Chapter 28: Rumors Across the Waters
"Word travels quickly
To friends long parted;
Separated by an ocean far too wide,
Yet rumors fly far faster
A warning and a blessing."
Year: August 9, 2308
Location: Digi-Haven, Africaus Neutral
Jasmine was deep in her work, books scattered across her largest table while her partner hyokomon sat atop the smaller desk watching her. She was crunching numbers, as she often did in the quiet hours after lunch while the noontime heat kept even the rowdiest of the youngsters under cover.
"If we don't meet that payment we'll lose access to the mine, we need that fighting force…" The boy standing over her suddenly muttered, he was three years her junior but as the next oldest in the camp he was permitted to assist with the work.
"I know that already Hibiki, go check on the younger ones if you're bored." Jasmine sighed as she flicked the pencil behind her ear and leaned back to regard him, her eyes narrowed until he finally retreated from her private tent.
As the flap swung closed again her partner spoke up, his wary gaze watching for more intruders, "It is a point, with only one clean mine…
"We'll make the payment like always Chick, we have to…" Jasmine turned back to her books but before she could find her place the tent flap rustled again and the small shape of the current camp runner rushed in, a robo-pigeon latched onto his wrist.
"Leader, a message for you…" he stopped beside her to catch his breath as the mechanical bird squawked indigently, "Message for Digi-Haven, Message for Digi-Haven"
"Thank you, Kelly, return to your post for now…" Jasmine detached the creature from his wrist and set it on the table before her, "Message received, speak…"
Kelly took off again as the bird suddenly stopped its repeat cycle and clipped its metal beak at her, "Digi-Haven Acknowledged, Voice Authorization Only"
Jasmine blinked, surprised by the secure request, but suddenly smiled, "Jasmine Phoenix listening…"
The robo-pigeon whirred a moment as it processed the request, a paper strip appearing from its chest as it began printing the message, "Accepted, Printing Now"
Jasmine waited impatiently as the paper lengthened, the small script impossible to read at that angle, and snatched it up as soon as the whir stopped, barely acknowledging the messenger's shut-down notice. "Chick, who's on call today?" she muttered as she absorbed the message, her gaze straying back to the digimon now.
"Besides Kelly?" The chicken digimon dropped from his desk seat and padded over to see what had excited her, his eyes narrowed at the scrap of paper, "Silvia is on housekeeping I believe, shall I fetch her?"
"No, just tell her to clean out the bigger guest house…we're going to have some important visitors soon… How long would it take to cross the Gulf Current, that is the main trade-lane isn't it?"
Chick retrieved the now abandoned strip and skimmed the message before smiling himself, "Yes, a week at the least…they'd have to round the desert head though…"
"Two weeks then, that should give us enough time to prepare…and send a runner to greet them…" Jasmine reclaimed the strip from him and waved him off before tucking it into the book she was working in, "Let's be ready for our old friends…"
Location: Nature's Wind, Americanus North Tri-Border
"You're sure you can find a transport? The packs aren't exactly the friendliest towards us…" Crystal shifted her gaze from the defiant aqua-neko to where Strike was resting on the low sofa, half-asleep with Gracie curled up against his lap, "I'm still not sure we can risk such a long journey…"
"I told you I have a cousin that can carry us, you've already sent the message anyway…" Ariel sighed, shaking her head for a moment before shifting the pack on her shoulder, "Give me a day or two to get it ready and we'll be down the current in no time…"
Crystal sighed, relenting as she turned back to the stack of books she had been sorting, "Right, the trade-lanes are neutral and we'll be following the current most of the way… We'll meet you at the atlantic edge then…still too much to pack here…"
Ariel paused a moment longer before leaving the younger girl to her mutterings, a wry grin visible as she ducked from the house and called to her partner, "Come on Pearl, back to the ocean with us…"
The house was in a fuss the next day as Mrs. Garrison insisted on helping them pack up all that they would need for the long journey, her motherly tones soothing even the sharpest worry. Food was the largest part of the growing pile, smaller portions designated to the numerous maps and books they had been studying the past months. Atop the strategy pile a small robo-pigeon and its mechanics kit rested, the expensive messenger often the largest part of the debates but Mrs. Garrison insisted they keep in touch and the bird would certainly make that easier.
Finally, on the second morning Crystal made the final rounds as the younger destined and their partners sorted themselves for the short run to the atlantic edge. Strike was on firamon's back with his arms wrapped around Gracie as she dug her fingers into the lion digimon's mane, one bag of supplies secured behind the siblings. Rachel was atop aquilamon, the twins riding with her while the eagle's talons looped through two more sacks ready to go. Leomon stood waiting beside her, the final more fragile sack slung across his shoulder, while peckmon waited patiently for her to mount.
"Right, let's get this over with…" Crystal managed a smile as she climbed onto the bird digimon behind Ryan, urging him to settle as she cast one more glance to make sure all unneeded partners were stored. Silently they started forward into the thick pack-land, all alert to any sounds that might mention their passing.
Ariel flitted gracefully under the large transport whale as she secured the last strap, tightening it against the underbelly. "Careful you cachalot, these things have to be done right…" she clicked at the impatient swimmer as she surfaced at his other flank to check the nearly flat 'saddle' that had been designed by the packs for natural ocean travel. A blanket pad rested against the whale's back, the wooden platform form-fitted for the main transport species spaced between the front flippers and the tail fin with a water-proof storage box secured near the head.
She turned back to shore as she heard the digimon approaching, flitting back into the water after a moment and urging the transport to drift closer to the land as he obligingly flipped his tail fin onto the beach for them to load semi-dry.
"Your cousin's a little small Ariel…couldn't find a bigger transport?" Crystal was the first to dismount as she approached the water, clicking softly to reassure the whale as he flicked a flipper at her.
"He's big enough for our needs, and faster than those double floats…" Ariel surfaced again at the opposite flipper, teasing down the ski line that was coiled around the platform's fenced edge, "It's carpeted at least, easier for you land-lubbers to sleep…better get the bags into the chest before he takes off again."
Getting all the bags stored in the chest took nearly an hour but with that finally done Crystal managed to urge the others onto the benches that lined the inside of the saddle platform. Strike took the left side of the head-bench, leaving room for Crystal while Gracie settled beside him and Flare at his feet. Wild claimed the right side-bench for himself while the twins took the left and the other two settled at the tail-end.
Ariel leaned against the whale's side as she listened to them, her wet hair plastered to her face and her own water-proof bag secured at her back. "You'll want to put up that safety rail Crystal, there's also a shade-umbrella under the front seat… Settled then?"
Crystal yanked the folded rail up and waited for it to click into place before stepping over to peer down at the ocean-dweller, "You're not coming up?"
"Hardly, remember I'm in my element…" Ariel smiled and pushed off the transport before securing the floaters to the ski line to give her something to grab if she got tired, "Get seated now and we're off…"
Crystal watched her disappear back into the water a moment before taking her seat beside Strike and checking the shade-umbrella, "Hmm…we'll put that up later…"
"Come on Cuz, to Africaus…" Ariel twirled through the water as she took the lead, feeling completely free for the first time in weeks as she clicked at the transport again and they set off for the current.