Volume 1, Ch. 1 – Nehebu-Kau's Fortress
Suzumi Interlude
I ducked down as I walked into the convenience store, the doors sliding open with a small cheerful chime as I entered. The Robotic Clerk glanced up at me and gave me a polite bow, which I returned in turn. Thanks to Angel 24s location, I've grown accustomed to just buying something from there on my way in and out of the building.
Unfortunately, my most recent foray into the main districts of Kivotos took me further out than I was expecting. Supper time had long since passed by the time I reached the edge of the Trinity district. Fortunately, I spotted a convenience store just a few blocks from the train I needed to take. Can't quite say I was familiar with 'Rawson', but I noticed most convenience stores tended to carry more or less the same things anyways.
Although I still hadn't found one that carried a decent sausage roll, fish sandwich, or bacon butty yet.
So, there I was. Having cleared the salad section, crouching down to look at the beers to go with my meal, and trying to decide which one I liked better: the one with a cartoon character on it or the one in woodland camo. That was when I felt something poke me in the back. I waved them off. I felt them prod me again. I waved them off, again. After a few seconds, they prodded me a third time.
"Is something the mat-" I asked with an exasperated sigh, turning to face the poker. I blinked when I finally noticed the scene around me. A portion of the store was shot up, destroying much of the items for sale. A blonde masked Student with a gatling gun was holding the panicking clerk at gunpoint as he stuffed a bag full of money. The thing prodding me? A shotgun barrel held by a second black-haired masked thug with the most confused expression in her eyes.
"No?" The thug said, voice sounding as confused as her expression, "I'm robbing you? Normally, people don't really just ignore a shotgun poking them in the back."
I blinked, letting the ridiculousness of what she said and the scene I was in settle. "Did I hear you correctly? You wish to rob me?"
The two thugs stopped what they were doing and looked at each other before laughing. I suspect they may have taken my incredulity for fear. A suspicion that was confirmed when the blonde walked over and turned her gatling gun on me.
"Now, now," She said, a threat looming in her voice, "No need to be scared. The Justice Task Force won't be here anytime soon so if you do what we say, we won't hurt you. Much."
The two shared another laugh and the black-haired thug racked the pump of her shotgun. I would imagine the threat display would be effective against a normal Adult of the city. Unfortunately for them, I was not normal.
The two's laughter stopped quickly when I joined in. With their attention on me, I stood up. I watched their gazes follow me as I stood to my full height. The more I straightened out, the more the bravado faded from their expressions and the more fear and terror crept in.
"I appreciate your concern," I said with a beaming smile, clapping one hand down on the shoulder of the blonde, "but you may wish to save it for yourself."
She seemed to freeze in shock at my touch. How unfortunate. She who dares, wins. I grabbed the hand holding the minigun with my other hand and turned about, carrying the girl forward, and throwing her into the wall next to the alcohol cooler. She slammed into the brick wall with a meaty *THWACK* that rattled the lights before crumpling to the ground in an unconscious heap.
"Now, I believe you said you were robbing me?" I asked aloud as I turned back to face the shotgunner, only to blink when she wasn't standing where I saw her last.
"Don't move!" I heard her shout. I followed the voice to the clerk's counter, where she had the Robot in a hold while keeping the shotgun trained on me. "If I see you move, this old rustbucket's going to get it!"
"Please!" The clerk shouted, panic visibly crossing his television like head, "I have a family!"
This situation was rapidly proving to be more of a headache. I'm going to have to buy both of those brands of beer now. Running my hands through my hair, I pinned the thug with a stare before asking, "And once you shoot him, what will you do?"
Both the clerk and the thug blinked in confusion at the question. They were both silent for the longest moment before the thug managed a response.
"I'll… shoot you?"
"You have a pump-action shotgun." I answered, as I leaned down to pick up her fallen comrade's gatling gun with one hand. "Do you really believe you will have it ready before I throw this at you?"
The thug was silent for a moment, trying to think of how to get out of this situation. The sound of shattering glass helped her come to an answer as a very familiar flash bomb bounced into the room with us. The thug looked down at it even as I closed my eyes in preparation for what was to come.
*BAM*
Suzumi had dragged the two unconscious delinquents outside while I stayed behind to help the clerk clean up. I wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but it took her some time. The cleaning was done and the clerk was in the process of bagging my food and drinks by the time she walked back in. I could hear her approaching behind me before she stopped mid-step.
"Good evening, Ms. Morizuki," I called out as I twisted the change into my stores, "Thank you for your help. It was quite fortunate you arrived when you did."
Silence was my response. That was a bit out of character, she usually took care to greet me. I turned my head to take a look at the one-winged girl. "Is something the matter?"
She was looking at me with a complicated expression like Chinatsu previously. I could guess why as well: I still wasn't in duty dress. I sighed and turned around to look at her directly, arms crossed under my chest as I leaned against the counter. "I may not have much experience with it, but I was certain that my choices in off-duty apparel were rather mundane."
Suzumi blinked, looked at me, looked back down to what I was wearing, and then turned away with a blush. She coughed into her hand a few times and cleared her throat before looking back to me with her usual half-smile.
"Sorry Nelson-Sensei," She finally answered with a small nod, "I just didn't expect to see you out of uniform like this."
"That seems to be a common opinion," I mused aloud, before shooting Suzumi a sly grin. "Or do you perhaps have an opinion on my fashion that you would like to share?"
"No, you look…" Suzumi started before trailing off again as she started to stare again. After a second she snapped out of it and, with a blush on her face, spun about and made a break for the door. "I'll be waiting outside!"
"That was not the reaction I expected." I remarked aloud before turning back to the cashier. He held out my bags of food and drinks, but was staring at the departing form of Suzumi with an indiscernible expression. I grabbed the bags as I bowed my head, "I apologize for taking up so much of your time, sir."
The Robot looked back to me and sighed, a look of absolute pity flashing across his electronic face. "You'll have a handful to deal with, won't you?"
"Never fear, they are all excellent Students."
"That's not what I meant…"
I found Suzumi outside, guarding the two thugs. They had been tied to a pillar and had a pair of heavy looking headphones slapped over their ears. I could hear the faintest notes of music as they struggled and shouted obscenities at the one-winged girl. I ignored them as I walked up behind her.
"Have you recovered your wits?"
"Yes, I'm sorry about that." She answered with a nod, disappointed look on her face. "I was trying to say you looked good but it's a bit embarrassing…"
Well, she was only a teenager after all. My crew's memories all warned me that all teenagers were awkward at best. Trying to compliment someone else, never mind an Adult, was probably hard for her. So, I answered her with a smile, "Apology accepted. You managed now, did you not?"
Suzumi didn't answer me, choosing instead to look back out towards the street. I followed her gaze and, in doing so, my attention was brought back to the two tied up Thugs. Curiosity got the better of me as I watched them continue to struggle.
"What exactly have you done to them?"
"I have them listening to "Baby" by Austin Dieber on repeat until the Justice Task Force arrives to pick them up."
I've never heard of that song or artist but now I had absolutely no desire to do so. Especially if they could elicit a reaction like that. "I suppose it is an effective punishment."
"They were trying to rob a convenience store. They deserve it."
"You shall hear no argument from me."
Suzumi nodded in agreement before looking at me, a concerned glint in her gaze. "Sensei, what are you doing in Trinity at this time? Incidents like this are quite common if you're not paying attention."
"Well, I was on my way back to the Schale Club Building so I decided to stop by to pick up supper before I boarded the train."
Suzumi's concerned look was joined by a frown. "Which train were you going to take?"
"The D.U Limited Express."
"Sensei," Suzumi began slowly, as she looked down at her phone, "The D.U Limited Express stopped service 15 minutes ago."
I blinked and checked my chronometer. She was right. The incident and dealing with the aftermath took much longer than I thought. A problem, but not a major one. "Well, I suppose I will walk then."
"I don't think that's safe. Someone your age shouldn't be out this late-"
"Ms. Morizuki, I am 24. I am hardly that old."
Suzumi blinked at that piece of information. She mulled on it, looked at me, and then tilted her head in confusion before literally shaking the thought clear of her head. "Still, you should call for a taxi. What if another delinquent attempts to mug you? Or even abduct you?"
"Then we pity the delinquent for the choices that led them to that moment?"
Suzumi didn't take that flippant answer well, judging by the annoyed glare. Well, if it would make her feel better, there was one option. "Well, if you are concerned, why not escort me back to the Club Building?"
Suzumi paused, turning her focus back to me with a stare. "Well, that would be…"
"Think of it like this, you will be able to ensure my safety and you will be able to capture any other thugs that decide to make a poor life decision." I nodded with a confident smile. "It will be a positive outcome no matter what."
The one-winged girl thought about it for a few moments before she sighed. "Very well. I'll be your escort then. Your safety will be ensured with me as your guide." She started to walk down the street, before turning off into an alley. "This way." With that, the two of us started to make our way back.
It was an hour of shortcuts, local trains, and buses later when we found ourselves up the street from the Club Building. My escort pulled to a stop before pointing at the entrance. "You should be safe from here."
"Thanks again for your help, Ms. Morizuki." I answered, before looking around with a wry smile. "Are you certain though? We could be beset by thugs at any moment."
"Please don't joke about that," Suzumi muttered under her breath before speaking up, "You don't need to thank me. I was simply carrying out my Vigilante Crew duties. Even if it's not an official club…"
'It must be hard trying to keep an eye on everything the Justice Task Force misses." I pointed out, looking at the time.
"Trinity is too big and prone to being attacked," Suzumi agreed, nodding, "We have to keep working to maintain the peace."
"Well, I believe you are doing an excellent job. But more to the point, I would like to thank you for the wonderful company tonight."
Suzumi looked up at me, confusion clear in her eyes, "Sorry?"
"Consider this as a gift." I had meant to give it to her earlier but now was as good a time as any. I reached into my stores and, with a twist of my will, I pulled out a premium chocolate bar. If there was one thing Kivotos did right, it was their sweets. Before the one-winged Student could respond, I placed the bar into her hands.
"Wha-" Suzumi elegantly stuttered as I stepped out of the alley. "Wait, Sensei, this isn't-"
I waved off her attempts to give back the gift. "Have a good night and enjoy, Ms. Morizuki. I shall see you on your next shift at Schale."
I left the white-haired Student in the alley and made it about halfway down the block before I glanced behind me. She was still standing there, looking at the chocolate bar with a conflicted look. Seems she wasn't sure how to take the gift. I waved again to get her attention before shouting, "You should make your way back, or you may be abducted!"
Her expression flipped right back to exasperation before a smile crept back up her face. "Please stop joking about that!" She cried back.
"Arona," I said aloud in the empty shooting range, "begin the timer."
"
Alright Sensei!" The little computer girl answered, the device propped up on a gun bench so she could see the experiment. I saw a timer pop up on the screen of the Shittim Chest out of the corner of my eye. "
I'm ready to begin as soon as you start!"
It had been a week of effort and I still was no closer to finding out why I couldn't summon my full combat outfit. But I was on the verge of a breakthrough. I could feel it. The first few days had all met failure and the discovery that whatever I was doing was not able to be recorded. But then I had an epiphany. If I couldn't focus the image on the entire loadout, why not just focus on individual parts of it?
So Arona and I spent the last few days, between meeting the students that helped me, trying to see if I could just summon a portion of the loadout. So far, we have tried the armour, main battery, and secondary battery. None of it had worked so far.
With the timer running, I closed my eyes and focused on the power within me. I reached out and tugged at it, slowly spooling it out. In my mind's eye, I focused solely on one of my tertiary guns. A 120mm naval cannon, simple enough in form with a single curved gun shield. And then, with the thread of power whispering in my mind and the image clear; I forced the two together with a twist of sheer will.
Something heavy dropped into my right hand. I opened my eyes and brought it up into the light and where Arona could see it, a sense of amazement and power surging through me. In my hand was what looked to one of the handguns I called upon. However, a large shroud was mounted forward of the receiver and a heavy long barrel took the place of the normal barrel. It was as if someone had mounted my naval cannon on a pistol handle.
"
Is that it, Sensei?" I heard Arona ask, voice full of wonder as well.
"It is. The timer, Arona. How long did it take?"
She visibly panicked on the screen, swiping away at the numbers at the top corner of the Chest. They stopped immediately and she stared at it, deep in thought, before turning back to look at me. "
That should have been just under 30 seconds, Sensei!"
Thirty seconds of pure concentration, in a controlled environment and under ideal circumstances. I didn't have to think about how hard it would be to do in combat. I would never finish it. I tried to twist it into my storage but, as soon as I reached out, I could feel the spool of power keeping the weapon intact begin to unravel. I stopped and it reasserted itself.
"How did it look when I was creating this?"
"
A few small orbs of blue fire gathered in your hands and then 'poof' shaped itself into that gun."
Definitely no way to hide it then. But with the first step of the experiment done, it was time to move to the second step. I walked up to the firing line and set the target to a hundred meters. "Continuing the experiment. We will now test the functionality of the summoned weapon."
With the barrel pointed down range, I racked the slide halfway and looked inside. I could see what looked to be a standard handgun cartridge sitting in the chamber. How peculiar. "Weapon functions like my standard sidearm. Now commencing the firing test."
I pointed the sidearm down range at the floating holographic target. To my surprise, I instantly knew where the point of aim was. I took the gun off target and the mental point of aim vanished. I twisted a regular handgun into my left hand and pointed it down range. Nothing but iron sights. With a twist, I put it back
"I always know where the summoned weapon is aimed at, unlike the normal firearms I have access to."
I could hear Arona furiously scribbling down notes as I took up a proper two-handed grip again. With the target this close and the newfound link, there was no way I could miss. Taking a deep breath, I squeezed the trigger an-
The green-haired Schale receptionist was on her phone, tapping away on Momotalk as she found herself on another quiet shift. The Schale job wasn't that bad, in all honesty. It was just a little boring if you weren't Sensei or one of the actual members. Staff like her were just the people that looked after the building. But at least the pay was reliable and nothing exciting ever happened.
Then the building exploded.
She instantly tossed her phone aside and checked the security cameras, looking for any signs of another criminal attack. She instantly spotted the offending location; the firing range. That was strange, Nelson-Sensei said she would be there doing something and asked it to be closed off. Maybe someone snuck in?
Still, she was being paid, so she had to check it out. Slinging her trusty Schale issue SRX160 onto her back, she dashed over to the range with the rifle ready to help defend the building. She slammed the emergency open and a wave of smoke rushed out. With her rifle up at the ready, she slowly walked in.
"Nelson-Sensei! Is everything OK?!"
"Yes, Ms.-" She heard the Teacher start to call her name before coughing. "My apologies! The experiment just went a bit awry."
As the smoke cleared out the open door, she finally got a look at what was happening. Nelson was in one of the range stalls, clutching a truly massive hand cannon. Behind her, at the opposite wall of the range, there was a large scorch mark and indent on the wall. It almost looked like someone had fired a mortar at it. As she stared at the destruction inflicted upon the room, she saw the Teacher casually pick up her tablet. She wiped off the screen before speaking into it.
"Experiment log update. Weapon is capable of firing High-Explosive ammunition. Indoors use is not advisable."
I finished the rest of the experiment at Schale's outdoor range. I found I could change the ammunition if I focused on it while cycling the firearm portions. I had access to Star, Smoke, and High-Explosive. The only problem was that the High-Explosive hit with the force of a Medium Mortar and was on the far opposite end of subtle. Still, they worked and that was the main point of the trials.
The real problem was the fact the weapon fired three times before the image failed. I could still remember it. As I went to take my fourth shot, I could feel the weapon's image shatter. One single mount became a dual mount, then a single mount, then I suddenly could see three different mounts, then two, then one. Then it simply vanished, the weapon popping out of existence.
"
It didn't work out exactly like you planned but that's still an improvement, Sensei!" Arona said cheerfully from the tablet holder on my desk, having put away the experiment notes into some secure location within the Chest. "
I'm sure we'll figure it out with more practice."
She was trying to cheer me up. It was obvious. Despite it, I still couldn't help but smile at her efforts. "I suppose you are correct, Arona. With time, we shall figure this out."
"
I'm sure we will!"
It was definitely hard to feel down for too long around the ever-plucky computer girl. Still, with the experiment over and lunch finished, I had to get through the more mundane portions of the position. That being paperwork. While I needed Yuuka's help interpreting the finance paperwork, most of the others were far too familiar. Project proposals, event notices, and after action reports all formed the bulk of what I had to look over.
I flipped the completed stack to the side of my desk, and spotted the words "Outreach Proposals" written on the front. That reminded me. "Since I am on the matter now, how is the online conversation regarding Schale?"
I tried to figure out social media, I honestly did. But to be frank, the amount of information available and different ways of interacting made it quite a bit of a headache for me. So, I just stuck with Momotalk to communicate with my Students and passed all the other accounts to Arona for her to handle. Something she did with aplomb.
"
Oh! Let me see!" Arona answered, before grabbing a pair of glasses from somewhere and began looking over a notebook, similarly procured. I was used to the notebook but the glasses were new. I was sure she was doing it more for appearance than anything else.
"
A lot of students are starting to talk about Schale," That was good. It had only been about a week but it seems I made a good first impression. "
And we've received letters from other students asking for help. That's a great sign, and it means there's a lot of work for us!"
Arona paused as she flipped over the page. The glasses vanished and she took a closer look at the page, the excited expression on her face dimming. I've only been around Arona for a week, but I knew her well enough to recognize this as signs of a situation developing.
"Arona, is something the matter?"
She looked up at me from the notebook, a frown clear on her face. "
Um, there's this one letter we got."
"Oh, what does it say?"
Arona was silent, before a small wheeled drone rolled into the office moments later. One of the mouse automata that helped do the menial tasks around the building. In fact, this very drone was one that I usually gave completed documents to for filing. What I wasn't used to seeing was an actual, honest to Fisher letter sitting in its tray. Sealed, stamped, and to be delivered to my desk.
"
I think you should take a look." Arona said with a gravity that I had not yet heard from her.
I reached down and plucked the letter from the tray, expression equally serious, "I think I shall." I slipped a knife under the flap and carefully opened the letter. I took the sheets of paper out and began to read it aloud.
To the advisor of the Federal Investigation Club.
Hello. My name is Okusora Ayane, and I'm a student at Abydos High School.
I'm writing this letter because I want to ask for your help.
Our academy is being harassed.
One of the local gangs has been tormenting us.
It's a long story but we think…
…this gang is after the school building itself.
The students are doing their best to stop them.
It's only a matter of time before we run out of ammunition and supplies though.
At this rate, the school will fall to them for sure.
That's why I'm writing to ask for your help.
Can you please help us, Sensei?
I slid the letter across the table, hand running through my hair as I processed what I just read. Receiving a handwritten letter in Kivotos was a rarity thanks to all the myriad ways to contact another person. Even I managed to adapt to Momotalk and E-Mail after a few days of trial and error. To have a solid written paper letter sent carried with it real weight and emphasized the severity of its contents.
It wasn't something I could ignore. It wasn't something I could ever ignore. My thoughts must have been visible on my expression, as the corners of Arona's lips perked up into a small smile. "
I guess Schale has its first official operation?"
"Technically the second, but you would be correct," I answered, gathering the loose documents and sorting them; placing a few for the mouse drone to take to records. "What can you tell me about Abydos High School?"
"
Hmm… Abydos High School, huh?" Arona mused before pulling a large book from nowhere. She seemed to read it over for a moment before replying, "
It used to have a large, thriving district, but it fell on hard times due to climate change. The district was so big that people would even get lost in the middle of town!"
"That sounds a bit difficult to believe," I said, as I finished locking up the important documents, moving to pluck the Chest off the desk. If Arona noticed or cared, it didn't show. She just giggled before continuing to speak.
"
Heehee, I know. That sounds ridiculous. How does someone get lost in the middle of modern civilization? I'm sure that was just an urban legend." She paused, lost in thought for a moment, before continuing, "
Anyway, I can't believe the academy is being bullied by some lowlife thugs. It sounds pretty serious."
I nodded in agreement, even if she couldn't quite see me as I walked up the stairs to my room elevator. "It must be for them to send a handwritten letter like this. I imagine whatever disaster has befallen the district has impacted their ability to respond."
I entered the elevator and hit the only button on the control panel. There were a few important things for me to retrieve, but there were still other general supplies I would need to sign off. All the things I needed would have taken a few days to procure and complete the paperwork on Earth. But they didn't have an assistant like Arona back on Earth.
As the elevator ascended, I began rattling off what we would need, "Arona, please send emails and documents from my desk. Ask Ms. Morizuki if she is available to assume the role of Deputy Chief for the duration, and ask Ms. Hayase the same for the role of Assistant Chief.
Please also put in a request with the General Student Council for information about Abydos's current Student body and, finally, prepare Armoury Requisition forms for immediate withdrawal of ammunition, desert equipment, and rations from the stores. I do not wish to be surprised by anything this time."
I glanced back at the screen of the Chest in time for Arona to finish writing down the last of my orders, tearing them off a clipboard and putting them somewhere offscreen. She looked up at me with an excited smile. "
Anything else, Nelson-Sensei?"
Now that she mentioned it, there was one other thing I didn't consider. "I will also need the most recent map of Abydos, please. I would prefer to avoid becoming the lost traveler of legend."
I looked at the map on the tablet along with Arona. I looked up at the pile of sand next to me. I looked back at the map, as the little computer girl started to hum in consternation. She looked up at me, the concern clear in her expression as she spoke. "
Sensei… this pile of sand isn't on the map."
"I know." I answered with a sigh, running my hand through my hair as I tried to figure out where exactly we were. I was a battleship, the greatest warship ever put out to sea. I had circumvented countless seas and oceans in my time as a Hull. The vast blue expanse of the ocean with no reference was as familiar to me as the rock of the ocean waves. I thought that the navigational skills would be a simple one-to-one transfer.
Except I forgot to account for several things. First of all, Arona did manage to get me the most recent map produced by the latest GSC survey of the region. Except the most recent survey was nearly a half decade ago. Features which once existed were now swallowed by the desert or destroyed. Paired with buildings sticking out at random, it made for more like a maze than a sea.
Oddly enough, the one problem I somehow didn't have was walking. By all accounts of my crew's memories, I should be slipping and tripping in the shifting sands. High-heeled boots did not lend towards favourable weight distribution but I somehow managed. Another weird secondary ability to never be answered.
"
Sensei, are you sure you'll be fine in this heat?" Arona asked, looking over at where the predicted temperature of 36 degrees blazed brightly.
"Thank you for the concern, but this is hardly the worst weather I have experienced." My crew's memories chose to remind me of summer months in the Mediterranean and Pacific. The less said about the conditions below deck and in the turrets, the better. I was proud of my heritage, but I was built without air conditioning outside of a few spaces. The effects of the tropical sun in the rest of the hull were predictably uncomfortable.
"Still," I muttered, electing to continue my attempts to use my compass and the old maps to navigate to the address on the letter, "the evaluations that this is an abandoned district are underselling the state of Abydos. We have been underway for nearly six hours and I have yet to see a soul."
"
Most of the residents abandoned the district when things got bad, Sensei. Only the most dedicated people are left here now."
Dedicated like the final students of Abydos. I skimmed the profiles on the train ride here, before I was unceremoniously asked to disembark a few stations early on account of sand clogged rails. It was a quick read. With only five students left, Abydos had gone from one of the largest schools down to barely extant.
Now, if only I could find that school building.
The sound of a bike bell behind me broke me out of my contemplation. I quickly tucked the Chest into the specially prepared backpack I had, Arona crying out a faint "
Hawaa!" as she was shoved in, and turned to face the source.
A Student riding a rather well-made sports cycle was looking at me with curiosity clear in her bright mismatched blue eyes. She had shoulder length grey hair adorned with a blue cross hair pin atop which sat a pair of fluffy canine ears. She wore a fairly standard white button up shirt, dark blue blazer, and dark pleated tartan pattern miniskirt, accessorized only by an aquamarine scarf and single bright green glove. A blue crosshair-like Halo floated above her head and I could spot the barrel of a white automatic rifle peeking out from behind her back.
I know who this is. It would be hard not to, given the documents I read on the way here.
"Are you okay?" She asked, voice soft and even.
"It depends," I answered as I slowly approached her, "Physically I am quite well. However, I must admit I am quite lost at the moment. The train I was riding asked me to disembark quite a few stations away from my destination."
"Nn. This must be your first time here." The girl said, "This happens all the time here."
That's never a good sign and will make logistics a bit of a headache. Unless I take the helicopter. I shuddered at the thought of that. "A shame. The Council information is significantly less reliable than I assumed."
The girl's canine ears peaked up at my mention of the GSC. She stepped closer and took a closer look at me and I could see the gears in her head spinning. "You do look like you're an adult from the General Student Council. Are you here on some kind of academy-related business?"
"That I am," I answered with a beaming smile, "My name is Nelson, from Schale. You may be familiar with my destination."
She blinked, before looking me up and down. After a moment, she locked her wide mismatched eyes with mine and asked, in a soft voice, "You're here to help Abydos? We're the only ones around."
"Correct."
"Oh," She said before glancing aside, appearing to lapse into thought, "It's been a long time since anyone visited us. Let me show you the way."
"By all means. Lead the way, Miss…?"
"Sunaōkami. Sunaōkami Shiroko."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Sunaōkami." I said before bringing my left hand up for a handshake. Shiroko stepped forward and was about to raise an arm before she suddenly paused. She took a step back with a quiet "Wait" before she stopped to, of all things, sniff herself. It clicked for me a few moments later. She was riding a bike until she encountered me, in the desert, in a uniform, in 36-degree weather.
"Is something the matter?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral even if I could guess at the answer.
The embarrassed look on her face combined with a light blush confirmed my suspicion even before she spoke. "Sorry. It's just, I had been cycling for a while. I didn't work up that much of a sweat, but still… I usually have to take a shower afterward and keep a change of clothes there."
I blinked as I processed that. Who cycles in the desert in a uniform and only sweats 'a little'. My eyes drifted back up to the Halo, reminding me of the likely answer. A rather strange incidental power to provide, but one that made some modicum of sense. I guess.
"Never fear." I answered as I made a show of taking a step away, "I will follow from here if it would help you feel more comfortable." Shiroko gave me a grateful look but, besides that, elected to begin walking. I fell behind and to her left as the two of us departed towards Abydos.
AN: And thus we enter Abydos. We can consider much of this chapter setting up things that will come up again within my interpretation of Volume 1. I also decided to add a different chapter name within the text of the story itself. I can't remember if that's a Type Moon thing, but I always did like it when stories had a chapter with a general and referential name.
This chapter is a bit later than normal because it did need a bit of rewriting after Beta Reading. Some OOCness was pointed out and I had to fix it. Thanks again to my friend for putting up with me.
