Chapter 20 "Mountain Dwellers"
"Hey man, you okay?" The sharp voice of Lanz snapped Noah out of his fog of worry mere steps away from the proper entrance of Colony 5.
"Oh… I'm fine," the visiting Kevesi noticed his host staring curiously at him. "Sorry, I got preoccupied."
"Ah, happens to everyone," the two-toned soldier half-smirked. "Come on, the colony's just ahead."
"Right behind you." Noah regained his wits about him while they walked the final stretch to their destination. Beyond the doorless gates was Loska Plateau, a sizeable hollow on the backside of the mountain. Trees from High Maktha Wildwood created a partial canopy overhead, contrasting the cold, hard concrete of the ruins on which Colony 5 was built. There was no Ferronis in sight, likely away with the rest of the colony.
"This is it," the defender extended his arms before calling to one of the other occupants. "Oi! Alton! Open up the storage, will ya? Our buddy here needs an extra kit."
"It's already unlocked," a boy with wings and nicely combed, brown hair hollered back.
"Well… er, there you go, Noah," the tall Kevesi swiveled towards him. "Help yourself."
"Thanks, Lanz," his grateful guest smiled nervously, now deep within the colony's confines. Focusing on the task at hand, Noah found a female Kevesi uniform and full-face helmet easily. Upon closer inspection of the former, however, he noticed a dog tag sewn onto it. "Hmm… Amie."
"Yeah, that was an extra suit for one of our frontliners," the soldier known as Alton explained over Noah's shoulder. "Amie was killed by Mio, the worst thing to come from Rho."
"Don't bring her up," a girl also with brown hair joined them. "The mere thought of Mio puts me right off."
"I'm s-sorry it's been rough," Noah grabbed an empty backpack and stuffed the kit inside. "Anyway, thanks for helping me out. How much do I owe for this?"
"We don't need anything," Lanz declined affably, resting his hands on his hips. "Hopefully, your partner can shred some Agnians for us now, yeah?"
"Hey! Where do you think you're going with our stuff?" A new, much younger sounding voice bellowed from above. Descending a ladder was a second-termer with lightly tanned skin and black hair in short pigtails.
"Chill, Ashera," his brows rumpled upon her arrival. "I already approved it."
"That's nice, Muscles," she dignified Lanz with a nickname, "but I didn't approve it, and I'm the one in charge here."
"No, I'm in charge!" he argued back, leaning down in a huff.
"You were until you lost it to me last week," Ashera scrunched her face at him, almost teasingly.
"Uh, lost…?" the swordfighter tried to get a word in.
"That wasn't a fair bout!" the two-toned Kevesi's fists hung low in front of him. "I told you, I slipped in the ra-"
"Excuses, man, excuses!" she cut him off. "If you didn't want to lose, then you shouldn't have agreed to my challenge."
"You're only in your second term!" his voice had hardly lowered a decibel. "I was trying to teach you a lesson!"
"A lesson on what?" her arms were folded now. "How not to defend yourself?"
"Yeah! I mean, no!" Lanz grabbed his head as if to keep it from spinning. "You annoying little upst-"
"Say, Ponytail, would you be up for a quick round?" Ashera turned her attention to Noah who'd been watching the quarrel unfold before him. "Beat me and you can keep the gear."
"Oh," the pacifist unwittingly backed up, "but Lanz already permitted me receipt of th-"
"Didn't you hear?" the second-termer anticipated his response. "I'm in charge while the commander's out, and I haven't approved any transfer of goods."
"Don't listen to her, Noah," the disgruntled defender took him aside. "Ashera's always looking for a fight, even against us."
"Fighting's fun, wouldn't you agree?" she ambled to stay in their sights.
"I swear, she's been insufferable since the day she arrived," his advising became grumbling. "Her appetite for battle has only increased since Colony Rho disappeared."
"How have you all not gone stir-crazy?" the youngest soldier of the group looked around. "I never even got to challenge the big bad Mio I've heard so much about."
"Please don't mention her!" the brunette snarled, hands on forehead.
"I really don't get the fuss, Enisa," Ashera ignored the gripe, contorting half her face.
"Of course you wouldn't," the older girl scoffed. "You're new, so you haven't seen the horrible things she's done to us."
"All the more reason to get to know her with my Blade." The self-proclaimed leader remained thirsty for battle, much to everyone's irritation.
"Mio's too strong, too fast," the winged Kevesi warned her, begrudgingly. "Nobody can beat her."
"Nobody's beaten me yet," the second-termer crossed her arms.
"Well, aren't you special?" Alton mimicked her posture, only with a frown. "Besides, we don't even know if she's still alive. Colony Rho is dormant, after all."
"I hope she's dead," Enisa minced no words, seemingly forever bitter about the Agnian in question. "Good riddance if so." It was difficult for Noah to listen to such vitriol about his partner. What was supposed to be a quick visit to obtain gear had unraveled into a group argument that was getting nowhere.
"I'm sorry about this, man," Lanz spoke quietly, privately to him, having noticed his vexed reaction. "Snuff this, I'll help you sneak out of here while they're not looking…"
"Hey now! Where are you going?" Ashera sprinted to the two absconding Kevesis who'd frozen in place. Unamused, she promptly snatched the backpack out of Noah's unwilling hands. "I said you can't have that without challenging me first!"
"Aw, come on, Ashera!" the defender complained on his bewildered guest's behalf. "Give it back to him!"
"Sure, once he challenges me," she tossed it back into storage, adamant about her policy.
"You can't make the rules!" he towered over her in an unsuccessful attempt to intimidate her. "You're not in charge!"
"But I am in charge!" her voice echoed across the base.
"No, you're not!" his own voice did the same, only louder.
"Yes, I am!" Ashera continued to stand up to him despite being half his size. "If you want to be the leader again, you've got to beat me!"
"Fine!" the two-toned boy gave in. "Noah, I'll win and get your stuff back!"
"Er, is any of this necessary?" the visiting Kevesi didn't know at whom to look.
"Of course it's sparkin' not," Lanz prepared for the duel by summoning a heavy sword, "but your partner's waiting and Ashera needs to learn her place!"
"That's… considerate of you, but none of us need to be fighting," Noah attempted to lecture not only to his guide but to everyone else too.
"Don't worry," the defender assumed his position, "Alton's a healer."
"Right," his winged teammate nodded, wand already in hand, "I'll make sure you're patched up quick, Lanz."
"Thanks mate!" the fearless challenger grinned before realizing what he'd implied. "Wait, what?"
"Guess I'll be the referee again," the brunette grabbed a chair and made herself comfortable.
"I don't think I'm going to like this…" the ponytailed soldier muttered to himself, chagrined by the spiraling of events.
"Since you lost last time, I'll let you strike first," the little, self-proclaimed leader offered charitably upon summoning a lance which was as long as her height.
"You little punk!" her usurped opponent growled, unwittingly rattling his own Blade from indignation. "You're really asking for it!"
"Yes I am," her matter-of-factness belied how oblivious she was. "Give it everything you've got!"
"Gladly!" Steadying himself, Lanz lunged at her with a vertical slice to the ground.
"Saw that one coming!" she dodged it nimbly, flattening him with a pounce on his back.
"Get off me!" The heavy sword-wielder sliced backhandedly but missed her again as she leapt and planted the sharp end of her lance in his posterior. "Dahhh!" Captivated by the display, the three observing Kevesis gasped nearly in unison.
"Your Blade makes you too slow!" Ashera pointed out the obvious midbattle.
"I don't need you to remind me of that!" Swallowing the awkward pain, the two-toned combatant shook her off to stand again. With barely enough time to recompose himself, Lanz expanded his heavy sword into a shield and blocked Ashera's next aerial dive. His ability to hold such a bulky weapon impressed everyone watching, including his own opponent.
"You're strong, that's for sure," the second-termer retreated for a quick breather.
"Thanks, I feel better already," he responded to her compliment with hard-browed sarcasm and a horizontal swing.
"How will you feel about this?" Despite being physically weaker, Ashera deflected his attack which left him open for a smack upside his head. Unfortunately for Lanz, it was only the first of several hits that she got on him in the next five minutes. Noah wanted to watch none of what he'd considered to be an unnecessary battle, though his penchant for observing techniques kept his sights forward until it was over.
"That's enough," Enisa rose from her chair after Lanz had fallen unconscious. "Ashera is the winner."
"Good try, Muscles," the young lancer commended his effort while Alton revived him with a healing circle, "but it looks like I'm still in charge."
"For spark's sake…" the defeated defender cursed quietly before straining to face Noah. "Sorry, man, I really tried for you."
"As long as you can get back on your feet," the pacifist sympathized with the poor lad.
"So, how about you, Ponytail?" she approached him once more. "Care to challenge me next?"
"I'm afraid I may have to," he sighed in resignation, "for my partner and our mission."
"Golden!" her fist clenched in joy. "I can always learn from a new opponent."
"It's good that you, um… strive to improve yourself, but I wish you'd consider other people too," Noah relayed his slowly growing grievance against her antics, bringing out his Blade with the tip already aimed in her direction. "I hope you realize that actions have consequences."
"I don't scare easily, or at all," she misinterpreted his warning as an intimidation tactic.
"I'm not just talking about these challenges of yours." His patience had long worn thin by now. "I'm talking about life in general, especially in a world as savage as this."
"I know what'll happen to me when I die. I'll turn into a husk just like everyone else." The frankness in which Ashera spoke didn't slip past anyone's ears, eliciting a couple of hushed reactions. "Like I said, I'm not scared."
"What a brave little brat you are," Lanz jeered from the sidelines, still seated on the ground.
"Okay, if you two are ready, you can start," the brunette called from her chair.
"Yes ma'am!" the younger girl twirled her lance while Noah merely watched, unsure if it was out of enthusiasm or to throw him off. After deciding to test the waters, he dashed forward but stopped short of making contact with her. "Didn't go for it, eh?"
"I made you think twice, right?" her new challenger held his sword defensively between them. "Besides, the less you talk, the more you can pay attention."
"Oh?" the ends of her lips curled. "Are you telling me to shut up?"
"Yes!" the two-toned soldier inserted his own answer.
"Hey! No distracting the fighters!" Enisa admonished him with a light pound on his dome.
Meanwhile, the actual battle at hand had resumed as Noah swung at Ashera to keep her on her toes. He kept mental notes of every dodge she made from his attacks, hoping to discern whether or not there was a pattern to her movements. When at last he found an opening, the perceptive swordsman struck her upper back with enough force to knock the wind out of her. She was not completely stunned, however, as the handle of her lance reflexively dug into his side. Ignoring the pain from the surprise retaliation, Noah lowered his next swing at her ankles and swept her onto the ground.
"No way!" Alton nearly dropped his wand as astonishment swept the onlookers.
"Whoa…" Ashera blinked both in similar disbelief over her apparent defeat and in awe at the sight of Noah's intricate Blade.
"Is that enough for you?" the ponytailed soldier asked calmly, nearly devoid of emotion. "I'd really like to be on my way now."
"Yeah," she conceded with nary a twinge of resentment, "but first you've got to tell me how you did that."
"I paid attention to your fighting style," he recalled the advice that he'd given before their match. "It wasn't perfect. You did poke me in the exchange."
"Hmm, maybe I could've fended you off there if my lance were double-edged," the second-termer stared at her wayward weapon.
"As a means to defend yourself and your friends, I suppose so," his hand reached out to help her up while Alton put up a healing circle around them.
"Ashera has friends?" Lanz heckled in the background, now standing as well.
"Of course I do," Ashera momentarily faced him, appearing ready to grin. "Aren't we good friends?"
"Oh absolutely," he gave her another dose of his sarcasm. "I'd die for you."
"Isn't he nice?" she returned her attention to Noah. "Anyway, since you won, you can have our supplies."
"Thank you," the victorious visitor proceeded for the storage to recover the new kit for Mio.
"Also, you get to be in charge now," the young girl added to his spoils. "It's only fair."
"M-me… in charge of you guys?" Befuddled, Noah glanced at all four of his hosts whose own expressions ran the gamut from similarly confused to seemingly joyful.
"Right," Ashera saluted her apparent successor. "So, what's our next order of business?"
"Uh, well…" he scrambled for something to say. "O-okay, ahem, I have two directives."
"I'm ready for anything, sir!" she puffed out her chest with her lance proudly staked to the ground.
"First thing, I would like for you all to refocus your energy towards something more positive," the pacifist took the opportunity to preach his peaceful approach to problem-solving again. "In my short time here, I've sensed a lot of animosity, whether it's aimed at each other or at those whom you consider to be your enemy."
"You want me to like Ashera?" Lanz eyed her with one brow raised.
"But we're already good friends, Muscles," his young teammate leaned in his direction, hands on hips.
"Oh yeah," his own hands were tossed in the air, "practically besties by now."
"I'm sorry, sir," the older girl of the group spoke next, "but I don't think I'll get over Mio killing our friends."
"Me neither," the healer seconded that notion, "whether she's dead or alive."
"Very well, I won't force you into thinking a certain way," Noah respected their refusals, not wishing to stir up anything else. "I simply wish to advocate less violent outlets for pent-up frustrations."
"What's the other directive?" Ashera remained standing at attention, unintentionally getting him back on track.
"The second thing is that I'm returning leadership duties to Lanz," the ponytailed soldier announced with a nod toward his delegate of choice. "I must be on my way, now that I've obtained what I needed with no further objections."
"Aw, well, it was fun while it lasted," the second-termer shrugged but was no less disheartened by his decision. "I'm glad you stepped up to my challenge."
"I'm glad… that you're happy," he rubbed the back of his neck before turning to leave. "Anyway, now that that's been said, I'll see myself out."
"Let me show you where the exit is," the defender suddenly sprinted to join him.
"Oh, thanks, but I know the path now," the swordfighter politely declined being escorted.
"I know you know," Lanz began whispering, wrapping an arm over Noah's shoulder. "I just need an excuse to get away from Ashera."
"I see…" his guest hushed as well while they kept walking.
Silence pervaded long past reentry into the cave, but both Kevesis were relieved to distance themselves from Colony 5. The echoing sounds of their footsteps was almost soothing to Noah, at least when compared to the squabbling that he'd left behind. As they approached the giant tree growing through the structure, however, his Iris lit up with a request for communications from outside. Tapping his temple to accept it, he was greeted with a familiar but harried voice.
"Hey! Are you okay?" It was Mio, his partner and closest ally. "Please speak to me."
"I'm alright," a smile crept along his face. "Thanks for checking up on me."
"Well of course," she sounded a little cross. "You've been in there for so long, I got worried."
"I'm sorry about that," he hung his head in regret.
"You're swiftly forgiven," Mio appeared to swallow a growl. "Still, what's going on? All you need to do is grab a uniform. Shouldn't take this long."
"You're right, it shouldn't," the pacifist tugged on one of the backpack straps, "but I've got one."
"Does that mean you're comin' back out now?" her voice gained an upward inflection.
"Yes," his eyes scanned ahead. "I'll meet you at… er, where we were this morning."
"Got it," the aware Agnian understood his need to speak cryptically. "Stay safe."
"Will do." With another tap to the temple, the call was over and Noah's focus was back on his immediate surroundings.
"Was that your partner?" the tall Kevesi couldn't help his curiosity.
"It was," the ponytailed soldier acknowledged but made no eye contact. "She expected me to have returned long ago."
"Makes sense," Lanz crossed his arms behind his head for a stretch. "Y'know, I'd like to meet her, if that's cool with you."
"Oh, uh…" a momentary spell of panic seeped down the visitor's throat, "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Shy, is she?" the two-toned boy assumed incorrectly. "No worries, mate."
Upon reaching the end of the manmade portion of the path, the trekking pair were stopped by the gate where they'd first met. Like last time, Lanz struggled to remember the code for the number pad and contemplated smashing through the door instead. As Noah watched with mild amusement, he realized how much that he both appreciated and pitied his host for what'd transpired today. After three failed attempts, the agitated Kevesi finally figured it out and soon they were back on their way. Fortunately, the next gate was manned by guards and therefore required no special procedures to access.
"Ah, you're back," the first guard, a sharpshooter, called out to Noah.
"Lanz, you're here too," the second guard noticed the tall fellow, wielding a heavy sword just like his.
"That's right," he scratched just above his brow with the knuckle of his finger, "I needed a break from base."
"Lost another challenge to little Ashera, did you?" they asked both mockingly and sympathetically.
"I might have…" he begrudgingly admitted.
"Does that mean she's still in charge?" the first guard wondered, taking their eye off the gate's scanner.
"Nope, Noah here won the keys to the colony back for me," Lanz turned to his hero of the day and gave him a hefty pat on the back.
"Sounds like we missed a party back there," the sharpshooter chuckled before returning to their duty. "Anyway, looks like the coast is clear, so I'll let him out."
"Thanks again for everything," the visitor extended his hand for a shake.
"And thank you for knocking Ashera down a peg," the defender presented his fist for a friendly bump instead. "I think you did everybody a favor, even without your speech."
"I hope you'll take it to heart, though," Noah remained serious in spite of the gesture. "We could all stand to direct our energy towards things that're more positive and productive than war."
"Hmm…" the taller Kevesi rubbed his chin where his mark was displayed. "You mentioned outlets, yeah? To let off steam and whatnot?"
"That's right," the pacifist was glad to see that he'd paid attention. "Life's not all about fighting."
"I don't know about that, but you seem really smart to me," Lanz opted for a simple compliment before an idea struck him. "Would you mind registering Irises? I could use pointers like this every now and then."
"Oh, uh, sure," his guest hadn't expected such a request but wasn't opposed to it. With permission received, Lanz stooped to Noah's height to execute the registration process. It didn't take long to complete, and soon it was time to finally part ways. "That should do it. Guess I'll see you around."
"Yup, good luck at the castle," the two-toned soldier bid him farewell as the first guard opened the door. Once Noah had walked through, he kept his eyes forward until the cave's darkness surrendered to the invasive light from outside.
It felt good to be back on the Urayan Trail where the air was fresh again. As much as Noah wanted to bask in the early afternoon sun, however, he knew that Mio was anxiously awaiting his return from his solo mission which had taken more twists and turns than he'd anticipated. Climbing up the embankment to avoid Colony Rho's new recruits, he reconvened with her inside the officers' tent and told the tall tale.
"You had to fight for it?" The zephyr was incredulous, clutching the backpack full of gear that he'd won for her.
"I'm okay, like I said," her travel partner reassured her. "They had a healer on standby."
"Fine…" she couldn't help but scan his body for any visible injuries. "But then they made you their leader? What has Colony 5 become?"
"To be fair, that was just a small unit which included two recent transfers," the ninth-termer explained from his own understanding of the peculiar mountain dwellers. "The rest are reportedly fighting in the Cent-Omnia region."
"Another reason not to go through there, I suppose," Mio sighed before thoroughly inspecting her new kit and discovering the sewn dog tag. "Uh, Amie?"
"Oh, that's, uh…" his answer became snagged in his mouth while second thoughts momentarily intervened, "the name of the previous owner of that uniform."
"Previous?" the cat-eared Agnian quickly put the pieces together. "You mean this person's dead, huh?"
"I'm afraid so," he solemnly admitted, the mood between them suddenly sinking.
"Hang on, did I… kill this Amie?" her eyes widened at the realization.
"I really want to say that I don't know," the ponytailed soldier watched the dread pour over her face, "but I was told that, um, you did kill Amie."
"Should've known," his running mate sighed again, this time heavier. "And soon I'll be wearing her outfit."
"It's a spare that she never actually got a chance to use," Noah attempted to alleviate her guilt, feeling some of it himself for having not considered this possibility in the first place.
"Still, it belonged to someone I killed," the moonblades-wielder stared at the uniform like it was tainted. "I… really don't feel comfortable wearing this."
"I-I'm sorry, Mio," this apology of his was automatic. "It was my idea, after all."
"You don't need to apologize," she returned the kit to the backpack just as a spell of exhaustion began to drain her. "It'll take us a few days to reach Keves Castle, so maybe… I-I'll feel better about wearing it by then."
"And when we reach the City, I'm sure everything we've endured will be worth it," the swordfighter spoke more hopefully than confidently.
"Yeah…" the tenth-termer scooted closer to him, resting her face near his shoulder.
"W-what's wrong?" his arms instinctively and partially enveloped her.
"I'm feelin' lightheaded," she groaned languidly. "I was worried sick about you all morning, and now this uniform situation…"
"Mio…" he whispered abjectly, her ears twitching in response. "Perhaps we should stay one more day here so we can set out fresh tomorrow."
"Mmm…" her head shifted to a more comfortable position. "That'd be good."