Morning dew, clinging to the skylight.
Little droplets coalescence over the surface, merging slowly before sliding off to the side one by one.
Morning light spilled through the glass, casting a warm ambiance across the thick blanket. Two women slept beneath it, their brows twitching every so often.
frrshhh…fwumph…
Their snores, filled the backdrop.
b…beep…
BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!
"Mhmm...turnit...off.."
BEEEEEP!
"Cil..."
whap!
The alarm flew off the nightstand and smacked against the floor. Its back popped open on impact, the batteries skittering across the wood. Cecilia's hand drifted back toward her as she rolled closer to the edge of the bed.
Seconds slipped by.
Then sunlight burst through the skylight without mercy, flooding the room in white.
"...ugh…its so bright, lets just sleep in..."
Ikade's voice remained muffled as it tapered out, her words slurring from beneath the sheets.
"snff…rrr…"
.
.
.
shff—fwump—THUD!
"Sshhh."
"—!"
Cecilia rubbed the back of her head haphazardly, her eyes watering from the impact while her legs remained tangled in the sheets. She did not even register Ikade's delayed words, nor the golden-brown eyes staring down at her slumped form from atop the bed.
Ikade pushed herself up on one elbow, her ears tilting forward while the blanket slid off her shoulders.
"Hello? Terra to Cici… you okay down there?"
"Uhh....i meant to do...that?"
Cecilia stood up after a second, brushing herself off. Mild annoyance crossed her face while she kept rubbing the throbbing spot at the back of her head.
Her gaze moved from the nightstand, where her pistol still sat within reach, to the half-broken alarm scattered across the floor.
"That thing didn't even last a week."
Cecilia picked up the pieces and tucked them inside the nightstand cabinet, then slid into her slippers the next second.
Behind her, Ikade stretched out her limbs, arching her arms overhead with a quiet yawn before sliding off the bed and padding toward the bathroom.
Ikade mumbled along the way, barely awake.
"Water's gonna be cold…"
"I know, I know. Give me a second."
Cecilia untangled the sheets first, then flicked her wrist toward the small screen near the bed. A low hum answered somewhere beneath. After that, she fluffed up the beaten pillows and pulled the blanket back into place.
By the time the bed looked presentable, Ikade had stepped out, drying her hair with a towel.
"So?" Cecilia asked. "How was it?"
Both of them glanced at the freshly made bed, where a few stuffed beasts loitered near the pillows.
"It feels smaller when someone hogs ninety percent of it."
"Oh please, I did not hog ninety percent of the bed."
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Ikade crossed her arms, the towel hanging around her shoulders. "Every time we sleep together, I somehow end up trapped under you."
Cecilia's face stiffened slightly.
"That's not—"
Ikade pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and leaned against the closet like a wounded noblewoman.
"I was helpless. Defenseless. Taken advantage of by an evil tyrant."
"I was sooo scared."
skrrr—tk!
Cecilia yanked the sliding door closed before Ikade could say anything else.
Inside, the bathroom stayed comfortably warm. Her eyes drifted toward the smaller opaque skylight overhead, where morning light poured through and caught along the tufts of her hair, stretching her silhouette across the floor and door.
A few short minutes later, she was already brushing her teeth, tugging faintly at the lines beneath her half-lidded eyes while foam gathered at the corner of her mouth.
nnnnneeee—the small extraction fan hummed above her, slowly pulling the last of her sleep away.
Minutes passed.
And, she finished brushing, rinsed her mouth, wiped her lips and stared into her reflection.
"GHK! Cough cough cough..."
The fit hit without warning, itching until it became uncomfortable.
The coughing kept going a little longer, rough and stubborn, until it finally became manageable but left her throat parched.
Her hands shivered from something that pierced through the exhaustion in her muscles.
Two pills and a single pen rose from the counter into her grasp, their containers closing with soft clicks. She tossed the pills into her mouth and drove the auto-injector into her thigh in the same moment.
clck.
All three flow through her body, just like the tides of a sea.
Cecilia stripped herself down and stepped into the shower.
"Uhh...ohhh...its a bit cold but..."
Water rushed from the showerhead and soaked her hair and face. Cecilia tilted her chin slightly, letting it cascade down her neck and shoulders. Her gaze drifted to the braided cable running from the showerhead, up along the wall, then down into the small unit beside the sink.
And when she closed her eyes.
Light spilled from top to bottom. A waft of warm air followed through her hair and brushed against her skin.
The heater's dying hum became white noise.
In the kitchen, so to speak, Ikade stood dressed by the counter, opening a small cabinet. She snatched a small bag of chips and tossed it across the room without warning.
Cecilia caught it midair before turning around and walking up to her pistol, holstering it beneath her shirt.
With both in tow, Ikade slid the grated metal gate open, then pushed the door behind it.
More sunlight shone through. As soon as the two crossed the doorframe, the makeshift street's music filled their ears.
"My eyes! Ahh—betrayal!"
Ikade sang out dramatically, but her smile betrayed her too, earning her a knock on the head.
Cecilia tossed Ikade the chips, then dropped to one knee and opened a small wooden box to find her shoes inside.
She swapped them out and tossed her slippers inside, with Ikade doing the same a second later. Afterward, they locked up their home and headed down the short but steep flight of grated metal stairs.
The airy desert greeted them at once, patches of green clinging stubbornly to the golden earth.
Ikade ripped the bag open with a happy flick of her tail, grabbed a handful and held it out toward her.
"Wansh shum?"
"Too bad! So sad—mm—mine."
Ikade immediately stuffed the chips into her own mouth instead, crunching obnoxiously loud.
They stepped onto a street.
The makeshift streets stretch ahead—paths both narrow and wide.
A pair of children darted past them, thin wooden sticks in hand, chasing a small beast down a dry slope. One of them fell face-first into the ground, only to push right back up and rejoin the hunt.
Cecilia flicked a finger.
Ikade leaned into the frame without warning, flashing a peace sign.
Ping!
The picture manifested in an opaque film beside the children, freezing the exact moment in place. Ikade's smile caught at the edge of the frame, with a half-obscured landship behind her through the drifting sand, before it faded into Cecilia's gallery.
Somewhere nearby, someone tested a speaker system that distorted every other word.
A normal scene for every behemoth broken down in Terra.
Step step step.
One stall became three, then ten, then a whole stretch of patched tarps and vehicles. The smell of oil and spice rolled over them in heated waves, mixing with the faint dust in the air.
"I thought it'd take way longer for this place to come together…" Ikade said, looking around. "It's tiny compared to the village I'm from."
She drifted toward a small shop prepping food, watching meat, vegetables, and spices get pressed together before wandering off again.
"Well, judging by all this, it's probably not the first time this thing's broken down."
"So…" Cecilia asked, shifting aside before someone brushed into her. "What's it like?"
"Like what?"
"Where you grew up."
"Mmm…" Ikade thought about it for a second. 'It's not bad. Far, yeah, but we weren't cut off or anything. You could get to a major city in a day or two if you really needed to."
She glanced toward the stalls, her tail swaying lightly behind her.
"Think of the movies and you're probably close. Rice fields, small shops, old people who know everything, etcetera etcetera."
A small smile tugged at her lips, then faltered slightly.
"Before I left, they started modernizing a few things. A few streetlamps, an observer, nothing too fancy. And, you know…" She shrugged. "The occasional fight over something stupid."
Ikade paused to poke at a display of hand-carved trinkets, lifting one shaped like a miniature beast. Its small eyes painted a vivid red.
She studied it for a second, then bargained with the woodworker before happily paying the negotiated price.
They kept walking and stopped a few steps later near a stall selling tinted goggles. Ikade tried on a pair that framed her face, then pushed them up with dramatic flair.
Then she plopped a large hat onto her head.
"How'd I look?"
"Quite cute."
Ikade's face lit up like a festival.
Eventually, the smell of grilled meat pulled them in.
They stopped at a skewer stand, fat dripping from the meat and onto the open flame, hissing back at them. The blaze flared a little before settling, leaving its seasoning on the skewer.
Cecilia flashed two fingers at the vendor, who got to work. A moment later, a skewer was handed over, paper wrapped around the hot metal base.
Chomp.
"Hot—hot—hot—!"
Cecilia plucked the second skewer from Ikade's flailing hand and watched with amusement while Ikade fanned her mouth, chewing stubbornly through the heat.
"My, my…couldn't even wait five seconds, huh?"
Ikade shot her an annoyed glare, the tips of her ears twitching.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the street, cooling both skewers enough to stop them from burning their tongues off.
"Oh, shut up."
Ikade leaned in and tried to steal Cecilia's skewer, only for Cecilia to press two fingers to her forehead and hold her back.
Ikade kept pushing anyway.
Harder.
And harder.
Until the very tip of her tongue managed to graze the meat.
Cecilia's shoulders trembled once at Ikade's face, and then Ikade lunged.
Cecilia shifted her arm away at the last second, turning her shoulder while the faintest smile pulled at her mouth.
Ikade followed after it, one hand grabbing at Cecilia's sleeve while the other reached for the skewer with all the might she could spare, even with her own still in hand.
Little by little, the two messed with each other, the scenery changing with every step they took. At one point, Ikade traced shapes across Cecilia's palm while they walked hand in hand.
Past every block of life.
Eventually, the two of them slowed and settled onto the grated platform of their freighter, lazily watching a cluster of vehicles roll off beneath a low cloud of dust.
Ikade had long since given up on sitting and instead laid her head across Cecilia's lap, her tail flicking this way and that, occasionally thumping against the metal.
"Hahh…we've been walking for an hour and still haven't found a group."
"Well, we haven't exactly been asking anyone though."
Ikade waved a lazy hand from Cecilia's lap.
"Details schmetails."
Cecilia looked down at her for a second, then nudged one of Ikade's ears.
"C'mon. Let's take another look. Who knows? We might find someone desperate enough. Or, you know, we can just out ourselves."
Ikade let out a long, exaggerated groan before rolling off Cecilia's lap. She pushed herself up, stretching both arms overhead, her tail curling into a swirly line at the same time.
They moved from cluster to cluster, approaching both large and small gatherings. Some were already loading up and ready to depart. Others were still forming, strangers gathering into little bands beneath canopies.
Sometimes they walked close enough to catch pieces of muttering.
They drifted past four vehicles parked in a loose semicircle, dirty but well maintained. Around twelve people stood among them, and one person working on a vehicle noticed the two before greeting them with a nod.
They passed others like themselves too—stragglers staring out toward the horizon, searching for an opportunity. A pair of siblings nearby looked far too eager for adventure, the atmosphere around them almost painfully bright.
Again.
And again.
Until they were back where they started.
Now.
Repeat that three more times for the sake of it.
"This was a lot of nothing."
Cecilia said nothing else, only pressing a bag of ice against the back of her neck while Ikade drank from a bottle beside her.
Then something flashed in the distance.
Far, far beyond the thinning sky, something large cut across the horizon.
One reflection became several, bright glares stabbing into her irises.
Poof.
A cloud of dust erupted, swallowing a few of the glints. Several more veered sharply to the side before their outlines blurred behind the rising haze.
The two could practically feel something rushing toward them. Cecilia could almost see it moving through the earth, bending the sparse vegetation and nudging tumbleweeds aside.
HOOONK!
The horn reached them in an instant.
After only a few short blinks, the blurred figures resolved into vehicles. Rugged ones, their lower halves caked in tan dust.
"…well. What're the chances they'll let us tag along?"
"Didn't you just say we'd go on our own?" Ikade asked, inching closer. "Weren't you the one going, 'we'll head out ourselves,' like an hour ago?"
Cecilia leaned back as Ikade squinted at her.
"So you're just a liar now? Wow. And I thought I could trust you. All that bonding meant nothing?"
Cecilia was left agape, her mouth opening and closing.
Ikade burst into laughter, her tail flicking behind her.
"Pfft—hehahah. Just kidding~ You should've seen your face."
The laughter died when the two turned toward the incoming convoy.
shff…
The same vehicles from the horizon rolled in and began parking in a staggered line. One swerved too wide and nearly kissed the side of their wheel.
The driver inside received a sharp knock to the head from someone unseen, then flashed a wary grin out the window at them.
Through the windshields, the passengers stared out with expressions that flickered in the span of a heartbeat—curiosity, wonder, and something else Cecilia could not quite place.
Their eyes roamed over their behemoth of a vehicle.
Then over them.
vrmmm… mmm…
krreeeak…
One by one, the doors swung open. Complaints flew out before their shoes even touched the ground.
"—just shhh, well tell him to figure it out! We warned him que su mierda was gonna break if he wasn't careful."
A tall man hops down from the lead vehicle and stretches his back with a grunt, muttering to himself.
"Relax, it's fine, isn't it?" It came from the passenger side, a canine-eared man with a sleazy look, using his hands to enunciate his words. "You keep getting that red, viejo and you're gonna pop something before this car does."
The tall man slowly turned his head.
"Marshall."
"What? I'm worried about your health. You're already up there."
Then Marshall turned toward Cecilia and Ikade, finishing the question with an easy grin.
"Tell me I'm wrong."
"Sure…I guess? So…where're you all headed? Doesn't look like it's going smoothly."
kade nudged Cecilia in the rib.
"Cil… maybe try 'hello' first?"
Cecilia paused.
"Ahem, nice to meet ya. You can call me Cecilia."
"I'm Kaede by the way." She flashed a sunny smile.
The tall man who jumped down first grumbled under his breath yet stepped forward.
"Rafael." He says, thumbing a hand toward his chest. "Driver. Though, I think I'm done driving for the time being."
The sleazy-looking perro from the passenger side grinned wider and tipped two fingers from his temple.
"Marshall. Ignore him. He's been all cranky the whole day."
From the second vehicle, another perro hopped down, slimmer, with grease smudged along his pants.
"Barrett."
A feline woman leaned against the open door of the third vehicle, her arms crossed, tail swaying lazily.
"Hello~ You can just call me Lina."
Two Librei climbed down from a truck, one with a feathered tail and the other without.
"Yara."
"And Layla, we're not from here if you couldn't tell."
Layla added with a brief wave.
Last to hop out were a pair of coelhinho's from the rear vehicle, smaller than the rest but quick on their feet. One waved so enthusiastically that both their long ears bounced around.
"Marle and Lachlan."
"Cool. Now that we're all friendly." Cecilia stood and shifted her position, turning so she properly faced the group.
"...what's up?"
"Well, one of our cars lost a control arm."
Rafael says, pointing a thumb toward the skyline.
"And, as you can imagine...its toast."
"I'm guessing you've got people who can fix that." Cecilia replies. "So I doubt you came here just to say hello."
"Actually, we came here looking for people who might want to travel with us." Lina said, idly twirling a strand of golden hair around her finger. "On the way back to our settlement, most of our security peeled off and headed home. We've been running on fumes since."
While Lina explained, Cecilia noticed Ikade drifting from her side, already chatting with the two felines like she had known them longer than her.
"In fact, we've only got seven now." Rafael interjected, lifting a shoulder slightly. "Pretty sparse for a group of around eighty. Mhmm...maybe I'm sharing to much."
"Why so many?"
Rafael shrugged.
"Just hauling supplies between our place and a few neighboring settlements. This the farthest one we've done yet."
"I guess that makes sense?"
Cecilia tilted her head slightly, her thoughts rolling over one another.
"So," Rafael said, "you know anyone who might want to travel with us? Preferably someone who can use their hands, or someone with some kind of guard background."
Heh, jackpot.
Cecilia coughed once and straightened herself, faint smugness creeping into her face before she answered.
Her gaze fell down on him.
Then she pointed at herself.
"Actually…you have me. Us."
"Really?" Rafael studied her for a moment. "Then. What kind of experience do you have?"
He took one step closer.
Marshall leaned slightly from the side, grin already forming.
"Ooh. Scary. This is the part where she says something cool, right?"
She lifted her wrist and flicked her bracelet open, she swiped once, then again, until she found what she wanted and turned it toward him.
"I spent some time in Sabarah. Not far from Sariqan."
"Ah."
Lina's tail slowed.
"Should I clap now?"
"Please don't. Be quiet for once." Lina said.
"Besides." She said, looking between their expressions. "you all look like you can't afford to be picky."
"Can we knock it off with the questioning?"
Rafael glanced at him.
"What?"
"Come on." Marshall gestured toward Cecilia. "We were gonna take her either way. She could've said she worked as a night guard stand and we'd still be asking when she can leave."
"That's not reassuring."
Cecilia said, lowering her wrist.
Rafael scratched the side of his jaw and looked back toward the others.
"Well, its not like I have the final say."
"Neither do I." Lina said, stepping away from her vehicle and hooking an arm around the overly excited Yara before she could interrogate Cecilia half to death. "Anyway, if you know anyone else looking to travel, tell them to come by. We'll be around for a couple days…or at least until the truck's fixed."
"Oh, and tell them Lina sent you." Marshall added. "She's acting head this time around."
Soon enough, the little group strolled off to deal with their own things, while Ikade slipped back to Cecilia's side, her tail flicking happily behind her.
"Well?" Ikade asked, nudging her shoulder. "I'd say this the one."
"Looks like we found our grand adventure."
Ikade's ears perked up instantly.
"Oh! That's perfect. You know, I was actually starting to think we'd go by ourselves."
Cecilia's gaze drifted toward the main group, watching the small figures in the distance move like totems in the ground.
Ikade hummed, sitting down next to her and resting her head on her shoulder.
"Well, they seem nice. They sure are an interesting group."
"Mhm. Let's head out. After we get our truck running, I'll message a few people. If they're lucky, they can tag along with us."
After sitting there a little longer and letting the music of the busy town wash over them, Cecilia pulled Ikade back to her feet and led her down the stairs.
Cecilia lifted the grated steps and locked them into place before circling back to the side. She climbed the small ladder, opened the door, went up the steps and pulled herself into the cabin.
I don't think I hate this...I wouldn't...mind doing this every once in a while.
She shook the thought away and dropped into the driver's seat, flicking a few switches and holding down a button until the freighter cranked to life.
The gauges across the panel woke one by one, their needles slowly climbing. She glanced up at the three small monitors above her head and adjusted something until they showed the sides and rear of the vehicle.
The five cars sat planted off to one side.
She fastened her seatbelt and gestured for Ikade to do the same.
The two talked for a bit before Cecilia switched gears.
Once the truck's brake pressure settled into the proper range and everything warmed enough, Cecilia pressed the pedal, hit the drive button, and eased onto the throttle, turning the wheel slightly.
At the same time, she sent out a quick message.
The truck rolled forward with a low rumble, easing out from the landship's shade and onto the dusty path.
Outside, through her side mirror, the makeshift town passed by in slow pieces—tarps fluttering in the wind, half-built stalls, people moving through the streets.
Inside the cabin, Ikade flipped through the owner's manual she found tucked beside the seat.
"Hmm…this thing can take a few different fuel blends, as long as they're close enough."
Ikade hummed and kept reading, her tail swishing against the seat every so often.
The truck cruised for another few minutes, driving through the outer streets before the noise of the market faded behind them.
Some people stopped to take pictures or record videos as they passed, stepping aside to make way for the beast on wheels.
Soon enough, the open ground ahead cleared up.
Cecilia eased off the throttle and guided the vehicle near the main group, parking several meters away from the wrecked vehicle, a handful of minutes out from the behemoth looming behind them.
A few heads turned their way, their expressions flashed through a dozen different colors.
"Let's go say hi."
Cecilia lurched forward when Ikade suddenly leaned against her. She barely managed to turn her head before the sound of a phone camera snapping cut through the cabin.
Ikade's smug hum filled the space before she held the phone up for Cecilia to see.
The photo showed Ikade leaning against her shoulder with Cecilia's half-lidded eyes caught mid-glance. Behind them, through the cabin glass, a dusty cloud rolled over the horizon, the vessel's shape barely visible through the haze.