Four people, all equipped with ARMs of their own, left with each other as they exited the oasis town, slightly refreshed from their brief stay, but more confused than ever. Catherine had answered many questions and added pieces to a rapidly forming puzzle, yet these only opened more doors of consideration, and this time, they led into the unknown. Virginia wasn't even positive they were doing the right thing, taking Catherine along with them and letting Clive brave the wilderness, alone and unarmed. The images of the three dead bodies flashed through her mind and she shivered. If Clive could inflict damage like that without a weapon, then she guessed he didn't have much to worry about, if he could control himself.
As for Catherine, she may have been an adept drifter in the past, but Virginia was still worried that she could get herself into a lot of trouble, even if she slipped up only once. Catherine was walking next to her in the lead, wearing hard determination openly on her face. She had replaced her sadness with resolution, and although she looked quite fragile, that alone made her tough enough to be a drifter. For a moment, Virginia imagined herself in Catherine's shoes, understanding then and there why she had chosen to come. She had lost her daughter, she didn't want to lose her husband as well. If she helped, maybe both of them could come back alive. The woman could accomplish nothing if she remained at her home, waiting for the inevitable.
Gallows didn't like this at all. After leaving the quiet and sleepy town, Catherine had explained to Jet and himself the reason they were missing one team member, and the truth made the Baskar apprehensive of everything around him. He only hoped Granny and Shane knew about all the things he was so embarrassingly unaware of, things that would be able to help Clive out. Jet was just moody, like a dark cloud had settled over his head and was contemplating whether rain or a thunder strike would best tick him off. "Let's move a little bit more," Suggested Gallows, putting on a burst of speed and moving to the front of their group, "Lombardia can't really fit in so close to the town."
"Don't let her hear you say that." Virginia warned him, thinking of all the damage an upset dragon could cause. It would be interesting to watch the results, but only from a safe distance away.
"Lombardia is the dragon you informed me about, right?" Catherine guessed. Back when she helped to excavate ruins, she had read many texts on the subject of Dragons, great beast machines that bore an absolute destructive power. Clive had told her about Lombardia before, but seeing a dragon with her own eyes would be an interesting treat.
"She may seem terrifying," Virginia reassured her, "But she is really quite nice once you get to know her."
"But isn't she a machine?" Catherine asked.
"It don't matter," Jet said defensively, interrupting them, "Who gives a damn if they ain't all flesh 'n blood, 'long as they-"
"Have a heart and soul!" Virginia finished for him, smiling and motioning to the silver-haired android. "Just like our very own Jet here!" The boy glowered at the interruption, but eventually realised he was being complemented indirectly and turned away.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Catherine apologised. She had forgotten that Jet wasn't exactly human and could be more likened to a scientific experiment. How insensitive she had been. "I didn't mean to-"
"S'okay. Forget it." He replied coldly, putting the topic behind him. It wasn't worth dwelling on. However ironically, it was that fact that made him the most talented one at contacting Lombardia from afar, wherever she may be. Jet closed his eyes and focussed his thoughts into the vast framework of telecommunication, if he did this right, he should be able to get Lombardia online.
Hey, dragon? Come over here, we need your help…
It was distant and laced with distortion, but Jet received an answer. Lombardia's voice had no sound to it, but it was also far too deep to define, depth and non-existence combined together as one. Sometimes, Jet could feel a kind of kinship with the ancient dragon, they were both creations that had no desire to be brought into the world, a world of sand and dust.
… Thy will be done.
Gallows and Virginia mentally eavesdropped on their short conversation, Catherine was left out because she did not hold with her a dragoon status. Gallows scratched his chin, the telepathic response came from far away, Lombardia had probably gone back to her volcanic den, which meant it would be a while until she could reach them where they stood. "Now, we wait," Virginia told Catherine, "She'll be here soon."
Jet looked around. Asides for dirt and rock, the highlands were empty. Strange, months ago, he couldn't stand here for so long without being bombarded by a horde of slavering monsters. It made him feel unnaturally old to admit this, but times sure had changed. The boy nudged Gallows to get his attention, pulling out his airget-lamh. "Call us a monster with your dolls. I feel like a fight." he ordered.
The Baskar sighed with irritation, as soon as the reference was made, the two Kramer dolls were animated in his inventory pack, squirming around like they were trying to crawl out and escape, eager to play their cursed mantra. It seemed stupid to him now, but a little while ago he had given the two dolls names, mainly because he was bored and needed some entertainment. The doll with the mini drum set was called Cosmo Kramer, he had no idea why, but the name had popped into his head one day. The same was true of the trumpet one, oddly titled Cid Kramer. Gallows sometimes wondered if the dolls were indeed bewitched like the old ARMsmith had warned him, and if so maybe the dolls were the ones who had named themselves. He took his ukulele out and look to see if it was okay with their leader.
Virginia sat down on a boulder, weather-beaten by constant exposure to the elements. "Go ahead, but leave me out of this one." She said, resting. Catherine was staring up into the sky, trying to locate the dragon that was to come. It didn't look like she wanted to fight much, either.
"You're on your own." Gallows cautioned, two pairs of glassy doll eyes peeking out of his tool bag. He plucked a note and the toys appeared, levitating on both sides of the Baskar, their own little instruments raised.
"Sure, whatever. I don't care." Jet loaded the machine gun and held it over his shoulder, awaiting the fight. He was looking forward to this, he hadn't fought in ages. His airget-lamh was practically screaming to be used. The short little tune was definitely not a symphonic masterpiece, it grated on the ears and had only a basic melody, but as it was played, sound waves dissolved into the ether and called every monster from miles around to their source. This contented the Kramer dolls deeply and their curse temporarily ended, becoming inanimate objects once more. After that, Gallows sat down next to Virginia, claiming a rather good seat to watch the festivities from.
Catherine eventually gave up on spotting the dragon and thought it best to be patient, moving away and giving Jet just enough room to await an encounter. Over her shoulder and near her gun, she had been quick-witted enough to grab Clive's bag of medical supplies before she left, and for something to do, she sorted through the stuff to see what he had stocked. Antidotes, peppy acorns, seed powder, several kinds of medicinal mushrooms, seasonings and a squashed sandwich at the bottom that had either been an overlooked lunch months ago, or a creative way of growing penicillin. Catherine looked at it and she could have sworn that it moved, deciding to swiftly pick it up with two fingers and discard the weird creation, allowing it to return to the soil.
Aside from medicines, there were other things inside that caught her interest, a deck of cards, several rocks of an unusual colour, an old travel guide that was practically falling apart and some kind of woodwind instrument, only half-carved out of a piece of lumber. She opened the guide and flipped to the first page, this book must have been borrowed because it had Ravendor's name printed neatly in the corner, Clive probably had forgotten to give it back. A slip of paper fell out between the pages and she bent over to reclaim it. It was a photograph, black and white, but familiar.
A Christmas photo, taken many winters ago, it was old enough for Kaitlyn to be a tiny babe in her arms and for Clive not to look as careworn as he did now. Yes, this was the first year of their marriage, only a little while after her father's death. Yet, they looked very happy, happier than what Catherine could remember. Maybe it was just her current situation getting her down, but the picture seemed to be of another family, one that was just a memory. Still, the photo made her smile.
She glanced up from the guidebook as she heard the sound of Jet hitting the ground and Gallows cheering, seeing the boy struggling to knock four twin tails off his chest as they ceaselessly scratched at him, hissing. He smacked one aside with his gun and ripped off another as it dangled from one of the shreds of his bandanna. The monsters were like rabid balls of teeth, claws and orange fluff, throwing themselves as Jet as soon as they were knocked away. He stepped back and accelerated his motion, watching with precision the animal flying directly at his face, yowling wildly. The cat flinched in midair as Jet let loose and filled it with hot lead, the thrill of the fight giving him a much sought after rush. He fell to one knee immediately after his metabolism slowed down again, simultaneously dodging another feline that went over his head and slamming his clenched fist to the ground, calling forth an elemental attack.
"Inspire!"
Behind Jet, the feline touched down onto the earth, landing with it's front paws and leaving it's hind legs in the air, the creature's regular posture. It screeched as a bolt of lightning struck it hard, crumpling and twitching, nervous system destroyed by the electricity.
"Yaaay, Jet! Go, go, go!" Virginia yelled from the sidelines.
By a miscalculated move, Jet stopped to glance at Virginia, lowering his weapon. The biggest and nastiest twin tail from the pack, the leader, pounced on him and latched onto Jet's throat, throwing him off balance and falling. A little trickle of blood ran down and collected into the hollow of his neck, Jet dropped his gun and grabbed the cat with both hands, trying to pry the thing off.
"Let go, Jet," A voice said, "Drop your hands, please." Jet obeyed the voice and removed his hands, really wanting the cat off him so he could pound it into the ground. There was a long whooshing sound and the cat was knocked away, heavy metal grazed Jet's neck and he rubbed at the scratch marks that stung a little bit. He heard a snapping crunch and jumped to his feet, hardly expecting any cavalry to come and lend a hand. A blemish of blood and orange fur was stuck to the end of the Gungnir, having clubbed one of the twin tails to death. Catherine felt shock claw at her insides, it was a peculiar sensation to fight again, she was surprised enough that the ability was still there.
"Don't just stand there!" The boy barked, "There's still one left!" He slapped a hand to his forehead, Catherine turned to him, unable to see the final creature behind her, about to strike. It's bright yellow eyes gleamed with feral malice, the pupil just a slit of darkness amongst an amber shine. It's two tails flicked around in the air, puffed out in aggression. A meow became a low hiss, and it leaped.
The last cat exploded in a mess of gore and fur, slammed several yards back and mangled into a pile of entrails, an impression in the ground smoking and marking the site of it's death. Jet stared at it in astonishment, before looking up at the dragon hovering in the sky, missile silos opened. Lombardia was still a crack shot when it came to heavy artillery, that was for certain. The power turbines attached to her sides blew wind in every which way as she descended onto the highlands impossibly slow, shifting out of aeromech mode and into a form that was much more draconic. Catherine held her hair out of her eyes, transfixed by the huge and hulking form of thousands of years worth of technology, presenting itself out right in front of her.
Thou hast summoned me. What is thy bidding?
"Hey 'Bardi," Gallows called, using a weird nickname that only seemed cute to him, "Great aim, as usual. You been practicing?"
If it were possible, Lombardia would have raised an eyebrow. Why dost thou desirest mine company? Speak, and let thine answer be known. By an unseen instinct, she detected the aura of a person who had not proven herself to be in her presence, the dragon leant down over Catherine, invisible waves of heat discharged from her baking breath. Who is this that stands before a dragon and does not tremble? No human has done so, and lived. She snorted, blowing steam everywhere.
"Hello." Catherine said meekly. "I am, um… The wife of one of your dragoons, L-Lombardia." The huge power that emanated from the dragon was so intense, Catherine felt like her soul was being crushed into the ground, degraded into what it really was in comparison to this titan, nothing. A loud humming was emitted from the dragon's engine, like it's breath rocked the earth itself.
Yes… It is shown… Using an ancient technique, Lombardia probed the outside of Catherine's mind, searching through memory and will for a truth that needed to be proven. Thou speakest the truth, tiny human. Yet, thine own wings have barely been spread again, what makest thou think thy can soar on great wings of steel, that many men have died to attain? Speak.
Jet reclaimed his gun that lay on the ground, kicking away the body of a dead twin tail. Was it just him, or were the monsters getting tougher? He acknowledged the arrival of the dragon and wandered over to the others, she seemed to be judging Catherine for the rights of a dragoon. Himself and the original team had tickets to the wide blue sky, Catherine did not. She should have thought of that before she resolved to tag along with them, they had to fight Lombardia herself for that privilege, and Catherine would die instantly if she were to try the same thing.
"… Were I to speak truthfully," Catherine replied, hiding her fear, "I could honestly say that I do not wish have such a privilege. I prefer the law of gravity, personally, and I do not think somebody like me is worthy of a title like that. But I… my choices are limited, and my time is short. Please, Lombardia. I must go with them, if the texts about your kind are correct, then you must be able to see my memories. You should know the reason why I come to you, and as a mother and wife, no, as a human being, I have to help them, in any way I can." Every word she spoke made her stronger, and in the end she looked straight up and into the eyes of the great dragon, it was like looking into the pits of all eternity. "Protection is what made me a drifter, and protection is what will make me a dragoon!" And all at once, as her speech ended, Catherine found herself back on terra firma, her determination spent.
…
Lombardia rumbled in a mood of indecision, sharp pointed teeth grated in her large maw. More steam billowed into the air, adding extra heat to the atmosphere. Virginia stepped up, though the dragon was her friend, she was still slightly intimidating. "You don't have to think of her as another dragoon," She informed her, "Just as a replacement for Clive until he comes back. You can trust her, we all do."
She got down onto her four mechanical legs, beastly face at the same level as the humans on the highlands, close to Catherine. The woman took a few steps back, trying to keep away from the burning heat of her breath. If…She boomed, If more people had a conviction like thou, tiny human mother, then thy world would be harmonious and less would suffer. Very well. Upon metal wings thou shalt fly, 'til it be known that thy family is reassembled.
"Thank you," Said Catherine, tears in her eyes, "Thank you."
Gallows elbowed Jet in the ribs, grinning. "See? If Lombardia thinks she's alright, then she must be! Though I don't think it's fair," He added, "That we had to fight her and she didn't."
The android shrugged. "It'll take too long anyway. Ain't we on a schedule?" He watched the dragon shift again into aeromech mode, a long hatch in her side allowing ingress. Sometimes Lombardia seemed more like an animal, other times more like a machine. If she didn't communicate to him on a regular basis, Jet would have felt like he was commanding a different variation of the sandcraft, not a living entity with thoughts and feeling of it's own.
Virginia led Catherine into the depths of Lombardia, her insides were like a white plastic room, a sort of seam running along the wall to give the room visible dimension. Nothing else was inside except for four seats, moulded directly from out of the wall. This was not what Catherine had expected, in all the ruins she had scoured through, many of them were bursting with technological wonders and terminals, if this dragon was the epitome of that vast knowledge, then she automatically assumed Lombardia would function in a similar way.
Anyway, at least the room was not cluttered, though it was a little hard on the eyes. The three drifters each got into their respective seats, the one on the far left remained empty, Catherine guessed that it had been occupied by her husband. She felt awkward standing all alone while the others were not, so she carefully got into the seat, setting her hands upon two white orbs that emerged from the long armrests the seat bore. The motion connected something to her mind and she relaxed, things were feeling better already.
"Screen on." Jet ordered, the previously white wall going transparent and relaying to them the image of the surrounding highlands, appearing smaller and more insignificant than Catherine had ever seen it. "Lombardia, prepare for lift-off, do you read me?"
Preparation is pending…
Virginia flashed a smile at their newest dragoon. "Sit back and enjoy the ride, Jet'll navigate for us, you don't have to do a thing." Taking her hands off the control orbs, she put them behind her head and absently watched the screen, the land getting further away as Lombardia began to climb. They barely felt any turbulence, the dragon had everything under control.
"This is remarkable, I feel I should be taking notes…" Catherine admitted, smiling.
Across from them all, Gallows scratched the back of his head and chuckled, finding something funny. "You know, those were the exact same words Clive said when he first got in here. I just thought you might like to know."
Their pilot moved his fingers expertly over the white orb that began to glow, an X and Y grid appearing to the side on one of the white walls. Jet locked in their destination swiftly, two little red dots appearing on the map, where they were, and where they wanted to be. He calculated the shortest route and executed the command, like a person who had total control.
"Baskar Colony, Lombardia," Jet said with authority, "And step on it."