Chapter 21 "Move On"
"Are friends still here?" Feriferi peeked into the officers' tent the next morning.
"Hmm?" Mio stirred awake and rose from her bed. "Oh, good morni-"
"In that case, rise and shine!" the female Nopon bellowed not quite at the top of her lungs. "Docca already cooking up storm for hungry, hungry soldiers!"
"Huh? Wha…?" Noah scrambled to sit up, momentarily confused until his eyes adjusted.
"We're up now, so there's no need to shout," the tenth-termer lightly admonished the caretaker but was nonetheless grateful for the checkup. Despite Noah and Mio spending an extra night at Colony Rho, no new consul had shown up to avenge the one she'd killed two days prior.
"Is requirement of nannypon to rouse sleepyheads in timely manner," the green furball explained herself.
"I think you've… succeeded…" a yawn interrupted the groggy Agnian's response. "Anyway, what's on the menu?"
"Feriferi thought friend would never ask," Feriferi tightened her apron strings as if to prepare. "Docca whip up loads of oatmeal and berry porridge! Skeeter honey and cinnamon extra!"
"Right," Mio offered her a marginal smile before turning to Noah. "Sound good to you?"
"Yeah," the pacifist nodded lethargically, "I certainly wouldn't mind a bowl."
"Guess I'll go out there and bring one back for you," she volunteered like she'd done yesterday.
"I'd appreciate that," Noah nodded to her, resisting the urge to fall back onto his bed.
"Okay," his running mate hopped out of hers to begin dressing for the day. "Feriferi, I'll be with you in a minute."
"Merrily noted!" the female Nopon clapped twice with her wings on her way out of the officers' tent.
"It must be nice to be so carefree," the moonblades-wielder watched the flap sway from Feriferi's exit.
"I've had that thought, too," the ninth-termer admitted, tying his bedhead hair into a neater, familiar ponytail. "Perhaps we can afford to be that way once we settle into the City."
"That's the goal, alright," Mio ambled around the room, glancing unfavorably at the Kevesi uniform which bore the name of Amie, a soldier whom she'd killed. It sickened her to think that she would soon need to wear it in order to pass safely through Keves Castle territory on their forthcoming journey. Not wanting to ruin her appetite, she forced her attention back onto breakfast. "A-anyway, we should probably have a bite to eat. Then we can be on our way."
"I'm with you." Noah began dressing himself while Mio exited the officers' tent to fetch them their meals. They ate in peace but for the distant chatter from other people outside. Little did the two deserters know, however, that some of them would soon be approaching for a few words.
"Mio? Noah?" It was Moraine, the healer and recently appointed commander of Colony Rho. "Do you have a moment?"
"Yeah, what's up?" the cat-eared Agnian stacked their now empty bowls together and prepared to salute.
"Oh, you needn't do that," her superior acted embarrassed by the respectful gesture. "It already feels weird coming from the new recruits."
"You said it," Bowan, the defender and recently appointed lieutenant entered next. "So, Mio, are you finally leaving us now?"
"That's right," the soldier in question confirmed what he'd dreaded to hear. "We should've left yesterday, but I was feeling ill."
"You're better now, yes?" the lavender-skinned girl inquired concernedly.
"Just about…" the zephyr claimed with another wary gaze on the backpack carrying her new kit.
"Anyway, as I understand it," the blue-finned boy crossed his arms, "you're going to disguise yourself as a Kevesi and wade through the heart of enemy territory?"
"I'm afraid so," she dimmed her eyes at him, "but it's the quickest way to the City."
"And the deadliest," Bowan's own expression mirrored hers.
"Going through the Cent-Omnia region would be deadlier," Mio echoed Noah's sentiments regarding their options. "At least our plan allows us to be under the radar."
"What'll you do if your cover's blown?" His worrying was quite predictable by now.
"Bowan, don't start this again," the scowl solidified on her face. "I appreciate your concern, really… but anything we do has some level of risk."
"Not everything is this foolish, though," the defender wasn't finished arguing.
"I'd feel foolish staying here and letting some new consul take over my life like the old one did," the moonblades-wielder countered, having taken umbrage to his insinuation.
"Hmph," he shuffled to the side of the room, "fair enou-"
"Feriferi back in time for departure of Noah and Mio!" the fluffy caretaker made a sudden reappearance.
"Ah, yes you are," the ponytailed soldier confirmed, nearly chuckling.
"Docca here too! Meh!" The male Nopon followed his female counterpart seconds later. "Wouldn't think to let friends go without proper vittles for extended travel."
"Thank you," Noah acknowledged with a curious gander at the open crate which Docca had toted along. "What do we have here?"
"Essentials!" the brown-furred chef prepared to unveil the mostly dried contents. "Green nectarines, obsidian berries, kelp mushrooms, black liver beans, and chunkypon brownies."
"Chunkypon brownies are essential?" the lone Kevesi raised a brow.
"Very, very correct!" Docca nearly scolded him, wings waving erratically. "Is daily treat for industrious toiler! Please to not question it!"
"O-okay, I won't," the swordfighter wisely accepted this reasoning.
"Docca, Feriferi, Bowan, Moraine," the zephyr recaptured everyone's attention. "Thank you for everything you've done. I'll miss you all."
"Aw, Mio," the commander shyly kicked her heel on the floor.
"I suppose this is a rare chance to actually say goodbye person-to-person." The lieutenant's perspective was rather candid, still bitter about Lennick's death.
"R-right…" Mio wasn't interested in anguishing so close to departure. "We're simply taking different paths. I'll just be an Iris call away."
"That's something to be thankful for, I guess," he conceded to her again before turning to Noah. "Well, it's been… an edifying experience. Never thought I'd be allies with someone from the other side."
"It wasn't so bad, was it?" the pacifist chaffed, half-smirking.
"Could've been worse, I'll admit," Bowan's expression changed unnoticeably. "Don't expect me to start trusting all Kevesis, now."
"I'm just thankful you learned to trust me, at least," Noah settled for the rapport that they'd attained. "It allowed us to function as a team effectively."
"Yeah… mostly," the blue-finned boy muttered to himself.
"Good luck on new adventure!" Feriferi took her turn to wish the deserters well. "And must not forget daily upkeep of hygiene and eight hours of shuteye!"
"That go for nourishment, too!" her male counterpart reminded them, too. "Starvation not option!"
"Got it. Thanks everybody." The lone Kevesi equipped his crossbody bag which was now slightly weighted from the new provisions. "Alright, Mio, shall we hit the trail?"
"Yes," the cat-eared Agnian likewise retrieved the backpack that he'd gotten for her from Colony 5. "I'm ready."
"Okay, let's go," he proceeded for the opening with her close behind, passing by their saluting allies. "Farewell."
In order to avoid the new recruits like he'd done yesterday, Noah and Mio exited Colony Rho by sliding down the embankment behind the officers' tent. Before taking another step, however, she swiveled to take one last look at the place which she'd begrudgingly called home for her last five terms.
"Feels weird to just… leave it all behind," Mio clasped her hands together over her chest. "My life is still dependent on this colony's vitality, at least until we reach the City and do whatever's required to break us free from our Flame Clocks."
"It's been on my mind as well, regarding Colony 25," her travel partner divulged softly. "I try not to dwell on it."
"Right, it's out of our control while we're on our own." The gentle warmth from the late morning sun felt good on the tenth-termer's face. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, Mio eventually turned towards the trail which prompted Noah to follow suit. "I hate to think Moraine and Bowan will have to lead their troops into battle soon. Their days of peace can't last much longer."
"It'd be better if they could join us," he remained a few steps behind her, "but that's not presently viable."
"As much as I care about them, we have to focus on us now," the moonblades-wielder willed herself to move forward without glancing back at Colony Rho. In doing so, she caught a glimpse of some activity occurring down the path. "Hang on, I think there might be a fight happening ahead."
"I see it, too," the younger soldier strained to discern it himself. "Though… I'm not sure it's a fight."
"Someone just swung a big sword," she commented next. "What else could it be?"
"Training," he answered simply, catching up to walk alongside her. "You've watched me before, haven't you?"
"Wait, that's near the Colony 5 entrance," the local Agnian realized as she grabbed his sleeve. "If they've got a leftover unit, then that mi-"
"Ah, look who it is! Didn't know you were still in the area!" It was Lanz, the two-toned defender whom Noah had befriended yesterday.
"Lanz!" The swordfighter moved in front of Mio, hoping to obscure her. "W-what're you doing out here?"
"I'm practicing by myself. You told everyone at base to find an outlet, so this is mine." Putting the rather bulky Blade away, the taller Kevesi jogged towards him until he spotted the white clothes of Mio. Screeching to a halt, his exuberance quickly became panic. "Oi! Look out! An Agnian!"
"I know!" Noah called back with his hands held forward. "It's okay!"
"What do you mean?! That's the enemy! That's…" The temporary leader of Colony 5 soon noticed her whitish-beige hair and catlike ears. "No way, that's Mio. Snuff this, I'm calling for backup!"
"No, don't!" his former guest pleaded desperately. "Listen to me for a moment!"
"Dude! It's Mio, the zephyr of Colony Rho!" Lanz activated his Iris to request communications with someone from his team but stopped short of proceeding with the call. "Everybody at base wants her wiped off Aionios!"
"I-I'm aware…" the ponytailed soldier hesitantly glanced at her.
"This was a mistake," Mio whispered loudly to him, having taken two steps back. "We should've given their entrance a wide berth."
"Hang on a sec," the defender kept his rattling eyes on her, his Iris still lit from the call which he'd unwittingly neglected. "She's got the backpack we gave you yesterday! Don't tell me she's your partner!"
"She is," the shorter Kevesi confessed.
"Are you crazy?!" Lanz clenched the back of his head. "I can't believe you'd pull a fast one on me! I trusted you!"
"I'm sorry, but please calm yourself," Noah pleaded with him again, his heart thumping from his own panic. "She won't hurt you."
"How do you expect me to believe that?" the two-toned boy snarled at both soldiers before him.
"Lanz, what'd you call me for?" The voice of the first guard, a sharpshooter, sounded from behind him.
"Oh, spark! It's her! M-Mio!" The second guard, a heavy sword-wielder like Lanz, had accompanied the first one and was now in the process of alerting their three absent teammates of the standby unit.
"We should run while we have the chance," she strongly advised her fellow deserter, tugging his sleeve like before.
"I can't," the pacifist's feet were firmly planted. "I… need to talk to them…"
"If they hate me as much as you claim, then they'll never listen," Mio scooted closer to him, her ears flattening out.
"You're probably right, but…" his voice trailed off while every consequence that he could consider cluttered his mind.
"F-fine…" his running mate reluctantly released him, "but the moment they get violent, we're out of here."
"Understood," he swallowed audibly before readdressing the others. "Everybody, I know how this looks, and I'm prepared to explain our situation fully."
"It looks like you're betraying Keves by siding with the enemy!" The sharpshooter's Blade vibrated from their terribly unsteady hands.
"The worst agent of the enemy, no less!" Likewise, the heavy sword of the other guard wobbled before them.
"They're so… scared of me…" the lone Agnian covered her mouth.
"There are three more soldiers in this unit," Noah informed her from what he'd remembered of his visit to Colony 5, "two of whom are more angry than scared."
"What about the last one?" Mio felt compelled to ask.
"Eager," his answer was brief, sights still forward.
"Eager?" Bafflement colored the zephyr's face. "What do you mean?"
"Whoa! Is that really her?" The commotion received a new, youthful voice, one which could've been only one person from this avenue of Aionios.
"Yes, Ashera, it's Mio," the first guard confirmed with their teeth clenched.
"We're all gonna die!" their fellow gatekeeper exclaimed hysterically. "It's the one Agnian we can't beat!"
"Awesome!" The second-termer was far more enthused than deterred, slightly winded from having apparently sprinted through the mountain tunnels. "I've always wanted to challenge the big bad Mio!"
"Big bad?" their so-called enemy shuddered at hearing this unflattering description of her.
"Spark… it is her." Now it was Alton the winged healer's turn to enter the fray, also out of breath.
"No…" Enisa the brunette was the last one to show up. "Why'd she have to come back while the rest of the colony's away?!"
"That should be all of them," the ponytailed soldier observed the mostly malevolent countenances.
"Wha…?" she noticed him next. "You're the guy who came to us for help yesterday!"
"Mio's wearing our backpack! Wait, is she the partner we kept hearing about?!" The wingman was pointing exasperatedly now, his words practically mirroring those of Lanz from earlier.
"People, I can explain everything if I may be allowed to speak," Noah attempted to control the discordant discourse.
"You're a liar and a traitor!" the brunette stomped the ground.
"Alright, shut up, you lot!" Lanz shouted loud enough to silence everyone around him. "Snuffin' ash, I can't even hear myself think! Now, I'm the leader here, and I'm giving him one chance!"
"Thank you," the swordfighter sighed with minimal relief.
"Don't thank me, man," the defender stared him down sternly. "You'd better have the world's best excuse, or else!"
"I'm not sure if my explanation will satisfy, but I'm prepared to tell the truth without a shred of embellishment," his former guest cautiously assured the aggrieved group. All eyes were on him and Mio, regardless of the Kevesis' interest in hearing what he had to say. This was precisely what Noah had meant to avoid regarding Colony 5. Nevertheless, this mess needed to be cleaned up before the two deserters could leave the Urayan Trail. "Three weeks ago, my salvaging unit at Colony 25 was ordered by our consul to exterminate an Agnian supply Levnis from Colony Rho that'd entered Dannagh Desert. In response, they sent their entire army at us to engage in a full-scale war across the dunes."
"Three weeks ago, huh?" Lanz crossed his burly arms while he pieced together the timeline in his noggin. "That's when Colony Rho disappeared."
"Yeah, and it's also when Mio and I met," the shorter Kevesi peered warily over his shoulder to her.
"Spare them the details about me," Mio quietly urged him, displeased to be the center of attention like in Colony Phi.
"Got it," her travel partner nodded to her before facing Lanz again. "We, um… got to know each other through fighting, at least regarding our motivations at the time."
"And… what? You became friends just like that?" The two-toned soldier alternated glares between Noah and Mio. "You're supposed to be enemies!"
"It wasn't that simple," the pacifist continued, unsurprised by the response that he'd received. "We discovered our conflict was a ploy by our consuls in order to get the two sides to kill each other."
"So? Our consul orders us to fight all the time." The temporary leader of Colony 5 briefly glanced at his unit. "Besides, everybody has to fight to live."
"Lanz, did you ever stop to wonder why we have to steal each other's life force?" His former guest's question seemed to suck the air out of the other Kevesis' lungs. "I'd long suspected that something was off with the way things have been between Keves and Agnus. It's a war that never ends… and even if one side wins, it'll still lose by not having the other side around for its sustenance."
"Wha… but…" Lanz could hardly get out a coherent word. "That's…"
"Too deep for his brain," Ashera finished his sentence for him.
"Shut up!" his muscly frame quickly hovered over her small one with both fists clenched. "As if you know what he's talkin' about!"
"I don't care what he's talking about!" the young girl's responding grin drilled into his hard-browed scowl.
"I'm talking about the consuls using us soldiers for tools of destruction, for their own means," Noah cut in to get back on track. "This is why Mio and I have broken away from our respective colonies. We're on our way to an independent entity, known as the City."
"The… City?" the defender repeated in question. "What's that?"
"It's been described to us by some of its inhabitants as a massive colony that sustains itself," the ponytailed soldier recalled from his first meeting with City folks, "free from the Flame Clocks."
"Tch… and people call me gullible," the taller Kevesi tossed his hands in the air. "How can any of us live without a Flame Clock hanging over our heads?"
"Admittedly, I'm not sure myself, but I think it's worth investigating." Although no additional Blades besides the skittish guards' had been drawn, the careful swordsman feared that it wouldn't take much to trigger the riot which so far had been averted. "I've never been content to live for a mere ten years, fighting just to survive another day, for a goal that's not even my own."
"I feel you on that, I think…" Lanz momentarily eased his intimidating stare. "But wait, what does that have to do with needing our help? I thought you said you were being stationed at Keves Castle."
"That's what you assumed. I just… opted not to correct you." Feeling guilty for the lack of prior transparency, the pacifist activated his Iris to send Lanz the map data as a gesture of goodwill. "As for the City, it's located in Cadensia, and the quickest way there goes past Keves Castle. Mio needs the kit you provided to avoid detection."
"You telling me we've allowed our number one enemy to stay alive?" Horrified, Enisa started to panic again.
"What snuffin' luck!" Alton's overreaction hardly differed from hers. "We'll be punished for sure!"
"No we won't! Nobody's telling the consul!" Their temporary leader made his order clear, focusing on the second-termer. "Got it?!"
"What're you looking at me for?" Ashera's eyes widened innocently, almost endearingly.
"The castle mustn't know of our slipup, either," he added to his warning. "The dog tag has our colony on it, after all."
"Oh spark me," another qualm just occurred to the older girl, "Mio's gonna wear Amie's gear… and she's the one who killed her!"
"That's so gross!" the healer gagged at the thought. "Poor Amie. As if dying wasn't bad enough."
"How do you think I feel?!" the lone Agnian finally broke her silence. "I never wanted to kill your friend in the first place!"
"That's a laugh," he balked at her, stepping out from behind Lanz. "You've killed so many of our friends over the years!"
"My consul forced me to keep doing it," she tried to explain. "Otherwise, I'd have been executed for disobeying."
"So you chose to take their lives just to keep yours going," Enisa moved to stand by her winged teammate. "How selfish can you get?"
"Selfish?" the moonblades-wielder contained her indignation. "Have you not taken lives yourself?"
"I… well…" the brunette stopped short of lying.
"Many of us soldiers are guilty of it," Mio laid out the cold, hard fact, mindful of the exception in Noah, "for one reason or another."
"If you think that logic will make us forgive you, think again," Alton rebuffed her whilst keeping his distance.
"I don't need forgiveness," she remained calm, "but I do want everyone to move on."
"How can we possibly do that?" his hands fell to his hips, standoffishly.
"This Amie was… important to you two, yes?" Her gaze upon them was as soft as she could make it. "Can you tell me about her?"
"Hmph!" Enisa scrunched her face while they considered indulging in Mio's request. "She was a far better person than you could ever be."
"I see…" the zephyr tapped her fingertips together. "What made her better?"
"She was brave as spark," the proud Kevesi girl began sharing. "Never afraid of being on the frontlines."
"That's… not an easy position to take," the cat-eared Agnian knew from experience.
"Wasn't Amie good at fixing Levnises too?" the winged soldier asked his teammate, their reminiscing now in full swing.
"Yeah, she used to help with that sometimes." The faintest hint of a smile curled one side of Enisa's mouth.
"I'm not very proficient with tech," their so-called number one enemy volunteered a personal fact of her own. "I can see how she was better than I was."
"Right, and don't you dare forget it," the brunette's expression reverted to her familiar frown.
"I won't," the moonblades-wielder touched her gem through her shirt. "I'll respect what once belonged to Amie, I promise."
"Sounds rich coming from an Agnian," Alton scoffed, still very untrusting towards Mio.
"I really am trying to make amends," she insisted, huffing slightly. "A little less hostility in this world wouldn't hurt."
"You sound like Noah now," the two-toned boy interjected unimposingly.
"Lanz, is it?" the lone Agnian turned to face him next. "Have our talks been satisfactory enough to let us pass without further objections?"
"Uh…" his answer became clogged in his throat.
"Look at it this way," Noah stepped in after having fallen silent himself, "do we pose a threat to you?"
"I suppose not," Lanz decided after ruminating for a moment. "Still can't believe you've become friendly with an Agnian."
"Are you sure it's wise to let them go?" the sharpshooter questioned their temporary superior.
"Of course it is!" Responding instead was the heavy sword-wielder of the unnamed, gatekeeping pair. "She'll be out of our hair forever!"
"Aw," the second-termer wilted in mild disappointment. "I never got to challenge her."
"Forget it, Ashera!" the defender snapped at her before returning to Noah and Mio. "You two had better scarper while our consul's still away."
"We'll do that." The ponytailed soldier extended his hand, hoping for a shake despite the breach of trust. "Lanz, I-I don't know if you still see me as a friend, but I'm glad we met."
"You're a weirdo," the taller Kevesi tentatively accepted the gesture. As the two deserters finally departed, Lanz wiped the sweat off his forehead and addressed his team. "Alright you lot, we're headin' back!"
Neither Noah nor Mio said a word until they'd hiked to the end of the Urayan Trail, mentally exhausted by the surprise impasse and its ensuing negotiations. Resting unintentionally near where they'd previously fought her consul, they began to debrief what'd transpired moments ago.
"I'm sorry," the ninth-termer found her eyes with his. "I led you right into the last mess you needed."
"I knew you'd apologize," Mio reached behind herself for the backpack, "but maybe… it was a good thing."
"Huh?" he perked up, curiously. "How so?"
"Insults aside, it eventually became… cathartic," her sights momentarily went skyward, "speaking civilly to members of the colony I've ravaged."
"Yeah… I can see that." It relieved him significantly that she was looking at the bright side of the confrontation. "Your patience with them was commendable."
"I learned a little bit… about Amie," the zephyr pulled out her victim's unused uniform. "Perhaps… wearing her gear won't be so bad now."