Ɵ

“So, we’re going to work for them now? I didn’t expect that.” Gary said as his body drowned on the sofa. His feet crossed high in the chair and made himself feel at home. Currently, they’re in the inn resting for the night, and tomorrow they will be heading out to the base of the operations of Port.

“Temporarily, yeah, but it doesn’t mean we’re loyal to them,” Ina said, standing in front of the window staring at some lit houses for a moment as she confirms that the neighborhoods already in their respective houses and she close the curtain.

“We need to know how they operate and how they work. Especially on the Vesoga Plain, they’re using the monsters at that place as undercover of their operations. It is essential to gather information; it is likely and considers that our investigation will lead us to broad views."

Just as Lance finished drying his hair, he goes to sit in the chair staring at his mobile phone. His white hair drawn down obscuring his vision and when he used his hand to brush it off, he was startled by Gary’s shift of movement as his feet go down and his hands bang on the wooden table.

“And what will we do if confirm it?” Gary asked.

“Well,” Lance turns his attention to him, “We’ll contact HQ and wait for further notice. And we must remain to observe here if there’s a change of situation.”

“Another thing is that the information we received from that guy,” Ina said.

“The Hoarder.” Gary professed.

“Whatever. That guy gives me the creeps. Anyway, the information we receive from him, states that they are making biological weapons. Thus, we must gather evidence to slap on his face when facing the trial.”

“Alright, the discussion is over class, we must sleep early. We have a schedule to follow.”

Ɵ

He wipes his forehead that is profusely sweating. His loud breathing can be heard as he opens the right front window of the truck. He was seated in front. His legs hang on the portable footstool while puffing the cigarette in the air and enjoys the view. His recruit, on the other hand, seems to be uncomfortable as he also opens the side window.

The intense heat must be the reason why he is so uncomfortable by Port's cigarette smokes smoldering inside the vehicle. The smoke makes him hard to breathe. He exhaled smoke for the last time before throws it outside.

There are things that he considers as much more dangerous than a bullet flying in the battlefield; it is nature intense retaliation. Such as the sun glares down through the impending crispy, dry air. The newcomers must be thinking, why is it so early for the sun to radiate its intense heat? Well, for him it is not surprising, after all, they are heading in a savanna field, where it is considered as a place where the climate is so extreme.

In broad daylight, the temperature exceeded high as forty-three celsius, in which a normal bird could not survive. In the nighttime, it is cold like the biting wind from the peak of a mountain. Only monsters are the fitting creatures to live in an extreme climate and capable to survive throughout the entire day.

"You ever been here before?" Port asked Lance.

"Nope, because of the extreme weather, the not-so-regular monsters creeping around the corner, and the long road to the city, this is the only the place in the world that is inhabitable."

"And do you believe it?"

"No, considering that we're going straight at heart-of-the-hell-hole tells otherwise. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, do you believe that this place cannot be habitable? I mean if your boss was able to pull this off, do you think he can also build a city?”

“Now that’s what I’m trying to say. My boss does not have any kind of intention of doing that. He’s unlike any other person I have ever met, cunning, smart, and fearless.”

“Hm. Sounds like you admired him.”

Port snickers, “Cunning and smart, yes. But about being fearless, absolutely no.” He shrugged.

“And why is that?”

“A man, who knows no fear, is a man who knows no boundary.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You’ll see, you will see.”

Frequent vibrations could be felt at Port’s waist, he pulls it out, and the mobile device flashes in green. For a moment, he took a long breath and expunged it. They already crossed the woods to the adjacent slope road and were greeted by flashing orange and yellow light phasing through the crack of the cumulus clouds.

On his left, the view of the forest below their position fades over their speeding vehicle and what comes next as they take a right turn is a sea of sand. Lance had noticed a sandstorm charging on the right across to the road they are following. Its gale reached to their ears, the whispering grass and the harmonic chirps of the birds had halted to ease by the overlapping screech of the wailing storm. Their distance is far, but it is enough to conclude that it is massive, witnessing it on their position.

He looks at his Port who is currently staring on nowhere as if he is thinking deeply. Therefore, he concluded that maybe it was a normal phenomenon here since Port has explained to him about the extreme conditions of Vesoga Plain, and thus, he proceeded, oblivious of the perilous gale.

He was about to kick it and speed up, but Port stole the wheels and stomp the break.

“What the hell?!” Lance was taken back, rattled as Port suddenly wheeled it away from it and parked far away from it.

“What is going on?” Lance asked again.

“Observe.” He said, his eyes focused on the billowing sandstorm.

His eyes laid back on the sandstorm. It takes a few seconds when he finally noticed a large shadowy figure beneath the thick sand storming across the barren land. In a certain distance, opposite to its direction. A ten feet tall like an alligator was drawn out of the forest, its claws brimmed under the peak sunlight, its mouth opened widely as it yawns in relief, the saliva starts to drip from its mouth to its jaws as its eyes glow in red staring at the beast beyond the sandstorm. The monster was touted as by many names, but the most notable one is ‘Savanah Bale Lord.’

“The monster hiding in the sandstorm is what we called ‘Sand Gloth’ and the other one who came out in the forest is ‘Savanah Bale Lord’, which both of them is bad news, shit.”

“Are you sure it’s safe to stay here?” Lance asked Port.

“Obviously no, but I suppose we are clearly out of their sight, so.” He confidently replied.

Port looks back and opens the peephole unraveling the situation in the back. Gary, Ina, and the other three comrades of Port were arranging and tightened the leash of the boxes.

“Dude, what the hell?!” Gary spat out in distress, “You are the worst driver ever!”

“Calm down, something is happening out there.”

It was until now that they’ve noticed – the two gigantic monsters began to brawl. After the long howl of the two as if they’re testing each other – concluded into a monster onslaught. They began to charge at each other, the sharp claws of the ‘Savannah Bale Lord’ dug deeper as it crawls fast towards its enemy.

The ‘Sand Gloth’ sandstorm cover became intensified; the surging wind creates a mini shockwave as it bashes against the enemy head-to-head. Lance could feel the sudden heavy atmosphere emitted by their power play. The wind died down, the monster’s breath could be heard, heavy as their movements.

The two monsters were taken back and make a distance against each other. As if now, they’re testing each other’s stunning visage.

“Is that a fucking ‘Savana Bale lord.’?” One of Port comrades said in disbelief, “and not just that, ‘Sand Gloth’?”

Gary too peek on the hole and saw the two monsters charging towards each other, “We’re gonna die!” He screamed.

They began to pick their wallet and they gave out their money to Port.

A smile is written on Port's face. Something tells that he already looked forward to seeing this. “You know the drill boys. No scamming, no pissy loser, and no acting like a douche, alright?”

Just when they thought the fun starts, their vehicle sudden shakes.

“What in the actual—” Lance stopped in mid-sentence as he looked outside and discover what it was. A humanoid with a blue scale and gray eyes effortlessly jumped and cling to their vehicle, its blade brimming in light.

Port noticed and caught a glimpse of the rear mirror; he already knew what it was. He pulled back Lance’s head back inside and to this moment, a blade shimming cut the air passing through.

Lance gulped; his composure is shaken and remained his position fixated. Port began to count and gave back their money.

“What are you doing?” One of his men asked.

“We can do it next time.” Port quickly said. “No time to explain. Hang on tight!”

Ina and Gary look so confused and was about to raise a question not until a blade stuck through on top of them. A hole was left as the blade was dragged out of it.

“Ah shit. They’re back.” Port muttered.

“What in the world is that?” Lance frantically asked.

“Two words ‘Murderer Molous’.”

“What?!” Lance shouted, sweating profusely as he processes what he said.

“That’s right, don’t pretend to be shocked.” Port chuckles.

“This is not the best time to make fun of it!” Ina yelled at him.

“Yeah-yeah I know.”

Wheeling across the dessert, they could feel the tumultuous blast of wind raining them with sand. The two gigantic monsters began showing off their strength. The ‘Savanah Bale Lord’ widely opens its mouth, amassing a ball of fire and when he's finally done, he releases it, the size became larger than its original composition – making no means for the enemy to escape.

Watching behind the ‘Sand Gloth’, Lance couldn’t help but feel helpless as the giant ball of flame coming cross to them. Their comrades began to pull out their guns and pointed it at the locked door which is the source of the banging.

“What the hell are you guys doing?” Ina agitatedly asked.

“Killing the enemy so that we will secure the item.”

Clutching, they began to shoot it – just enough to scare them away. Looking back to the monstrous fight, Port began to speed up their vehicle as not just he could feel but all of them the intense heat increasing as the fireball gets closer.

The ‘Sand Gloth’ on the other remains unshaken to its position. In its stead, the sandstorm that is covering its enormous body began expanding and its wind, disrupting not just the dessert but the savannah itself.

Its body under the shadowy figure began to expand, its wings enlarge, and with a single snap, hell break loose. The fireball that just the fellow monster created - stopped in motion, then it was followed by the riotous wind to the ‘Savanah Bale Lord’ direction.

The monster didn’t anticipate the turned of events, as it remains in shock to its position. It became a backlash to it, and it openly accepts his attack, burning half of his body. The ‘Sand Gloth’ on the other hand began to raise its head, its lungs accepting more oxygen inhaling through its nose, it was then followed by a long loud cry and for the last time, it sends a shockwave throughout the field – whenever it might reach.

The monsters that were harassing their vehicle was washed along with the repercussion, they cried out as the last of them hold tight with its blade stuck to the vehicle but not too long as the only thing, he could grab on was untethered.

The vehicle did not remain stood firm as it was also caught by a large disruptive wind. It begins to roll away and when it finally stopped, somehow, their vehicle was not destroyed and was put back to its position just as before.

“I think I landed on my balls.” Gary groaned as he slumps back, lifeless. Their faces remained in shock and their heartbeats throbbing fast.

It has been two hours since that happened, they continued their way without saying anything but they are still vigilant, there may be an enemy lurking by and waiting for the right timing. The way was nothing less but an unpaved road. Old trail tracks were left marked the road; they may be purposely left this so they could easily remember it. Lance squinted up staring at the blue sky while the impending heat from the sun traveling through the crisp atmosphere.

“We’re here,” said Port.

Lance realized it just now, he could see the greenery paint job of the buildings hiding beyond the large trees. Over there, they were waited by a certain man, fat as a barrel.

After confirming their identity, they continued until they could see the gate, opening on its own and they entered. The buildings that occupied the land is incomparable than what the Kelby Hives have in the Kayon City.

Port and the others began to pull out the items in the cargo. Gary and Ina were dumbfounded too about the hidden factory here but Lance snapped them out. They began to help them carry the boxes as they followed Port and entered the facility.

Gary couldn’t help but to gape in awe. Creating a facility in the middle of a monster would be impossible. He had thought what kind of monster would be able to pull this out. No matter what he imagines about the process of making the enormous structures – he fails to grasp it out.

“It took four years to build this place. This place was built by thousands of workers with the help of the mercenaries. I was one of those people who helped to build this place.”

Gary looks at him, “Huh?”

“In case if you’re wondering.”

Gary altered his gaze and remain fixated at the machine – which looks like an energy container.

“I was thinking of when we will start to work.”

“I’ll take you to your quarters, let’s talk about it tomorrow. For now, you should rest.”