The excitement of the expedition had faded. And the hardships of reality were becoming regular. But they continued.
When the twin suns dipped below the horizon, an unbelievable transformation took place. The sky, a constant stale canvas of blue, turned oranges, reds, and purples and finally gave way to black. A giant radiant orb of silvery white, the moon bathed the rugged land into twisted, strange shapes clad in whites and blacks and faded to darkness. The air slowly gave way. The heat grew cool and refreshing, as if begging for forgiveness. And the land turned quiet even so, but it came alive with subtle sounds of gentle breezes rustling the dirt and sand, the distant calls of night creatures, and the scampering of bugs across the ground. But as the night grew older, the cool forgiving breezes turned to brutal icy winds that howled and bit at them like wild animals. So cold they'd prayed for the morning to come.
The wagons clattered across the rocky landscape. The relentless heat from the two suns baking them made the air shimmer. The barren blue sky stretched overhead in a vast, mind-numbing blue expanse. Not a cloud in sight above, behind, or beyond. Each wheel turn sent vibrations through the wagon, becoming a constant harsh masterpiece of clatters, rattles, and thumps. The wooden wheels creaked and groaned, their pulsing sounds resonating, and crawled along its structure as if in time with Mikoto's weary, aching heart and butt. As if goading her with each rotation.
The day's scorching heat surrounded Mikoto, adding to her discomfort from the wagon's constant jolts. Beads of sweat formed across her forehead, trickling down her temples and dampening her hair. The day's heat seeped into every fiber of her being, making her perfect skin feel flushed and sticky, only adding to the soreness of her muscles. Her movements became sluggish and lethargic. She longed for a cool breeze to purge the stifling atmosphere. She looked up to the sun and growled, a little envious of the vampires that were incapable of surviving in the sun. "it's probably nice and cool underground right now." little misaka said. She was strewn out across the floor of her mind, naked, a towel over her hips, sweating, tongue out, wearing sunglasses. The attractive woman was barely dressed, with only bikini bottoms on, sweat slipping around and on every curve, and was using a large fan to cool little misaka down. Mikoto rolled her eyes, "I hate you right now..." seeing the image playing in her mind.
Little misaka raised a little, sweat slipping faster down her tiny chest, sliding her sunglasses down to her nose. quickly sarcastically blinking her eyes. "just now?" she said. A tired exhale followed. "I must be slipping." and laid back down.
"I can't wait until nightfall." She'd say before, regretting it. But mostly, the stench of the beast pulling the wagons seemed to cling to her, reminding her of a thick morning fog. Only this fog did not burn away as the twin suns rose. Keeping the bile from crawling up her throat was a constant battle. And her mouth and throat were too dry to spit.
A sudden jerk of the wagon, and Mikoto quickly yelped, hissing, leaning to the side, and rubbing her bottom. Another long hiss, and she glared side-eyed at Vita.
"Another pillow?" Vita asked. Mikoto quickly looked over her shoulder and reached back, "don't mind if I do!" she stiffened as another jolt tossed the wagon around. And then, just as quickly as she stuffed it underneath and settled comfortably, the throbbing pain slowly subsided. A quick surge reminded her but then dropped.
"What is this?" she inquired." Did she build this road?" recognizing the difference in the ground. "she must have…" little misaka growled, "She is hitting every damn pothole!"
She was now sitting on a bag of ice. Tensing her arms and legs with each jolt. A cloth mask soaked in lavender around her face. No matter the scenario she could create, the little avatar could never rid them of the foul, disgusting, gagging odor. That seems to stick to them.
The thunder burrowers, the odorous, bulky bugs with their six legs effortlessly pulling them along for the past few days. The soil beneath them seemed remarkably smooth, like rough glass glistening black in the twin suns. She noticed the curved black edges, creating a wider, thinned bowl like a dried river bed. Smooth bottom and slowly rising at the border. And beyond was rough, jagged, and unforgiven. A chill ran down her spine, thinking of the pain rifling up her spine.
Vita's grin grew wide. And she spoke as she tipped her cowboy hat, using her best television Texas drawl. "it took a while for ya to notice?" a small toothpick hanging on her lip. "A certain little lady was blowing off some steam one night, and this is one result of her anger. Not that I can blame her much." She pretended to spit and wipe her arm across her mouth.
Mikoto's gaze shifted, her cheeks turning red. Not from the heat, but embarrassment. She remembered. It was when she had taken her frustration out on Kea's brother, losing control, sending massive amounts of energy, gathering it in her wings, and sending it out through her railgun.
"How far?" she asked, knowing Vita would've sent out parties to investigate. "you know of west the river route…" she said.
"That would be where we blew the mountain range, thank you very much," little misaka said with a hint of pride.
"I sent some on the northern route…had them travel six months out and six months back. Nothing but jagged terrain. Saw no one." She said, "This one…sent out multiple parties.. and.."
"And?" Mikoto interrupted.
"No one came back." Vita said, "But don't fret…" using her Texas accent. "little lady?" she leaned back and stretched her shoulders. "according to our new neighbors, the little queen told us there are supposed to be other gardens in this direction."
Mikoto tilted her head. "How many?" She asked.
Vita grinned mischievously, leaning back against the wagon seat. "well, my dear Mistress, I have some exciting news for you. We have at least four villages, maybe more coming up. guess what? I have absolutely no idea if they are friendly or hostile. Isn't that thrilling?" she said.
Mikoto rolled her eyes, biting her lip. "Oh fantastic, just what I needed…more uncertainty." She said, exhaling a disappointing breath. "hello, random villagers! Don't mind the small army behind us. But are you friends or foes?" Tiny blue sparks jumped from her hair. Vita's eyes widened. She tilted her head, mischievousness written all over her face. "Mistress?" eyeing the electricity, jumping from strand to strand. It wasn't fear coming to the surface on Vita's face. it was something else.
The sudden explosion of endorphins would quickly follow, being struck by Mikoto's electricity was definitely something else. A very powerful orgasm, to say the least. The wolves and vampires knew this. Letting her anger get the best of her. Mikoto would often bloom in electricity, and it would spread out. Wolves and vampires would break in a run, hoping to dive into the blooming electric flower and yell panty changer! If they wore them. Some did, others...well, to each their own.
Her eyes twinkled. "Ah…. but that's the beauty of it…Mistress. Life would be so boring if we knew all the answers beforehand. Besides," her eyes widen with anticipation. "we both know we can take down a village ourselves. So why fret..?" her smile was nothing more than a long thin line. She waited. Sparks jumped up into the air, dropping like fireflies. One settled next to her fingers…. she ground her teeth. "So close," she thought. Another landed on the armor on her thigh. A twinge of electricity, a little pinch. She quivered. "Forplay!" she licked her lips.
Mikoto sighed dramatically, crossing her arms. "I suppose you're right, Vita. Sometimes we can't get what we want."
"But you can get what you need.!" she said, quickly reaching out to touch the electricity in Mikoto's hair.
"too bad" Mikoto thinned her eyes, her piercing gaze settling on Vita as she gently swatted her hand away, and the sparks faded like a dying firefly.
"I know what you're after, pervert," she said softly, enjoying the denial. She knew about the wolves and what they said. The elder wolves often sent young shewolves to tease her. Slowly sneaking close, and would sometimes use surprise attacks, wildly successful when using assorted bugs. A loud yelp and growl followed by the classic bluish-white blum of electricity spreading like a flower blooming in the morning sun. Wolves and vampires quickly formed a chain and sent it outward.
"Stupid wolves!?" she'd yell. The wolves would snicker, and the vampires could only smile.
They came over a rise. Vita's grip tightened on the reins, her knuckles turning white as she raised her hand high to signal the other wagons to halt. Mikoto's gaze sharpened as she raised her head, eyes narrowing to slits and swirling like a predator stalking prey. The change was quick and instantaneous… She breathed deeply, air filling her lungs, and stirred over her tongue. As if tasting the essence of the surrounding area. "I don't trust it…" she said with a subtle hint of caution.
Vita shook her head in agreement, her actions deliberate, letting the others behind them know something was wrong. She tied the reins to the bench. "Neither do I, "she replied, inhaling and exhaling slowly. The breath escaping her lips carried a hint of unease. A sense of malevolence settled over them as the atmosphere thickened around them.
"Something here?" Mikoto inquired, feeling her fangs throb. Her voice was laced with a warning.
She jumped from the wagon, and her boots hit the ground with a heavy thud, leaving a trail that shimmered like asphalt as she walked to the end of the road she had unintentionally created. Peering across the valley, she could see where the railgun continued and disappeared.
"so…." she hesitated, shifting her gaze to the valley below. "this seems to be the point of no return." She said, turning her gaze to Vita.
Vita stopped at the edge of the road, hand held high. She closed her fist, and the others quickly dismounted. She nodded her agreement. "shall we introduce ourselves" she said, already knowing the answer was all over her Mistress's expression.
Before them sprawled a deep valley, its depths descending sharply towards a formidable gorge with no bottom and no end as it stretched out from beyond their sight. And to an enormous stone bridge that was the only means of crossing to the other side. The rugged and rocky terrain seemed to possess a sinister aura as if concealing unseen perils beneath its surface. Scattered haphazardly across the landscape, like discarded corpses, were boulders of various sizes. Among the rugged terrain, tall stone pillars rose defiantly, their once magnificent features now twisted and chipped, resembling ancient stone warriors guarding a long-lost kingdom or forgotten realm. Each pillar casts black shadows like headstones in a desolate graveyard. Beyond the massive stone bridge that spanned the ominous gorge, more pillars rose and stood like ancient giants, reaching across the abyss and guiding their gazes toward a single towering stone mound looming in the distance.
"Stay," Mikoto whispered softly, her voice barely audible.