Book II: Of Friends and Foes

Chapter XI

"KOS-MOS, what's the probability that Silas and Mythra will head through here?" I asked.

"From the information that I have gathered, Master Acacia, I detect a seventy six point eight three three percent probability that the targets will enter through here versus going to Tantal," she responded in her robotic, monotone voice.

KOS-MOS was interesting to me. Her hair was blue while her eyes were red. She wore a completely white... body suit? It all looked like amour, while her skin and features looked like a tall, slender female, if seemed she was covered in all kinds of metal plates and her face had a large metal helmet covering her forehead. You'd think some big, bulky piece of metal would make her look uglier or bulkier, but for some reason it suited her very well.

"How will we know they're here? This place is pretty packed," I pointed out.

"Indeed. The large crowd decreases the chance of identifying the target by seventy-five percent. However, because we know that the Argentum-Leftheria train is the only vessel that travels to and from Leftheria, we can simply wait for the train to depart, and then wait for it to come back. If the target is not on the vessel when it returns, we simply take the train back and engage the enemy there."

"Good plan, I'll leave it to you then, I'm going to get a drink," I responded, it had been a long day.

"I do not advise getting drunk at this time, there is a chance the target could spot you, and you would not be at full fighting capacity," KOS-MOS warned.

"I'm aware, I said 'a drink'. I won't go crazy."

"Affirmative."

As I walked to the bar, I couldn't help but laugh. "Whatever, Mom," I laughed to myself.

I would've taken a moment to describe the ship ride, but I didn't remember any of it as Mythra and I both passed out in a not-so-graceful manner for the entire seven-hour trip. The fight with Pyra had been a tough one, and we hadn't had a chance to really rest since then. Soon, one of the shipmates knocked on the door to our bunker and let us know we'd be docking in twenty minutes.

So we did what any person on a time-crunch did and slept another five minutes before lazily getting up and gathering are belongings. However, as we worked I couldn't get something off my mind.

"Mythra, do you remember your last driver's name?"

She looked at me, confused. "Didn't you ask me a similar question? Rex was."

"No, I'm referring to the one after him."

"There was one after him?" she questioned.

"I guess that journal hasn't helped much at all, huh?"

"I've read a good bit, but it's all this other blade's, not my own writing. However it does talk about the blade before Rex, Addam."

"Any memories?" I asked.

"A few, sole happy, some annoyed. But no real pictures to these feelings," she responded.

I was going to ask her more, but my brain quickly switched gears as I recalled something.

"That man! Gabriel!"

"What about him?"

"When Kasandra summoned her weapon, he wielded it himself," I pointed out.

"So?"

"Why? Is that a fighting style? How would she defend herself?"

"That is kind of weird...," Mythra began to ponder. "However at the same time I think we both know that didn't work out well for him."

"True, but I can't help but feel there was a method to that that we just didn't see."

"I'm sure we'll see him again, he was hunting us down, after all."

Pretty soon the boat docked and we took off through Argentum.

We stocked up on food and bullets, which was easy thanks to Juliani's bracelet, and soon we were waiting for the train. As we waited, however, a familiar nopon came running up to us.

"Rafi remember you people! Friends were with Juliani when you arrived!"

I didn't quite remember him, but Mythra did immediately.

"Hey Rafi, how's the engineering going?"

"Not good, I'm afraid," he responded.

"Oh, what happened?"

"Rafi kind of decided to make improvement to Miss Juliani's sink by installing device that uses vacuum to suck water out of bowl for recycling purposes!"

"That sounds like it could be efficient, what happened?" I inquired.

"Rafi switched the intake valve and it end up blowing sewage water all over the place and flooded an inch of water on Juliani's floor."

Mythra held back her laughter. "That's terrible, but kind of funny."

"Rafi would think it funny too, except Juliani, not so much," he said. "Rafi need to get out of Argentum fast so Rafi doesn't get head chopped off like the grassy end of meaty carrot!"

I felt bad for him, but there wasn't much I could do.

"Simple, come with us to Leftheria. I doubt she'd follow you that far and I'm there has to be some simple jobs you could do to keep food on your table," Mythra suggested.

"Mythra, we're getting chased ourselves. Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked.

"Blade's intuition," she replied.

I nodded. "If you're sure."

But as she said that, I immediately remembered who this nopon was.

"Oh! You were right about that government conspiracy, by the way."

"Rafi... what?" he asked, puzzled.

"We'll explain on the way back, the train's ready," Mythra pointed out.

KOS-MOS went into the bar in search of Acacia, who had been gone for over six hours. The targets had already left a few hours ago, so the only question left was "where's Acacia?". She searched the town, soon finding her in a bar fight with six men. She had obviously previously knocked out three.

"Come on! Is that all you got you slimy bastards?!" she yelled out.

"Master Acacia, this sort of behavior is in grave violation of the Blade Control Corp—" KOS-MOS began to scold, before Acacia cut her off.

"Whatever, I know how to have a good time!" Acacia retorted.

"Do not act like a child, Miss Uzuki. And you," KOS-MOS stayed, turning to the six men fighting her. "Back away now or I will be forced to take immediate action."

They looked at each other in surprise before laughing hysterically.

"This cutie pie thinks she can take on all of us. You got some nerve ya daft broad. But what's to stop us from taking you down and rapin' ya right here?" one asked.

"Other than the fact that I possess no form of reproductive organs, I would have to argue that my R-Cannon might correct your mistakes."

"What tha' 'ell is she talkin' 'bout?" another said.

Immediately, KOS-MOS' right arm changed shape into a cylindrical white cannon in which she fired at one of the men, grazing the side of his face.

He let out a grunt of pain. "Is that all you got?"

"Of course not. That was a two percent output that I purposely missed as a warning shot. Your face will have minor first degree burns. Taunt me or Miss Uzuki again and I'll see that the next shot doesn't."

"Boss I don't think she's playin', let's scram!" a third yelled.

Luckily the shot was loud enough to sober them for a bit and they all nodded and left.

"What's your problem buzzkill?!" Acacia asked.

"It is time to go Master Acacia," KOS-MOS stated.

"Like hell it is! I—"

KOS-MOS punched her in the head knocking her out and then proceeded to take her to the inn for the night.

Readability Level: 11th-12th Grade

Time Taken: 3 Hours

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