Master Hanshon woke them up after the sun hit the sky, except Yuri, who was awake and staring at the sky as he lay on the uncomfortable forest ground. His lack of sleep didn't matter to him. For all he cared, his body was in perfect condition.
"How far are they?" Yuri asked Clif, whose bed hair was messier than usual.
Clif got up and flipped the compass open and waited for it to load up.
"7 miles." The professor answered.
“That’s not too far. They must have slept in too.” Axel said. He was already walking around the place, waiting for the others to get up. Ada, Tatsu, and 048 were still sitting on the ground, recovering from sleep.
“Where’s Tumes?” Stu asked. Yuri noticed that Tumes was nowhere to be found.
“I think he went out to take a leak.” Axel told Stu. Igor was also not among them, although, no one seemed to notice that.
They packed their things and waited until Tumes and Igor returned. It wasn’t long before they came back.
Yuri’s lips were dry. He hadn’t drunk anything since he left Aori. To his luck, they found a pond after a few minutes of walking. All of them stopped and washed their faces. They drank the water without a care for its pureness.
“That feels good.” Tumes took his head out from the pond. He was drizzling with water. Yuri still didn’t know how his skin looked so fresh under these circumstances.
“I don’t think we are supposed to drink that.” Clif hesitated to use the pond, but he did use it to stare at his reflection. He was gesturing and throwing weird looks at himself.
“Why?” Ada asked.
“There might be animal carcasses, obviously.” Clif told her.
“Tastes fresh to me.” Tatsu remarked after she spit out her mouth full of water.
Yuri, along with the rest of them, walked for another before they found something that marked their progress.
“Ashes and wood.” Hanshon observed the ground.
“They set up camp here.” Axel added.
“Axel?” someone asked from above. Yuri looked up to find moving leaves on the tree. Someone was up there.
“I know that voice.” Axel said calmly.
Hor Arwt, brother of Stu Arwt, jumped down from the tree. He looked rough. His skin was dirty and his clothes were torn.
“Oh man, I thought you were the Proximians.” Hor explained to the group. “What are you all doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” Stu asked his brother.
“I asked first.” Hor looked at Stu annoyingly.
“We are trying to find the Proximian base.” Yuri decided to answer Hor’s question. He was keen on not wasting their time.
“Oh.” Hor looked confused. “Why exactly?”
“Because of the attack on Tefot? Seriously, Haven’t you heard?” Ada asked him.
“They attacked Tefot? I knew something was going on. I wish I could’ve helped.”
“Hor.” Axel called his attention. “What are you doing here?”
“Yesterday morning, me and my partner, Kol Brim, found the Proximian ship. They caught Kol, but I managed to escape.” Hor told his story. “We found the ship in Tenthol, but they moved it here after they got Kol. I’m chasing after them.”
“Didn’t you report this to anyone?” Ada asked.
“Just the council and Master Cora.” Hor answered.
Master Hanshon and Axel exchanged glances. This was highly irregular.
“Do you know where the ship is?” Clif asked him.
“No, but I know where the patrol stands.”
“That will be useful.” Master Hanshon remarked. “We can avoid unnecessary run-ins.”
Just as soon as Master Hanshon finished his sentence, they heard a steady marching of footsteps. The ten of them looked at the Master for a second and immediately split off.
The footsteps got louder.
Yuri, Stu, and Tatsu were quick to hide behind one of the overgrown bushes. Yuri felt his nose itch. A terrible sneeze was swelling up.
No! He held his breath as if his life depended on it.
Yuri heard the footsteps slowing down as the soldier got closer to them.
“This is B-11.” The soldier reported through the transceiver. “I found burned wood and footprints near section B-4. I request confirmation.”
“This is A-17. We slept there last night. No cause for alarm.” said the soldier from the other end of the receiver.
“Copy that.” The soldier started returning to his base.
All of them came out of their hiding spot after they made sure that the soldier was out of reach.
“I thought the base was still a few miles away.” Yuri said to Professor Clif. The Professor checked his modified compass again.
“The soldiers are still 2.7 miles away…” He sounded unsure.
“Well, they could have reported in last night. They might be out patrolling.” Axel’s guess was as good as everyone’s.
“The starship is nearby.” Hor said. “But getting in won’t be easy. They have Porkons surrounding them along with the soldiers.”
“Porkons? What’s that?” Tatsu questioned him. Yuri was not familiar with it either.
“Porkons are-” Ada was ready to lecture but she was interrupted by Tumes.
“They are real nasty birds. The Proximians use it for scouting and dropping stuff. Trust me, you can’t underestimate them.” Tumes told Stu. “Back in the military, I made that mistake, and look what that got me.” He lifted his shirt to show him a scar on his back.
“It is safe to assume that the bottles in Tefot were dropped by these Porkons as well.” Hanshon added.
“What’s the plan? We can’t just barge in.” Yuri moved the conversation forward.
“No we can’t, I say we slip through the Porkons, take down a soldier and use their uniform as a disguise.” Axel explained his plan. “That way, the disguised soldier can help all of us get inside the ship.”
“Who’s getting disguised?” Hor questioned his plan.
“Me, of course,” Axel answered as if it was obvious. “I’m good at going undercover.”
“Are you though?” Hor asked. “I can bring up several instances where that isn’t true.”
“Bring up one, I dare you.”
“The plan is a bit gray on the details.” Hanshon said, putting an end to their bickering. “But we’ll have to make do with it”
“What about after we get into the ship? What then?” Igor asked them. He was tired of just standing around.
“We find out what they are up to. Get any sort of intel that can help the cause.” Hanshon replied. “But do not risk your safety. Getting out of the ship alive is just as important as getting in.”
“Any questions?” The master asked after a few moments of silence.
“We are wasting time. Can’t we start already?” Tumes expressed his impatience.
“Not all of us needs to get in.” Yuri said. He had it planned out already. “We might want a backup or two outside the ship. Just in case things go wrong.”
“True.” Stu supported him.
“Any volunteers?” Master Hanshon asked.
“I’ll do it.” Professor Clif raised his hand. “It’s way safer out here.”
“It’s settled then. Let’s get a move on.”
Professor Clif, Master Hanshon, and Hor led the way with the rest of them in the back.
“Hey Ada? Do you still have the stun gun that I gave you?” Clif asked without turning back.
“Yeah. Why?” Ada summoned the gun in her arm easily. Concealment and summoning were not so hard for her now.
“They’ll work against the Porkons.” Clifton took the gun from her. “I’ll just stun them with it if they spot us.”
“They’re very hard to spot. You won’t see them coming.” Hor told him.
“You obviously haven’t tried the sport of hunting. I’ll shoot them out of the sky before they have a chance to release their screams.”
Professor Clif had been looking up the entire time they walked through the forest.
“There’s one!” He whispered enthusiastically. Clif drew on the blue tracking pad with his fingers, and then he pulled the trigger. The white laser bullet shot out of it and followed the shape of Clif’s drawing. The rest of them couldn’t see the laser hitting the Porkon, but they did hear a faint cry. Shortly, a bird fell to the ground, near Yuri’s feet.
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“That’s a crow.” Ada said. “Way to go dad!”
“At least now we know it works.” The Professor defended himself.
Yuri kicked the dead crow away, and then followed the team as they advanced.
The area they were walking into was getting less and less foresty. It was more of an open ground with a few trees to call it a forest. This was disadvantageous to them since there were fewer hiding spots.
“That doesn’t kill people, does it?” Tumes asked the Professor.
“No, It just knocks them out for a few minutes. I am not sure about the effect they have on birds.”
“What else do you have?” Stu asked him. “Anything useful for the situation?”
“I left my suitcases with the military. All I have is this small bag filled with my equipment.”
“Let me see that.” Igor grabbed it from Clif. He opened it and examined his equipment. “Boy, even my fanny pack has better stuff than this.” Igor said proudly.
“What part of a work bag is not clear to you? No offense, but my work is light years ahead of Sizaxian technology.” Clif said, taking his bag back from Igor.
“That is funny, Professor.” 048 bulged in. “The Sizaxian standard of technology is the modern standard of technology. You should visit the village sometime, before making such an absurd assumption.”
“Sizaxia? Been there. Glorious town to be frank, but I’m sure Buldum would agree that my work surpasses his.”
“What? You know Buldum?” Yuri asked.
“Of course, He’s a friend.”
Their interaction was cut short when Master Hanshon pulled out his katana.
“Silence.” Hanshon whispered.
Professor Clif took a look around and loaded his stun while he was at it. He drew on the blue pad again, after fixing his eyes on something in the eye. He shot the stun. A bird, that was almost too big to call a bird, with a long and thick beak fell to the ground. It was yellow, with a few black feathers.
“Porkons. There will be more.” Clif remarked. “Pay attention.”
Yuri spotted one. From the distance, it looked like an oversized eagle, but there was no mistaking the beak. Yuri caught Clif’s attention by kicking him lightly in the knee.
The Professor shot again. Another Porkon fell to the ground.
“Someone’s coming!” Hor alerted the team. They scattered as soon as Hor said it.
A Proximian soldier entered the area and studied the dead Porkuns. He was on his knees and touching to see if they were alive.
Axel came flying in from behind a tree. He cut off the soldier’s head before he was able to turn on the transceiver.
“That’s a lot of blood.” Clif said. He was hiding next to Yuri behind a large rock.
“What are you doing?” Yuri asked the Professor. He was extending his right arm. Within a few seconds, a blaster appeared in Clif’s hand.
“How did you? That’s gia concealment!” Yuri was shocked.
“He used to be a white robe.” Ada revealed.
“What?”
“I quit in my third year.” Clif said. He was pointing the blaster at something while he peeked outside from the side.
“Another one is coming.” Clif shot his blaster, but oddly, there was no sound. The three of them got up from their hiding spot. Another soldier, with his head attached this time, was lying dead on the ground.
“There’s no gun wound.” Axel noted. He pulled the corpse to the side, away from the open.
“Or even blood.” Hor looked at the Professor, befuddled.
“It’s a gia shot.” Clif said. “It alters the gia composition of your body, which will leave you dead for 36 hours.”
“36 hours? So, you’re not dead?” Stu was confused, just like everyone else.
“No. You will die. Temporarily. There will be no heartbeat.” Clif concealed his blaster again. “The gia composition of your body will be balanced after 36 hours. It is quite simple.”
“No, It’s not.” Ada commented.
“We don’t have time to waste.” Master Hanshon urged them to stop their conversation. “Axel, Hor. Hide the corpses and take their uniforms. Hurry.”
By his order, Axel and Hor dragged the corpses away to a more wild part of the forest. They returned dressed as Proximian soldiers.
“Quick question. Did you take off the Proximian soldier’s helmet from his decapitated head?” Tatsu asked them.
“How else would we get it?” Hor asked. His uniform was too tight for him. The material looked like skin on him.
“Can we switch uniforms?” Hor asked Axel, adjusting his pants around the crotch area.
“Too late.”
The transceiver of the Proximian, which was left on the ground, started to buzz. Axel picked it up and answered it.
“This is C-23.” Axel read from his uniform.
“C-23, you haven’t reported-in for the last ten minutes. Is everything clear?”
“Everything is clear. I had a nature’s call. Sorry.”
“Copy.”
Master Hanshon stepped closer as soon as the transmission was cut-off. “Get to the ship. Find a way to let us in without anyone noticing.”
“Or we can just find the information ourselves?” Hor asked. “Why would we need to sneak in all of you?”
“No. We will need to rescue Hor’s friend. There will definitely be a fight. We need all the power we got.” Yuri argued. “Besides, the ship must be massive. It’ll take longer for just the two of you to search.”
“Are you sure you don’t have any other reason?” Axel asked Yuri.
“No.” Yuri lied. He had to see it for himself, even a small shred of information on the Hisantrost invasion was essential to him. He had to know.
“Yuri has a point.” Stu supported him. “We need to stay together.”
They looked at Master Hanshon for approval. “We will join the fight after you rescue Hor’s friend. We cannot take an unnecessary risk.”
Yuri was disappointed. Part of the reason for his taking part in the mission was to find out about his parent’s death. He wanted to know why they had to die, but he had to swallow his dissatisfaction. Putting his team at risk was not something he wanted.
“Here.” Yuri took the transceiver from his pocket and gave it to Axel. “Just tell us if something goes wrong.”
“Yeah.” Axel took it from him.
The team sneaked a little closer to the position of the ship. It was gigantic. The starship was shaped like a complicated rectangle that took up the space of an entire city block. The ship itself was not touching the ground. It was raised to the ground by several metal columns.
A few Proximian soldiers were guarding the ship. From their hiding spot, Yuri counted two entry points. One through the front with a leading staircase, and the other through the back.
“Good luck.” Ada wished them before leaving for the ship. The two of them jaunted up to the guards confidently, as if they belonged. There was a small discussion between them, but they eventually moved towards the front entry.
Once they were inside the ship, Yuri patiently waited for the transceiver to buzz. Minutes felt like hours. Yuri wanted them to be safe of course, but he also wanted to be inside the ship, helping them.
“Something’s going on.” 048 said. There were soldiers running to enter the ship. Soon, an alarm went off.
“Intruders!” one of the soldiers announced from the entrance of the ship.
The transceiver started buzzing.
“We are in trouble.” Axel said. There were blaster sounds from his side.
“Let’s go.” Master Hanshon and the others charged in with their katanas and swords. Igor and 048 stayed at the sides, protecting them from the blaster shots. They cut through the purple uniforms and climbed the stairs to the entrance.
“We are on the second floor. Hor’s friend is dead. We are being pursued by the reaper.” Axel reported from the transceiver. “We haven’t found any information either.” Hor added.
“The reaper? Isn’t that Cal Harn, hand of the king?” Stu asked them.
“Yes. We need to get in immediately. I think the ship is going to take off.” Hanshon led them in.
“Why are they taking off now?” Tatsu asked.
“Oh no.” Professor Clif said wearily. He was standing at the edge of the entrance, looking out at the bottom of the ship. “I think I know why.”
“What’s wrong?” Yuri asked the Professor.
“There is a giant reactor attached to the ship’s bottom. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen.” Clif sounded shocked.
“What do you mean?” Yuri asked again.
“That thing can blow up at least three cities at once. This is bad. They are taking off too. We have to assume that they have it ready.” Clif got inside as soon as the ship started to take off. The door closed behind them.
“We have to stop it!” Hanshon yelled through the ship’s starting noise. “If the professor is right, the entire nation is at peril. Our priority has shifted. Find the engine room. Shut the whole ship down!”
“We will split into two teams. One half of the team needs to get the professor to the engine room. The other will focus on assisting Axel.” Yuri took command. “There they come!”
The soldiers came blasting in. Yuri, Stu, and Master Hanshon were at the front lines, blocking every hit. They fought through the army to get to the metal stairs.
“Go! Go!” Igor shouted.
“Igor and I will stay here and stop them from getting in.” 048 announced. They were both working together for once. Both of them guarded the stairs after the team got in. Igor’s ax and 048’s great sword prevented the Proximians from getting any further.
“Thanks!” Stu shouted as they skipped through the stairs.
The second floor was bad news. Hor came flying in as soon as they entered the room. Master Hanshon and Stu grabbed him before he hit the wall. Axel was fighting off against a man in a hood. He was taller than Axel and he used a scythe as his weapon.
“That’s Cal Harn.” Ada recognized him. “The Reaper.”
“That’s him?” Tatsu asked.
Axel was visibly overwhelmed by the Reaper’s agility. He was swinging the scythe in a way that prevented Axel from making any progress. His speed was incredible as well.
“Do you know where the engine room is?” Professor Calif asked Hor.
“It’s not on this floor. Why?”
Yuri and the others rushed to the next stair, but they were immediately prevented by the Reaper. The head of his scythe flew at them from a chain, and the chain was attached to the wooden pole he was holding.
It’s extendable?
“Not so fast.” The Reaper’s grim voice terrified him. They had to back off before he leaped to attack them. Master Hanshon put himself ahead of the children.
“I’ll join you after I deal with him. Go!” Hanshon commanded.
Yuri and the rest of them used the opportunity to get to the next floor. They entrusted the fight to their master and Axel.
Unfortunately, the third floor was swarming with even more soldiers. They were running around the place, unaware of the enemy’s presence. Yuri even restrained himself from breathing loudly, what if it caught their attention?
“Do you think the engine room is on this floor?” Tatsu whispered to Clif.
“I don’t know.” He whispered back.
“Hey!” one of the soldiers shouted when he spotted them.
“Fuck!” Yuri cursed and started swinging his katana at the soldiers. “Try to find out if the engine room is on this floor!” He commanded them.
“Does anyone have a sword or a katana?” Clif asked them as he stood there helplessly.
“Yeah. I always keep an extra.” Tumes took a katana from his waist and threw it at the professor.
“Oh boy, I haven’t done this for years.” The professor defended himself from the blaster shots. He was looking a little rusty but he did the job.
Tumes and Ada outran them to find the engine room. Yuri, Stu, and Tatsu stayed behind to cover their backs.
“The control room is over here!” Ada yelled.
“The control room? Is it the same thing as an engine room?” Stu asked them as he fought the soldiers.
“I don’t think so, but we can figure out where it is from the control room. It’s impossible to search all five floors in time.” The professor answered.
The four of them ran to where Ada yelled from, but they were instantly blocked by two dozen soldiers who emerged from that direction. It was looking bad for them. Tumes tried to fight, but he was overpowered by their coordinated shots. One unlucky blaster fire got to his shoulder, and he fell to the floor. The soldiers were piling up on him. Ada tried to hold them off.
It’s hopeless. They’re gonna kill him.
Yuri tried to get to them, but he was kept busy by soldiers as well.
“This is what I saw!” Tatsu said.
“What?” Yuri asked.
“This is what I saw at the fire in Aori! I understand now!” Tatsu pushed the soldiers off and took a brief glance at Yuri. She had an unsettling look on her.
Tatsu pulled up her left sleeve and positioned her katana near it.
“Tatsu no!” Yuri screamed.
She’s performing the amputation technique!