Hork-Bajir Homeworld-Training facility 790-Exact current location-Pool-30 minutes later
The three of us "stepped" out of the air lift and onto solid ground. Serri looked at me and Eliza and said "The sooner we find Heyo, the sooner we can get to the hanger. He'll have a new host so start looking around and shouting his name every few seconds. There's your orders. Have fun and don't get in any fights. And don't fall off the edge into the wilderness or you're dead. That's a long drop." I glared at him and sarcastically said "You give such good orders! You're the greatest at giving advice! Let's get going already!" He slashed half heartedly at me. I dodged easily and laughed. He glared back at me. "So impatient..If Eliza gets in any trouble help her out. Eliza, if Terrus gets in any trouble feel free to point and laugh. Are those better orders?" I smiled and answered "Not really.", then started wandering the left side of the Pool with Eliza, while Serri went on the right side.
After a few minutes of searching and shouting his name I began to think maybe we'd missed him. I stopped searching and stared out at the landscape. Eliza realized I wasn't with her anymore and came back over to me. "What are you thinking about?" She asked. I smiled and tried to put it into words. "We're going to be out there fighting soon. You know I look out there alot. Know what I've always thought when I look at it all? I think, oh it's beautiful. It's an amazing place. Really it is. I looked out there just now and didn't think that. I thought about who we'd be killing and which of us would probably die and where we'd go." She was silent for a few seconds before saying "I don't know what to tell you, except that maybe instead of thinking of it in such dark ways, think of it all as future good times. Think of it as adventure, not missions."
An unfamiliar voice behind us said "Yeah, where's your spirit of adventure Terrus?" We turned around and saw a 10 foot tall Hork-Bajir controller. I took a step back and almost went over the edge. I grinned up at him. "Hello Heyo. Nice host. Why not get a regular sized one?" He smiled a rare smile and replied "Well I'm going to be stuck on missions with you three. At least one of us has to be able to fight." Serris' voice suddenly came from behind Heyo. "You're the one who ran away from an 8 on 3 fight and then failed to kill Terrus in a 1 on 1 fight. If any of us has to be able to fight it should be her." Suddenly I'm the elite fighter? Okay. I was good. I admit that. But he was just throwing me out front like some offensive defense! Heyo turned around and looked down at Serri and said furiously "Maybe I couldn't kill her but do you want to see me kill you?" Serri took a step forward and raised his arms "I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT!"
Eliza and I looked at each other and I knew we were thinking the same thing: This will get ugly quickly. We moved between them. I took Serri while she took Heyo. "STAND DOWN SERRI!" I yelled. He tried moving me out of the way and I pushed him backwards. He came at me again, this time swinging his blades! I locked blades and tried reasoning with him "DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE DOING? YOU'RE ATTACKING ME! TERRUS! CUT IT OUT RIGHT NOW! I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO HURT YOU BUT IF YOU KEEP THIS UP I WILL! STAND DOWN!" I saw fear and horror in his eyes. He suddenly lowered his arms and stepped back. With Serri taken care of, I turned around to help Eliza. I shouldn't have bothered. Heyo was standing still, giving a death glare. Nobody said anything for a few minutes.
Eliza broke the silence "I know you two aren't fond of each other but this is a team. This is OUR team. We have to work together. For some of us it's for advancing through the ranks, for others it's simply staying alive. The reason doesn't matter. What matters is that your here. We don't all like each other. I get that. You can leave whenever you want. Nobody would stop you. You have a problem you really can't get over? Leave." Heyo didn't move. He was staring at her with..respect.
I looked at Serri for a long moment. "It's not easy joining a new team. You know that Serri. I know I made it very difficult for you and Eliza but we're okay now. It would be appreciated if you'd make an effort to make this team transition easier for Heyo. Even if that means just not talking to him at all. Eliza and I, this team, we don't need you two at each others throats. If this happens in a real combat situation we'll all be dead. Save it for the enemy. Understand?" He nodded at me.
I turned and looked at Heyo. "Do you understand this Heyo?" He just nodded at me too. Eliza looked between them and said "Shake hands." That was asking for trouble again. She looked at them both and repeated it. "Both of you shake ." Heyo and Serri stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I wondered who would crack first. It turned out to be Serri. He walked over to Heyo and put his hand out. Heyo grabbed it and let go in a second. Eliza sighed. "I guess that'll have to do." Serri shot an angry look at her "Okay we have the newest member of our team, piece of filth though he is, can we go to the hanger NOW?" I kicked him and said "Yes. I want you and Heyo to watch yourselves though. I mean it."
The now four of us made our way back across the Pools perimeter to the lift. Heyo and Serri didn't say a word to each other which I was fine with. Eliza..I wasn't sure if she was fine with it. I cast a sideways glance at her, she sent me back a smile and whispered "I'm glad they aren't trying to kill each other anymore but I'd love it if they would at least TRY to get along or make small talk or something! All this silence and glaring between them is making me worry." I smiled at her and laughed. "Don't be worried. I'm sure they'll get along real fast once all the missions start rolling, and the heads!" She gave me a look and asked seriously "Do you think we'll be able to keep them in line if that back there happens again? Without hurting them." I answered honestly "I don't know."
When we reached the lift I held up an arm to stop everyone. "Okay, I really don't want to have to walk forever through corridors and take lifts everywhere to get places. We're going to get to the hanger in a much faster way." My two friends, and Heyo, looked confused. "Look to the right of the lift, directly on line with the sun. Then look all the way down." I instructed. Am I really the only person who thought of this? Realization dawned on Heyo first. He was outraged "You're insane! You want us to jump all the way down there? I don't know if you noticed but we aren't all seemingly invincible like you! If we jump and, assuming we even land on a ship down there, or the landing pad, all of us will be splattered Horks. I'm not doing it. I'd rather walk for hours than jump to my death. Maybe that's how you do it here on your team, but not on mine. MY team wasn't crazy."
Serri glanced at Heyo and said quietly "You joined this team. Whatever we do, you do now too." Heyo looked at him and replied just as quietly "I didn't know I was going to have to kill myself on this team..." Serri seemed to be trying not to grin. He looked away. I looked at Eliza, silently asking, did you catch that? She smiled and nodded in answer. She told Heyo "We wouldn't be splattered Horks. Not if we climb down the base wall with our blades." She turned to me and grinned "That is what you mean isn't it?" I feinged anger "Of course that's what I meant!And I'm not invincible by the way. I just have endless luck." Serri shook his head and said "No. You have endless skill!" Heyo muttered "Trying to get on her good side.." Serri heard, I could see he was angry. I silently willed him not to do anything stupid. To my relief, and everyone elses, he seemed to let the comment pass. To me he said "I hate to agree with Heyo, but I'd rather walk than climb. Sorry to ruin your lifes ambition miss."
Okay I'm glad they agreed on SOMETHING but did it have to be on not to pursue my dream of descending the base exterior? I was just a little bit annoyed. Only a little. "Eliza," I said "You agree with them? Walk rather than have FUN climbing?" She avoided meeting my eyes for a split second "I agree with them. Don't worry though, you'll get to experience that dream someday! I know it." I smiled. I'll never understand how she can be so positive. So confident. So SURE I'd get to do that someday. My eyes skimmed over each of them. I took four steps and was inside the lift. They followed suit. I mentally sighed. I'm leaving a dream behind and moving forward into a nightmare. Just before descending, Serri asked me "We're done here?" I wondered what he meant. Here the Pool? Here our training?
I just said "We're done here. Everywhere else, we're just getting started." Heyo sarcastically said "Great!"
Eliza smiled at me. "Let's get started then."