Wizbette slowly opened her eyes, though it was much easier to just squint. She was in their vehicle's med bay. Although it was called as such, the environment feels like a cozy bedroom: walls and flooring were made of brown wood, and the bed was not utilitarian unlike other medbays. As she came to her senses, a searing headache drilled through her head, which made her grunt from the pain. She tried to get up, but as she did, the pain dug deeper. Her feet were limp, and her hands quivering. Despite her weakened extremities, she tried to stand up only to fall on her knees, the impact making a loud thud.

Wizbette winced. She grabbed on the arm of a cloth chair beside the bed. The least she can do at this point was to sit. The numbness in her every muscle was too much for her body. Glancing at her right, the other bed was empty, but there were signs of it being used recently.

Suddenly, she heard someone running. She thought they must have heard the noise.

The door was pushed open. It was Sora.

"Wiz! You should've called!" He worriedly said while helping Wiz sit on the chair.

"I'm... N-numb all over..." Wiz stammered.

"Then why move, silly?" Sora tried to take a joke at her, but she's too dazed to care. Instead, he gave her a fur coat hanging just beside the door.

"It's chilly. And you're still weak." He remarked. Sora wrapped the coat around her gently, to the point that only her head was visible. She grabbed the rim of the coat softly, as if to snuggle.

"I'll give you something hot to drink. Be right back--"

Before he could get out, Wiz pulled a small portion of Sora's apparel.

"The others?"

The latter answered assuredly. "The captain and company bought supplies. Gris is on maintenance work, and I'm going to get your drink."

"What about---" She was about to add another inquiry, but the door was already slammed shut, leaving her alone yet again. Sighing, Wiz turned around and leaned at the window, positioning her head ever so slightly that she may see what's outside.

The sky was rife with dark, rolling clouds. The snowfall was heavy. They were in a large parking space but only a few vehicles were there. The pavement was laid in white; only snow as far as the eye can see. She wondered how much time has passed since that time…

To her left, buildings made of varied, yet sturdy materials stood tall, with people moving in between the alleyways. To her right however, a daunting wall stood far off the distance, completely blocking her view of what was further down. Not far from the center of her view was the driveway of the parking space. They were in a city. A walled one.

Mido. If only they had turned up and lent their help much earlier. The thought of the boy that she hastily saved finally caught up to her, however.

‘Where is he…’ she wondered.

A person in that state could not possibly go out all by himself. On the account of her weakened state, Wiz did not heed into mind everything that happened: When she was at Mido, she found him. But deep in her mind, she was urged that he is to be saved at all costs. Of course, as a priestess of her God of Life, Anzach, everyone with the fire to live is deserving of salvation.

It was out of voluntary action; the extreme physical risk in using her power was expected, but she cannot help but feel something off about that man, that there was more to him than just a sole survivor of a massacre. Was it all luck? Or worse, was it he who destroyed Mido? The latter was probably a bit too far-fetched, but there were a multitude of questions. Dizzying ones that added to her headache. Wizbette was exhausted, confused, and yet… utterly curious.

Sora came back with a platter. As he set it aside an end table, Wiz scanned what he prepared for her: Baked bread, a small bowl of soup, and tea.

"I thought it was a hot drink only?"

"Eh, I guess I went overboard.” Sora chuckled. “You need to eat too, Wiz. Using your ability on that boy took a heavy toll on you."

Wiz took a bite at the bread. Much to her surprise, the hot bread was crunchy, a hint of garlic clung to her palate. She silently went for the soup so as to rinse the garlic’s scent. The texture and flavor of the bread and the warm soup combined together, and as she gulped the food down, she felt her body energized. As soon as she was attuned to the food, her questions dissipated. The numbness was still there, however, but her body felt much better than minutes ago. She went for another go at the soup. The pores on her face pricked up as the steam from the soup caressed it.

Meanwhile, Sora sat in the bed beside Wizbette's, and silently admired the thought of her eating so well. He did not even mind his stomach that was rumbling silently.

"Mhhmm…” Wiz closed her eyes. “This is good, Sora. Thank you!" She complimented him. Sora smiled, and waited for her to finish...

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The snow was still breezing, and the other members were still not back. Sora started with an exposition to refresh Wiz's mind.

"We are in Migny, the closest city from Mido. Command said to report back as soon as possible, but unfortunately, a flash snowstorm is currently plowing through the area, resulting in this heavy downpour."

Wiz nodded between points. She can think clearly now, thanks to the boost.

"The survivor, who is currently unnamed, was transported to a local hospital and is currently being healed. He is the sole asset to the incident; I doubt command will be satisfied for us to lose him here. Of course, we have you, Wizbette, to thank for that. With that information, expect for us to be stuck here in a few days, with a cold breeze above us, and a unaffiliated, crippled person in our midst. I trust that you'll be asking questions, Wiz." Sora concluded. "Ask away."

She wanted to ask about the boy’s whereabouts, but Sora answered it already. Clearing her throat, Wiz started with a question that sprung out of her mind.

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“Sora… Do you think that boy is a Vassal?”

Sora noticeably realized the possibility. “… You have a point… Personally, I did not see anything different with him. He is just a normal human. As far as my perception goes, his tone was nothing special.”

"Nothing special..." Wiz was a bit surprised, as she felt something different in him while he was healed. Taking a breath, she told Sora, “I sensed in him… Flames. Like wrath, raging inside him. Isn’t that a usual environment to be a Vassal?”

Tones. Some call it mana, a vector of magic, but in truth, it is the same substance. In Alto, it is the string of existence; a mist of life that permeates everywhere. Even the soul is a form of Tone. Vassals are its weavers; gifted individuals with the capacity to manifest unnatural abilities far greater than practice alone. This particular group, Designation 7, are such individuals.

“You have higher aptitude to the tones, so I figured you’d dig deeper.” Sora laid his back.

“But it is a high possibility. Something broke inside him and he went in a rampage. Adding to the fact that you described his soul as flames, and he is the only survivor…” He laid his upper body on the edge of the bed now, feet still planted on the floor.

“Ah, shit. It’s all too convenient!” Wiz just listened to his rambling but took into account any viable information. “Too convenient… But we are missing a crucial element.”

He pointed his right hand to the ceiling.

“Evidence. I know.” Wiz finished. “The evidence was literally burned to the ground even before we came, and there are no tonal disturbances in Mido. Plus, the description I blurted out just now cannot simply be speculated as such...”

She’s too focused now; she felt the headache slowly creeping back to her head from thinking. “It’s all mental theory, I know, but this is a possibility. Something is off about him.”

“As far as I know, Wiz, we cannot trust that guy until he speaks. When the worst comes to pass, we have Enna.”

“No. Don’t even try to make me think of Enna’s methods.” Wiz visibly cringed. She thinks of Enna as a girl that does her tasks in a “weird way.” Sora laughed and patted her hand.

“Hope for the best, then.”

----------------------------------------

Fein and Gen, who were carrying bags containing essentials they bought at local stores, turned up at the parking space and proceeded to approach Gris outside the vehicles as he was just finished in checking the its components.

“Beaver is good for the day. Cleaned up the gunk and all.”

“Thanks for the service, Sir Gris.” Fein formally said to him. The big man stood up, his height mostly inches higher than them, and chuckled. Although he was quite burly, his muscle tone was emphasized, much so with his height, which gave him a build akin to a middle-aged bodybuilder.

“Like I said when we were called D-7 for the first time, just call me by name. We’re a team, captain!” He jokingly said, but it was sincere. Gris puts to heart his colleagues, and the thought of him being the eldest member years older than them puts him in a natural responsibility to be as approachable as possible.

“Get in, then! We got food.” Gen cheerily hopped aboard the Beaver, the name of their moving fortress of a vehicle, as a response. Fein followed. Gris just chuckled, set aside his tools, cleaned his jacket and followed them soon after.

The three of them were rushed by Sora, followed by Wiz, who can now walk. She explained their guesses about their new occupant, the survivor from Mido, and asked for confirmation from the captain.

“Command never sent any messages. I guess the storm is cutting our outside communications.” Fein explained.

“That’s a bother. Well, it's also a given that we’re stuck here, waiting this out.” Sora remarked. “We need to be careful around that guy too, cap. Just as Wiz said, he might be an odd one.” He added.

“He’s still recovering, Sora, but you have a point. We’ll be keep him in check until he can explain.”

Meanwhile, Gen set aside their supplies: medical materials, provisions, tools, and food. Preparing the latter, he started to work on the small kitchen they set up within the ‘mess hall’ portion of the vehicle, which took much of the space in the middle. As he was preparing, Wizbette leaned on the countertop.

“Feeling hungry yet, princess?” He glanced, his attention focused on the preparations.

“Uhm, I think I’ll pass. Sora already made me food.”

Gen raised his eyebrow unto her. “Hmm? Bet you can’t say no to these…”

He presented a bag and opened it against her: A variety of ingredients fell into her eyes and nose. The aroma of each pricked up her sense of smell and also her sight, as she saw the plump colors of fruits, vegetables and spices that the others bought. Her pouted, tired face eventually turned into a rising smile, cheeks turning red.

“Make it nice!” Wiz enthusiastically responded with a nod.

----------------------------------------

A table was set in a small space one might call a dining room. Chairs were set fit for the people inside, and food were placed in plates. They have afforded such amenities to be as cozy as possible, and, despite the serious atmosphere inside the vehicle because of all the glimmer of reinforced metal around them, they were having a hearty meal. The grim heaviness of thinking that a town’s worth of lives was lost to a tragedy was still in the air, sadly. But groups like them had their own fair share of such experiences; war, backstabbing, death and the lot. Sure, there is always the time for mourning, only that this world does not take that time into consideration.

Death is tumult. Yet everyone in Alto embraces it like it is just another happening. Howls can be heard for days, but sooner or later, one understands, and buries it deep onto the ground, realizing that the same howls are heard everywhere.

“Ooh, this takes me back!” Gris leaned unto his chair, creaking its metal legs in the process. Everyone was too busy eating to notice, however.

“I have to say, it’s been a while since we had this company.”

Gen nodded. “Mhhmm. Too occupied in work. Good pay though. Good pay. Not that we have a choice.”

“We’re employed Vassals, obviously. What were you expecting, Gen?” Fein remarked while slurping through a bowl of soup.

“Pampered based on our efforts? It’s hard enough as it is, and despite the pay, it's necessary that we have to travel far out into the world...”

“We are to work as an Apprehension Group, putting under control Rogue Vassals that threat the populace's general safety. With much of that populace treating us like walking dirt, however, the Organization and the Branch giving us work and a place to live is the best that they can do.”

Gris smiled beneath their discussions. This was a rare occasion for them, being so close to each other, even if their discussions were, in a way, serious. He just shrugged that latter thought, however. Gris understands their position. Vassals, although powerful, are shunned by much of the common men. Vassals are the so-called 'cheats' of life, as they say, easily coming into favor to lords when an ordinary man has to work from square one. It was said that this anger is latent among humans, when powerful entities weaponized the Vassals onto their side and sparked a continental war. A civil war that devastated much of Alto, leaving the children in its wake dazed and forced to face it's aftermath.

“But I’ve got to say, the food is starting to taste… stale.” Fein could not take another spoonful. He was reminded of the town of Mido, and their failure to respond. The team were so preoccupied, so used to death that their recent failed errand was fogged out of their thoughts. The others’ heads turned down, their warm meal slowly turning into a grim gathering.

“We can’t go on like this. We cannot head back without results…” He said, gripping his spoon. He knows the others felt the same. This failed operation may bring their command dismay, or at the very least, reprimand them. Wizbette, however, with her soft hand, gently touched Fein’s fist. He slowly turned to her.

“We must look forward. Run if we must, just as you always say, captain.” After a pause, he nodded.

“Right.” Fein calmed down, and everyone resumed their meal, albeit in a more neutral manner. Moments passed. When everyone was back to normal conversations, Wiz noticed something, or rather, someone, missing.

“Uh… guys? You didn’t invite Enna?” Gen and Fein immediately looked at Wiz, and to each other. “Oi… she did say something to you at the market…” Gen reminded his captain.

“Yeah… I forgot on the way here. She said she’ll accompany the Mido survivor.” He said. At the last words, however, a hint of nervousness clung into his voice.

Wizbette’s eyes widened. She calmly set aside her plate and sighed deeply, dropping her head to her chest in the process.

“Oh my…”