Kashikoi had sped out of Iris as fast as her cycle could take her. She had to get away, had to get too Aerios, and did not bother worrying for ambushes she was in such a blind panic. Fortunately for her, she reached the city gates without incident. The guards had to yell for her to slow down before they admitted her through.

“You lost your mind,” one angrily questioned.

“Nyah! Let me through I got the package and nearly lost my life.”

The guards didn’t want to deal with her any longer as they waved her through. Parking her cycle, Kashikoi ran for the drop area. The same man who had dispatched her was waiting at a quiet teahouse.

“Ah, Kashikoi you’ve returned….”

“Here! Take it,” she shouted shoving the disc key into his hands. “I don’t want it! Give me my money and give this to the baron!”

The entire tearoom was staring at them with shock and curiosity.

Her contact sucked in his breath as he stood and grabbed her by the arm, “Come on outside. You’re making a scene!”

She slipped out of his grip, “My parts finished, hear me?”

The man sighed as he followed her out, “Alright, alright. Here is your payment.”

She snatched the satchel from his hands and stormed off.

The courier was ready to put the whole thing behind her and did not want to hear anymore about Emperors, keys, or barons. However, fate has always been a cruel one, as the next morning there was a pounding on her door.

“Wha? Who’s there?” She called as she grabbed her omnigun in pistol form.

“Open up in the name of the baron!”

Kashikoi groaned as she opened the door. Two house troopers stood outside and the man from before.

“Excellent news! You have been picked for another job! It involves this.”

He held up the disc key.

“Oh no,” Kashikoi groaned.

“Oh, yes. The baron was not very pleased to hear of your little act of defiance yesterday. Fortunately, he is merciful and has given you this chance to redeem yourself. If you refuse, well there is the dungeon for you.”

She sighed her tail and ears drooping, “Guess I don’t have a choice this time. You are all so mean.”

Kashikoi gave him a glare before she was led away. Along the way she spoke, “So details please?”

“Why you’re going to get the Emperor of course.”

She frowned, “Who is this emperor?”

“A more accurate question would be what.”

“What’s the emperor then?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, “You’re no fun. Never have been.”

He glanced at her, “You are exhausting and immature.”

They said no more until they were at their destination. To Kashikoi’s horror it was the hangar. There was a flying machine prepped and ready with a human pilot waving at them.

“No,” Kashikoi moaned.

The machine had two fan like devices set within the wings that rotated and made the horrid noise that Kashikoi hated. A pair of thrusters were to the rear. The cockpit was set just forward of the wings ending in a long nose.

“The baron left you another message,” her contact said.

Once again the holographic figure materialized, “Hello Kashikoi. I’ll be brief, I was rather displeased to hear you’ve been railing against your duties. But I am a merciful man and have given you this opportunity to prove yourself. Find the emperor. With the emperor, Aerios will be the strongest of the cities. Follow the key, it is also a map and so much more.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The housetroopers and the contact filed out of the hangar leaving her with the key and the pilot.

“Guess you’re coming along with me. Something about retrieving a thing of the ancients. I’m Lyle by the way.”

Her tail flicked, “I’m not getting in that thing.”

He frowned as he pulled his helmet off to scratch his dirty blonde hair. He was definitely younger than she was. “Now I know they seem odd, but aircraft are quite safe.”

She shook her head, “Nuh-uh, not doing it. Nope. No.”

“How else do you think we’re going to get the Emperor?”

“Bridge.”

“There’s no bridges to the Emperor. If there was, someone would have found it by now.”

Kashikoi stood there shaking her head, “Not doing it. I’m taking my chances.”

She started to walk away.

“Would you just get in,” Lyle called.

She didn’t respond.

Lyle sighed, “Now I know why they gave me this.”

He lifted up a dart gun from the cockpit and fired. The dart whizzed forward and landed right in her rear.

“Ahh, nyah! Why, you sneaky… I’m going to kill you….”

She started toward him, her hand fumbling with her holster as the tranquilizer took effect.

“I’m sorry, I was told to make sure you got on one way or another. I didn’t mean to shoot you in the, uh, rump.”

“You….little….,” she fell forward as he rushed to catch her.

“Oh, ancients, she’s heavier than she looks.” Lyle muttered as he lifted her up and carried her to the cockpit.

**

A young Kashikoi sat within the shack that she and her father called home. Her hair was not dyed yet and was its natural black. Her father was cooking stew made from the animal he had caught the other day.

The shack was dusty and consisted of a single room. Broken, cobbled together furniture made up the interior and a large copper pot made the tub.

“Dinner will be ready soon Nectar.”

Nectar was the pet-name he usually called her.

“Ok,” She nodded she was sore from the days training. Ever since the run in with raiders where she had received a nasty scar from her shoulder to ribs, he had been teaching her how to fight so she would never be helpless again.

Kashikoi fiddled with the old pocket watch. It was still stuck at 12:00, but it was a pretty little piece of jewelry.

From outside came the droning sound of the flying machines the people above used. They saw them fly many times, and sometimes they found crashed ones in the wasteland that made good salvage. The droning sounds were followed by a more alarming sound, a thunderous explosion.

Her father’s ears went down. “Oh no.”

The droning sound became louder, her father ran from the pot and threw Kashikoi down.

“What,” she yelled.

He did not answer as he pulled the dirty but padded mattress down on top of her just as the world exploded. Kashikoi screamed as she could feel the heat of the explosion and her ears rang. Finally, she managed to shake herself out of her stupefied state and realized it was far too hot and that smoke was choking everything.

Kashikoi struggled free of the mattress that had caught fire. The whole shack was on fire, what remained of it anyway. The walls and ceiling had caved in and were burning. Bits of metal from the flying machine lay strewn about, mingling with the things that had once been their possessions.

“Daddy,” Kashikoi called.

There was no answer, only splotches of red. She ran. Ran from that terrible place, the flames, and away from the sounds of the droning craft which were still dueling across the skies. She did not stop running until her legs gave out from exhaustion. She curled up behind a rock in the wasteland as the cold of night fell upon her. There she cried and kept crying until she had no more tears to shed.

When she awoke, all she could think about was when things were better and she was younger. She set out into the wastes, the fog of loss threatening to overwhelm her mind.

“No, think happy. Be happy. Isn’t that what they always say? Yes, yes it is.”

She stopped walking and added something of a skip to her step. She forced a smile on her face. Maybe if she kept it up, she could make herself happy. She kept the thought process up as she moved through the scorched land of death.

Sometime later after she’d been living in the wastes and their brutal conditions, she was still maintaining her playful, childlike nature. She watched from behind the rocks as one of the hated flying machines landed, smoke billowing from it. It was a large craft and almost a dozen people clambered out of it.

“My lord, I assure you this will be up and running in but a few minutes. Let us get to safety though, just as a precaution.”

There was a growl, “For your sake, we’d better get airborne again and soon.”

She watched as the figures got away to a safe distance as the flying machine continued to belch smoke. This was a golden opportunity, she crept forward grateful for the smoke as she ran to the machine.

Weapons, food, water, tools and all essentials were there for her taking. Kashikoi entered the cabin area and grabbed a bag full of tools. She then added a few canteens and some ration packs before she ran out.

Two men in uniforms barred her way.

“Where do you think you’re going, wasteland rat!”

Kashikoi let out a cry as she bounded forward and planted her foot square in the torso of one of the troopers. He let out his breath as he doubled over and fell to the ground. The second, made to club her with his rifle only to find himself flipped over and sprawled. She gave him a kick to the face before running.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get too far before she found herself in a ring of gun barrels.

“Impressive,” a large man with reddish orange canine ears and tail stepped forward. “I just might have a place for you.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Kashikoi shouted. “You’re all mean people!”

The baron tilted his head, “Why are you talking like a child?”

“What do you care? I won’t go.”

“Then we shall shoot you, and that would be a waste of talent.”

Kashikoi looked for a way out, but there was none and she soon found herself overwhelmed from all sides. Despite kicking and screaming, she was dragged aboard and taken to Aerios. There she learned things she’d never known before such as writing, mathematics, how to shoot a gun, and court etiquette.

In time she was made a courier and given pay. After several successful jobs, she was given her omni gun as a reward.