They landed sooner than Guts would've thought. He didn't care much for heights, but after having fallen from considerable ones… and flying through a lightning storm on the back of one Zodd the immortal he certainly wasn't afraid anymore. The landing deck was on what looked like a mountain, but there were doors to a tunnel, so Guts figured the mountain was the fortress.
There were a group of people at the landing deck, all looking like Kushans. Guts supposed they probably were Kushans. Rickert's steed landed first, the group on deck rushing to him. The rest landed soon after. Guts was going to go to Casca's side, but Farnese was already there.
A girl ran to Rickert and leapt into a hug.
"Rickert! You're okay!" She exclaimed, perhaps crying a little bit.
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" Rickert said, hugging her back.
"When the other flying demons left we thought you might be in trouble, but they weren't letting me come after you!"
"Everything's fine Erica," Rickert soothed, "I didn't find enemies for once."
Oh, she was Erica. That made sense, all things considered. Still, Guts wouldn't have guessed this was what Erica would be like when she was older. There was some thing different…
Erica opened her eyes to see Casca, along with the others.
"Is that…?" She let go of Rickert and cautiously walked toward Casca. Casca seemed to be in a similar state, trying to remember what had happened in her regressed time. "Casca?" Erica asked, as if she were trying the name out.
"Erica?" Casca smiled.
"You're back!" A grin made its way to Erica's face, and she ran to hug Casca. "I knew it was possible!" Casca hugged the girl back. "You remember me?" Erica asked.
"I do." Casca answered, "I don't remember everything, but most of it."
"I'm so happy." Erica was crying happy tears now. "Guts was so sad after everything, Rickert too, but now they don't have to be!"
Erica looked up again from the shoulder she was crying on to see Guts. "Guts!"
"Long time no see." Guts said.
"Do you still have the…"
Guts anticipating her question, drew the Dragon Slayer. "I'm trying to keep better care of it."
"Well you're doing a poor job of it." Rickert jested, "But I suppose it's the thought that counts."
"This is the longest I've kept the same sword." Guts muttered.
"Is it really?" Isidro asked.
"He kept breaking them." Casca answered, "He's a bit thick that way."
"Well, take good care of that," Erica told Guts, "It was the last thing my dad forged."
"I will." He said with conviction.
Rickert spoke with some of the Kushans, probably explaining who his friends were when a familiar face presented itself.
"You?" Casca asked. It was Silat, the assassin who had almost killed her all those years ago.
"Swordsman." Silat greeted Guts. "We seem to meet again."
"Wait, how does Casca know him?" Isidro asked, "We ran into him just that one time."
Guts looked at Isidro, "What are you talking about?"
"You know, when we first met, there were those soldiers who got killed by Kushan soldiers, and then you killed the Kushan soldiers!" Isidro seemed to realize where he was again, surrounded by Kushans.
"Is that when you started following me?" Guts asked.
"Geez you can't even remember that?" Puck exclaimed, "And we say Casca is the one with memory issues."
"I tried to kill her when she was still the commander of the Hawks." Silat answered. "You are her, right?"
"She is still our commander." Rickert said. "I mean there's still the three of us."
"Three and a half if you count this." Casca placed a hand on her abdomen.
Erica blinked. "What?! Are you-!?" Erica squealed. "Can I be the god mother!?"
"I already called that." Isma said.
"And you are?" Erica asked skeptically.
"Isma." Isma said with a smile, "I'm a merrow."
"Like a mermaid?" Erica asked, growing excited again.
"Well I guess." Isma turned to Schierke, "Is there a difference?"
"Maybe a bit in region…" Schierke thought for a second, "But I think merrows and mermaids are essentially the same thing." She turned to Erica, "I'm Schierke, by the way."
"And I'm Ivalera!" Ivalera announced.
"Another fairy!" Erica said, "And you're pink!"
"I don't see why that matters…" Puck pouted. "Blue is a good color."
Ivalera fawned over herself in the praise, "YEs, pink is such a good color, I agree. Much better than blue."
Erica was already moving on to the other companions.
"But, but little girls are supposed to like fairies." Ivalera whined to Schierke who would've rolled her eyes if she had less manners.
The former members of the band of the hawk watched on as the younger girl became sidetracked.
"She's different than I remember." Guts murmured. "But also the same."
"She's older." Casca observed. "We all are."
"I will join you tomorrow to talk strategy." Silat told them, "I have other duties to attend to."
Rickert grabbed Casca and Guts' arms and tugged them inside. "Come on, it's probably around lunch time, I bet you all are hungry."
The group all sounded their ascent and followed Rickert into the fortress.
There were quite a few Kushan inside, which made sense considering, but there weren't as many as one would've thought. And more women and children than Guts would've guessed in an assassins fortress. As they made their way through the tunnel-hallways, Rickert explained in a hushed tone.
"The entire Bakiraka clan is in this mountain…" He said, when he caught the confusion on Casca's face, "What's left of them at least."
Erica greeted a couple of the girls, still looking odd. Guts tried to put his finger on it, because it wasn't just the fact that she was older. She was dressed like the other Kushan women he'd seen, which is to say a mix of Kushan and Midland. There were a few Midland woman among them, Guts couldn't tell if by their own will or someone else's. It was when Erica moved her arms while talking that he noticed it.
A hidden knife, a small thing, tucked into her sleeve.
That was it, she knew how to kill now, had killed. Under that cheery exterior was an assassin in training. Guts couldn't help but find it funny in a bitter sweet way. On one hand he wished kids could grow up like kids ought to, without death as a constant companion, how he hoped his kid would grow up. On the other hand in the current world he was glad she could defend herself.
They stopped at an entrance that opened to a larger room with a long low table.
Rickert was talking to an older Kushan woman and then introduced her, "This is Esha, Silat's cousin, right?" He looked to her for confirmation.
"Basically." She answered. "We don't have much, but I think I can spare a bowl for enemies of Falconia."
They all served up, a spicy stew of some sort on top of rice. Guts was just happy for some warm food and chowed down. Isidro followed Guts' example, but stopped quickly as his eyes and nose stared to water.
"Ahh, it burns." Isidro exclaimed, trying to sooth his mouth with water.
"No no," Serpico conciled, "Eat more of the rice or bread, it works better than water."
Isidro paid him no mind and kept eating.
"You idiot, if it keeps burning you, why keep eating?" Schierke asked.
Tears were practically flowing down the boy's cheeks as he said, "But it tastes soo good."
Schierke shook her head and went back to carefully eating her dinner. She had made the stew more mild by adding more rice.
In fact pretty much everyone, save Guts, was having a little difficultly eating their dinner.
Rickert and Erica were holding back smiles, Esha too seemed to find their reactions funny.
"Wow Guts, a stomach of steel as well." Rickert noted.
Guts looked up, and realized hadn't noticed the spice, until Isidro caused the commotion.
"I, uh," Guts didn't know what to say. He didn't want to admit that he just couldn't taste the spices, couldn't really taste anything. He also wasn't fan of over hyping himself. "Didn't notice."
A worried look struck Casca, and then Farnese.
"Yes, well, the baby seems to likes it, I doubt my taste buds before would've liked it before." She turned to Esha, "Thank you."
"Yes," Farnese agreed, "This is a welcome reprise to our usual fare."
Serpico seemed to take offense to that, and muttered about 'a lack of spices in the wild' and 'where to find rice in the mountains.'
"Hey, I like your stew." Guts told him quietly.
Serpico saw through to the joke and just glared while picking at his own spicy bowl.
Casca elbowed Guts, and Farnese realized she'd unintentionally hurt Serpico.
Isma broke through the awkward situation with a very loud laugh. They turned to see her, Erica, and Schierke looking quite caught. Schierke was blushing, Isma guffawing, and Erica smiling smugly.
Rickert frowned and called over, "Erica, what have you done now?"
"Oh nothing."
This sent Isma into another fit of giggles. She banged a fist on the table. And then the laughter turned to coughing, and Isma hacked up a half chewed carrot.
At this, Schierke of all people burst out laughing. Isma regarded the spit up food with a little embarrassment. Schierke soon realized she was the only one making any noise. All eyes were on her.
She sobered up quickly, and Guts asked, "What's so funny?"
Schierke blushed and muttered, "Uh- nothing."
At the same time, Ivalera answered, "Oh, it's actually really funny because-"
Schierke quickly trapped the elf in her hat, and smiled sheepishly.
Gradually they settled back into the lunch. When they were done, Rickert spoke with someone, and told Casca and Guts,"We'll figure out where you guys can stay. Fortunately we're not exactly tight on space."
The arrangements were made and they all were in rooms next to each other. Guts and Casca to one, Farnese, Isma, and Schierke to another, and Serpico and Isidro to the third. While there may have been room for individuals, none were right next to each other. After not sleeping alone for so long, they all agreed it would be strange to do such again.
"Rickert, I can't thank you enough." Casa said, holding his hand both of hers.
"It's me who should be thanking you for getting better."Rickert grinned, "It's all looking up now, isn't it."
"Perhaps." Casca said skeptically before bidding them all a good night. She and Guts were retiring rather early, the others still wanting to explore or talk. Guts was tired as he was apt to, and Casca seemed to have less energy in general because of the baby.
"I feel like we're about to go over some edge." Casca confessed to Guts once they were alone. "That's what always happened before. We gain some sense of stability before its ripped from under us."
"Well, we'll just have to be ready." Guts answered. "That's all we can do."
"Wise words." Casca said. "I thought I was the wise one, and you were the reckless one."
"I can be both wise and reckless."
"Which were you being when you got me pregnant?" Her voice slipped into something sultry, and she took a few steps closer.
"Reckless." Guts said, they were just a few inches apart now, "But if I remember right, you were too."
They kissed then. And then started to gear up to more than just kissing.
"Is it okay to?" Guts found himself asking, "With the baby and all?"
"I don't see why not?" Casca said, leaning up to kiss him again.
And then they did more than just kissing.