Welcome to chapter 6 everyone. All 17 of you.
Now the. I must say. This story officially has a prequel. It's called "The Death Before Life". Though it's rated M and you can find it on my profile
Reviews
Ceridwen Lucius: Your ask shall be granted within this chapter. And I'm very glad you really seem to like how I have written Kane's growth as a character. And thanks for giving me little tips for writing. I hope this makes it worth it
Also some parts of this chapter may have better context through the prequel Death Before Life
Now then. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Though fair warning. The first train sequence may not be that good
Hell. Most of this chapter is character based rather than adventure based.
Play: Joji – Worldstar Money
It was night as they all reached the inn at the village. To which the walk there was mostly silent due to Kane's angry outburst at Kara. Because of that. He really doesn't seem to somebody that should be talked to right now
But to break the silence Leanna went inside the inn and got a few keys to which slightly confused Kane but then it hit him about the inn. Though as soon as Kane was about to enter it. Leanna called out to him. When he turned around it seemed that Kara and Amelia has left to do other things while Zack took his key and went inside
"Kane. I understand you may be paranoid. But please. Give them a chance" said Leanna worried he will continue his somewhat hostile behavior to other people
"….. them?" said Kane looking at her curiously
"Kara and Zack" said Leanna knowing full well that Kane doesn't like either of them. When Kane heard her say their names. He didn't know what to think now. He still didn't trust them. But yet Leanna still does?
He then looks at the pango in his hand
"Poi?" said the pango in his hand
Now he felt that he should start to be more subtle with his suspicions. Or maybe. Leanna is right. Though right now. He didn't want to think on it further than he already is
"….." said Kane taking his key and going into the designated room. It wasn't much as the bed is literally a carpet, a pillow, and a blanket. But the thing is. They are too small for him. But at least there was a chair for him to sit on.
"Poi poi!" said the pango as he then jumps onto the carpet. Kane then gets an idea and grabs the blanked and folds it in a way putting it upon the pillow. Basically making a little bed for the pango. It hops happily and jumps onto it and proceeds to relax on it
Behind his helmet. It made Kane slightly smile to see the innocence of this for just a few moments. He didn't know what to do now. But alas. He certainly didn't want to go to sleep. He has been noticing about himself more subconscious fear.
He then takes off his helmet to feel the cold breeze from the open window from his face. He hoped that maybe that could keep himself awake. But yet he starts to wonder how much longer he can go without sleeping. Certainly not a month. Hell. He personally believe he at best he could go for 1 week at best.
Prior to coming to this whole new… world. He probably hadn't slept in possibly years. The last time he looked at himself in the mirror. He didn't have ginormous bags under his eyes or look very saggy. Like any person would after years of no sleep
He still looked normal. Minus his crimson eyes and pale skin. He starts to think what is the best way of keeping awake. He's heard of some deathtroopers putting shockers in their suits. But that always ended badly from what he has heard
But one idea did come into his mind. He grabs his knife and thinks again. If his friend not only did it as a way of coping. But staying awake without his medication. Maybe it might work for him as well. But then again. If someone were to notice him doing it. It will certainly be a problem
He then looks out the window. Seeing this rustic village in its glory despite the desert ish vibes reminds him of encountering tribes during his empire days. As much as he loved the sights of this world so far. This part isn't really that good
But now. He didn't care. He only wanted to stay awake. After from every brief sleep here has taught him. Is that going to sleep only comes pain from the past. Because of that is compensating going forward with his knife idea
"Just try it Kane. If it beats smoking. It should beat sleep"
It caused his voice to pop in his head. Though Kane has no idea where his friend is. He could only hope it isn't somewhere where he'll die quickly. It's haunting to him really. To remember him saying that just a month prior to his final time seeing him
Just like losing his other friends who meant a lot to him during his time with the Empire.
To Leanna
Leanna was laying down on the carpet bed. One thing she couldn't stop thinking about. Is probably getting Kane to act less hostile… though lately every day she has been around him he has become less. But what really interested her is two things about Kane.
First being what he looks like under his helmet. Surely someone like him will probably a man whom she believes is possibly in his 30s. Maybe even in his 40s . Surely someone like him will definitely have some battle scars, bruises, or even a disfigured face that he keeps hidden..
The other thing that interested her. Is what exactly made him to be the very gloomy and hostile person he is. And surely through his years of experience fighting also came at a personal cost of breaking him mentally. She has met people who act somewhat like him. But yet. He seemed way more… different compared to them.
Though he has shown himself to be tolerating of her and the pango considering he took a magic ball for her and the pango seemingly like a pet he really cares for.
"WHAT IF HE IS OVER 50!?" thought Leanna breaking focus for a moment "No Leanna don't get carried away" but then she thinks to herself. Maybe she should just try talking to him more. Surely through that she learned that the academy he cage from was probably tough as nails. Or that he had never sweets before.
Hell for all she knows he could have a shiny bald head
Then suddenly the door opened and Amelia and Kara coming in
"Oh hey Leanna whatcha doing?" Said Kara
"Oh just thinking about what to do now" said Leanna
"Is thinking about future events causing you to think a lot?" asked Amelia as they both lie down in different carpets. Kara already went to sleep while Amelia laid there and read a book
"Yeah. Considering what we have seen for the last few days I'm sure see some interesting things" said Leanna thankfully not giving away the fact that Kane is on her mind. Now she felt like it would be better if she went to sleep by now. As probably thinking two hard might ruin her tomorrow
The next day
Kane managed to do it. Though he head keeps bobbing up and down as he sat on the chair until the light shines into his eyes. He felt a little victorious. Yet somewhat tired. He gets up and stretches his back as these chairs are not designed for a 6'5 Titan like he is. But at least it was better than the carpet
"I wonder if they had anything designated for my size" thought Kane as he put his helmet back on. But the something caught his eye. In the shelves he noticed some blue candles in a little shelf. He grabbed one.
It was dusty as hell. But still left a scent. To which maybe it could work despite possibly being very old. He then grabbed the other four blue candles and put them in his bag with his other items after dusting each one off. At first he was thinking about lighting one if them and enjoy the sight/enhanced scent
But for now. To him it may be a better idea to save for later. He then hears a knock on his door
"You may come in" said Kane as the door opened to which unfortunately for Kane. Was Zack.
"Hey" said Zack as he has a feeling in his gut that Kane probably does not like the sight of him right now
"…..hey" said Kane
"We are getting ready go. Meet us downstairs when you are ready" said Zack as Kane nods to him while he leaves
After he left Kane looks at the pango who was still sleeping. He then bent down and proceeded to gently poke it repeatedly
"zzz.. poi…. Poi?" said the pango as he starts to wake up to Kane poling him "poi poi!"
"We need to head back to the others" said Kane holding his hand out for the pango to jump on. Right after he did. He looked at him for a moment "Hmm…... I think you need a name"
"Poi?... Poi…" said the pango confused for a moment before he puts two and two together. "POI POI!" he said as he excitedly bobs up and down on Kane's hand with a huge smile
"…." Said Kane holding the pango and looking out the window to see the bright blue sky. Giving him an idea "How do you like the name…. 'Sky'?" as soon as the pango heard him give him a name. It gave an even bigger smile and wiggles even more
Later
Kane comes down to see everyone else seemingly waiting for him
"Kane" said Amelia walking over too him "I know you probably don't like me saying this out loud but. I'm sure you will be satisfied with what I have to say" this caught Kane's attention "Me and Elder Issim have discussed the theory of temporal rifts. However it only strengthened our concern that we do not have enough energy"
"….." said Kane as he thinks about what she said. But judging by it. He might just need to collect more energy…. Shouldn't be too hard right? "Thank you Amelia" as she nods in response
"To which is why we are going to another temple" said Leanna joining in "Thankfully Issim was able to pinpoint about 2 more temples.. however. He couldn't find the last two"
"The fastest way is to take the crystal rail. Which should lead us back to Bazada" said Kara. Kane still didn't like the fact that she is tagging along
"Poi poi" said the pango now named Sky
"Aw hello pango!" said Leanna petting Sky
"C'mon you guys. We can't be taking forever here" said Zack as everyone got their things ready and departed the inn. And proceeded to walk through the village. To which some of the villagers waved goodbye while others continued on with their morning routine
Upon exiting the village. There came the part where Leanna was dreading the most. Even though she managed to get through. She didn't want to go through it again. She still felt scared of it. This did not go unnoticed by Kane though
As Kane then held out his other hand that isn't holding Sky to her. Though she still didn't want to go through. But since someone like Kane and the pango will be there to ensure her safety. She felt a little more confidence
She then took his hand as he began to lead her through to catch up with the others through the forest of Sorrows. The sights were pretty much the same very quiet though they could hear owl noises to which spooked Leanna which caused her to be closer to Kane
Not that he minded of course. While Sky buries himself as much as he could in Kane's hand. Kara seemed a little nervous of the forest while like Kane. Zack and Amelia weren't too bothered coming through it
Though as they reach back into the regular forest where the noises of the woodland signaling that they out if scary first giving Leanna to stop holding hands with Kane. Not that she minded holding his hand of course. And now. It should be much easier to get to the train
They all of exit the woods and head back over to where the market place still as bust as ever
"Hey guys. I think I need to stock on some supplies before we continue our journey" said Kara
"That's a good idea. We should take the time to grab many things we need before getting on the train" said Leanna. After she finished her sentence. Kara, Zack, and Amelia then nodded to her and went their separate ways leaving only her and Kane
"Hey I'm Kane?" said Leanna
"?" said Kane
"Do you mind if I'm.. The pango could accompany me?" she asked him. He looked at Sky who smiles at him
"….Go ahead Sky" said Kane
"Poi" said Sky happily as he hopped from Kane's hand into Leanna's arms
"Pango! Wait… did you call him Sky?" said Leanna
"…. That's his name" said Kane
"Aw.. you gave him a name.. that's so nice of you!" said Leanna making Kane look away slightly "C'mon Sky let's explore the market"
"Poi!" said the pango as the two of them went into the crowd
"…" said Kane as there is two places he wanted to go.
First Kane went to the knife shop. But it seemed way too crowded for him to even get inside. Not to mention that there seemed to be a whole line. A very long one. To which made him disappointed that he won't be able to go in
So he went to the next place he wanted to go was the candle shop. To which sure it was crowded as well. But not as crowded as the knife shop. He enters the candle store to which once again the employees were a little startled at his appearance for a moment
He looked around the place full of interesting looking candles. But then the same cheerful girl from earlier came up to him
"Oh hello again! Did you decide on something you want?" said The girl
"…..Do you…. Accept other candles as payment?" said Kane as he got an idea
"Hm… that will all depend" said the girl as Kane brings out one of the old candles he found earlier as she carefully inspects "I haven't seem much of these before. The material rarely but definitely some unique designs"
"So is that yes?" Said Kane
"Alright then. What is it that you want?" said the girl
"…." Said Kane going over to a specific candle showcase grabbing three different ones that peaked his interest that being orange, vanilla, and cinnamon "….Just these three" holding them out to her
"Very well. Enjoy your new candles! Come back again" said the girl cheerfully as Kane nods to her and exits the candle shop. Feeling satisfied with what he has. Even though cinnamon was unlike anything he has smelled before. It is something he would love to smell again. As for the orange and vanilla. He wanted to check those out too.
He wondered what his parents would have thought of these if they ever got to see them. Or maybe it's nothing new to them. Sadly he doesn't think he'll ever know the answer to. Making his way over to the train station wasn't too much trouble this day not that many people seemed to want to go on at the time
A few moments go by of him just waiting at the station. To which gave him a good amount of peace and quiet...Until Kara arrived…..for a moment she seemed worried she will piss him off again. But this time she felt that if she kept her mouth shut in certain situations or maybe speak her words more carefully
"Soo then.. your name is Kane right?" said Kara hoping he'll respond
"….." said Kane only looking at her before looking away. Causing her to be somewhat disappointed.
Then a few moments later everyone else came by
"Hey guys. You got everything you need?" Said Leanna as Sky seemed happy to see Kane again hopping out of Leanna's arms causing her to pout as he jumped into Kane's hand "aw.." while Kane simply nods to her
"Yup and we got everything all set" said Kara as Amelia and Zack nod to her as well they began to wait a few moments got the train
"Hey Kane. Where did you go?" Said Leanna interested in what he did. To which Kane responded by digging in his bag and pulling out one of his candles he recently got. Leanna looked at it with interesting "Ooh I love the smell of cinnamon!"
"You got… candles?" said Zack as he didn't take Kane for someone who would be interested in that kind of stuff. Causing Kane to give a slight glare at Zack for a moment
"…." Said Kane as the train was starting to get close
"Poi?..." said Sky as Kane remembered that trains don't allow pangos
"..Sky. I'm sorry. But get back in" said Kane as he put Sky in the bag with his candles. Sure he squirmed a bit and made everyone a bit uncomfortable. But it was the best Kane could think of
"Kane don't so that to Sky" said Leanna scolding him
"…." Said Kane as even though he feels guilty as Sky makes his bag squirm a buy
"Kane!" said Leanna as the door opened and Kane went in and they followed behind. The attendant seemed nervous of Kane but he lead the gang to their room regardless
Upon entering the room. Kane opens his bag so Sky could hop out
"Poi" said Sky as it was happy that he then got let by Kane
"Kane why do you do this to him?" said Leanna as she takes the seat next to him
"…..you got a better idea?" said Kane as Amelia, Zack, and Kara take their seats. Hearing this. Zack tried to keep down a chuckle
"Of course I have a better idea than stuffing him in your candle bag" said Leanna as Kane puts a pillow on the table for the pango to jump onto. The pango then began to relax. As Kane rolled his eyes expecting more nagging from Leanna
Later
The train was finally moving and thankfully for Kane Leanna didn't seem to get too mad at him or pester him too much. And thankfully. There really wasn't much that happened worth note during this time for Kane
All he was simply stare at the table as the others did whatever small talk they did until the day began to turn dark. To which again. The small talk continued to they felt sleepy. Giving Kane more peace and quiet
However. He did feel the urge to explore the train again. But this time Leanna was next to him. He isn't able to leave unless he moves her. To which is something he'd rather not do. But for now he'll just have to bite the bullet for this
About an hour passes by and everyone is all passed out leaving Kane alone in his thoughts. He wanted to write in his journal but he didn't want to risk her seeing it. He then looks out the window think what he should do now.
Eventually. Kane started to feel himself subconsciously trying to sleep. As he tries to keep awake while his head continues to think of things that may keep him awake. Though unfortunately for him his eyes just keeps getting heavier and heavier.
However just a moment Leanna woke up and saw Kane's head bob like no tomorrow she felt too sleepy deal with it now as she went back to sleep. Kane did not notice it at all
Don't sleep
Stay awake
Hey! You listening to me? Don't sleep!
C'mon Kane boy! If Stan and Arty can stay awake like Remmy then you can too
He kept thinking about it but it was no use. He could only get sleepier and sleepier. Eventually he subconsciously caved into it. Because of this. He realized he is probably doomed to what he fears may be a dream of pain
He tried to think more thoughts that may keep him awake only for his eyes to slowly blink getting slower and slower until he couldn't open them. Causing him to naturally slump to the side on a pillow
Kane's Dream
"….where am I?" Said Kane to himself as he slowly gets up to realize that he is on a train. He looks to see a mirror nearby. And he sees he is himself as a child prior to joining the Empire forces. He then put his hand on his face
His eyes were back to blue making him widen his eyes. He then looked around the train cart to see nothing there. But then. From behind him. Something was trying to get through to him. But his internal instincts were telling him not to let it get close
He then makes his way to the next train cart whilst bringing the mirror to use a whacker. Upon opening the door he felt a little taller and noticed a few fearful passengers upon passing them he doesn't recognize due to the mistiness if the cart
Eventually they decided to follow him. Upon reaching past the next cart. Kane got a good look at one of their faces
"….Stan?" said Kane as Stan walked out of the mistiness. He looked like he was about to say something until they heard a huge thump on the roof prompting them to run
Seeing the other two come out of the mist made him realize who they were as well. The four of them made their way past a pillar to which they suddenly found themselves in Deathtrooper armor. Not to mention much taller
They all heard a monstrous moan from the outside promoting Kane to look out the window seeing a giant eyeball slightly startling Kane. As suddenly the roof had a giant claw puncture through and started to tear off part of it
Kane remembered that monster…. This time Kane and his friends had nothing to defend themselves from it.. he could see the monster smile it tried to reach one of them only to fail Kane didn't know what to think until Stand grabbed his arm as they ran further
The next pillar they past Kane looked in the mirror and saw his eyes are now red. And he noticed lots of medication pills laid upon the floor causing his eyes to widen. But now his friends led him further down. Not only were they being watched by the monster trying to get to them
"Kane you f**king knucklehead stop gawking and run!" said Stan as Kane couldn't stop looking around
"A-Arthur!? R-Remington!?" said Kane
"Quickly! That thing can't get us in the next room!" Said Remington as they all headed to the next cart To which had a very metallic look to it. Not only that they could still heard the monster trying to break it open but couldn't
This face them a few moments to recollect themselves
"Stan… I thought you-" said Remington as Arthur and Kane elbow him in annoyance "Ow"
"Just where are we?" said Kane
"I have no idea. But. I have a feeling we'll find out if we reach the main engine" said Arthur as suddenly the train started to shake more and more until suddenly the train cart started to get pried open by the beast
"S**T RUN!" said as the four of them as the train got even shakier passing through many boxes. This already spelt trouble as they tried to make their way out. Then they were at a dead end. And they had no choice but to climb a ladder to the top of the train the four of them then proceeded to run as fast as they could jumping from cart to which seemed like no end
Then out if no where. The sky turned a dark red a fire and debris began to fall like rain causing lots of damage to the mountains to which the rain was riding on. Then. It took a turn for the worse when a cart was struck Causing Arthur to slide off and fall
"NOO!" yelled Kane desperately running to catch him reaching out his hand in hopes of saving Arthur only to nearly touch fingers and watch him fall into the darkness below. Kane was about to jump after him until Remington and Stan grabbed him and ran "LET ME GO! WE CAN STILL SAVE HIM! JUST GUVE ME A CHANCE!"
"KANE STOP IT! WE NEED TO GO!" said Remington as they bring him over further down the line. Then. A second monster got in their way
"Charge the damn thing! That'll take it down" said Stan as they ran as fast as they could ramming into the beast
Then the floor Kane stood on broke causing him to fall on a bunch of boxes. Looking up to see the two of them push the beast prompted him to follow in the train carts. Then Stan and Remington fall in. To which this time the cart had a very heavy door. Kane wasted no time trying to open it as Stan joins him
Remington was about to do the same thing until the monster began to get closer. He then grabbed a metal pile and ran at the beast whacking it in the face
"Remmy what are you doing!?" said
"You guys can run. While I fight" said Remington forcing the metal pole in the chances that held the carts causing the ones behind him to derail "COME AND GET ME!" as he wrestled with the breast as Kane and Stan watched the cart they are in fall into the abyss
Kane was too stunned at the sudden sacrifice as he felt himself getting pulled away by Stan one last time while a giant piece of debris to literally take a chunk of the cart off
"Alright Kane if we time this right we can get you to the side" said Stan as Kane thought about it for a moment
He exactly remembered what happened to Stan.. he didn't want Stan to suffer any more than he has too
"No.. " said Kane grabbing Stan and throwing him to the next cart
"Wait Kane!" yelled Stan as Kane just salutes him in response as the cart Kane was standing on derailed "KAAAAAAANE!"
As Kane fell he watched the train with Stan on it get smaller and smaller until he couldn't see it anymore making him wonder not only where is it going.. but where is this abyss taking him
Dream end
"!" said Kane jolting his head up and looking around to see he is still in the train "…I hate sleep" he muttered as he looks out the window to see it's around the end of the morning as the train comes to a stop
Now after that sleep. He really is starting to do the other method that his friend encouraged him to do
He then decides to think about it later on when it gets dark as he then gently taps Leanna making her wake up from her sleep
"huh?... What is it Kane?" she said rubbing her eyes before noticing that the train has finally came to a stop at their destination. She then tried to reach Sky making Kane push the pillow he was on closer to her
"Zzzzz…poi?" Said Sky starting to wake up as the sun was shining in his face as Leanna pulled him into a hug
"Morning Sky*yawn*" said Leanna holding onto him for a few moments while Kane pushes the curtain causing the sun go directly into the eyes of Zack. Little did they know Kane smirked a little under his helmet
"Here already?" said Zack as Amelia and Kara begin to wake up
"Good morning everyone, I hope you had a good night's sleep" said Leanna as she puts Sky on the table as they all slowly got out of their room in train "Its good to stretch out legs once again! Am I right?"
"…" said Kane as Sky jumps onto his hand and they all head off the train to a big and bustling town. Kane looked at this unfamiliar place with interest. Though what is strange to him is that the fountain seemed to have a lot of crystals on it
However the place wasn't too different from every other time he went too. With the stone buildings and cobblestone road and whatnot. Though the stares if the people to him still happened.
Kane didn't seem to bother as many people in this town compared to others. But now. Kane didn't care Kara then stretched her arms making her chest stick out
Kane looked at Zack. To see that he is obviously staring at Kara's melons. But as soon as Kara looked back at him he then starred at the ground.
Even though Kane didn't like either of them. He could commend Kara for making Zack look like a fool.
"So where are we going to go next?" said Zack
"I'm going to ask around. You guys enjoy your time hear and we'll meet at the inn" said Kara
"Can't I help by asking around as well?" said Leanna
"I have contacts I've known for a while. And they have been telling me where to go treasure hunting whenever I wanted. So I personally think that me asking them is the fastest way to get the information we need on the other temples" said Kara
"Fair enough" said Leanna as Kara left to go find her contacts "Alright then. Let's get to the inn and get our rooms for later" as Kane and Zack both nod while Amelia stared for a moment before following them towards the inn
At the inn. It seemed pretty normal as Leanna went to ask for room keys whilst Kane then sat down at a table while Sky gleefully hops around on it for a few moments. Leanna then tosses one at Kane to which he perfectly caught
"Poi poi" said Sky as Kane just simply pet him in response. He then watched Leanna leave the inn. He debated on whether seeing what she is doing first or simply just sit there. Though normally he couldn't care less. But for some reason. He seemed interested
Kane then made his decision as he then gets up and walks out the door as Sky happily hops after him. Kane looked around outside the inn to look for Leanna and saw her walk around a corner. Thankfully most people didn't pay attention to him this time
He then Leanna stop at a statue of a woman observing. Kane now wondered if he even wants to know until Sky jumped on his foot gaining his attention. Kane guessed what he wanted and held out his hand. Sky happily smiled and jumped onto his hand
"…" said Kane as he walked over where Leanna went and saw that she was observing a stature of a regal looking woman holding a sword. This got him a little more curious making him walk over to her. She didn't seem to notice him at all "…..Hey"
"?- Oh Hey!" Said Leanna to him with a smile on her face. Kane looked at her then back at the statue
"Poi!" said Sky jumping into Leanna's arms
"Aww hey Sky! How you been?" said Leanna
"Poi poi" said Sky seemingly happy to see her as she hugs him tightly before looking back at Kane
"…. Someone you admire?" said Kane
"Mhm! That is Alana Vale. She was a mage knight that fought to protect this city from VOID" said Leanna as she looked at the statue of Alana with great admiration and sparkles in her eyes while tucking a lock behind her ear
"….What happened there?"
"Well at the time the city's training regime isn't as good as it is now. People weren't properly trained to handle fighting at that scale which caused much chaos.. luckily for them Alana just happened to be here when Void attacked"
"..really?" said Kane interested in this Alana
"Yes and because of this. The people were very panicked as VOID troops were all coming in. Alana then quickly took charge. Thinking on her feet she gathered as many volunteers as she could to help evacuate everyone from the city and then build up defenses knowing the risks of it" said Leanna
"…" said Kane "So I take it wasn't without a cost?" as Leanna grimaced and nods
"But they still persevered despite losing many. Throughout the fight Alana with the help of the volunteers managed to control part of the fighting. Then eventually sought after VOID's leader to which they found through hidden passages" said Leanna to then she had a more upbeat attitude with her next words "Like a coward VOID's leader tried using a fire magic to incinerate as many as he could. Even his own allies. And in response. Alana used her magic to strike right though him with her sword!"
"….You seem very passionate about her story" said Kane
"Why thank you! She was an amazing person! And I try to be like her as much as I can when I could" said Leanna
"…I hope you don't mind me asking but… what happened to her now?" said Kane making Leanna suddenly feel a little down killing her happy mood
".. Unfortunately. That fire in particular was Shadow fire. And it is more deadly than regular fire. It proved fatal"
"…She sacrificed everything for her city huh? That is truly remarkable" said Kane feeling a little cheesy on that last part making Leanna brighten up again
"Of course! She really is an inspiration! There really aren't that mangy women mage knights, and she may not have been among the heroes that saved Esiria from VOID. But she made a huge impact on the people of this city" said Leanna "Yes. And I know I said this before. But she is everything I want to be as a mage knight. I've been sent on missions throughout Havengarde. I feel like I can make much more if a difference than if I was a research mage. Not to mention traveling around and netting new people isn't so bad" then a question bursted into Kane's mind
"…What does your family thing of it?" said Kane
"Though to them it wasn't ideal but they are already used to it by now. Not to mention my older brother is also a mage knight" said Leanna. Kane could immediately tell she doesn't seem very… cheerful mentioning her family
"Really?... So you and your brother get along then? Since he is also a mage knight?" said Kane
Her eyes slightly widen but she then nods slowly
"Yeah we do actually" said Leanna. Kane could instantly tell that she doesn't seem very sure.
"….I see. I am sorry for prodding" said Kane as he was about to turn around and leave
"No no your fine. You were just curious…. So what about you? Is there anyone you admire?" aid Leanna changing the subject hoping Kane won't bring up her family
"….there is only a few people I admire…" said Kane as he feels that Leanna in a way is similar to him
"What kind of people were they?" said Leanna interested in knowing the kind of people Kane looks ups too
"…. Someone that would have your back no matter what…. Someone you'd never want to lose…. Someone who teaches me how to be better….. yet you know they'll never be back.." said Kane as images of his friends from his dream, Ashley, and his family flash into his kind for a few moments
Kane's somewhat cryptic words started to pour into her head as she wondered who or whom he could be referring to… maybe a friend or a family member? Not to mention it reminded her of the other cryptic stuff to which she believes is hinting that he lost many dear to him
"Would you mind telling me more?" said Leanna hoping not to sound rude
"….maybe later…" said Kane "Sky. If you want you can stay with her"
Sky then seemed happy that he is going to spend more time with Leanna. Kane then turned around and left. Leaving Leanna hoping that she didn't say something wrong as Kane went to the inn
Kane then took a seat and sat there for a short while until he heard someone sit down next to him. He looks to realize it's the same old lady from a while ago
"Hello again Kane!" said the chatty old lady as Kane gave a slight nod to her "I got you something once again" putting another rabbit stew in front of him. Kane honestly didn't know what to think. But he didn't mind at all
He takes off his helmet once again and she sees he still looks pretty much the same as the last time she saw his face
"I see your still pale" thought the old lady as she expected him to be at least a little less pale
"How have you been?" said old lady " Been in any fights? Saved a few people? Travelled?" seemingly eager to hear him
"….Just traveling….. so far I've met a few people and most of them are an inconvenience" said Kane
"Well then young man. Did you already give the inconvenient ones a chance?" said the chatty old lady as she notices that Kane has a bit of an accent when he spoke without the helmet. Even though his voice has a very specific whisper-esque baritone quality to it. Not to mention the way he pronounced some of the words seemed off
"…" said Kane as he words reminded him of what Leanna told him earlier regarding Zack and Kara.
"I hope you think about it." Said the old lady "*Sigh* you remind me of my late husband already"
This earned a curious glance from Kane as he takes a bite from the stew
"Of course. When I first met him. He didn't trust anyone when first meeting them and not giving chances. Even to me" said the chatty old lady
"…really" said Kane
"Yup. In fact when I first met him he didn't even speak a word. Such a tall quiet man" said The old lady putting both her hands on her cheeks thinking about the time she and her husband first met. Though it did get Kane to think
"….you said he was 6'11 or 7'0 right?..." said Kane becoming a little more curious about her husband
"Mhm" said the old lady "And man I tell ya. There has never been another man like him."
"...When did you start talking?" Said Kane
"Oh I remember like it was just yesterday! After saving me from a couple things who tried to steal my stuff. I tried getting into contact with him multiple times. You see, he was barely seen at all by most people so no one really knew him" said the chatty old lady "One day. I was super lucky to catch him walking around a store. And low on money. And then. It started a long road of blooming love between us."
"…." Said Kane as he is nearly finished with the stew
"Oh! My break is almost over!" said the chatty old lady "Ah well. If I run into you again. I'll tell you more specifically. If your interested if course" as she then left Kane right when he finished. Waving to each other goodbye
Even though normally Kane doesn't involve himself in these kinds of this. He actually liked talking to her.. even if he didn't say much
Meanwhile Zack looked in through the window and saw Kane's helmet sitting next to Kane. This got Zack curious as he adjusted himself in an attempt to get a better look at Kane. But this turned fruitless as there was a shelf in the way of Kane's head
What made it more inconvenient for Zack. Is that Kane grabs his helmet and puts his helmet back on. And getting up. Earning a slightly disappointed look from Zack as he then entered the inn to see that Kane moved to be at a bar stool
"Hey Kane. What are you doing?" said Zack casually
"….fine" said Kane as the bartender then puts two shots for the both of them as they began to sit a comfortable silence. Normally Kane would rather be doing this with someone else. But for the time being. He didn't seem to mind too much
Kane then takes a shot. Drinking through his helmet. To which again slightly disappointed Zack
Later
The day turns dark and both Kane and Zack are still at the bar stools taking occasional shots until Amelia walks in and calls for their attention
"There is a situation outside. Shall we investigate it?" said Amelia as Kane and Zack look at each other and nod before getting up and following Amelia outside leaving the bartender to clean the shot glasses
"…what happened?" said Kane as Amelia then pointed to a lamppost that didn't appear on
"This is highly unusual" said Amelia as Kane and Zack took a closer look seeing that there seemed to be a pattern of on and off lamp posts throughout the streets "Surely the town will keep up their maintenance in this"
"That is a possibility" said Zack as upon further inspection. The crystals that turned the lamps on were missing
"…would it be just simply theft?" said Kane making Zack look skeptical and Amelia looking thoughtful
"The likely hood is very low. It is more likely that the town is negligent or short on resources. Whatever the theory we should bring this to someone's attention" said Amelia. Kane then spots a guard walking nearby and made his way towards him
"…excuse me" said Kane
"!" said the guard startled seeing the 6'5 Titan approach him out of the darkness
"Do you know anything about the lamp posts?" said Kane
"Oh" said the guard regaining his composure " It's just that we can't replace them fast enough. Ever day they keep taking more and more"
"…they?" said Kane thinking the guard may have insight on the situation
"I know it sounds crazy but it really seems like someone has been taking the crystals" said the guard
"What's the point of that?" said Zack
"Your guess is as good as mine. They're really not worth much" said the guard getting Amelia to think of another question
"Have there been any other relevant thefts?" said Amelia
"Any kind of crystal really. It's been going on for a few weeks and I'm at my wit's end. We've got a reward out for anyone who knows anything. Yet we still have no leads" said the guard "Bur please. If you guys hear anything of note. Please let me know. And now I need to get back at replacing the crystals" as he left the trip in silence
Something felt very off though. In fact. Kane noticed that he wasn't alone on the feeling
"We should get back" said Zack
"Yes we should inform Kara and Leanna" said Amelia as they make their way back to the inn to see Kara and Leanna there
After telling them the situation
"Hmm… I think I know a guy. I'm sure Ill get an answer from him tomorrow" said Kara "Man. These really seem to be desperate thieves"
"Maybe someone is more interested in the energies rather than the value?" said Leanna
"How much energy together would make for all the stolen crystals?" said Kane
"Not a whole lot. There are different types of crystals that produce more energy. Not to mention something fishy is going on" said Leanna
"I'm starting to think we should take a look into this on why someone would want lamp crystals. And I'd like to know what they are doing with them" said Kara
"Your right. We should investigate this" said Leanna as she looks at Zack and Kane
"Yup" said Zack as Kane merely shrugs Leanna wasn't surprised at Kane's reaction because she has a feeling he cares a lot less than he lets on. But she is more surprised at Zack
"Really? I'm a bit surprised but glad to see this side to you Zack" said Leanna "It sounds like the guards could use our help figuring out this mystery"
"Yup" said Zack making her stare more at Zack more uncertain than before as Kara grins slyly
"They're offering a reward for any info aren't they?" said Kara
"Yup" said Zack
"*Sigh* I should've guessed" said Leanna "Ok then. Amelia and I can do a scan of the city to see if anything shows up on the scanner" as she and Amelia go outside followed by Nara and Zack
"F**k I thought we would be doing this tomorrow" thought Kane
"*sigh*…. this is going to be a long night…. What do you think Sky?" Said Kane as Sky hops onto the table
"Poi poi!" said Sky as he bobs at the door
"….fine" said Kane holding out his hand for Sky to jump on his hand and made their way to the others to see Amelia and Leanna scanning the area
"….did you find anything?" said Kane gaining Leanna's attention
"Mm mm. It's strange though. I'm not picking up any energy spikes or unusual readings" Leanna said with a frown while Amelia fiddles with her manipulator as she then faces a particular street
"Something wrong?" said Leanna
"Very curious. There is energy residue scattered throughout the city except for one area in the southern corner of town" said Amelia
"Oh! My scan radius doesn't reach that far." Said Leanna "…So the southern corner has zero energy ratings?" said Leanna
"Precisely" said Amelia
"How far you reckon their scanners go?" said Zack to Kane
"…don't know." Said Kane watching both Leanna and Amelia attempt to solve what is going on until they come to a conclusion to follow where there are no reachable energy with Amelia leading the way
As the group followed her as they felt a lot of the cobblestone that made up the street began to feel looser and looser and even more uneven. The buildings in this area are more weathered compared to the other buildings from the other areas
This reminded Kane somewhat of his early days during his training. But thankfully go damn monsters seem to be sneaking around
The alleys felt dimmer than in the center of town as an even greater majority of streetlamps are dark and what's more noticeable is the buildings seem more spaced out the closet the hot to the outskirts of town
Kane made sure to watch his footing as it began to be much easier to trip and fall. Not to mention the farther they got the more withered the buildings. Along with lots of debris on the streets from crumbled walls
"…..What happened here?.." said Kane
"These are what remains of the last battle that occurred in Stonecrest" said Leanna as Kane recognized it as the part of the city Leanna was referring to earlier
"…the same one with Alaina and VOID?" said Kane
"That's right. This is part of the original city. Though it has not been restored yet" said Leanna
"…is there a particular reason why?" said Kane
"I like to think it's probably expensive to do it. But other than that I don't know" said Leanna as Amelia comes to a full stop in front of a building gaining all their attention
"This is it. The area if irregularity" said Amelia. The place seemed very quiet prompting Kane to grab his baton as he then puts Sky down
"Poi" said Sky
"Let's go in" said Kara as she gingerly opens the door as Kane and Zack made their way in first followed by the rest of them
They all saw what appeared to be once a living room with a broken down fireplace with a broken table nearby it. And a hallway that connects to different rooms
"We should split up and search the rooms" said Zack as Kane nods
"Wait. It could be dangerous. Someone is using cloaking magic to mask the heightened energy of the crystals. That doesn't sound just like a regular their to me" said Leanna as Kane examined the area until he walked on a rug.
He then heard a thump sound from it. Sky then quickly followed up by hopping a few times on the rug after noticing the sound Kane made
"Looks like you found a way down Kane" said Kara
"….." said Kane in response as he still doesn't feel like talking to her making her feel slightly awkward as to try to make it less awkward. She pulls the rug away to reveal a wooden panel. Kane then opens the panel and they all inside. Even Sky took a peek
Inside. There is a handful of going faces staring back at them. Their hair is matted and they all have dirt streaks on their cheeks. To which they then retreated further into the basement
Kane and Zack nodded to each other as they both jumped down. Kane managed to land on his too feet. And Zack…. Not so much. Kane smiled a little bit under his helmet seeing Zack get hurt like that
Leanna then follows up landing very gracefully. Probably using her wind magic judging by how much slower she fell. Sky then jumps as well landing on top of Zack
"Poi!" said Sky happily as he happily hopped over to Kane
"Ugh" said Zack
Kane let out a tiny snicker. Thankfully for him no one heard it… except for Kara. Though due to him wearing a helmet. Kara couldn't tell what exactly kind of sound he made
Kane and Leanna walk inside to see that there are actually 5 kids altogether. And they all were huddled up together and beside them were a glowing pile of crystals
Though due to Kane's significantly more menacing appearance the kids tried to get as far as they could from him until they were at a wall as soon as he took a step further. Leanna then stops him and carefully walked up to the kids and knelt down
"Where did you get these crystals?" said Leanna to the kids. The kids looked very uncomfortable and scared on what will happen next. To which she them gives them a soft smile "Its ok. I'm a mage night and I'm here to help" as she then showed her insignia
The oldest kid of the 5(a boy) then straightens up and puts on scowl
"We didn't do anything wrong! All we did is what the man said?" said the boy
"What man?' said Kane making the kids a bit more frightened of him earning a deadpan look from Leanna
"Kane. I think you should let them do the talking?" Said Zack as Kane stared at him for a brief moment before looking at Leanna and Kara
"Please. Let me help you" said Leanna resuming her attention to the kids. But they continued to refuse to talk. Kara then pulls Leanna up
"These kids are obviously alone and afraid. They definitely aren't talking to the guards" said Kara
"I'm not a guard" said Leanna defensively
"To them you night as well be" said Kara as she then leans down and addresses the oldest child " You've got a nice like of crystals there. Are you looking to sell them?" to which the boy responded by crossing his arms and looking away
Kara then gets an idea. She then pulls out a coin from her purse making the oldest kid look at it longingly "Id like the buy one off of you"
"We can't sell them to you" said the oldest kid as them one of the younger kids (also a boy) then pipes up
"Hell get angry if we don't have enough" said the younger boy before he is protectively pushed back by the oldest kid as he stood in front of the others
These kids somewhat reminded Kane of himself a little. Mostly during his training days. Though what makes this different is there is no Empire to take them in
"The man will? Does he take care of you?" said Kara
"He gives us money if we get him crystals" said the oldest kid though he tried his best to remain brave. Especially since he could feel Kane's scary stare to which makes it hard for him to keep up the act
"These kinds of crystals?" said Kara pointing to the pile of crystals
"A-Any crystal really. The bigger ones get us more money. But we can't find anymore" said the oldest kid
"And that's why you've been taking lamp crystals?" said Kara as the oldest child looks away and doesn't answer
"It's ok, I won't tell anyone if you don't" said Kara "So what does the man want with the crystals?"
"I-I don't know… h-he just wants them" said the oldest child "A lot of them"
"We should take these crystals back to the guard" said Amelia to Jane and Zack
"No! Please don't take them away! The man's coming back soon and he'll get angry if we don't have them!" said another child (a little girl) as she begins to cry as Kara then pats her head
"Don't cry we won't take the crystals" said Kara
"Y-You won't?" said the little girl
"Nope. We don't want the man to be angry?" said Kara as the little girl nods vigorously and holds the oldest boy's hand reassuringly
All this talk about "the man" reminded Kane of someone he knew who also went by "The Man" however. This man that the kids are talking about doesn't seem as scary as the man he knew long ago
"When does he come" said Kara
"…Usually once a week. So tomorrow" said the oldest child
"And he meets you here?" said Leanna as the boy nods in response as she then looks at the rest of her friends "We should go"
Kane noticed that they all seemed to be very bothered by this. Though Kane himself isn't affected as much. He recalled many times when he ran into kids in a similar situation to these kids. And some were in even worse conditions
But looking at the others seemingly look more grim than normal. Have they not fun into situations like these before? But judging by her body language. Kane could tell Kara seems to be the most bothered by it. In his gut. Kane thinks she like him, is an orphan as well
"…Kara" said Kane gaining her attention. She was very surprised that he of all people wanted to talk to her while Zack talks to Leanna and Amelia about what to do tomorrow about those kids
She immediately perks up and flashes a smile at Kane
"Oh I'm just thinking about our next plan of action. So I'll be heading out early to see if I can get anymore information" said Kara
"…..are you really?" said Kane
"!" said Kara surprised that he saw right through her
"…you seem more bothered by those kids than the others…." Said Kane as Kara couldn't respond to that other than a nod "…..Were you one as well?"
"…" said Kara
"….Thought so" said Kane before they reached the inn. This also gives that Kara is an orphan. Just like him and those kids "..don't worry too much. As we'll find a way to help them" this made Kara's smile become more genuine
At the inn. Kara wanted to ask Kane some questions about himself. Like as if he seemed to see this kind of situation countless times. Though she is worried she will get another very hostile response from him like when she eavesdropped on him
Thankfully the inn was very cheap and was able to afford a room for each of them. Right when Kara watched Kane about to enter his room. She felt like reaching out. But decided not to
"Kane" said Leanna getting his attention
"?" said Kane curious to what she will say as Sky them hops info his room and jumped onto the bed
"I hope you don't mind me asking but. What were you talking about with Kara?" Said Leanna
"...She talked about how she is planning to go out early" said Kane lied as he is pretty sure Kara wouldn't want anyone to worry about her. As he then entered his room
Leanna couldn't help but feel that maybe Kane really us starting to open up more. Compared to his confrontation to Kara days ago as she then entered her own room. Though what bothered her is the situation those kids were in she hoped they will be ok for the time being
Kane walked around in his room to see how much different it is compared to the last inn. To which its just a good though. Though anything is better than a tent or a train to him. As he then sat down at a chair at a window
A while passes as Kane watch Sky hop along the bed until started to feel tired. Kane watched as Sky adorably yawned and jumped onto the pillow and started to fall asleep
"Sweet dreams little one. I hope you don't stir like I do" thought Kane as he continued to stay away for a while longer
It is now significantly harder for him to stay awake as he is now realizing that his body cannot handle the sleepless nights any longer. Now that his fear became true. He isn't sure what to do. Hopefully delaying it will be hard to do
But then. Kane decided to grab his journal again
He then quietly makes his way to the outside balcony and looked at the city in the night light it is in. All these sights he feels is a shame that his friends aren't here.
He then takes off his helmet to feel the night time breeze flow upon his face. It felt nice one again. But he hopes this will keep him awake
He leans against the cold brick wall as he puts his helmet on the table as the moonlit sky shine upon him
He then opens his journal to look at the blank pages for a moment before deciding.. to wrote another letter. He knew exactly who to write too as he grabs a pen and begins to write to a certain person
Whilst writing he starts feeling a little tense as he is unsure what everyone would want him to do if he fails to make it home. Will they look at him as a failure? Someone who went AWOL? Or even dead?
Continually reminded him of his past as for a moment he struggled to continue writing. And began to force himself to write what he always wanted to say to the person that meant a lot to him
Eventually he couldn't bear to write any more ad he then decided to rip it put of the journal, lit a match, and watched it burn until it was nothing more
After that Kane sat back down for a while longer trying to force himself to be awake. Eventually his head continues to bob up and down trying to stay awake. Until he came up with an idea from a friend pops into his mind
"Sometimes cutting yourself beats shedding a tear. Otherwise you'll lose your f**king mind"
Those words popped into his head once again. He began to think about it while he brought out his knife. Most of his friends didn't like this method at all and he knows damn well that his family wouldn't approve
But the memory of another friend with his painful methods still have him the urge to follow through. And Kane has barely done this at all thought his life. But since he can't think of anything else to stay awake now
Beneath the stains of time. His feelings reappear.. and he is remembering many things because of it leaving him with many broken thoughts…
He slowly took off his protective glove and held his knife right at his hand. He hesitated for a moment looking around hoping no one would see. When he realized it's all clear he took that knife and put a cut in his hand
As the knife tore a slit. A very familiar sting as he felt his own blood drip from it to the floor. He the put his hand on the brick wall leaving a bloody print on it feeling even more stinging sensation. Then he look back at his bloody hand for a moment before clenching it
"….DAMN IT" said yelled Kane punching the brick wall as hard as he could. To which put a dent in the wall. And a bloody one in fact. He kept his fist on the wall only to drip it after he bashed his head on it. He started to shed more tears as he bashed his head on the wall once again. Though not as hard this time
Luckily he didn't wake up anyone… except for
To
"DAMN IT!"
Leanna awoke from a yell like that. She looked around hoping to find the source of the sound. She then heard another bash. Though not as prominent. She heard it from her wall. Due to the brick wall being made of cobblestone
She tried as hard as she could to listen. But she could exactly make it quiet clear but she though she heard a voice say over and over
"Don't sleep"
Since she was still tired after the sudden waking. She couldn't quite make out who the voice belongs to before the noises stopped and for a while nothing happened. Eventually she decided to go back to bed
The next day
Kane continued to sit barely awake until he couldn't take it no more and fell in a sleep. Though thankfully for him. It was a dreamless sleep with nothing to haunt him this time
A while passes by as the Sky began to wake up and began to hop around the room. Then he saw some dried blood on the floor on the balcony making him a worried
"Poi? Poi?" said Sky as he hops outside to the sight of the bloody hand print and the bloody dent. And then saw Kane passed out on the floor "POI!" as he quickly hopped over to see Kane's face. He then nuzzled it
Then Kane's face started to wince in response as he starts to wake up looking at Sky who then sees extatuc to see that he is ok
"POI POI!" said Sky hopping onto his face
"Gff-" said Kane as Sky jumped on as he pulled him off with his hand that he didn't cut "..calm down Sky it's just the morning"
"Poi" said Sky as he hops onto Kane's shoulder and nuzzles his face again
At first Kane was going to tell Sky to stop. But decided not to as he felt Sky nuzzle his face for a little while longer as suddenly a revelation hits him
After Sky stopped nuzzling and jumped back onto Kane's hand looking happy as ever
"….did I worry you?" said Kane out of curiosity as Sky then bob's up and down very quickly. After seeing that and his bloodstains and looking at his cut hand. Sky must be very worried about him for it
"…I'm sorry for worrying you Sky" said Kane as he began to pet Sky for a few moments before putting him on the table. When he did he puts his glove back on. Thankfully he hand has healed up a lot over night so the singing sensation was a lot less
Kane then sat back down on the seat to relax for a little bit since he has some time since the kids said the man was coming much later today
He looked at the town for a moment wondering what he can do. Before hearing a knock on his door prompting him to grab his helmet while Sky followed
Kane opened the door to see it was the old lady once again holding a loaf of bread
"Good morning Kane. I hope I'm not bothering you at all. But I brought you some breakfast that I could spare" said The old lady holding out half a loaf of bread
"O-Oh but you didn't have to-" said Kane as she puts it in his hands
"I insist Kane. As much as I'd love to talk with you again I'm afraid I have to go back to work. Have a good day now" said the old lady cheerfully as she went downstairs before Kane could respond
".." said Kane as he looked at the bread before closing his door and walking back to the balcony. He breaks a part of it and holds it in front of Sky when he jumped on the table "Want some?"
"Poi poi!" Said Sky as Kane puts the piece of bread in from of him. As he begins to nobble on it
Kane then began to eat the bread that the old lady was nice enough to give him. Hell probably have to take up on another talk. He then look at the city and saw some shops open up and citizens get out and walk around
"…Hey Sky…" said Kane
"?" said Sky after he finished eating the bread
"….do you…. Want to go for a walk?" asked Kane
"Poi Poi!" said the pango happily as he hops happily
"…alright then" said Kane as he pets Sky as he continues eating the bread until he finishes. When he finished. He gets up he then stretched before holding out his hand for Sky to jump onto his hand. He then walked out of his room and walked downstairs
"Kane! Was that your name?" said a bartender after cleaning a bottle
"…yes" said Kane
"I got something for ya" said the bartender gesturing for Kane to come over. When Kane did. The bartender our too little bottles of liquor in front of him
"..why are you giving me this?" said Kane as Sky looks at the little bottles curiously
"Anything friend of Leslie is a friend of mine" said the bartender "She really seemed happy talking to you compared to other adventurers. So please take this as a token of thanks" though reluctantly Kane took both bottles and put them away
"Thank you" said Kane as to the bartender. This cemented the thought in his head that Kane is actually much nicer than he seems
Though Kane isn't sure why the bartender would do this. But this liquor may be something he would love to drink later. He then leaves the inn to walk through the city. Sure he got some starred of citizens that aren't used to seeing him
But every time it happens he starts to care less and less. Eventually he won't have to see them ever again and it will never affect him in any way. But now what is on Kane's mind is that since he has some free time. He wants to see if there are any knife shops
Kane walked around but couldn't find any. Hell he couldn't find any candle shops either. To which was a bit of a bummer to him. But before he could think of anything to look for he passes the Alana statue. Making him stop in his tracks making Sky wonder why he stopped
"Poi?" said Sky curiously
"I'm just looking" said Kane to Sky as he then walked to take a seat on a bench and putting Sky next to him
"Poi poi" said Sky
"…relax. I'm just resting for a bit" said Kane as something very small saw them and creeped closer unbeknownst to the duo. Kane then takes off his helmet to feel a very gentle breeze upon his face. Compared to the breeze at night. He seemed to like this more. But yet he still felt more comfortable with it on
"Poi?" said Sky as Kane simply pets him as the little stalker quietly makes its way toward Kane
Then right when it reached Kane. It began to sniff his feet
"?" said Kane as looks down at his foot. To see that it's a little brown puppy that's sniffing him. When the puppy realized Kane saw him he took a few steps backs for a moment. Before taking a few steps forward to him "….uh.. you lost?"
The puppy then began to wag his tail and jump onto the seat next to him. Kane is surprised that the puppy isn't that afraid of him. Normally a puppy would squeak and run. The puppy then rubbed itself on Kane's hand
"Poi!" said Sky with annoyance and bounces angrily. The puppy stares at Sky as if noticing him for the first time
"Woof" said the puppy
"Poi poi!" said Sky as he jumps even higher making the puppy cower and whine
"Sky don't bully him" said Kane
"Poi!" said Sky stubbornly. Right When Kane was going to pet the puppy Sky the butts his hand away. Making him have an idea on how he's feeling
"…you jealous?" said Kane
"Poi!" said Sky as Kane then pets him to which makes him calm down a little. Making the puppy perk up as he first nuzzles Kane's hand before jumping over to nuzzle Sky catching him off guard "Poi!?" Sky then jumps off the bench and scrambles back a little bit "Poi poi!"
The puppy then jumps off the bench and chases Sky in a small circle for a few moments until Sky gets a little tired giving the puppy time to catch up. And when he did he like licked Sky as he grimaces in response
Normally Kane would have helped. But he found to much amusement in this to help him
"Mocha!" said a voice of a little girl running over to the puppy now named Mocha. Mocha then barks excitedly and runs to her licking her face "I thought I lost you!" as she then holds him close. And suddenly she notices Sky making her eyes grow wide
"A pango! Aww your so cute!" said the little girl
"Poi?" said Sky as she then Pat's his head making his little frown turn into a smile "Poi poi"
"Are you lost too?" said the little girl
"Poi poi" said Sky as he hops over to Kane. She tried to take a look. But due to the statue. She could see his face. But she could definitely see his scary helmet on the bench as she watch him get up and walk around the corner
When he did she saw a good look at his face. At first she thought he was someone she knew. But she to how pale Kane is, his red eyes, and His scar kind of debunks the thought.
"…that your dog?" said Kane as she nods as Mocha then runs over to Kane basically asking to be pet. But then Sky jumps between them
She giggled at the sight before looking at Kane with a smile "Thanks for finding him I hope he was t too much trouble. Bye bye now! Thanks for keeping Mocha company!" she then waves happily to him before putting Mocha on a leash and walking away
Though if she were to be honest. She would've liked to see Kane and Sky again. Even if she still doesn't know their names
"…you ok Sky?" said Kane as he then puts his helmet back on as Sky looks back up at him
"Poi" said Sky as Kane Pat's his head more affectionately than before. And then picking him up and putting him on his shoulder. He then smiles and nuzzles Kane's head
"…on then. Let's continue our walk" said Kane
"Poi poi!" said Sky happily as they head down a road full of shops they know they haven't seen…
To be continued
Kane's journal notes 2
Dear Stan. I can't tell if your far or not. But I still miss and mourn for you. My best friend. Every time I think of you. I remember the day you basically vanished leaving me. I know you hate the Rebel Alliance probably more than I do. But I want you to know. I have taken down many rebels down with no mercy at all in your absence.
I don't know if you will see this. But I have a feeling you will. From when we first met til you died you were there for me whenever you were able. I still have that ball you gave me long ago. Though it's worn out as all hell. But I keep it to remember you.
Remington and Arthur has made sure to look after me the best they could until they both disappeared like you asked them. I don't know where they went. But all I know it wasn't their own choice.
Your very words haunt me to this day. Fro the voicemail I missed. If I had known I was never going to see you again. The very God damn next day. I would've tried to talk to you as much as could till we dropped. But sadly life doesn't work that way now don't it?
I made not to harm myself as much as I could. Because I know you hate it when I do. But thankfully I have made sure to do it as minimally as possible. Sure it's not ideal. But I know you'll forgive it.
You know. My favorite day I remember. Was when we killed that anzati. It was an absolute thrill to take those scumbags down. Hell I think Arthur still has that scar on his arm from it. And then taking shots of the "Death Whiskey" that Remington snuck the very same day
When all 4 of us took those shots from that skull glass. It felt like we have linked ourselves as brothers. I don't think anything could ever come close to making me truly happy since then
Your words still haunt me. But they are an inspiration. I'm so sorry you never got to see the many missions I went on. Sometimes I wish. Death took me instead. I still remember how much you suffer. And how much effort you took to hiding it.
But now. I hope you rest as easily as you can. The Empire will win in the end. I'm very sure of it. We may have lost the Death Star twice. But third time is a charm I just know it
If you are wondering about me. I'm not sure where I am exactly. I am in an unfamiliar place. And if I don't make it back to the Empire. I am unsure of what I'll do. But now. I hope to return and help save it
We never finished the Death Whiskey. It's in my possession. Maybe when I reunite with you and everyone else. We can finish it.
I miss you buddy and until I wrote to you again
From, Kane Wintergreen Javier
Now then I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope I wasn't too sappy about the note. Not to mention some parts may lack context until a certain part in Death Before Life has yet to be published
Trivia
1:the next chapter should start to get to the action somewhat
2: My guest chapter is officially up. It's on my friend Theallaroundnerd's story "Peter and Bro's bogus Journey" though bear in mind. My writing there is way more silly compared to the seriousness that you see me normally write
3: I was originally going to have Zack catch a glimpse of Kane's face but I ultimately decided not to
4: The dream sequence was supposed to be longer and a lot more…. "detail" but that would have eaten up a chunk of this chapter
5: JOJI, RED, Fight The Fade, And Type O Negative were massive influences on this chapter
6: this is the longest chapter I've written for this story. Clocking at over about 13k words yay
Next up: Lost Pieces