Book I Chapter 2: Penguin Logistics

None of this would have been possible if it weren't for my wonderful members of staff: editors Redundantfridge (AKA Runicwolf), Smug dot jpg , Yeetus Magnificus, and Ainz, and co-author/creative advisor GullibleTeachin747.

Once again, fixed a ton of random errors.

Aurelian stared listlessly out a window, watching the unchanging scenery fly by. It had been two days since his encounter with the 'Trock', which had turned out to be a 'van' of all things. He rolled his eyes. I should have seen this coming… Saga was but a monk and seldom left the temple. No matter what she—or others— said, he refused to believe that 'couple' could mean more than two.

A lovely pair.

A romantic duo.

A duet.

It's written in the word 'couple'. Two people. Period. End of story. Besides, who came up with all these words? Universal was a strange language, but not without reason. It was a mishmash of all unique languages spoken on the continent—the true Lingua Franca of Terra. Except for the Ægir. The Ægir didn't count. They were their own damned Lingua Franca. The Ægir were culturally distinct from every other culture on the continent. Those freaks, they invented Oripathy!

…Or so the posters had claimed.

Despite Higashi's relatively humane treatment of the Ægir, it seemed like a growing minority had started to rally against them. Unfortunate. They all have such beautiful hair...

"You what?! You don't have a gun?"

Aurelian sighed. So much for the peace and quiet

"But Messiah, you're a Sankta!"

"Exusiai, this is the fifth time we've been over this," Aurelian replied. "If my answer was 'no' the first time, then why the hell would it be 'yes' the next four?!" The redhead shrunk back as if struck. According to Exusiai, all Sankta were supposed to have a gun. Whatever that was. According to her description, it seemed to be a weapon of some sort.

"Listen Exusiai, we are monks." Aurelian gestured back and forth between the front seat and himself. "We don't follow the cultural norms of Terra." A cheerful voice chimed in from the front of the van.

"That is indeed correct, young master! Take this 'Trock' for—"

"Van." Aurelian watched as Saga glanced towards the Lupo sitting beside her.

"Yes, take this 'vaahn'." Texas sighed. Yeah, I'd give up if I were you. She's a lost cause. "Normally thou'st would not expect to see a Perro like mineself in this 'vaahn'. In Bolivar, we are too poor to afford such 'Tachnology', thus—"

"Technology."

"Yes, thank you, miss Texas." She huffed. "Thus it would be natural to assume that Saga would have stolen this 'vaahn'! Alas, because Saga was raised in a temple she cannot steal! Therefore, Saga does not follow the customs of thievery that are found in other Perro! 'Tis quite simple, miss Exusiai."

The passengers in the van fell silent as they struggled to digest what she had said. Exusiai eventually broke the silence. "I…" she hesitated, "I'm pretty sure that's just racism, Saga." Somehow, Aurelian had managed to avoid laughing.

"I am afraid thou'st misunderstood Saga's intentions. She did not mean to say that Perro do not belong in 'vaahns'. She simply meant to explain the difference between her and the thieving Perro."

The exuberant angel looked utterly lost. "No, yeah. That's the racist part. You can't just assume that all Perro are thieves because their country is poor, that's like saying all—"

Aurelian placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's best you leave her be. As kind and virtuous as she is, Saga is a bit dull."

"Why, Saga thanks thee, young master!"

He shot Exusiai a look that screamed, "see what I mean?" While he got along decently well with the angel, the same couldn't be said for her Lupine partner.

Exusiai lightly nudged Aurelian with her elbow. "Hey it's been two days, can't you at least try to get along?"

Aurelian sharply exhaled through his nostrils. It's not that he was upset with Texas, no, far from it. She was providing him transportation to Minos. As much as a bastard Aurelian was, he wasn't an ingrate. He simply found her actions to have been completely outrageous. Who in their right mind would continue to accelerate when confronted with an unmoving pedestrian?

"I don't hate her, I'm just…" Aurelian stuttered as he struggled to explain his perspective, "Who the hell does that?" His mind wandered back to the events that had occurred two days prior.

Aurelian brushed off the dust from his coat as he continued to ignore Saga's lecture on 'Elektricitee'. She had been rambling on about the wondrous power that was 'thunder in a bottle' for the past five minutes. They hadn't moved a single step since the close call with the vehicle.

"...And the Elektricitee can travel vast distances with the assistance of metallic 'Kaybles'. Thus thou art able to—"

"Yeah, that's all well and good, but we've been standing here for the better part of what's now," Aurelian paused to look up at the sun, "six minutes. We still have no idea how to leave Higashi and I still don't know what a horse is. And why are you even here, Saga?"

Saga's face turned a light pink in embarrassment. She had lost herself in her passion yet again. It wasn't long before her ears perked up as her face brightened with recollection. "Oh yes, that's right! This Saga thanks thee for reminding her, young master." She rummaged through the lapel of her kimono and fished out a rectangular object. With the push of a button, the object's black surface began to glow. It displayed several numbers embedded within a series of circles. Saga responded to her companion's incredulous look with a smug grin. "Feast thine eyes upon this!" She presented the glowing device as if it were some priceless relic from a bygone era.

"And what is 'this!' exactly?" He asked, mimicking Saga's ridiculous pose.

"Canst thou see? 'Tis a 'Teller-phone'! With this wonder of modern Tachnology, yond friends whomst were once a-far are now near with the single push of a button!"

For once, Aurelian's expression perfectly matched the unamused countenance of his mask. "What? You're going to use that 'Teller-thingy' to ask the city of Higashi to walk on over to Minos? This city can't move, Saga." His fellow monk rolled her eyes.

"No, young master. Master Satanael hath provided this Saga with a Tellerphone and a Tellerphone number. He instructed her to contact this person if she needed passage to Minos."

Aurelian couldn't believe what his ears were hearing. Satanael, his father, had given Saga, an unrelated monk, the means to travel to Minos while he, his son, had been led to believe the fastest way to Minos was traveling by foot. 'If only these damned wings could fly. Then at least they'd have another use besides keeping me up all night.' While the masked Sankta was busy cursing himself, Saga had already dialed the number on the phone and was waiting for the opposing party to answer the call.

After a few seconds, a soft and emotionless tone picked up the line. "Hello, thank you for calling Penguin Logistics. We are currently unable to provide services west of the Ursine Mountains due to unforeseen circumstances. If you are calling from Chernobog please hang up and—"

Unable to restrain her excitement, Saga interrupted the voice before it could finish its preamble, "Hello Miss Logistics!" She shouted into the device. "This is Saga from the Yamato Temple."

Aurelian found Saga's act amusing. It was safe to assume that the phone wasn't developed with a Perro in mind. The length of the object appeared to be similar in size to Aurelian's hand. There was no way it could accommodate the vast distance between her mouth and the ears atop her head. It was comical. Saga couldn't fully hear the voice coming from the device and the listener couldn't tell Saga that screaming wasn't necessary.

"Master Satanael mentioned that Miss Logistics could help Saga find transportation to Minos!" She yelled.

"Oh, yes. The boss informed us of his request."

"Truly wonderful! This Saga requests to meet at…" she paused and glanced up at the overhead street sign, "...North 20 and West 10!"

"Interesting, we were just there."

The Perro blinked. "Then thou'st seen us, yes? Would hath been hard to miss. The young master was almost struck by a Trock!"

"Oh. So that was you."

A third voice cut in from the background, "Texas, you what?! I can't believe you —"

'Texas' spoke over the panicked individual. "We're on our way. I assume you remember our van?"

"Aye!"

"Alright, just stay put and don't move. We'll be there soon." With a nod, Saga tucked the phone back into her clothing.

Aurelian, who had only heard half the conversation, addressed Saga with a raised eyebrow, "So? What'd they say?"

"Thou seems rather at peace with the concept of the Tellerphone, young master." He shook his head with a smile.

Always marching to the rhythm of her drums. He thought to himself. "After almost dying, I feel like nothing could shake me now, Saga. I would, however, like to know what they said."

"Ah yes, a hundred pardons." The monk apologized with a slight bow. Aurelian dismissed her concern with a lazy wave. If he had been bothered by every mistake she had made, he would have gone bald long before he left the temple. "Miss Logistics hath requested of us 'to stay put' as she will be here soon."

Aurelian hummed. He couldn't help but feel like something had been lost in translation. He knew his name was uncommon, after all, classic Lateran had fallen out of favor centuries ago. However, the name 'Logistics' had struck him as particularly odd. True, it was a normal word in the Universal lexicon, but to don it as a name? Now, that was indeed very strange. He concluded that 'Logistics' had to be a codename—a pseudonym of sorts. Whoever this 'Logistics' person was, she must've had a compelling reason to invent a fake identity for herself. Otherwise, why go through the trouble of doing so in the first place? It all smelled fishy to the young Sankta. Satanael had warned him of people who hid behind supposed 'alter egos'. He had described the debauched lives they lead. In Aurelian's mind, if he had to invent a fake name, he could only think of one reason to hide his identity—drugs.

Loads and loads of drugs.

Aurelian shivered. There was no doubt about it, Miss Logistics must be a drug dealer. He risked a nervous peek towards Saga. The Perro monk had propped herself up against a nearby lamp post. Hands behind her head, she wore a large grin as she basked in the warmth of the afternoon sun completely unaware of the danger they were in. He had wanted to warn her of their impending doom but was afraid he'd tip off Miss Logistics and her gang of thugs. They could suddenly converge on their location if he had so much as twitched a finger. Aurelian swallowed the growing lump in his throat. If something had to be done, he'd better do it now when they least expect it. Just as he was about to grab Saga and book it, a horrendous screech echoed from around a corner.

A sense of deja vu crept upon him as a familiar form leaped out from a siding around the block; its movements rabid and sporadic. The beast teetered and swerved like a drunk leaving a bar as it danced around its fellow monsters. Vishnu in heaven, it had returned for him and this time it had come with a vengeance! It had taken his survival as a slight against its pride as an apex predator and wouldn't take it lying down! The white devil was upon them before he could even ponder the prospect of fleeing. It shrieked as it stuttered to a halt. Upon closer inspection, Aurelian noticed a pair of vague silhouettes sitting within the belly of the beast. He paled. Had they been sacrificed? Were they next? His panic-induced visions were shattered by a low whir. The front window lowered. 'That's weird. Did monsters have windows?' He felt a comforting hand pat his shoulder.

"Worry not, young master. Thou remembereth, yes? This is a Trock. It belongeth to Miss Logistics, a long-time friend of Master Satanael." The tension within his body evaporated in an instant. A friend of the Old Man couldn't be a drug lord, right?

Right?

Aurelian wasn't quite sure, but that hadn't comforted him in the slightest. At least he was no longer in danger of being eaten. 'It's the small things in life.' He reassured himself

"Oh, why didn't you say so?" He felt a bit silly about his sense of impending doom. Thankfully, his helmet hid his embarrassment. "Thank you, Saga." She nodded with a smile.

"You getting on, or what?" One of the figures had stuck her head out the window. Aurelian's breath hitched a lump in his throat. Satanael had mentioned the beauty of Lupine serenity, but having never left the temple, he hadn't felt so inclined to believe him. He definitely did now. Not that he had fallen in love, no, Aurelian could scarcely bring himself to believe in the idea of love. Never mind the prospect of love at first sight. Who would love a wretch like him? It felt similar to his reaction when he first laid eyes upon Saga.

Oh, my gods.

What. Is. That?

The Lupo girl was in her late teens. Her ears, while similar to Saga's, were sharper and wilder, for a lack of better words. Her black and white fur seemed bristled in a constant state of alarm. It was intimidating, but even if he had wanted to leave, Aurelian didn't have a choice. Saga had already approached the vehicle with a wave of a hand. "Yes, Miss Logistics, we are getting on."

"The name's Texas. Penguin Logistics is the name of our company."

Saga ignored her correction and smiled, "Come hither, young master!" The Perro monk grabbed a thin handle and pulled. She stepped aside as a portion of the vehicle's outer shell partially separated itself from the main body and slipped aside to reveal a spacious interior adorned with a long leathered seat. A Sankta teen sat smiling. Her halo brightened as she greeted him with a wave.

"Hey there! You'll get sunburnt if you continue to stand outside. Come on, hop in!" He turned to gauge Saga's opinion but found her missing. She had walked around to the far side of the van and was already entering the vehicle. "Don't be scared!" With a sigh, he stepped in. What choice did he have?

The roof was relatively low, forcing Aurelian to duck his head, lest he smashes his skull against the outer frame. His staff, however, was not nearly as nimble. It smacked the exterior of the vehicle with a crunch as he tried to pull himself into the seating area. The Lupo in the driver's seat shot him a scathing glare. Aurelian laughed sheepishly. He placed the staff on the floor before pulling himself in. The door immediately shut behind him, causing the monk to yelp in surprise. He gingerly sat as far as he could from the other passenger. His back unceremoniously slammed into the headrest as the van lurched into motion. Aurelian was silent. He had no desire to interact with the two strangers. Fewer conversations meant fewer questions; fewer questions meant fewer opportunities to expose his past, or rather, lack thereof. However, it seemed like his fellow Sankta didn't quite get the message. The redhead almost immediately scooted towards him with another smile.

"Hi!" she greeted whilst buckling her seatbelt. "My name is Exusiai!"

"Lucius Aurelius Aurelianus." Exusiai blinked. He sighed, why had the Old Man given him three names… "Just call me Aurelian." She shrugged. Like other Sankta, Aurelian's wings and halo were directly affected by his emotions. They brightened with increasing emotions and dimmed with decreasing emotions. Aurelian must have felt very nervous because the interior of the van had become illuminated with a golden glow. Exusiai gasped.

"You're a Sankta!" she exclaimed, amber eyes twinkling with excitement, "I totally missed that. I mean. I couldn't see your halo because of the sun and you—" Her vision was suddenly flooded by a sea of white. Flashing before her mind's eye, it brought her rambling to an abrupt halt as she was struck with an overwhelming sense of authority. Perplexed, Aurelian sat silently, waiting for her to continue. He found it amusing. She resembled the carp back at home, with her mouth floundering about helplessly. Eventually, the words lodged in her throat wormed their way out—her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh my god…"

Aurelian felt a surge of emotion flow through him. He couldn't put a name or even begin to describe the feeling, but whatever it was, it wasn't his. These emotions didn't belong to him.

"I…I can't…" She stuttered. "You're…"

"I'm?"

"You're the Messiah!" She cried. He flinched and drew back, his mind overwhelmed by happiness. Exusiai's eyes radiated with unrestrained ecstasy. "You're the Messiah! I can't believe this! You're finally here!" She leaped from her seat only to be met with stiff resistance from the safety belt around her waist. Her Lupo companion shot her a strange look through the rearview mirror.

"Exusiai, what are you talking about?"

"What?! You don't know? How can you not know?! It's an old story from the Curia Lateranica!" She exclaimed, her body trembling with excitement. "It may be a book of myths to you, but for us Lateran, it's practically set in stone. It's been said the coming of the Messiah would signify a time of great change in Terra." She grasped his hands and shook them vigorously. "Call me Lemuel, please!"

The driver coughed, "No, I don't think that's appropriate. Besides, what makes you think this… monk is your so-called 'Messiah'?"

"Texas," Exusiai started with disbelief. She almost seemed offended by her question. "We're literally angels. Have faith! Detecting sources of divinity is, like, totally our thing."

"I can't with you. I'm no Messiah. I'm just a sage—I mean a monk." Dammit! Aurelian paid no mind to Exusiai's useless drivel. Of course, he had heard of the Curia Lateranica, it was one of the many religions the monks had mentioned in passing. However, he couldn't subscribe to a belief that one 'perfect god' had created all of Terra. What kind of perfect god would condemn a third of the entire planet to a fate worse than death—Oripathy? No, this was the work of the Ashura, the ambivalent demigods of the Deva Realm.

"No!" Aurelian was taken aback by the forcefulness of her denial. "Why are you irritated?"

"I'm not, I—"

"Yes, you are! Sankta can sense each other's emotions."

Realization dawned on him. "So what I felt earlier was you?"

She nodded, "Yes, those were my emotions. You are the Messiah! There's no doubt about it." He sighed. How could he reject her now? After feeling the strength of her joy and conviction, he couldn't possibly bring himself to crush that.

"Sure, call me whatever you want." Honestly, it wasn't worth the hassle. He was only going to see this girl for, what, five days? It's not like she was a future business partner or anything. She was simply a one-way ticket to Minos. Aurelian shivered as a sense of foreboding shot up his spine. Why do I feel like I've just jinxed myself?

Exusiai's grin threatened to split her face. "Awesome! So? Where's your gun?" She asked, looking around desperately. "Lemme see your Guardian Gun!"

He paused. "What's a gun?" The van fell silent. Texas hacked and heaved as she choked on a cigarette. Saga quickly handed her a bottle of water which the Lupo chugged with reckless abandon. Aurelian felt his gut sink to the floor as Exusiai slowly turned to face him. She knew he wasn't joking, because she could feel his confusion. He swore he could hear her neck creaking in protest. He had a feeling he would come to regret that question over the next couple of days.

He was right. He had regretted it. Had he known it would have sent Exusiai into a two-day-long tirade, he wouldn't have said a thing. Although she probably would have sensed his dishonesty. Can she sense dishonesty? Honesty itself isn't an emotion, it's a social construct, so if I feel honest, then does that mean she can't tell when I'm lying? He had to test this. Aurelian's trip down memory lane was brought to an abrupt halt as the van stumbled over a particularly large bump.

"...and that's how Texas was saved by apple pie." It seemed like Exusiai was finishing up a story. He wouldn't know. Aurelian had since learned to tune out most of what his fellow Sankta said. She couldn't sense his emotions if he simply felt nothing.

"Exusiai, half of what you just said," Texas briefly turned back to address her partner, "had been greatly exaggerated."

Naturally, Aurelian had neither been to Columbia nor tasted its famous apple pie. However, he would've been lying if he said he wasn't hesitant to express this to his fellow Sankta. If experience had taught him anything, it would be 'Exusiai overreacts to anything and everything'. It'd be best to tread carefully. "So Exusiai—"

She smiled. "Lemuel." While the smile was comforting, there was something about her closed eyes that didn't sit right with him. He didn't need a sixth sense to know that.

Aurelian simply ignored her seemingly friendly demand, "Exusiai," Texas nodded in approval as the angel frowned. "I was raised in a temple tucked away in the deepest parts of Higashi's towering mountains."

"Oh," she sighed. "That sounds boring."

"Exusiai!"

Exusiai scratched the back of her head at Texas's reprimand. "Oh, uh. No offense."

Aurelian shook his head. He knew she had meant well. "None taken. Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, due to the distance and rough terrain, visitors to our temple were few and far between."

"Indeed!" Saga chimed in, "This Saga is familiar with the wonders of Tachnology, because she hath visited Rode's Island!"

"Oh?" It seemed like Texas was familiar with this 'Rhodes Island'. Aurelian ignored the duo as they divulged their conversation.

"Because of that, I don't know much about the outside world, and," he paused, "you're going to laugh…"

Exusiai looked around the vehicle as if searching for another person. "Who, me?" She asked, pointing to herself. "No way am I going to laugh!"

Aurelian was immediately suspicious of her claim. He narrowed his eyes. Those weren't the words of an honest individual. This only proved his previous conjecture. Exusiai truly believed that she wouldn't laugh, but he knew that was a lie. However, his 'empathy' only sensed her desire to reassure him. "Trust me, you will."

She shut her eyes and smiled while offering a thumbs-up. "I promise! I won't laugh. I swear this on my name!" A suckers bet, he would take that any day.

Seemingly less hesitant, Aurelian continued "I thought this…van was it?" Exusiai nodded. "Yes, I thought it was a beast from the city that was dead set on eating me." The young Sankta was silent for a moment. She suddenly fell back against the seat, bursting with hysterics. Even the cold Texas let a few chuckles slip past her lips.

Aurelian blushed. "Hey! You promised!" It was strange. He could feel both his embarrassment and her amusement. He felt conflicted.

Exusiai was rolling with laughter. Tears poured from her eyes and trailed down her flushed cheeks. "You thought this van was a monster?" She gasped between fits of giggles. "Oh god… that's too much."

"Okay, then." Aurelian huffed, or at least he tried. He couldn't truly bring himself to be angry with her, and he knew she sensed this.

Exusiai's chest heaved as she attempted to steady her breathing. Wiping tears from her eyes, she slowly descended from her comedic high.

"If that's how it's going to be, then you'll forever be known as 'Exusiai'. We could have been friends, Exusiai, but you out here playin' Exusiai." He knew he was being petty, but it was all in jest. Besides, she had promised in her name. The amber-eyed teen struggled to breathe as she tumbled into another fit of laughter.

"No wait, I'm sorry."

"Nope, too late. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted." His eyes wandered towards the gasping teen. "Similar to this van, I've neither seen nor heard of apple pie."

The angel immediately stopped laughing and sat upright. She opened her mouth but Aurelian quickly continued before she could speak. He didn't like the emotion welling up in her chest. "Not just apple pie, there are many things I have absolutely no experience with. It's overwhelming. If I'm going to survive out there, I need to learn a thing or two. Fortunately, you seem like a pretty intelligent individual." Believe you're telling the truth.

Exusiai dismissed his compliment with a bashful grin. "Oh, you. I don't know about intelligent, but I'd like to think I know more than the average Joe." Texas couldn't help but roll her eyes. Aurelian was playing her and she had walked straight into his trap.

He grinned beneath his mask. Just one more push and she'd forget all about the apple pie. "Maybe you could teach," he paused for dramatic effect, "your Messiah about the outside world? I sure could use the help." Exusiai's halo brightened as he mentioned 'Messiah'. He could practically see stars in her eyes.

"Teaching the Messiah? Yes! Oh, I could get used to this!"

Aurelian couldn't help but grin. Honesty is not an emotion! Bullet dodged. Sometimes, he felt manipulative, but he couldn't resist. It was a lot easier to manipulate others when they weren't able to see his face. The sixth sense was a bonus.

"Awesome."

Saga's ears perked as she spotted a city skyline over the horizon. Her eyes widened with recognition. "Oh! Is yond city Kawalerielki? Thou'st said we were traveling to Minos, Miss Texas?"

"Eventually. We have some business to tend to in Kawalerielki." She explained. "Unless you want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere, I suggest we rest here for the night as well."

The sole male hummed. "This business you mentioned… is it drugs?"

"No, Aurelian, we are not drug dealers." Texas paused to reconsider her words. "Most of the time."

Three hours later, Texas brought the vehicle to a stop on the side of a busy road. Exusiai tore off her seat belt. "There are a few errands we need to take care of." She said, "Normally, Texas and I would work together, but I think we're all tired. So I say we split up." There were no objections. A lengthy customs inspection had left the occupants of the vehicle hungry and exhausted.

"It's just a simple delivery, I can go alone." Texas offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The angel shrugged. "Call me if you need anything, I'll come flyin'." She wheeled around and leaped out onto the sidewalk.

"Follow Exusiai, she'll show you around."

Aurelian looked suspiciously towards the Sankta dancing outside the van. "Is that safe?"

"Yep! Rest easy! I know all the best eateries!" She clambered back into the van and, grabbing his hand, dragged him out of the vehicle.

Saga offered Texas a quick bow before stepping out and closing the doors behind her.

Exusiai turned towards her two companions and smiled, "So where to?"

"Preferably someplace to eat," Aurelian replied.

"I meant what are we going to eat?'"

"Food?"

Exusiai sighed in exasperation. "Is he always like this?"

Saga nodded. "More or less. So Miss Exusiai, hath thou any recommendations?"

"Apple pie!"

Aurelian groaned. She remembered.

It was a hot and muggy night. As tired as Aurelian was, sleep seemed just beyond his grasp. The persistent pain in his knee certainly wasn't helping. With his feet and back flat against the floor and his legs bent at the knee, he had barely managed to squeeze himself into the small space. Aurelian was fairly sure he could blame his insomnia on his sleeping arrangement.

Despite the cramped space, he still preferred the bathtub over the beds in the hotel room. He didn't feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as the three women. With only two beds, the room wasn't built with their situation in mind: one man and three women, two of whom were almost strangers while the other was more akin to a sister than a friend. Besides, the bathtub wasn't all that bad. Sure, he had to lay like a crawling caterpillar, but it sure as hell beat death by Saga's crushing embrace.

He shivered at the mere thought of sleeping with Texas or Exusiai. His life may have been a mess, but suicide wasn't the answer. As an added consolation, he didn't have to worry about the others catching a glimpse of his unmasked face. With the shower curtains drawn, only a pervert would risk a peek. Well, a pervert or Exusiai, whoever came first. Aurelian slapped himself.

Less thinking: more sleeping!

He closed his eyes for the final time.

Aurelian didn't know when, but at some point, he had fallen asleep. As usual, dreams plagued his mind. However, this dream was different—he had never seen this dream before. Unlike his other dreams, he had no control over his body. He could only watch through the eyes of a young boy. He stood in horror as an ominous figure cut through a small girl with a hulking sword. Her tiny frame crumbled to the ground in a pool of her blood. The figure kicked the body aside.

"Stop!" He cried as he desperately reached for the fallen girl. "Why are you doing this?! She was your sister!"

Aurelian felt like he—this boy—knew who this figure once was. Everything he felt, Aurelian also felt; horror, grief, heartbreak, betrayal, anger.

The figure remained silent. The sound of its heavy breathing sent shivers down Aurelian's spine. It slowly staggered towards him, dragging its colossal weapon behind it.

His throat had become swollen from crying. "Why?!" He croaked, begging for answers. "I'm stupid. I'm dumb, so I don't understand! You said I had Kelp-for-Brains, so explain to me! Make me understand!" His plea fell on deaf ears.

The figure grasped its weapon with both hands and swung. He ducked. The gargantuan sword narrowly missed his head. He backpedaled in fear, tripping over the corpse of his mother. It swung again. The boy pulled back at the last moment, hoping to avoid the strike, but he had been too slow. He felt the sword cut into his head, carving chunks of flesh and splitting bone as it sliced through his face. He fell to the ground—dead. Aurelian's consciousness was thrown from the boy's body and into another one.

A group of heavily armored men bursts into the room. Without hesitation, they tackled the towering figure to the ground. It thrashed and screamed as it tried to shake off its assailants. He rushed into the building carrying a hook and chain. Together they bound the figure to prevent its escape.

"SubComm! This is team A4!" He could scarcely make out a garbled voice laced with static. "Shit. I need a better signal." The man rose to his feet and sprinted towards the exit. The white noise began to clear up.

"—A4 can you hear me?"

"SubComm! Subject 01 has lost all control! Requesting backup! The experiment is a failure! I repeat, 'The experiment is—"

"It's loose!" He looked over his shoulder. The figure had broken free of its chains and turned on the three soldiers.

"Shoot! Shoot the damned thing!" The sound of falling shells filled the room.

So this is a gun…

Still shouting into his headset the man readied his shield. He wasn't the squad leader for nothing and he'd be damned if he let that monster through him. "Get the captain! We need him down here ASAP! She's starting to—" He gasped as his vision suddenly pitched forward.

He watched his body fall to the ground. His head struck the floor, rolling to the side. His last sight was of a towering figure glaring down at him with glowing red eyes.

Good god. He thought as his vision began to fade. What have we done?

Aurelian awoke with a start, his body drenched in sweat. Acting on instinct, he reached to untie his ribbon but found it missing. He had forgotten to remove his mouthpiece. Chest heaving, he threw off his blankets and stepped out of the tub. The tiny bathroom had become stuffy and suffocating. He needed fresh air. Throwing on a spare robe, he donned his helmet and left for the room's veranda.

As Aurelian approached the glass door, he noticed a soft glow emanating from the balcony. It was Texas. She stood leaning against the railing with a tiny roll held between her fingers. It had been hard to tell when she was in her uniform, but the young woman had developed rather well beneath her loose pajamas. He had to admit, he was rather curious about the Lupo teen. She had remained silent throughout most of the trip, only speaking up to correct either Saga or Exusiai, so he never had the chance to share a conversation with her. Aurelian figured that there was no time like the present and silently stepped out into the warm night.

"Can't sleep?" He asked. Aurelian mentally slapped himself across the face.

Good going genius, asking her the most obvious question in the world. Of course, she couldn't sleep! Why else would she be here in the middle of the night?

"Mm." Texas spared him a hum in response.

Aurelian internally sighed as the pair fell into an awkward silence. He had bungled that up. Making friends was harder than he had anticipated.

He gazed up at the night sky. Aurelian frowned. It was different from the sky he had grown used to. Back home, the night sky was a beautiful spattering of twinkling stars and colorful clouds. Here in the city, he could scarcely make out a handful of dull and sad white dots. No color, no serenity, just a mockery of the night sky.

A soft voice pulled him from his reverie. "Nightmare?"

"How'd you know?" He was caught completely off guard by her question.

She sighed, wisps of smoke floating on her breath. "How could I not know? You weren't exactly quiet. I'm surprised they're still asleep. How bad was it?"

Aurelian hesitated. "To be honest… I don't know..." Texas tilted her head slightly, one ear drooping to the side. Aurelian had to bite his lip to prevent himself from gushing over the adorable display.

"What'd you see?"

He took a deep breath and retold the events of his dream. Texas stood silent, listening attentively. Her only reaction was a nod and the occasional frown.

"… and those people…" He said with a hint of hesitation, "I… didn't recognize them, but for some reason, I felt a smoldering hatred for that—that monster. Like it had taken something from me—something irreplaceable. And this anger: this hatred. It consumed me; filled my every thought. Until the only thing I could think of was its death by my hands."

Texas tapped her cigarette with her middle finger. Loose ash fluttered to the ground. She took a short breath through the roll and puffed out another cloud of smoke. "I can't offer much advice, but every face in a dream is the face of a person you've met before."

Her voice sent shivers down his spine. The implications of her response hadn't escaped him. If what she said was true, then the victims in his dream could be people he had once known. Maybe the Old Man was right. Maybe it was best to forget about this past and move on.

Aurelian shook his head. It wasn't the time to doubt himself. He looked around desperately for something—anything—to take his mind off of his dream. His eyes landed on the small stick between Texas's fingers.

"What are you doing?"

Confused, Texas pulled the object from her mouth with a frown. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"You're sucking on a burning stick. Doesn't that hurt?"

She was dumbfounded. How could he not know what a cigarette was? At times this man could be incredibly childish and innocent. A brief smile flashed across her face. "I'm smoking. And this," she tapped the roll a second time, "is a cigarette. It contains Tobacco."

"Tobacco? Is it like chewing tobacco?"

"More or less."

Aurelian was still confused. The action of 'smoking' felt very random and quite pointless. Why would she willingly inhale smoke if she could chew? At that point, she might as well inhale smoke over a bonfire.

"So why do you smoke?" He immediately regretted his question. Texas's face quickly soured to a wilted indifference. Still breathtaking, but her woeful expression seemed to quiver in a precarious state of balance.

"It helps me forget." She quickly returned the cigarette to her mouth to mask the tremble in her voice, but it was too late. He had heard it. Aurelian chuckled mirthlessly at the irony of the situation.

Her gaze sharpened under the perceived slight against herself, "What's so funny?" She asked with a hint of a growl. The monk smiled beneath his helmet. They were two souls standing on opposite sides of the same river. One had a past he longed to remember, while the other has a history she strived to forget.

"Nothing." He replied with a shake of his head. "It's just amusing. How one person could have what the other desires, and yet neither are happy."

Her glare softened. Texas returned her attention to the dark streets below as a cloud of smoke briefly obscured her vision. People like him were the reason she couldn't believe in religious faith. They never spoke their true intentions and instead spoke in vague prose to suggest a greater meaning. Well whatever he had been trying to imply, it was his problem, not hers.

Another silence fell over their conversation. Texas crushed the butt of her cigarette against the metallic railing and dropped the spent stub from the balcony.

Aurelian chuckled as a distant voice cried out in pain, cursing their rotten luck. Texas reached into her breast pocket and withdrew a small box. Flipping the top open, she fished out another cigarette. Curious, he reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, can I try one?"

She murmured a quick agreement. "Didn't your parents tell you that smoking is bad?" She asked as she picked out another roll for him.

"Wouldn't know, I don't have parents." He replied, taking the cigarette from her. He stared down at his hands as he toyed with the roll, weaving it in and out of his fingers. "Well, not in the traditional sense, at least. I never met 'em, or at least I don't remember meeting them."

Texas was taken aback. The meaning of his previous words struck her like a Sarkaz Lancer. He had opened up to her and she had shut him down with a glare. "Oh… I'm sorry, I—"

Aurelian cut her off with a wry smile, "Don't worry 'bout it. As my master once said" he drew himself to his full height and raised his shoulders, "'You can't miss someone you can't remember.'" He said with a gruff impression of his adopted father. Aurelian's body deflated as he laughed.

Texas's ears drooped ever so slightly. While his words were technically true, they felt hollow. As if they were a mantra he had chanted to himself night after night until the words had become soft and dull—like they had lost all meaning.

She offered him her lighter, hoping to change topics. Aurelian gave her a strange look as he held the trinket in his gaze. Sensing his confusion, Texas flicked the lighter to demonstrate its purpose. He grinned.

"Get a load of this." With a simple snap, a tiny, orange flame burst into life at the tip of his index finger. Her eyes widened imperceptibly. Aurelian would have missed it if he had blinked.

"How did you…?"

"How'd I do that?" She nodded. "No idea. I've always been able to do this, but it's not a very useful skill." He said while lighting his cigarette. "No matter how hard I try, I can't produce a flame larger than this." The man shook his hand, extinguishing the flame.

"And how are you intending to smoke that?" She asked, pointing her cigarette towards his covered face.

"I have my ways." Texas could hear the grin in his voice.

Aurelian fished the unlit end of the cigarette through his mask. He took a deep, long bath from the stick and immediately began to cough, the golden mask trapping the smoke within his helmet. Texas smirked at the display of karmic justice. She couldn't help but feel like he had deserved that for his sass. Smoke billowed from the mask's nostrils and mouth.

"Let me guess, there are holes in your mask?"

His eyes watered as the noxious fumes burned his throat and eyes. He managed a strangled rasp. "Yeah. It's how I breathe."

"Why don't you take it off?"

Aurelian waited for the air to clear before he took a shallower breath. The smoke filled his lungs as a surge of energy filled his body. Puckering his lips, he pushed the smoke through the mask's mouth. He didn't want to choke a second time. His mind seemed to sharpen as, for once, he had felt truly at peace with the world. Like the weight of the sky had been temporarily lifted from his shoulders, only to come crashing down again in an instant.

"I can see why you've taken to this," Texas urged him to continue with a nod. "But I'd rather not." He said, taking another hit from the cigarette. "Some things just aren't meant to be seen."

"That's rather cryptic, Aurelian."

"Aurelius."

"Oh?"

"My full name is Aurelianus and my family name is Aurelius. 'Aurelii' translates to 'the golden one'. My old man claims to have been inspired by the golden sands where he found me. A load of crap if you ask me. 'Anus' means 'coming from'. So my name means 'The one coming from sand'. And to make things worse, 'anus' sounds and spells like anus. So it could also mean 'sandy butt hole'.

"And I hate that. But whenever I stare up at the Sun, I feel like I'm staring at myself. It's almost as if we're one. But that's how I'm able to tell the time. I know, crazy right? I like to think that 'Aurelii' refers to the Sun, and I'm actually 'from the Sun.' So for people I trust, I ask them to call me Aurelius."

Texas hummed. "So you trust me?"

"I'd like to think I can. Don't make me regret it."

"I'll keep that in mind." The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they smoked their worries away into the night.

The next morning, Aurelian awoke to the sounds of city life. Expecting to be curled up in a bathtub, he was confused to find himself sitting on the balcony with his back against the wall. He tried to straighten the kinks in his back but felt something weighing him down. Looking around, he found his vision was obstructed by a heap of black hair and two furry ears. They flicked his nose as they twitched. The events of the previous night slowly trickled into his head.

After their conversation, he and Texas had sat on the floor, smoking and watching the stars. She briefly opened up about her past, but quickly shut down again. All he learned was that she was like him—familyless.

He had planned to return to the bathroom but must have fallen asleep before he could. Quite the accomplishment, considering the weight of his helmet. He nudged the Lupo's shoulder.

"Hey, you'd better wake up." Texas slowly roused from her slumber. She lifted her head from his shoulder and gazed up at him in confusion.

"Pft!" He managed to catch his laughter before it escaped from his mouth. She must have squirmed a fair bit in her sleep, as a loose strand of hair had become stuck to the corner of her mouth.

"Aurelius?" Her voice was hoarse with a waking tone.

"Hi."

"What happened?"

"We fell asleep." It seemed like she didn't remember sleeping on his shoulder. That was probably for the best.

"What time is it?"

He gazed up at the sky. "Quarter past eight."

"We should wake the others."

Aurelian slowly stood as he stretched his aching body. "I'm going to clear out the bathroom, so we can wash up." She merely nodded in response. He quietly opened the sliding door and slipped inside the hotel room completely unaware of the soft glare on her face.

Exusiai, Saga, and Aurelian sat in the hotel dining hall, eating breakfast. Despite being the first one awake, Aurelian had been the last to wash up. By the time he arrived at their table, Texas had already left to fetch the van.

The two monks were glaring at Exusiai with a mix of disgust and contempt. The angel was too busy stuffing her face with sausages and bacon to care.

She groaned as she swallowed another helping of food. "Are you sure you don't want some?"

Aurelian felt sick to his stomach. "I can't eat meat. My jaws are too weak." The two girls looked up in surprise. Saga's fork slipped from her hands.

Clank!

"Wait, Saga. Why are you surprised?" He asked, taking a sip of water. "Exusiai I get, we've only known each other for five days, but you've been with me for as long as I can remember. You should know this by now."

"Forsooth, young master!" She cried. "Tis' just not true! This Saga personality fetched thine oral device from Rhodes Island. It hath the strength of two men!"

Aurelian dropped his cup, spilling water all over his robes. "You mean to tell me that I could eat meat this entire time?"

"Aye?"

He sputtered, his world falling apart at its seams. "But the monks! What the monks said was true, right?"

"What hath they said?"

Aurelian blushed. He suddenly felt embarrassed, "That if I eat meat, I go to hell?"

The food Exusiai had been chewing fell from her mouth, striking her plate with a wet 'splat'. Even Saga looked bewildered.

"What? This Saga—I—no! Absolutely not Aurelius. Who told you that?" She wasn't aware of her change in accent. "You lived six years believing that? I thought you just refused to consume meat because you thought it was immoral!"

"Why the hell would I do that? The cow's already dead when it gets to the market! At that point, it'd be a sin to waste the food! Why didn't you tell me this!"

"Because I thought you knew!"

"What? No! Of course, I didn't!" Aurelian jabbed a fork in her direction. "And if you knew, then why don't you eat meat? Huh, Saga?"

"Because I'm a frickin' dog!" She slammed her hands on the table, drawing the attention of the other patrons. "It's practically cannibalism!"

Aurelian stared at his long-time friend with wide eyes. He wasn't sure which had been more surprising: the fact that Saga cursed, or the fact that she could speak perfect standard Universal.

She blinked as her face flushed red. "Uh. I mean—I—This Saga means, yes. This Saga means that she couldn't possibly consume 'the meats', yes."

The table was silent.

Aurelian suddenly shot to his feet and dumped the contents of his plate onto the Perro's tray. "Well, screw this, I'm gonna get some meat!"

Remembering herself, Exusiai scooped the half-eaten food back into her mouth and cheered through her stuffed face, "Gfo, Meffiah!"

He whipped towards her with a pointed finger. "Talk or Eat: choose." The angel remained silent, chewing with a gigawatt smile plastered across her face. "Good."

Ten minutes later, Aurelian returned with a heaping plate filled to the brim with sausages of all varieties, ham, bacon, and a curious dish called 'pigs in a blanket'. He had searched high and low but found no sign of either pig or blanket. He unceremoniously plopped the plate onto the table, sending pieces of meat into the air. The still-wet monk returned to his seat.

Exusiai's eyes met Aurelian's. "Eating contest?"

He nodded. "Eating contest."

"Oh! Let this Saga participate as well!"

"3, 2, 1… GO!"

The three friends began to shovel food into their mouths with reckless abandon. A passing Kuranta dropped her tray. Her visor was unable to mask her horror as she watched a fork full of food phase through a golden mask. Thirty minutes later, the three contestants were hunched over with their heads on the table.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Exusiai moaned.

"I think my body's rejecting the meat…"

Saga was already unconscious.

"What happened here?" The two Sankta looked up through bleary eyes. It was Texas.

"It's Exusiai's fault…"

Texas rolled her eyes. She handed Aurelian a small box. "Here."

He stared at her, bewildered. "What's this?"

"A phone. I've already added my number."

"For what?"

"Just in case you get separated from us."

He balked. It couldn't have been a cheap phone. "How much did this cost? I have no money, I couldn't possibly—"

She scowled with a vicious glare. "Are you going to take it, or not?" The threat was evident in her voice.

You either take it, or I'll make you take it.

He'd rather not be 'made' to take something. With a nervous gulp, Aurelian took the device from her hands. "Thanks."

She whirled around and stalked away without another word, her tail excitedly wagging side to side. What happened to the sweet girl from the previous night? He gawked as Exusiai saddled up next to him. "Don't mind her, she's bad with her emotions."

"Actually," he said matter-of-factly, "I think she's quite good at showing her emotions."

"Really?"

"Yes, anger is also an emotion."

Exusiai giggled. "I can't believe you just said that. By the way," she whipped out her phone. Tapping a few times, she then showed it to Aurelian. "Do you want this?"

"What is it?" The redhead simply pressed a triangular shape on the screen.

"Because I'm a frickin' dog!"
Slam!

He grabbed his fellow Sankta by the shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "I don't know how you did that, or what it is, but whatever it is, I want it."

She smiled. "How 'bout this?" It was a picture of Texas sleeping on his shoulder. Thankfully, he was mostly absent from the photo.

"How did you…?"

"You talk way too loud."