Part II

[https://i.imgur.com/GgyBivq.png]

I haven’t seen it since that day. I’ve returned several times to the site and found no more shifting vines. Nothing has moved since that day, but even still I feel somehow changed. It would be best for me to spend more of my time inside, at least for the coming days. Well and good, the people of Barksight and I don’t quite see eye to eye anyway.

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 16th Entry

Pens tapped against the table as AxEl stared down at his paper. The weather was warming up, so the windows were open, distracting him. Birds chirped outside and AxEl clutched his head in one hand, groaning softly.

How do they expect me to do this? AxEl thought to himself, looking down at the exam paper. He made a guess, circling an answer that seemed right, though he wouldn’t bet his money on it. Then, after looking it over once, handed it in and walked out of the room with a deflated ego.

The halls were silent as AxEl walked through them; no doubt due to the fact that most of the other students were busy attempting their own papers. Despite that, he ran into two familiar faces on his way out. Finn seemed to be taking something out of his locker while HinEn stood at his side, talking softly with him.

He assumed it was just some of her usual ribbing, but HinEn seemed to be talking softly, or softer, since her usual tone was so loud and boisterous. Finn didn’t even seem to mind, which made AxEl feel as though he should walk back and away from the scene, but Finn’s glance in his direction shifted his attention.

He closed the door on his locker, and then walked to AxEl with a pensive expression on his face. AxEl stood straighter, if Finn wanted to pick a fight, he wouldn’t find it to be easy. Finn approached and stopped.

“Hey AxEl, what did you get for the third question?” he asked, and AxEl unclenched his fists. Oh.

“Uh, stable was the answer,” AxEl replied. Finn turned away, satisfied.

“Yes! So I was right!” he exclaimed, and AxEl could see HinEn rolling her eyes. Why are they being so…calm?

“Yeah, yeah, enjoy it while you can. Now come on, we’ve got plans,” she said as she waved him over. Finn skipped over with a dopey look on his face, and AxEl felt himself out of place in between the both of them. He was about to give them a quick wave off, but before he could, HinEn spoke again.

“Oh, AxEl, you want to come along? Would be fun,” HinEn asked.

“I don’t see you around the usual guys anymore, where are they?” AxEl asked. Finn winced a bit once he mentioned them but didn’t comment.

“Finn and them don’t mix well together. So, are you coming or not? I don’t have all day,” HinEn reiterated.

“No thanks. I’ve…got something I need to do,” he excused himself before turning down another corner of the school.

“Whatever,” she stated, before the both of them turned the opposite direction.

He didn’t want to think about his situation, considering who was there to pick him up. Anagen had personally dropped him off at school, so AxEl wondered if she would still be seated outside in her, er, his car.

Still weird to think about that. He walked out of the same door he had before hundreds of times, his heart jumping in his chest as he saw the vehicle outside. It was black in colour, polished so as to look spotless. AxEl’s breath quickened before he calmed himself, realizing his fears were for naught. It wasn’t the same car as before; this one was different. New.

It’s not him. It can’t be him. And though he knew it, he still felt anxious as he placed a hand on the handle of the vehicle. Inside, Anagen sat at the driver seat with a calm expression on her face. She wore another suit today, one that reminded him of a secretary without the sash that he usually saw them wear. She looked backwards as AxEl entered, nodding towards him.

“How was the exam?” she asked him. AxEl lounged back in his seat, stretching out his feet to cover the limited area inside the car.

“I don’t feel like talking about it,” he said, deflecting.

“AxEl, this is important,” Anagen replied, and he saw her take on a slightly more stern impression. It had taken a while to get used to her, but now he could decipher most of the emotions on her face without a hitch. Still, it felt as though she tried hiding them as expertly as she could.

“I don’t understand why. With the amount we’re earning, a simple exam shouldn’t be an issue,” AxEl replied.

“It’s an issue when the police find a school dropout earning so much in such a short span. That’s why this,” she said as she patted the car, “is under my name.”

“Tsk, fine. Though you’re not much older than me,” AxEl replied. Anagen craned her head forward and rested in her seat.

“A few years makes all the difference. Especially for an Archivist,” she replied. Though you’re technically my Archivist now, he thought to himself, as he stared at the band of cloth wrapped around his hand.

Anagen glanced backwards once more, then turned once AxEl noticed her gaze. “If….if you’ve anything to talk about, AxEl, tell me,” she stated, though AxEl just kept staring at the cloth.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“I understand. You’re my Archivist, it’s what you’re supposed to do. But I’m fine,” AxEl said, his voice more agitated. He and Anagen sat silently in the vehicle for a few moments and AxEl felt at the plush seats, clean smell and feel of the car.

He looked up once he heard the doors open again, and in stepped Nook, with a smile on his face. “Easiest paper of my life,” he boasted, and slid into his seat.

“Evening, Nook,” Anagen said from the front, and started up the vehicle.

“Hey, Anagen. Where are we going?” Nook asked.

“That’s for AxEl to tell me.”

“I think I’ve got a better idea,” Nook said, then scuttled forward and whispered into Anagen’s ears. AxEl raised a brow but found himself not willing to question further.

****

AxEl had wished that he questioned Nook further. They were both in a homely little place, one that looked to have been lived in for a long time. Nook sat in one of the chairs in the living room, stretching his legs, relaxed. AxEl tried to as well, but with the way Anagen was pacing around the house and looking around, it made it awkward.

“Ana, it’s Nook’s house, there’s no traps,” AxEl said.

“Ana?...Whatever, we still need to prepare the place. How long did you say your parents would be out for, Nook?” Anagen asked succinctly.

“Few days. The whole place is mine for that long,” he replied, taking out some biscuits from a little tin that they kept on the counter. He seemed to be enjoying himself, his jolly mood infectious. And though AxEl wanted to join in, he couldn’t.

“Are your parents the controlling type?” Anagen asked. AxEl and Nook looked at each other and snickered between them. Anagen looked back at them with a serious expression and they both straightened up once she did.

“They let me hang out with AxEl, what do you think?” Nook replied sarcastically.

“I’m serious,” Anagen replied sternly. Nook expression froze and he shrunk a bit in her presence. Straightening his posture out, he replied,

“Three days. They’re not controlling, so I don’t think they would notice anything out of place,” he replied, looking more towards AxEl than her. AxEl simply shrugged and turned away.

She took her place on one of the free seats on the table and then faced both Nook and AxEl. “Why the need?” AxEl asked her.

“Because we need to discuss our plans going further,” Anagen said.

“W-what plans? We’ve already….dealt with DoxEn,” Nook said nervously. He turned and saw AxEl looking at the ground.

“Sorry about that, AxEl…”

“But that’s not enough,” Anagen said, snapping both of their attention towards her.

“What’s not enough?” Nook asked.

“You’re talking about what you said in the office, aren’t you?” AxEl asked. “About Prophecy being much more profitable in the future than Firewire could ever be?”

Anagen nodded. “And that’s why we need to think about expanding our business elsewhere.

“Wait!” Nook said, standing up. “Where’s the point in that? We’ve already beaten DoxEn. We’re rich! Why do we need to keep going bigger?” he added frantically.

AxEl stared at the ground once more, but this time Nook wouldn’t have it. He placed a hand on the man’s shoulders, turning AxEl towards him. “Answer me, AxEl. Why are we doing this?”

“Because we need to, that’s all,” he said, shrugging off the hand that was upon him.

“Anagen, tell me how we can do it. Are there….other trades that we need to bring down?” he asked her. She took out a few documents and placed them on the table in front of them. They looked to be typed up reports of their own production, detailing the profits that they had accumulated from selling Prophecy in Barksight.

“We’ve been successful so far. But you’re right, AxEl. There are other trades, and we’ll need to take over their territory if we’re going to expand,” she replied. Nook had sat back in his seat, but reluctantly had accepted the conversation in front of him.

AxEl felt a twinge of regret on the dangers he was bringing, but was brought back to the conversation at hand by Anagen. “The first of them, are the Silvertongues,” she said. “They sell Tonguewisp. While the other is the Company, as they call themselves, who are known for selling Airwaves.”

Airwaves? AxEl tried to recall information on what Airwaves did, but his mind drew a blank instead. “What do those do again?” AxEl asked.

Anagen clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, then continued. “Airwaves makes you faster, AxEl. The mind and body, both.”

Faster?....Fast enough to…

“We’re going after the Company,” AxEl decided without wait.

“No, we’re not,” Anagen replied sternly. “We’re in a very delicate position here, AxEl. We’re new, weak. If we don’t consolidate our resources, we’ll be taken out!” she punctuated the last part with such venom, AxEl thought he felt fear in her tone.

“But!” but nothing followed. Both Nook and Anagen had already decided, so there was no way he was going to convince them. AxEl wanted so desperately to find a reason, but finally he accepted that Anagen had a point.

Anagen sighed, then tapped her fingers on the table for a few moments. “The Silvertongues are easier. They’re as new as we are, and the Magic Bullet they produce isn’t as deadly as Airwaves.” A silence stretched on between them, one AxEl didn’t bother to break with an answer.

“Where do we go to find them?” Nook asked in his stead.

“I paid off some of the dealers. They receive their shipment from a truck that comes around from Minahret,” Anagen replied.

“The mining town? I guess it makes sense, considering where Tonguewisp comes from,” Nook said. Anagen looked ever so slightly impressed, and continued.

“I’ve hired some agents for this task. They’ll be in Minahret, scouting ahead for us while you decide what we do with them,” Anagen said, looking towards AxEl.

AxEl snorted, “Why bother sending them. I can go myself,” AxEl said.

Anagen’s seat groaned as she sat up and brought her face closer to AxEl’s; and he felt himself blush a little.

“That kind of attitude will get you killed, AxEl, I don’t think I need to remind you,” she stated. AxEl didn’t back down however, returning the glare with one of his own.

“And should I remind you who took out DoxEn? I’m going,” AxEl said with finality.

“Fine, but I’ll be going along then,” Anagen stated.

“And not without me,” Nook added. AxEl was surprised that Nook would even consider placing himself in danger, but he smirked knowing that despite his fear, Nook would accompany him. He nodded in appreciation and then turned back to Anagen.

“There is one problem, however,” Nook said from beside him.

“What about our parents?” Nook asked. Mom! How could I forget! He scolded himself.

“I don’t think that if we go missing for so long, they would understand,” Nook stated and AxEl saw Anagen with a foreign expression. Was that…a slight amount of surprise? Though it quickly faded to be replaced by the blank expression she usually carried.

“You’ll be stuck here for another year,” Anagen said, mostly to herself. “That…might be enough time.”

AxEl agreed with the sentiment. If we really need to tread lightly, then….

“Ana, can you handle the business while me and Nook finish up our last year?” AxEl asked her.

“That would be a good use of time, I suppose,” Anagen replied.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll start within a year.”

Anagen and Nook both looked satisfied with the results. After Anagen had left, AxEl and Nook enjoyed a night of fun for once. With her handling most of the affairs that went on the company, all AxEl had to do was make the decisions and offer his opinion wherever it was asked. So instead, they played games and ate to their hearts content.

A part of him still urged him to be wary of her, despite what she had done for him. Would she betray him, as she had done to the last person she worked under? AxEl looked at the Archivist ribbon on his hand and wondered. Does this even mean anything to her? He pondered late into the night, when drowsiness filled his body and his eyelids felt heavy.

He slept peacefully that day, thankfully not perturbed by images of the past nor the future.