Chapter 108
What they had done wasn't easy and not many teams in similar power or position would be able to do what they had done. Thus, Reaz was happy and expected the greatest acknowledgment from her family and Assembly. Maybe a promotion would happen too, so she calmed her Emblem and left Fain alone, even if his curiosity and deal hadn't left her mind.
Her messy hair moved and calmed under her touch, leaving blood dry and strands of hair sticky.
“You heard the boss, folks. Vern and Vera, take care of the Sea and secure it in the cargo. Then, get some steeeady rest. Esten, let the ones in bad shape here. I don't think they want to travel. Maria?” Reaz faced the weakest Walker on their team. “Stay here or not. I don't mind either.”
“A minute... I will... come,” Maria sat on the ground, breathing heavily and feeling as if her Emblem was eating her insides. Her wounds weren't the pretties, notably bleeding in many marks around her legs and back. Darks tried to slow them down for hours since the beginning, which Reaz took for an unhinged trick, so she didn't hold back in their run and often clashed against some lofty packs and Darks. Maria couldn't do it, so she ended up hurt.
“You have a few minutes, silly.” Reaz gestured for her to get up but knew how some things were difficult. Like the siblings who tried to go onwards, they weren't as quick for a good reason. Fatigue was getting to anyone proper, while their security over the Sea was the main reason for injuries. Only if they were stronger. Only if they didn't complain and did a better job.
Reaz sighed upon watching a pair of siblings complain to one another, with Vern supporting his sister's shoulder, and trying to go on.
Dreadus didn't care for rewards; he would never get any bigger promotion simply because others had to accept his promotion first, or there was nowhere to be promoted. They shouldn't do much if they were clever. Perhaps everyone would change their minds if he became Rank 8, but that was as feasible as finding... this Crystal Water Sea, wasn't it?
Reaz might be the same, for there might not be a single blessing in a promotion. The System was different. Their Emblems were even better at seeing promotions, and some human ones were silly, at best. Constructed by criticism, rewards, demotions, mistakes, and a variety of politics, there was a point why some Walkers had preferred homes and missions.
People were complicated. What exactly was a change or point in his Rank-up? What would a reputable success even make for someone problematic, yet talented enough to lead a team to Australia? It was a weird position because Dreadus's accomplishments and Rank 7 weren't small in the slightest. There weren't that many Rank 8 Walkers, and Rank 7s were at one point the sole hegemons of humanity. That was decades ago, with some of them turning to Rank 8, or death.
Dreadus's needs at Rank 7 were slow like his age that wasn't young or old. Many have already given up on him being something greater, or it might be because of his personality or various swings that went against the rules. He was from one of a few military Divisions, so he knew armies all his life. He didn't know the rest. He didn't know the matter of family. He shouldn't want to question every little thing. It was about a job well done, and he was fine with that like acceptable sleep and food.
Right now, his new curiosity and worries were on his chest, breathing and poking his peck.
“Don't worry,” Dreadus said to the girl. “I will protect you. I promised, you see. I should've known troubles would come, yet they can pass.”
“Name,” she whispered while the Hound under her gaze felt like water and stone pressing on her. She tried to push it away but couldn't.
“What?”
“I want some.”
“Name, eh? Maybe later. We need to get out of here first,” Dreadus took that by surprise and couldn't even think of a single name. Like usual, he decided to stick to his guts and worry about some questionable problems later.
Soon, the girl met one hell of a serious monster, looking like a deep metallic monster. It was closer than ever before, and this time, it was in one piece, standing on the ground rather than reaching out for the sky. It was bigger than she had expected, yet it could fly. Well, there were odder monsters that could fly, and this one wasn't even that big.
The helicopter named Mi-5000 was a huge demon with many people coming from it and out. It was cold, foreign, and felt like a big block of smoothened stone that she couldn't get into her vision.
Dreadus walked straight inside with her and didn't even turn to Reaz, who solved the rest of their problem and team. As a leader, there were some privileges he had and didn't want. First were lax character and laziness, though some things couldn't ever change, or weren't an issue for him. Reaz liked him for those reasons because she could do his job instead. It was both a privilege, an annoyance, and a perfect learning experience.
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Even though she was one Rank lower, they wouldn't be equal even if she became Rank 7 overnight. There was some weight in her spirit and Emblem that created a difference at upper Ranks, or a weird illusion that touched on harsh subjects of their lives and fate.
Some Walkers appeared stronger than they were, some were weaker because of some subjective matters, and some were obvious like an open book. Among them, there were vast disparities that were only notable when one saw them in action, against Hordes, and certain Darks. Some competitions, tests of their depths, Skills, or secrets would do the rest.
Reaz, who was less than forty years old, had remarkable prospects of becoming influential even without involving her family. She was powerful enough to look at great old talents and old monsters without feeling too much pressure. The fact that she was at Rank 6 described no small gaps, simple words, or numbers.
It was significant to think of a foundation as crucial, followed by the System and Arcana that drifted within most bodies. Those created the largest disparities among all talents, giving Walkers many possibilities and dangers. There were many layers and choices upon them, and all the while the grand System played along with them.
Those slower yet considerably strong in their Rank-up were quite powerful, taking the steady approach of better-done perfection that was better than rushing. The foundation was optionable, while options within their powers were up to their benefits and try, followed by accomplishments and continuity because getting one or three primary matters might get speedy than caring about dozens of things.
Speed and power were part of the same coin or expenses that might be hard to swallow. Thus, making a team was good, and a lot of Walkers always worked out with that, rather than being solo. Unfortunately, there was a benefit of the doubt when it came to people.
It was a matter of style, Emblems, growth, and stability. It was about the mind too, or how Walkers grew their chances and stabilized everything within their boundaries or homes. Like with soldiers or the past humanity, not everyone was equal, so there sure were fodders even amongst the Walkers.
Reaz was still not one; she wasn't even some general or captain either, though she would get there eventually. She was a Rank 6 Walker for less than a few years and it took her a whole year to stabilize everything before she even went back into duty.
Now, she was taking care of important businesses and took Dreadus as a stepping stone, albeit she started to see a reason in doubts, in him, and herself, while this team wasn't half that bad.
There were some lessons and things to learn even from Dreadus, a troublemaker, great Delver, and someone who could generally do great duties if he tried harder. Perhaps it was the lack of motivation that made him terrible. Perhaps it was what had been missing all along. Reaz wondered if this was it; a change that the unknown girl might shift.
Reaz supervised the siblings, Sea, and moved into the helicopter. Meanwhile, Dreadus walked into a space right beside the cleaned-up cargo space, which was spacious and prepared for that Sea, while the seating area had changed, with fewer seats and more combat-style.
A few seats were enough, and emptied-up space was here just in case, or due to the weight problems. There were less than ten seats left, so he took a seat by a window like an old man fed up with a long walk.
“That was... a dreadful journey,” He said as he started to set the girl and Hound free from his cloak. It took some tries, and soon, they were all free.
Hound fell to the floor, still unconscious, whimpering as if dreaming, and growling as if it was fighting for its life. Still, it hadn't done anything more than that, so it looked like a dog resting on a cold floor. As for the girl, she fell down with Hound because she kept hugging it.
“Are you well?” Dreadus asked.
She nodded, eyeing the inner cave of this monstrosity, feeling the cold ground with notable shock, dread, and doubts. She got anxious when Dreadus walked into this thing and set her free. So she hid below Hound, looking around like a cornered animal, discovering nothing in particular, or dangerous.
Dreadus scratched his hair and looked at his problems lying on the floor. Hound was one thing, but the girl? How to approach this situation that he started out of nowhere? Was Fain right? Was he making one big problem even bigger? He was like a cornered old man who never had a chance to gather any family, so this was... strange because it was nothing but the truth.
Just why was he so quick to help her and offer so much when he had so little to offer? He was bad enough as is, making his life about military and Walker stuff alone. Nothing more. He had his priorities set straight, yet.. where did that laziness and strangeness come from if he knew it all his life?
For some, it was because of Dreadus's nature and touch of Emblem, followed by the way of his time in the military, or personality.
Some knew more disturbing causes or hidden meanings. The teacher was often responsible for the outcomes of their students. Weren't families like that as well? Dreadus thought that must be the case, yet what was a father and daughter like? A master and a student? A general taking care of new recruits? That sounded wrong.
As he contemplated over his life and this decision, the girl kept her anxiety close, until she realized this thing seemed tame and not very terrible. It wasn't like some cage either, which was welcomed and good. But it could be that, she feared. It might be fitting as well, for she got loose, got out of her former home, and them. Herself too.
She got to her feet and caught and hugged limp Hound over her chest. The tail and both pairs of limbs trudged down like its head, making the hug tight and heavy, but she didn't find it too problematic when she didn't make a move. Then, she took a seat beside Dreadus, figuring this home wasn't so distant and different from her past, and that copying Dreadus wasn't very hard.
Like this, the two of them sat there in utter silence, one awkward, and both anxious in different ways.
That went on for seven minutes until the last preparations were completed and Reaz walked in with the rest of the team. Siblings remained in the cargo space, sitting cross-legged around the Sea that was barely able to fit into the cargo space. It glowed in stability and regained vigor, seemingly good enough because of the sibling's stability and no running, or Darks in the way.
They moved beyond their best, stubbornly going against what Fain had said. That was why they kept arguing about who was getting spent first, which was a hideous way for both of them to go against their limits.
Just in case, the Academy also set two Walkers with Gravity and Space properties to help secure the precious and unknown Sea, so in one way or another, Vern and Vera could lessen their burdens. Should they? Of course, they refused.