Chapter 16 "Agony of Anticipation"

"Rise and shine!" A rousing voice invaded the barracks of Colony Rho the next morning.

"She's here!" Stumbling out of bed, Mio instinctively backed herself against the wall with her dual moonblades in hand.

"Of course! Feriferi here to wake friends for breakfast!" It was Feriferi, the female Nopon who'd agreed to be the soldiers' personal caregiver in exchange for housing. With a gentle wave, her little bell rang in everybody's unwilling ears.

"Wha…?" Blinking thrice, the zephyr's sleepy eyes made out the distinctively round shape of Feriferi. "Y-you're not… the consul…"

"Should hope not," the green furball's wings went for her visibly nonexistent hips. "Nopon far more important! Without Feriferi, tasty sausages and scrambled eggs get cold before friends fill bellies!"

"Is that what I smell?" Noah rose next after reaching for his Blade which he'd left active overnight.

"Exact!" she flashed him a grin that he could barely see in the dim room. "Best of mornings to sleepyhead!"

"Er… good morning… kind of," the ponytailed soldier mumbled, feeling a dull pounding in his head from all the sudden excitement. Bowan and Moraine were awake as well, their groans audible from down the row. "I don't think… any of us were quite expecting this."

"No kidding," his running mate hobbled back to her bed, ring swords deactivated. "Please, no more wakeup calls like this."

"Understanding," Feriferi upheld her cheery countenance against Mio's frown, "next time will not use bell!"

"Y-yeah, sure…" Mio hunched over, covering her face with both hands.

"Disturb us like this again and you're out of here," Bowan snarled at the Nopon, "along with your chef buddy."

"Docca have breakfast ready soon! Report to canteen in five minutes!" Evidently, the threat flew over the fluffy caregiver's head like an errant gust. With her message successfully delivered, Feriferi merrily hopped outside to assist with the meal's preparations.

"Sheesh…" he shook his head tiredly, grabbing his uniform, "what a way to start the day."

"I'm sure she meant well," Moraine likewise began gearing up, enticed by a deep-fried whiff from the open kitchen. "Hope the food's good."

"It'd better be, for everyone's sakes," the defender muttered as he equipped his boots. In another minute, both soldiers were dressed and ready to present themselves to the breakfast table. "Mio, Noah, we'll see you in the canteen."

"Okay then," the lone Kevesi nodded to them before swiveling towards Mio who continued to shield her eyes from the light. Stepping closer to her, his worry for her wellbeing returned. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine…" the tenth-termer's palms muffled her dodgy response.

"Which means you're not, right now," Noah downturned his sympathetic stare on her. "What can I do to help you feel better?"

"There's nothing you can do until the consul arrives," her fingers slid up to massage her forehead.

"I figured that was the reason," he sighed heavily enough to tickle the tips of her ears, "besides the rude awakening, of course." Thinking that their chat had already run out of steam, Noah suited up and turned to exit the barracks.

"Wait," Mio abruptly called out to him, "please, stay with me?"

"Huh?" Stopped in his tracks, the pacifist peered over his shoulder to observe an uncomfortably desolate expression on her face. "Oh, um… sure."

"Thanks," her hands were now clamped onto the edge of her mattress. "I don't want her to get the jump on me."

"So, you do trust my Blade," the ninth-termer presumed from her words, referencing his sword's inexplicable ability to detect the presence of Moebius.

"Is it really that important to you that I do?" the moonblades-wielder questioned his priorities.

"It's more about the trust between us," Noah swiftly but politely corrected Mio's misassumption.

"I swear we've discussed this multiple times already," there was noticeable irritation in her voice. "I trust you, fully."

"Thanks," he smiled cautiously at her, "right back at you." The two deserters spent the next minute in contemplative silence, mindful of Feriferi's breakfast bulletin. Once Mio had suited up herself, they left the barracks to rejoin the others in the canteen.

It was a generous meal for the remaining residents of Colony Rho, one that even the fastidious Bowan could appreciate. Requests for seconds were most pleasing to Docca who'd prepared the scrumptious spread. Alongside Feriferi and her caretaking, the male Nopon had become their personal chef as a means to earn his keep. Much like last night, however, one soldier in particular was hardly in the mood for food.

"Friend Mio still not eat?" the brown-furred cook noticed her relatively untouched plate.

"I'm sorry, Docca," the cat-eared Agnian set down her fork, "my appetite's been curtailed as of late."

"Still?" Bowan raised a brow at her from across the table.

"Come on, Mio," the healer's reaction was much softer, "you've got to eat a little bit, at least."

"I have," the zephyr pouted, "kind of…"

"You shouldn't deprive yourself of nourishment," the ponytailed soldier advised her, "otherwise, you'll be in bad shape if the consul arrives."

"When you put it that way…" Suddenly, Mio felt like taking more than a couple of bites after all.

"Oh, much relief!" Feriferi clasped her wingtips together. "Was worried Feriferi would have to spoon-feed friend."

"I'm not sure what that even means…" the oldest soldier of the group contorted her face before a distant sound caused her ears to twitch. "Eh? What was that?"

"Hmm?" Docca peered outwards from his seat at the head of the table. "More guests arrive?" Soon, all eyes were on a trio of strangers standing at the colony's entrance. Their gray and brown gear was decidedly not the typical red armor of a consul, bringing Mio both relief and disappointment.

"Excuse us," spoke one of them, a woman with a small scar on her forehead and her hair tied in a bun. "We're looking for two soldiers named Noah and Mio."

"Who's looking?" the blue-finned Agnian stood with his heavy sword already engaged.

"Are you… people from the City?" the lone Kevesi guessed from their attire, nervously rising himself.

"Yes we are," she scooted ahead of her associates, "and are you Noah?"

"Y-yeah, um…" he glanced to his running mate who remained seated, "Mio is here, too."

"Excellent," the City woman started to approach the canteen. "Took you long enou-"

"Not another step," Bowan quickly but stumbly circled around the table. "I don't know who you are, but you're trespassing!"

"Bowan, it's okay," Noah rushed to his side, once again playing the mediator. "These are the reinforcements from the City I told you about, yesterday."

"You think so just because she knows your names?" the defender was as doubtful as ever.

"The City folks in this area were told in advance to find us here, at Colony Rho," the swordfighter tried to explain to his overly protective friend. "Although, I suppose we never got any of their names."

"Let me help you with that, then," the leading visitor overheard him. "I'm Verna, co-leader of the City's Maktha militia. So glad to finally meet you, Noah."

"Huh?" Despite his defense of her kind, he hadn't expected her to extend her hand for a shake. "Oh… nice to meet you, too."

"And is that Mio with the long ears?" she spotted her still at the table. "My apologies for interrupting your breakfast."

"It's fine…" the moonblades-wielder's voice barely registered.

"Anyway, it sounded like you were waiting for us," her travel partner attempted to restart small talk with their contact.

"That's right," Verna crossed her arms, unintentionally flexing her muscles. "We've been staking out this col-"

"Ahem!" Bowan cleared his throat loudly to grab her attention. "As you've already said, lady, you're interrupting our breakfast."

"Maybe we should move this conversation outside the colony," the pacifist suggested whilst observing every face by the table. "Mio, will you come with us?"

"Yeah, hold on," Mio excused herself after taking one last mouthful of her now-lukewarm meal. Everyone else stayed still, mutedly watching the two deserters follow Verna back down the pathway to the colony's entrance. Several thoughts swam through Mio's head, but she kept them to herself for now.

"So, as I was saying," the female militant resumed, "we've been staking out this colony for the last five days."

"That long, huh?" his eyes widened upon learning of their commitment.

"We were stationed in Low Maktha Wildwood when Emmet called us about you," Verna stood stoutly by her two unspeaking teammates. "Took us three days to reach the Urayan Trail. However, after five days of staking out Colony Rho, the only activity we saw were from two Nopon."

"Ah, they'd moved in while Mio and her allies were fighting my colony in Dannagh Desert," he provided the broadest of summaries. "Er, you'd been made aware of our situation, yes?"

"Indeed, so we anticipated that the colony would be relatively empty," her hands fell to her hips, the buckles of her gear reflecting the rare spotlight of sunshine poking through the Pentelas clouds. "Although, we started to get concerned that you weren't showing up. Glad we decided to investigate."

"We had more than a little trouble on our way here," Noah admitted glumly, sharing a wary look with Mio. "I was detained in Colony Phi, and later we tangled with a Colony 18 unit which resulted in… unnecessary casualties."

"My condolences," the muscly woman bowed her head respectfully. "Emmet didn't mention you were traveling with company, though."

"The others aren't involved," he upturned his gaze towards the canteen. By now, Moraine and the two Nopon had begun clearing the table while Bowan stayed on guard.

"At any rate, you wish to challenge the Moebius of Colony Rho, yes?" Verna attempted to refocus their discussion.

"My consul…" the cat-eared Agnian mumbled almost inaudibly, "wherever she is…"

"We've seen her a few times over the years but never at a convenient time," the female militant revealed to them.

"You have?" the ponytailed soldier whipped his head back in her direction. "Also, what do you mean by convenient time?"

"Whenever soldiers aren't present," she momentarily closed her eyes, almost grimacing. "As much as we want them to learn the truth, we can't risk getting them involved in case they side with their consul, or worse."

"Worse?" the tenth-termer cringed in spite of her curiosity.

"Uh, well…" Verna hesitated to explain, "there are times when a Moebius will outright siphon life from soldiers if their Flame Clock is near."

"What?!" Mio blurted her reaction before her hands could cover her mouth. "Is that… really possible?"

"Believe me, you don't want to see it," the scar-faced woman slowly shook her head. "And once that happens, the Moebius will ensure that no soldiers live to tell the tale."

"So, that's why you want to help," the zephyr surmised before pointing her thumb towards Noah, "because otherwise it's just me and him."

"Knowing you have two additional personnel complicates our mission slightly," Verna admitted with the briefest of sighs.

"Bowan and Moraine…" the concerned Agnian murmured her surviving allies' names. "They already know what I want to do and why you're here, but they don't want any part of it."

"That's good for them," the female militant staved off a smirk, "however, they can still be targets for this Moebius."

"Their lives will be in danger?" Noah didn't let his voice rest for too long.

"Yes," her serious expression gained another wrinkle. "Therefore, when she arrives, we'll have to lead her away from the colony so she can't get to them."

"Is it even doable on the Urayan Trail?" his running mate scanned the main throughway. "I'm also worried about the local Kevesis."

"Colony 5, you mean?" Verna needed no guesses as to which entity was being referenced. "We've been monitoring them as well and haven't observed anything beyond new fortification efforts within their nook."

"Really?" Mio perked up, now fully immersed in the discussion. "They're not patrolling the area?"

"We got here just fine," the muscly woman posed with her two still-silent teammates.

"Good point," the ninth-termer rubbed his chin. "Where have you been stationed, though? We didn't see anybody on our way in."

"At the bottom of the trail, there's an open room in the ruins," Verna directed their attention downhill to a concrete wall. "Admittedly, it doesn't give us the best view of the colony, but it's done us well enough."

"Is that where you want us to lead the consul?" Noah studied the suggested path as best as he could from his vantage point.

"In the general area, yes," the female militant nodded. "We'll lay traps in the ground for her before we pounce."

"Traps?" the swordfighter twirled back around. "What kind?"

"Electric disablers," Verna retrieved a sample device from one of her teammates' backpacks, "made with Origin technology."

"Origin technology?" the moonblades-wielder inquired as she and Noah leaned in for a closer look.

"Right, you soldiers wouldn't know about it." The scar-faced woman removed the disabler's camouflaging cover to reveal the pieces within. "In short, it's a special metal imbued with the same power which Moebius wields. With a little tinkering, we can use it not only for detection but for neutralization, too."

"Hold on," his eyes lit up, "did you say detection?"

"I did," she raised a brow at his sudden excitement. "For whatever reason, Moebius causes Origin metal to vibrate whenever they're near."

"Huh…" he took another gander at the device in question.

"It's saved us a number of times," Verna reassembled and returned it to her teammate's backpack. "Moebius can't exactly ambush us when we're alerted ahead of time."

"Just like… my sword," the curious Kevesi summoned his Blade.

"What's this, now?" she and the other two City folks suddenly found themselves mesmerized by his intricate veiled sword.

"Every time I came into contact with my consul, my Blade vibrated fiercely," he extracted the inner sword. "It's just like you said for the metal."

"Are they the same material?" Mio inquired what everyone was thinking.

"Perhaps," the female militant was nearly squinting at this point, "but where could a soldier like you have picked up enough Origin metal to build your sword, Noah?"

"A traveling Nopon weaponsmith gave it to me at my first colony," he dug into his earliest memories, "though I never got his name."

"Sounds suspicious, but let's not dwell on that," she waved her hands laterally. "Right now, we should plan for three scenarios regarding this colony's Moebius."

"Three?" the pacifist sheathed the inner sword. "You mean if she doesn't follow us into your trap?"

"Yes, but also in case she doesn't show up at all," Verna brought up for consideration.

"Eh? How can she not show up?" The older of the two present soldiers balked at the idea, almost resistantly. "My consul is always checking in on us, controlling our lives like the prizes we supposedly are to her."

"Is that how she operates?" the muscly woman crossed her arms again.

"Absolutely," the zephyr scowled unwittingly. "Most of us here were transferred from other Agnian colonies because she wanted to make use of our skills."

"No doubt to get every last ember available to her," Verna speculated with an equally resentful tongue. "It's what feeds Moebius, after all."

"That's what Emmet and his campmates told us," Noah recalled from his first encounter with City folks.

"It's a sad fact we'd like to change," the female militant observed the deserters' downhearted expressions. "For now, let's get our three plans in order."

"Right, we're listening," he spoke for both Mio and himself.

"Thank you." Hoping for no more digressions, Verna proceeded to lay out the next possible steps. "As I've said, our goal is to draw the Moebius out of hiding and lead her into our traps which we'll place at the bottom of the Urayan Trail. If she doesn't give chase, I'll call in the rest of my team and we'll have our fight right here."

"And if she doesn't appear at all?" the anxious Agnian was almost afraid to ask.

"Then we'll just have to move on," the scar-faced woman maintained a stiff upper lip. "My team and I will return to Maktha to resume our previous mission."

"You'll leave? W-what about us?" Mio's sudden discomposure perhaps revealed her dependence on the City folks' assistance more than she'd intended.

"What you do afterwards is up to you, is it not?" Verna softened her expression somewhat. "I see that this Moebius bothers you, but we have neither time nor resources to waste."

"Time…" the tenth-termer repeated softly under her heavy breath.

"Have you… been in contact with your consul lately?" the female militant wondered aloud, foot gently tapping.

"You mean via Iris?" the moonblades-wielder swiftly lifted her solemn stare off the ground. "No, I hadn't even considered it because I'd assumed that she'd visit the moment I got back."

"Since she hasn't, will you give it a try, Mio?" her travel partner suggested, ever curiously.

"Now?" she swallowed another impending swell of panic. "But the others aren't prepared."

"Bowan's still watching us with his Blade out," Noah peeked at the defender up the colony's path before refocusing on Mio. "Besides, don't you want to get this over and done with?"

"You're right about that," the logic was sufficient enough for her. "Okay, I'll do it." Apprehension aside, Mio placed two fingers on her temple to commence communications with Colony Rho's consul. Nobody spoke for the next twenty seconds, her right hand nervously fiddling with the flap of her uniform. Much to her chagrin, however, it became evident that no answer was coming.

"Any luck?" the ponytailed soldier whispered to her.

"I'm not getting anything," she exhaled through her teeth after giving up on it.

"That's okay, your call may still help to coax the Moebius out of hiding," Verna tried to counter her discouragement.

"I feel like I made bait out of myself," Mio lamented while her eyes begged Noah for a returning, commiserating look. "Then again, I suppose I've always felt like this."

"Before you deactivate your Iris, will you permit me to register it with mine?" the muscly woman inquired. "That way, we can keep each other in the loop."

"Huh? Oh, I-I guess…" The zephyr's tone emitted hesitation once more.

"You don't trust me, do you?" Verna picked up on the vibe fairly quickly. "I understand, though. Us City folks aren't part of your war."

"But you are trying to break it up, correct?" the ninth-termer interjected, almost sounding expectant. "It's what I'd like to see happen, hopefully during my lifetime."

"You might say it's a component of our overall goal," the female militant half-grinned at him before returning to the other soldier. "Now then, if you don't mind holding still, Mio."

"Okay," the cat-eared Agnian cooperated as the requester approached her to begin the registration process. During the few seconds that it took to complete, a bewildering discovery was made. "Wha…?"

"Something wrong?" Verna pulled back to observe the full shock on Mio's face.

"Sorry," the moonblades-wielder suddenly felt embarrassed. "I couldn't help but notice that your Flame Clock is… missing."

"Ah," the reaction amused the scar-faced woman, "that's because I never had one to begin with."

"You City folks aren't born within the Flame Clock system, right?" Noah recalled what Emmet's friend Randol had said back in Ribbi Flats.

"That's about the size of it," she turned towards him next. "Anyway, may I register you as well, Noah?"

"Yes, you may," the pacifist complied without delay. Activating his own Iris, he stepped forward and gladly synchronized with his new City ally.

"Thank you both. Now I can show you our arrangements." Promptly, Verna sent the locations of her team's station and the traps they planned to lay to the soldier duo.

"We appreciate this," he acknowledged after studying his updated map of the Urayan Trail. "What should we do in the meantime?"

"Our plans are set, so you can sit tight," her arm extended towards the colony. "I'm willing to wait another five days at the bottom of the trail. If nothing happens, then my team and I will head back down to Low Maktha Wildwood."

"That's fine with us," the swordfighter casually gripped the hilt of his Blade before turning to his running mate, "right?"

"R-right…" Mio agreed despite her lingering reservations.

"I'll notify you if we spot the Moebius," the female militant pointed to her eye. "Good luck." Satisfied with the meeting, Verna and her team left to resume their stakeout from their station on the Urayan Trail.

As for Noah and Mio, the only thing that they could do now was wait patiently for the consul to arrive. However, three days would pass without any sighting of the red-armored person of interest. Regardless, life went on for Colony Rho's residents, their Kevesi guest, and their Nopon caretakers. Each morning began with a monster hunt to supply both the canteen and the Flame Clock, a routine which incurred no impediments from the mountain-burrowed Colony 5.

Despite the recently attempted Iris call, Mio's renewed certainty in her consul's arrival gradually gave way to doubt. The cat-eared Agnian's appetite withered again that night, resulting in an early exit from the canteen which didn't go unnoticed by the most concerned of her comrades.

"Mio?" Noah soon found her sitting alone in the barracks after he, too, had excused himself from the dinner table.

"What is it?" The tenth-termer looked up from her journal, the latest entry of which had nary a sentence written.

"Is everything alright?" he tiptoed closer, adding his silhouette to the dimly lit wall.

"I think… you know the answer…" her dour expression said it all.

"And I think you know I'm worried about you," the ponytailed soldier towered over her, though unimposingly.

"Thanks." Spread across Mio's bed were more journals, one of which was separated from the others.

"Is that your old commander's?" His politely posed inquiry earned him a silent nod in response. "Have you read it?"

"No," she stared at it like it was hazardous, "I don't know if I can."

"Because it'd make you sad?" his voice softened to a partial whisper.

"Well, yeah, but also I'm too worried about my consul right now," the older of the two soldiers fidgeted in place. "We've been here for four days and she still hasn't appeared."

"I'm not sure what else can be done about that," her travel partner rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's what drives me crazy!" the agitated Agnian raised her shaky hands partway, fingers curled. "She haunts me somethin' awful!"

"Mio…" Instinctively, Noah lowered his own hand to hold one of hers.

"W-what'll I do?!" The agony of anticipation had finally sent her into a panic. "I can't go on like this!"

"You don't have to," the ninth-termer sat beside her, moving an arm around her back. "Even if Verna's team pulls out, you've still got me. Don't forget, you've defeated a consul before."

"I know, but the wait, the uncertainty…" she slumped forward, ears wilting. "It's excruciating."

"Yeah…" The sympathetic Kevesi didn't know what else to say, but his presence alone seemed to calm her down. Once she caught her breath, their confined quarters were quiet again but for the subtle scribbling of her pen. Before long, Mio began to accept the warmth which Noah was offering. It wasn't the first time that they'd shared a moment like this together, both of them secretly hoping that it wouldn't be the last. Only when Bowan and Moraine entered in a couple of hours did the two deserters realize how late it was. "Right, I'm heading to my bed. Get some rest tonight, will you?"

"I'll try," the zephyr groaned upon his withdrawal, feeling the coldness return immediately. After the journals were stored away, Mio laid her cluttered head on her pillow with almost no hope of falling asleep.