"Do you know of any place that you may be safe to remain about here?" Azel enquired for Ranma, as she, the redheaded being, and Moad sat about the warm fire that protected them from the cold night desert air.
Moad looked to the sky, as if the stars would give him a location. Without any of the working instrumentation from his craft, he was clueless to his location, "Where are we?"
Azel could not very well answer that question, only knowing what direction they had traveled, "Southeast, I do not know how far." Ranma's tremendous speed made it nearly impossible to predict how far they've gone, leaving her just as clueless as their human companion.
"Southeast..." Moad pondered, "N-no, there is nothing I am familiar with to this region."
Ranma frowned, understanding, though just barely, what was said, "I will not leave you."
The former Imperial soldier felt more than gratitude towards the proclimation. In truth, he yearned to travel with them, to see what Ranma was capable of, and to discover their objectives. He had no intention of hindering them, lest it brought great harm to others he had a responsibility to, Imperial Soldier or not. But, from what he had learned of his two companions; the quiet, almost aloof Azel, and the powerful, yet concerning Ranma, he doubted any malicious intent.
"Thank you," Moad responded, closing his eyes, falling deeper into respect and admiration, "It has been a great experience in your presence."
Ranma made a peculiar sound, scratching the back of her head, before replying in a strange language that Moad could not place, even with his vague dialect and language training for identifying friends or foes of the Empire. He looked to Azel, who seemed amused at Ranma's expression, before speaking to the soldier, "It would be best if you slept, we may travel even more later."
Ranma nodded, before standing up, and walking just beyond the warmth of the fire. She shifted into a taller, gray haired form with flowing scarlet robes that swam like the fogs over Uru lake in the cool dawn. Turned away from his companions, Ranma stuck his hands into the sand, and focused energy into them until they were glowing red with the intense heat radiated. He waved his hands in a circle, forming a pool of molten sand, before pushing them down to deepen the hot liquid pit. He began to stroke his hands outward, forming a bowl with the melted sand, before gently shaping it, and subtly reducing the heat from his hands until they became cooling. After several moments, he lifted from the desert floor a haphazardly created glass bowl. With a smirk, he then cupped his hands over the bowl, and focused the coolness of his hands into the air around him, concentrating on forming a funnel of chill that directed into the bowl. Ranma knew the desert air was dry, but if he was fortunate enough, there just might be enough moisture in the air for this to work.
Azel came behind him, and watched with surprised awe, as tiny droplets of liquid seemed to form from thin air, and splatter into the bowl. "You can create water from nothing?"
Ranma had been so lost in concentration, he hadn't noticed Azel behind him, but didn't jolt at the announcement of her presence, "Water always in air, said learning master."
"Learning Master? An instructor or teacher?" Azel clarified, as she sat down.
Ranma nodded, continuing with his task, "Moad will need water, with us."
After several moments of silence, Azel spoke again, "Where are we going?"
"To underground. Monsters live within," Ranma's concentrated expression became pensive, "About me..."
"What about you?"
"Answers cannot understand." Ranma paused in collecting water, and looked to Azel, "Need you to help."
"I see," Azel replied, frowning, "Is it you only need me for answers?"
Ranma blinked a couple of times, as if trying to decipher what she had said, before his eyes went wide, and he was waving his hands frantically while speaking rapidly in his native language. A second after realizing she didn't understand him (and wasn't about to hit him), Ranma calmed down, "You... are friend. Need help from my friend."
Azel's expression softened, quelled by the response, "I will gladly help you."
Ranma smiled at her, before turning back to his task.
"Why do you do this?"
Ranma had to think about the answer, while completely understanding the ambiguous question, "Duty."
Azel was taken back by the response, "To who?"
"To all. I..." Ranma nodded, assured he used the correct pronoun, "I want... I supposed to. I will not hurt others, I will not... away... others. My duty."
Even through the jargon and half-formed sentences, Azel understood his meaning and nobility. Ranma felt it was his duty to protect them all. Was that Ranma's programming as a drone? Was he designed as a caretaker to humanity, possibly a counter-balance to the biomonsters that roamed the land with the original intention of maintaining balance of a manually cultivated ecosystem? Whatever it may be, it dawned on Azel that Ranma suspected their destination held the answers to such questions.
Even over the faint crakling of the fire, Moad caught tidbits of their conversation as he feigned sleep. Yes, he would not do anything to hinder them. In fact, it may be within everyone's best interest to provide all the help he could.
Moad awakened, finding Ranma sitting cross legged, facing away from him. With his training as a soldier in the Imperial Army, he was accustomed to waking up early, even without having to be revived by an outside source. He knew he had gotten up well before the sun would peak, and had to wonder how long Ranma had been there. Looking around, found their other companion surprisingly in what appeared to be sleep. He didn't claim to understand the drones, but the idea that they needed rest like he did put him more at ease in their company.
With the sleep quickly leaving his muddled brain, he approached the pigtailed being that allowed him to accompany him and Azel. As he came closer, he could Ranma shifting a bit, most likely awake. He didn't seem to be noticed as he came closer, guessing that the pigtailed being was deep in thought. He wasn't sure what would bother such a powerful creature, exactly what would worry a being capable of taking on the Imperial fleet with wreckless abandon, and knew that it was in his best interest not to find out. Nonetheless, curiosity was a powerful thing.
"What is it that bothers you?"
Ranma only turned his head slightly, apparently not surprised by the presence of the other, "You are awake."
"I am used to waking up early," Moad responded, "Have you been awake the whole night?"
Ranma looked ahead of him, causing Moad's eyes to follow. Before them were several apparently glass containers filled with some liquid, "Where did those come from?"
"Made them," Ranma responded, before getting up, and walking to them, "Yours for journey."
Moad wasn't sure what they were, but thanked Ranma for them, "Thank you, I think. Did you make those all night? Did you not sleep?"
Ranma faced the former soldier, "I do not need it."
Moad nodded in somewhat understanding, "A drone as powerful as you does not need sleep, I guess."
Ranma blinked, "Drone?"
The soldier tilted his head slightly, "A servant... from the ancient age."
"...Do not know." Ranma responded, closing his eyes, "Do not know where to come from, do not know my reason."
"Your reason?"
Ranma looked towards the budding day; a dim glow that began to separate the sky from the desert sand. "I want to protect Azel, I do not know any other reason for me."
"For you... what?"
Ranma shook his head in fustration, wishing he had a better knowledge of the language, "Much to get ready for." Ranm stood up, and walked to the glass jars he created, and filled with water. One by one, he lifted them up, and they seemed to disappear. Moad would have had his mouth agape in shock, if his mind wasn't already preoccupied.
"You do not know your purpose... your 'reason' for being."
Ranma paused, and looked back at his latest companion. After several moments of consideration, he carefully nodded, presuming that was the word he was looking for. He knelt on the desert floor, seeming to concentrate on what he wanted to say. "Something... knowledge I find, Azel will help me."
Moad couldn't say he fully understood, but expressed the comprehension that he had, "What did you find?"
Ranma knew what he said next would sound cryptic, but it would be too hard for him to completely explain, "Me. I find me." He stood up, and looked towards the makeshift desert sled he crafted to transport both Azel and Moad, "Must prepare, move before hot."
Moad watched Ranma walk toward the sled, before hearing the sand shift behind him. Turning, he found Azel looking past him with concern.
