Kozuna
"Let's see here, where's my pen?" I mumbled, rummaging through the contents of my rickety steel desk. "Ah- there it is. I need to hurry and get started on this intro. Guess I'll start with the basics? It should make retelling the whole thing a looooot easier later."
Where I come from, it never rains. And because of that, all of humanity is at war with itself over the scarcity of drinkable water.
My name's Kozuna Ozukashi, and I hail from one of the seven ruling factions that thrive in these god-forsaken wastelands... And… well… We of the Ozukashi are regarded as the most bloodthirsty... Some of the other clans even call it a curse.
But… I've never really been on board with all the killing and warmongering... The only thing I really want is for the world to be beautiful again, and for peace to exist between the clans. But I don't know if that'll ever happen. I-
The sound of little boots echoed through the dusty hall, just past the sandstone doorway of my bleak, empty room. I hastily locked my journal inside my desk drawer with a slight sigh. Couldn't have anyone seeing it.
I guess that… incompletes… my first journal entry. Oh whatever.
"Kozuna! Suit up! Time for the mission!"
Standing in my lack-of-a-door space was my squad leader and childhood friend, Anari. Her dark eyes kept a cold, serious demeanor as she gazed up at me from the low altitude of her stature.
That bossy tone never changes, does it?
My eyelids began to droop as my gaze met Anari's.
"What's the mission this time?"
Anari's hands reflexively squeezed her hips.
"The commander and vice commander have our squad investigating an out-of-clan location. A rumored… abundant source of water."
My half-shut eyes opened wide. There hadn't been news of a water source in over two years. The Ozukashi Clan had been relying on one that was almost entirely dried up. We were in dangerous times, rationing the little bit of water left for far too long, and among an entire clan...
Anari averted her gaze from mine momentarily.
"There is an issue, though... The water source is in another clan's territory- the Bahsin Clan to the northwest..."
Wait, we're going after the Bahsin Clan's water? If we take that… it'd be an act of war...
With the shake of her head and the ensuing rustle of her honey blonde hair, Anari continued, "Anyway, make sure you're ready for a fight and then meet us at the buggy station. Don't waste time."
I never waste time.
As Anari headed out, I hesitantly began gearing up. Hooking on my necessities for survival.
For weaponry, I carried a pair of knuckle knives on my belt, which bore the symbol of my clan, and two pistols strapped to my thighs. The first was a standard-issue handgun, while the other was a unique grappling pistol for mobility. Other than those, wired through my left hand's glove was a garrote, with the cord's end remaining visible at the base of the glove, near my wrist. I often used it to restrict enemies' movement, so I wouldn't have to kill them.
That was my typical mission gear. Obviously, I couldn't say the same for the rest of my squad. And with everything done, I pulled my goggles up and over my dark red curls, pushing some of the hair away from my face.
Better catch up with the team.
***
Departing from my room, I turned left and headed through the barracks' dimly lit stone hall, leading straight outside. Upon passing the final doorway, my face was struck with dust, sand, and the extreme brightness of the desert sun.
"Agh... Damn," I muttered, shielding my face with my arms.
The desert never lets up for a second.
I quickly flicked my goggles over my eyes and blinked several times. Outside, I had a clear view of the central hub of the Ozukashi Clan. A metropolis known as The Primary. And since the barracks were stationed at a vantage point, I experienced that grand vista of my desert homeland every time I stepped outside.
It was a city filled with both the attraction of nightlife and the expelling of smoke into the sky from industrial complexes. The many jagged towers and flat-roofed buildings that lacked any non-metallic color made up the land I knew as my birthplace.
At the center of the expansive metallic city, atop the highest-rising spire, was a flag printed with the Ozukashi clan symbol. It wavered and blew in the distance, prompting me to close my eyes and take a deep breath. A soft breeze washed over me in the process.
This is my last moment of… relaxation. Doubt the mission will feel the same...
***
Much as I loved to believe I didn't waste time, I knew my squad was waiting on me. But I'd learned years ago just what to expect. I knew who'd definitely bitch at me, who'd definitely blush, and who'd definitely laugh their ass off at the others.
My squad was made up of four people, including Anari and myself. The third member in our group was Yvira. And among the personalities that made up our little friendship circle, she was the more… "excitable," type.
Suffice to say, she wasn't just an overenthusiastic person. Yvira was an intellectual, one of the brightest people in our clan. Far as I knew, at least, and that wasn't an understatement. She loved… or rather, ADORED exploration and learning. Because of that, among a few other reasons, she signed on to be a scout for our clan.
In my opinion, she was an anomaly, loving to live in our desolate wasteland of a world. And unlike most people in our clan, she hated fighting. Though, that was a closely-guarded factor that only she and her few close friends knew of.
Finally, the last member of my team was my tall and overly buff friend, Nikai. He was a loudmouth, loved to have fun, and an excellent fighter. Seemingly the total opposite of Yvira, in most regards. He and I were sparring partners in physical combat and training, so our bond was like that of brothers, even back when we were children.
Those two, along with Anari and myself, made up our squad. And the three of them were soon within sight, as I had finally reached the end of the sandy trail, leading down the hill from the barracks.
***
"Kozuna, hurry it up bro!"
Nikai smiled as he waved, giving me the energy to hurry over while the joy-filled Yvira called to me.
"Heeeey, Kozuna! Ready to start the mission? Because I know I am! I can't wait to see the Bahsin Clan! Imagine what we'll get to see over the-"
Yvira began rambling on right up until Anari interrupted her. Just like Nikai and I, Anari knew that Yvira's talking would never end if we let her get started.
Heh. Yvira's really like a ray of sunshine, and I guess that makes Anari… an umbrella?
"Yvira. Can we get back to the task at hand?"
Shutting herself up abruptly, Yvira nodded in respect almost immediately.
"Now then, with orders directly from Clan Leader Izanai and Commander Kaiten, we're being sent on this mission because one of our spies in the Bahsin Clan... reported to have finally located their water source. And as you all know, the water source for our clan is pretty much dried up. This mission is vital to the survival of our clan. And just to make sure you imbeciles are aware, if we screw up, we'll probably be murdered. Brutally."
Anari stopped speaking to look at Nikai and me.
"I'm almost talking to you two specifically. Anyway, I've marked the location on our map. We're heading to Crescent Canyon. I'm driving, so once we reach the border at Centra Highlands, be on your guard."
Nikai chuckled a bit, glancing between Anari and me.
"Roger that... Sir!"
Anari glared at him and sighed.
"…all of you, load into the buggy."
Scouts and soldiers that roamed the desert usually traveled by buggy. And said buggies were made to accommodate the intense heat, though the builds varied by clan and creator.
Our squad's ride was built with four seats, no doors, and a bracketed roof. Only one side of each buggy was covered- the passenger side back seat- it bore a panel to the side in place of a door and a metal slab above to act as a roof. The other three sides of our buggies were utterly open to the outside for reasons purely concerning violence, though it wasn't super practical in terms of defense.
When we went on missions, Yvira sat in the seat protected from the elements. I sat beside her, and Nikai always called shotgun. With Anari driving, that was our standard setup.
Once everyone was in the buggy, Anari stepped on the gas pedal and sped straight out of The Primary, taking a backroad to avoid the city traffic. The barracks were kind of far from the nearest exit, but not so far that we couldn't leave the city within about fifteen minutes.
Unsurprisingly, as we drove west, the wind gradually grew more fearsome. The four of us covered our faces with whatever we could. Wasn't like we had a damn windshield on our buggy.
Most of us used breathable masks, but Nikai would… simple-mindedly pull his cloak up and cover his face with it, leaving only his ripped shirt to prevent sand and debris from bombarding him.
It was about an hour's drive to Centra Highlands, and the entire time, Nikai and Yvira were having a lively conversation. Like usual, I sat in silence the whole ride, and the historically upset Anari barely spoke. There wasn't much entertainment to be had for two-fourths of the group. But, when we finally reached the highlands, it came time to park the buggy on the lift and wait for the worker at the top to do their job...
The highlands were way up a super steep mountain, but there was no way to drive from the eastern side- cause, logically, it was impossible to steer a car vertically- so our clan built mechanical lifts. The only driveable path was up in Bahsin territory.
Anari soon turned the key and pulled it from the ignition to save a little gas. After that, all we could do was wait.
The lift was built into the cliffside, solar-powered, and traveled vertically on the connected train-like rails. The only requirement to make the lifts move was the person at the station and the weight sensors built into the platform going off. All they had to do was push or pull a lever to make the lift go up or down, respectively. A pretty straightforward job, though; most of the time, they were relatively unprotected.
I gazed at the world around me as we gradually ascended the mountainside, lost in thought.
Despite there being no grass, trees, water, or anything besides desert and rusted structures, the sight held beauty. Sure, the lack of scenery was saddening, but Yvira had shown me books depicting a world full of flowing vegetation and natural art. However, she never stated if we even lived in that world or had the hope of seeing it. That day sparked the beginning of my dream. My goal was to see a beautiful world, a dream that went beyond achieving peace between constantly warring clans. Because maybe if there was water, people wouldn't have to fight. Instead, all we had were either barren wastelands or far-off places where… strange things occurred.
And in every location, were inhabitants ready to kill for water.
***
Atop the mountain, we saw a plain, dusty metal station. The conductor who brought us up the lift signaled that we were good to go, and Anari drove off the platform. Finally, at the border of Bahsin Territory, we had an unobstructed view of Crescent Canyon.
Around the winding canyon was a predominantly mountainous region brimming with stones and natural gemstones. The environment allowed the Bahsin Clan to gain vast riches and an accompanying reputation. Not to mention a target on its back...
Though, due to the dangers that accompanied it- like wild animals and seemingly endless trenches- they didn't experience many enemy attacks. Not to mention the paths were hard to navigate if a driver hadn't grown up among the Bahsin.
Anari turned to face us all, her foot resting on the brake pedal.
"Again, keep your guard up, everyone. We're officially crossing into enemy territory."