve gotta go find Skadi, make sure she’s doing alright.”

 

“Hold up, what’s Skadi doing here?”

 

Grani just shrugged before replying, “Dunno, she volunteered. Though I will say her strength really came in handy busting open paths, which got us here a little ahead of schedule. Anyways, see ya!”

 

“Yeah, ask someone where we’re staying and I’ll see you at the inn later,” he called as the cheerful kuranta ran off to go where she was needed. That’s when he turned his head over towards where he noticed a bunch of logistics operators taking inventory of the cargo. Oddly enough, there was yet another familiar face there. “...Jessica?”

 

Jessica gave a ‘hee’ of surprise before turning around. When she saw Evan though, she visibly calmed down some then took a deep breath. 

 

“Oh, Evan, I’m so sorry, y-you surprised me…”

 

He could only smile at the sight which made the catgirl’s cheeks glow a little before she seemed to remember something.

 

“Oh, right, did you get the required information?”

 

“Oh shit, that’s right!” he thought before chuckling a little then flatly saying, “No…too much happened to actually get to that point.”

 

“O-Oh, t-that’s fine, we still need to begin preparations with the local Schultheiß anyways.”

 

“Yeah…about that…” he groaned before taking a hiss for courage. “They’ve decided to start electing a new Schultz, now of all times.”

 

“W-What?! W-Why would they do that?!”

 

“Turns out the current Schultz, Severin Hawthorn, was infected, so the town’s council are arguing over whether to elect a new one, wait, or keep Severin on board.”

 

“O-Oh, I see…sounds like a lot happened…”

 

“You have no idea. Anyways, who’s that behind you?”

 

Indeed, behind Jessica was another individual who gave a small ‘eep’ before hiding behind Jessica. 

 

“O-Oh, this is Snowsant, she’s our chief engineer for this operation. S-She’s also…a…dear friend of mine…um…Snowsant, say hello to Evan.”

 

“...Um…hello, Mr. Carvey…m-my codename is Snowsant…but you already knew that…um…” 

 

“Why does every other person I meet give me mental diabetes?” he asked himself before deciding to place his hand out with a smile, “Well, nice to meet you Snowsant. Feel free to call me Evan, I’m not much for formalities anyways.”

 

“U-Um…y-yes…nice to…um…meet you,” she said as she gingerly took the hand. She immediately retreated it though as soon as possible and hid behind Jessica once more. “I-I’m sorry…I…”

 

“Miss Snowsant, has our help come? Pudding’s having trouble getting the required power to-” A new person said. “Ah, is that them? Hello, I’m Purestream, a water purification expert. Nice to meet you all!”

 

Yet again, he was met with another roughly five foot tall girl, this time with pink hair and an unorthodox hat arrangement. She seemed to notice Snowsant hiding behind Jessica and then looked at Evan.

 

“Oh, it’s Evan, I’ve seen you around Bioengineering a couple times. Pudding’s trying to hook up the panels to a water purifier, but we’re having trouble figuring out how to get enough power.”

 

Evan looked up and then said, “Probably not enough sunlight? It’s been cloudy for the last few days…”

 

“Ah, is that so? Well, Pudding’s working on setting up the system, since you’re the inventor we would love your help.”

 

“Well…” he said, looking back to those who remained. Dur’nar gave him a little thumbs-up and a smile and he nodded. “Yeah, sure, where are you setting this up?”

 

“Ah, right over this way. Oh, Miss Snowsant, we could use your help too.”

 

“C-Coming! Sorry Jessy, I’ve got to go now…”

 

“Bye Bye. Oh, and Evan, I’ll show your team what they can help us with. I-If that’s alright.” 

 

“Yeah, just don’t overwork us. We’re pretty exhausted.”

 

“Y-Yes, I-I’ll try!”

 

With that, they split off and made their way over to where yet another roughly five foot tall girl was fiddling with the chords of the water system they were trying to set up with a harp seal plushie 

 

“Ah, Purestream, Snowsant, and…um…oh, you’re Evan! It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Pudding, an electrical engineer, and this is Pillow,” the girl said while bringing the plush to bear. If he weren’t so used to copious amounts of mental sugar, Evan would’ve just collapsed right there after that greeting. First Snowsant, then Purestream, and now Pudding, did Closure just decide to assign him with the cutest engineering team?

 

Well, either way, he had a job to do. After recovering from the shock of his rapidly rising, but thankfully metaphorical, blood sugar, he walked up to Pudding and took Pillow’s flipper before saying, “Nice to meet you both.”

 

“Y-You know Pillow can’t speak, right?” Pudding asked with an awkward smile.

 

“Well, you introduced him, so I’m just saying hi,” he responded. After a blink, Pudding giggled and then turned her attention back to the system she was trying to set up. After a brief look, Evan worked to move the panels to face the sun directly. “Solar panels work best in direct sunlight, if possible you want them to face perpendicular to the sun to catch the most photons.”

 

“Photons?” Pudding asked with an adorable tilt of her head. 

 

“Light particles. I know, light is a wave, but it’s also a particle.”

 

“Really?! That’s amazing, why is it both?”

 

“Well…I’m not entirely sure…I know a lot of its properties, but essentially the original theory I learned has to do with quantizing the energy of light into discrete, separate units.”

 

“Oh, now those equations make sense…I see, I see…” Pudding said with a few nods of her head. 

 

“Ah, it’s starting up!” Snowsant said as she looked at the screen. “Hm…I-It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to get started.”

 

“Great, now we can start water purification!” Purestream said with a pump of her fist. “Thank you so much.”

 

Following Purestream's declaration of victory, Pudding raised a fist and squeezed Pillow while Snowsant gave a sheepish hooray, and Evan nearly felt his heart give out. 

 

Overall, the rest of the day was tiring, minus the fact none of him or his team slept at all last night. Setting up power for the aid systems was his priority. And honestly, it was a pain. Everytime something went wrong with the power, he inevitably had to be called over to deal with it. Sometimes it was as simple as shadows blocking the panels as the sun moved, but other times they found out some weird kink Rhine Lab had added during the device’s R&D phase which meant even he, the pioneer of this technology in Terra, had to consult the manual.

 

What was promising was how quickly Rhine Labs had realized the full potential of the device. Seriously, in just a few short months he had gone from a vacuum tube apparatus to something that resembled a modern day panel. They had also been quick to follow up on his notes that the tech could be folded like origami, meaning each panel was actually closer to a stick when it first got brought out of the transport vehicles. 

 

But of course, more impressive was the materials engineering. He didn’t know how, but they had already managed to mass produce something that would be a top end solar panel back on Earth. They had made sure the anti-reflective layering was clear as the vacuum of space and the absorption material was sensitive to even the smallest burst of light. That still didn’t fix the amount of energy needed to make some of Terra’s equipment work and the ultimate limitation was that it was cloudy and foggy, so their energy production was essentially operating at sizably lower percent capacity. This meant that for every solar panel they brought, they needed a fifth or more of another one to achieve the expected energy output.

 

For actual troubleshooting of electrical issues, Pudding had been indispensable. Her ability to comprehend electrodynamics as well as electronics was indeed her specialty, and she was very good at applying them to practice. 

 

It wasn’t until lunchtime did he reunite with some of the others, all of them clearly exhausted in their own way. Sadly, none of them really had the time to talk about why with those who had only recently arrived in Wolumonde since there was just so much work to be done. So, after scarfing down their meals, most left with minimal conversation to have been had.

 

One by one through the afternoon, however, each one of them would be sent back to the inn early, but by then it was an order from the actual organizers once Greythroat and her team had delivered their reports in full. Once logistics had organized their early release, they finally got a chance to rest. As expected, the most stubborn of them nearly had to be dragged kicking and screaming from her medical work before she finally admitted she needed a break. 

 

When they returned to the inn, Evan and Folinic were surprised to see Provence sleeping upright on the couch with Reed clutching the tail, also fast asleep. Needless to say, pictures were silently taken. The sight was too adorable and wholesome to pass up anyways, and Folinic was too tired to care about any professionalism as she just looked at the image and silently giggled before pocketing her own phone.

 

More pictures had to be taken too for another duo fast asleep in their afternoon siesta. Folinic couldn’t hold in her look of adoration at the sight of Suzuran cuddling up to Mudrock, even if it was in the room she was sharing with the little nine-tailed vulpo. It was rather bewildering for Evan to think how quickly the two had gotten along, and how Suzuran had been the first to become close to the enigmatic sarkaz. Still, it didn’t make the sight any less sweet to look at. This left Folinic going downstairs while Evan went to go see Dur’nar, since she had gotten there long before them too.

 

Evan knocked, and an acknowledgement in the form of “Yeah?” sounded from the other side.

 

“It's me, can I come in?”

 

“Sure, let me just unlock the door.”

 

Footsteps creaked the wood below, and soon after fiddling with the lock, Dur’nar opened the door, dressed in her pajamas with her cast under the shirt. This clearly didn’t escape Dur’nar, though she aired her thoughts by waving to catch his gaze with a little teasing smile.

 

“Oops…” Evan thought to himself before laughing and rubbing the back of his neck before looking away. “Sorry…” he said sheepishly, probably more than a little red after having that pointed out. “H-How’s your arm doing?” She blinked, brows arched up, a little surprised at the response. “I just wanted to check up on you, sorry if I bothered you.”

 

Dur’nar smiled before grabbing his arm and dragging her into her room.

 

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just be my buddy for a bit,” Dur’nar said before she suddenly turned her face to a slightly mischievous smile before asking, “Is Reed still cuddling Provence’s tail?”

 

“Yes, I have a picture,” he said before pulling out his PDA phone thing and showed

 

“Oh my gosh, she’s asleep now too. You’ve got to send this to me.”

 

“Yeah, sure…um…” he said before running into a brick wall in the form that he noticed he had no connection.

 

“Oh, is this your first time sharing images outside of a net? So go to this app…” she pointed to one that had Closure’s little icon on it. “Great, now I’ll do mine…” Dur’nar said before pulling out her own PDA phone thingy before the design on Closure’s T-shirt popped up and did a little animation wave before it said in a little text bubble ‘PERFORMING RF SWEEP…” followed by ‘FREQUENCIES DETECTED’ the little demon symbol jumped and pulled down a list of frequencies followed by a search bar in the top with a little arrow and a second list of device serial numbers which led to Dur’nar shoving her phone into view with a system information page and she pointed the serial number to search by. Once that was done he chose the device and the symbol popped up, and Dur’nar then tapped her screen a few times and they set up a small popup came up asking: ‘OPERATOR DUR’NAR WISHES TO ESTABLISH LINK’ followed by two click buttons saying ‘Accept’ and ‘Deny’. 

 

He clicked accept and the icon spinned in place in a black and white animation before the head blinked out of existence and left behind a note saying, “LINK ESTABLISHED.” 

 

“Alright, now if you use the communicator app with the Amiya mascot on it, you should be able to send that to me.” He did as instructed and soon the image was sent over to Dur’nar’s phone and she smiled at it. “Alright, sweet. Also, if you can’t get good range, there’s a little emergency antennae to boost the signal with.”

 

“Well, that’s convenient. I wonder if it works like bluetooth…” he said to himself.

 

“Bluetooth?” Dur’nar asked with a tilt of her head. 

 

“Oh, it’s basically a networking tool that uses low frequency, low power radio signals to link two devices together over short ranges.”

 

“I’m not sure, you’d have to ask Closure. She’s the one who designed most of the programs for the Rhodes Island phones,” Dur’nar explained with a finger on her chin. She then smiled and removed it before saying, “Well, whatever. I’ve been holed up here most of the day. How was relief work?”

 

“You mean me troubleshooting electrical issues until things were running properly. Take a guess. Doesn’t help that electronics was never really my planned specialty to begin with. I’m basically running on fumes and coffee at this point,” he said with a yawn on the last part. 

 

“You can lay down if you want,” Dur’nar invited by patting her bed. 

 

“Ok…” he thought to himself before sitting on the bed then naturally lied down with his feet overhanging the end. “So when did they send you back?”

 

“Pretty quickly, thanks to this broken arm situation…”

 

“Seriously, sorry about that…”

 

“You’re fine,” she said before taking a seat on the bed beside where he initially sat. “You weren’t all bad for someone so callously thrown to the lion pit, but I’d say it put you through a good learning experience.”

 

“Does this kind of thing happen a lot?”

 

“I mean…no…and yes…but when the Doctor makes weird decisions, not many of us combat operators question it.”

 

“I’m a little slow on the loop, but what’s the deal with the Doctor?”

 

“Well…that’s a complicated story. I mean, there’s a lot of people who could tell the story better than I, but the Doctor used to be a commander and tactician under Sarkaz King Theresa during the Sarkaz Civil War. I was hired after Theresa died and her faction, Babel, dissolved into Rhodes Island.”

 

“Huh, not really onto the whole world affairs thing. Was the Sarkaz civil war recent…?”

 

She raised an eyebrow at this question and gave a rather guffawed look briefly before she shook her head a little and answered, “Well…the civil war ended with Theresa’s death a little under three years ago.”

 

“Ah…” he replied in affirmation before sort of just thinking for a bit. He recalled his brief time in Columbia and how that old biggot had made a deal about Vigna being a sarkaz. He hadn’t thought about the puzzle pieces, but a few things suddenly clicked. 

 

“Enough about depressing stuff though, I think we’ve had our fill.”

 

She could certainly say that again. Though, as Dur’nar and he spoke about the trivialities of the day, he felt his eyes slowly drift closed, his mind eventually following. It took a little bit of time before she noticed and she couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Well, you’ve earned a rest. Might as well join ya,” she said in a soft voice with a tinge of silkiness in it before pulling the blanket over them both and shutting her eyes to join him in a well earned rest.

Chapter 32: A Brief Lull

Notes:

Hi, I want to preface this by saying thanks for all the support. One of the joys of writing for me has become interacting with the readers and discussing the story. Yes, at the end of the day I am the author and hold ultimate authority over my work, but the amount of ideas and inspirations I've received from people has been a beauty of this.

Anyways, between graduating and doing some unorthodox therapy in Oregon, I've finally polished up this chapter to completion. If you want the full story of what I have to say, feel free to see what my fanfiction.net author notes say as this is cross posted there. I like to leave these sorts of things different to keep people on their toes, so have fun with our latest installment.

When Evan woke up, he was surprised to see Dur’nar, in the bed with him. Thankfully a quick run through of his memories turned up a zero and he checked to make sure his pants were on.

 

“Oh thank god, they are…”

 

“AHEM”

 

His head sharply turned to the source of the noise to see Greythroat standing in the doorway, narrowed eyes boring harshly into him. When he gulped, she let out a tight sigh and turned around.

 

“Dinner’s ready. Don’t take too long. Wake up instructor Dur’nar too.”

 

“And so my luck goes…” he said to himself in his head before moving himself completely out and shaking Dur’nar gently until she stirred. She didn’t seem at all surprised by this development and gave a mighty stretch before using her good arm to push up. While she did so he stated, “Dinner’s ready, and we might have to clean up some misunderstandings with Geythroat. I’d appreciate having fewer rumors about me out there.”

 

“Oh, you mean like your incident with Closure?” Dur’nar teased before pulling out her PDA phone and pulling up the image Ace had taken without his or Closure’s knowledge. Evan felt his cheeks light up and he began to panic as he struggled to form words in his mouth. “Oh don’t worry, I know nothing really happened. Anyways, I’ll smooth things over with Greythroat, let’s get going.”

 

Dur’nar left with a spring in her step while Evan just shook his head and looked to the heavens, wondering what he had done to deserve his misfortune. He didn’t ponder long and followed out where he heard the sounds of a lot of people bellow. With a big breath in for bravery he stepped into the inn which was full of people. 

 

“Ah, there he is. Evan, over here!” Grani called with a wave of her hand as she sat at a table populated by people he knew. “I saved you a seat.”

 

With only a smile he sat down and looked at the faces populating the table. Besides Grani there was Jessica and Snowsant, Mudrock and Suzuran, Folinic and Greythroat, Ayerscape and Click, and then there was Skadi who was sitting next to Grani. Skadi gave him a rather empty yet equally enigmatic stare as he sat down. Then there was a seat available next to him which was empty.

 

“We were just talking about what happened. Good job, by the way. Sounds like you held up alright considering how quickly things got out of hand.”

 

“I don’t think I did well…”

 

“You certainly did,” Greythroat interjected. “For your first mission, and one that quickly devolved into an emergency, you kept a calm and rational head under pressure alongside keeping the whole picture in sight. While you didn’t necessarily complete your objectives, you adapted to the situation remarkably well.”

 

“Woah, praise from Greythroat!” Click exclaimed with a look of shock which earned a sigh from the liberi.

 

For some reason he felt like shrinking at the praise. He really didn’t know why, but he felt uncomfortable despite it being valid. Before he could comment though, a platter full of various foodstuffs was placed down alongside silverware and he looked to his side to see Bagpipe taking a seat next to him after setting it down.

 

“Order up!” the redhead cheerfully declared. “Oh, heya Evan, great to see ya out of bed. Get some rest?”

 

“A little, but I’ll definitely need more. Plenty of lost sleep to catch up on…”

 

“Yeah, I heard a little about what happened, sounds rough. Still impressive you all pulled through though.”

 

“Sure, sure. I just did what I had to,” Evan deflected dismissively. He then started grabbing food, which led him to missing the oddly confused gaze Bagpipe gave to some others to try and gleam what his response was all about.  No one really had anything to offer, and others began reaching for food after Evan, and the confusion was then quickly lost in the conversations after.

 

Sometime during the conversation, Evan noticed Folinic looking a little down, but she was talking so he decided to wait. For now everyone else was making conversation. Wondering partially where Dur’nar was, Evan looked around before his gaze wandered over to the bar to see her in conversation with the Sarkaz they had first fought upon coming. How he could tell was the fact that they also had a cast on their arm, thanks to Provence’s bolt.

 

“Hey Mudrock,” Evan asked to grab her attention before pointing over. “Who’s that?”

 

“Ah, he’s from the same clan. We trained and traveled together before we left for Ursus.”

 

“And why did you leave for Ursus?”

 

“To escape the Kazdel civil war. That was when our aimless journey began.”

 

“Ah,” he said, realizing he was approaching current events. Testing the waters a little he decided to ask, “What happened during the civil war?”

 

“Our clan was a neutral faction during the civil war. In the end, it was our undoing. Our brethren eventually fractured and destroyed each other. Some followed me when I left the clan. In my eyes we seek a better life, but in the end we became mercenaries and eventually Reunion.”

 

“Reunion, isn’t that the militia activist group in Ursus? What happened there?”

 

“We left when Reunion started to fracture. I had seen the early signs, so we snuck across the border, but we were separated from another squadron. I trust Bob will take care of them.”

 

“Hold up,” Grani said, raising her hands. “Recently I met a man named Big Bob who was a former Reunion squad leader. They were bounty hunting near Kazimierz when I came across them.”

 

“That’s him!” Mudrock spoke with hitched breath, eyes wide as she took this news in.

 

“Oh, he’s fine. You see, there was this town near the Kazimierz border named Dewville which was being harassed by bounty hunters searching for a treasure a Knight of Kazimierz left hidden in the area. He helped us away from some of those bounty hunters.”

 

“C-Could you tell me more?” Mudrock asked with an unusual glint in her eye.

 

“Yeah, but buckle up, it’s quite the adventure.”

 

---

 

The night had dragged on. Eventually a certain feline had decided to sneak away during the excitement. Folinic released a sigh after she took another swig and looked up at the moon, waxing above Wolumonde. She had decided to take a bottle and leave, not really feeling too sociable at the moment. She still felt alone though, and she had come up with a drink. Thankfully, her silent prayers for her loneliness had been answered.

 

“Need a drinking buddy?” Evan asked from behind as he walked up to lean on the rails. 

 

“Suit yourself,” she quietly said before handing the bottle to him. He took it and just simply took a sip before handing it back. Once it was back in her hands, she looked at it a little, wondering if she should drink it. She had no idea what was on his lips, but as the alcohol hazed her mind, and she looked at him who had taken a sip without hesitation, she tipped it to her lips and took a little sip. After that, she looked at him, a little enraptured at the sight of having someone by her side, drinking with her again. A stupid thought popped into her head and out her mouth in the same impulse, “Is the offer to talk still open? You know, about personal stuff?”

 

“Any time, what’s on your mind?” he asked before pushing his hand out and she placed the bottle in it. 

 

“First off, thank you. I may not have known you for very long, not nearly as long as Atro, but I still feel like I can call you my friend now.”

 

“So how’d you meet Atro?” he asked before passing the bottle back. 

 

“When I was sixteen, Professor Kal’tsit sent me away to Columbia to study in safety, away from the Kazdel Civil War. I was some lonely feline from Ursus, in a new place, and Atro was the first friend I made. She was always a bit of a rebellious tomboy, but she had a big heart....”

 

“So is, Kal’tsit something like your mother…or…?”

 

“What? No…well…sort of…? Kal’tsit is my guardian since I was fourteen. My mother was a student of her’s.”

 

“Did something happen?” he asked. Folinic paused. She looked at the bottle that was now in her hands and sighed before taking a big drink. “...That bad, huh? Well, I think I understand a little, I lost my mother four years ago.”

 

She nearly dropped the bottle, but she instead looked at him then looked down before a small smile graced her face. “Yeah, I guess you might…” she took another sip for courage then handed it off. “I…never knew my father, he was…murdered by the Fourth Army before I could speak. My mother, well, she had to take care of us, a couple felines, in that frozen hellscape of a country. She always had this sad look in her eye whenever I asked about dad, and it wasn’t just when I asked. I would regularly find her simply staring off into nothing, sometimes crying. When I tried to comfort her…she always downplayed it or pushed me away…” Folinic paused to take another sip. “Then, when I was eight, she disappeared without a trace, to go seek vengeance for my father…”

 

“God…sorry to hear that…”

 

Tears began to stream down her face as she spoke between chokes and short sobs, “I…never wanted her to go…why, why did she leave me? Did she really love my father more than me? It’s…”

 

A hand gently placed itself on her back and Evan whispered, “It’s not fair, is it…”

 

The dam broke and Folinic finally let her sobs ring out into the night. During her episode, Evan took the bottle and placed it by the door, they had enough by now, he was sure. He just gently rubbed circles into her back while she let it out, leaning over the railing as tears and snot dripped down to the streets below without hesitation.

 

When she finally calmed down, she looked up to the horizon before asking, “What did you lose your mother to?”

 

“Cancer. Difference is, I saw. I sat there with my family as we watched her take her last breath. I didn’t get the experience of lacking closure like you do.”

 

“Still…that must have been hard though…”

 

“I like to think I’ve made my peace with it. But, when did Kal’tsit come into your life? Tell me more about Atro too.”

 

“I was fourteen when Kal’tsit came and took me to Rhodes Island, which was known as Babel back then…but that was only for two years. After that, the Kazdel Civil War started and she sent me to Columbia…” she paused and released a sigh as she gazed to the sky above. “Atro was my best friend. We graduated highschool together, went to college together, and shared a dream together. I think…those were the happiest six years of my life. When we graduated, she chose to go pursue a proper medical degree, and I left to apprentice under Kal’tsit…”

 

“So I’m guessing Atro followed you to Rhodes?”

 

“Yeah…she did…I just wish she was here now…” Folinic admitted. After that she let out a forlorn sigh and said, “Look at me…a grown woman and certified medic operator, crying to my patient about her disappeared mother and late friend, like a little girl…”

 

“You’re still a person. It's not like I’ll think any less of you.”

 

“But still…I feel pathetic…”

 

For a while the two just let the silence hang in the air. It wasn’t uncomfortable, and for some reason both welcomed the company. After a while, Folinic shuffled in place and breathed out, the stench of alcohol briefly wafting in the air, carrying with it a simple sentence.

 

“My real name’s Louisa.”

 

His head turned to look at her, just a little surprised. Still leaning on the rail she turned her head and propped it up with one hand on the side so that her head tilted while looking at him. Her eyes seemed to shake in anticipation for his next reaction.

 

“Well it’s a lovely name, thanks for sharing it with me,” Evan replied with a smile. If Folinic blushed, it wasn’t noticeable due to the alcohol already causing her cheeks to glow, but her gaze did break from his eyes and she donned a small yet content smile on her face.

 

After a few unceremonious moments, Evan pushed himself away from the railing. When Folinic gave him a curious gaze he responded, “I think I’ll go back. I just wanted to make sure you were OK. Also…” he moved to pick up the bottle. “I’m confiscating this. I’m not against drinking…but I do believe in moderation, and we’ve definitely had more than enough.”

 

Folinic snorted with a smile at this, all the while feeling her cheeks threaten to catch fire. With that, footsteps sounded behind her and she looked up to the moon, feeling a little lighter and warmer. Though, she did wonder how much of it was truly the vodka compared to the one she just shared it with.

 

---

 

“U-Um…h-hello,” Snowsant said with shrunken posture as she observed the gathering before her in a conference room. Most were engineers, but there was some mix of personnel ranging from logistics to combat. “M-My name…well…codename is S-Snowsant, and I’m the chief engineer of t-this relief effort. I…um…”

 

Snowsant fidgeted restlessly with the papers in her hand as they vibrated from her shaking. 

 

“I-I’m not very good at…public speaking, so…do excuse me. I’ve called you a-all here b-because…um…” she stuttered as she flipped through the documents. “T-The city…Wolumonde that is… did I say that right? ...recently was hit by a catastrophe, and now i-it’s powerplant has…ceased function…”

 

“The boiler was sabotaged and subsequently exploded,” Greythroat interjected. “That’s all we know for sure. Miss Snowsant, would you like one of us to handle the presentation? You seem really uncomfortable.”

 

“I-I’m sorry…I just thought…” Snowsant sheepishly tried to defend while giving glances to others in the room from behind her documents.

 

“Do we know how the boiler was sabotaged?” one of the engineers asked Greythroat.

 

“No, all we know is that it was and has been compromised. No one could get closer without special equipment.”

 

A heavy weight clogged the atmosphere in the room and silence reigned before Snowsant took a few deep breaths, drawing everyone’s attention back to her.

 

“W-We need to assess the damage. T-To that end I have called you all here. We n-need volunteers to a-assess the damage. T-The D-Doctor has given us special e-equipment. T-Therefore, i-if you have e-experience with hazardous environments, I-I strongly…erm…r-r-request that you take this m-mission…”

 

“Put me on the list, I worked on BPRS in Blacksteel before my infection, and subsequent partnering to Liskarm.”

 

“Put me on the volunteer list as well, someone has to keep Franka on a leash.”

 

“Just don’t keep my collar too tight~” Franka teased before her eyes sparked with an idea. “Or do, if that’s what you’re into.”

 

Liskarm proceeded to give Franka a light smack which prompted a questionable yelp from Franka which made the vouivre retract her hand and give her partner a disgusted glare.

 

“T-Thank you, Franka, Liskarm…” Snowsant commented before looking around the room. What first caught her attention was the fact Pillow was being held up in the air with its little flipper being waved. “Ah, a-are you volunteering, Pillow? I-I mean Pudding!” The rushed correction left Snowsant flushed which prompted her to hide her embarrassment with the documents.

 

Pudding gave a little giggle before answering, “Yes, we are. Though I believe Pillow will be sitting this one out in safety.”

 

“U-Um…” Jessica nervously mumbled with a slightly raised hand. “I-I w-would like to go too…I have some hazardous environment training…though I’m not nearly as e-experienced as Miss Franka…”

 

“Oh, come here you~” Franka cooed before pulling Jessica into her bosom which left the shy catgirl flushing redder than a tomato before a sparkling finger touched Franka’s ear which led to the vulpo giving a shocked ‘eep’ and swiftly turning to glare at Liskarm who was in turn glaring at her.

 

“T-Thank you Jessy…I mean Jessica! A-Anyone else?”

 

Finally, Evan decided to raise his hand, leading to a few surprised looks from the others.

 

“Ah…Mister…Car- I mean Evan…oooooh I’m sorry…” Snowsant once more hid her face in embarrassment before taking a deep breath and pulling it back out. “A-Are you sure you want to do this? I-I won’t stop you if you want to join us…b-but we’ve been advised to keep you out of hazardous environments if possible…s-so…”

 

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Kal’tsit, I won’t let my abnormal condition prevent me from helping. I know I may not be an…expert in this, but I still think it would be valuable for me to go.”

 

“I-I see…well…we do have protective equipment…so…it should be fine…” Snowsant muttered. “V-Very well, I will approve. Just b-be careful, and I’ll have Miss Franka give you some hazard training beforehand j-just in case…”

“Can’t wait. I’ll make sure to teach him very carefully,” Franka teased while looking right at him. Defensively Evan tried to silently beg Liskarm for help only for the vouivre to be rolling her eyes at her partner, seemingly giving up on disciplining her partner for the time being.

 

A few others volunteered as Snowsant continued to list off other people they would need. After they had all the personnel they would need, she adjourned the meeting, saying they would come up with a time for the mission soon. 

 

The rest of the day was rather uneventful, more engineering work and managing of the aid systems continued until everyone ultimately returned to the inn. Well, minus the part where Evan had to have Franka teach him about both the basics of hazardous environments and how to wear the hazmat suits they would be using to go deep into the city core. Unlike hazmat suits Evan was used to seeing, the ones Blacksteel had provided were bulky and just shy of being fully isolated space suits. Hell, they even had an emergency oxygen tank in case the scrubbers and air purifiers failed. It made sense too since they would be going into a place possibly filled with active originium, which could always blow spontaneously, and would proceed to aerosolize in a way that guaranteed infection risk if not for the suits they would wear. 

 

Some others had joined the impromptu hazard training, but beyond that he mostly considered the day rather boring and wanted to just nap when he finally got back to the inn. The only thing of note was his minor cut from hastily ripping open Severin’s shirt during the Winterwisp revolt, which sometimes stinged or itched in a way most cuts he had didn’t normally do. He wasn’t too concerned since it was a minor cut, and Kal’tsit had ordered him to take preventative medicines regularly before going to a catastrophe site as well as throughout his trip.

 

Just to be sure though he approached Folinic about the issue that evening, and after a short examination she said that it wasn’t likely due to the medication on top of the fact oripathy didn’t primarily spread from person to person like a plague. What did puzzle her though was that it seemed like the wound itself was having a larger immune response than usual, almost like he was allergic to something it was exposed to. Of course, she didn’t really want to make any decisive conclusions without thorough testing, but it did raise both their suspicions. In the end, it was decided to leave it alone until they could study it at the landship.

 

The ultimate reality, however, was that they had a lot more to worry about and far more pressing issues than the chance Evan could have contracted oripathy. He didn’t entirely mind it, but it did provide a nagging in the back of his head, a nagging that led him to think about Kal’tsit’s warning against him going in the first place. He knew it was his choice, and that it always carried this risk, but he hadn’t really been worried or truly considered the consequences until now.

 

Thankfully, Folinic assured him that with current medical technology, early stage oripathy patients had decades and possibly very full lives ahead of them so long as they could receive adequate treatment, which he could easily receive as a Rhodes Island employee. In other words, he could do what he had always done with the impending question of his ultimate mortality, place it on the backburner. 

 

In the end, nothing could be done about it now. Whatever the case, it did leave some open questions and interesting possibilities. After all, if the originium itself was the source of the allergic reaction, what did it mean about Evan’s overall physiology in relation to the substance? His blood had virtually zero originium in it according to his blood tests, even after spending time in this new world. He understood that considering the constant residual blood levels of most of Terra’s population, it had to come from somewhere. Originium was unique in that it could transform organic matter through oripathy. Of course this had made him curious, but sadly the material on originium’s unique qualities that satisfied his information age education was lacking. Terra knew how it behaved, but the precise mechanism and its cause seemed to be unexplored. It has been fascinating him more and more lately. How originium and its attached phenomena worked was well understood, but deeper questions like what it is and why it works the way it does have gone unanswered. 

 

Not that it was unusual to have such gaps in understanding, his old world didn’t have a single unified theory of everything that was widely accepted. Even those that did cover everything have yet to have sufficient proof. Gravity had no place in the Standard Model, and even alternatives such as String Theory had yet to be proven fully. In fact, last he remembered, when the Higgs Boson’s mass was measured, it neither confirmed nor denied the two leading ideas of Multiverse and Supersymmetry, and String Theory required Supersymmetry to be the one proven by the Higgs’ mass. Either way, the point of science was to investigate these things, to improve humanity’s understanding of the natural world. At least, that’s how he saw it. 

 

The only widely accepted theory to explain originium and arts was that arts was the manifestation of a person’s consciousness, will, or mind through originium as a catalyst, and they had sufficient evidence to back this up. Arts could manipulate the world to the user’s mind and imagination, even if certain rules had to be obeyed. Of course, a mind wasn’t strictly necessary for certain operations, which was where originium circuits came into play. Most circuits needed some form of input, but clever engineering could loop an art or use consciousness as a basic input similar to how voltage or current was in electrical circuits. What was weird was how Terra used a hybrid system for their computers. Unlike his world where the vast, vast majority of computers were digital, Terra often used hybrid computing depending on the situation. 

 

Still, despite its rules, originium remained a mystery to him. Originium itself should not exist according to everything he learned. Regarding the anomalous element, he learned that many forms of the crystal are actually remarkably stable in many ways despite its odd behavior. Actually, he learned fairly quickly that originium made communication a hassle due to the fact it had various passive EMF properties despite usually not emitting ionizing radiation.

 

As for how he knew the ‘usually’ part, he did discover that certain crystals deemed more unstable and dangerous actually had varying levels of radioactive output. He had learned this one day when Closure had been working with a highly unstable sample that could easily explode and his Geiger Counter had gone off when he got close. Thankfully the output wasn’t too dangerous, and was spitting out a rate comparable to a flight at cruising altitude in his old world.

 

This made him uneasy as the power plant of Wolumonde was expected to have huge amounts of volatile and dangerous originium that could now be compromised. Everyone acknowledged that, but they were still willing to take the risk, they had to. There wasn’t a real choice here. If the plant exploded because of a chain reaction started by a stray catastrophe shard, then the whole town was doomed. 

 

As the day came to a close, these thoughts hung on his mind as he continued to pile up books in the evening. There were a few things he was uneasy about, and he could only grasp at straws with what he had. It was rare to over-exert himself as he was now, but the weight of responsibility felt heavy, and he wanted to be free of the burden as soon as possible. Most had long since gone to bed, but his swimming mind had proven impossible to settle.

 

Feeling stuck, and with the events of the last day fresh in his mind, Evan decided to grab a late night drink. Being the lightweight he was, he felt the effects of drinking earlier in the evening enhance his current beverage, so he decided to go slow before his buzz got worse. Yet, all it did was take away an ability to perceive the omen growing closer, like an inevitability he couldn’t shake. The only thing that temporarily shook him from the feeling was that brief pause between feeling someone take a seat at his table and meeting their face.

 

That was when he saw it, or rather her. 

 

“Need some company?” the soft sublime voice answered with no change to the emotions on their shockingly pale face. For a moment, he felt as though he had seen a ghost, only to fully recognize the entity observing him.

 

Above Skadi, a gigantic yet slender shadow loomed, and he then noticed the ominous red orbs, and he felt a primal surge of unease. Fear flashed across his features as his vulnerable mind began to quake at what it had just glimpsed. 

 

Yet, in an instant the feeling was gone when he noticed Skadi take a drink herself and lean closer, staring into his eyes as she did so. A tinge of curiosity resonated within the twitches of her eye muscles, and he finally saw the true lack of hostility. 

 

He began allowing himself to be drawn in before he moved back, his face feeling a little warmer than usual.

 

“Do you have a fever?” she asked before she raised her arm. Seconds stretched to minutes, and he counted each pulse that resonated between them. He watched her close her eyes to focus, and felt the temperature slowly reach equilibrium, he could tell her natural temperature was a little colder, but he felt a power within her that had yet to come out, and the idea of that energy scared him because it dwarfed his own, almost like how the Sun dwarfed the Earth.

 

“No, that’s a relief,” she briefly hummed before pulling back to a respectable distance. 

 

Evan stared dumbfounded for a while before a curious glance during a sip of her’s reminded him he was talking to another person.

 

“Sorry, I just felt unnerved.”

 

“That should be natural, most feel uneasy around me at first.”

 

“Why’s that?” he asked naturally. She brought it up, so he didn’t find it unfair. 

 

“Likely my past,” she answered flatly.

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know much about the place you come from, um…”

 

“Ægir. No, I don’t believe you would. Most I find on the land don’t remember. Then again, human memory is hardly long.”

 

“Speaking from experience?”

 

Skadi paused for a few seconds, her crimson eyes which seemed to glow in the low light moving away to analyze something within her mind before nodding while stating, “Of a sense.”

 

“What do Abyssal Hunters hunt anyhow?” he asked, probing a little.

 

“We fight a common enemy of Iberia. Though the inquisition doesn’t seem to think of it that way.”

 

“Do they have a name?”

 

Skadi stared down into her own drink before her thought slowly kicked in again. For a brief moment, the shadow returned, though only as a flicker.

 

“I-If I touched on a negative subject, I’m sorry. My curiosity often gets the be-”

 

“They call themselves many things: ‘We the Many’, ‘The Children of the Ocean’. We simply call them Seaborn and Seaterrors, fragments and children of Ishar M’la.”

 

Her gaze sharply returned and that presence returned to observe him, judging his reaction. 

 

“Well, I don't know who that is,” he admitted. The presence and Skadi tilted their head.

 

“So you’re not like the Doctor…” she muttered under her breath in Ægirian. 

 

“The Doctor?”

 

Skadi’s eyes shot up, focused on him, but the presence shadowing her didn’t move.

 

“Sorry, I just recognized that one word,” Evan admitted. 

 

Her eyes softened back to their usual neutral, but he saw the shadow stand still, observing him as though he were merely an ant. Then it vanished within Skadi once more. 

 

“Then perhaps it’s better you not know…” she stated before turning her attention back to her drink. 

 

Evan shuffled back since she was still a little close for his liking.

 

“Sure, didn’t mean to pry.” he shrugged off before moving his stuff. Skadi just gave a hum before casually staring at his work as she drank. Yet, as he studied, a thought came to his mind. It had been something written in his file so far that bothered him, and as he stared at Skadi, he finally recognized that familiar dread. Normally, he ignored this feeling in his day to day thoughts, but for some reason the shadow that hid within her made him feel a sense of terror, like an omen brewing in his stomach. 

 

“They say we have similar Originium blood levels, do you know why that might be?”

 

Skadi merely passed her gaze to him before setting her drink down. 

 

“Our technology doesn’t use Originium, we have different methods. Originium is also rare beyond the continent. The ocean has far different and deadlier scourges. So long as you stay inland, you have no need to worry.”

 

Sure, his curiosity was a sort of weakness to him, but even Evan could tell when some subjects should be left alone. This was especially true of Skadi who he felt a sort of kinship with. It didn’t feel alien or supernatural like his temporary sense with Mostima, but he could tell that somehow both were capable of enjoying the quiet that settled in as they simply drank while he worked and she stared off into space. His own past back on Earth had only conditioned him to being an introvert, but even some introverts had trouble keeping their mouth shut, betraying their seclusive and selective nature.

 

“You really seem to like Grani,” he passively said as he approached a bottleneck in his work. Skadi’s crimson orbs turned lazily to him, waiting for the next set of words. “I never saw you with her before she went to Dewville, but since she came back it’s almost like you rarely leave her side. It just makes me curious is all.”

 

The quiet lull set back in, and fractions of an hour ticked by before the enigmatic orca gave a response.

 

“The land is a strange place, compared to the sea. Some company makes me forget such things.”

 

“I hear you on that one,” he agreed without thinking much. Perhaps that wasn’t the brightest move as Skadi turned her whole head and tilted it like a curious animal, a gesture that didn’t escape his notice.

 

“Me and my big mouth…” he thought to himself.

 

His pen stopped and for a brief minute the only sounds visible was the sound of the clock ticking seconds by. That was until he found a way to respond.

 

“Tell me something you don’t tell everyone and I might do the same.”

 

Skadi looked up into the stars beyond the ceiling for a few moments before nodding with a hum of agreement. 

 

“Very well. Is there anything you wish to know?”

 

A few moments of thought passed before he recalled their first meeting and asked, “What’s the song you were singing when we first met?”

 

“I’m not sure what its name is, it’s simply a lullaby our mother would sing for us when we were little.”

 

Skadi simply stared into her mug, the edges of her lips quivering upward slightly before being replaced by a small frown which gave way to a sigh, perhaps lamenting what was lost before she habitually took a drink.

 

“Well, it’s a lovely melody. A little sad and somber, but there was something enchanting and ethereal about it when I heard it,” he commented, causing Skadi to turn her gaze to him. Though her face was neutral, there was something telling him she was expecting something. That’s when he remembered the deal, “Oh, right. Well, it’s not as insignificant, but you could say I’m not from Terra.”

 

“Even though you’re a land dweller?”

 

“Even though I’m a land dweller. I can’t answer why I’m here, I’m just taking my situation in stride.”

 

“It certainly explains a lot,” Skadi quipped before taking a drink. “You are certainly…different from most who live on the land.”

 

Evan chose to silently accept it and buried himself into his work. As time passed, he began getting sleepier and almost crashed his head a couple times. He decided to take this as a sign to head to bed. While he didn’t say anything to Skadi, he could somehow feel her eyes upon him, but being conditioned to her presence by now he didn’t necessarily care. 

 

The same could not be said for the Abyssal Hunter, as she stared at Evan, silent gears turned in her head, betraying her stoic expressionless face. She was unsure what to make of him, but her little investigation had yielded interesting results. While his presence did indeed feel similar to the Dcotor, it was not the same. In comparison it felt alien, like a stranger she had yet to familiarize herself with. Then again, she was wary of the Doctor at first too, but as she came to know him she found herself growing more sentimental and even attached, despite her better efforts. She closed her eyes and sighed to herself. Her captain would certainly call her weak, were he with her. Despite all this, she still had her ultimate goal in mind, the whole reason why she was here in the first place, and it was the reason she was with Rhodes Island to begin with.

 

Even she, untouched by the scourges of the land, wanted to find a cure.

Chapter 33: Moving Forward

Papers slammed onto the Doctor's desk with great force, causing him to look away from his computer screen then up at the source: an angry lynx barely concealing a scowl of pure disdain. Looking back down he noticed the files were essentially personnel logs related to the transport, and highlighted in bright yellow was the codename Bagpipe. Instead of answering what was obvious, he decided to look at his ex-wife and tilt his head as he did when he usually didn't understand something, or pretended not to.

"Explain, now."

The Doctor sighed then pushed back from his desk and crossed his arms. With a big breath he began the explanation, knowing that Kal'tsit wouldn't be satisfied with what he had to say.

"Bagpipe volunteered to escort the convoy. You know how high the demands of the CC system can be, and considering Bagpipe has experience in the field as an active duty soldier of Victoria's Tempest Platoon, she was among the most qualified volunteers I could send out."

"This places her outside our supervision in the same place as Reed, and she already suspects who and what Reed is. Allowing them anywhere near each other is dangerously risky, if Bagpipe were to discover Reed's identity, she could-"

"Could what, Kal?" Doctor interrupted sharply and harshly, throwing the medical director off guard before her eyes narrowed dangerously and the crystal housing Mon3ter began to shiver and twitch. "After all Bagpipe has done for Reed, after all they had borne witness to at County Hillock, what do you think Bagpipe would realistically do to Reed? She's not even an active duty Victorian soldier anymore. Sure, she's not disillusioned the same way Saileach is, but the idea you would believe Bagpipe would go running back to the Victorian army in its current state is just downright silly."

"Still, we can't rule out the possibility that she could change her mind. You should know that more than anyone."

"And you should know by now that trying to control everything down to the last detail is exactly how we landed in this mess. Listen, Reed needs to face reality one day."

"And what reality is that?" Kal'tsit asked, crossing her arms.

"That County Hillock, Dublinn, and all the tragedies of her life are not her fault," he answered. Based on the fact that Kal'tsit's ears twitched into a more relaxed position and her expression shifted, he finally saw a sense of open curiosity and he was going to capitalize on that. Instead of using words though, he opened a locked compartment of his desk, and pulled out a binder with Reed's name printed on it. Below that was a classification code indicating only he had access to it. He took it out and placed it on the table. In a rare moment, Kal'tsit was silent, and he realized she was waiting for him to finish. "This is Operator Reed, Loughshiny's Therapy File. The reason they're classified under my personal clearance is because even I believe in Patient-Doctor Confidentiality."

The message was clear to the old lynx and she sighed. in a rare moment of weakness, looked down and let her emotions show, letting go of the professional mask she always wore.

"Kal'tsit, it was a joint decision, it was made when Rhodes Island was formed from the remnants of Babel. We would not repeat the violent mistakes of our past, but we would not abandon the fight to preserve Terra."

"Therefore we would seek to heal the land, not divide it further. We are Rhodes Island, this is our mission. I remember, we were all there that day."

"Amiya's been a wonderful leader, if she trusts me, that's enough for me to move forward."

"But don't you ever wonder if it was enough?"

"Always. Kal'tsit, I will always regret my failures as I'm sure you do yours. I realized that we were all consumed with grief, but Amiya kept moving forward. If she trusts me, then maybe that's enough."

"You're a fool then."

They just looked at each other, unspoken words flowing as they both let go of their inhibitions, and then Kal'tsit turned her head.

"Kal'tsit, it needs to be addressed. I'm not asking for forgiveness, but one day we have to learn to move on. We don't need to forgive ourselves or each other, but we need to stop letting this whirlpool drag us down."

Kal'tsit didn't move and Doctor stayed silent. After some minutes had passed, he put the file away, prompting Kal'tsit to answer, "I just don't know yet…"

"Alright, but remember, I am ready to listen if you need it. Just as you did for me."

She shook her head, a little bewildered and pleasantly surprised. Kal'tsit then walked to the door without a word, simply done with their exchange. She also had a bit to chew on from this. Normally he had never been the type to let others confide in him or vice versa, but this was a reminder that despite all they knew of each other and been through together, even Doctor could change.

She felt envious of that.

---

A simple knock on the door pulled him out of sleep, but almost as soon as it did a throbbing pain echoed in his head, forcing Evan to hiss violently. The knocking began to increase and his head throbbed harder in response.

"I'm up, just wait a second!" he shouted a little uncharacteristically, causing the knocking to stop. After practically rolling out of bed, Evan brought himself to the door and opened it.

As soon as he saw Grani, she cheerfully responded, "Someone had a rough night it seems."

"Too much drink, REM sleep is screwed and I have a hangover…" he groaned before walking out and down with the singular mind of grabbing some water. Grani simply followed her light, prancing footsteps providing a sense of companionship that helped reassure his head, which felt like it was going to split.

"Well I just came to tell you, breakfast is being made."

"Thanks…" he groaned while holding his head in a vain attempt to control the throbs knocking on his cranium. They continued walking, and once they reached the first floor he walked up to and behind the bar so he could get himself a glass of water as soon as possible.

"Hey, watchya doin' back here?" a familiar voice with a scottish accent called. Shortly afterwards, Bagpipe materialized through the doorway to the kitchen and noticed Evan chugging water like his life depended on it. "Oh, Evan. Mornin', seems ya woke up on the wrong side of the bed, eh?"

After finishing his first glass, he answered bluntly and with shortened breath, "You have no idea…"

"Well…" Bagpipe tried to chime in as she watched him down water like a fish. "Just don't drink too much. We have limited water as is."

"Two full glasses and I'll be done," he admitted as he took a break from his second. Between the fact he seemed out of breath and he just realized he wasn't breathing through his nose properly, he was starting to wonder a bit if this was just a hangover.

"Look, why don'tcha sit down, and I'll whip up somethin' good for ya."

Evan obeyed silently and walked off to find a table or booth to sit in, leaving Grani and Bagpipe to give each other a silent nod before the smaller of the two trotted over to his side and sat down with him. Almost as soon as he was at a table, he slammed his head on the table and wrapped his arms around to deprive his senses from the world around him.

"You okay?" Grani asked with genuine concern in her voice.

"No," his muffled voice called out.

"Should I go…grab Folinic?"

"Yes, and tell her to bring some ibuprofen or something, I feel like my head's going to split…"

The only assurance he got was the hurried, galloping footsteps of the former officer, and then he just chose to focus on not losing his sanity as his mind threatened to break him with each throb. Time swiftly lost meaning to him as he failed to count, much less care as the world moved around him.

That was until the clink of a plate drew his attention. After looking briefly at it, then up at Bagpipe, his gears finally began to turn. His head didn't like the sensory shift of going from darkness to light, but he did notice that enough time had passed that the throbs had dulled a good amount.

"We're a little tight on food, so I made ya some rumbledethumps with some of the leftover potatoes."

"Sure, I love most potato dishes," he said before pulling the plate to him and picking up the fork. He eyed the dish a little, to him it seemed like a mashed potato casserole of sorts topped with cheese and what appeared to be an egg. Regardless, he didn't really hesitate to put the first bite in his mouth. A few chews and the lingering expectant gaze of the cook, and he gave his judgment. "It's good, really good."

"Can't go wrong with my family's recipe. Sure, we grew all sorts of things on the farm, but potatoes have always been a staple of ours. We vouivres tend to like em for some reason."

"Potatoes are nutritious and delicious, so I don't exactly blame you there."

In response to that, Bagpipe gave a little laugh before laughing her way into saying, "I here ya there. Can't go wrong with some tatties, aye?"

"Good to see you two getting along," Grani's voice interrupted as she trotted on over with a bottle of pills in her hand. Once she came over to Evan she handed them over then said, "I talked to Folinic. She said if you need help, you'll have to go visit her yourself or wait until the end of the day if you need another checkup."

"Got it. Thanks a ton."

"Happy to help!" Grani exclaimed with a beaming smile. "But…I do have some other duties to attend to, you gonna be okay on your own?"

"Yes."

Grani gave a smile and a salute before trotting out the door, leaving Evan alone with Bagpipe, but she had to go back to the kitchen, leaving him alone again. Actually having a proper conversation with the redheaded vouivre, he couldn't help but think of Reed's reaction to her. Grani had also mentioned it being their second meeting since some kind of incident, but he still didn't know what.

Either way he had a far busier day ahead of him, but first off, a meeting was due to take place at the Rathaus, a meeting he just realized he was going to be late for.

With no time to waste, he scarfed down his meal then ran back up to his room to grab on some slightly more presentable clothing before sprinting to the Rathaus until he entered the meeting room door suddenly, then immediately leaned over to take several deep breaths before looking up at everyone in the room, who were giving him varied looks.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he began apologizing before he noticed where he was undoubtedly supposed to take a seat, which was with his team. "Bad morning…"

"Now that everyone necessary is here…" the familiar voice of Severin spoke up from the side representing the Gendarmerie, away from the council. "Let's begin the meeting, but first I believe the council would be prudent to speak on any confusion in the last couple days regarding the leadership of Wolumonde."

"R-Right…" one of the city councilmen nervously acknowledged before coughing into their sleeve and standing up. "The Wolumonde City Council, has decided to keep Schultz Severin in his current position, despite his newly discovered status as an infected. We agreed that changing leadership now is not appropriate, and we trust Schultz Severin's experience."

"Thank you," Severin said before taking the spotlight again. "As the council has just stated, I will remain in charge of the city, at least until the crisis is truly over. As it stands, we're still in a state of emergency, but that's why this meeting has been called. We will be discussing the logistics and plans for the further preservation of the city. Before we begin discussing logistics, I would like to announce that I have given the Mudrock Squad and any who still associate with them a pardon, as well as a stay of punishment for any who have surrendered and laid down their arms."

A few whispers from the council members were heard as Severin paused to allow everyone to take in what he said. Once silence set back in he continued.

"First, we'll get the logistics out of the way, then we will reconvene in the early afternoon to discuss the state of the Nomadic City Plate. Any questions?"

Once silence was his only answer, Severin sighed wearily then sat down and prepared for a long meeting that would take up the remainder of the morning. After that though, Evan decided that his best course of action would be to catch up on sleep and went to shut himself in his room for the remainder of his lunch period. Of course, he set timers on his phone to make sure he didn't miss anything important. He only managed to get an hour in before a knock on his door woke him up.

While the door had no way of showing him who was behind it, he was genuinely surprised to come eye to eye with the visage of Reed. Instinctively she darted her gaze away from his and at the same time he took notice that she was holding a paper bag with the unmistakable aroma of food in it.

"May I come in?" she asked softly.

"Sure, sorry for the mess though," he casually responded before moving out of her way. Reed stepped in and looked around briefly, before settling her gaze on his desk and walking over. She stood there for a while, and even picked up a piece of paper.

After she set it back where it was, she didn't turn as she asked lightly, "If it would suit you, I could assist you with organizing your papers."

"I…" Evan started before stopping to try and formulate a response. "I'm not sure, I don't really want to make any of you my secretary or anything…"

Reed picked up another paper and looked at his desk briefly before retorting, "I don't mind. I'm far more comfortable performing clerical work such as this." Soon, she began picking up similar papers and stuffing them with the one she found. She soon slowed down and asked, "Do you…find it strange?"

The question carried a little quiver, carrying with it her unease. Somehow though, there was a little cry for understanding past that, as though it was inviting him to see her in a more human light. A strange feeling he had been getting more and more used to as he spent time where he was.

"I don't enjoy fighting either, so I understand a little."

Reed looked back to him, slightly bewildered, but she soon turned her head away from his gaze again.

"Thank you. Truth be told…I much prefer writing…"

He really didn't know what Reed's deal was, but this newfound trust she seemed to have of him warmed his heart to an extent. Yes, it was ultimately a minor form of trust, but he felt it showed he was doing something right.

As the mild-mannered dragon finished clearing space for him to use the desk properly, she pulled out a sandwich from the bag and placed it on his desk. Afterwards, she stopped, staring at it for a while as she contemplated something. Seconds slowly ticked by before she finally found the courage to ask, "May I…ask your opinion on a matter?"

"Sure," Evan affirmed, curious as to what she wanted help with.

"I'm considering…apologizing to Bagpipe for my behavior earlier…"

Evan thought back to the interaction briefly before asking, "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I was…" she started, squeezing her arm before sighing. "...caught off guard. I hadn't expected anyone I knew to be here."

"Are you sure? I don't exactly know what the history between you two is…"

"...We met at County Hillock…" Reed explained. When silence returned she looked at him, waiting for her to continue before she squeezed her arm harder and said with a quivering voice, "I-I'm sorry…I don't wish to revisit that day…"

"Are you sure it's something you want then?"

"...I don't know…" Reed almost whispered.

Evan thought for a moment, thinking about why Reed was asking him before answering, "If you just want to clear things up from when we first saw her, I think it's a good idea. Just don't force yourself."

"Thank you…" Reed almost muttered before turning back to him. As she looked at him, he could see a sad look in her eyes that he normally didn't see behind her regular poker face.

Then she left without a word, leaving behind a cleaner desk and a sandwich to accompany his thoughts.

---

The meeting on the nomadic capabilities was both uneventful and surprisingly short. This was really because until Rhodes Island probed the area with special equipment, they couldn't determine the state of the power plant, so the city remained dead on the ground. Then there was the fact that only Wolumonde's Gendarmerie had returned, nobody acting for Leithanien in any official capacity had come out to Wolumonde yet, and word from Leithanien had yet to arrive, but the returning Gendarmerie had assured it would arrive.

The best they could do was see if they could somehow repair the power plant, or wait for the Leithanien government to start the process of towing the plate. With most of the catastrophe moving or fizzing away and the aid sent by the CC Organization and Rhodes Island, things were at least stable. That didn't mean things were wholly easy or peaceful, but at the very least any problems that were popping up were being smashed down fast.

Before all of them could leave, however, Severin held back all those in the meeting who had been directly involved in the crisis, including Mudrock, to discuss something in private.

"Due to new information presented by the Mudrock Squad, we have determined that there were indeed five individuals from Mudrock's camp, and only two from Wolumonde…at this time, we don't know which of the presumed dead is still out there, or if they're even alive. Since Biederman is now confirmed dead, only one remains at large. I've already notified the Gendarmerie to keep a lookout for Eckehard, Kevin, and…my son, Thorwald. Due to your involvement, you all have a right to know."

"Thank you for listening," Mudrock thanked. Severin nodded in acknowledgement.

"So…where does that leave us?" Evan asked, a little concerned about what was just said.

"In the end, it's just a courtesy. It doesn't change anything yet," Severin explained in his usual flippant way.

Realizing that this was almost certainly all the old deer man had to say, Evan thanked him and they all parted ways. The words of Severin, however, weighed heavy on his mind. It didn't do much to disrupt his work, but it still sat there in the background of his thoughts. Ultimately, Severin was right. It changed nothing at the moment. They still had to supply and distribute aid along with the looming specter of diving into the powerplant.

And then there were the more secondary problems he had to or promised to nip in the bud.

Someone he regrettably would have to involve, was currently standing with an amazed, if a little slack jawed, gaze to the Mudrock colossi which had been made to now assist in transporting heavy loads across the area.

"Hello again," he casually said while walking up.

"Heya Evan," Bagpipe said rather blankly as she stared at the colossi. He walked to the side of her and looked at the expression on the vouivre's face. Her eyes were wide with wonder, but her brows seemed to knit itself in an uneasy way. Evan looked back at the colossus she was looking at and watched it carry a several ton load through the area, walking slowly which allowed people to maneuver around and away from it. He could kind of imagine her feelings in a way. Seeing the colossi for the first time was both awe inspiring, and dreadfully unnerving due to the nature of his first sighting. Bagpipe clearly knew he was there, since she pensively stated, "Incredible to think that Sarkaz Witchcraft allows for feats like this one…"

"Well it certainly was an intimidating sight when they appeared, but they aren't invincible, which helped a lot."

Bagpipe's head turned in some shock, "Wait, you fought these things?!"

"Me personally? No, I was too busy helping Suzuran control the gramophones."

"I see…" the former soldier acknowledged. After putting some of her thoughts at ease, she turned to him with a smile. "So, what'd ya need me for?"

Evan took a deep breath before flatly stating, "I was talking to Reed earlier, she seems to want to apologize to you for her reaction earlier."

Bagpipe blinked, slightly bewildered, before her smile returned, but clearly faltering as the rest of her face failed to match the expression. She seemed to catch herself and looked away before responding, "I see…thanks for lettin' me know..."

Feeling a little awkward due to not comprehending the situation, Evan decided to ask, "So…if you don't mind me asking, she said you met at County Hillock…but she refused to say anything further."

"Ah…" Bagpipe expressed before taking a deep breath herself, her smile fading as she thought about it. "It's true, we did meet there…durin' its destruction…"

Evan failed to find any words to respond, so he simply sounded, "Oh…"

"I'm surprised more people don't know…"

"Sorry, I'm…not really knowledgeable in current events here…but you don't have to talk about it, it sounds like a lot."

"No…I'm fine…" Bagpipe said before taking a deep breath. "The events of that day deserve to be told…"

Bagpipe turned her gaze to meet him again, a resolve glistening in her eyes as she steeled herself.

"As a Victorian soldier, I was assigned to a regiment known as the 2nd Tempest Platoon. We were sent to County Hillock to investigate who was stealin' from the supplies depot at the garrison. We also had a secondary objective to investigate the Spectre Force in the region, special operatives of a faction known as Dublinn who had been striking various countryside counties. What we didn't know was that Colonel Hamilton, the commander in charge of the garrison, was the one siphoning weapons-grade originium from the depot. He led us to believe it was the Spectre Force and the local Tarans. A right stubborn oaf he seemed at first, but the signs started to show when he refused to cooperate with the investigation and executed someone we caught red handed before they could be interrogated by the captain. We received a lead from an Honor Guard stationed there, Jane Willow, about a group of Taran aristocrats holdin' a meetin' possibly related to the Spectre Force. Using the invitation, we infiltrated the meetin'…only for Hamilton to show up so he could arrest and execute everyone there he could. That's when the Spectre Force attacked. Afterwards Hamilton would use the originium he had stolen to bomb the whole county…countless deaths followed and many survivors became infected…one of those survivors was Reed."

Evan couldn't even find words to respond with. Bagpipe had laid out a tragedy that would shake almost any nation to its core, but Bagpipe wasn't done.

"In the end, almost all of the Tempest Platoon died, leaving Captain Horn and I to deliver the message and complete our mission…after an ambush at the county's communications relay, I was the only one who escaped…and Dublinn used the tragedy to galvanize their rebellion. All of this happened about a few months since Kazdel's Military Commission and the Sarkaz Court began their occupation of Londinium…both of which are still happenin'…"

Evan hadn't read much about Victoria yet, but he had read enough to understand what Victoria's place on Terra had been. For the first time, he thought about Bagpipe's statement about her status as a Victorian soldier when they first met.

"Is it correct for me to guess that County Hillock was also when you became a 'former' soldier of Victoria?"

"Yeah, while trying to escape, I came across Jane again. Durin' the crisis, she had joined up with the Rhodes Island branch office to save as many people as they could…I was inspired to join them. While I see it as me fulfillin' my oath as a soldier of Victoria…I also know what I did constitutes desertion."

"If it's any consolation, I believe the decision to serve your country that way is the right one."

Bagpipe gave a warm smile to that and gave a proper salute. Afterwards, she stated, "I'll always be proud to have served my home."

In a moment led by a little playful cheekiness, Evan returned the salute. The gesture led to Bagpipe bursting out in laughter after briefly struggling to keep a somewhat straight face. He didn't hesitate to join in a little.

---

As twilight fell on the city once again, people gathered outside at the foot of the mountains. Many wore black clothes and carried candles. Everyone watched in silence as one by one, the bodies of the deceased were piled into a hastily dug mass grave. Each thud was a reminder of another soul lost to the senseless violence the catastrophe had brought upon them. No one was turned away, as per Severin's request. Some threw trinkets in, mementos to the loved ones that had lost their lives, to be buried deep within the earth. Whether it was to move on, forget, or a tool of bargaining, the ultimate message of goodbye was the same. No matter what one throws into the grave, the recipient will never return or reciprocate.

Yet, it brought some comfort to Evan when he saw Folinic throw in Atro's badge with the body of her friend. Some familiar with burial rites came and performed little ceremonies. Whether they were Leithanien, Winterwisp, Sarkaz, or even Higashinese, everyone played their part in giving one last goodbye to the departed.

The weight was not lost on Evan. He had been there, helping Suzuran and Folinic, and he had seen so much death in such a short time. Even then, somehow, he knew deep inside him that the overwhelming loss before him was only a drop in the larger bucket of what could have been and probably already was. He may not have had words to give or songs to sing, but he felt the overwhelming sorrow that filled his chest and the air around him.

As the hole was prepared to be filled, Suzuran shuffled beside him and he felt her tiny hand squeeze his. Gently, he squeezed it back as the mass grave was steadily and carefully filled. Quiet sobs sounded through the silence, and the sorrow in everyone's chest grew as though the dirt filled their hearts as well.

Those who had defended the city in its time of need may have had no regrets to their actions, but the loss still overwhelmed any feelings of pride. As the mound of dirt continued to pile, so too did the volume of a few sobs.

Once the hole was filled, a moment of silence was called for. Deep down, everyone knew that the deaths would inevitably increase as more succumbed to various little issues. Infection, wounds, personal fighting, and many other methods would undoubtedly lead to more, but everyone could feel a sense of bittersweet catharsis in the fact that most of the dead had hopefully just been buried.

For the first time since coming to Terra, Evan finally realized something.

No matter which world, the human condition remains the same.

Chapter 34: Dim Radiance

Carefully, Reed snuck her way towards the end of the hallway and peered down the steps to check the main lobby. No lights were on, and further waiting and listening showed no signs of any of the immediate downstairs being occupied.

Slowly, she silently stepped toe by toe towards the bar and behind the counter. Soon, she opened the door to the kitchen and flipped a switch to turn on a light in the back. Once she was certain the coast was still clear, she began rummaging around the cabinets. After pilfering a few rations, she carefully retraced her steps, placing things back and turning out the light to the kitchen before slowly shutting the door so as not to make a sound.

She sighed in relief and scanned the room before she discovered something that either hadn't caught her attention or hadn't been there before. By the table in the blind spot coming down the stairs was the one person she absolutely was dreading to see right now, staring into her hands which were clasped together as she leaned towards the table.

Seconds ticked by and Reed felt her chest sink and her pulse run fast and hard, but eventually Reed noticed a total lack of response to her presence. Slowly, she took a few steps to test, and no movement was made. Reed quietly began shuffling towards the stairs. Just as she lost sight of the source of her unease, she spoke up.

"Could we…talk…for just a moment, yeah?" Bagpipe's voice quietly sounded from beyond the barrier separating them now. Reed stopped, and after more agonizing heartbeats, Bagpipe continued, "Look, I don't need to know what happened to you…or who you were…before…I just…"

Bagpipe cupped her hands tighter until they were shaking. Then, she took a deep breath and said, "...We both lost everythin' that day…but I promised Outcast…to get you to safety and to Jane…after…Jane and I saw her arts light up the sky…"

Bagpipe looked up, and Reed was standing across from her on the other side of the table. For a while they just stared at each other before Reed looked away and pondered her next course of action. After a while, she worked up the courage to respond.

"...I…I always thought Outcast carried me the whole way back…"

Bagpipe smiled sadly before she said, "Don't worry…I didn't stick around long after…"

"No…that's…" Reed started to protest before retracting her gaze again. "...I didn't know you had carried me the rest of the way…thank you…"

Hearing those words from Reed for the first time, Bagpipe let an honest smile rest on her face. Seeing that smile, Reed couldn't help but remember what she had spoken to Evan about.

"I'm…sorry for my reaction to you…it was undeserved…"

"Aw shucks, don't sweat the small stuff," Bagpipe said with her usual cheerful smile before she returned to thinking about how they even met in the first place. A certain person came to mind too. "Do you think…you could talk to Jane though? She could use it…"

"Is she unwell?"

"Not exactly…she told me she was happy to see you that one time in the cafeteria…but I think she would like to talk to you more…even if it is about books and poetry," Bagpipe responded before rubbing the back of her head with an off kilter smile. "I make poor company in that regard." Shortly after though, she doubled back saying, "N-Not that I'm tryin' to force you to because of that. I just-"

"If we cross paths again…I'll consider it…"

Bagpipe gave a sigh of relief before relaxing in her chair. Once her smile was back she decided to conclude, "Thanks, it would mean a lot to her. Also…" Bagpipe paused as her gaze turned to the pilfered rations. Reed hugged them a little tighter in response. Bagpipe smiled and gave a light chuckle before continuing, "I won't tell anyone about you pilferin' a few rations. I've also done it too."

Reed only nodded before turning around to leave. Once both were out of sight and earshot of each other a weight lifted from their chests.

---

When Rhodes Island had arrived with proper equipment, a lot of the medical staff ended up relocating to a local clinic as their temporary medical headquarters. Inside one of the patient rooms, Evan waited to be seen. Folinic had ordered an appointment for him to check his vitals among other things. He guessed she was worried about what seemed like allergies to him. His nose was congested and he had a tickle in his throat that persisted. Thankfully, some basic antihistamines had done the job, but considering his special status, it didn't seem they were going to take chances.

So, here he was patiently waiting for Folinic to enter after a logistics operator showed him where he would be receiving his appointment. Ten minutes had passed, and a couple minutes after footsteps sounded their stop at the door and the knob turned.

Instead of Folinic though, he was face to face with a sarkaz woman who covered her head and body with a tattered cloak and robes. Two bright, long horns erupting from the side of her head. She carried with her a bag of medical supplies and equipment. In her other arm she cradled a sheathed sword.

"Greetings, I am Shining. Kal'tsit ordered me to give a complete assessment of your physical being once we arrived in Wolumonde."

Shining carried a rather empty expression, and her statement was matter of fact. Without hesitation she walked over towards him and set her bag down. Carefully, she opened it deftly with her free hand and set her various medical instruments on the counter. Most were regular, but a few stood out as they seemed to be more occult tools than medical, but none of them looked particularly dangerous at a glance.

Once she was done setting up, Shining looked him in the eye and made a simple request, "Your hand, please."

Evan obliged and held out his hand with his wrist up. Soon, they were delicately and carefully wrapped in the sarkaz's fingers. Almost as soon as she did, she put two fingers on his wrist and listened to his pulse. Nothing was said as she closed her eyes and focused on silently counting each heartbeat that echoed through his limbs. Once she was done though, she didn't finish. She carefully moved her hands to open his palm and look at the wound on it, now mostly healed.

She placed a finger over it and a soft, malleable light began flowing from her hand and into his wound. Initially, Evan wanted to recoil at the alien feeling, but shortly it was replaced by a sense of comfort, the light soothed his wound as threads weaved through and performed their magic.

"That's a relief…" she muttered before dimming her arts and retracting her hand. As she did so, he felt a strange longing as the soothing light left his hand and faded into nothing. "It appears that no crystals are forming. This is where your hand made contact with an infected's oripathy crystal?"

"Yes."

"Folinic also told me you've been experiencing a heightened immune response around the area, but it appears to have died down compared to her earlier description."

"I've also been having respiratory allergy symptoms lately."

"I see…" Shining affirmed before picking out a simple wooden popsicle stick and a medical flashlight. "Please open your mouth as wide as you can."

Evan did so and Shining carefully inspected the inside of his mouth before commenting, "Your tonsils appear to be inflamed, have you had trouble breathing?"

"A little, but nothing I'm not used to with regular allergies. Maybe it's the change of the seasons here."

"Maybe," she admitted before pulling out a stethoscope and placing it on his chest. "Please, take deep breaths."

After a battery of basic vital checking, Shining pulled out a needle and a tie. Used to this process by now, Evan rolled his sleeve and outstretched his arm. Once the necessary samples were collected the needle was removed and the site of the extraction thoroughly bandaged.

"We should be able to assess your blood levels by the end of tomorrow. Also, I will be prescribing you more preventative medications to take before we go within the city plate."

"We?"

"Yes, I was assigned to the mission as the emergency medic. It will be my duty to heal and protect all of you with my arts should we encounter danger."

Evan thought back to the meeting, and he did remember she was there at the meeting. She had volunteered, but all Snowsant did was write her name down once the identity was confirmed. He also remembered there was someone else sitting by her that day.

"If any more complications open up, please let Folinic or I know. If you cannot locate me, find Nearl."

"Nearl?" he asked, completely befuddled.

"She is known as Nearl, the Radiant Knight. You can ask almost anyone from Rhodes Island who she is. She's good friends with operator Grani," Shining responded with her matter-of-fact tone before she finished packing up her bag and preparing to leave. Before she left, Evan decided to say goodbye.

"Well, it was nice meeting you."

Shining stopped at the door, and without turning around she reciprocated, "Likewise…"

Later he would catch up to Grani, actually talking happily at the bar with another kuranta he assumed now was Nearl. It wasn't until the smaller kuranta pointed to him and he saw Nearl's face peek out as she turned around. She gave a little smile and a wave alongside Grani's usual method of making herself look taller and calling his name enthusiastically.

With a smile, Evan walked over and took a seat by Grani before asking Nearl, "Sorry, I don't believe we've met properly."

At this, Nearl's smile grew a little larger and her expression softened. After that she responded, "I am Nearl, The Radiant Knight of Kazimierz."

"Yeah, I saw Shining earlier, she told me I should find you if I can't find her."

To his complete surprise, her face tensed up, trying to keep some reaction inside. For a moment he feared he had struck a nerve before Nearl let loose a chuckle while shaking her head. Once she was done she looked Evan in the eye and said, "That's just like her, don't worry though. I've never known someone more responsible with the lives of her patients. She will come running if anything happens to them."

Evan thought back to his first real interaction with Shining a moment ago. He had felt how gentle and careful she was. Her arts seemed to manifest that too, a sense of dull warmth had come from her arts as though it was reassuring him.

"How do you know Shining anyways?"

The smile on Nearl's face faltered, but it came back, if only a little somber.

"We've traveled a lot together. With Nightingale, we've traveled far and wide across Terra, helping those we could. We became known within Kazdel as 'The Followers' during its civil war, that is how we came to Rhodes Island."

There it was again, the mention of a civil war in Kazdel. Evan had heard of Kazdel being the homeland of the Sarkaz, and he hadn't forgotten what Mudrock had said to the Winterwisp leader from Click's video. Folinic had mentioned it in relation to Rhodes Island as well, but as he understood it went by a different name back then.

"Was it known as Babel back then?"

Nearl froze completely, her eyes losing focus as her mind clearly swimmed with the sudden surge of her past occupying her mind.

"Sorry, I-"

"No, it's fine. Tell me, how much of the Kazdel Civil War do you know?"

"Absolutely nothing other than it happened."

Nearl raised her eyebrows curiously while Grani gave him a somewhat sympathetic look. Nearl, accepting that she had to start from the beginning, decided to think a little.

"...The history of Kazdel is long, but its most recent civil war starts with the efforts of its previous King, Theresa, alongside her brother, Theresis, to rebuild the country over the course of two centuries. Twelve years ago, an ideological split triggered the Kazdel Civil War between Theresis's Military Commission and Theresa's Babel. The civil war ended two years ago after almost ten years of fighting, when Theresis attacked the Rhodes Island landship and assassinated his own sister. Since then, the country has been under his rule as Regent."

"You know…" Grani started. "Why did Rhodes Island become a Pharmaceutical Company with the goal of treating Oripathy then?"

"Because Theresa was a kind person, an idealist. She believed that healing the wounds of her people meant also helping to heal the wounds of Terra as a whole. You can probably guess the kind of person her brother is in comparison, since, as the Regent, he and the Military Commission have occupied Londinium."

"Oh…" Evan thought to himself. Pieces were beginning to fit together. Though, there was still one thing he found strange so he asked, "You said Theresa and Theresis started reconstruction of Kazdel two centuries ago?"

"Yes."

Grani caught his confusion and explained to him, "The Sarkaz are very well known for their capability to live for centuries under the right conditions, even though almost all Sarkaz are infected."

"Wait…so they can live that long, despite having oripathy?"

"Yes, for reasons I don't understand, Sarkaz constitution allows them to live remarkably long and full lives with oripathy…but no one really seems to know why, not even many of the Sarkaz themselves," Nearl explained. "Some are known to live longer than others with greater ease. For instance, vampires are known for barely aging if at all."

Needless to say, the knowledge that Closure, his boss, could be centuries old and he could be none-the-wiser for it shifted his expression more than a little. His gaze became fixated on something almost impossibly far away. With the shake of his head he told himself silently, "Not like this changes anything between us."

"Oh…" Nearl voiced, realizing something herself. "Sorry, I just realized vampires might be a bad example considering-"

"Nope!" Evan interrupted before continuing. "Say no more. I really, really want that to just be forgotten if possible."

Grani raised a curious eyebrow while Nearl simply nodded in acknowledgement to his request. Meanwhile on the landship, Closure gave a mighty sneeze alone in her workshop.

"So…" Grani started, trying to find a way to clear the awkward atmosphere that was starting to settle in. "Nearl, have you been keeping up with the Major any? A lot of crazy stuff happened last season."

"A little," Nearl admitted with some uncertainty present in her voice.

"Ok, how about this: Your opinions on the Infected Participation System last season's champion requested?"

Nearl's attitude shifted a little and her brows knit as she thought about the situation, "I wouldn't put much stock in it. Even if on paper the infected can gain a knight title through participation in the Major, I imagine the K.G.C.C. will use their typical rule-bending and nefarious means to ensure that as few infected earn and keep such a title. Unlike regular knights, very few will stand up for them as they try to make their voices heard, if they're not snuffed out in the dark."

"Hold up," Evan called while raising his hand. "Sorry, but can either of you explain what this Major is and what an entity known as the K.G.C.C. have to do with it?"

Nearl blinked a little in surprise before recomposing herself, "The Kazimierz Major was first established in 1025 as a triennial Jousting Tournament between knights. At first it was meant to honor the long held knightly traditions in Kazimierz, but due to the attention it received, the ruling Kazimierz General Chamber of Commerce swiftly took control of the event, devolving it into nothing more than a commercialized tournament they could make money off of. Seventy years later, the interference of the General Chamber of Commerce means that without corporate backing and sponsorship, even the most talented knights will struggle to progress through the tournament."

"Says the first champion to steamroll her way to the top without any backing or sponsorship," Grani interjected to Nearl. Nearl stiffened briefly at the statement. "Still, maybe you could go back. After all, the K.G.C.C. has lifted the tournament ban on infected."

"My banishment has far more to do with my lack of cooperation with the K.G.C.C."

"Still…how long has it been since you've been home, since you've seen your family? It just isn't right they can take that away from you."

"My return would only put me, and my family, in the crosshairs of the Armorless Union's assassins. For now, it's best I stay out of Kazimierz entirely. I'm also not the first champion to be exiled or run out. After all, my predecessor, The Black Knight, ended up fleeing the nation to escape the Major's stakeholders after her third consecutive win."

Feeling more than a little out of place, Evan stood up from his seat and said, "Sorry, I have a few things I should attend to soon. It was nice meeting you, Nearl."

Nearl smiled and replied, "Farewell, perhaps another time we can discuss something lighter."

Evan shook his head before saying, "Thanks. It was very informative, but I have little grasp on the politics of anywhere on Terra. It's a lot to chew on."

Nearl gave an understanding nod before he departed from the two's company.

---

Inside a decrepit wooden shack just outside of the Ursine tundra, a door slammed open to reveal the leader of the Yeti Squadron as she marched in, brows knit and lips pursed as a flame of righteous anger danced in her eyes. The two occupying the room, sitting on either side of a large dining table, turned their heads as though it were simply a loud noise. Before either could greet their unexpected visitor, Frostnova marched to the draco sitting calmly across from her adoptive father and slammed a hand down on the table, the passive cold immediately sublimating water vapor to ice crystals.

When Frostnova spoke, her voice was low and shockingly calm for the expression she gave, but as cold as the hand that was now rapidly growing ice crystals, "Mephisto's experiments must be stopped. It's wrong."

Talulah turned her gaze to Patriot before returning her gaze to Frostnova's eyes. Frostnova's fiery glare was met with an icy gaze as the room's temperature activating her own arts to counterbalance the leader of the Yeti's.

"We…will do…nothing…" a raspy voice clicked and clattered from the other side of the table. Frostnova whipped her head around, gazing upon her father with widened eyes and raised eyebrows as her mouth hung open briefly, only for her to clench her teeth and began glaring at the old Wendigo even more fiercely, daring him to explain.

"Patriot and I have agreed," Talulah stated, returning attention back. "From now on, to preserve a sense of unity for the upcoming operations, we will no longer interfere with the actions of individual squads. Each squad will operate on its own rules set by their respective leaders."

The temperature spiked downward and Frostnova leaned into Talulah's face before growling, "Then denounce his actions. I don't care if you never punish him for his sickening practices, you cannot remain complicit to what he's doing."

Talulah took a deep breath to compose herself before she stood up. Even though both she and Frostnova moved, their faces did not back away from each other.

"Do you really think your practice is all that different? Your own squad uses your oripathy crystals to channel your arts across the battlefield, do they not?"

Frostnova bit her lip before finally raising her voice, "I don't put my crystals inside my fighters, nor do I place them inside the corpses of our enemies for experimentation!"

"...Frostnova…" Patriot's voice clicked. "Our…decision…is final…"

For the first time in her life, in all the years she had spent under the old Wendigo's care, Frostnova felt a whirlpool of emotions she never thought she could feel against the old man. She felt her heart sink from the disappointment, she felt her vision grow red from anger, and she felt ice forming in her eyes as she felt alone next to him for the first time.

"I'm sorry, but despite how abhorrent his practices may be, they have shown results. We can't sustain a campaign against the army without making some sacrifices. We'll need all the strength we can if we're going to make it to Chernobog."

Frostnova held her head down, choking back her feelings. Once she regained some composure she looked at Talulah. Looking into her eyes she finally noticed how the flame had changed, no longer fueled by the seemingly endless hope and optimism that so characterized the Talulah she had first met. Gone was her radiant and inspiring smile, replaced with a near constant and light frown. She had always suspected, but now she could clearly see what had changed.

The idealist leader she once knew had grown numb to the suffering she had accepted. When was the last time she had seen Talulah smile? When had she last seen her true anger across her face? In the heat of the moment, Frostnova wanted to see a sign, a sign that the leader she followed still held something dear to her heart.

"Alina would be disappointed."

For the first time in months, fury ignited upon Talulah's face, a fiery passion ignited an inferno as memories flooded back. In a flash, Talulah reached for her sword and in the same span of time, Frostnova did the same.

The sound of metal striking metal rang through the room, but instead of the sharp clang of sword striking sword, the dull thud of a sword against a shield sang. In a flash, the table had tipped over and a large silhouette had placed itself between the two, pushing Frostnova aside in the process. A shadow cast over her as bright flames licked the side of the massive shield. Despite the obvious force of the blow and the arts brought with it, the old Wendigo held firm, not moving a single centimeter.

The room grew deathly silent before the sound of Talulah's sword scraping off the shield sounded.

"...Pathetic…both of…you…" clicked the mutated larynx of Patriot.

Talulah and Frostnova shut their eyes in shame. Their swords were sheathed and both looked down. Neither had truly let go of their emotions, but it was clear that they had suppressed them. Patriot wordlessly relaxed his shield and stance, and Frostnova moved to the door. Before she left, she looked back silently, gazing at Talulah who still held her head low, but the false serenity on her empty face spoke volumes. Frostnova could only hope that she was thinking over what just happened, then shut the door behind her.

Notes:

Alright, I'm going to start leaving a few notes on these for this site.

So, I have played Babel and Ep14. Lots of heavy story stuff that's still too far away for this story to care about on the latter. Feel free to ask though if you have questions on Babel and its role here.

Also, because I said it on fanfiction.net in a previous chapter note there. The year is 1096, Reunion Arc still starts at the end of December. I'm not going to say exactly what changes will be made, but I will say that it will be stretched out longer and in bursts.

Anyways, thanks for all the support. I love talking to my audience still, so feel free to comment and I might respond.

Chapter 35: 35: First Date on Terra

Every morning in Wolumonde, fog encompasses the town. White mist rises as the sun vaporizes the dew. Tales have long been woven by the Winterwisps and Leithaniens alike of how spirits and other supernatural beings revolve their life around the fog. Winterwisps will tell of strange orbs of light that lure unsuspecting victims to never be seen again. Leithanien tales tell of vengeful spirits, often criminals and aboriginals slain under the orders of the Witch King. 

 

Due to these tales, few traveled to the outskirts of town, much less into the forest, during the hours of dawn. 

 

From the white mist, a figure with long horns materializes through the fog. Shortly after, another with long upright ears. One wears a tattered cloak, carrying a sheathed blade balanced on her elbow and shoulder. In her hands lies an ornate ebony wooden box gilded with black metal. Etched into the wood and metal are several, delicately carved runes and symbols. On the top sat an indentation with a spike coming out the middle. 

 

Shining stopped, suddenly, before turning to where the fog was thicker. Barely, she could make out the shores of a small lake, its early morning scents tickling her nose while fresh moisture condensed on her clothes and hair.

 

“This is the place,” she declared, voice monotone as ever before turning back down the trail. Footsteps sounded from nearby as Margaret slowly came to a halt behind her. Shining pulled out an old watch, chained to a pocket under her cloak. Opening it revealed several dials, most illegible to the vast majority of people, but all styled as clocks, ticking at different rates. “We’re on time.”

 

Margaret panned her gaze across their surroundings, squinting into the fog while her ears twitched and moved at every sound the forest around them made. After confirming they were alone, she asked, “Where are they?”

 

Eerie quiet ruled the mist for a few minutes before the sound of footsteps began and then slowly grew louder. Two more figures began emerging from the fog in front of them. One figure contained a halo and wings, but also horns and a tail. The second, two large feathers on either side of the head. The initial had two staves crossed in an X formation on their back while the other held a Lateran arts canon in their arms. As their faces came into view, a lax, but also unnatural smile showed on the blue-haired sankta, and on the red-haired liberi sat a stern, uneasy glare to Shining in particular.

 

“You’re late,” Margaret chastised before placing herself in front of Shining. Fiammetta did the same for Mostima who rolled her eyes mockingly at the display. 

 

“I prefer to call it, fashionably late,” Mostima joked while placing her hand on her hip and gazing with one eye open. “What’s wrong, Radiant Knight? Scared of a couple Laterans after spending so much time with the Sarkaz?”

 

“Some caution is required, especially with your Notarial Hall bodyguard,” Margaret said as she squinted her glare at Fiammetta. In response, Fiammetta’s finger twitched over the trigger. Margaret slowly raised her shield and began reaching for her weapon.

 

“Margaret…” Shining softly pleaded as she gazed at her companion.

 

“If she lowers her weapon, I will lower my guard,” Margaret flatley declared while giving a cursory glance to Mostima. The blue-haired sankta’s smile was a little wider as she silently observed the situation. Without losing the smile, she shook her head and turned to her partner.

 

“Hey Fia, do as she says before I have to stop time for someone again. Can’t say it won’t be you this time.”

 

The fiery liberi took her finger off the trigger before lowering the cannon, and Margaret let go of her weapon, but her hand hovered nearby. Fiammetta turned her gaze to Shining and then to the sinister box in her hand. 

 

“What kind of witchcraft is on that box?”

 

“It’s a seal,” Shining replied. 

 

“Is there a curse?”

 

“Only if it is forced open.”

 

Fiammetta narrowed her eyes at the object, her finger itching to return to the trigger.

 

“Is that going to be a problem?” Margaret asked with a tight voice. Once Fiammetta’s gaze turned back to her, the knight continued, “Even the most trustworthy messengers will see countermeasures to tampering.”

 

“Most don’t use devilish witchcraft,” Fiammetta spat in response.

 

Margaret’s gaze hardened and her hand twitched as it hovered above her weapon. Fiammetta’s grip on her own weapon became stronger. As the two glared at each other, Mostima spoke up.

 

“What’s this spike? Is it to collect blood?” Mostima asked as she poked the tip of the spike gently.

 

Fiammetta’s gaze snapped back to Mostima and almost immediately she began to protest, “Mostima! Don’t-”

 

“Relax~,” Mostima cooed lazily as she leaned forward to gaze at the object in Shining’s hand. “We’ve seen much weirder. Besides, as long as we don’t try to screw with the seal, the curse stays dormant, right?”

 

“...Yes, to both questions,” Shining confirmed, but as she did her gaze landed on Fiammetta. The liberi tensed at this, and it didn’t help that Shining’s expression didn’t change from the same expressionless mask she always wore. 

 

“We Nuncios may act on behalf of His Holiness, but when we do we are to act with neutrality,” Mostima said before wrapping her hands around the box. Shining did nothing as Mostima took the box and inspected it. “Besides, it must be pretty important for the Black Fiend herself to ask for help from a sankta, fallen or not.”

 

Fiammetta finally eased her grip some, but the intensity of her expression did not.

 

“I’m sure even you remember some of the old man’s stories from his time in Kazdel,” Mostima commented offhandedly as she inspected the box. 

 

“His Holiness visited Kazdel?” Margaret asked while lowering her shield and widening her eyes. 

 

“Yup,” Mostima confirmed while turning the box to inspect its craftsmanship further. “Not while he was Pope of Laterano though.” She paused, then looked up and placed a finger to her chin before adding, “If memory serves correct, he actually said it was conversations with a certain sarkaz named Theresa that helped inspire the creation of Nuncios when he did finally become Pope.”

 

Shining held her sword tighter, shifting it in her arms. Her brows relaxed and her eyes closed as she tried to commit the idea to mind.

 

“If they were on such good terms, why didn’t he aid her?”

 

Mostima gave an overly dramatic sigh. She tucked the box under her left arm and looked to Margaret before bluntly stating, “No wonder you got run out of Kazimierz.” The blue Sankta peaked open a single eye to see Margaret glaring at her dangerously, daring her to continue. Mostima smiled and continued, “Not even the almighty ruler can go against the will of the nation. I mean, look what happened to the King of Victoria or the Witch King. I’ve never been to Kazdel, but from what I’ve heard it looks a lot like what happened to Theresa. A tale as old as time really.”

 

Mostima paused to look at the Radiant Knight’s face. Though it was stern as ever, she could tell there was some doubt. Especially after the former champion turned her gaze away. For some reason, Mostima’s smirk seemed to only grow larger at the sight.

 

“Enough,” Shining cut in. Her brows knitted lightly and the edges of her mouth curled down ever so slightly. Mostima met her gaze, but the smirk never left her face.

 

“Well, now that I’ve managed to piss both of you off, it’s probably a good time to tell me where I’m taking this,” Mostima suggested while patting the box.

 

Shining closed her eyes and took a deep breath inwards through her nose then out the same way before answering, “Deliver the package to Medical Director Kal’tsit of Rhodes Island.”

 

When the Black Fiend opened her eyes, Mostima was no longer there, gone and vanished like she was swept up by the wind. 

 

Fiammetta growled once she noticed before turning around and running back into the mist.

 

“Law fucking dammit Mostima!”

Both Followers stood, gazing at the fog Fiammetta had run off into. Shining was the first to turn around and head back, but her companion stayed behind a little longer, looking into the ground as she thought about all that the strange sankta had just said. She didn’t linger long though, and turned around quickly enough to catch up to Shining.

 

---

 

Routine was a funny thing, and whenever one settled into it, even small disturbances tended to get noticed.

 

The first was the fact that Reed hadn't delivered lunch. Typically she was very punctual and precise in her planning, so Evan felt a growing unease. Not because he was hungry, but because he was starting to wonder where his impromptu secretary had gone.

 

Working with Reed wasn’t particularly of note, and he liked that. She was very focused on her task, and was always on point. Most of their conversation was about work so far, and it was a refreshing change compared to his regular work environment. 

 

Yet, despite their seemingly aloof relationship, as seconds ticked by into minutes, Evan only found his worry compounding. She was his responsibility after all. He didn’t expect her to do anything reckless, but he began worrying nonetheless. That was when a sudden knock at the door of his room snapped Evan’s attention. With a surprising sense of urgency, he flung the door open.

 

What greeted him, however, was not at all what he was expecting. Standing before him was a certain red-headed vouivre with a Scottish accent. What drew his attention beyond her presence was an ordinary wicker basket with an ordinary red and white checkered picnic blanket flowing out the side. Seemingly noticing his gaze, her smile brightened and she moved the arm tucked under the handle forward.

 

“Wannae go on a picnic? Just the two o’ us?” she asked with the last part given with a lighter bubblier pitch than the last. 

 

It was at that critical moment that Evan began to feel his poor virgin brain overload then spontaneously short circuit.

 

“Uhhhhh…” Evan voiced with his mouth slightly agape as his mind raced. “What the hell is happening?”

 

Noticing his confused state, Bagpipe softened her smile before saying, “I wanted ta thank ye f’er helpin’ me with Reed. We...had a wee talk the other night, and I think it helped both o’ us. So, I just wanted ta treat ya a little.”

 

Puzzle pieces fell into place and Evan felt his mind calm with the information received. Despite the wave of calm, he still felt compelled to ask, since part of him was still concerned with Reed.

 

“How did she take it?”

 

Giving a little more light to her smile, Bagpipe chimed, “It went well. I asked her f’er a bit o’ help preparin’ this basket too.”

 

“When you put it like that, it’s hard to refuse…” Evan chuckled in his mind before finally giving his answer. “You know what, since it’s around lunch time, sure. Did you have somewhere in mind?”

 

Returning to her regular smile, Bagpipe replied, “Aye, follow me.”

 

As the two walked through the inn and out into the town, Evan took a moment to think about the implications of what Bagpipe had told him. He knew he took a bit of a gamble telling Bagpipe what Reed had said, but he just didn’t want to sit idle with it. Bagpipe didn’t seem to him a bad person, and it certainly helped that Grani seemed to know her and he trusted Grani as a friend. 

 

Besides, it had worked out in the end. At least, this time.

 

Returning to the present moment, Evan began taking note of Bagpipe as they strolled through the streets. One thing he had noticed was that many of the Rhodes Island operators that had joined with the rest of the humanitarian aid waved happily to them. As they did so, Bagpipe enthusiastically waved back to all she saw. A few locals also joined in too. As they got farther from the city, however, a quiet lull set in. Dark clouds loomed overhead, but the sun had been peeking through. The temperature was beginning to cool down as the end of summer approached, and he conjured thoughts of winter back home.

 

In his youth, snow would commonly form a fluffy blanket, allowing children in a school yard to play small games where they simulated society, trading ice as though they were gems. Sometimes they found an ice chunk they would personify, and huddle around before a mean, but ultimately a misguided kid destroyed their small idol and they mourned its loss. The teachers never cared, they were too busy in their own world to understand why a bunch of kids, snotty and still sobbing, explained how Jane from two grades up destroyed their ‘bluey’ which was just a piece of ice. Forget, carry on the day, and then go home and play video games while drinking hot cocoa. Parents were often too busy to make snowmen, but it was still a peaceful set of memories nonetheless.

 

Over the years, however, a change happened outside. More intense snowstorms dotted an otherwise dead landscape which couldn’t maintain snow for barely a week. Being a more scientifically inclined kid, and with the power of google and wikipedia, Evan learned that an excess amount of things called ‘greenhouse gases’ were flooding the atmosphere. Surely, people would do something about it, right?

 

“Watchya’ thinkin’ aboot’?,” Bagpipe asked, grabbing his attention back to reality.

 

For a moment Evan almost forgot she had two massive horns peeking out of her face. Grani trusted her, that was enough.

 

“Oh, just what winter was like back home.”

 

“Ah, back in Columbia, eh?” she asked so innocently.

 

“I don’t want to lie to her for some reason,” he thought before another reality was brought before him again. He felt his heart sink a little as he started to think harder about his words.

 

“How about this: how’d ya get to Rhodes Island? I’ve told ye my story, so it’s only fair to share y’ers,” the redhead vouivre said while looking him dead in the eye with an expectant smile.

 

“Well, let’s just say a traffic incident in Lungmen with an off duty LGD officer had me being interrogated. Not too long after, I got an offer to go to Rhodes Islands due to things I still don’t understand.”

 

“A spur o’ the moment decision I take it?” Bagpipe asked, with a smaller smile. Her expression shifted too, but Evan ignored that as he focused on their conversation which he realized was taking them out of the city.

 

“Yeah something like that…”

 

“A’right…may I…ask who interrogated you?”

“Superintendent Ch’en…Hui’chi I think it was?” Evan asked, a little unsure. He only realized his mistake once Bagpipe’s eyes lit up and her smile carried an excited curl and her eyes shone brightly. 

 

“Wait, you’ve met Chenchen?!”

 

“Chenchen? Oh, I am so using that against her next time.” That was unfortunately his first thought, but that soon gave way when he noticed Bagpipe was starting to pout. He took a deep breath in and composed himself. “Yes, I know Ch’en.”

 

Saying it almost with a laugh, he felt a tingle go down his spine as Bagpipe raised her eyebrows and gave a smirk before quipping, “Were ya thinkin’ somethin’ rude there mister?”

 

“Of fucking course!” Evan felt himself shout in his head, remembering the rumor factory that had spawned already. 

 

All that melted away, when he was shocked out of his own mind by a hearty laugh from the girl he was walking with, who he had moments ago found out knew Ch’en. The laughing continued as he walked forward a little, realizing Bagpipe was getting an absolute kick out of his reaction.

 

For a moment, the world seemed to melt away slightly, and he took in his surroundings. He hadn’t noticed the hike, but Bagpipe had led him to a secret spot by a cliff overlooking the lake and the mountains.

 

“Wow…” Evan thought to himself, looking out over the scene. Instinctively, he took out his phone and began arranging a picture. That’s when Bagpipe slid into frame and held up a V sign. Without thinking, Evan let slip a stupid mistake, “V for Victory?”

 

Bagpipe blinked for a moment, her smile still present, but her eyes clearly were turning cogs. That’s when she blinked then smiled with her eyes closed and mouth in a wide, genuine smile, waiting for him to take the picture.

 

A snap simulated by the audio of the phone and she broke formation to run over.

 

“Let me see!” she shouted repeatedly while running over.

 

A feeling strangling his heart sunk his mind back to harsh reality for but a moment. Yet, Bagpipe ran over, an eager smile plastered on his face.

 

Then a new thought occurred.

 

“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing.”

 

Evan showed her the photo. Using a few techniques, he had made the Vouivre appear to the left of the center of the frame. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she admired the beauty. Afterwards, a whistle of admiration sounded and Bagpipe praised his work with, “You’re quite good at this.”

 

“Just something I learned in Middleschool,” Evan said. Memories of the past flooded his mind briefly.

 

“I aught’a show ye some photos of Chenchen and I from our time at the Royal Guard Academy.”

 

“Wait, Ch’en went to the Royal Guard Academy in Victoria?”

 

“Aye, we were bunkies!”

 

A few moments passed before Evan comprehend what that meant. Suddenly, he tried to imagine those two, of all the people he knew, sharing a bunk.

 

“I was on top,” Bagpipe said before adding, “ Used to catch a glimpse o’ her readin’ while hangin’ my body like a cavernous fowlbeast.”

 

The image of Bagpipe’s hair spilling over to Ch’en’s view was imagined. All the while Bagpipe was preparing the picnic by setting out the blanket.

 

“Back in School, Chenchen always had a pissed off look on her face. Made no end o’ enemies at first, but tha’s just the kind of girl she is. Nae time at all, she had people seein’ her wi fresh eyes.”

 

Bagpipe’s smile remained, but her eyes fell as she focused on the memories of her own past.

“ But…y’know, bandagin’ up her wounds, cookin’ for her, teamin’ up wi’ her squad and all that…I had tae look after her a fair bit,” Bagpipe’s expression shifted back to the present, a somber look on her face. “And that was no easy thing.”

 

“I guess people need work wherever we go…” Evan thought to himself. If he had stayed in Lungmen, what would life have been like? How would he have met Bagpipe then? What would his relationship be with Ch’en and Swire beyond penpals? 

 

“I heard Rhodes Island is parkin’ in Lungmen f’er the Winter. I was thinkin’ about payin’ Chenchen a visit.”

 

“Well I know where Ch’en lives, so we could surprise her then.”

 

“Oooh, I like tha’ idea,” Bagpipe sang a little before sitting down on the blanket and patting the free space to her right. Evan took the cue and sat down without a second thought. 

 

For a while, nothing more was said. At that moment, Evan took a chance to let himself go. The smell of a late summer breeze wafted from the mountains and for just a brief moment, he finally had the opportunity to truly appreciate the beauty of the mountains before him.

 

At least, until a sandwich slice entered his peripheral view and he saw Bagpipe give a grin with a little cheek and close her eyes while widening her grin.

 

He didn’t know why, but at that moment the world seemed just a little brighter as he stared at the redheaded vouivre as she smiled with her bright orange hair dancing in the wind.

 

---

 

After returning from the mountains, Bagpipe left for the kitchen to clean up her basket, and Evan began to return to his room. 

 

As he was about to open the door though, a voice addressed him.

 

“Have fun on your date with Bagpipe?” 

 

Evan froze, while he had briefly registered who the voice belonged to, it paled in comparison to the information it carried. Time seemed to stop as he rethought everything that had just happened. 

 

“A date?! Wait, wait…no…yes…no…maybe…ah shit…”

 

“Oh, geez, tell me I didn’t break you,” the voice whined in vain.

 

“Well, yeah, you did…” Evan started slowly as his mind continued to race a mile a minute yet was still jammed. “I am very confused, beyond confused. When did it become a date? The word ‘date’ was never said, it was never implied.”

 

“‘Wannae go on a picnic? Just the o’ us?’” the voice mockingly reiterated with even more sweetness, and a poor attempt at a Scottish accent. “Come on, are you really that dense?”

 

Evan swung his head to the owner of the voice and locked eyes with the fluffy tailed lupo. For a moment they just stared at each other. Initially, Provence wore a smirk as she leaned her right shoulder on the wall. As seconds ticked by, however, he didn’t lessen the intensity of his stare. Only after Provence's smirk faltered did he answer.

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

The lupo’s lips parted slightly in shock at the declaration. Her keen eyes didn’t miss the transition of his own face to his own slightly cheeky grin. For a few long moments, Provence’s gears turned with her head. Once he saw it click, he opened the door and entered his room just in time to hear the lupo chuckle before giving way to giggles which grew into roaring laughs. 

 

Sure, he was dense, but that didn’t mean he was an idiot.

 

With the laughter of a lupo echoing through his door, Evan took a deep breath and allowed himself to slide down the door. Afterwards he clutched himself into a fetal position.

 

He thought through Bagpipe’s actions and started to think hard.

 

“Alright, calm down. You’ve mistaken human kindness for romantic affection before. It’s natural. Maybe Bagpipe didn’t really mean that much by it. Just relax and don’t jump to conclusions. Just breath…”

 

Evan took a deep breath and shoved the feeling down. Like a tarp going over a flame, he pressed it down, deeper into his mind. 

 

Yet just as always, an ember remained. An ember that may never cool completely.

 

A seed had been planted in his mind, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to water it.

 

The sound of papers suddenly thumped against his desk, and he remembered that Reed had assigned herself to his secretarial roles, and his office was his room so he didn’t mind. Plus, she wasn’t alone this time.

 

In the chair, a little nine-tailed Vulpo was looking at his work as well.

 

“Welcome back, Mister Carvey. How was your date with Bagpipe?”

 

Evan took a moment before he remembered and smiled. “The food you helped prepare was delicious. Thanks.”

 

“You’re very welcome.” Reed’s lips curled ever so slightly upward. With the afternoon light filtering in by the window, it seemed to cast a light on these two. Neither knew his origins yet, but that didn’t seem to matter to them.

 

Suzuran took a moment to look away from her work and her frustrated pout gave way to a bright smile. Without hesitation she jumped down and began running up. Well, until her smile faltered and she came to a halt. Evan and Reed watched with curiosity before the adorable being recomposed herself, smiled and bowed.

 

“Welcome back, Evan-san!”

 

Reed covered her mouth, but not even she dared look away. After that Evan opened up his arms and the light beamed again before throwing herself in his arms.

 

That’s when a familiar, yet sinister presence sent chills down his spine.

 

“Ah, Skadi-san!”

 

Skadi showed no emotion whatsoever, but he could still feel her gaze somehow. 

 

“Hello,” Skadi deadpanned before returning her gaze to the room. Lissa ran out of Evan’s arms and the Abyssal Hunter bent down and held out her arms. Sure, Skadi was no stranger, but he could see Reed looking a little worried before her porcelain and mask returned to her face to mask her emotions.

 

“May I inquire about the nature of your visit, Miss Skadi?”

 

Skadi’s gaze returned to Evan, and so did that of whatever hung around her. An invisible presence that seemed to inspire dread about his very nature. All he knew was that it wasn’t Skadi. 

 

“It’s ok Reed, Skadi’s a friend,” he said before smiling. “But first, can I ask why both of you are here?” His fingers pointed between Skadi and Suzuran.

 

“Well…” Skadi said before looking behind her, as though confirming something. Evan didn’t see anyone, so he just assumed she was expecting Grani. 

 

“I-I haven’t seen Evan-san in a while…so…I came to say hi!” Lissa had toned up the brightness to eleven somehow, and it seemed to be affecting Skadi. Well, it had to because she had received the sugar beam at point blank.

 

For the first time, Evan saw a small smile appear on the enigmatic hunter’s face. Her eyes seemed to soften at the sight of the child, her light overpowering the sinister presence, which seemed to slink back into whatever abyss it came from.

 

The smile was short-lived, however, and Skadi put Lissa down before leaning to her level.

 

“Little one, go find Mudrock and the others of your field squad. The Schultz wants to see you all.”

 

Lissa looked back to Evan. Skadi shot him a glance from her peripheral vision, but her stance and face remained the same. Evan looked at Suzuran and nodded.

 

“Ganbarimasu!” Suzuran said to Skadi while pumping both her arms with a determined look on her face. The Abyssal Hunter nodded with another small smile and then stood up. Before Lissa walked out of sight from the door though, she looked back briefly before continuing to run to find the others.

 

“Again, Miss Skadi,” Reed began up again. “May I inquire the reason for your visit?”

 

“The Schultz wants to see you.”

 

Reed seemed to glare a little at Skadi who only cocked her head in curiosity.

 

“You don’t know?”

 

Reed sighed before crossing her arms and closed her eyes. “We, in fact, do not.”

 

“Then we’ll find out,” Skadi deadpanned. She looked to Evan, and eyed him up and down for a bit. A few squinted looks as gears turned slowly in her head before she finally admitted out of the blue, “Congratulations on the date.”

 

“God damn it…”

 

---

 

Kal’tsit sat at her desk, going over and examining everything before her. Behind her was a corkboard of various pieces of evidence. Photos and reports of the situation, and all the red lines wrapped around the pins led to Chernobog, except one.

 

Behind Kal’tsit, a black mist seeped out from the ventilation and fell as a curtain, until a figure materialized in it.

 

“You’re late,” Kal’tsit chided. “How did the mission go?”

 

“The former assets have been mobilized. I’m taking responsibility for them.”

 

“Understood,” Kal’tsit affirmed. “With them we can dig deeper. We can finally connect Ursus to all the movement in and around Chernobog. Mobilizing Babel assets though…”

 

“I’ll send Scout to talk to her, after all, he taught her much of what she knows. Whether she wants to believe it or not, he thinks of her as his protege.”

 

“What of her mental state?”

 

“She’s already irreparably damaged, she may already have accepted her looming madness.”

 

“Can she be controlled?”

 

“Yes, her madness shows a clear objective. She’s still hunting down Theresis and his associates, which has only allowed her to master her A-symmetrical warfare capabilities.”

 

“She could be a double agent then.”

 

“Ask the Doctor then, he’s good at reading people.”

 

Kal’tsit crumpled a few of the clean printed copies as her grip tightened.

 

Ascalon sighed openly before saying, “You need to let go, Kal.”

 

Kal’tsit bit her lip, drawing blood as her fang pierced her lower lip.

 

“Maybe your upcoming date with him will finally be a chance to say goodbye to each other properly.”

 

Suddenly, Kal’tsit began to stop trembling and her posture relaxed.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I know you’re not stupid. Neither is he.”

 

A small glitter of light flitted in Kal’tsit’s eyes. Her lip began to quiver as a tear dropped into a few drops of blood on the table.

 

“Look, maybe it’ll be poetic to end it as it began.”

 

“What do you mean?” Kal’tsit asked, her voice unsteady.

 

“You know what I mean. That night after the big victory before the decline started. Both of you got good and drunk.”

 

“Stop…”

 

“I never drink, not even back then. That night was an exception though, but I could still see that spark light in your eyes.”

 

“Stop…”

 

“Tell me to stop all you want, you can’t change the past.”

 

“I said stop it!” Kal’tsit yelled before throwing the bloody, tear soaked paper behind her.

 

Mon3ter’s crystal had materialized and was now quivering.

 

“Nothing can change the past.”

 

Kal’tsit bit her lip again.

 

“I guess what he said in the end was true,” Ascalon muttered to herself and Kal’tsit. “You still blame everything on yourself. You still think that you can change the future alone, even if you know deep down it’s impossible.”

 

“Mon3ter!” Kal’tsit yelled. Mist was blown away, but it continued to spill from the vent above, and Ascalon’s form briefly dissipated with it. Once the shockwave wore off, however, the mist consolidated and pooled onto the ground until a little bit of it reformed into Ascalon’s form once more.

 

“I know you, Kal’tsit. You know me, what will this accomplish?”

 

Kal’tist took a deep breath and stood up straight again, wet streaks still visible on her face.

 

“I’m not your enemy, otherwise I would’ve tried to kill you and the Doctor long ago,” Ascalon continued without showing a hint of emotion on her face.

 

“How can you still trust him after everything he’s done?” Kal’tsit barely whispered, venom seeping from her voice.

 

Ascalon just sighed briefly and said, “Listen, I don’t know what’s really going on between you two, but I saw what he went through together with Amiya with my own eyes. Yes, he had a moment of weakness, and it cost us dearly. Even still…seeing what I have of him over the past few years and before, I trust Theresa’s judgement of him.”

 

“But Theresa is gone,” Kal’tsit interjected, her eyebrows narrowing as her pupils burned with all the emotions her grief carried. Despair at seeing Theresa and her dream crumble, denial from the lack of closure the event gave, and rage at both those responsible and her own powerlessness.

 

“Her dream isn’t, and it’s her dream I’ll support,” Ascalon stated before stepping back into the shadowy miasma. Then, the mist fled back up, against the flow of entropy. Before it all left, the voice of Ascalon echoed one last time, “Even if it means I am one day, no longer needed.”

Notes:

So you've made it to the end. If you're reading this, sit down for a second and take it in.

So I do cross-post this fic on fanfiction(dot)net too. If you're interested in some of the things that led me to where we are today you can read those things.

Now for the actual message. Yes, Bagpipe did just ask Evan out on a date and yes, Evan didn't realize this until everyone else was pointing it out to him. Now, this doesn't mean these two are in a relationship. Well, not yet at least, but even so...if that does come to pass, just be prepared because I don't plan for Evan's first love to be his last if I can help it. Not to say the Bagpipe route is shut off, but if you've paid attention to the Arknights story between the Reunion Arc and What the Firelight Casts, I'll just say all the potential info on the future of this ship is there for when and why it might get taken out of service.

This is really just my way of saying, before you get upset and a naval battle starts developing over ships, suspend your disbelief. We'll have plenty of drama to milk with Kal'tsit and Doctor soon. :P

Chapter 36: Growing Pains

"Alright, now that everyone's here, listen up," Severin said from his desk before leaning down to hide his mouth with his interlocked hands. "At the end of the week, some Noblemen are coming alongside some of the Voices of the Empresses. We need to have a story set straight between all parties involved before then."

The room paused in unnatural silence as everyone grasped what was happening. Evan didn't quite understand it, but the fact that everyone in the room allowed that uneasy silence sunk the weight of the situation in.

This had been an attempted revolt. By an already oppressed people using the infected as shields.

"Pardon me," a soft, somber voice echoed within the silence, drawing everyone's attention to the owner. "But I don't believe you and I have been properly introduced, Schultz Severin. May I call you that?"

"Yes, if you introduce yourself," Severin agreed, giving his gaze to the man who had spoken up.

Walking forward from the crowd, Evan could get a good look at him. Everyone seemed to have a reaction. Light steel bluish hair dangled. Two spike earrings hung from pointed ears. Branch-like horns shot from the back of the head and a crown of black feathers to the sides. Everyone halted to watch, some showing recognition to the situation while others just blinked with wide eyes. Evan gave a cursory glance to Mudrock who showed a spark of recognition of some kind at this new face.

"I am an Elite Operator of Rhodes Island, codename Logos," his eyes darted to Mudrock before returning to Severin. "I am also a Banshee. For now, I would prefer to leave it at that."

Severin groaned, not missing the side-glance Logos had given to Mudrock.

"Alright, what do you want?" Severin asked before leaning back in his chair, but a suspicious glint remained in his eye.

"If I may, I believe Rhodes Island and the City of Wolumonde can come to an agreement. The arriving Noblemen and Empress Voices hold the power to make decisions on behalf of Leithanien, correct?"

"...Yes…" Severin admitted after much careful internal debate. His gaze flashed to Evan briefly as he examined the faces of everyone in the room.

"In exchange for a branch office and newfound clinic within the Zwölftontechnik Strasse district of Wolumonde, Rhodes Island will undertake the protection and responsibility of The Mudrock Squadron. All we ask is that you, the Schultheiß, put in a good word to smooth over this transaction."

"...Forgive me," Severin began while pulling out a cigar out of habit.

"Schultz Severin-san, put that away!" Suzuran ordered with a stomp and a pout. Severin grumbled and put the tobacco roll down. Even a man like him couldn't disobey the little light it seemed.

"What do you get out of this?" he asked with his head turned down, but gaze never leaving Logos.

"We fulfill Rhodes Island's mission," Logos explained simply. "Our duty here is to help the infected and all those affected by the recent catastrophe."

Severin gazed at each person once more, scrutinizing each of their gazes before turning back to Logos.

"Forgive me, but I personally have a hard time believing this."

"Did the actions of those before you not assist you in any way?" Logos asked without showing a hint of emotion. A logical argument, and an obvious attempt to build further trust based on what Evan and those with him had done.

Severin sighed then leaned back, looking upwards pensively.

"No, everyone did their best…and…I'm thankful that our city still stands at all." Severin paused for a few long moments as gears turned in his head before he finally spoke again. "Fine, I'll put a good word in with the noblemen for you. Can't promise they'll actually listen."

"On behalf of Rhodes Island, I thank you."

With that, Logos stepped back into the crowd, although he already stuck out like a sore thumb now.

Severin gave one more sigh before steeling himself and straightening his posture. "Given the situation. There are three requests I would like to make. First, don't mention me giving information about the Winterwisps. This stays in the room, but the Winterwisps' clashes with Leithanien in the region date back to the reign of the Witch King. If you truly value your safety and the safety of this city, keep that in mind. Second, no facts will be hidden. My report to the Noblemen and the Empress' voices will contain every necessary fact of the matter with regards to my viewpoint. I suggest all of you do the same as long as it does not interfere with the first point. Third, there is to be no speculation that can pin blame on any group represented in this room. Follow those three points, and we will continue to get along for now."

"I have a question," Folinic voiced with a raised hand after a moment of brief silence. Everyone watched with different levels of anticipation before the fierce mongoose collected herself to continue. "Who will we blame the murder on?"

"Biederman, of course. He was clearly the mastermind."

Folinic turned her gaze to Evan briefly. Despite it being only a flicker, he caught sight of that same fire in her eyes, hungry for answers and possibly vengeance. With that in mind he shook his head lightly. Folinic nodded back lightly. As her gaze fell back to Severin, however, she held her head down.

"...Thank you, that was all."

A silent wave of relief washed over many in the room, and Evan felt himself give a relieved sigh. Dur'nar give him a small pat on the back. He knew this was a sign that he did something correct, but his gaze still lingered on Folinic, the desire for answers still burning in her soul. A part of him sympathized with her, understanding that what she really wanted was closure to dampen her emotional pain. On the other hand, he had a responsibility as a leader and as a friend to make sure those emotions didn't make them lose sight of what was important.

"I should talk to her later…"

"Continue to keep an eye out for the missing persons. If I find anything, you will be updated." Severin paused to gaze at Folinic before adding. "I did promise an explanation after all…"

Folinic's only response was to give a tight nod as her fists continued to shake lightly as she stared at her feet.

Dismissal followed shortly after, and everyone began to return to perform their necessary functions, whatever that may be. For Evan, he kept his eye on Folinic, and prepared himself to start talking to her.

"Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time, Evan?"

Caught off guard, Evan turned around to confirm with his eyes that it was indeed the new face, Logos, who called for his attention.

"Yes…" Evan admitted with some level of unease, as though he was a child preparing to be chastised by a grown-up. Despite this clear demonstration of unease, Logos showed no change in his facial expression.

"Please, be at ease. I merely wish to discuss a few matters."

"Do we need to go somewhere? Because if it's about-"

Evan was cut off as Logos pulled out a bone pen and began writing runes in midair. Once the writing was finished, Logos muttered 'Conceal' in a language Evan should have no way of understanding, yet it felt as though he could tell what Logos was saying.

"Now no one will hear our conversation."

Evan took a moment to look around, and noticed that he could still see and hear everyone around them. A few glances from familiar faces confirmed that they could still see the two, and Evan gave a small sigh before saying, "I don't know if I'll ever truly get used to seeing literal magic."

"Are you referring to Sarkaz Witchcraft or Originium Arts as a whole?"

"Both, but since Ace, another Elite Operator, knows where I come from, I won't be surprised if you do too."

"Correct, as Elite Operators we have one of the highest levels of security clearance in Rhodes Island. My appearance here is indeed no accident."

"That at least saves me some explanation, but I don't think that's why you wished to talk to me."

"It certainly isn't inconsequential," Logos began. "Are you sure you wish to put yourself into even more danger this way? Even though you show no signs or risk of developing oripathy, going into a damaged power plant after a recent catastrophe will no doubt raise that risk significantly."

"I'm aware…" Evan almost muttered. "But, I want to see for myself what's going on. If all I'm doing is sitting behind and waiting, I don't think there's much I will learn. Besides," a pause to crack a cheeky smile, "If I am more resistant to oripathy, maybe Rhodes Island will get good data from it."

"I see…" Logos replied as he pensively closed his eyes and took a moment to breathe inward. "Apologies in advance, but please do not speak so lightly of your own life. Regardless of whether or not you are resistant or even immune to oripathy, you are of far greater use to Rhodes Island alive and healthy. Shining will be there, so my own worries are minimized, but I still have an obligation to warn you."

Evan nodded and affirmed, "Understood."

"Good. Now, there's another matter I wish to discuss with you…" Logos paused to look around before continuing. "While I have read everyone's reports, I wish to clarify something with your own words. Do you believe Mudrock is trustworthy?"

Evan paused for a moment, thinking back on his limited interactions with the strange sarkaz lady. Without her mask, Mudrock certainly didn't show much emotion most of the time, but from his interactions with her he could tell that at heart she was a kind and gentle soul. Everytime he saw her with Lisa she would smile for the young vulpo, and she was certainly honest and sincere. More importantly though, she had recognized the wrong she had done and was taking steps to correct it. With all those considerations, Evan didn't have a doubt in his mind what the answer would be.

"Yes, I think she's trustworthy."

"I see…good," Logos closed his eyes during the pause as the edges of his lips curved upward ever so slightly. "Thank you, it's hard to receive an opinion on us Sarkaz that isn't inherently biased against our kind."

"You called yourself a Banshee, correct?"

"Yes. There are many different clans and tribes that compose us Sarkaz. I am a Banshee, which affords me an innate talent in Incantation Arts, a form of Sarkaz Witchcraft that commands language."

"From what I understand originium arts with the use of language isn't exactly common, and often considered one of the more difficult forms to master."

"Indeed. The power of 'language' comes from rules and restraints, not from arbitrary imagination like most originium arts. By imposing constraints upon oneself, even someone such as you could theoretically make progress in the Incantation Arts."

"Huh…" Evan sounded before thinking about that to himself. From some tests done, it was found that his own originium arts assimilation abilities were extremely low. Not just low, but nearly non-existent. Even with the comprehensive knowledge brought by Skyfire's tutoring, he was only able to use a universal arts circuit. While it was something, a universal circuit is more like a single purpose tool rather than the versatility a staff provided.

"That will be all for now," Logos stated after a few moments before writing in thin air again. Once the incantation was written the word 'Dispel' sounded quietly from his lips and noise returned. Upon doing so, Logos gave a short gaze beyond Evan and nodded briefly.

A cursory glance in the direction revealed to Evan that a few members of his team were watching. Dur'nar gave a small wave with her good arm, Suzuran gave a short bow with her ever glowing smile, and Reed gave a nod back as her gaze fell just past him. Returning his glance, Evan noticed that Logos himself had seemingly vanished. At this he shrugged and walked over to ask a quick question.

"Hey, out of curiosity does anyone know where Folinic went?"

"Probably back to work. That girl's the definition of a workaholic," Dur'nar remarked. "We'll likely see her back at the inn later."

"I believe I saw Miss Provence shadow her, so you needn't worry," Reed remarked.

Evan gave an inward sigh of relief before thinking, "Good, at least someone's keeping tabs on her."

---

Folinic almost stumbled into her room that night. Flipping through old fashioned keys for various locks, including an office and various other rooms in the temporary clinic. She just wanted to go to sleep, but someone was already in her room, casually reading a book.

In his lap was a shining light happily listening to him read a book to her. As he read it to her, her head occasionally nodded down and back up as she tried to stay awake.

Seeing the sight, she felt a warmth swell in her heart briefly before little Lisa blinked and her posture and alertness changed. Forgotten was the child's fatigue.

"Folinic onee-san!" Lisa shouted with a smile before running over. Folinic could feel her fatigue wipe away as the light of joy ran to her with a beaming smile.

She had no choice but to open her arms and accept the bright little creature into her embrace.

"Hey Folinic, we've been waiting," Evan said before putting a bookmark in and closing the novel he had been reading, but she couldn't tell the words. While they contained letters she was familiar with, it was all arranged in ways unfamiliar to her. This confusion moved across her face briefly before she began to think about why Evan and Lisa were in her room. "Easy there, I just wanted to check up on you."

Suddenly, she became aware of her own expression, feeling the tension that had been pushing her jaw in place. She also felt one of her brows move up, but the tension remained. For a moment, she felt a sense of a shame and looked away, only to feel Lisa squeeze her tighter. With that, the tension began to ease and Folinic took a deep breath.

"Is this…about the meeting?"

"Yes. I just noticed you're still holding on to it all. Not that it's a bad thing, we all understand to a degree. Just…don't overwork yourself, if you need to take a break-"

"No," Folinic cut off quick and sharp. "I won't hear it. Working is…" she stopped, the words dying in her throat. Tension began to build across her body as she tried to face herself. "If I stop…"

Evan sighed before looking at her with sympathy.

"I may not understand, but I hear you…" Evan said quietly. "I'm just worried you're pushing yourself too hard."

"That's not your busine-" Folinic began before she felt Lisa push against her. Folinic met the child's eyes and saw her visage reflected in the child's wet eyes. Folinic let go, and Lisa was able to escape her grasp. Had she really been holding her that hard?

"Louisa," Evan called softly, drawing her attention back to him. "Look, I don't want to order you around, but I will if I have to. It's not just me who's worried about you."

"I…" Folinic tried to argue back as she shook her fists lightly. She then took a deep breath. "But…it distracts from thinking about…all that…"

Evan remembered their conversation and Louisa rubbed her arm, looking away guiltily while also carrying a blush. He remembered bits and pieces of the other night.

"You just need time, but if you want to tell me more, I'm all ears, same as always. I have plenty to work on too. I've…realized I'm not used to all this hardship…but this is the world I'm living in anyways."

"I see…I'm sorry…"

"Evan Onii-san…Folinic Onee-san…" Lisa said while looking between them before running to the middle of the room and looking at both of them. Once she was in the spotlight, under their attention, she rubbed her little hands together. "S-Sorry, but I don't think…"

She pumped her little hands downwards in sync, a sudden radiant look in her eyes. A determined expression tugged her lips as she used her own language to try and convey her feelings.

"G-Ganbarimashita-yo!"

Evan blinked briefly before smiling and giving a pump with his own hand, his troubles forgotten for now. "Yeah, we worked hard!"

Suzuran's lips curled upward in a smile before looking at Folinic expectantly, eyes practically sparkling with anticipation.

"Y-Yaaay?" she said a little nervously.

"Good go. C for effort nee-san," Evan gave in a joking deadpanned voice while giving a thumb's up.

"H-Hey! Not you too…" Folinic whined before bringing her hands up to her eyes, as though if she couldn't see them, they couldn't see her.

"Ok, ok…but Suzu-chan is right, we all did a good job," Evan cooed before patting the child on the head. The small light gave a few happy hums.

"...Huh?" Folinic asked before removing her hands, only to cover her face up again.

A few moments later, Evan removed his hand before taking Suzuran's tiny hand to lead her to the door.

"I have a big day soon, then we all have another one after that…we all need to rest."

---

The door to the Doctor's office slid open and soon a familiar silhouette flew in front of the Doctor's eyes.

"We need to talk, now," Kal'tsit ordered, holding a file to his mask. He noticed the handiwork and took a moment to think. "And take off your mask, before I do it for you."

"Kal'tsit…you've read it yourself."

"Then tell me why you haven't told me," her gaze sharpened. "Now."

"Come on, I just found out the news myself," the Doctor complained before pulling his hands to his face, and a soft click was heard.

It was then that Kal'tsit was reminded of his true nature. That face she said goodbye to for so long before releasing him from the sarcophagus on this landship over ten millennia later. Reminded how those few short years of hardship coincided with a sense of companionship she hadn't found for thousands. What Ascalon said the other day echoed in her mind, each remark a gong that reverberated through her soul with each heartbeat.

And that face looked like it would burst into tears right now.

She had only seen him like that one time.

It was that day that he broke off their engagement.

The day he woke up after Theresa had died.

"What…" Kal'tsit started, shaking lightly. When she continued, her shaking had subsided within the tight fist of her hand. "What happened that day? When she died."

"It's a funny thing, when it first comes to mind. I remember waking up."

Light flooded around him, from behind as a darkened void stood before him, engulfed by light as his shadow cast over the one waiting for his awakening to finish.

Kal'tist sighed then stood up.

"I'll go make us some coffee."

"No need, Ascalon told me," the Doctor said before pulling up some vintage Gaulish Wine. "Make some good stuff. We're going to need plenty of energy and an open mind."

Kal'tsit sighed and walked out. She remembered as well.

'Kal'tsit. I do not have much time left. Search for traces of life. Search for hope and a future. Kal'tsit…go, find your own answer. Find yourself…'

"Then why hesitate?" Theresa asked innocently just behind her.

"I know…but…the premonitions…the worry…or perhaps it's all conjecture…you have heard of him, in the first memories…"

Theresa grabbed her hand, gently coiling her fingers around the immortal lynx's. Kal'tsit squeezed back.

The sarcophagus began to creak.

"If it's someone that even the legendary Dame Kal'tist can put her faith in, then I won't be worried…"

"No Theresa," Kal'tist gripped harder as they waited for another attempt at the revival process to finish. "I'm sorry, but no matter how many contingency measures I may and will make for him, I cannot promise a conclusive result."

A simple light blinked green in success, and lights flooded out from the opening doors.

"...But this time, I want to believe."

Theresa smiled.

"Very well, then I shall believe too."

The doors creak as it slides open.

Kal'tsit returns with the coffee, and sees some fine stemless cups out with some wine already poured. Given by the fact that the Doctor was pouring his own cup in an already stained glass, it seemed he hadn't been able to help himself from starting the bottle.

"So…ready to continue?" he asked softly.

Kal'tsit still wore the same expression of that day as she silently poured the coffee into the glasses.

"It all starts there, the remainder of my living memory."

"This place…" he groaned before being caught in Kal'tsit's arms. "Is…it…time already?"

Time for what?

'WARNING: PRTS ACTIVATING, SIPHONING POWER'

The voice then changed to a familiar one.

"CONDUCTING SEARCH: Preserver…negative. Caerula Arbor…negative. Celestial Fulcrum…negative. ERROR NAME NOT FOUND…negative…"

"Search complete…no signal detected on any major frequency.

"No answer…just me…how long?" the voice of a man muttered from the sarcophagus.

"Accessing…Rhodes Island Data Banks…Ama-9 would you like to answer?"

The Doctor looked up. This was the ninth incarnation of Kal'tsit?

Why did she look so sad and conflicted? Data flowed in front of his eyes behind his mask, and his mind, augmented by the PRTS's access, gave him a full picture.

"Terra? Why…are we on Terra? A new set of languages?"

His eyes widened and he stood up to look behind Kal'tsit. Neither had ever noticed the figure behind had been holding her hand until moments ago. In truth, Kal'tsit had been holding his since he had stumbled out of the door.

"A new civilization…is born…?"

His focus shifted to Kal'tsit as tears flowed down his eyes.

"Kal'tsit…is it really you? You've been alive for thirteen millenia…?"

"Yes…" Kal'tsit said with a quivering lips as she observed this person, unfamiliarity, perplexity, and vigilance all flashed behind the faint filter of the mask. She moved her free hand to remove it. She senses panic, and a potential glare behind the soft blue light inside the helmet. Hot tears began to flow down her face as well. "Welcome home Al…"

Theresa clearly sensed Kal'tsit's unease and nervousness and waved briefly with a bright smile and a hand wave when she noticed the Doctor's gaze resting on her briefly.

"...You never left?"

"No…" Kal'tsit began. "From the moment I left this place until this very moment…I stood by their side…but I came back for you…Al…"

His eyes widened.

"I have…wandered…for thousands of years, living many long lives. Yet…here I am on the ninth. Never one day have I not wondered about you…wherever you ended up…I never forgot that question you left me."

"Have you defined the meaning of life yet?" The doctor asked before looking up to her face, a worried look, speaking silent volumes of sorrow and loss. "To me it was like I never said goodbye…but you have…"

"Yes, I've had to continue…but I have never once forgotten that question. To keep walking it…I've become a medical doctor."

"I see you have at least one companion…"

Information about Theresa stirred beneath the mask

"I must ask…what has become of Originium?"

Kal'tsit paused. Her smile fading instantly. Something within her seemed to shiver…a creature of sharp obsidian stone that now inhabited her spine.

More so his gaze drew to the crystals growing out of her shoulder. He couldn't read the rest of the report yet.

"It grows outside on the continent, feeding on life."

"I woke up too early…"

He looked at her. For the first time since his awakening, he saw shock run across her face. Underneath it was a pain that could only be found from living for as long as they have.

Why they? Who was he before that?

"You've…suffered…I'm sorry Kal'tsit."

He took a deep breath and stood up.

"Yes, we need your help."

"I see…that knowledge…you need a devil…"

His gaze fell upon Theresa.

"That is…Civilight Eterna…she possesses it…"

What is Civilight Eterna? Why did it hold such weight?

"What's her name…?"

"...Theresa…"

"The-re-sa"

Without thinking, he wanders forward, to take a good look at the lifeform before him. Theresa extends her hands and he extends his own. Theresa gently places her palms under and grips his hands. Light begins to shine from behind her as the sarcophagus's light fades. Despite the two devilish horns growing from the side of her head, he can't help but drink in the sight of this beautiful pink-haired lady bathed in a pure white that makes her look nothing short of angelic.

Her's is the second warmth he feels.

"Yes, that's my name…Theresa."

"Originium…you…together…" he mumbled.

"You speak our language?" she asked, shock evident on her face.

"I…learned…from…records. Not…hard," he said with a sheepish grin. Messy black hair pooling around his face as he read from his mask.

"Amazing…I was going to ask Kal'tsit to teach me your language," Theresa covered her mouth and smiled underneath her hand.

"You possess it…Civilight Eterna…and you've entered it…" Theresa's eyes widened, but her smile never faded. "What is your…civilization? What does…humanity…mean to you?"

She gently squeezed his hands.

"...I understand. Hm…Doctor…is that how you say it? Please forgive me. Keep holding my hands. I will show you…"

The Doctor cannot help but be attracted to the eyes of this creature that looks like a devil. Through her eyes, the one who lost a world sees it: Life.

"I'd say that was my first ever memory of this world. You know the rest…"

"What…took your memories then?"

"...Theresa did…"

"...I see…"

"It played in my dreams…over and over…and I can't remember why. The me before this persona of 'Doctor' knew, but that part of me has been erased...but you already knew that..."

Another drink was had as the Doctor slumped down on his office's couch while Kal'tsit stayed on the chair across from it, casually watching him. A strange reversal of intended roles. Kal'tsit has another drink of the strange mix of coffee and wine. She remembered the sleepless nights by his side, watching him sift through peaceful slumber and torturous nightmare. If she tried to inquire about the dream, he would usually just stop talking. 

"...I never told you how the nightmare began…if it had ended there, waking up in a world where she still smiled pure and unstained…it would be pointless to call it a nightmare…"

Theresa holds the hands of the one before her, as though reminiscing their first meeting.

All is not right though. The feeling of a still warm, red liquid that enveloped her hands and stains her pure white dress and the eyebrows arched upwards in a pure sorrow as the woman before him struggles to smile as she did that day. Her hands grow increasingly cold.

"Even though I knew this day would come…I'm sorry it had to end this way…" she admitted as she failed to hold back the floodgate of tears. "Just know that this is my little revenge…and my final gift…"

He felt his knees shake before giving way. As he fell, Theresa gently lowered him, cradling him close to her heart.

"Just know…I don't hate you…" she whispers gently while caressing his hair, where his ears listen to the fading heartbeat.

"...I love you."

Three words spoken chained him back to the present as his mind continued to be ripped away from it. Doctor was only able to keep his head moving as he gazed up, only to see the feet as blood dripped down from the hem of her dress and her hands.

Blood he had allowed to be spilled. For a purpose he no longer remembered.

"...If only we had more time…" Theresa's voice warbled in the Doctor's mind, as though he was under water, viewing reality through a narrow cone as he sank, drowning in an ever growing void of unconsciousness.

Wet footsteps echoed as Theresa slowly walked over towards the small figure of a sleeping cautus child. Each pulse of his heart sends a wave across his vision as he struggles to keep awake. The sounds fade into warbling nonsense as she hugs the cautus tightly, speaking softly into her ear as she strokes the child's hair with the gentle love of a mother.

Theresa lets go of the young cautus girl who slumps back, hitting the reddened floor with a wet splash. She cannot speak, she can only watch as Theresa holds out her hand and materializes a jagged crown. The Crown of the Sarkaz King, the Lord of Fiends, breaks into thousands of black pieces, some glowing a bloody red, before reforming itself in the blink of an eye to an equally jagged sword.

Fear and adrenaline floods the Doctor's mind again, forcing a burst of consciousness that finally allows him to hear one last sentence from Theresa's increasingly bluing lips.

"I'm sorry, Amiya…my dear child…it should have been my burden to bear...just a little longer…"

The sword pierces the cautus child's heart. Amiya silently screams with her eyes as hot tears flow down her face. That's when the last window to the world beyond the void shuts.

"You'll have to go on without me…because I'm so very tired…"

The Window Closes, and he wakes up in a hospital bed.

Kal'tsit pauses her drink, waiting for him to continue. Without knowing it she was holding his hand as he wept the story from his perspective for the first time. Something new settled within her. Theresa had left her a warning. One about the obvious, the same reason Theresis sat upon his temporary throne in Londinium.

The second about the fool before her, weeping for a loss for what seemed to be the first time. A warning not to his potential actions, but to simply giving him another chance.

They both had reasons to stay up at night it seemed, even still.

"Doctor…" she said softly in his ear. Her expression was the same as that day. Eyebrows arched in worry as her eyes gazed longingly into his. Her hand cupped his face. She had been there when the nightmares began. A recurring nightmare he only now just shared with her. "I…"

The words died on her lips, but the unspoken connection had been formed. Although he had been the heavier drinker that night; she couldn't help but feel the poison erode her judgement too. The two gazed at each other, letting their bond formed upon this land speak for them. It had only been a few short years since that terrible loss. A drop in the bucket to both their lives, but it was clear that these few years would persist for a lifetime and more within their minds.

The bottle was empty.

The Doctor tentatively inched his face forward, rubbing the ring on her finger. A reminder of a bond only they could share and did for a brief time.

"Are you sure?" Kal'tsit asked as a lump clogged her throat, trying desperately to hide her joy. Her ears flicked and wiggled though, giving her true feelings away.

"I always planned to give it to someone special, but seeing as how they're no longer here…I've been thinking about who I would give it to now."

Kal'tsit said nothing as she stared deeply at the ring that now rested upon her fingers. A content smile, full of happiness and joy that had been absent from her features for so long graced her lips as she felt tears of joy fall down her cheeks.

The Doctor gently gripped her chin, now sitting up. With his grip he gently swiveled her to meet his gaze. Both of their faces were flushing from the wine they had both indulged in. The poison within their minds erodes the shackles that bind them away from each other.

The Doctor inched his face forward, his gaze clearly on her lips. As he did so, he gazed into her eyes, gently asking for permission with a gaze that spoke of a desire they had left behind barely a few years ago.

Kal'tsit didn't say a word. She merely closed her eyes as the world faded around them. She knew there was so much left unanswered, but she didn't give a damn anymore. If the world were to end tomorrow, she would rather spend an eternity with him now.

"...Get a room you two…" a familiar voice complained in a whisper, from behind the door frame after peaking in. Despite Amiya's unheard complaint, she smiled as a warm feeling settled in her heart. Amiya placed a hand over the small light she had learned to look for over the years. Guided by their instructions. "...Don't make Mother Theresa sad..." The light she felt deep within flickered defiantly. "She might just be a little jealous…"

Amiya looked at the report in her other hand. A copy of the one leaked to Kal'tsit. She would have to thank Ascalon later.