[Horizon's Key] Job 01: Shakedown (Chapter 2)

Nicholai walked back up to the loft and brought down Kassi. Hope she's okay. the ID-SOL thought as he carried her to the cart. "Cap'n, ya know anythin' about 'Spacers?" Nicholai asked Gem as he arrived at the cart, unsure where to put Kassi.

"Jus' tha' they're strange," Keira said with a pat on Nicholai's arm as he passed. Kassi was limp in her Voidwalker suit, her face obscured by the painted space helmet that was bolted to the collar. The rest of the suit was a jumble of heavy-duty materials and metal, all painted in the nonsensical 'Spacer way with bright colors and crazy patterns (or lack of patterns). "Set 'er down 'ere." The commander patted the fairly empty back section of the wagon, near the tailgate.

---

Sliver watched them load the limp form into the wagon. He wasn't sure if it was a person in a strange armor or a construct, but he told himself that it wasn't his business. It wouldn't be his business until it became a problem or he found reason to make it his business. He gave a look at Winter, who was also watching the large Furless One and the multi-colored burden.

"<What did the stranger want?>" he asked his apprentice, keeping his voice low.

"<A letter.>" Winter held out the parchment, which Sliver took and skimmed over before nodding, his expression serious.

"<I would prefer to lose him, but it does not sound like he would take it well. Let's hope he has enough patience than it sounds.>" Sliver's smile returned and he clapped his hands once. "Alright, everyone set? Our escort seems to be in a hurry, and not very patient to boot. If we are quick about it, we'll be at the Holy City in no time!"

---

Gem watched Sliver and Winter converse through frequent glances. She didn't want to trust these people...she'd always been a little too trusting, though the cities in Nepleslia had done a lot to beat that out of her...but she also didn't want to make this whole mission harder than it was already. Her crew, though experienced in their own areas, was green as the grass under her feet when it came to working together. And already one was out of commission, possibly unreliable even if she did regain consciousness. Keira kicked herself mentally for ignoring what she had been told about Freespacers and planets. But when it came to the other option here, like hell she was going to leave the crazy girl on her new ship! Mr. Eliot seemed on edge, and she hoped when it came down to it he wouldn't fire first. At least Nicholai seemed stable enough. But y' can' trust th' nice ones any more than the mean ones, she thought, but hoped that cynicism wouldn't get in the way if he really did turn out to be genuine.

Taking a breath and letting it sigh from her nose, Gem nodded to herself and checked the bags in the back, keeping everything away from Kassiopea's body. Radiation an' all. The Voidwalker's suit was supposed to block it all, but no sense not taking precautions...

"An' wi' that, ah believe we're set," she said, smiling at Sliver, who had just finished speaking. Something about being quick?

---

Winter watched his master read the letter and nodded as Sliver went to check on the group. He went to the huge stone construct and closed his eyes, gathering energy to the tip of his index claw. "<Follow,>" he said to the construct, touching his clawtip to a circle engraved in the thing's shoulder. A nearly invisible pulse ran through the lines of power that covered the construct's body as it rumbled and began to walk behind Winter, pulling the wagon behind it.

"I hope Kassi's alright," Eliot said- more to himself than to the crew-, looking quietly at the back of the wagon as he set off after it, taking the lead by securing one foot on the back of the wagon and hauling himself up, into the back, finding a niche next to the Freespacer and his cargo and sitting down, watching the colorful Voidwalker suit. If one of his crewmates were down then, By the Maker, he would be the first one at their side. Even if one of them never woke up in the first place.

Nicholai knew little of 'Spacer physiology but that didn't stop him from being worried. "Gettin' soft in your age, old man." Nicholai muttered as he followed behind the wagon. Raising his voice, Nicholai addressed Silver, "So, this a long walk?" the ID-SOL asked.

The wagon trembled and began rolling as the construct followed its master and Winter followed Sliver. Gem decided to walk too, since the Kohanians were. She glanced at Eliot as the Nep joined Kassiopea's bulky suit in the back. While the gesture of camaraderie was welcome, she wondered (with a touch of amusement) if he remembered about 'Spacers and radiation. Well, they should have all had their meds back before they left...maybe that would be enough?

---

Kassi's Voidwalker suit was close to the middle of the wagon, her back against a sideboard and legs in front of her in typical "unconscious person sitting" fashion, and one of her feet had slipped under the tarpaulin covering the supplies. The heavy boot bounced with the bumps and jostles of the cart's motion, sometimes sliding further under and other times out as they went up and down shallow dips in the terrain.

---

Sliver looked back at Nicholai and smiled, then faced forward again as he walked. He could see the cloaked feline that the letter had called "Eclipse" some hundred yards ahead, mainly because the road had taken a turn through a field (something he was glad he didn't have to walk through during the night hours) and visibility was excellent, a very nice day.

"I, for one, do not think it is a very long walk, but I suppose it is one of those opinion things. What may be short for me may be long for you," the gray-furred fox called back to the ID-SOL. "Objectively speaking, I suppose it is close to a journey of a day or few. We will be able to stop for the nights if we must and we will reach the city in time for continuing your quest, if we are not stopped by anything." His eyes fixed on Eclipse. Either the feline was being deliberately slow...the most likely reason, despite their escort's demands...or they were faster than he had thought these Nepleslians could be. (And he knew they were Nepleslians by their smell: Few Kohanians, and none outside the Nether Reach, smelled as much of machinery as Nepleslians did. And none smelled so out of their element as this group, he thought with an inner smile.) Regardless, though, they were making good enough time that they might catch up with the Cloaked One within the hour. After all, it wouldn't do for the escort to leave his charges behind. I wonder why the swamp witch is interested in these people...aside from their origin, what makes them special? Or is this simply convenience? He left his thoughts for later and continued speaking.

"However, if there is one thing I have learned, it is to always expect something! I do ask one thing, of all of you," said Sliver, looking back at Eliot and Nicholai, then to Keira. "If we do meet with trouble, and if you must be violent, it would be best to try to keep the casualties as close to none as you can. Most bandits around here will try to kill you, but does that mean we must do the same?" Sliver smiled at all of them.

Eliot sighed. First he killed on sight, then he was allowed to wound, and now all he could do was fire warning shots before punching them in the face? Either way, he didn't have much of a choice, other than agreeing to the terms the Kohanian had offered. It was either that or lose his job.

"Alright, no killing. Gotcha."

The group caught up with Eclipse, who didn't say anything and no one really expected him to.

The road kept going. The field led into woods, the woods into hills...the sun climbed into the sky as a light cloud cover and a nice breeze kept the day from getting uncomfortably warm.

Gem stayed watchful, but quiet. Sliver hummed a folk tune that sometimes seemed to be as much to everyone around him as to himself. Winter continued walking ahead of his construct, which plodded along. The Kohanians showed no signs of tiring, despite keeping a steady pace. Not quick but not exactly what the normal human might call easy, either.

"Ra'nit cala shovt'raeaa, eh-h-h-h.....Toreenta veh'oAh!" Sliver's strong baritone rose a little in volume as he started singing the lyrics. He glanced back at the wagon, his eyes passing over Eliot and lingering on the Voidwalker suit and the tarpaulin-covered lump of cargo next to it, then he looked ahead at Winter.

"You sing well." Gem noted, looking over at Sliver.

He smiled at her and bowed his head. "Thank you. I find that a song can make a walk less wearying and lift the spirits as well. Most who travel often have made their own songs to sing; sometimes you can tell who is coming toward you on a road by their tune." He noticed Winter looking at him strangely. Everyone knew about the traveling songs, so the apprentice was probably wondering why Sliver was explaining it.

Total Eclipse didn't turn around as the group caught up with him, but his ears did fall backwards at the song that erupted from Sliver. The feline just kept walking in silence, slipping a paw within his shoulderbag to feel over the items within. He had two bottles filled with an odd concoction he had stolen from Mistwalker. Also, there was a folded piece of cloth that held the talisman with the entrapped spirit. Then there was the scroll with the ritual's spell on it. All he needed now, was the final componant, the Voidstone in possession of a high ranking official in Anetheronn. Once he had that, he would be able to complete the ritual that so many others had failed, and he would be free of these meddling furless and their over enthusiastic guides.

Meanwhile, Eliot was completely unaware of the goings-on outside the caravan. He hadn't gotten drunk and fallen out, he hadn't succumbed to radiation poisoning and he hadn't contracted a fatal disease. No, no way. Instead... He was snoring contentedly in the back of the cart, sprawled out next to Kassi's suit.

Nicholai had been walking quietly, enjoying the views of the forest and even the song that the fox had sung. Feeling rather bold Nicholai spoke, this time however he spoke in the language that he learned on station. The warrior's language. <Good song, what mean?> Nicholai felt like a bear in an old ladies china shop when he spoke but the ID-SOL resolved to not let that stop him.

Sliver looked back at Nicholai and smiled. So at least one of the offworlders knew the warrior's speech...

"It is a song of hope, Master Vanderson. A cub prays to his parents, telling them of his life, and asks to see them again one day." He looked forward again, chuckling. "You speak as one from the warrior caste...but also as one who has had too much to drink. I am not a To'Yaree, but I understand their tongue. I believe <What does it mean?> was what you meant?" he noted, repeating what Nicholai had tried to say with another word and a slight emphasis change on one of the other words.

---

Winter continued walking in silence. He had nothing to say to anyone, though he had to admit to himself that he was curious about these people. Why had the station sent foreigners when their own people were unable to help? Or was that the case at all? Winter decided that he was fine with being a guide, as long as they weren't walking into a trap.

---

The edge of the tarpaulin at Kassi's ankle lifted a little, nearly unnoticeable and a hidden pair of eyes looked up at Eliot. There was a very faint shuffling noise that was mostly drowned out by the rumbling of the carts wheels over the dirt path as the stowaway moved over toward the torso of the Voidwalker suit. A small, dark-furred paw reached out and felt at Kassi's back, locating several bolts before retreating back under the tarp.

A second later it reached out again, this time with a wrench. With a nearly-quiet clinking whenever the cart jostled, the paw slowly worked at unscrewing the bolts on the back panel of Kassiopea's suit.

Each bolt was unscrewed nearly out, but left in so they could be removed quietly. But one of them didn't want to be removed quietly, the movement of the cart knocking it the rest of the way out, clattering onto the floor. There was a sharp intake of breath and another shuffle as the stowaway retreated amid the noise of the bolt rolling around on the cart floor.

---

Winter's ear twitched back toward the cart and he frowned, glancing at Sliver, who didn't appear to have noticed.

Keira glanced at Eliot and Kassi, but didn't think anything of it since either one of them could have dropped something, or it could have been cargo shifting.

The soft sound of Eliot's laughter warbled through the shaded interior of the cart. So the bastard had been awake!

"I believe you just got burned, Nicholai." The merchant smirked from his stationary position in the back of the cart, legs stretched out in front of him, back laid against the side of the cart. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back again, shutting his eyes and letting the sun warm his bones.

"It is admirable that he tries to learn our language, and I am honored that he does." Sliver looked back and smiled. "A warrior who loves drink is not unexpected, if he does not do anything to break his honor."

"I never said it was bad that he was trying to learn." Eliot simply stated to the Kohanian. "I merely found your statement humorous."

"Ah." Sliver merely nodded in acknowledgment of Eliot's reply if not in understanding, and glanced at Nicholai a moment before facing forward again. A few seconds later he continued humming.

---

Meanwhile, in the cart, the dark-furred hands had reached out again to continue unscrewing the back panel of Kassiopea's Voidwalker suit, this time careful to keep the bolts from hitting the floor of the cart.

---

Winter suddenly slowed his pace, which caused his stone construct to slow down as well.

"<Stop>," he said while touching the construct, which did as it was told. Winter approached the cart, watching the tarp next to Kassiopea.

Sliver watched Winter as the cougar stopped the construct. "<Is something wrong>?" he asked, eyebrows raised a little. He spoke a commoner's dialect, different than the warrior's speech Nicholai was learning, with a little of a scholar's accent. The question was a rhetorical one, since he knew his apprentice would alert him to anything requiring his attention. He only asked to let Winter know he was watching.

With a frowning glance at his master, Winter whipped the canvas tarp back to show another feline Kohanian, but an young adolescent female with the markings of a Siamese cat. The kitten was laying on her side with a wrench in one paw and two bolts in the other, her outstretched arm resting behind Kassiopea's back and her eyes closed tight.

"<What do you think you are doing>?" Winter asked harshly. "<I told Master that you wouldn't cause trouble>!"

The girl didn't answer, ducking her head with her eyes still closed.

Winter looked over at Sliver, who had questioning look, then looked back at the stowaway. "<You're not even supposed to be here! Put the bolts back and get outta there, you're walking with me-->."

He was interrupted by squeal and a blur of motion. Suddenly the bolts were replaced and she was standing next to the apprentice while grinning happily.

---

Gem watched and listened, then looked at Sliver. "Wha's this?" The question was sharp. "Did y'know 'bout 'er?"

Sliver nodded, raising his hands. "Yes, and I apologize. We didn't know she was there until just after we arrived at the cottage. I told Winter that she could stay if she didn't cause trouble, and that is why we stopped. It seems she was curious about your..." He paused, looking a little unsure what to call Kassiopia since he wasn't entirely sure what she was. "...We are too far to send her back alone. Forgive me for not telling you earlier."

The kitten's squeal drew a glance from Gem and she sighed. "Look, keep 'er outta th' way an' we'll be fine," she said finally. "An' keep 'er away from that suit. Isn' safe to be messin' wi'."

Sliver lowered his hands and nodded. "You have my word. Now, let's continue, shall we?"

---

The siamese Kohanian was so energetic that Keira was impressed she had stayed hidden for so long. Sliver introduced her as "Rising Echo" to the group, and she was more than happy to meet each of them in turn, babbling even though none of the Horizon's Key's crew could understand a word she said. Gem doubted she would understand Echo even if the girl had been talking in Trade...

Echo was about Winter's age, and small for her age. She wore clothes similar to Winter but with the addition of many small jugs and containers hanging from her belt. Their personalities, though, seemed polar opposites. While Winter was calm and composed, Echo couldn't spell "calm and composed"! Her emotions were written on her face for all to see, and she seemed to almost have no sense of personal boundries. She surprising Winter by jumping and hugging his back when he turned to start leading the cart, but when he pushed her away Gem noticed Echo looked crestfallen for only a moment before clambering into the wagon and seating herself on top of the supplies. Even when sitting, she kept moving, rocking back and forth with a thoughtful look on her face.

Eliot continued sleeping pleasantly through the whole ordeal, right up until the group burst into motion. Well, sort of. He had first felt something amiss when a black paw brushed against his booted foot from beneath the tarpaulin-covered cargo and caused him to stir slightly.

Then a bolt fell lightly to the cabin floor, and Eliot rumbled a bit in his snores, rolling over to catch the bolt underneath his chest. Blearily, he looked at the bolt, turned it over and over, and finally returned it to the panel on Kassi's back. Eliot promptly fell asleep again soon after.

A third interruption came finally when the tarps were snapped back and a Siamese cat was unceremoniously revealed.

"Gah! Fuck!" Eliot said, half leaping, half skidding back into the wall of the cart. The surprise stowaway leapt over his head and down onto the ground shortly after. Contented, Eliot had shifted his position so that his back rested against one side of the cargo. For all of half an hour, he was peaceful.

Then Rising Echo jumped back into the cart.

Now Eliot sat scowling as he rested, looking at Kassi's suit, with a black, furry tail going swish... Swish... Swish... Swish-swish... Swish... right in front of his face.

Good thing he wasn't allergic to cats.

Or cat people.

Total Eclipse looked back over his shoulder when the party stopped. With an exaggerated sigh, he would leap up into a tree to sit and wait for them to take care of their issues.

"At this rate, you won't even get to the first checkpoint before night comes and the Mokoi tear you all into tiny little pieces. Or, maybe if you're really lucky, the Sha'Nai or the Shadow Cult will find you, and you will either be held for ransom, or sacrificed to the shadow god. Both sound like fun options to me, but what would I know?"

His voice was gruff and full of sarcasm as he squatted on his perch to watch them dealing with Rising Echo.

Nicholai decided to remain quiet while people talked, after all it wasn't everyday that one got to hear people talk about them their own presence. Nicholai was about to talk when the call for a stop rang out. Unfortunately for Nicholai it was not in the dialect he spoke, instead he stood there waiting for some unknown thing to happen. When it did happen, the unveiling of the Siamese cat Nicholai was more than slightly alarmed, "Kassy!" Nicholai almost bellowed as he saw the back bolts of her suit laying in the paws of the feline. Nicholai had heard enough about spacers to know that they needed their radiation to survive, and Kassi wasn't looking to good already since she hadn't woken up yet. Part of Nicholai worried she was dead inside that suit. Once the feline squeked out Nicholai approached. "What're you lookin' so chipper about. You coulda killed her, not only that you coulda killed yourself doing it!" though the ID-SOL wasn't yelling he was most definitely aggravated.