10/4 - Holy lands - eastern region

The sound of rain hitting the windows catches my attention, keeping it away from anything else. Not like there’s anything to do on the bus. Everyone’s down after what happened, and I can’t blame them? It’s been a couple of days since we beat that body-snatching dick.

My legs made a full recovery. Add in with the wounds I got from that body-snatcher, thanks to Richard’s healing. I say I’m doing pretty well now.

Marie, on the other hand, isn’t doing so hot. She’s been keeping to herself, avoiding everyone as best as she can. She sticks to the back of the bus. Even when we’re not moving, she lets none of us get close to her. I tried talking to her, but she keeps giving me the cold shoulder.

Alex is acting strange too; he’s more gung-ho with fighting, rarely having us take breaks anymore so we can push forward to the enemy base. He barely takes the time to sleep anymore, and he’s even skipping meals. And that smile… Can’t he tell that we know it’s fake?

“Screw it.”

Acting wimpy isn’t gonna help anything, so I better do something. I edge to the front of the bus, sitting next to Elizabeth. “We should stop.”

“Sure ‘bout that?”

“Absolutely.”

“Wanna run it by the boss man first?”

“Yeah, but get ready to find a spot.”

I get up to confront Alex.

He raises his head, smiling at me as usual, or at least how he wants it to look. It looks nice, like how he always looks at anyone, but the wonder and strength I saw in them are gone, showing nothing but an empty visage of what was.

“Proxy, do you need something?”

“We’re stopping,” I say, cutting to the point.

“Stopping? Are there bandits!?”

“We’re going to take a break.”

“No, we need to venture on.”

“Come on, man! You look like you’re gonna pass out!”

“I am fine, but we must keep going.”

“Too bad. We’re going to stop, so we can rest.”

“I said no!”

“Well, tough shit!” Did I just… Did we… Whatever, if he wants to act stubborn, then let him. “Fine, but we’re gonna stop either way. Elizabeth, find a spot to stop.”

I return to my seat next to Richard, who’s eyeing me up with a concerned look. “That was nasty.”

“Don’t worry, he’s just acting weird.”

“He’s acting more than weird. I mean, after everything that happened… Just go easy on him, Proxy.”

Believe me, buddy, I don’t wanna yell at him, but he’s being stubborn.

Elizabeth pulls up into an open space with stone pillars lying around all over the place, devoid of any greenery. She hits the brakes, stopping as the rain let up.

“Alright, everyone,” I shouted. “...We’re gonna stop for a moment. My buddy and I are gonna check up on the area. Take five, everyone!”

Richard and Nunnalé follow me to the back exit. I want to check up on Marie before we leave.

“Yo… I mean, hey, Marie. Do you wanna go check the place out? We might be able to get a good look at Laguna?” She continues to face away from me, hugging her legs. “...I like it if you could join us… Please, just for a bit…”

She doesn’t return with a response or turn to face me.

“Marie…”

Nunnalé reaches out for her. Marie’s quick to react, swatting her hand away.

“Don’t touch me…”

Her toneless voice disturbs me. The voice that held strength in it is gone… I…this just breaks my heart.

“Nunnalé, can you stay with Marie?” I ask her, feeling shitty about not being able to help her.

“Yes,” she answers in an indifferent tone.

Though, I don’t know if it’s me, it sounds a bit different, like she’s somewhat concerned, but doesn’t know how to express it. Eh, probably is just me.

Richard and I jump out of the back with Richard behind me.

“Wait, I will aid you two.”

Alex jumps out of the bus. His boots splash the water below him.

“I don’t know? Maybe you should–”

“I am fine.”

He storms off, getting a head start ahead of us. We follow behind him,.walking on the cobblestone road, giving us more than enough room to move around. The damp sounds coming from the ground make up for the awkward silence. After 3 minutes of walking, we reach the end of this road. There’s nothing but the edge of a cliff waiting for us, but since we’re pretty high up, we gotta be able to see Laguna.

Walking to the edge, I fold my hands into, mimicking binoculars.

Can’t see anything as small as a house, but I spot a long-ass bridge running across a body of water, leading somewhere with a large tree in the middle. Jackpot!

“Yo, Laguna is dead ahead,” I yell.

“Then we best make haste,” Alex says, propping his sword as he turned around.

“Dude, we aren’t going right now.”

“We must if we wish to make good on time!’

“For what? It’s not like the bandits are going anywhere?”

“Even so, we have to hurry.”

I yank Alex’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Hey, would you just stop! I’ve been keeping quiet about this for a while now, but you’re getting on my nerves!”

“I do not–”

“You aren’t sleeping, you’re not eating, and you keep wearing that fake smile!”

“Wha–”

“What? Thought I wouldn’t notice? I’m not stupid Alex!”

“I never alluded to that. And I am fine.”

“No, you ain’t.”

“I am! So stop badgering me and let’s go on our way.”

“Are you kidding me!? Dude, we’re going to take a break, so you can–”

“No, we keep moving, whether or not you like it!”

“That’s just– You… Gah! Fine, do whatever you–”

A sudden noise echoes in the air. A flock of birds flies away from where it’s coming from… You know, it sound is familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it… Kinda like an engine, but that’s not it… Nah, it’s an engine, but from something else, like a…like a… Like a chainsaw! Yeah, a chainsaw… A chainsaw!?

“Proxy!”

Richard noticed too, then it’s not just me! Just then, my sense goes off; from above! Someone descending with a long pole in their hand, steam trailing behind as they fall. I throw myself out of the way. The dull sound of steel scratching against concrete invades my ears.

“Proxy!?”

Richard and Alex get in front of me, ready to fight whoever tried to merk me. Another second, and I would’ve turned to swiss cheese.

“Oh, how mortifying. If you had stood still for a tad longer, your death would have been instantaneous. How tragic.”

This guy comes out of nowhere and acts like he didn’t just try to kill me. Yep, another weirdo, just what we needed.

“Identify yourself,” Alex demands, raising his sword.

“Ah, where are my manners?”

The crazy bastard bows his head. “...Jed, I am 18. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Talk about déjà vu. He’s reminding me of Walter, with that creepy ass smile and that happy attitude. Had enough of these crazy sons of bitches to last a lifetime.

“Tell me, are there any more of you?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Those who respond with a question usually have something to hide. I am guessing you are not alone.”

Doesn’t matter, we just need to kick his ass, that’s it! I’ll make the first move and catch him off guard. I sprint past Richard and Alex, using the small gap between the two of them to catch the enemy by surprise. All I gotta do is blitz this guy, and it's over.

“Brazen,” he comments.

Steam rises from the bottom end of the chainsaw. The chain runs along the edges of the guiding bar, rattling and clanking underneath the roaring engine. You would think that thing would vibrate out of his hand, but he must have a good grip on that thing. And looking at that horror movie weapon, getting hit by that is gonna leave more than a nasty mark.

He reacts to my approach, swinging his weapon at me, wielding it with a single hand. It’s a lazy attack. Ducking under is more than enough. I go low, lunging forward, pushing under the pool. I’m close enough to attack now. I’ll go for–

“Too slow!”

He flexes his muscles, veering into the pole right when I ducked under it, slamming into my back. Didn’t think he use the shaft as an attack! I plant my hands on the ground, twisting my body to clap him with my legs. Somehow, he pivots out of the way, leading into an attack that I narrowly avoid. But that guy isn’t messing around. He follows behind me, not letting me catch my breath. I draw my swords, blocking this attack with the duel blades.

“I was wondering when you were going to draw.” This is bad! The chains keep hitting my swords, chipping away at my guard. My ears are burning, just blocking this damn thing, and my arms are killing me! “How disappointing.”

Disappointing? What does– A sudden throbbing pain sparks below my chin. He spun his lance, breaking my defense and grazing me with the butt of his pool. It might have grazed me, but it still hit my chin, knocking around the little guy upstairs. His lance is gunning for my chest, dying to tear me to pieces. My legs feel like noodles, and my sense of balance is out of whack. Bad, this is bad! I can’t defend and I can’t run!

“Proxy!”

Alex covers me, coming in clutch just in the nick of time. Instead of guarding, he deflects the spear. Richard follows up with a sick dropkick, surprising Jed.

“Proxy, you okay!?”

“Yeah, I’m good!”

But right when he destroyed my defense, I felt like something was wrong; like this dude isn’t fighting seriously. I don’t know if it's my head, but I think this guy is holding back.

“So, you two can fight? Good, it would’ve been a pity to kill those who cannot.”

Alex rushes in, his blade lowered to his side. I follow behind him with my blades. Jed puts his weapon behind himself, slightly buckling his knees, and leaning forward. He speeds at us. With amazing footwork, he spun himself around, building his momentum. He throws his weight behind his spear, going for Alex first, who deflects it, only for Jed to come at me next. Quicker than I could react, he hammers his foot into my gut. A hot sensation runs through my throat, almost breaking through my mouth. Jed hones in on Alex again.

Their clashes are brief, each strike grates on my ears, similar to claws on a chalkboard. They suffer the rebound of their weapons and power clashing. Alex is an expert with a sword, and he isn’t a stranger when it comes down to a fight. But this guy, he’s keeping pace with Alex’s swift swordsmanship, even with a long weapon like that. Jed works the shaft to block or redirect attacks, then spins it around to strike with his chainsaw. Fluid movements mixed with an aggressive style, bashing at Alex’s sword with unrelenting force. This ain’t no joke. He’s not like Walter, who just used his power however he could; this guy is skilled!

Alex swings his sword, throwing back the spear. Now’s my chance! Alex and I closed in, ready to score us a win. Skilled or not, doesn’t matter when you’re about to lose.

But, I think we made a mistake. The enemy threw their weapon into the air. It spins above us, ascending higher into the sky. He targets Alex first, taking advantage of his confusion, hitting him with decisive blows, throwing quick jabs at his head and throat. Ending off with a kick, he's coming for me next. His lance is about to land behind him. Jed snatches the thing from the air right when he pivots. His spear slams into my swords, grinding into the blades. I’m thrown to the waist side with. My back crashes into a pillar, knocking the wind out of me.

A dull feeling screams across my back, aching like a bad headache. Jed moved onto Richard, sidestepping rocks that are being thrown at him. He goes airborne, twisting around to smack Richard’s head to the ground with his feet. Richard’s body bounced off the ground. Two kicks, one followed by the other, send him crashing into a pile of bricks.

“How unbecoming. Certainly, this isn’t everything you three can do, right?”

I gotta save Richard, no matter what! I force myself up to my feet, running off without my swords. My approach didn’t go unnoticed. Jed immediately responded to me. Sparing no thought, I slid under his weapon. Putting my hand into a wedge in the ground, I lift my lower half, striking him with my foot. A clean hit!

“That hurt…”

Did that not work!? I know I hit him. He grabs my leg, squeezing the bone. He raises it only to lower it like a guillotine. I can’t break free, damnit, I can’t break free! I’m gonna die, just like this, in the blink of an eye!

“Hm?”

Jed suddenly let go of me, halting his attack. He slashes the air. Two daggers land on the ground, resting next to me. Someone clad in black lands from the cliff Jed came from. He’s quick. I can barely keep my eyes on him. Jed wields his lance with both hands. Just like me, the newcomer slides under the attack, but he lunges at him with his shoulder, striking with his forward momentum. Jed digs his lance into the ground, staying on his feet. Before he could get away, a fist cracked his nose.

Taking a congested whiff of air through his nose, Jed collects himself, then books it to the edge. The crazy son of a bitch leaps off the cliff, acting like he’s not gonna turn into a red smear. I mean, is the man crazy or what?

“Got away,” the dude in black whispers. His eyes turn to me, gauging me with those stark empty pupils. They turn to Richard, who’s lying on the ground. “Is he okay?”

“I think so.”

“Good.”

He stands up, walking away without another word. Hold up, is he really leaving just like that? What the shit!?

“Hey, can you at least help me get these guys back to our camp?”

“I have no interest in doing so.”

Asshole! These guys are hurt and you don’t wanna help!?

“Hey, you–”

“It’s okay. I am fine.” Alex wobbles to his feet. “...I will carry Richard back to camp.” He turns from me to Mr. douchebag over here. “Thank you for your aid. If you wish, can we reward you?”

“Screw that! He can go toss rocks!”

“But he assisted us when we needed it. I think that ‌is more than enough reason to…reward…”

Alex pauses, staring at him all wide-eyed.

“Is something the matter?” douche asks, sounding bored.

“...That emblem around your necklace. Is that a… You are an elite!?”

Huh? Elite?

“I was, long ago, but those days no longer remain with me.”

Alex’s eyes beam brighter, ecstatic even. Putting on the only genuine smile he’s had in days. I don’t know what the hell an elite is, but now’s not the time for this crap.

“Whatever, who cares! Let’s get back to camp. Richard’s hurt!”

Alex snaps back to reality, sharing a concerned expression. “Y-you are right!” He comes to help me with Richard, putting one arm over his shoulder. “...Sir, would you please come with us? We would be honored to have you.”

He says nothing, not a yes or no, just dead air. Probably gonna say no anyway, so who even–

“Fine.”

What?

“Hey, wait a…” What am I doing? Richard comes first, everything after is whatever. Fine, he can tag along, but I don’t like him one bit. Call me petty, but I can feel it in my gut that I don’t like him, not one bit

…

Falling from such a height is dangerous. Fortunately, I could de-escalate my descent with my weapon. If not, this would have spelled my death, and that would be inconvenient. More importantly, that man… He seemed familiar… Ah! How clumsy. I was supposed to be hunting, whoops! Though, Puck told me to hunt whatever I could find, so she should not be angry with me, hopefully.

“Lazing around is no good. I best get back.”

I push off the ground. Since the sun is not out, telling time is hard, but I have a feeling that I should rendezvous with Puck. However, my gut also whispers something else: a thrilling battle will begin if I continue to Laguna. A giggle seeps from my lips. What a thrilling feeling, oh so thrilling!

“Apologies, Cade, but it seems we are going our separate ways for a little while.”

Hopefully, he understands. My purpose shifts elsewhere, so who am I to go against my purpose?

…

The dude that saved is squatting in our bus, across from Alex, with others looking at him. Meanwhile, Richard got patched up and is resting in the back of the bus, next to Marie. They’re all thankful and stuff since he helped us, but if they knew he was ready to ditch injured people, they change their tune real quick.

“Why you scowling like that?” Chip asks, wearing an annoying smile.

“Nothing, I just don’t like that guy, that’s all.”

“Jealous?”

“No! It’s nothing.”

I sound petty, so sharing my reason isn’t gonna help me sound any better. But I have my eyes on him, and if he does anything, I’ll kick his ass black and blue.

“Proxy, you and Alex been on each other’s throats today. Sure everything is alright?”

“I think so, but he’s just acting weird, and I don’t even know why.”

“Ah… I think it has something to do with Marie. Noticed how the two of them are avoiding the other?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I ain’t gonna act like I know everything about them, but I feel things aren’t gonna end well if those two stay like that.”

You’re telling me. Alex is pushing himself from everyone while Marie is keeping to herself. If you ask me, things aren’t gonna get any better. But I won’t let it get worse.

“Chip, I know this is gonna be weird, but can you keep an eye on that guy?”

“Sure thing.”

“Just like that?”

He nods. “...Thing is, I don’t get a good feeling from that guy, not a bit.’

At least I got someone on my side, and yeah, I just got a feeling that this guy is trouble. I’m gonna watch Marie. I don’t know what I can do for her, but I want to at least keep her company. When we reach Laguna, I wanna do what I can to help Marie and Alex, if I can.