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Chapter One
The day after the night, Boot Hill:
The sun was shining in through the window on the second floor in the big house of Boot Hill. The silver haired android grunted, turning away from the light and trying to fall back asleep. They had ended up in South Farm and had walked all the way to Boot Hill, since the horses didn't show up, for a strange reason. He and Virginia had been up almost the entire night, explaining to Shalte and Tesla what they had been doing the last month and why they were wanted by the Ark of Destiny. Now, he just wanted to sleep. He heard somebody sneak closer to his bed, but he just pretended to be asleep. The person came up to his bed.
"Jet, wake up! We were going to help Uncle Tesla and the rest to pick up the harvest today. Hey, wake up!" Virginia, how could he guess?
(Does she never quit?) Jet thought, still pretending to be asleep. He heard Virginia mutter something, and bent down next to him. He felt the bed topple over to its side, and before he could react, he landed on the wooden floor with a bump. He turned his head to the side, to see a satisfied Virginia smile down at him.
"What the hell are you doing?" He grunted and rose up. Virginia smiled.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. We promised to help with the harvest today, remember?" Jet peered at her.
"You were the one who promised, not me." He replied.
"Oh, come on. It's good for the body."
"Like the walk from South Farm to here?" He asked sarcastic. She shook her head, grasped his arm, dragged him out of the room, and down the stairs, ignoring the wild protests he made. Tesla and Shalte were waiting for them at the door opening.
"Good morning, you two." She greeted.
"Good morning Uncle Tesla, aunt Shalte." Virginia greeted. Jet just bowed his head, still trying to get his arm back. Virginia had warned them about Jet's personality when they arrived, so Shalte just smiled.
"I've made you some breakfast; you can join us once you're finished." Tesla and Shalte turned around and walked out through the door. Jet finally managed to pull his arm away from Virginia; he sat down next to the table and started eating, not saying anything. Virginia sat down in front of him and started eating as well.
"Weren't we supposed to look for leads on missions during the days we were apart, not playing farmers?" Jet suddenly asked after a moment.
"It's still three days left. And Uncle Tesla is going to Claiborne tomorrow, so we can go with him and look for leads. Under disguise of course. Plus, we get one hundred Gella for helping with the harvest." Virginia replied, Jet muttered something she couldn't hear.
"Stop muttering." She scolded; the android turned his head away.
Once finished, they went outside. Outside of the house were the other villagers, pulling up the harvest from the ground. Virginia led Jet to an empty spot, showing him the difference between a crop and weed. Jet looked away, not showing any interest. Virginia didn't notice his mood, so she went away to look for a spot for herself, leaving him standing there.
"Had I known I would change career from Drifter to farmer here, I would have split before she suggested that we split up." He muttered. Feeling he didn't have a choice, he bent down; grabbing something he thought looked like a crop, and pulled. Weed. He felt he was being watched, and looked to his side. A black haired, young boy named Neil watched him, and sniggered. Jet's face turned red.
(What am I doing here?) He thought, pulling up another weed from the ground. A sweat drop ran down Jet's head. Werner had only taught him how to survive the wasteland, nothing about farming.
"Could you use some help? Or should I call Virginia?" Neil teased. Jet glared at him. Giving it a last chance, he pulled out another crop, and this time, he got a carrot. He smiled at his victory. He carefully turned his head at Virginia's direction, so she wouldn't notice him watching her. She had already pulled out a half basket full. Jet threw his carrot into the small basket beside him and stood up. This was nothing for him. He walked for the entrance to the village, Virginia gave him a stern look, but he didn't care. Once next to the exit, he stopped. The wasteland spread out in front of him. He didn't see any tree or grass, only the loose sand moving along the wind, and a Bogle, a small demihuman monster, snooping around. Jet felt like home. The wasteland was his home.
"Can't wait to head back out, can you?" Asked a person next to him. Jet turned his head, Roykman stood next to the door to the ARM smith, his usual place.
"What do you care?" Jet replied. Roykman shrugged his shoulders.
"I get the same feeling as you every time I look out that exit." Roykman turned his gaze to the wasteland, before he continued. "Coming to a new town, seeing new faces, and get to know new people, is always a pleasure and a nice memory to hold onto. But at the end, I always get eager to get moving. I guess that the excitement of seeing new places and the feeling of freedom you feel every time you traverse the wasteland is what makes it impossible for me to stay too long in the same spot. Isn't that the same feeling you get as a Drifter?" Jet turned back to the entrance.
"Maybe. But that's none of your business." Jet replied. Roykman had known him long enough to know that Jet is always like that.
Jet noticed something moving far out in the wasteland, heading for Boot Hill. He tried too see if it was another demihuman. He compared the size of the creature with the Bogle he had just seen, judging that the creature was too big too be another Bogle. As it got closer, he saw that the creature was green, carried a chain with a spike ball at the end. It wore a blue shirt and a purple scarf on its head, a chain hung around its neck. In the face, it looked like an Orc to Jet. Virginia came up from behind him.
"What's the matter, Jet?" She asked.
"Something is heading straight for us." Jet replied without taking his eyes off the creature in the wasteland.
"What?" Virginia peered out at the direction Jet's lavender eyes faced, and now she too saw it. She thought at first it was a Orc, but it was to green and ugly for that, and they didn't carry spike balls.
"What is that?" She asked.
"How the hell should I know? Just another monster freak, that's all." Jet replied, pulling out the Airget Lamh. Now the creature got closer the entrance, it vicious smile was visible on its green face. Virginia turned to Roykman.
"Please tell Uncle Tesla and the others to seek cover and then hide yourself. We'll fight it off." Virginia commandeered. Roykman nodded and ran up the hill, where the other villagers were located. Jet and Virginia headed out through the entrance to meet the creature before it reached Boot Hill.
It grinned as soon as the two Drifters came up to it. He let the spike ball fall to the ground, alerting Virginia to cock her dual guns. Jet pointed his ARM at the creature as well. The villagers got into their houses and those who had their windows right at them looked through them, hoping to catch a glimpse of the upcoming fight. It inspected the two challengers, before bursting out in laughter that sounded like a howl from a deep ravine. He stopped after a moment.
"They're sending out two youngsters to fight me? Humans never seem to learn…" It said with a slight sarcasm in the tone, while shaking its head.
"The creature talks!? Never would've guessed." Jet taunted. Virginia was stunned at Jet's rudeness. Little did she know, that Jet was thanking the monster in his mind, and just happy to be out of farming work.
"Of course I can speak! What kind of world have I got into that thinks that demons can't talk!?" The demon spouted out. Virginia choked.
"You're a demon? Then, are you in league with Siegfried or Beatrice?" Virginia asked. The demon looked confused at her.
"Oh, you mean Zeikfried? Yes, I am. But how do you know about us?" The demon asked. Now it was Virginia's and Jet's turn to look confused. Zeikfried?
"Who are you?" Virginia continued.
"…I take it that you hadn't heard of us then. I am Belselk, one of the four Quarter Knights, which is the group of strongest demons on a planet we call Filgaia." The demon replied, his chest pouting out in pride. Virginia and Jet cast each other a glance, then turned back to the green demon before them.
"The Quarter Knights? Never heard of them. And to your information, this is Filgaia." Jet replied. Belselk looked stunned.
"What are you doing here?" Virginia implied. The demon turned back to her, his eyes turned from a confused look to a devilish look.
"I was looking for something to eat. Traveling through that portal and teleporting place to place made me hungry. That village over there looked wealthy enough to have some food in store. And I thought of having some fun with the humans while I was at it." Belselk grinned, swinging his spike ball in a circle in the air. Virginia stood to close, she saw the thing coming straight for her, and was about to jump to the side. Jet noticed and pushed her aside, making her fall on the ground. He ducked as the spike ball flew over his head. He pointed his Airget Lamh at the green demon's face. Virginia got up on her knees, and her hands still gripping the dual guns, hard.
"You're not going near my village while I'm around!" Virginia shouted, cocking her dual guns from her bent position on the ground.
"You'll just have to get your fun with us." Jet implied, his trigger finger itched to fire the ARM in his hand.
"All right. This should be fun. Just don't break before I can rip your heads off myself!" Belselk swung his flail at the android. Jet jumped in the air to avoid getting his legs cut off by the flying ball. He landed on the ground, opening fire the moment his feet felt the ground beneath. Belselk ducked, the bullets from the Airget Lamh pierced through his shirt and ripping pieces of it. Belselk got furious, and swung his spike ball straight for him. Virginia fired a blast, luckily hitting the spike ball as it came again for Jet, sending it out of course. Belselk got distracted; Jet came up behind him using his ability accelerator, and kicked him in the back. Belselk tripped forward, regained his balance, and noticed Virginia stand in front of him. He tried to charge at her, she slipped away, opening fire. Her bullet went straight into his arm, making him squeal out in pain. Jet dashed at his other arm, making him loose his grip on the spike ball. He growled at the boy, turned back forward, and stared into the mouth of two guns pointed straight at his face. He growled, and accidentally bit himself in the lower lip, causing it to bleed.
"How can the humans of this world handle ARMs? Humans shouldn't be able to…" Belselk growled between his teeth.
"You lost. Tell us, who exactly are the Quarter Knights, and how did you get here?" Virginia demanded, Jet came up and pointed his ARM at Belselk's back. Belselk grinned at her; his teeth were red from blood where he had bit his lower lip.
"Like I would tell you any more, then I already have. I underestimated you; you handled the ARMs better than I thought you would. But once I find my companions I'll be back, and that time, you'll stand no chance against us." His body started to thin out, and Virginia could see Jet straight through Belselk.
"Hey!" Virginia exclaimed, but before she or Jet could stop him, he teleported and vanished out of their sight. Jet showed his teeth.
"You should have just shot him." Jet grunted, pulling away the Airget Lamh. Virginia pulled her ARMs away as well, staring at the spot where traces of demonic silver blood could be seen.
"It doesn't matter now. If what he said is true, then there are more demons out there. We have to warn Clive and Gallows, before the demons attacks them and their villages. I'll write a note for Clive, and then we'll head to Baskar Colony!"
"About time. I was getting sick of that farming job anyway." Ignoring Jet's sarcastic words, Virginia turned back around and headed into the village, getting applause from the villagers along the way. She ran up the hill and into her house. Inside waited Tesla and Shalte, together with Roykman.
"Virginia, Jet, are you alright?" Shalte asked worried. She laid her hands on Virginia's shoulder, as to make sure there were no wounds on the girl.
"We're fine, aunt Shalte." Virginia replied. Shalte sighed in relief.
"You were spectacular out there!" Roykman applaud. Virginia nodded thankfully, before turning to her uncle.
"Uncle Tesla, I'm sorry but we have to go." Tesla crossed his arms, bent down his head being silent for a moment, then looked on Virginia.
"Very well. You have your reasons and I will not try to stop you. I had almost forgotten that you are a Drifter now, with wings of your own. Just be careful out there.
"Thank you that you understand, Uncle Tesla." Virginia replied. Shalte pointed up the stairs.
"If you are going to take a train from South Farm, you better disguise yourselves. That Order must still be looking for you. I have some clothes in our room that you can borrow. They should fit you." She said.
"Thank you, aunt Shalte. Let's go, Jet! Virginia ran up the stairs, Jet followed her walking, and the couple disappeared up on the second floor. It took a moment, before Shalte, Roykman and Tesla heard a shout coming from their room.
"No way!" It was Jet.
"Come on, Jet, this is the only thing that fits!" Virginia replied.
"If you think that I'm going to wear that, you're terribly mistaking!" Jet exclaimed.
"Oh yes, you are!" Virginia laughed.