step…step…step…
clnk.
Cecilia paused on the last of the narrow metal steps, looking over the caravan spread out ahead.
Behind her, Ikade was still making her way down.
"Wow…so this is what being a snail feels like. Move, slowpoke—you're blocking the way."
People chatted between the vehicles parked a few meters away. They varied in size, but Cecilia's freighter dwarfed them all.
Cecilia hopped down and turned back toward Ikade, who was already crouching on the last step.
"Catch me."
"Wait—"
Ikade jumped before she could finish.
Cecilia caught her around the waist, stumbling half a step before finding her footing.
"Thanks!"
Ikade smiled and gave her a quick pat on the head.
Cecilia frowned and lowered her to the ground, nudging her aside with her hand before climbing back up to shut the cab door. Nearby, two people were easing a bent panel off a vehicle.
"Watch out!"
Before Cecilia could turn, Ikade yanked her to the side.
A chunk of metal came crashing down right where she had been standing.
thk—clang!
Its jagged point stabbed into the ground, the surface flashing under the sun.
Cecilia looked from the metal to Ikade, then down at her feet.
"You didn't twist your ankle doing that, did you? I could've stopped it, y'know."
"A simple 'thank you' would've been fine."
Ikade brushed the dust from her clothes before her tail swiped across Cecilia's face in retaliation.
The two hurried toward them, their canine ears flicking nervously. A few others looked over, then went back to what they were doing.
"Y'all didn't get hurt, did ya?" The man asked, scratching the back of his neck. "We, uh…thought we had it handled. Heh…"
The woman next to him tapped his shoulder with the back of her hand.
"Sorry about that. Things got a little messy there for a second."
The woman blinked, then let out a small cough into her fist.
"Ahem. Right. I'm Cherry. And this here is Eli."
"Kaede."
Ikade's tail swayed behind her, the tip curling into a small wave.
"Cecilia."
"Sorry if I'm poking my nose in—" Eli glanced toward their freighter. "Did someone send you over?"
"Moving subjects fast, aren't we?"
Eli's smile stiffened for half a second before she shrugged her shoulders.
"Lina, right? Or…was it Rafael? I already forgot."
"Oh! You're joining the security team?" Eli's face brightened instantly. "Why didn't you say that earlier, haha! That's a real lifesaver. Anyone else tagging along?"
…He's chirpier than I thought.
"We'll see. I let a few people know you were looking. Up to them if they wanna come."
Cherry looked between them, her tail wrapping loosely around her leg.
"So, what brings you two out here?"
"Well, we'd pretty much run out of things to look at." Ikade glanced at Cecilia. "So I thought we'd try camping on the way."
"Wasn't quite what we had in mind." Cecilia added. "Still...a little greenery wouldn't hurt."
"There's plenty near our settlement," Cherry said. "We're right beside a grassland. Though you'll have to share it with whatever wanders through."
"Actual grass?" Ikade's ears perked. "Not more of this sad brown stuff?"
"How far are we talking?"
Cecilia asked.
"Couple days to a week." Eli said. "Depends how smooth things go. Its usually not too bad this time of year—just dust and the occasional surprise."
"Surprise?"
Cecilia asked.
Eli counted on his fingers.
"Marauders. Catastrophes. Gallifowls the size of trucks. You know…the usual stuff."
Cherry nudged him in the ribs.
"Don't scare them off before they even agree."
"What? I said the road was alright."
Cecilia glanced toward the horizon while Cherry shook her head.
"Anyway..." Eli waved them along. "Come have a look around. I'll show you where everything is before Rafael finds something else for us to do."
Ikade stepped closer, her ears perking up.
"Oh! A tour? How exciting."
Eli turned and started walking.
Cherry followed beside him, and the rest fell in behind them.
Ikade and Cecilia naturally stepped closer to each other, their hands brushing once before settling into a loose hold.
All of them, of course, tactfully ignored the half-buried vehicle and the people still grumbling around it.
Cecilia watched Ikade walking half a step ahead, her fluffy ears bouncing and her body swaying lightly as she followed their guide.
Voices drifted around her, most of the conversation slipping past while she glanced around at her temporary life.
"...thirty-four in all."
Her gaze jumped toward Eli.
"Not counting our five haulers."
He pointed farther along the caravan and her eyes followed to five vehicles larger than the rest.
Some of these could give mine a run for its money.
Oh...that one's nice.
Cecilia slowed beside a bright red vehicle, looking up at its black cab and the yellow stripe running along its side.
"Caught your eye? That's our medical tent. Well...close enough."
"Hah—TCHH!"
"Salud."
"...thanks."
Two people sat by the passenger door, chatting over drinks and fanning themselves.
Ikade let go of her hand and pulled out her phone before crouching.
"Wait till you see the kitchens." Cherry said. "We've got two now. Bought the second truck not long ago."
"Oh? Can we see it?"
Ikade looked up.
"That's where we're going."
Cherry smiled and waved them along.
Ikade put her phone away, grabbed her hand again and pulled her along, already asking Cherry about the food.
The deeper they strolled, the livelier the caravan became.
People had set up little pockets of entertainment between vehicles. Music drummed from portable speakers, each cluster playing a different genre until all of it overlapped into one chaotic mix.
Some sat in folding chairs.
Others leaned against tires or sprawled across tarps with drinks passed from hand to hand.
Nearly every vehicle carried the same bright metal fuel cans strapped along the sides—two, three, sometimes four.
Eventually, the scent of warmth filled their noses.
Food.
More than enough of it.
Ahead stood a flat-nosed truck with a camping tent unfolded across its roof. Its bed had been converted into a kitchen, with serving counters low enough for them to reach.
Tables extended from the sides, crowded with ingredients, pans and sizzling metal trays. Cooks moved between them and the enclosed kitchen behind.
Ikade was practically interrogating the cooks for every little detail, recording them while they talked and talked.
"She's got a lot of energy, huh?"
Eli stood beside Cecilia while Ikade and Cherry talked over one another near the cooks.
"...yeah."
"…Cece! Cece! Ahaha~!"
Ikade waved her over with a plate in one hand.
"C'mon, you have to try this!"
Cecilia stared at her for a moment, then sighed as she rubbed the side of her head.
She walked over anyway, settling into a nearby seat just as a drink was pushed into her hand.
Ikade immediately held the plate out.
On it sat something far more appetizing than Cecilia expected—thick flatbread folded around strips of grilled meat, chopped greens, and a smear of spiced paste that smelled faintly familiar.
Ikade leaned closer, tore off a piece of bread, and fashioned a small bite stuffed with meat. She blew lightly across it before bringing it to Cecilia's mouth.
"Here—try this part."
"...Its good...its so good."
A smug look spread across Ikade's face, practically gleaming with joy.
Cecilia took another bite.
Then another.
Then another.
After that, she lifted her drink and took a sip, closing her eyes while the flavors settled in her stomach.
Between sips, she kept picking at the bread.
She leaned back in the folding chair, the heat of the food finally settling into her stomach.
Ikade watched her for a second, then smiled.
"Give me a little bit, okay? I want to ask them how they made it."
Cecilia hummed in response, closing her eyes and letting the noise from the kitchen soothe her spirit for several minutes.
"C'mon. I'll show you what actually keeps this place from eating itself."
Eli gestured with his head and started walking.
She pushed herself up and followed after him.
The camp moved around them like frames in a film, fine particles from the surrounding dunes gathering into shallow waves across the ground.
And like a film, she felt a pair of eyes pass over her from the left.
In a blur of movement, a man passed by while looking straight at her.
He wore loose blue pants and a vanilla-colored shirt, a backpack hanging from his shoulders beside the blade at his side.
He lifted the blade and tapped its face against the side of his head.
Cecilia gave a small nod in return.
Then a wall of metal blocked her view.
Another vehicle.
Her gaze dipped to the ground while Eli kept talking, his words falling on deaf ears.
They kept moving, and the caravan's voice slowly quieted behind them.
Up ahead, perched atop a yellow-painted vehicle, sat a man with salt-colored horns branching from his head in opposite directions like the letter Y.
A smaller set branched from the same stem.
His legs hung over the edge, both shoes unlaced. A bright red crossbow rested beside him, while a thin ribbon of smoke curled from the cigarette between his fingers.
"Tch. Lazy bastard."
The man subtly tilted his head towards them, his horizontal pupils catching the light.
"I don't think I've ever seen eyes like yours before." Cecilia said. "Are those contacts?"
"Maybe you just haven't met many of my kind." He cracked a small smile, tapping ash off his cigarette before glancing back at her. "Lucky for you, I came naturally interesting."
"And you are?"
Cecilia stayed put for a moment, her eyes drifting to the chest piece he wore.
"Cecilia."
"Well, the rest of you looks pretty plain to me."
"Damn. We just met." Micah raised a brow. "You're always this rude?"
"Depends on the face."
"Out of all of us, he's usually the first to notice trouble." Eli said, nodding up toward Micah. "Would be more useful if he wasn't so damn lazy all the time."
"Hah." Micah leaned back on one hand. "Like anyone's stupid enough to attack us while we're parked next to that massive thing."
Eli and Micah bickered right up until Cecilia coughed.
"Fine. I'll leave you two to it." He pivoted, already looking back toward the kitchen. "I need to check the other side anyway. I'll radio if anything comes up."
Step...step...step
Eli's footsteps faded into the caravan noise.
Micah leaned forward to tie his shoes, glancing down at Cecilia.
"So, what brings you out here? Besides our charming company."
His question lingered in the air as he leaned forward and started tying his shoes.
"Got tired of sitting around." Cecilia shrugged. "Besides, someone promised me some great adventure."
Thmp!
A cloud of dust kicked up when Micah dropped from the roof, coating his shoes in a thin layer of sand.
He snapped his fingers.
The crossbow slid off the roof of the vehicle, scraping across the surface before dropping neatly into his grasp.
Cecilia's eyes followed the crossbow into his hand.
"Wait—seriously? You can use it too?!"
Cecilia stepped closer at once, a grin spreading across her face. Part of her hair slipped over her shoulder, catching the light.
"Cough. I wasn't excited or anything. That's just…cool."
She stepped closer at once, grinning. A few strands of hair slipped over her shoulder, and she brushed them back.
"...that excited you more than the giant caravan?"
"Yes."
Cecilia stepped even closer, shameless now, until barely a foot separated them.
"I've only met about a dozen others, and I was the second strongest among them."
She placed one hand over her chest and lifted her chin, unable to keep the pride out of her voice.
"Huh." The corner of his mouth twitched. "You've got strange priorities. But then again, people like us don't think normally."
"Why thank you."
"So, how much can you lift? More than a hundred pounds?" Cecilia asked, looking from his hand to the crossbow.
"How precise are you? Do you need to see what you're moving?"
"And the snapping—is that necessary, or do you just like doing it?"
His mouth twitched.
Before he could answer, the radio on his chest piece crackled.
〈...Micah...Lina says more people are coming. About six of them.〉
The two stared at one another for a short moment.
"Well, new plan..." He glanced at her, then lightly lifted the crossbow in his hand. "You interested in a little showcase? Call it a get-together."
"A game even."
"That sounds suspiciously like work." Cecilia raised both hands. "And here I thought I was getting a tour."
Her hands dropped a second later.
"Terrible hospitality, really."
The two strolled side by side, heading back toward the front stretch of the caravan. Their pace stayed unhurried, drifting near where Cecilia's vehicle was parked.
Then a smell swept over them.
Spices.
Cooked food.
As they passed near the kitchen again, both of them slowed without saying anything.
More people had gathered there around the cook.
Some were already eating, seated on folding chairs or beside coolers and crates, plates balanced on their laps while conversation drifted between them.
Cecilia's gaze moved over them one by one until she found Ikade eating among them.
And just like that, her thoughts started gnawing at her again.
"Something on your mind?"
"What, is it that obvious?"
"Why not? Eyes are the window to the spirit, or so they say."
"Yuck, who even says that?"
"Old people. Poets. Take your pick."
Cecilia made a face and lifted her wrist, bringing up the camera. She stared at her own eyes on the screen.
"You're such a liar. I don't see anything."
Micah let out a quiet laugh through his nose.
Her eyes drifted past the little clusters, then farther ahead toward the front of the caravan, where the vehicles thinned just enough to let the land's rolling waves brush against one another.
crrrshhh…crshh…
A line of vehicles bounced over the small dunes separating them, rising and dipping.
Again.
Then too many times.
VRRRAAAM!
"They're heading straight for us, huh."
Micah stepped forward and raised a hand, directing the incoming vehicles to his right. Then he glanced up at the freighter beside them.
"Ah, that's the biggest one I've seen in a while."
He whistled, looking along its massive chassis.
Cecilia puffed out her chest with pride.
"That's mine, actually."
"How much did you pay for that thing?"
"A house."
Her voice came out calm.
"Cough! Whathefuc...cough."
By then, the incoming vehicles had gotten close enough for Micah to start guiding them into place with nothing but hand gestures, pointing out where each one should park.
A few seconds later, the engines began to die one by one.
Three in all.
Cecilia's gaze swept over the cooling vehicles, taking in their oversized tires, winches mounted to the front bumpers, and dust-coated metal.
Blue-haired woman. Black-haired man. Three in the second car…one in the last.
Their fans slowed almost in unison, dust gathering into small tan clouds around them.
A finger twitched.
WHP—!
The dust whipped away.
Cecilia looked toward the driver of the first vehicle just in time to see him lower his hand and push the door open, the others following suit.
The blue-haired woman hopped out from the passenger side, already wearing a smile of her own.
.A little Ikade. Blue hair, though. brown eyes too.
Cecilia tilted her head, her gaze lingering on the woman's cheeky smile.
I've seen that smile somewhere...
What is she, anyway? Can't tell much from those ears. Anura, maybe?
Nothing unusual there. Except the Lupo...Rebbah. Whatever.
"...lo?"
Pat.
"Yo!"
Cecilia blinked, her focus snapping back into place.
Standing right in front of her was the blue-haired woman, still smiling like she had been doing it her whole life.
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" the woman asked, stepping back a little. "I would've gone and bothered the guy next to you, but he looks busy dealing with my people and...whatever else."
Her toothy grin widened.
"Oh, and I'm Rain, by the way. Because of the hair. In case that wasn't painfully obvious."
Rain pointed at her own hair at the end and Cecilia's eyes lingered on the blue strands dancing in the breeze.
"You seem pretty pleased with yourself."
"Someone has to be." Rain leaned a little closer, her gaze dropping toward Cecilia's shirt. "What's that piece you're hiding under there?"
"You ask strangers that?"
"Only the interesting ones." Rain flashed a canine. "I'm just curious."
Rain laughed without a shred of shame, rocking back on her heels while the others finally started spilling out around them.
Cecilia glanced toward Micah, but the others had gathered around him, their questions overlapping over his answers.
"So what is it?" Rain tilted her head. "A knife? Don't tell me you've got a saber under there."
Cecilia stared at her for a long second.
"Do I look like I carry a saber?"
"No. That's more my thing."
A dry breath slipped out of Cecilia's nose.
They talked for a bit.
Or rather, Rain talked enough for both of them.
Somewhere in between, the others from the new group started introducing themselves one after another, their voices blending into the desert's stillness.
Most of their names slipped right past Cecilia.
Two things, however, stuck.
One of them rested a long stave across the hood of a vehicle, its metal length glaring in the light. Another carried a crossbow that looked larger than normal.
"Alright." Micah looked around the gathering, a small grin forming. "Since we've got enough people here...anyone up for a little game?"
"Oh what kind?"
Rain answered without missing a beat, curved steel already in her hand.
The hilt was almost black, with three spirals forming the hand guard. The steel began pale, then tapered into a darker, stained brown.
When Rain moved it around, Cecilia caught the engraving running along the blade's side.
"...since when were you holding a sword?"
The question seemed to reach no one but herself.
"That's a sec~ret."
Rain lifted the blade lightly, giving it a twirl before planting the point into the sand below.
Around them, the others started chiming in, speaking over one another in a messy blend of voices Cecilia ignored completely.
Eventually, enough of them agreed on a spar to drown out the other suggestions.
Micah clapped his hands, cutting through the noise.
"Alright. Give it two hours. Some of us still have things to do."
A few groans answered him.
"You'll survive." He pointed toward the wreck beyond the caravan, and then some. "Over there. Keep it away from the trucks we're actually using."
Micah raised his hand and keyed the radio clipped to his chest piece.
〈Friendly spar in two hours. Open ground past the front of the caravan, a few dozen meters out. Let anyone interested know.〉
Static crackled before an indignant voice answered.
〈...why?! Who in their right mind woul—!〉
Cecilia checked the time.
"Leaving already?"
Rain asked.
"We've got two hours, don't we?"
Rain laughed, but Cecilia was already turning toward the kitchen.
Step.
Step.
Step.
As Cecilia came around the truck, Ikade looked up and nudged an empty chair toward her with one foot.
"Back already?"
"For now." Cecilia dropped into it. "They're doing a spar later. Out past the front of the caravan."
"Just watching, right?"
"...just a look."
Ikade watched her for a moment, then turned her phone around to show her something one of the cooks had written down.
The next two hours slipped by between idle conversation, a short walk and another drink in the shade. Cecilia checked the time once, then again when engines began rumbling beyond the trucks.
She pushed herself up.
"Going to have your look?"
"Mhm."
Cecilia nodded and walked between the trucks until the caravan opened onto bare sand. Farther out, people gathered around a broad patch of ground.
At the clearing, Micah waved a vehicle farther back. A few people were already finding seats while others stood around arguing over the rules.
Cecilia stopped near the rim, stepping aside when someone passed with a folded chair under anarm.
The last vehicle rolled into place.
People floated through the gaps between them, some carrying drinks, others calling friends over from farther back.
Someone dragged a portable speaker from the back of a car. It crackled to life, then blared when they turned the volume too far.
Rain caught her sleeve and gave it a light tug.
"You offered to help, right? Come show us what we're getting."
"I said I'd have a look."
"You've been looking. Come on—one round."
"Find someone else."
Rain loosened her grip but stayed beside her.
"Please? With a cherry on top?" She leaned into Cecilia's view. "Seriously, though. If we're watching each other's backs, I'd like to know what you can do."
Cecilia glanced toward the others in the clearing.
Knew offering to help would come back to bite me.
"One round. Then you leave me alone."
Rain grinned and tugged again.
...Doesn't make her any less annoying.
People climbed onto bumpers, hoods and roofs, turning the vehicles into makeshift stands. Below them, a loose ring of bodies gathered around the clearing, their shadows spilling across the sand like a dark halo.
Some stood with their arms crossed.
Others crouched low.
"...Hah."
Cecilia stopped short of the ring. Dry, hot wind brushed against her skin and tugged at the strands of her hair.
Sand moved in thin lines across the ground, wrapping around shoes and tires before scattering again.
Cecilia lifted her wrist.
Ping.
One picture caught the ring of vehicles, the people and the endless dunes behind them.
Ping.
Another caught Rain near the center, her blue hair moving with the breeze.
Loose strands floating around her face.
Step.
step.
step.