I survey the late-afternoon shadows of Chandonis down below, perched atop the tallest skyscraper's summit platform. Rurin and Angelina are standing nearby, sharing the donuts they bought earlier.
Honestly, this place is starting to grow on me. Maybe it's the fog? Reminds me of clouds, somehow. Like, clouds on the ground. Isn't that basically what fog is?
"Hey, Ru," I call. "We still haven't found anything, how about that?"
"Well, we're not gonna just rush straight back without a plan," he replies.
"That is what the old me would have done," I nod, then start to pace. "But then, what should we do instead? Or should we just… not go help them? Verni's a lucky enough duck. She could probably help herself."
"True," Rurin says, "But we've got other allies there that might not have her fortune."
"Right, the other aeronaut. Diantha, right?" I wander off the platform's edge, then start flying in circles.
Angelina suddenly straightens, looking down at something. "There," she points.
I look where she's pointing – a smallish rural sector. "What's up?"
"A magic man. Sensed him earlier, I did… good advice, maybe he'll have some."
"Why does the advisor have to be magic? Did I miss something?" I wonder.
"I guess we forgot to mention this – the armored exec we fought was a mage," Rurin informs me. "That's how she beat us up so easily. I bet even you couldn't take her on in your current state."
I twirl a ponytail. "Hmm… Jim mentioned mages, too. Might be worth a shot. So where is this guy?"
Angelina wordlessly jumps off the platform, and Rurin and I follow.
As we fly down into the wide stretch of low houses, the mist begins to rise even though it isn't dark yet.
Soon, Angelina slows down, then lands in front of a round house. On the door is a sign – MONTY KEKURO - HERE TO HELP.
"Right then." I step up to knock on the door, but it swings open before I even touch it, all by itself.
"What the…" I draw back. "That, um, wasn't me."
"Hello?" Rurin pokes his head in.
"Hi," someone says from further inside. "Come in, come in. I'll be in shortly."
We tentatively comply, now standing in the house's foyer. The door closes behind us.
Then a man walks in from the kitchen, ducking under its threshold. He's tall! Super tall, and thin as a tree! No, somehow thinner. Like a rail, maybe? Or a beanpole. I begin to suspect a stiff breeze could down him in an instant. On his blonde head sits a funny-looking blue hat thing that matches his shirt.
"Right then," he says, placing a kettle on the table between us. "Uhm… Rurin, Shurikit, and Angelina, right?"
I immediately tense up. "How do you know about us? Research? Did someone tip you?"
"I foresaw it in a dream," he calmly replies, producing smallish cups. "Care for some tea?"
"We… need answers," I tersely reply. "Or… advice, maybe? No sudden moves or I'll kick your head off!"
"Kit, cool it," Rurin says. "Ahem! We come in peace, Monty Kekuro. We're at a bit of an impasse right now, so any advice would be appreciated. Erm, if you'd be so kind."
"I see. Tea seems like a good place to start, then." He tips the kettle, pouring a steaming, golden liquid into our cups. It smells heavenly. Probably tastes heavenly, too.
I take my cup of tea and pour the drink into my mouth, carefully glaring at him as I do so. It is really good, but I won't allow this stranger the satisfaction.
"It's… still hot, you know," Kekuro points out.
"Yeah? I'm confident in my poison resistance," I sneer.
Angelina gingerly sips from her cup with a spoon. "Hmm… soothing," she murmurs. Now that I notice, everyone is using spoons except for me. I suppose we all have our preferences.
"So, Monty," Rurin says. "Er, can I call you Monty?"
"Well, I'm a monty. There aren't very many of us in Steralin compared to west of the lowlands, but on the upside our meetings are easier to coordinate," Kekuro answers. "Ahem, but I digress. Kekuro is fine. Anyway, now that your minds have opened somewhat, your dilemma has become clear to me."
"What?"
I jump to my feet on the couch. "I knew something was up! So you can read minds too?" I yell, pointing at him.
Kekuro calmly shakes his head. "Not all psycho-adepts are telepaths. For example, I can trace your past to discern your future. And of course, it's all to help you."
"Okay…" I drop back down. "So what did you pick up on?"
"There exist several 'houses'… and several corresponding elements," Kekuro says, eyes closed. "You of the house of wind have been gifted this most uncertain journey."
"Er, gifted?" I furrow my brow.
"In seeking out the house of water, you instead happened across the house of fire, as well as more questions," Kekuro continues.
"Whoa. This guy's good," Rurin says.
"Wait… water?!" I jump back to my feet. "If you're talking about Neocon, then… uhm, hmm?" I fall silent for a second, dropping back down. "What does that mean, exactly? Like, no way Neocon is wetter than the Seaburgs," I mutter.
"Indeed, the house of water will extend a hand from its grave," Kekuro states. "Whether in amity or in strife, however, only time will tell."
"Wait, it'll be a problem if Neocon is dead," Rurin says. "You ARE talking about Neocon, right?"
"Apologies. The impressions I trace don't tend to involve specific names," Kekuro explains. Then he tilts his head. "Oh. I've discerned something important. The house of earth will become a stronghold of death. And what is lost after that may never be found again."
"Huh… uhm… huh?" I twirl a ponytail, trying to make sense of his words.
"Hey, what about our comrades? Are they okay?" Rurin asks.
Kekuro tilts his head the other way. It's almost like he's tuning to a frequency. "Your closest friends… they are alive, yes," he confirms.
Rurin exhales. "We still have time, then."
"Freedom," Angelina whispers.
"Hm?" I look at her.
"D-don't worry about it, Kit," Rurin cuts in. "We appreciate your time, Mr. Kekuro. Erm, how much do we owe you?"
"A monty always waives a foretold arrival, so you're fine," Kekuro replies. "I hope I was helpful."
"You were! Thanks a ton."
"Uhm, was he?" I mutter. I couldn't make heads or tails of most of his words.
"Kit, come on." Rurin nudges me.
"Heh… yes, time will tell," Kekuro sagely nods.
As we leave the monty's place, my mind wanders to other things. Despite the mist, the sun still hasn't set all the way.
"We should find some place that sells armor," I suggest.
"Weapons, too. Angie still needs one," Rurin adds.
Angelina bashfully intertwines her fingers.
"Don't you want a new bladestick?" I point at Rurin.
"Well, yeah, but we can backburner it," he replies, pulling something out of Roy's bag. "This gun thing fires ice beams. I'll just use that. Kinda wish I still had that rifle too, but I dropped it while we were running. Angie could've used that."
"No." Angelina shakes her head. "Small firearms, not a fan of those. Bigger… heavier… those, I like."
"Hm?" Rurin scratches his head. "I thought it was pretty decently-sized."
"I wonder how much a gun normally costs. Bigger ones would naturally be pricier," I mutter. But I only have three and some darmas right now… do weapons normally cost more than clothes? Are designer guns even a thing?
"Hey, Kit." Rurin snaps me out of my thoughts. "Let's head into town before the shops close. I bet at least one of them sells weapons."
"Oh. S-sure," I nod, raising my wings.
A quick stop at a directory kiosk points us to a nearby place that's open until late – Oharis Smithy.
A strong-looking man greets us as we enter. "Hey there! Name's Oharis," he says. "Looking for weapons? What do you kids need 'em for? These're the real deal, you know."
I roll my eyes, and Rurin sighs.
"Whoops, I know that look. Sorry 'bout that," Oharis apologizes. "You must have it rough, huh? I just need to see your licenses."
"Uh, licenses?"
"Arms license. Ya need one to buy and use dangerous weapons."
"What, really?" I cross my arms, thinking for a moment. "First I've heard of it. And I've worked with arms for years now. It's not a new thing, is it?"
"Nope. You saying you've never had one?" Oharis looks confused.
"Yeah, we didn't need arms licenses where we're from," Rurin answers.
"Well, now I'm really curious. Where are you from?" Oharis leans in closer to us. "The Arms Control Act is honored by almost every province in the world."
"What about the badlands?" I reply. "That's a province, right?"
Oharis whistles, now looking surprised. "Wow. Didn't think anyone actually lived there."
"Well, the weather sucks and nothing grows except mushrooms," I shrug. "Honestly, you aren't missing much."
"Huh." Oharis walks behind the counter. "Well, it's true that region isn't ACA bound, but that's because the badlands aren't an officially recognized province to begin with. Were y'all born there? No offense, but it would explain the stunted growth."
"Uh… maybe? We grew up there, but I don't actually…" I rack my brain for a moment and come up blank. "Well, anyway. When in the city, do as the citizens do, yeah? Let's license it up."
"I'll just warn you now – Aridovia's process is rigorous," Oharis says. "Though if you already know your way around at least a few weapons, the blind testing shouldn't be too difficult."
"Yeah, we be fine." The three of us leave the shop.
"Ohh," Angelina moans.
"Don't worry, Angie." Rurin claps her back. "We'll find you something."
"Mmph. Getting an arms license… you don't actually want to, right?" Angelina looks at me.
"We'll probably be fine if we did, but rigorous usually also means time-consuming," Rurin adds.
I twirl a ponytail, considering our options. "I'll just go find a library. That's the best place to learn about stuff, if I recall."
Oh yeah. Forgot about those," Rurin nods. "Too bad Verni isn't here; that's like the second thing on her bucket list."
As we walk through the darkening city, the fog starts rolling in overhead, once again plunging Chandonis into a dream-like haze. According to the directory, the library is… somewhere around this district. Maybe I should've memorized the crossroads.
"Looking for something?" A familiar voice speaks behind us.
"The library," I casually reply. "Gotta get some knowledge."
"It closed about two hours ago. What do you guys need it for?"
I turn to face him. "None of your… Oh. Jim Hanks! What're you doing here?"
"He's who you were talking about?" Rurin looks him up and down. "Massive."
Angelina remains silent, but I guess that's not too unusual for her.
"Well! I suppose I can spill if it's you," I decide. Then I notice Jim and Angelina staring at each other. "Angie? What's with that look?"
Jim sighs. "Look, you know I would have intervened if those risks weren't present."
Angelina looks away. "Over that, I totally am. Serious. Mom, she… knew what she was getting into."
"You knew your parents?" Rurin asks. I'm surprised too.
Then I think for a moment longer. "Wait… if Jim knew about all this, but hasn't exploded into flames yet, then… you could be in on this conspiracy as well!"
"What? They wouldn't bother putting a flare sigil on someone like me," he replies.
"Oh yeah. I guess that's also why we weren't firebombed after we left," Rurin notes. "They're probably only on people the top dogs consider to be dangerous if they talk."
"Eh, I was only joking," I shrug. "Good to know, though. Anyway, Jim. What's it take to get an arms license?" I jump up and hang on his arm.
Jim holds it out, letting me dangle by my hands. "Permanent residency in the province you're applying in, for starters. Why?"
"Crap. The weaponsmith said the badlands isn't a province. Do you have one?"
"No. Why are you even bothering? You're a biotool. You literally are a weapon."
"A bigger arsenal never hurts to have! And I want a gun."
"But you're off the grid," he reminds me. "They check for citizenship and criminal background, and if you can't provide both, they won't let you move forward."
"Aw, what?" I drop to the ground, defeated.
"You're surprisingly gung-ho about this," Rurin says.
"I just wanted to try flashing my license," I tell him. "Like, I could walk into a bar and flash my license, and then bam! They'll let me buy kleg."
"Have you even tried kleg? Also, getting alcohol requires a different kind of ID," Jim says.
"Blehh! Party pooper." I stick my tongue out at him, then climb onto his back while pestering him about more things.
Rurin hangs back with Angelina. "Hey. What were your parents like?" He asks.
Angelina taps her chin. "Nice, Dad was. Mom was… more distant. And cold. Looking to the sky, she was always doing that too."
"Did you like them?"
"Hm… yes. What didn't like them was A-Tech. Found out too much, Mom did that, and they punished her for it." She hugs her arms. "But Dad, they still… and he wasn't even involved… but I'm over it. Come to terms with it, I mean."
"Well, you're a lot stronger than me, that's for sure," Rurin sighs. "I don't know if I could handle losing my parents like that." He looks away, then notices me and Jim again. "Wait, Kit! What are you doing?"
"Show me, show me!" I brace myself in front of him. "Come on, I can take it."
"There were numerous occasions where I could have offed you very easily," he says. "I'm trained in assassination, you know. You could say I'm not very good at holding back."
"Good! I'd hate it if you pulled your punches for my sake," I tell him.
Rurin steps in front of me. "Kit, are you trying to get yourself hurt again?"
"What? I won't get hurt," I reply. "Um, at least not too badly."
Rurin knuckles my head. "I swear, you won't be satisfied until your guts are on the floor."
"If you're talking about the saw, I just wasn't bracing properly," I state. "I could totally tank it now."
"Er, guts?" Jim is starting to look concerned.
"He's exaggerating," I clarify. "My abdomen got ripped open, but nothing fell out."
Jim narrows his eyes.
"I swear, she'd stand in front of a gigalaser if she thought she could tank it," Rurin grumbles.
"Quit underestimating me. I've tanked guns and megas before, easy! You shouldn't rely on just your wings for protection," I tell him.
Jim slowly nods. "I see… a lot of things are starting to make sense now," he says. "As things are, I believe you will be fine without my help."
"Hey, what? We need all the help we can get," I protest.
"I'm sure you'll find it elsewhere. But I'm still on the job right now, and I could be close to a breakthrough," he replies. "You could say our meeting here was a coincidence. Or maybe fate. In any case, I need to go. I'll see you later."
Then he leaves, disappearing into a passing crowd.
I run towards the people, climbing onto a rando's shoulders. He's gone again! "Dammit," I growl, jumping back down. The person straightens up and continues walking, unfazed. "This sucks. Why'd they make us so small?"
"Being small doesn't have to do with him being a phantom," Rurin tells me. "Also, I feel like you've been fretting about your height more often lately."
"Wh… no I haven't," I feebly reply. "So what if I have? It's not like I'm wrong."
"Might I remind you that as a result, we're faster, more agile, smaller targets, with higher muscle density resulting in significantly higher strength – need I continue?" Rurin gives me a look. "You've been so stressed lately; I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot."
"Shut up. I'm not stressed," I mumble. "I heard stress is bad for the… um, everything."
"Want some food? I know a few places."
"Yeah. Yeah," I nod, starting to feel dazed.
Soon we're at a sandwich shop. This one's sandwich isn't quite as delicious as the one I had in the Seaburgs, but it's still leagues better than the ones I grew up on.
"There's also a starlight café on the north side of the city that's only open at night," Rurin casually explains. "I bet you'd like that one too."
"Does it sell sandwiches?" I ask.
"Uhm, maybe. None of us got sandwiches though."
"Meh, I'll check later," I decide. "So, Metacorp. How far is it by air?"
"We actually took the ferry from the coast," Rurin replies. "It's the only way to approach without attracting attention."
I quickly sift through my memory. "A ferry is… some kinda boat, right? You sure we can't just fly?"
"They've probably gone on high alert since we left," Rurin figures.
"An energy web, I sensed it rise around the island while we were leaving," Angelina suddenly speaks up. "A trap, or alarm maybe. Either way, too dangerous, flying or swimming."
"There's a pretty good chance the ferry won't trip its alarms," Rurin says. "And once we get past it, we can go through the forest to the facility."
I finish off my sandwich, then stand up. "Right, then. I'm ready when you are."