Black Feather: Episode LII
"Effete Will"
Global Cortex Surface Base, Northern Cafeteria GCWC-NS/CF-00
9:34 a.m., 03/25
Garnet turned around. Qastor kept his eyes on his breakfast.
"Fine... We're going." He turned to her. Garnet shrugged.
"Yeah, I thought so."
"Are you coming?" Qastor wanted to make sure.
"Of course, I am. Bring your comrades, too. I have a feeling we'll need them." She turned to the doorway. "Call me whenever you need me. Just ask the registrar for the number."
Qastor opened up a map on the palm PC. A new location in the far west revealed an island. Geographical sensors show that the surrounding shores were steeply cliffed. He settled it down and devoured his breakfast.
"Who was that?" Qastor jumped when he saw Iris right next to him, her arms folded.
"Ah, Iris!"
"Who was that just now?" A tinge of anger forced itself into her words.
"It's not what you think, Iris! She came all the way here to talk abo-"
"About what?"
"Lucifer, okay? You know, that rebel leader from the other day." Iris unfolded her arms and took a seat across from him.
"What did she say?"
"Garnet? She wants to search for him." Iris had a doubtful expression on her face, and Qastor noticed. To prove himself right, he handed her his palm PC. "You see that?"
"What about it?" Within five seconds of browsing around, Iris did see. She looked worried.
"It's a mission from..."
"Qain!" That name aggravated the rain. "But... How...?" Iris was in disbelief.
"It just showed up this morning. I was surprised too." Qastor gulped down some apple cider. "Garnet thinks Lucifer could be there." Iris looked up at Qastor.
"Are you... gonna go?" Her voice was low, almost a whisper. Qastor gave a sigh.
"I have to... I have some questions about my past, and he probably has the answers I want."
"What do you know about your past?"
"My... dad once said I was an orphan... that the orphanage I was at burned down..." Qastor's words gradually lowered in intensity.
"The Orphans' Tear Tragedy..." Iris' tone was melancholic.
"You know about it, too?" Qastor looked down on his meal again. "After that, I was given to the Altair family... They say the children there were given out to random potential foster parents on a list, since there wasn't another orphanage in the entire district. I got stuck with the abusive family... Guess that's my luck, though..." Qastor scoffed. Iris was in dolor. She always had a loving family. A family that cared... She realized that she and Qastor are from different walks of life. "I've never been l-loved in any way in my life." He staggered a little on the word 'love,' since he wasn't used to saying it. In fact, this might have been the very first time he said that word aloud.
It was heartrending to Iris. She slowly placed a comforting hand on his clenched fist, which rested when he felt Iris'.
"How old were you when this happened?"
"I'm not sure... Probably about... three to four years old. I was really young, so I don't remember anyone there." Their eyes met. "You're going aren't you...?"
Iris nodded.
"I'm sure Rose'll want to go too... Maybe you should ask Malirant?"
"I will."
_____________________________
"Malirant." Qastor called as Malirant finished the last of his bench presses. "I gotta mission from Qain."
Malirant turned to Qastor confoundedly, his cotton towel hanging around his shoulder.
"I know it's a little crazy, but I need you as one of my consorts." Malirant thought about it for a moment, staring at a mosaic in the carpet of the gym. To clear things up a little, Qastor handed Malirant his palm PC and sat down next to him. Malirant skimmed through the mission summary, but deliberately re-read it to verify what it said. He remembered the recent dream, and handed the palm PC back to Qastor. "You coming?"
Nervously, he nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck afterwards.
"Thanks, man. Really appreciate it." Qastor stood up from beside Malirant. "Meet me at the hangar at 1700 hours. Don't worry if you're late or anything."
With that, Qastor left. Malirant decided that he had enough exercise for one day. He made his way back to his quarters to take a shower.
Qastor accepted the mission contract. Upon hiring a large-scale transport, the map was uploaded from the palm PC to the transport's navigational database.
_____________________________
Qastor and Iris sat next to each other. Garnet sat in the back corner, gazing out into the receding city lights. Rose and Malirant conversed, although it was tasking for her, since all he could reply with was a shrug, nod, or head shake. Always a man of imagination, Malirant detached a laptop from the seat in front of him and attempted to type what he had to say. But, even that was difficult for Rose.
However, there was an air of intensity in that passenger cabin. Five ACs rattled in the on-board hangar of the heavy transport. Malirant pointed out the window. Rose saw the coastline whoosh past below.
Reluctantly, the ocean stirred about. Silence and stillness overshadowed the whole cabin.
"Effete Will"
Global Cortex Surface Base, Northern Cafeteria GCWC-NS/CF-00
9:34 a.m., 03/25
Garnet turned around. Qastor kept his eyes on his breakfast.
"Fine... We're going." He turned to her. Garnet shrugged.
"Yeah, I thought so."
"Are you coming?" Qastor wanted to make sure.
"Of course, I am. Bring your comrades, too. I have a feeling we'll need them." She turned to the doorway. "Call me whenever you need me. Just ask the registrar for the number."
Qastor opened up a map on the palm PC. A new location in the far west revealed an island. Geographical sensors show that the surrounding shores were steeply cliffed. He settled it down and devoured his breakfast.
"Who was that?" Qastor jumped when he saw Iris right next to him, her arms folded.
"Ah, Iris!"
"Who was that just now?" A tinge of anger forced itself into her words.
"It's not what you think, Iris! She came all the way here to talk abo-"
"About what?"
"Lucifer, okay? You know, that rebel leader from the other day." Iris unfolded her arms and took a seat across from him.
"What did she say?"
"Garnet? She wants to search for him." Iris had a doubtful expression on her face, and Qastor noticed. To prove himself right, he handed her his palm PC. "You see that?"
"What about it?" Within five seconds of browsing around, Iris did see. She looked worried.
"It's a mission from..."
"Qain!" That name aggravated the rain. "But... How...?" Iris was in disbelief.
"It just showed up this morning. I was surprised too." Qastor gulped down some apple cider. "Garnet thinks Lucifer could be there." Iris looked up at Qastor.
"Are you... gonna go?" Her voice was low, almost a whisper. Qastor gave a sigh.
"I have to... I have some questions about my past, and he probably has the answers I want."
"What do you know about your past?"
"My... dad once said I was an orphan... that the orphanage I was at burned down..." Qastor's words gradually lowered in intensity.
"The Orphans' Tear Tragedy..." Iris' tone was melancholic.
"You know about it, too?" Qastor looked down on his meal again. "After that, I was given to the Altair family... They say the children there were given out to random potential foster parents on a list, since there wasn't another orphanage in the entire district. I got stuck with the abusive family... Guess that's my luck, though..." Qastor scoffed. Iris was in dolor. She always had a loving family. A family that cared... She realized that she and Qastor are from different walks of life. "I've never been l-loved in any way in my life." He staggered a little on the word 'love,' since he wasn't used to saying it. In fact, this might have been the very first time he said that word aloud.
It was heartrending to Iris. She slowly placed a comforting hand on his clenched fist, which rested when he felt Iris'.
"How old were you when this happened?"
"I'm not sure... Probably about... three to four years old. I was really young, so I don't remember anyone there." Their eyes met. "You're going aren't you...?"
Iris nodded.
"I'm sure Rose'll want to go too... Maybe you should ask Malirant?"
"I will."
_____________________________
"Malirant." Qastor called as Malirant finished the last of his bench presses. "I gotta mission from Qain."
Malirant turned to Qastor confoundedly, his cotton towel hanging around his shoulder.
"I know it's a little crazy, but I need you as one of my consorts." Malirant thought about it for a moment, staring at a mosaic in the carpet of the gym. To clear things up a little, Qastor handed Malirant his palm PC and sat down next to him. Malirant skimmed through the mission summary, but deliberately re-read it to verify what it said. He remembered the recent dream, and handed the palm PC back to Qastor. "You coming?"
Nervously, he nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck afterwards.
"Thanks, man. Really appreciate it." Qastor stood up from beside Malirant. "Meet me at the hangar at 1700 hours. Don't worry if you're late or anything."
With that, Qastor left. Malirant decided that he had enough exercise for one day. He made his way back to his quarters to take a shower.
Qastor accepted the mission contract. Upon hiring a large-scale transport, the map was uploaded from the palm PC to the transport's navigational database.
_____________________________
Qastor and Iris sat next to each other. Garnet sat in the back corner, gazing out into the receding city lights. Rose and Malirant conversed, although it was tasking for her, since all he could reply with was a shrug, nod, or head shake. Always a man of imagination, Malirant detached a laptop from the seat in front of him and attempted to type what he had to say. But, even that was difficult for Rose.
However, there was an air of intensity in that passenger cabin. Five ACs rattled in the on-board hangar of the heavy transport. Malirant pointed out the window. Rose saw the coastline whoosh past below.
Reluctantly, the ocean stirred about. Silence and stillness overshadowed the whole cabin.