Chapter LVIII
Going with the Flow
It took weeks for Adriaas to adjust to the abrupt changes imposed by Imperia. Sectum's second country was a raw, violent environment that broke her within hours. However, finding a sense of belonging in Silver Camp, along with the companionship of Gidit and her friends, proved to be a lifesaver. With this newfound support, she began piecing together the fragments of her being and constructing a new identity.
Capahuento surpassed Imperia with its organized, trustworthy, competent, and fair aequiteist system. Those fortunate enough to be embraced by its safety net exhibited unwavering loyalty to the cause since Adriaas's arrival. The stark differences between Capahuento and Imperia filled her with deep gratitude. She was merely a cog in the machinery fighting against the extreme feudalism that plagued their country, a secret fire silently spreading across the lands.
On one inhumanly early morning, fatigue clung to her bones as she traversed hills covered in lavender. The weight of anticipation and the lingering heat had kept her awake throughout the night. The council had selected Gidit’s group too perform a burglary to the empire just weeks after Adriaas had become an integral part of Silver Camp through a general vote and, grateful with their help and warm welcoming, decided to help.
During that first week in Capahuento, her roommate Banturi had shared that a border with the Third Country in Sectum lay near Silver Camp. It wasn’t until that day that she glimpsed the gray and somber landscape in the distance. Dictaduria, a concrete city shrouded in ominous clouds. In that moment, she cherished the fertile, vibrant ground beneath her feet, understanding why Kapas and their many factions sought refuge in those expansive valleys, concealed from the empire’s watchful eye.
Her plan for the day involved meeting Elchome, who had chosen her as partner. Since their meeting, he had taken on the role of an elder brother to Gidit, and that sense of responsibility extended to Adriaas as well. The man recognized her potential. Despite her youth, he had become a staunch advocate, ensuring her voice resonated among the council’s elder members.
Minutes after her arrival, the leader of their mission arrived.
“It’s fascinating the amount of effort the Sephirot invested in Sectum, right?”
Adriaas replied with a raised eyebrow, comparing it to Malkuth.
“What do you mean? Dictaduria looks like crap from here.”
“That’s the intention, you see what The Fifth wants you to. Did you notice we don’t even share the atmosphere with our neighbors? It’s a continent, yet each land has different atmospheres and climate, as if they were on different regions, or even planets. Fascinating stuff, same thing with Eslavia’s border.”
“You’ve been there?” Zanda wanted to know more.
“A couple of times, it’s a few days walks at least. The Nine Sephirot worked together to shape those countries, shifting entire landscapes and adapting them to their demands. It’s quite impressive, and it would be foolish not to admit it, but being forgotten lands strips them of their charm.”
Those exiled to Imperia enjoyed a sort of bizarre luck, as their country boasted the cleanest and safest environment in Sectum. Dictaduria and Capitalia were the continent's most polluted countries. Eslavia’s air was toxic, part of its design to torture its nationals with extreme weather and constant warfare, the closest to hell in Malkuth. It was a punishment reserved for murderers. rapists and it was rare to find someone who survived Eslavian torture.
The scent of lavender caught Elchome's attention.
“They morphed soil resources and energy equivalent to a hundred years of the sun's power, no pollution.”
“Less troublesome than terraforming an entire planet, that’s for sure. Are we going soon? I’m not even sure if we’re on schedule.”
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Adriaas referred to the beginnings of colonies on other planets from Malkuth, before Titan. She had visited the Venusian colony a few times with her mother, Ginebra, where they attended aquadance performances by the best artists in Malkuth and dine in exquisite restaurants with handcrafted food.
“You’re right, we should get going. I don’t want Jetzim to beat us there, or she’ll start calling me Mr. Late or Tardy Timer,” Elchome said, making her quicken her pace before continuing their conversation.
“You’re missing the point, by the way. I despise Imperia as much as you do, but it’s undeniable that its design is an achievement comparable only to Venus and Mars.”
“Can we stop rambling and rehearse the order of things? I’d like to refine some details.”
“There’s not much to discuss. We’ve done it at least five times, but if it keeps your mind at ease, we can go over it once more.”
She could feel Elchome rolling his eyes at her insistence.
“It’s the least you could do after all my hard work,” Adriaas retorted, her nerves on edge from the recklessness of their plan.
Unlike Elchome and the others, her experience in Capahuento translated to six weeks of calm since being rescued by Gidit. At Silver Camp, Adriaas's duties included hunting, fishing, harvesting, patrolling, and guarding. Gidit and Jassique sometimes helped smuggle goods and aid Imperials fleeing the Elkrachets.
“First, we pick up the package from Jetzim,” he began, barely concealing his exasperation. “We get the uniforms and weapons from her before we reunite with Vulnic, Pemula, Indictur, and Gidit. We don the uniforms and reach our predestined location, wait for the cargo to cross, and take it from the hands of the Elkrachets at the bridge.”
“Okay, if that’s all there is to it, it’s too simple for my liking…”
“You’re overthinking it. Take a step back and realize we’ve done it a hundred times. It’s plain, yes, but that doesn’t mean ineffective. Consider that you don’t know the entire plan, only your part of it. Go with the flow and it’ll be fine. It’s natural to be nervous, but take it from someone who knows this drill— in a couple of hours, you’ll feel silly for worrying this much.”
She was tired of those remarks, but his answer provided real context to what Adriaas was trying to comprehend.
“Worrying helps keep me calm. That’s the cost for it. I'm inexperienced with Capahuento's procedures, but my gut feeling is often correct. Let’s not forget we all got exiled here.”
Those words cracked Elchome's shell and prompted a loud reaction.
"That doesn't mean we can't improve! I've been trying to learn and train myself since the beginning of my exile, and half that time has been spent helping my fellow Kapas without judgment. You said it yourself, my experience adds muscle to this kind of mission. So, I suggest we leave egos and guts aside and behave like grown-up extarri. Don't forget, if your nerves betray you, someone could die. Trust us."
"This assignment is as criminal as the actions that led us here, and failure is already on our record as convicted felons, it we get caught, the empire will take measures for repercussion."
"That's so helpful, Ms. Superiority, such a saint, know-it all. Why did I choose such a pessimistic partner to begin my day with? Was I high on H21 or something? Get this inside your skull, Zaraz, there's no failure on our horizon! The Elkrachets aren’t so smart, you give them too much credit, more than to us, who’ve trained and performed the same mission numerous times."
Elchome took the commentary in a personal level and walked away from her. Their little argument resulted in them remaining silent for the rest of their path to the location where the person called Jetzim awaited them.
Adriaas felt her hands shaking with desperation, unable to tell him the truth about her innocence and how hard it was to place her blind trust on real criminals.
They reached their first target a few hours after sunrise, in a secluded area far from any town to avoid unwanted witnesses. At Silver Camp, Adriaas had learned about their dealer, a serious player in the black market with a solid reputation. However, she wasn't prepared for the sight of Jetzim. The dealer wore boots and a pristine peach colored overall open on the sides, shirtless, revealing many tattoos and toned arms. To say she was attractive would have been an understatement.
She approached Elchome and shook his hand before doing the same with Adriaas.
"Hey, I got the request approved by your council right here. Two Elkrachet guard uniforms, terrible to wear. A couple of IDs, toss them if you come across scanners. A fake is worse than having none. Oh, and an aid kit and weapons, of course, untraceable."
Jetzim pulled down a bag she carried, among others, and placed it on the ground. Making eye contact with Adriaas, she opened a zipper, exposing the contents. Adriaas knelt and checked the items, maintaining the seriousness required at the moment. Moments later, she confirmed through a headshake to her partner that nothing was missing.
"I trust you got your payment without issues?"
Jetzim confirmed that the plan had no setbacks.
"I made the stop with your friends before getting here, no problem. Tell Brakosh I'm still waiting for that gig he talked about at the assembly last month; we need to keep the snowball rolling!"
"We try to persuade them every week, but they're being cautious. My theory is there's no big job, and they keep talking about it to keep us united. Both sides have struggled these past couple of years."
“That better not be the case, many people will turn very angry if it is.” Prepared to leave, their ally's face reflected the same disappointment as Elchome's. "Good luck out there, you two. Let's grab a drink next time I'm in Silver!"
After she spoke those words, Jetzim turned around and disappeared into the wilderness of the nearby forest, leaving them wanting for more interaction.