A/N: Big thanks to Aevari, Taee, and nico, for proofreading this chapter! Sorry for the lack of updates. There was a bit of an issue regarding my posting schedule as well as other side projects but now I'm back! Enjoy!
"Temperatures nearing uncomfortable threshold," Remy reported.
I'm aware, Eve replied through their shared network.
"Outside isn't much better," Moby added, "It has the heat plus more sun. It's better down here."
Her eyes scanned over the sweat covered faces that filled the small, dimly lit passenger cabin-if one could call it that. It was more like a hastily converted cargo hold. Shelves had their upper half torn away to function as benches to sit on. Safety restraints were non-existent, and the only source of light was at the room's doorway that connected directly to the cockpit above them. The metal walls were warm to the touch and were the only things separating the group from the hot desert sun. It did little to muffle the loud rumble of the rotors and much of their voices were drowned out every time the pilot revved the engines.
Each member of the El Search Party looked just as miserable as the next. Raven, as calm and collected as he often was, couldn't sit still and had removed his coat that he had initially brought to protect himself against the sun. Elsword sat in the corner, quietly running an arm over his forehead every now and then while he seemed to float around in his own head in thought. Rose was sitting next to Cleri who still carried the ornate looking box with her everywhere she went. Her drone Zero had transformed itself into a fan just big enough to work between the two of them. Even the Queen of Nasods was feeling the effects as she withdrew a small handkerchief and wiped the bead of sweat running down her cheek. Out of the entire party, however, the Blazing Heart seemed the most aggravated by the heat. Her heel tapped rapidly as she waited to arrive at their destination. She was leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she stared at the floor, drops of sweat falling onto the hot metal under her. She was grating her teeth and seemed on the verge of losing her composure.
A series of dull thumps from the cockpit could be heard calling for attention. The pilot's voice could be heard above them, barely audible through the stairway door.
"Five minutes to drop off! Though… we have a problem."
Eve saw Raven glance at Elsword who was nearest to the door. The red-head sighed and wordlessly volunteered to go see what the problem was. He picked up his sword and carried it with him to the cockpit, leaving the rest to cook a little longer in the oven.
"I hate this place," Elesis muttered, still staring at the floor, and speaking just loud enough for the others to hear. All eyes fell on her.
"I hate it," she repeated, "It's so hot here I can barely think straight. The people here are irritating. The cost just to exist in this place is ridiculous."
"Just hang in there, Elesis," Raven reassured her, "We'll be done with this place soon enough."
"How soon?" the Blazing Heart asked, "We gave ourselves a week, tops, with the funds we had if we were careful. It's day three and we're already broke. We don't even have enough money to pay for the trip back, much less eat. Elsword spent the entire day yesterday looking for odd jobs but there was essentially nothing but slave work for what little they offered in return.
"Three days, Raven. We've been here three days and we're flat broke and nowhere near getting our job done," she then turned her attention towards Cleri who had taken it upon herself to make herself as scarce as possible by burying her nose in a book, "If only Miss Ambassador, here, stood her ground when she spoke to that asshole at the castle, we would've at least had a scheduled appointment with 'His Greatness', whoever he is."
"Like you did any better," Rose retorted, "She was getting to that part when someone had to butt in and make a scene!"
"She was going to accept a slot months in the future. Again: day three, we're flat broke."
"It was a lot better of an option that being outright banned from ever setting foot in the castle ever again!"
"It's not my fault he had a stick up his ass!" Elesis argued, the cabin getting noticeably hotter as the Blazing Heart's magic began to cook the air around them.
"It is your fault!"
"Ladies, please," Rose's drone, Zero, said as he transformed back to his default state. He flew between the two, acting as a floating obstruction that kept the two from going for each other's throats. "Boss, I think you gotta let this one have her way."
"I'm not letting her push us around."
"But, boss, she's Elesis. You know what she's capable of."
"That doesn't give her the right to berate others for her mistakes."
"I'm right here, you know," Elesis growled.
"Good, then I don't have to repeat myself!"
"Humans are so quick to deflect blame on themselves, even when they are clearly at fault," Remy stated.
"Elesis was mean. She's being mean now," Moby replied.
Eve fanned herself as she observed the two women alongside her drones. To her, this was all a waste of time. Within Eve's personal heads up display that hovered in her peripherals, the most prominent window was the large red 60% display that she couldn't help but glance at every few seconds. It wasn't due to tick upwards for a few more days but that did little to help that bit of anxiety building at the bottom of her gut.
Like Elesis, she didn't want to be here. Dragged along for the sake of gaining an audience and only possibly gaining a lead on who she was searching for, she felt that she had more productivity staying within Sander city walls, deciphering the strange decrypted Nasod signal. Ever since they flew out of the city, the signal vanished, leading her to believe that whatever the source was would ultimately lead to who she was looking for. It had to be. The Ponggos had said that the individual was an expert in Nasod coding. Surely that person was the source of this Nasod signal.
But out here, she was getting nowhere with decrypting it.
Furthermore, Eve agreed with Rose in regards to the nobleman who tasked them with this job. She didn't trust him. Having only met twice, once during their initial meeting and again when he met the rest of the El Search Party later that night, Thironin, a man claiming to have the ear of His Greatness, had instructed Cleri to speak to the leaders of Garpai Village on their behalf. What he meant by this, he couldn't disclose to Cleri's "bodyguards" but after filling her in on the situation in private, he insisted the others accompany her for protection.
Once she was beyond earshot, a pale-faced Cleri whispered to Eve that she'd tell everyone about it didn't sit well with the entire party and it was overtly obvious in the heavy silence that hung over them during the flight and had reached a head with the fight between Rose and Elesis.
"That's enough! Both of you," Raven interjected, "Elesis, settle down before you boil us alive."
"Not until she admits that we're only here because Cleri is incompetent. I've been saying it since we've left Velder and I stand by what I've said: I don't think she has what it takes and this entire trip is a waste of time."
"Okay, I get it," Cleri murmured, finally pulling herself out of her hiding spot behind her book, "I'm not a good people person. I'm shy, and it's hard for me to speak against someone who opposes me."
"You got that right," Elesis muttered.
"But we were given another chance. I was given another chance. All we have to do is talk to the mayor of Garpai Village. I've spent all night last night writing up the perfect speech to give them and if there's anything that I'm confident about it's my ability to persuade people if I was given the time to prepare myself. I know we can do this and if it guarantees us an audience with His Greatness, then I'll do it to pay you all back for being forced to come all the way out here for my sake. All I ask is that you let me do my job. No interruptions. Just me talking to the mayor."
Elesis eyed the girl indignantly, doubt clear in her gaze, "And if the mayor starts pushing you around?"
"You watch how I handle it. Afterwards, you can judge me however you please," Cleri nodded."
The red-headed woman appraised the woman quietly. After a moment, Elesis turned her head away, crossing her arms, and giving an annoyed grunt.
"On… a lighter note," the noblesse chuckled, "I think I'm getting over this motion sickness. I only feel slightly queasy. As long as the airship doesn't jostle around so much I should be fine."
"Better than having to clean up your puke, I guess," Rose muttered, leaning back on her seat and turning her head away from Elesis, mirroring the Blazing Heart's ire.
"Nice to see you two getting along," Elsword said, descending the stairs back to the lower level, "Everybody ready up. We're getting off this ship soon."
He spoke in a heavily resigned tone and as he stepped into the room, a dark red light illuminated the room, indicating the large metal doors were opening. All the while, Eve felt the ship's engines power down as it began to descend.
"What is it?" Raven inquired.
"The village is at the edge of a really thick sandstorm. We can't get in any closer to it so we're going to have to hoof the rest of the way from here."
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Elesis was clearly not in the mood to joke around at this point.
"Does it look like I'm joking?" the young knight scanned the rest of the room, and for a moment his eyes met Eve's. The Nasod looked away, "Come on, everyone. Let's get this job over and done with."
He was so different, now. Gone was the brash optimism that she had found most endearing about him. In its place was this dutiful, almost desperate, need to make sure everyone knew what they're doing before they acted.
The entire ship shook as it landed at a slight angle along a large sand dune. The cargo doors at the back of the converted passenger cabin shuddered open, greeting the party with a hot blast of air and blinding sunlight. The doors fell open the rest of the way with a loud clang, kicking up a cloud of sand that blew into each of the passenger's faces.
"I hate this place," Elesis shouted for the third time, wiping the grains from her eyes.
Not too far from their landing area stood a daunting wall of wind and sand. So thick was the storm that it almost looked as if it were a solid surface in the distance. The howling gusts could be heard under the loud rumbling engines.
The red-headed leader waited for the others to ready up, with Rose being the last among them as she strapped on strange devices to the heels of her was dressed in thin fabric that not only let her body breathe but also covered her extremities from the unforgiving sun. Strapped to her hips and back were an assortment of utility equipment including a spare flask of water and what looked to be an emergency pack. Comparing her to the rest, Eve could easily see just how much better prepared Rose was than the others. All the rest just brought a water bladder but carried the same uniform and equipment that they have always worn for work, a choice that was clearly ill fit for the conditions ahead.
"Let's move," Elsword said in a half-grunt and took the lead as they stepped into the hot desert.
"My orders are to wait until your job is done," the pilot called from the stairway, "Don't take too long. I'm not being paid by the hour."
"We'll take as long as necessary. Until then, you'll have to wait," Raven replied, getting an unhappy string of Sander vocabulary thrown at him.
The rest of the group exited the airship, climbing up to the top of a rather steep dune that dipped a great distance down towards the sandstorm. Elsword could be seen already halfway down the descent while Rose assisted Cleri who was having trouble finding her footing.
Once the airship was out of sight, Raven turned to the noblewoman.
"Before we began our journey, you spoke with that member of the council, Thironin. He told you something that you clearly didn't like. What are we getting ourselves into?"
Never the one to beat around the bush, it was expected that Raven would be the first to ask. Though now that the question was put out the rest of the group, with the exception of Elsword who was almost at the bottom of the decline by then, were looking to Cleri for an explanation.
"I wasn't sure if the pilot was in on it either," Raven continued, "So I thought It'd be best to ask after he wasn't around to hear."
"It's probably good that you didn't," Cleri muttered, struggling to keep her balance as she took each step down with as much care as possible. The box was held tightly around her chest and even as she jostled it around, nothing could be heard rattling inside. "It's a political matter and if the pilot is aware of what's going on, he might have left us here if you weren't cooperative. Since it's a delicate matter, your presence might very well be needed if things go awry."
"Tch," Elesis spat, "Of course they'd be roping us into their political affairs. Let me guess: they want us to kill some leader or something that's been oppressing their border security?"
"No. It's a bit more complicated than that. You're all present as a preventative measure. I'm supposed to speak to the leaders of Garpai Village and discuss their relationship with Sander and the Caluso."
"Caluso?" Raven raised a brow at her, "What are those?"
Rose chimed in at the question, "It's the name of the native Sander population that stuck close to their traditional roots. While much of Sander has grown from its wealth, a large portion of the native tribes splintered away from those who pursued a more materialistic ideal. Decades pass and this divide is so apparent one wouldn't believe a Sander civilian could have once be related to a Caluso."
"Okay," Raven rubbed his chin in thought, "And where do we fit in this talk you're having?"
Cleri paused as she tried to find the words to explain, "Sander and the Caluso tribe are in the middle of an armistice. They've agreed not to fire among one another but rather than rebuilding the rift between them, it seemed to do nothing but widen the gap. Tensions between them are higher than ever and Sander, looking to uphold this armistice, wanted a more… subtle approach in taking the desert for themselves. That's where we come in.
"Garpai village sits along the border between Sander and Caluso territories and serves as neutral territory for the two sides. Garpai Rock is an excellent vantage point and whoever controls the village controls a powerful forward listening post for opposing activities."
"I think I see where this is going," Raven muttered, not too happy with what Cleri was explaining so far. The woman nodded.
"Thironin wants me to convince the village leaders to open their border to Sander troops. Since we're not associated with Sander, our actions doesn't necessarily break the rules of the armistice… So it's up to me to sway the leaders' opinions on doing just that…"
"And if they say no?" Elesis asked.
Cleri didn't answer. Her face grew pale, again, as she tried to find the words.
A blue message box appeared above her head, catching the other's attention.
We kill them.
Eve, who had been tailing behind them, finally caught up. Despite knowing who she was, Raven, Rose, and Elesis looked at her in disbelief, as if waiting for her to say she was joking. Cleri's eyes fell to the ground as she did not deny the words hanging above her.
Another message box.
Cleri has spent all night working on a means to convince them. I've read it over. It's long winded, but I've seen the logic and reasoning she put into her notes. She is quite knowledgeable in the art of negotiation. I believe she can do it.
"And if she can't, then we slaughter an entire village?" Elesis shook her head, "Fuck this. I'm not working for someone asking me to kill innocent people."
Another block of text stopped her in her tracks as she was just about to make her way back to the airship.
The pilot said he wasn't leaving until the job was done. I doubt he'd be allowed to take you back if you asked.
"Oh? And what about you, Eve? What about the rest of you? Are you just going to do as your told, then? Just walk in there and take innocent lives?"
"Cleri hasn't spoken to the leaders yet," Rose argued, "If we just give her a chance-"
"As if! I've already seen what she was capable of! I wouldn't put my trust on her!"
"You're the one that messed it up last time!" Rose began, once more.
"Everyone!" Elsword had climbed halfway up to the others, his face hot with anger, "Stop arguing and get down here. Now!"
"Did you not listen to what we're getting into?"
Elsword dashed Elesis' words away with a quick dismissive wave, "I don't care what it is. We have a much bigger problem now."
He pointed at the bottom of the dune, just at the edge of the sandstorm wall at a small, barely visible, disturbance in the otherwise smooth decline.
A giant screen winked into existence in front of the rest of the group as Remy flew closer. Zooming in towards what looked like a bump in the sand, revealed an ivory-colored cloth flapping against the wind. Zooming closer, one could see visible dark stains along the fabric. It wasn't until Remy flew directly over the object did it become clear what they were looking at: a body.
Dried from the sun, but not decayed enough to be bones, was a lifeless husk of a villager, half buried in sand.
"That's not all of them, either," Elsword continued, his face contorting to a deep grimace as he turned back towards the storm, "There's more."
"How many are we talking about?" Raven asked, stepping forward as he switched to rescue mode.
"See for yourself."
Elsword made his way back down the decline and the rest of the party followed. Before Rose and Cleri could follow, however, burning blade was drawn and held at their level.
"You two stay back," Elesis ordered.
Rose sneered at the red-head, "Like hell we would! We're coming with you."
"With her in tow?" the Blazing Heart motioned at Cleri, "Our job is to keep her safe. What kind of idiot would insist on bringing her along when there's clearly danger ahead? We'll handle this."
"Who're you calling an idiot?!"
Raven stepped forward, placing a hand on Elesis's arm and prompting her to lower her sword. "Rose. You're going to have to forgive our friend's blunt nature. She's a bit irritable as of late."
"I can see that," Rose snorted.
"But she's right. You should stay back and protect our client. We'll assess the situation at the village and come back when our work is done."
"But you'll need me," Rose argued.
"I don't know if you've forgotten or if you just haven't gotten it through your head, yet, but we're the El Search Party," Elesis said, "We're more than capable of getting the job done. We don't need your help. Now stay back like a good girl and watch the ship for us while we handle the dirty work."
Rose looked as if she were about to lose her cool when a hand touched her shoulder. Cleri stood next to Eve, quietly shaking her head at her. The markswoman shrugged her hand off but remained silent, garnering an approving nod from Elesis who then turned to the Nasod.
"Eve? Do us a favor and make sure they stay in the airship?"
You don't need my assistance?
"As much as I'd appreciate your presence, right now I'd rather keep this one in check," Elesis motioned at Rose.
Eve sighed, brushing her hair back.
As you wish. Be careful out there.
"'I'd rather keep this one in check.' Hah!" Rose kicked a pile of sand in frustration.
"Rose…" Cleri sighed.
"Blaming the guy for having a stick up his ass… If anyone has a stick up their ass it's her!" She kicked at the sand again before stomping the hole on the ground.
"Rose, that's enough."
"Who does she think we are? She's always looking down on us like we're nobody; like we're some kind of baggage that they have to carry around. I can carry myself thank you very much!" the blonde turned to Eve who was sitting at the cargo door entrance, "Is she always like this? How do you even deal with that bitch?"
The Nasod tilted her head at Rose. She shook her head no.
"No? No, what?"
A blue text box appeared over her head and Rose sighed as she was forced to read Eve's response.
Elesis means well. She is more aware of her faults than she lets on. I believe she feels guilty about it and needs to atone for what she did in someway. Putting herself in danger for your sake is the only way she knows how.
"Huh," Rose mumbled, quite surprised by the explanation, "Well, she doesn't have to be a complete bitch about it, you know."
She's not familiar with you or your capabilities as a fighter. If I were in her position, I'd be hesitant, as well, in bringing you along when I can be much more coordinated with Raven and Elsword's fighting style. They are members of the El Search Party, after all. They're accustomed to the idea of very few being able to match their prowess.
Rose turned to the Nasod quizzically, "Aren't you a member, too?"
Eve hesitated to answer before averting her eyes and slowly shaking her head. Rose looked as if she wanted to press further but relented, sighing to herself as she balled her hand tightly into a fist.
"I am a capable fighter. I was selected to be Cleri's personal guard, after all."
Then forgive them for not knowing that outright. I think it's best if you'd never had to resort to that at all during your visit in Sander. Don't you think?
Rose's expression softened, "That's surprising coming from you."
The Nasod tilted her head at the response.
What do you mean by that?
Rose glanced at Cleri who looked on with a hint of confusion.
"I mean you're a lot different than how I remembered you… The… other you, I mean."
Eve's brow furrowed.
I don't understand.
The markswoman shook her head, "I'll tell you later."
"They sure are taking a while, though," Cleri mumbled, kicking her legs as she stared off at the sandstorm, "It's been almost half an hour… And you'd think the storm would've at least passed by now. But it doesn't seem to have moved at all."
The three girls all looked to the wall of sand.
"Yeah, now that you mention it… that is pretty weird."
"You don't think something's happened to them, do you?" Cleri asked.
Rose turned to the woman, electric blue eyes glinting at the question, "You're not asking what I think you're asking, are you?"
Cleri blinked before shrinking behind her box "What? No! It could be dangerous in there!"
"That's exactly why you're worried, right? What if they're in trouble? Oh the look on that woman's face when she realizes she needs my help!"
"Rose… I don't think that's a good ide-"
"Eve, watch Cleri. I'm going in to check on them. Come on, Zero!"
Before the Nasod could protest, the blonde was already making her way back down the dune. Her companion sighed, turning to the three Nasods, "When she sets her mind on something it's hard to make her change it. I'll keep in touch."
The yellow drone winked at Remy who gave him a single click before turning her head to the side.
"As if I'd open communication channels with such a crude creation," Remy whistled.
Please do so. Eve ordered.
"Mistress?"
If there is trouble, Zero would be the fastest means of relaying information.
Remy bowed her head, "As you will, Mistress."
"Sorry…" Cleri blurted out of nowhere, "I probably should've stopped her. You might've been a better choice to go check things out instead of her."
You don't have confidence in her fighting ability?
"No, it's not that. It's just that you're a Nasod. You can do so much more than she can… right?"
Eve turned away, focusing on the disappearing white speck as Rose, without hesitation, ran into the storm.
I can.
"That means you'd be the better choice."
Not necessarily. I can do more, yes but…
Eve's focus turned to the bright red display in her peripherals.
I can't put myself at risk. Not in my current state.
Cleri's brow furrowed as she scooted closer to the Nasod, "Whatever do you mean?"
Eve stared straight ahead as she weighed in her options
You won't understand. No one does. Or at least… I don't think anyone does.
"The person your looking for?"
Eve nodded. They're the only lead I have. With the way I am, my abilities as a Nasod are slowly deteriorating.
She waved her hand and a red flashing window appeared before her. With a sliding gesture, the window floated over to Cleri who stared at the display curiously.
Exotic Code Corruption: 60%
I can't repair myself as effectively as before, hence my damaged voice box. My ability to process and manage fleets of drones like Moby and Remy has deteriorated as well. I've since concluded this corruption to be the direct cause of it and it will only get worse as time goes on.
"That's horrible…"
Which is why I can't put myself at risk. I might be more of a burden to others than they think.
"I completely understand that feeling," Cleri giggled, "You know, as mean as Elesis was, to me, she has every right to be mad. I messed up and, realistically, I probably would have accepted a meeting with His Greatness far in the future being as timid as I am. It was nice of Rose to defend me, since I think she feels like we're outsiders to your little circle of friends, but I wanted to tell her to let it go. I wanted her to just let me be since I… pretty much deserve that scolding… not to mention getting you guys roped into this whole Garpai Village fiasco in the first place. I knew all of this was going to be difficult but… to ask us to negotiate a village or kill them if they don't cooperate? I would have never imagined such a request."
Yes. You did deserve a scolding. For one, I have important business to attend to back at the capital city. I did not wish to come along but because the matter involves my interests I am here to ensure its success. Secondly, Rose warned you against dealing with the Sander nobility. She knows more of the city than any of us do and it was unwise of you to ignore her. Thirdly, based on the questionable ethics of which Thironin has us acting on, I am tentative on whether or not he will uphold his end of the bargain.
"Sorry…" Cleri muttered, shrinking into her side once more.
Eve sighed.
But your attempts to rectify your mistakes are admirable, to say the least. Knowing the risks you dove headfirst into any solution that was given to you. Although the solution was… morally wrong, you were unaware of the potential consequences of your actions and tried to make it work anyways. And for that, I think I understand where you're coming from…
"Y-you do?" Cleri whispered, trying to hold back the feeling of guilt from welling in her eyes.
The Nasod brushed a lock of hair over her shoulder as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.
In some ways, you remind me of him.
"Him…?"
Again Eve nodded.
Him.
"Your lover?"
A pause.
Yes.
"Who is he, if you don't mind me asking?"
The Nasod blinked, as she was presented with this question yet again. When she was asked yesterday she found it near impossible to put the name to his face. She knew his actions, his personality, and everything he did… but his name escaped her. She knew it. She had the answer. It was like staring at a single word written before her all she had to do was read it outloud but… it was written in a language she couldn't understand.
Deep in the core of her memories she searched for a translation. She looked to her personal code, looking to alter any string of incoherent lines that kept her from recalling his name.
"Why was this so difficult?" she thought as in her mind's eye she frantically searched for a solution, "Why can't I remember his name?"
She found it: an erroneous string of code that she was able to quickly begin rewriting. Finishing the string, the code seemed to be connected to another altered string. And another. And another.
She went over each of them in her mind, deleting and rewriting entire segments in a blink of an eye before moving to the next connected string. With each she slowly began to remember. Like a fading fog the answer was right there.
Eve came to a complete stop as she reviewed the last altered string deep within the confines of her personal programming. It wasn't code. It was a message:
Let me out.
"Mistress?" Remy called as the Queen of Nasods looked as if she were searching the sands at her feet for an answer.
"Is everything alright, mistress?" Moby chimed in.
Cleri waited for an answer but saw that Eve was struggling to come up with a response. She glanced at the red display still hanging in front of her and a conclusion was drawn as she put one and one together. She waved the hologram away as she slid closer, reaching over to pat the Nasod on her shoulder.
"Eve? It's okay if you can't remember. We can sit down and think on it some other day-"
"Cleri! Don't-" Moby tried to say but the shrill whistle of a drone couldn't translate to anything the woman could understand.
She placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping Eve out of her trance. The Nasod turned to the woman and, with one swift motion, landed a hard slap across Cleri's face.
The woman's glasses flew off her face, landing somewhere towards the front of the passenger cabin.
Eve stared at her hand, a mix of emotions swirling in her head as she realized what she had done.
It's a reflex.
Eve explained as her eyes darted from the red in her palm and the matching red mark on Cleri's cheek.
I highly recommend you refrain from doing that, again.
"D-doing what?" Cleri asked.
Touching me. I do that to everyone.
"I… I see," Cleri responded as she turned her face away towards the passenger cabin and began feeling around for her glasses.
The woman was as blind as a bat without her glasses. Eve watched her for a moment as she carefully shuffled on her hands and knees through the cabin before the Nasod stood and walked over to the small glint resting at the front corner of the room.
She bent down, picking up the pair of glasses and noticed a definitive crack that split the left lens vertically down the middle. She must have slapped her a little harder than expected.
Eve stood in front of Cleri who was sniffling as she shuffled blindly across the hot metal floor.
Moby whistled, catching Cleri's attention and she turned her tearful face upward at Eve who offered her her glasses back. A blue message box appeared next to Eve with a single word written on it.
Sorry.
Cleri took her lenses back, inspecting them and noticing the deep crack on one of them.
"It's fine," Cleri sighed, sitting on the bench and wiping her eyes before putting on her glasses, "It's fine. I'll just get another pair when we return to Velder."
Eve sat across from her, a small, barely noticeable pout across her lips.
I wasn't apologizing for the glasses, though I'm sorry for that, too.
"Oh…? Oh yeah. No need to apologize. I… I overstepped my boundaries. I just didn't expect that is all. I still think you're cool and all. It just… caught me by surprise."
Eve observed the woman who did her best to avert her eyes. She was holding back tears and it seemed the slap did a lot more than physically hurt her. Eve had no idea on how to handle this situation. Normally she was around much more headstrong women. To be in a position where she visibly upset someone like this… brought forth an emotional algorithm she felt only a few times before. She believed the humans called this "remorse". How did one normally handle this situation? What would he do?
The Nasod slowly, carefully reached out to her. Cleri saw this and Eve noticed the slight recoil of her body that immediately halted Eve in her advance. That wasn't the reaction she was hoping for. She retracted her hand, feeling as if she did everything he would have but getting the incorrect result. Why was that?
"Mistress," Remy chimed in, "I've received a request to open comms with Rose's companion."
And?
"He's requesting to speak to you two directly."
Patch him through.
The white drone's eyes flashed white then slowly shifted to blue. Suddenly, howling wind blasted through the drone's speakers accompanied by the distinct sound of gunfire and sand grating against the microphone.
"Am I through yet?" Zero asked, getting an acknowledging chirp from Remy, "Thanks, beautiful. Hey, Eve? You there? Hello?"
A blank text box hung over the queen's head as, clearly, she wasn't able to respond audibly.
"She's present and listening," Remy whistled, rolling her glowing blue eyes.
"Right, right," Zero responded. There was a noticeable gap in any communication whatsoever as the sounds of combat intensified. Gunfire filled the comms as Rose's voice could be heard in the background.
"Autos!"
"On it, boss!" Zero's gears could be heard grinding against one another before a series of short rapid bursts of gunfire filled the comms once more. The gunfire died and Zero returned his attention to Remy, "So you know how we sorta ran into the storm expecting to run into trouble?"
"Yes?" Remy chirped.
Another pause as both Rose and Zero seemed to be holding their breath.
There came a loud crunch followed by a crashing sound as a confusing whirl of wind and what sounded like rockets.
"Well we ran into trouble! And we could really use your help right now!"
Eve rose out of her seat as a message appeared on her text box.
And the others?
"What about the other three?" Remy asked.
"Redhead… she's in one piece but she's hurt in a bad way," Zero grunted as the sound of his gears turning filled the audio, "Leader kid and robot arm are MIA. Haven't had a chance to look but… working on covering for redhead."
Eve grimaced at the news. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen. When forced to fight an unknown enemy in her condition, the most logical move would be to retreat.
Maybe it was the corruption in her system that was causing this irrational behavior. The changes to her system were impeding her ability to function on a large-scale macro level, perhaps this was a side effect of it, too. Or maybe it was something else deep inside her that coerced her to go; something she had grown to understand from being around these people. Either way, she couldn't leave her friends behind.
We're going.
"We're on our way," Remy reported.
"Take your time," Zero replied in a sarcastic sing-song manner.
Cleri, I have to go. Please wait here until we return.
"You don't need me?" the woman asked, still wiping her eyes.
Do you have combat experience?
"Well, no… but I can-"
Wait here, then. If there's trouble, let Moby know.
"Mistress? You're leaving me?" the black drone chirped.
Eve knelt down before the black drone and ran her fingers over the armored hull.
Only temporarily, Moby. I trust in your ability to protect her. Can you do that for me? If we are ever in need of help, we shall call for you.
Hearing her praise caused Moby to whirr gleefully before twirling in place and dutifully taking his place beside the woman.
"I shall do my best, Mistress!"
Satisfied, Eve flicked her hair before turning to leave.
"Be safe!" Cleri called, hugging the box close to her chest. The Queen of Nasods looked over her shoulder, giving her an acknowledging nod before descending down towards the storm.
The decline was steep, forcing Eve to carefully shuffle her way down until she was near the base. All the while, Remy hovered next to her, acting as a support in case she lost her footing.
"Are you sure this is a wise thing to do, Mistress?"
I'm sure.
"But given your condition-"
Run a weapons diagnostic.
"Running-Mistress? Given your condition, I highly advise against this." A window appeared before Eve listing the entirety of her available arsenal.
Why isn't Hornet Stinger available?
"Undefined error, Mistress…" Remy didn't need to elaborate on it any further. They both knew what this meant. Eve stood before the wall of sand. Being this close to the storm, the barrier was so clearly defined it almost looked as if a thin layer of glass separated the two weather conditions.
I'll make the necessary adjustments to our engagements.
Eve took one last moment to gather her resolve before stepping into the storm.
Immediately upon entry, the wind whipped violently at her frame, forcing her to shield her eyes. She pressed forward, stepping past another corpse half-buried in the sand.
"Mistress… with all due respect, you cannot fight like this. If you take any damage whatsoever-"
Begin weapon primer protocol.
"Priming all available weapons…" Remy reported with a disconcerted whirr of her engines.
Remy, I'm aware of the risks. But I can't leave them behind.
Each available weapon listed in the arsenal flashed to green. Eve noted her weapon priming speed was significantly slower than before. If things were going as she feared, then this would only be the tip of the iceberg. She eventually won't be able to use her weapons at all.
"Why not?" Remy asked, scanning ahead of her queen.
It's not something he would do.
"Who?"
Who, indeed. Eve didn't answer. The name was at the tip of her tongue but she didn't have time to think on it now. A brief image flashed in her mind's eye. A single message written deep within her personal code: Let me out.
She ignored the imagery. Whatever it was that left that message for her deep in her personal coding was a problem she would have to address later. She needed to finish this job. She needed to get her friends home safe and find who she's looking for.
Gritting her teeth she pushed through the storm, eventually reaching the first sign of civilization out in this vast desert: a destroyed gate on a worn stone path.
A large, lifeless figure lay under the arches. Stepping closer revealed thick layers of mottled fur and muscle. It was big. Similar in size to the demonic crushers she fought in Hamel. The beast looked bipedal with two long tusks jutting out of its lower jaw into a ridiculous underbite. The head, was smaller than the jaw that hung loosely under it and had large, pointed ears that flopped lifelessly against the rending gale. Upon closer inspection, Eve noticed distinct holes embedded into its hide. Bullet holes.
Gripped in its large, gorilla-like hands, were a stone shield and a hook-shaped stone sword. Fresh blood was stained the crude blade and appeared to leave a definitive trail towards the beast's side.
Eve followed this trail, walking around the body only to find a figure sitting with their back against the arch. It was Elesis.
"You're late," the redhead wheezed, clutching at the deep wound on her side. Eve knelt down to the Blazing Heart's level.
What happened?
"We… saw a few villagers," Elesis grimaced as she adjusted herself in the sitting position, "We called after them but they… ran deeper into town. They ran from us. We followed them in and we were… suddenly surrounded by these huge things."
Elesis nodded at the beast next to her.
"We got separated in the heat of combat… And here I sit, waiting for the others to come back… they haven't yet."
Are they still fighting?
"I… think so? I could hear them every now and then… until blondy made an appearance. Stole my kill right before I could land a finishing blow… that bitch," Elesis coughed, a defeated smile appearing on her face.
Eve inspected the wound and found it bandaged with some off-white cloth. Rose's cloth. The wound was well taken care of and it appeared to have slowed the bleeding.
"Make sure she's okay… will ya?"
Eve nodded, dusting her legs as she stood. As she scanned her surroundings, a loud roar echoed through the wailing winds. Shortly after came the distinct sound of gunfire in the distance.
I'll see what I can do.