Chapter 7: Live (Act 2 end)
Previously:
'Oh no… he saw my face!' Sephie grimaced at herself. She had forgot to wear her cowl.
"Zas?" Gid repeated, shaking the boy by the shoulders. "You alrig- woah!-"
"WRYYYYY!~~" Zastin exploded in a way which Gid had never seen before, perhaps seemingly in more ways than one. The boy dropped his sword and charged at the girl, who backed away against a tree.
"Wait-!" Gid chased after his younger.
"EEK! Get that boy away from me!" She shrieked, seeing the swordsman getting closer and closer.
Without hesitation, Gid leaped and spun, his tail followed suit and caught around Zastin's neck, yanking him back to the ground. "Oi! Zas!- huh…?" And as Gid violently wrestled Zastin on the ground, he noticed the boy's flushed face and wild eyes, lustfully snapping around.
"Let me go! I want her!" The ashen-haired teen yelled out, his eyes disoriented and desperately looking for the girl he had just laid eyes on.
"Snap out of it!" Gid yelled as he gave the boy a swift punch to the head.
"…zzzz….." But Zastin was knocked out cold.
"Goddammit…" Gid whispered under his tired breath, standing up next to Zastin. He turned his attention to the girl. "You've got some explaining to do." He told the girl, who now had her hood up. 'But… the way Zastin reacted… it was almost the same as those bounty hunters… what the hell…?'
Chapter 7: Live (Act 2 end)
"Ugh… my head hurts…" Zastin groaned, waking up.
"What is your name? Who are you, why are you from? What are you really doing here?" Questions one after another shot out from Gid.
"Uhghhh… where am I?" Zastin groaned as he sat up. "My head hurts…"
"Welcome back, pervert~" Gid winked, shooting the now hooded girl behind him a glance.
"P-Pervert, what-" But then it all came back to him as he looked beyond Gid to the hooded figure behind.
"I-I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what came over me- !"
"I do, it's called puberty." Gid quipped, earning him a glare from the swordsman.
"It's quite alright, it won't happen again so long as you don't see my bare face. But a better questions is," She said as she turned to Gid, how are you not affected by my beauty?"
"Your beauty?! You're calling yourself beautiful again-?!" Gid protested comically.
"Well I can't help it can't I?! Your friend over there certainly thought so!" She retorted, pointing at Zastin.
'She can't help it?' Zastin raised a confused eyebrow. "I… I don't get it… Who are you, miss?" Zastin asked curiously.
"Yeah," Gid agreed in concert, turning around to face the mysterious girl. "We've told you who we are, now who are you?"
The girl only gave a sigh in response. 'How am I going to play this…'
(Music for Mood: Gabriella's video – Logan OST)
"I am the daughter of a trader, separated from my group of traders when we were attacked."
"Attacked? By who?" Zastin asked.
"The three bounty hunters back there?" Gid wondered recalling their encounter.
"Yes. Those three have been hot on my-our tails for quite some time. In the chaos, I was separated and fled on a small ship. But it was shot down and I'm stranded here when my aircraft was damaged beyond repair." Sephie explained. The Devilukeans nodded in understanding, given their situation.
"Where's the wreckage of your ship now?" Gid asked.
"Two hundred and fifty kilometres away on a canyon in flames." Sephie sighed, prodding the campfire with a wooden stick.
"…" Zastin remained silent and Gid yawned. "So, what's the plan now?" Zastin asked aloud.
"I suggest we relocate to a safer more discreet location first. Out here in the woods, it's only a matter of time before those hunters catch up to us."
"Where would we go? This planet is uninhabited as far as we know it."
"It's uninhabited yes, but it wasn't always like this." Sephie answered. Zastin blinked in surprise at the revelation.
"How… how do you know this?" The swordsman questioned, eyeing the Charmian girl.
"On my way here, I stumbled across some ruins inside a small cave system on a mountain. It is not far from here in fact. I think we should head there tomorrow."
"Yes but you've been there before, don't you think they'll know?" Zastin presumed.
"Well if there's any suggestions, I'm happy to listen." The Charmian said.
"I have something to say, hm?" Gid interrupted as the two turned to the red eyed Devilukean. "Our goal, our only goal, is to get off this planet and head to Planet Deviluke. To do that we'll need a spaceship. A functional one." Gid gestured the wreckage that surrounded them. "The way I see it, there's only one simple solution: We need a spaceship, they have a spaceship." He said plainly.
"This feels somewhat familiar..." Zastin sighed.
"…" Sephie gave Gid a blank stare and raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Gid shrugged, "You think the ship we arrived in was ours in the first place?"
"So, we steal yet another ship." Zastin said. 'With three people… it might just be possible…'
"Oh c'mon~ Don't be like that! I promise this'll be the last time we do this." Gid slapped Zastin on the back as he stood up. "Tomorrow we head for the mountain with the caves for safe refuge, then device a plan!" He announced as he walked back into the ship wreckage, yawning. "That's that… yawn…"
"Is he always like this?" Sephie asked Zastin, who only laughed nervously while scratching his head.
"Hahaha… He's not one to listen. But when he has it figured out, nobody can stop him." Zastin said reluctantly. "I'm gonna go get some sleep, we've a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
"A-Ah, yea sure…! I won't be staying up long." Sephie said. "I'm just gonna sit here for a minute."
*Approximately 2am*
"Sephie… My sweet baby girl…if you have opened this message, then the worst of fates has surely befallen me and our remaining Charmian rebels spread out across this galaxy. Your mother and I loved you very much, and…" The holographic message played back at the palm of Sephie's hand. The pink haired Charmian sat on a log not far from the camp, alone, hunched forward as she listened to the message again.
"You lied to us." A voice said from behind her.
"…-!" Sephie jumped in shock at the abrupt interruption. With a swift push of a button, the video message disappeared from the digital screen, seemingly retreating into the girl's orange glowing forearm bracer.
"Please don't move." The voice commanded. Sephie's eyes widened with fear when she felt a chilling piece of metal lying on her shoulder. Sephie soon recognised the voice to be Zastin's.
"Z-Zastin-san, wh…what are you doing…?" She asked worriedly, not once turning around.
"What aren't you telling us." Zastin demanded. "There's another reason why you're being targeted is there?"
"It hardly matters now why I'm being targeted, what matters is that we get away from them right?" Sephie replied.
"Who are you, I mean who are you really?" Zastin demanded.
"You'd honestly think I'd reveal everything to strangers whom I've just met?" Sephie retorted reasonably.
"P-Perhaps not… but I…I'm not going to ask again..." Zastin said shakenly, his sword quivering in his hand. Then and there, images of blood flashed through his mind as his hands seemingly seeped red.
"I don't believe you're going to cut me down here and now, Zastin-san." The girl said, standing up and turning around to face the boy. "I believe you're a good person, an honest and noble person."
"Wh-!" Zastin gritted his teeth as he immediately averted his gaze from her alluring face, as tempting as it was. "T-Turn around!" The thirteen-year-old demanded, face flustered and sword shakenly raised.
"Besides, it's not like the two of you've been completely honest with me either." The Charmian said, taking a step closer.
"Wh-What do you mean...?!" The swordsman responded, eyes to the corners.
"The silver and gold pendant around Gid's neck. That is no ordinary pendant. It bears the insignia of the Trident, a symbol of royalty amongst Devilukeans if I'm not mistaken." The teenage girl explained.
'H-How does she know?!' Zastin's mind raced with questions. "Wh…"
"Oh please, any upstanding citizen with a classical education would know this." Sephie said. "So? It's my turn, who really are you two?"
"…" Zastin remained silent, lowering his sword. But a battle brewed within his mind. 'W…Why do I feel like I can trust her…?'
*A while later…*
"Let me get this straight," Sephie said. "Gid is the legitimate long lost descendant of the first King of Deviluke of house Lucione. And the ghost of the first king Davo has entrusted the two of you with stopping the great war… did I miss anything?"
"…" Zastin shook his head slightly.
"And does Gid have a plan to reclaim his rightful-" Sephie asked, but was interrupted.
"-Gid-nii doesn't know." Zastin replied, much to Sephie's confusion.
"But… if you tell him, don't you think-?"
"Gid-nii must never know!" Zastin warned sternly. "I promised the king I wouldn't tell him about his bloodline." He said.
By now Sephie was more than shocked. Here she was, stranded on a planet with the first outsider able to gaze upon her, who so happened to be someone of importance on a mission of the same caliber. Perhaps the boy was making everything up, and that they were just two Devilukeans orphans who were nobody special. But the honest nature of Zastin had struck Sephie as something admirable and fascinating.
"Who are you, Zastin?" Sephie asked, perplexed. 'To have something so monumental entrusted to some thirteen-year-old…'
"…I'm no one." The heterochronic eyed teen replied.
"I meant, who are you to Gid."
Zastin looked down, his blade giving off a hint of green glow in the night. "I am his appointed knight, and anything he needs me to be. Warrior, shield, protector, caretaker, brother, friend, killer, sacrifice, and everything in between."
"…Hehe… a knight huh?~" Sephie asked, then reduced into a fit of giggle. 'Well you certain talk like one, that's for sure.' She thought, amused by the child's claim. "The world hasn't seen one of those in centuries."
"Ha…" The swordsman let out a single chuckle, looking up at the night sky. "You go ahead and laugh, just like he does… But someday, when Gid-nii takes the throne, I'll be standing by him, in a suit of armor, a cape, with a handsome sword by my side." He said hopefully.
'His mentality, he's no ordinary thirteen-year-old…' Sephie thought in hidden amazement. 'Maybe I can trust these two weirdos after all…' She concluded as she turned and walked past Zastin towards the camp. "We'd best get some rest, o noble knight~"
"…You still haven't told me who you are." Zastin pointed.
"Perhaps if we get off this rock, I will give you two the chance to find out." The Charmian dismissed with a faint smile, disappearing behind trees.
*Next morning…*
*Music for Mood: The Shimmering Sands – Assassin's Creed Origins OST*
"There." Sephie pointed. "Can you see that mountain pass over there?"
"Huh…" Gid took the pair of binoculars from Sephie and looked to the horizon. The three stood upon a small slope. To the distance, a brownish mountain pass housed many a canyons and cliff faces. A desolate and rocky landscape. "It won't be easy." The red eyed Devilukean said, passing the binoculars to Zastin.
"But it's the best chance we've got." Zastin agreed, hauling a medium sized bag of supplies over his shoulders.
"Zastin did you get the V.I. matrix from the ship?" Gid asked.
"Yea right here," Zastin said, showing the segmented cube of technology. "Why do we need it anyway?"
"It's also the blackbox to the ship. If the bounty hunters somehow get a hold of this, they can trace us back to Moon Endurance and identify us. Best to carry it with us."
"Seems your resourcefulness makes up for your height~" Sephie chimed nonchalantly.
"You wanna go, ugly?!"
"Let's go!" Zastin broke the two off, dragging his brother down the slope.
Step by step, the rising sun ascended to the heights of the sky, basking everything in its warmth. And step by step the three teenagers marched. It was a perilous journey, not with predatorial fauna or flora, but with its harsh winds and unwavering heat. The distant horizon slowly becoming fuzzy and wavy. But still they pushed on.
*Hours later…*
With the slow day rusting over, the distant slowly but surely became not so much.
"Hah…Hah…" Zastin huffed, "How much further?" He puffed out, downing the canteen of water down his mouth.
Sephie held her forearm out before her, tapping on the screen several times, before receiving short beeps as reply. "My scanner says we should be closing in on a cool temperature pocket by the mountain pass to our left." If we head along this canyon, we should see the cave." She pointed.
"You reckon they'll find us?" Zastin wondered.
"They'd be blind if they haven't found our ship wreckage yet." Gid said, "With any luck, we should hit the cave before they can track us."
*Similarly…*
Up at the pale pink sky, a spec drew closer and closer, a spaceship revealed itself as it descended with a ripping engine cry.
"We're too late." The voice of a bounty hunter said as he exited the aircraft, stepping onto the small damaged field.
"It seems our target isn't alone." The second one pointed inquisitively. "Could it be… the Devilukean from before…?"
"We'll check around the wreckage, even if they have grouped up, they couldn't have gone far by foot." The first alien hunter said, its boar like snout drooling.
"I'll look for tracks, the two of you spread out and look for anything useful." The third hunter said, slotting his warhammer back to his holster.
*With Gid…*
(Music for Mood: Vault – Mass Effect Andromeda OST)
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Zastin physically shivered as he hugged his shoulders. His icy breath getting shallower with every step he took.
"Well, this is it." Sephie explained, hugging her cowl closer to her body.
"You said a cave…" Gid said, "Not an entire cavern system." He pointed, staring at the several different tunnelways that stood before them.
"Well I didn't really have time to explore the entire system being chased by those three hunters now did I?" Sephie quipped.
"Well one thing's for sure, it's damn cold in here…" The swordsman commented, running his hands on the face of the rock walls, when he felt bumps and lumps that felt out of the natural norm. "…?"
"What is it Zas?" Gid asked, eyebrows raised.
"I'm not…sure…" Zastin gave the rocks a closer examination, his blue and grey eyes widened with surprise. "G-Gid-nii…!"
"Look at this…!"
"These rocks…." Gid squinted as he leaned in next to Zastin. "These aren't rocks… they're pipes!" The Devilukean realised.
"Pipes…!?" The Charmian gasped, walking over.
"These pipes, they must've been here for many, many years..." Gid deduced, noticing the rusts and the way its ingrained into the very walls itself.
"What is this place…" Zastin breathed in fascination. true to Gid's words, the rockface, with all its natural lumps and bumps, hid distinct pipes underneath them, snaking all over walls, covering the ceilings, floors, and even spreading to the tunnels.
"Only one way to find out." The red eyed Devilukean said.
"A-Are you sure this is the best idea…?" Zastin asked hesitantly, looking into the ominously lit tunnels. "Maybe we need to stick to the plan and figure out a way to get off this planet, not get deeper into it…"
"Ohhh~ Is somebody scared...?" Gid murmured, disappearing and appearing swiftly behind Zastin, hands eerily crawling up his back to his shoulder.
"EEEK!~" The swordsman yelped and jumped.
"Hahahaha!" The elder Devilukean laughed out loud.
"Gid, Zastin," Sephie called, "My transceiver is detecting a pocket of warm temperature deep below the surface."
"Okay, now I'm curious~" Gid smirked, as he began marching down one of the tunnels.
"O-Oi! Wa-wait up!" Zastin called after his brother, worriedly looking back to the entrance of the cavern. 'Gahh… Let's hope we don't get lost…'
*Later on…*
The path was deep and steep, snaking and twisting down to depths new to the three, so much so that breathing was beginning to pose an issue.
But the three younglings pushed on, fuelled by the sense of adventure, beguiled by the sense of discovery, and the reluctance to be left alone; Gid, Sephie, and Zastin followed the crystallised cables by the cave walls.
Hours passed and night beckons. The trio emerged into a room after many hours of delving and exploring.
"Woah…" Gid gawked, looking around newly discovered cavern. Stretching as far as the eye could see, the cave sprawled out into an almost open landscape, tumbling into an underground ravine, where a darkish liquid waterfalled down to its infinite depths. Purple and blue crystals had long since replaced whatever torches were available in the walls. The protruding crystals glinted from all corners of the landscape, softly illuminating the scene.
"Beep Beep Beep…" The transceiver on Sephie's forearm rang loudly. "This is it."
"What is this…" Zastin breathed, unable to comprehend the landscape before him. To the centre of the room, before the edge of the ravine, was a large cylinder of many components, pillaring its way to the top of the large cavern. "G-Gid-nii…" The swordsman nudged his brother, diverting his attention.
"…?" Gid gulped in nervousness as the breath of steam and heat exhaled from the cylinder, which now began to segment and turn. "What is that…?!" Gid asked.
"It's…Some kind of divine machine…" Sephie trailed off, watching the cylinder further segment and turn, lights began to turn on from within.
"The entities approach." A voice bellowed as the earth began to shake a little. "Scanning…"
Without warning, three beams of light shone down from above, and soon lines of blue began running over the three aliens. "It's talking to us and…!" Gid pointed with fascination, but also looking around the cave nervously, pinpointing any exits if need be.
"Scanning complete. Entity 1 Composition: Devilukean, highborn. Entity 2 Composition: Devilukean, lowborn. Entity 3 Composition: Charmian, highborn. Entity 4 Composition: Virtual Intelligence detected, threat assessment: Minimal." The voice hollowed out, like two voices speaking at once, one feminine and one masculine.
The three teens all eyed each other in confusion and whispered to one another. "What do we do…?"
"Do we talk to it?"
"Is it dangerous?..."
"U-Um…" Gid started with feigned confidence, "To whom am I speaking to?" He projected loudly around the room.
"I am an experimental central governing artificial intelligence generation Q: codename Quantum. But to you who inhabits this planet, I am God, Creator, Gaia, Guardian."
"W-Who created you?" Gid asked.
"As of this age, there is no credible or accurate means of measurement or comprehension for that answer."
"Amazing… to think…who can create an A.I that can control and preserve an entire planet…!" Sephie gasped in amazement.
"This marks as the first re-entry to the inner sanctum after the Judgement. The entity wishes to know the why."
"We uh…" Gid trailed, 'Should I lie?'
"We need a way off this planet." Zastin said straightforwardly. "T-To stop the war."
"The…War...To which War are you referring to?" The A.I. inquired.
"The…Great War." Sephie clarified obviously with questioning eyes, but hearing no reply for from the machine, she elaborated. "…Five races… over hundreds of colonies across the Milky Way… hundreds… and thousands dead, planets ravaged, innocents slaughtered! All because of…!" Sephie cried out, tears welling.
"Be calm, child of Old Charmia. Your adrenaline is spiking." The A.I. spoke.
Gid and Zastin exchanged a look with each other. Seems as though they weren't the only ones passionate about ending the war.
"There is currently one aircraft detected on the face of this planet. Besides this information, I cannot provide you with a solution."
"Great…" Zastin sighed.
"However." The A.I. interrupted. "I am able to provide you a means of finding the solution."
"H-How so?"
"The three of you are in possession of a Virtual Intelligence Matrix, bring it forward." The voice instructed.
Zastin dropped the large sack over his back and retrieved the cube like object. "This?" He asked.
"Place the Virtual Intelligence on the quantum pedestal and step away." The voice commanded, and immediately, a platform rose up from the ground, rapidly constructed on the go with small metal parts.
"What are you going to do?" Gid asked, looking in awe and wonder as the crystals around the cave ecosystem began to light up, lights seemingly transferring all the way down to the quantum computer cylinder.
"The entity shall bestow upon it the gift of life, such is my right to do so, as God of this planet."
The cylindrical computer then began to compartmentalise, sectioning itself into pieces and spin, giving off a dull blue glow between its cracks.
"Verifying calculations… actualising…" The double-layered voice said, void of feelings. "Actualisation commencing…"
VVVVRRRRRRR….
"Woah!-" Zastin gasped, observing the cube on the pedestal, which now segmented into little cubes, though still keeping themselves in place to form a whole.
A while later, the quake subsided and the loud hum calmed, and all seemed to be well.
"Actualisation finalising… finalising… Welcome, new entity. Who are you?" The A.I. asked.
"I am…" Without warning, a static voice replied, this time from the scanner strapped onto Sephie's wrist.
"…I am…"
"…Atlas…"
'The Virtual intelligence is answering the AI… It's almost as if its…!' Sephie thought. "Self-aware…" She gasped.
"An artificial intelligence… born from a virtual intelligence. The entity shall aid you in quest to exit the orbit."
'Amazing…' Zastin gulped, looking at the pulsating cube in his hands, a soft warmth emitting from it.
"Why did you do this for us?" Gid looked at the quantum cylinder sceptically.
"Dimensional calculations indicate that allowing you to live is the best course for the survival of this galaxy."
"I don't understand!" Gid replied.
"Nor could you, son of Deviluke. Dare not presume to comprehend the will of God, for its paradigm will destroy you." The A.I. boomed.
Then all of a sudden, the earth shook, and dust and rocks began to crumble from the ceilings and walls surrounding them crackled. Soon after the ground beneath their feet split with a thunderous 'crack'. The quantum computer before them now bled red instead of its pale blue.
"What's going on?!" Gid demanded, pulling Zastin back from the cliff as Sephie followed suit.
"Processing overload. System wide cooling protocols activated." The A.I. read. "Best… be on your… way…" The static whispered.
"We need to get out of here!" Sephie looked around her. "This cave is going to topple over our heads any moment now…!"
Boom!
"Watch out!" Gid tackled Sephie to the ground as a large piece of crystal came smashing down to the ground where she once stood. "Oomf!-" The pair fell to the ground, with the boy atop of the her.
"G-Get off me already-!" Sephie stuttered, pushing the boy's face away from her chest, who gasped for air in slight embarrassment.
"M-My bad!" the boy and the girl stood up as they headed for the tunnel from which they came.
"G-Gid…!" At the same time, a rush of smoke seemingly filled the canyon, which was now not visible due to the impending haze of grey and darkness that drew closer and closer.
"Let's go!" Gid yelled, ushering Zastin and Sephie towards the tunnel.
Hastily, the three rushed and squeezed into the entrance from which they came, only to have their opening crumble and shut behind them.
"That was close…" Zastin sighed tiredly.
"We need to resurface."
Gid huffed out. "The air's getting thin…"
It had taken a while, but the three finally did it. Step by step, they managed to reach the mouth of the mountain side cave, marching on despite of the calamity that was behind them.
"Wahh…!~" Sephie breathed in relief as she emerged from the mouth of the mountain side cave.
"We actually made it…" Zastin said in comical disbelief, dusting himself off rocky and metallic debris. "Thought we were done for…"
"Yea, but it looks like we spent more time down there than we expected." The older Devilukean pointed whilst looking at the setting sky.
"It is currently precisely 11:45 pm in this planet's time zone, weather: calm and cloudy, with a 30% chance of perspiration." Atlas reported, its voice emanating from Sephie's scanner strapped to her wrist.
"WAHH!-" Sephie shrieked as Gid and Zastin onlooked with surprise on their faces. "How did you…"
"I took the liberty of enslaving your scanning device, taking full advantage of its processing power and data gathering capabilities." The A.I. reported.
"Please don't do that ever again without letting me know…" Sephie sighed.
"Very well, Master Sephie." Atlas acknowledged.
"Atlas why did you upload yourself into the scanner?" Zastin wondered. "And are you a person?" He asked curiously.
"The entity…I… wish to learn." The machine presence replied.
"Learn? Why would an A.I. need to learn?" Gid asked.
"I was created with the task of aiding the three of you in your journey. To perform this function, I must acquire data of the known world to expand my storage and processing unit. My purpose would be best fulfilled through machine learning and deriving meaningful information about the world."
"So you're asking us to help you… so that you could in turn help us help you help us?" Gid asked whilst Sephie giggled.
"Precisely, Master Deviluke."
"We still have a problem," Zastin reminded the group, "We haven't yet figured a plan to steal their ship."
"Atlas how long are nights on this planet?" Gid asked.
"Orbital spin analysis and galactic mapping indicates the night cycle to be precisely four hours long."
"Great. We'll set up camp and gather what little rest we can." Gid responded. 'Then we can discuss our plan of attack.'
"I do not require rest." Atlas voiced out as the three aliens sweatdropped.
"Then…" Gid looked at Zastin and Sephie weirdly. "Power down…?"
*Three hours later… Starship up above in the sky…*
"So they really did get together…" The bounty hunter said, twisting the rope in his hands.
"This is a problem…" The other sighed frustratingly, thinking back to the beating they received with shivers.
"If we snatch her now while the brat's keep, we might have a chance." The third urged, walking to the control chair. "I'm taking us in, get ready. And remember,"
"Be careful of that Devilukean kid, he's not normal."
*Dream...*
"They found us! Princess Sephie, you must head for safe harbour while you still can!"
"I'm not leaving without you Afriel!" The princesses replied strongly.
"I admire your strength and courage young one, but heed my words now, my sweet ward." Afriel knelt down, putting down her rifle as she cupped her hands around Sephie's adolescent cheeks. "There is hardly enough time to explain everything to you, just know that your father, may he rest eternally in Heaven, entrusted you to me for a reason. And that reason is for you to live. Live to fight another day, to carry on the bloodline of an untainted Charmia."
"F-Fight…?... I-I don't understand…!-"
"Take this," and from Afriel's hands, a golden disc with mysterious etchings and runes. "It contains a message from your father. The galaxy must heed, before Apollyon ends it all!"
"I… But what am I supposed to do?!"
"Go find the other Charmian rebel cells across the galaxy, spread the word, Old Charmia is doomed! You are our last hope now, princess."
"…I'll never forget you, Afriel!" The young girl said, running away with tears.
"Nor I you-" Afriel said, kissing the princess on the forehead. "Go now princess, Apollyon is near!"
"Fuahh!-MMm-Hmmmhmm-!-" Sephie gasped as her eyes shot open from the memory, but was even more shocked to find her mouth suddenly taped shut.
"Bag her!" A voice hushed. And not long after, the girl saw darkness. Squirming and turning helplessly, she was hauled over the broad shoulders of a bounty hunter.
'Success!' The bounty hunters thought collectively, wearily peeking at the duo of Devilukeans sleeping soundly nearby. The three gave each other a worrying look before hastily strutting out of the cave.
*Half an hour later…*
The rising sun had soon dawned on the cold icy cave, and the Devilukeans had gradually awoken one after another.
"Yawnn..." Gid stretched, "Jesus I needed that nap~" he mumbled inwardly, stretching out, his limbs and tail lazily sprawled on the floor.
"Ehh... Gid-nii... Where's Sephie-san?." Zastin stuttered, pointing to the other side of the cave.
"...?" Gid eyebrows raised as he turned and looked. "So she's gone, probably doing whatever girls do ya know. She'll be back." The raven haired Devilukean dismissed.
"No I don't think..." Zastin mumbled, walking over to Sephie's sleeping belongings. 'Padding scrambled and untidy... Backpack unopened...' But amidst his trail of thought, he spotted tracks and imprints along the floor of the cave.
"Gid-nii... We may have a problem..." Zastin said unsurely.
"What's up?" The brother replied lazily, strapping white tape over his hands along his forearm.
"Footprints... Multiple sets!" The swordsman identified, looking at the dirt foreign to the clean rocky cave. "There was a struggle here!"
"Are you sure...?" Gid asked, walking over to examine.
"I'm going to look around!" Zastin announced hastily, exiting the cave entrance, where he almost tripped over an object on the ground. "...?!" He bent over to pick it up.
'That's... Sephie-san's scanner...!' Zastin realised, picking it up from the ground, dusting it off.
"Zastin?" Gid asked, "What'd you find?" He walked towards the boy. Wordlessly the boy held the scanner up. Gid's eyes widened up in surprise, and the two slowly exchanged a look of urgency.
"Bounty hunters!" They both said in unison.
*Further away… uphill…*
Along a wooded hill, three bounty hunters scampered away further and further into the woods.
"Mmm!Hmmm!-" the girl tried her best to scream, but was muffled by the brown sack over her head. 'I can't do anything tied up like this...' She thought frustratingly.
"Stop struggling! That boy of yours can't hear you now!" The bounty hunter hauling Sephie boasted gleefully.
"Hah...hah... Can I rest, just for a bit?" The bounty hunter said, huffing from the nonstop running.
"No, the ship is only another fifteen minutes away. And we don't if the two brats have caught on already."
"Tsk." The bounty hunter sighed, but knew he had no choice. 'Surely we can't lose to them this time. Or Apollyon won't be pleased.'
"G-Guys!" But the third bounty hunter whimpered, pointing to something down the side of the cliff. "…Oh crap…"
"It's them!"
(Music for Mood: Cap's Promise – Captain America Civil War OST)
"There they are!" Zastin exclaimed, pointing his sword up the hill. "Sephie-san!"
"After them!" Gid rallied his brother as they sped through the woods, cracking branches and rustling leaves in their wake.
"Sir Zastin, I am detecting electrical signals from the direction you are currently following, it is most likely a mid-sized spacecraft."
"How far?!" Zastin asked.
"Approximately 10 minutes from your location."
"Let's move it!" Gid called out, "if we don't get to them in time they'll fly off with their ship and Sephie!"
It was a wild goose chase up the hill. But unburdened by the weight of a hostage or supplies, Gid and Zastin slowly started to catch up the hunters. It was the most gruelling ten minutes of their lives, and Zastin was starting to tire. And soon enough, Zastin legs finally gave out, seemingly melting to the ground.
"Zastin!" Gid ushered, stopping for his brother. His eyes furrowed as he looked forward, seeing the bounty hunters running further out of the woods towards the cliffs edge.
"Huff...huff... Go on without me Gid-nii! I'll catch up!" The swordsman waved off. And with a silent nod and a pat on the back, the Trident tailed boy took off in an instant.
"There's our ride!" One bounty hunter said.
"Oh thank god!" The one carrying Sephie exclaimed.
"Don't yap, just get her on board NOW!" the boar like hunter said, activating a button on his remote as the rear panel of the ship lowered into a slope, allowing the three to enter.
"SEPHIE!"
"There he is! Close the door and start the engines!" A bounty hunter called out urgently, throwing Sephie onto the floor of the ship as the hunters took their respective seats on the aircraft.
'That voice… Could it be...Gid!?' she thought in darkness as she attempted to wiggle her way to freedom.
Just in that moment, Gid emerged from the woods and reached the edge of the cliff. There he saw the bounty hunters' aircraft. He could feel the deep increasing hum ringing in his inside and the warming of the air bashing his face as the ship slowly elevated from the ground.
'It's taking off…!' Gid shouted inwardly in frustration, looking all around for a solution. He looked towards the left, and saw nothing but the cliff's end. He looked to his right, and saw woods as far as the eyes could see. And Looking back, He could make out Zastin's form emerging from the forest.
'I have no choice!' Gid thought, running under the spaceship. The Devilukean hopped up and grabbed the skid of the ship's rear with both hands.
"…!" The bounty hunters blinked in surprise as they felt the ship suddenly rock backwards but remained in their seats. Sephie on the other hand was thrown to the rear of the aircraft, where the sack over her head fell out.
'Did something get caught?' Sephie thought.
"It doesn't matter, now, engage main engines and warm up the drive cores for hyper jump!"
"GID! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Zastin called out.
"Most likely!" Gid called right back, swinging his body as he dangled closer and closer to the cliffs edge, his feet skidding along the rocky ground, kicking rocks into the abyss that was to follow.
As he neared the edge, his feet now found no solid ground to stand on. He was about a meter away from the cliff, and what little time he had, he used his momentum to swing his body, pulling the ship downward with his weight. And in that moment, his shot his tail out behind him, the trident tip anchoring into the rocky cliff face securely. His left hand dug into the rocky surface and held onto some tree roots protruding out from the rocks. His feet and tail now pressing on the cliff side.
A herculean hold.
"AHHHH!" Gid's struggled as he held the cliff with his left, and the ship on his right.
"Gas it already!" The hunter said as the other pushed the lever forward, triggering the rear engines fire.
"...!" Gid struggled as the spaceship he was holding onto stretched him out, pulling on his arm. His face dripping with sweat as the engine blasted out a continuous stream of heat.
"Gid-nii!" From a safe distance, Zastin cried out in genuine worry.
'I feel like I'm going to be ripped apart...!' But still the Devilukean persisted, quickly switching his grip on the cliff to an underhand grip. It was perhaps the heaviest thing he had ever held in his life. "I can't hold it for long!"
"W-What should I do?!" Zastin quivered.
"Something! Anything!" Gid begged, clenching his teeth and closing his eyes.
"A-Atlas, any ideas on how to get this ship down?" Zastin asked.
"Sir, if you scan the ship, perhaps I can identify potential exploits or weaknesses." The A.I. replied.
"Right." Zastin huffed as he carefully brought his left arm up and his hand open, pointing towards the struggling ship. Then from the scanner, a net of green light emanated, flashing and casting over the surface of the vehicle in bursts.
"What is going on?!" The bounty hunters quarrelled frustratedly.
"Something is definitely holding this ship back! Without enough speed, the hyper drives can't charge up for the jump to outer space!"
As they argued, Sephie had managed to wiggle her hands free of her bounds. She rubbed her wrists in relief and crept towards the side of the ship, looking through a small window.
"...!" Sephie's pink eyes widened with a small sparkle. She didn't think he was coming back for her. She pressed up against the glass and watched the boy with nervous and hopeful eyes.
"Sir, the scans indicate that their piloting software is unprotected, if you give me two minutes and a clear line of sight, I can generate a backdoor and assume control of the aircraft." The A.I. pointed.
"Do it!" Zastin commanded almost immediately. "Gid-nii won't be able to hold it much longer."
Meanwhile with the boy at the cliff's edge, Gid looked left and right nervously as his strength neared his end. But in that moment, he caught a glimpse of Sephie's face from the other side of the window. He steeled himself and clenched his teeth and grip as hard as he could. Through sheer effort, he pulled and contracted his left arm. "Gnaaahhhhh!" He seethed out, curling his left arm as his body drew closer and closer to the cliff.
"I don't believe it..." Zastin stuttered in awe as he witnessed the ship being dragged back by his brother.
"Sir, the backdoor is ready for transmission."
"Initiate!" Zastin gave the order.
"Modulating… standby for transmission…" The scanner around the boy's forearm then began to light up in gold as a light hologram of a gauntlet traced over Zastin's hand, streams of light pulsing and converging at the palm of his hand.
VVRRRrrrrr….
"What just happened?!" The bounty hunter said, taking his hands off the control stick and the levers.
"The controls aren't working!"
"What do ya mean not working?!"
"I mean the ship is flying on its own!"
"What?!"
Then without warning, the spacecraft rocked and shook, as if it had a life of its own.
"Gid WATCH OUT!" The swordsman yelled out as he saw the ship began to reverse course, levitating backwards at an alarming rate.
"Whoaa!-" Gid immediately let go of the ship, scuttling back up the cliff face and ran for safety. As he did so, he could feel the shadow of the aircraft looming over him, increasing in size.
He jumped forward and summersaulted on the ground, dodging the ship in the nick of time as it crash landed back atop the cliff.
Eventually the boy recovered and stood up.
"Are you alright?!" Turning his head, he was met with a worried Zastin, who came running to his side.
"I'm...I'm fine... I think…" But he was far from it. Huffing and puffing, Gid was evidently exhausted, his left arm and tail showed signs of burn as smoke sizzled out from the bloodied wounds.
"S-Sephie!" Gid remembered.
*Inside the starship…*
"Ugh…" Sephie awoke after a brief period of unconsciousness, eyes blinking open in confusion.
'Where am I...' but then it all came back to her as she abruptly sat up, looking around the ship.
It was a mess, with stuff and furniture toppled over.
"Cough cough..." One bounty hunter choked, lying on the ground in pain.
"Christ... We almost died..." He stuttered as he pushed himself off the ground. There he noticed his fellow bounty hunter lying next to him, blood pooling from his head.
"Fuck..." He muttered, checking the dead man all over, looking for signs of life.
"Stop her!" The other remaining bounty hunter called out and ran towards Sephie with his weapon drawn. Urgently, the girl slammed a button beside the rear bay door, waiting for the door to open.
"You're not going anywhere!" The bounty hunter growled, now grabbing the girl by the wrist.
Amidst the struggle, Sephie's hood fell off her head, exposing her face. The bounty hunter promptly halted his grip.
'I have no choice!' Sephie thought as she looked at the hunter directly in the eye.
"Stop Breathing." Sephie whispered sensually.
Much to the other bounty hunter's horror, he watched as almost instantly as his friend seemingly obeyed her command, letting go of the girl's wrist and promptly fell on the floor. Gurgles and light hoarse gasps escaped from the man as he helplessly writhed on the ground, and his eyes were purple with bloodshot until he was no more.
"What the hell…" The last remaining bounty hunter turned away from the scene with horror.
"The doors are opening." Gid pointed, holding his right shoulder in pain.
"They'll get what for." Zastin drew his sword, protectively stepping before Gid.
Suspensefully, the rear door came all the way down, and out ran one pinked haired girl.
"Gid!" She called out.
"Sephie…?!" Gid and Zastin realised, flabbergasted at the turn of events.
"Are you alright?!" Sephie asked, running to Gid's side.
"Y-Yea…" The Devilukean responded.
"GET BACK HERE YOU WITCH!" The voice from within the ship soon emerged as the last remaining bounty hunter.
"Stand back m'lady." Zastin warned as he approached the hunter. "Let me handle him."
'Fuck… the others are dead, our ship is down, and she's with them…there's no way I'm getting outta this…' Thoughts and escape plans raced through the hunter's head, but he was at a cliff's end, there was really only one realistic way to go.
"There's nowhere to go, bounty hunter! Surrender and face justice!" The swordsman spoke, stepping forward.
"It matters not if you kill me, I'm just a small fish in the big pond. Apollyon will get what she wants eventually." The hunter said, raising his hands. "If you wish to kill me, then so be it."
"…." Then for a while, Zastin stood, the black and green sword in his hands was visibly shaking, which did not go unnoticed.
"Oh…" The hunter chuckled, "Is this your first time threatening someone?..." He taunted. "You must be what, like thirteen?"
"S-Shut it!" Zastin seethed. But his heterochronic eyes widened as he saw his hands, now thick with blood.
"It's okay, don't be shy boy, here I'll help you out~" The hunter continued, taking steps towards the boy. "All it takes is one poke through the heart, and its done." He said. And despite with Zastin's sword raised, he continued forward.
"Or would you let your little friends know just what a coward you are." He taunted further, now walking into the path of Zastin's sword.
Zastin breathing quickened as he quickly glanced at Gid and Sephie behind him, watching on tensely.
"G-Gid… maybe we should-"
"-No…" The Devilukean shook his head.
"But he's got a weapon!"
"And so does Zastin." Gid explained. "Believe it or not, this actually works out better for him. He's so attuned to swordplay that any other form of foe he goes up against is difficult for him. Now that the playing field is even, they're both on equal ground. But the catch is – in the field of swordplay-"
"Face your death with honour!" Zastin chanted, stepping forward with simple stabs.
"You're outta your depth kid!" The hunter growled, returning the favour with wild diagonal swings.
Naturally, the Devilukean replied with controlled retreats, making contact with the sword with his own.
"-Zastin has no equal." Gid finished definitively, a sure glint in his eyes.
Ultimately, Zastin anticipated an overly done strike. He countered by stepping forward and poised his sword with a high right guard to deflect the strike, and at the same time stabbing forward.
A master technique.
Splurt!
"Ku-ahhk!-..." the end of Zastin's blade founds its way through the man's throat, skewering the man.
Zastin flinched slightly as he pulled the blade from the man's throat. Blood trickled out from the wound as the man gave a few limp steps back, ultimately falling to the ground.
With Sephie's help, Gid stood up and walked over to the fallen hunter's body, picking up the sword from his hands. He then turned to Zastin.
"Hey you alright?" He asked, handing him the old sword.
"I-I'll be fine..." The swordsman responded, sheathing away both swords by his side, a perplexed look lingering on his face.
"..." Sephie watched from behind the Devilukean brothers, observing the horizon behind parked ship at the edge of the cliff. It was proving to be rather interesting to make them out, one moment they were bickering with each other, but the next they had gone above and beyond for a complete stranger that had just met.
'Maybe I can trust them after all… Zastin… and Gid…~'
AUTHOR'S NOTES: HI ALL, ITS BEEN SO LONG SINCE IVE UPDATED, I KNOW
SO HERE'S AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER FOR Y'ALL!
NEXT ACT WILL SEE THE TRUE BEGINNING OF THEIR WAR TORN TALE, SO STAY TUNED!
AND AS ALWAYS, MORE CHAPTERS STILL TO COME!
REVIEWS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED AND LOVED!
CRITICISMS ARE ALSO ACCEPTED.