Bab 102: Twin Headed
*I'm alive (barely). Managed to finish tho. Peace out and Deus vult*
The transmission had ended, and Lucas was left with more questions in the seemingly thick air that engulfed the parlor, each mention of Mark bringing about a touch of subtle tension and shift in gazes and expressions. Most of them were subtle and were unnoticed, but at times everyone would happen to reveal just a tiny fragment of their real thoughts. Thus, he tried to put it together, blaming the situation on an internal conflict—an obvious deduction, but a deduction nonetheless.
"So, something must have happened, and now the situation is sore. They still seem to take well to his ideas and orders, and he's the only one seemingly unaffected by this entire matter. Interesting. The cast is mainly the same, but that guy is totally new. Heck, I'm new in here too."
His thoughts came to a halt as the Express began moving, approaching what he had heard to be a planet at a constant rate. Himeko, looking both worried and frustrated, spoke with Welt, her words a jumbled mess in Lucas' ears, yet her tone was enough to speak volumes. Well, there wasn't much he could make out of it, so instead, he focused on sitting there and waiting.
March, noticing that the man was deep in thought, moved a bit closer, taking a seat by his side as she offered one of her usual smiles, the warm gestures an opposite to the coldness of her ice.
"Hey, it's fine now; no need to be worried. Whatever happened in there, as ugly as it was, it's over. Try to cheer up, alright?" she said softly, trying to bring a spark of comfort into the man's life. It did work, and he softened up a bit, but the questions were at the back of his mind. For the time being, however, he chose to just relax a little.
His shoulders slouched slightly as the tension left them, allowing him to just sink in the comfort of the couch with the material molding against his body. It was a fair moment of silence, allowing him to be content and unbothered for a good chunk. He listened to the others chat in the background, with Black Swan moving closer to him, sitting next to him. Lucas didn't notice her at first, with how silent her movements were, but then she spoke up, catching him off guard with her soft tone.
"Lucas, right? I am Black Swan. It's a pleasure to meet you," she smiled slightly, and the man instantly worried for his memories. The shift in his demeanor was more than obvious, but the context of his situation was more than enough of an excuse.
"No need to worry; it's safe, just as Miss March said. We're not on that ship, and I'm sure Mark and Firefly can handle the situation on their own. After all, the two of them are more than capable individuals, and Mark is a bit of an," she subtly licked her lower lip, a motion seen by Lucas since he was standing close to her, "oddity that most probably goes beyond expectations. He surely has a lot of interesting memories and emotions," she mused, twirling a strand of her silky-smooth hair.
"Oddity? How come?" he asked, hoping to gain a little more insight into the strange individual since he was part of the unknowns in the current situation.
"Well, how do I put it?" asked Black Swan, carefully choosing her next words. "He's a contradiction, a constant wave that fights against itself. He moves both ways at once. It's difficult to explain, but his true nature can only be captured with his memories, which I know are sweet."
Strange answers and weird analogies, leading to no exact idea but only more questions.
"I see. So, in short, he's one very strange guy," he summed up, seeking confirmation. With a soft chuckle, she nodded.
"Indeed. He's peculiar, captivating in a strange way. He's got a specific air to him, a subtle one that's barely felt in his actions. Somehow, he seems like a background character, and he gets lost in the crowd, but at the right time he does his best to shine brighter than any star."
"Seems like a reliable guy," said Lucas, nodding to himself as he crossed his arms.
"He is," chuckled Black Swan. "But he's also too much of a stubborn idiot sometimes. He needs a bit of a nudge, yet he won't take it even if it hits him in the face."
"Oh," he sighed, stopping for a bit before smiling. "Good to know I'm not the only idiot around."
She smiled a bit, her gaze gentle and friendly.
"Indeed, but let's face it: everyone has that side. Even the brightest minds make mistakes. I've seen it happen more often than you'd think."
Just as the conversation was growing lighthearted, the Express found itself rattled like a twig thrown in a whirlwind, tossing the ones inside like puppets, spinning them on all sides. Lucas fell on his side, sliding off the couch with a thud, feeling his stomach churn with the motions. Before they knew it, the train had halted, landing on the ground in some unknown area. The windows showed a beautiful pasture of green grass, tall and thin, dancing in the soft wind.
"What the? Where are we?" he asked, standing up with slow movements as he looked around.
"I've got no clue," said Stelle, rubbing her head. She had been thrown around like a ragdoll just like the others.
"It seems like we've passed an abnormality in space, and thus we were transported to the surface of the planet," said Welt, looking outside at the peaceful scenery.
"Do we go out to explore the area?" asked March, noticing how beautiful the scenery looks. Her camera was already clasped by her soft palms, itching to take some pictures around.
"We're unaware of the dangers that might lurk around," said Dan Heng, arms crossed as usual.
"Come on, it looks safe outside," said Stelle, her eyes admiring the colorful spots, flowers of all kinds and sorts scattered about, drawing in both the young girls.
"Appearances tend to sometimes betray expectations," said Himeko, but she also liked the beauty of the world outside. It was simple—an archaic sight that seemed to be missing on their travels—the beauty mesmerizing.
"I guess a visit outside wouldn't hurt, right?" said Welt, entertaining the idea as well.
"I guess we can go out," said Lucas, somewhat eager to go out and take a breath. Part of him hoped that maybe, somehow, it was his world, yet the expectations were little in that regard.
"You can go out, alright? I'll stay behind if Mark and Firefly happen to reach the Express," said Black Swan, making herself comfortable on the couch.
"If that's the case, then perhaps we could all go out, alright? It might be the fresh breath of air we need, and who knows? Maybe there's traces of civilization around," hummed Himeko, rethinking the idea whilst trying to consider any unknown.
"Let's go then!" exclaimed March, dashing out to the exit, stepping out in the grass without a worry. The world was beautiful, with sights that none had seen in a long time. Nature as far as the eye could see, forests that spread out into infinity, mountain ranges that circled around in loops, and rivers that flowed downhill, uniting and diverting time and time again.
Of course, they could see the forest around them and the open field where the Express had appeared, paired with some hints of a distant settlement, far enough from them to give enough planning time.
"Well, this place looks nice," said Lucas, touching some of the grass with his palm while walking, feeling the blades tickle the inside of his palm, molding to his movements.
"It's a rather beautiful change in scenery, but we should still keep our guard up. We have no way of knowing what dangers lurk around."
Welt's warning, however, fell on deaf ears. March and Stelle were already playing around, collecting flowers and intertwining them together to create some colorful floral headbands. Himeko smiled, watching them with a gentle motherly smile, joining in on the fun, sitting in the grass with them. Dan Heng just kept looking around, his eyes fixed on the settlement in the distance, while Lucas couldn't help it but walk around in circles, breathing the fresh air.
His confinement in the dark room in space seemed like a faraway nightmare, nothing but a fleeting moment that wouldn't return to him anytime soon. The scenery around was slowly hidden underneath a soft shadow, the veil coming forth as the sun was covered up, the clouds following their normal cycle. His gaze darted upwards, and he noticed it. Something moved, and it was large enough to cover the sun.
"Uhm, I think we might want to go back in the Express and hide," he gulped down, staring at the huge thing in the sky. The shadow was growing darker and smaller, shrinking in size as the object was descending slowly, its shape visible.
Two heads with thick, long necks attached to a sturdy body covered in dark brass scales, the light dancing along their sleek form. Massive wings spread out on both sides, flapping once with a loud noise. At once, all eyes turned upwards, following Lucas' worried gaze.
"We still can't use our powers, so we're better off running inside," said Stelle, bolting inside.
The beast of legend, a twin-headed dragon, made its descent at high speeds; its jaws opened wide. Bright blue flames began smoldering inside its throat, flimsy red traces coming out to the teeth, seeking an escape out in the open.
From the forest, an unknown shade dashed out to the skies, a line of black painted against the blue sky, striking the creature in the side, coming to a halt as the beast was stunned, its breath forced back down. With a slick move, the being yanked out a golden scythe strapped on its back, swinging it with might, puncturing the scales in one single motion. The dragon roared, flapping its wings, cutting the air with its tail, yet the dark figure held on to it, glued to the weapon that had sunk through the brass layer.
"What the hell is that?" asked Lucas, looking up with a curious gaze, studying the golden weapon with interest. His curiosity piqued. The dragon was actually struggling against something that looked insignificantly smaller than it. Yet, there it was, an ant managing to lift an elephant.
"Come inside the Express, Lucas," ordered Himeko, her tone assertive despite how much she's on edge. Not only was there a strange being that had been seen mainly in stories, but also someone capable of fighting it on equal ground.
"Right, right," he answered and dashed inside, with the door closing in behind them. Himeko made her way to a different room, leaving everyone in the parlor. She tried to prepare the Express for takeoff, aiming her laser at the dragon as well, just in case it would be needed. Still, whatever it was that latched on to, it was doing a fine job at subduing it, clinging to it like its life depended on it. With one strong strike, the air rippled as the beast shot for the ground, its heads limp while the dark spot followed, moving far away from them both.
Meanwhile, in the parlor, everyone had calmed down, returning slowly to the tranquil scene from earlier, albeit with a good fright and some extra attention needed for further interactions with the world.
"Well, Dan Heng, now that I think about it, you're like cousins with it, right?" said March, chuckling. She earned herself a silent stare, but nothing beyond that.
"Now's not the time to be cracking jokes. We need to understand where we are and what other dangers lurk around in the area. Even within the confinements of the Express, we might be safe only for so long," sighed Welt, twisting the gears in his mind to come up with a way of actually protecting themselves. Their fighting capabilities had been reduced greatly since their powers are locked, so perhaps their only hope was Himeko with her equipment.
March pouted slightly, and Lucas was focused on the window, looking over where the large beast had fallen along with the unknown being that began brawling with it. The scythe was interesting, and it did catch his eye, but the way it was wielded took the spot as the icing on the cake.
"I guess I have to see how the rest plays out."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone