LUCAS opened his eyes and saw a woman staring back at him. She was older than Laven, and she looked like she could hold herself in a fight. Long auburn hair flowed past her shoulders. She wore a long shaul that looked like it had ages of dirt compacted within it. She stared up at the being he was seeing through. LUCAS saw great scaled claws and used the information flowing through his mind to determine he was accessing recent information being pulled about Sakonna.

LUCAS felt a chill run through his circuits as the visage of the old woman flashed in front of his face. The body that belonged to Ai Nagatomi was nowhere to be seen—but in its place—in his place was this gigantic monster. An onyx colored body scaled from the surface down and a neck long enough to reach to the heavens it seemed. He felt tough claws that had been previously digging into the earth—drilling into the peak of the mountain.

Anger surged through him, but he was not strong enough to interact with the vision he was seeing. He felt it like a wall barricading his progress all around him—confining him to just watch. If he were able he would have gladly thrown the body off the mountain she was on alongside the other woman. His attention then returned to the other woman. Data from the memory said that her name was Allison Fae. Suddenly lights flicked on in his head and ICARUS—even from this distance of where he had been had been vibrating with a much stronger resonance. There were decades of fragments—clear and connected that lead to the fragment he had been viewing now. It was the most comprehensive history that he had encountered thus far and he could see it all within her eyes right in that moment.

She was a curious sort herself—she wielded immense amounts of power. He could feel it from within Sakonna—behind her mind. Then he focused deeper on the weapon she carried—a long lance of black-as-night metal. From the innards of that lance LUCAS felt an immaculate attachment. He felt that same sort of power from the Kosunaga building—and it was then he recognized he was standing face to face with a wielder of a fragment of ICARUS. And not even that, but Sakonna—in her draconic form lay attachment to what seemed to be the remainder of that very fragment in her own possession. Two sub-fragments of a much larger whole.

That thought had brought a grander concern to him than excitement of seeing them both together—the fact the fragments could be split up. He was unsure if he would realistically begin to accomplish this goal of gathering all of them if they weren't all whole. How would he even know if they were? Surely unless he didn't feel the fragment that Sakonna had now in her possession he wouldn't have even noticed that they were of the same source. What if there were more of this fragment somewhere? That thought sunk down to his innards and felt heavy like a stone.

Sakonna had requested Allison return her piece to her, and Allison began to barter. The bartering continued and LUCAS had seen the fire behind Allison's eyes—the strength she displayed in talking back to Sakonna—a feat he wondered if he would ever get the chance to do—and clearly she had so much more history—more experience. The thought of having to go against her gave him a chill inside. Maybe...if he could work it he could convince her to his side. Gathering the fragments with someone of her strength would gladly turn the tide wildly.

The two came to a solemn decision to partner up, and she jumped onto the dragon's back, out of LUCAS's sight. Sakonna took off from the ground with two powerful wing-beats. His heart sank as he saw them disappear into the distance and knew that from this point, things were not going to be that easy.

He returned to his front mind as his internal alarm was going off. A sound silent to Laven, but she turned to him all the same when he started to stir.

"You woke up at just the right time."

LUCAS answered with a nervous sound, but all his attention was focused toward the woman and the dragon—flying away at this very moment somewhere in the far east. He didn't have geographic records of this new world, but if he had to estimate based on several hundred overlayed maps of the old one—they were now someplace over where Virginia used to lie. But that was now—shortly ago they were much closer...and the thought of one of the Children of the Night being so close was enough to make him grip his fists tight. He knew once he had completed his mission here he was going to go search out the dragon. He knew it more than he knew anything else at that point in time.

"All right, we're here. Come help me get the bags from the back," Laven said.

LUCAS was broken out of his reverie. He hopped out of the buggy and met Laven at the bag. She was carrying two pouches over her shoulder. She was reaching for a third, but he snagged it up first out of habit. "I got the rest."

"My, what a gentleman," She smirked and tapped the buggy twice. With an appreciative honk the driver took off, swerving back the way it had come. LUCAS sat still for a moment as Laven headed off. She turned and cocked her head. "Let's go Tin Man. Our time is limited. We gotta make this camp look convincing!"

He took in a deep breath and forced his levels down, cutting off his speech temporarily to mask the rising temperature. Working in the sun would soon counteract his efforts, but at least for now he could avoid the blushing appearing on his face. He knew it would be much more apparent now, because it was clear to him that his lie was just that.

He had stared directly at a woman who had eclipsed Laven in willpower. It was an unimaginable feeling and yet...he knew this was different. He had tried to convince himself that what he was feeling was just another powerful soul that he was sensing. But that wasn't true in the end—in the deepest recesses for what passed as a heart.

That moment froze in time—Laven staring out at him with a wild grin on her face, bags overstrung over her shoulder. He appreciated how the smile lifted her face and could see as if she were right in front of his face how it made her brown eyes glisten. He swallowed hard and blinked, shoving the thoughts down below the surface. Maybe when this was all over—when he finally rid this world of the toxins that so deeply pervaded it he could find some way to make himself look more...apt.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Maybe a mechanic of some sort could upgrade his look to one that she would feel more comfortable sharing those feelings with. Maybe...maybe there was something to working toward a goal beyond his original.

He began walking and broke into a jog with the remaining two bags over his own shoulder. He caught up to Laven. She continued walking when he made it up to her, and she looked to him and asked how far they had to go until they reached the desired location. LUCAS had looked up to her and consulted the map in his mind. They were a few hundred yards away, but enclosing on it quickly. He told her as such, and she nodded firmly. Together they walked for a few more minutes—the both of them lost in their own thoughts.

When they had made it to the spot LUCAS had stopped and let the bags he was carrying drop. They flopped against the sand and he was staring now out at the orange mountain—bright chalky rock that jutted out far in the distance. It looked like it continued far on for miles—but similarly it could have as equally been hiding massive valleys behind it. The limits of the map Blaise had sent were near, and it would have been impossible to tell just how the land rose or dipped once he exceeded the factory. It looked to be a few hours away at most.

According to the map, the campground that housed the Kosunaga factory rested just on the other side of that mountain. He felt the waves that the fragment emitted like a second heartbeat in his system—faint, but present.

"This it?" Laven asked.

LUCAS nodded, he double checked the map and they were standing squarely on the marked location. "Yes, I definitely do think so."

"Makes me wonder," she began. "You'd be really useful on a long road trip, right? Never get lost, probably got a hotspot in you or something similar."

"I...think so. I only know so much here because Blaise sent me the map. I guess if I had data for it I could see the benefit."

She cocked her head as she slid the bags off of her shoulder and began opening the first up. "I guess we'd need a whole bunch of new...hm, what's the word for people who make maps again?"

"Cartographer," LUCAS answered effortlessly. "Yeah, that definitely would be a help."

She was assembling an assortment of metal poles to form the framework of a much smaller—much sadder tent. "Yeah, that one. Guess once we get some level of hold of ourselves we can worry about taking long vacations again," She said. She was turned away from him. The tension in her voice was noticeable. He stood with his own bag in his hands and staring at her. She stopped assembling at held her pose, looking out of the corner of her eyes. "You can call me out on it..." she said, quietly.

"What do you mean?" LUCAS asked.

"You saw how my life was—how desperately I wanted to be free. I have no experience going on these road trips or long vacations."

LUCAS had to think about his reply. "I...don't wish to make you feel uncomfortable. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting something."

The words hung on the air and deep down he knew he resonated with them—for he questioned those very ideas.

"I've been thinking...I know I was angry with you before—in the buggy..."

"I don't know if I'd call that angry," LUCAS said.

"I pulled a knife on you."

"I think that's more...defensive," he said. "I knew you weren't going to use it unless I wished it—said the worst possible things. Made you use it, in effect."

"You...wouldn't have done that," she said, turning her head toward him.

"Seems we think alike," he smiled.

She stuck one of the combined support bars into the other and made a third, larger piece to combine with the structure lying on the ground. "I want to be done with all the running, the fighting, all of it. I just want to take a nice, long road trip to wherever the hell I want. Find a nice place and just exist there for a little bit. That's what I was seeking when I left my home. I knew it was risking everything safe and secure in my life, but the life I had was not worth it any longer."

LUCAS remained silent, unsure if now was a good time to interrupt. She had taken notice, and her shoulders slacked some.

"I'm sorry, I know this must be confusing. Especially after getting on your case about it. I just think that I really needed to talk about this for some time and I've never really given anyone the chance to listen about it..."

LUCAS was shaking his head, "No, don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're feeling more open about it. It's like I said, I wasn't thinking of how intrusive it was when I was doing it." Another lie, so easily told. I had perfectly been well aware of how intrusive it could have been, or else I wouldn't have continued to do it after scanning through hers. I thought about how I had interacted with her history and wondered if I were stronger—if I had more desire I could have imprinted myself on the woman with the lance. Although, I also wonder if that really would be such a smart idea right now. I surely don't have the ability to overpower her, at least, in my current capacity.

Laven had undone her hair and let it flow behind her. The tent's skeleton looked to be fully assembled. LUCAS had been finishing up the fireplace. They weren't going to need its hot embrace as the plan would be unfolding long before the purplish hues took over the sky, but it surely would lend credence to their charade.

"What about you? What is it that you want? I feel you just jumped on our bandwagon without so much as a question. I know Gavin's got some idea for you—there's obviously something to the private talks you two have had—now, don't worry," she held up her hand, "I'm not going to pry. You would have told me by this point if it was anything that threatened my safety." She winked at him. "And your reddish tones suggest so," she chuckled.

"I..." he tried to lower his temperature, but the sun above was beating harsh crimson light down on the both of them. Looking at the rays glistening off her bronze skin and it heating himself up only served to further highlight his embarrassment.

She giggled and shook her head, "Relax. It's okay. It's just us out here."

That's kinda the problem.

"I...am looking to stop..." he realized that he wanted to tell her everything. So simply and even knowing how much of a bad idea that was...yet, he continued. "I'm looking to stop some very nasty creatures."