Chapter 24 "An Agnian in Kevesi Clothing"

Her hands were shaking, she could barely walk straight, and the world seemed to oscillate indecisively. Mio felt irrecoverably sick to her stomach, having just killed her fellow Agnian in a desperate but successful attempt to save Noah. The swordfighter himself was hardly faring better with his bruised and burned body in need of medical attention. Both deserters leaned on each other while they followed an escorting Equites Levnis towards Colony 11, the first of three stations adjacent to Keves Castle.

"We're halfway there," the ponytailed soldier rubbed her lower back. "Keep your head up."

"Are we going the right way?" his running mate attempted to do as he'd instructed.

"Yeah, we haven't strayed off course," Noah scanned their surroundings which included more than a dozen patrolling Equites like the one that they were following. "I hadn't expected to see so many Levnises out here, though."

"For a moment, I thought I was seeing things," her pace slowed them down until they eventually stopped. "My head's spinning and this visor's not helping."

"Can you try taking deep breaths?" he lightly held onto her shoulders.

"No," Mio started to shake her head before realizing that it'd only worsen her condition. "This helmet's suffocating me…"

"Here, let me…" his hands gingerly unfastened the mask which had been covering her face below her eyes. To Noah's dismay, he discovered two partially dried streaks of tears down Mio's flushed cheeks. The guilt that he'd already felt over his decision to take this route to the City grew exponentially at seeing the stains of her own anguish.

"Is everything okay down there?" the pilot called to them from the cockpit of his Levnis which was parked as well.

"We're still… gathering our bearings…" the pacifist stuffed her mask in his crossbody bag.

"Well, I hate to rush you, but I can't do my patrols until I get you guys to Colony 11," the escorting Kevesi spoke as another Equites pulled up next to his. "We're about to comb the wastes here."

"Right, we're coming," the ninth-termer resumed supporting Mio as they started walking again. The only consolation was that the path continued to be downhill until they reached the First Ixia Bridge at the bottom.

"This is where I drop you off," the pilot popped open the cockpit again. "Glad I could be of service!"

"The gate's closed ahead." Noah's concerned gaze reached across the final stretch of their debilitated hike to where he'd expected to see a colony.

"Yeah, everybody's under lockdown after I had to report about the Agnian I blasted back in the canyon," the Kevesi escort pointed to his right eye. "Don't worry, though. I told my mate to let you in."

"Very well." The ponytailed soldier was both distressed and relieved to hear him say it. "Thank you."

"Yup," the pilot flashed a toothy smile before proceeding to roll his machine away. "If there are any more Agnians out there, I'll be sure to get 'em for ya!" Neither Noah nor Mio had a vocal response to give after hearing the vow for more violence, wishing instead to find a healer as soon as possible. Before they could do so, however, they had a bridge full of barricades through which to navigate.

"Oi! Hurry up!" The gatekeeper whom the pilot had previously mentioned slid open one of the doors upon the deserters' approach. "I'm supposed to keep this closed!"

"Understood," the younger visitor held onto the older one's hand as they entered Colony 11. With the gate shutting behind them, Noah and Mio scanned the sparse base to see what was there. Situated before them was a large, empty pit, though most of the personnel had gathered on the main level to the side.

"What do we have here?" a Kevesi pushing a cart met them near the entrance. "You don't look familiar."

"We're travelers," he made no attempt to hide their current states. "We got roughed up out there and could use some healing."

"I can see that," they observed his fragile stance and her still labored breathing. "The medical tent's in the rear to the right."

"Thanks." The structure in question was well within his sights while he continued to support both Mio and his battered self. "Come on, not far now." In spite of this estimation, it took them over a minute to reach the medical tent. Nonetheless, they found an open cot on which to sit while a couple of other soldiers were being checked.

"More weary guests, eh?" a female, winged Kevesi with short, hazelnut hair approached them, clipboard in hand. "I'm Fla'ran, Colony 11's medic. Can I get your names, please?"

"Oh, uh, Noah," the swordfighter sat up straight.

"Amie," Mio mumbled, nearly forgetting that she was in disguise.

"Noah and Amie, got it," Fla'ran entered them into her log of patients. "Now, what can I do for ya?"

"I just need a heal," he kept it simple, "while she could use some water."

"Oh, is that all?" she feigned disappointment in a raffish attempt to lighten the mood. Summoning a wand in her free hand, Fla'ran applied a concentrated amount of her healing on the injured swordsman. Next, she filled a small cup with water and handed it to the Kevesi-clothed Agnian. "There we go! How do you feel?"

"Much better now, thanks," Noah confirmed after a couple of slow stretches, careful not to bump into Mio.

"Can I… get a refill?" the zephyr meekly held out her already empty cup.

"Of course!" Fla'ran withdrew her Blade and fulfilled Mio's request. "By the way, I noticed that you two aren't part of our ranks. Are you joining or visiting?"

"Visiting, I guess," he picked the more accurate answer. "We're passing through, actually."

"Uh, sorry, but that's not gonna happen tonight," seriousness overtook her exuberance. "We're under lockdown after some rotten Agnian was found lurking outside, so the gates are closed."

"So we've heard, but for how long?" the pacifist inquired, trying to let none of his slowly growing worry show on his face.

"Lockdown protocol limits passage between bases to noon every day until we're in the clear again," the Kevesi medic laid it out for them before pointing towards the nearby rear gate. "So, if you want to get out of here tomorrow, you'd better get your butts in line on time and not a minute later."

"Oh, okay then," he stared at Mio but couldn't quite tell her own reactions through her visor.

"Gustav will be in charge of that," Fla'ran continued explaining the rules. "You'll have to provide your reasons for entering the interior and present your luggage for inspection."

"Inspection?" his body tensed at the further implications.

"Yup!" the energy in her responses returned. "Gotta check everything while on high alert!"

"I-I suppose that makes sense," he rubbed the back of his neck, eyeing Mio again. "Where might Amie and I be able to stay for the night?"

"Guest barracks are over there," the winged Kevesi pointed outside again, this time to the corner opposite of the rear gate. "Or you can just stay right here, since you're my patients. I don't really mind, so long as you don't mess with anything."

"Right," the ponytailed soldier lowered his head.

"All good? Neato!" Fla'ran held her clipboard against her chest before turning to leave. "I'll be around if you need me!" With her exit, the medical tent fell silent while Noah and Mio processed all the information that they'd received.

"So, um… Amie," he faced her again, mindful to use her undercover name, "what do you think we should do about your… stuff?"

"You mean about the inspection?" Mio removed her backpack and placed it in her lap. "I-I can't just… throw all these journals away. They're the only important things I own."

"I wasn't going to suggest that," her travel partner assured her, "not least because we'd arouse suspicion in doing so."

"I can come up with an excuse," the cat-eared Agnian unzipped it to peek inside, "but… I won't be able to run anywhere if they… you know…"

"Yeah." The thought of being caught in a shuttered colony sent chills down his now healed back. "The other option is to just wait until they return to normal operations."

"If we stay here too long, they'll start asking questions," the tenth-termer upturned her weary gaze at the brooding sky. "Besides, I don't want to wait. This is my final term and…"

"You don't need to say it," Noah rushed to keep her from feeling too melancholic. "I understand."

"I know you do," she finished the last of her second cup of water.

"Are you feeling better, at least?" he changed to a more immediate topic.

"Physically, yes, but mentally…" a heavy sigh relayed the rest of her thought to him. "I… can't believe what I did out there."

"You saved my life," the pacifist focused on the lone positive, "that's what you did."

"I'm glad for that much." Mio felt the inclination to smile but wasn't in the mood to do it, at least not yet. "You know I can't summon my Blade while I'm here, right?"

"I'm aware," the swordfighter slowly nodded. Another chill tickled his spine, this one for the realization that her cover would've been blown had the Equites pilot seen the color of light from her active ring swords. "Let's hope we won't need to summon our Blades to begin with."

"I really am in the last place that, um, someone like me should be," the disguised Agnian swallowed hard. "Speaking of which, do you know what we have to pass through?"

"We're in Colony 11, the western front of Keves Castle territory," his arms were crossed now. "Colony 21 is the eastern one."

"What's in the middle?" she wondered as she zipped up her backpack.

"Fort O'Virbus," he idly watched a meeting of soldiers outside. "I'd read about these three stations, but I never thought I'd have the chance to visit them."

"Neither did I," her tone emitted both resignation and a hint of coyness.

"Well, of course you wouldn't," Noah resisted the urge to smirk, the two youths looking at each other in contained mirthfulness. "Anyway, since we're here, should we visit the canteen before we bunk for the night?"

"I'll have a nibble if they've got something light," his running mate stood which prompted him to do the same. Darkness had completely covered the area by now, aside from the errant lightning strike. After grabbing a bite to eat at the canteen, the two visitors returned to the medical tent which they'd chosen as their quarters.

Noah lied down on the same cot that they'd used before, the trace of familiarity perhaps comforting him in the rather sterile base. However, his mind remained active with thoughts of how the rest of their segmented sortie through Kevesi territory could go. Before he closed his eyes, he turned his head to find Mio sitting on the next cot with her back against the wall. It pained him that she was unable to lie down herself due to her needing to keep her helmet on.

"It's okay," the moonblades-wielder spoke softly to him, having read the sympathy on his face. "I'll deal with it."

"I'm sorry…" his own whisper managed to reach her covered ears, or so he hoped.

The following morning began with intermittent chatter poking into the quiet medical tent from outside. Noah opened his eyes but remained on his back, not ready to let his worries preoccupy him just yet. Peeking to his left, he found the Kevesi-dressed Agnian still seated like she'd been the previous night.

"Hey," Mio observed his groggy expression through her visor. Relinquishing her own cot, she stepped over to his where he slid himself slightly to the side to give her room to sit. Her right hip warmed his left shoulder while she gently rubbed his arm for reasons still not quite understood by either of them. All they knew was that this newfound closeness felt good in the moment, a rarity in these days of endless war.

"Mornin'!" the voice of the Kevesi medic startled the two deserters. "Is he dying or sleeping?"

"I-I'm awake," he sat up quickly while Mio stood embarrassedly.

"Glad to see it," Fla'ran pushed up the brim of her cap with her index finger. "I have to give you the boot, though. A new days means new patients, you know."

"We'll clear out," the ponytailed soldier scrambled to his feet as well.

Back outside, Noah and Mio found the sky in a better mood than it'd been yesterday. However, the black fog remained an eerie presence with its wending wisps mottling the air. They would have to wait for four hours before they needed to get in line at the rear gate.

"How many do we have here?" Gustav the gatekeeper took a headcount. "Six? Right, then. Let's get this done quickly!"

"Time to make ourselves presentable," Noah smoothed the wrinkles out of his uniform. "Are you ready, Amie?"

"I've practiced it in my head," the cat-eared Agnian put on a serious face beneath her partially concealing helmet. After the first four soldiers in line passed through, it was Noah's and Mio's turn.

"Right, names and colonies," the Kevesi in charge of inspection carried a clipboard of his own.

"Noah, Colony 25," the younger visitor answered plainly.

"Amie, Colony 5," the older one did the same.

"Alright," Gustav jotted down the details. "Now then, state your business."

"We've been reassigned," the swordfighter stayed within the truth. "On our way to Cadensia."

"Good luck with that," the gatekeeper checked a couple of boxes on his manifest. "Now then, let's have a look at what you're bringing in." Both visitors held their breaths and complied without fuss. Gustav spent little time eyeing Noah's belongings before moving onto Mio's. "What… on Aionios…?"

"At ease, soldier." Mio's voice dropped her usual, soft accent for a hardened sternness as she sunk into her temporary role. "We plundered these from a defeated Agnian colony."

"O-okay, hmm…" he scratched his forehead, beyond baffled, "but why would you want junk from the enemy?"

"We hope to gain some valuable insight," her anxiety on the inside betrayed none of her confidence on the outside. "You'd be surprised at what you can learn about people from their stuff."

"You'd better use lots of soap afterwards," Gustav warned her, his face full of obvious revulsion. "I wouldn't dare touch anything that came from a disgusting Agnian."

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to," she ignored his slight against her kind.

"Hmph," he stood back, both in recoil and to let them pass. "Better be careful with that or else someone will get the wrong idea."

"I will, thanks," the zephyr gladly closed her backpack, having cleared inspection. The gate closed behind them the moment they set foot on the Second Ixia Bridge, the connector between Colony 11 and Fort O'Virbus.

"That was very impressive, Amie," the ninth-termer complimented her, both of them sharing a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," the well-acted Agnian loosened up. "Good thing he didn't know who she was."

"Yeah," her travel partner's sights raised to their next stop ahead. "Hopefully, we won't have to go through that again on our way out."

"Guess we're spending the day in… this… big place…" her eyes widened as they approached the fort. The streets were wide and full of Kevesi soldiers going in seemingly every direction. Noah wore a similar expression, their trials and tribulations from the canyon already feeling like old news. Situated against several walls were single market stands filled with gear and other small necessities. The intersection known as Kismet Crossing offered even more for them to see, notably an information center and a canteen with a sign depicting a Nopon.

"Pon and Grille," Noah read its fancy lettering in mild amusement. "Are you hungry yet?"

"Oh my…" the moonblades-wielder appeared distracted. Turning to the right to see what'd caught her attention, Noah soon beheld the commanding and intimidating sight of Keves Castle itself. Both deserters were now standing and staring in awe. In that moment, Mio became acutely aware of her position in a crowd of people who'd want to kill her if her disguise were to fail. She was an Agnian in Kevesi clothing, deep in the last place for someone like her to be. These were the words that were running through her head, ones that she'd previously spoken herself.

"Hang in there," his calming voice snapped her out of her daze. "Remember, I'm with you, no matter what."

"I know," Mio took a deep breath, grateful for his support. "I've just never seen anything quite like this."

"It is rather unique," the swordfighter tilted his gaze higher up the majestic stronghold. "Huh…"

"You've never seen it before as well?" she turned to face him for a moment.

"No, I saw it in a textbook," he remained fixated on Keves Castle, "but I'm noticing something… rather peculiar happening at the top."

"Hmm?" his running mate looked ahead again, trying to spot it for herself. "You mean the spire?"

"Is it me, or is the black fog… swirling around it?" the pacifist strained to discern this possible phenomenon.

"It's difficult to tell through my visor, but I'll take your word for it," the disguised Agnian soon ceased her staring. "Anyway, was there something else you wanted to say earlier?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you were hungry," Noah tilted his head towards the canteen on the corner. "Though, if you're too unnerved now, I can wait for a little bit."

"No, lunch sounds great now," a measured grin formed on her face. "Lead the way."

The Pon and Grille canteen appeared to be just as busy inside as it was in the plaza. Most of the tables were filled with Kevesi patrons and their various choices of sandwiches, while the line to order nearly reached the door. On the bright side, it gave Noah and Mio plenty of time to decide on what they wanted.

"Welcomes!" A pink Nopon with curly, purple hair greeted them when it was their turn. "How may Baloni serve friends?"

"I'll have the fried fish plate," the older of the two deserters answered first.

"The ardun beef and cheese toastie for me, please," the younger one ordered second, feeling his stomach growl.

"Very good!" Baloni scribbled on a tiny piece of paper and tossed it backwards into the hectic kitchen. "Please to wait by next window! Some harried delipon will shout loudly when order ready!"

"Alright," the ponytailed soldier peeked inside the busy compartment. "Thank y-"

"Next!" the pink Nopon already began taking another order.

Despite the canteen's decently sized dining area, Noah and Mio needed more than a few glances to find two empty seats together. By the time they did, however, the midday lunch rush appeared to begin thinning out. Both soldiers enjoyed their meals so much that they were nearly finished before one of them spoke again.

"How's your fish?" he looked up from his own plate.

"I've needed this," came her raving response. "Docca never cooked any while we were… ahem, still in Pentelas."

"Huh, I suppose he didn't." In one more bite, his sandwich was gone. "I know it's your favorite."

"Mhm," she affirmed with her mouth closed, her own meal now finished. "Since the, uh, place where we're going is in Cadensia, I hope they have lots of fish."

"It seems like a safe assumption," the pacifist chuckled to himself.

"Yeah…" A weighty realization occurred to Mio a moment later, one which stirred up and stoked her self-consciousness. "It feels weird to… look forward to things like that."

"I know what you mean," he stacked their empty plates together.

"I think I'd better reel myself back in," she slowly wiped her greasy fingers with a napkin, her pun not intended. "We've still got a long way to go."

"That we do," Noah watched her fiddle around before lifting his eyes to meet hers through her visor. "Still, I'm glad I got to see your smile again."

Another pause ensued as Mio experienced an inexplicable, momentary feeling of joy, similar to what they'd shared this morning in Colony 11's medical tent. Before they knew it, their hands had found each other on the tabletop. As quickly as it'd happened, however, they both retracted in silent agreement that this wasn't the proper place to be experimenting with such strange gestures. The last thing they wanted to do now was draw unwanted attention onto the undercover Agnian in Kevesi clothing.

Casually peering over their shoulders to see if anyone was watching them, Noah instead noticed a nearby male Kevesi with reddish-brown wings covering what appeared to be inconsolable woe on his face. The only thing in front of him was an empty cup which he nearly knocked over with his unsteady elbow. Mio was soon eyeing this upset individual too, before the two deserters returned to their own, shared bubble.

"A-anyway, we should probably come up with a plan for our day," he resumed their conversation.

"We're stuck here, though," the tenth-termer reminded him of their current predicament, not that he'd forgotten. "There's only so much we can do until tomorrow when the gates open again."

"We haven't visited everything that Fort O'Virbus has to offer," her travel partner had a reminder of his own. "Shall we go back outside and tour some more?"

"I don't see why not." It seemed riskless enough to Mio who tidied up her disguise in preparation for their upcoming outing. "If I am to… take Amie's place, then I may as well experience the Kevesi life while I have the opportunity."