step…step…step…
clnk.
Cecilia reached the bottom of the narrow metal steps and paused just long enough to look 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 door."
Meters away, people talked across the caravan of vehicles. Some were larger than others, but every single one of them looked insignificant next to Cecilia's own.
Cecilia glanced back at Ikade for only a second before hopping down. Then she lifted both hands just in time to catch her as she jumped after her.
"Thanks!"
Ikade smiled and gave her a quick pat on the head.
Cecilia's face twisted with annoyance while she lowered her to the ground. She nudged Ikade aside with her hip, then reached back to shut the metal door behind them.
"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 flashes a look at it and at Ikade.
"You didn't just sprain your ankle playing hero, did you? I could have stopped that you know?"
"A simple 'thank you' would've been fine."
Ikade brushed dust from her clothes before her tail swiped across Cecilia's face in retaliation.
Two figures hurried toward them with apologetic looks, their canine ears flicking nervously, a few more eyes fell on Cecilia and Ikade for a second before flicking away.
"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 Lieselotte, but Cherry works just fine. 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 says, scratching the back of his neck. "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 brightens instantly. "Why didn't you say that earlier, haha! That's a real lifesaver. Anyone else tagging along?"
The two of them blinked at how quickly his mood flipped, a full one-eighty. He grabbed Cecilia's hand and shook it far too enthusiastically, pausing just to keep going again.
…He's chirpier than I thought.
"That's up to them." Cecilia eased her hand free. "I already let them know you were looking for people."
Cherry looked between them, her tail wrapping loosely around her leg.
"Can I ask why you two wanted to join?"
"Who wants to stay cooped up in a room for weeks anyway?"
She nodded to herself while speaking, one finger tracing an imaginary scene through the air while her tone filled with sounds of adventure.
"We've never gone camping before, so we figured—why not try something new on the way to our vacation spot?"
"Not exactly how we planned it, obviously." Cecilia added, her mouth tugging faintly. "Still…a little greenery wouldn't hurt."
"Then you picked the right group." Cherry said, clasping her hands together. "Our settlement's right beside a grassland, so you'll get your greenery. Animals too, if they feel like bothering us."
"Grassland?" Ikade's ears perk again. "Like actual grass? Not the sad brown stuff here?"
"So how long's the trip?"
"Couple days to a week." Eli answers, gesturing vaguely behind him. "Road's not too bad this time of year. Just dust, and the occasional surprise."
"Surprise?"
Cecilia spoke up this time.
Eli counted on his fingers.
"Marauders. Catastrophes. Gallifowls the size of trucks. You know…the usual stuff."
Cherry nudged him in the ribs while Cecilia's mind roamed the horizon.
"Don't scare them off before they even agree."
Eli glanced over his shoulder toward the group, then looked back at them.
"Well, if you're planning to ride with us, you'll probably want to know where things are anyway."
He waved them along.
"C'mon. We'll show you around before the others start yelling at us for standing around. Oh wait—that's just Ralf."
Ikade straightened immediately, a smile spreading across her face.
"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 lifted her gaze and watched Ikade ahead of her, those fluffy ears bouncing with each step, her body swaying lightly from side to side as she followed their guide.
And for a moment, the many versions of Ikade overlapped.
They blurred together, one after another, until only this one remained—warm, bright, and walking just ahead of her.
Cecilia's thoughts swirled into a single heavy mass.
She pushed them aside with a small shake of her head.
The group talked about nothing in particular as different vehicles and colors drifted past them. One became three, then ten, then twenty-one, and finally thirty-four, according to Eli.
"That's not even including the five hauler we have."
Eli added.
Some of these are almost as big as mine.
Huh…this one's nice.
Half the length but just as tall.
Cecilia's gaze settled on a bright red vehicle, its cabin black with a yellow stripe cutting across the side.
A couple of people sat near the passenger door, chatting with drinks in hand. They fanned themselves lazily and waved when they noticed the group slowing nearby.
"Pretty fancy, right? Our medical tent. Or…what passes for one out here." Eli said, sneezing afterwards.
Ikade let go of Cecilia's hand and pulled her phone from somewhere on her person. She crouched to take a few photos, fiddling with the settings between each shot while the caravan hummed around them.
"Speaking of fancy, we actually bought another vehicle recently." Cherry said, gently guiding them deeper in. "Means we've got two kitchens now. Living the high life."
Ikade did not need any more encouragement.
She grabbed Cecilia's hand again and pulled her along, her eyes practically glowing while she kept talking with Cherry.
The deeper they strolled, the livelier the caravan became.
More 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 of them stood a truck larger than Cecilia herself. It was a flat-nosed vehicle with a camping tent unfolded across its roof. The bed had been converted into a working kitchen, low enough that no steps were needed.
Tables slid out from the sides, crowded with ingredients, pans, and sizzling metal trays, while the bed itself had been built up like a small food truck.
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 said, the two of them watching their own partners talk over one another.
He and Cecilia stood off to the side, watching their own partners talk over one another.
Cecilia said nothing at first. Her eyes moved across the other vehicles instead, taking note of the supplies they carried and the way everything had been arranged.
"…Cil! Cil! Ahaha~!"
Ikade waves her over with a plate in one hand, beckoning her closer.
"C'mon, you have to try this!"
Cecilia stared at her flatly. The faint lines beneath her eyes deepened just a little before she sighed and 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 the drink set in front of her and took a sip, closing her eyes for a moment while the flavors settled through her. Her fingers rubbed against the plate more times than she could count.
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 tapped the flat of the blade lightly against his head.
Cecilia gave a small nod in return.
Then a wall of metal blocked her view.
Another vehicle.
Again.
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." Eli muttered.
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."
"What a convenient sounding name you have."
The two eyed each other, then smiled a little wider.
"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.
Eli sighed.
"Fine. I'll leave you two to it." He pivoted, already looking back toward the kitchen. "I need to check the other side anyway. Food should be close, so I'll radio if anything comes up."
Step...step...step
Eli's footsteps faded into the caravan noise.
Micah watched him go, then looked back at Cecilia.
"Yeah, I know they already asked, but why join our little band of misfits?"
His question lingered in the air as he leaned forward and started tying his shoes.
"We figured a couple weeks out here would be better than sitting inside all day." She tilted her head slightly towards the end. "Besides, I was promised greenery."
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 widened.
"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."
Micah chuckled, glancing down at the crossbow while Cecilia rubbed at her nose in embarrassment.
"...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 with pride, her small smirk framed by her slightly lifted chin.
"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 you can use it too? I mean." Cecilia's eyes held a sudden light. "How strong are you with it? Can you lift more than a hundred pounds? How precise are you? Is it line-of-sight? Do you need gestures?"
Question after question, Micah's mouth twitched until the radio on his chest piece crackled.
"I think I'd rather—"
〈...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."
"Work already?" Cecilia raised both hands with a sigh. "I barely arrived and you're already putting me to work."
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.
"Why not? Eyes are the window to the spirit, or so they say."
"Yuck, who even says that."
"Old people. Poets. Liars. Take your pick."
Cecilia looked away with mock disgust before lifting her left wrist and flicking it on. An opaque screen materialized, its soft edges blending into the light around it.
She switched to the camera at once and stared into her own eyes.
"You're such a liar. I don't see anything."
Micah let out a quiet breath through his nose, almost like a laugh.
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, sidestepping and pointing to his right. He glanced to his immediate left, then did a double take when he spotted one particular brown beast beside him.
"Ah, that's the biggest one I've seen in a while."
He finished with a whistle, staring at the massive vehicle practically over him.
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 doors swung wide, groaning each time. The blue-haired woman was the first to hop out, already wearing a smile of her own.
...She's basically a mini Ikade. Smaller, blue-haired, and with gold eyes instead of brown.
Cecilia tilted her head slightly and swept her gaze over the short woman again, lingering on the cheeky smile.
I know that smile from somewhere...where...
What is she? I can't even tell. She doesn't have many obvious features, and with her hair cut that short, her ears look completely normal. Hmm...
The others looked like any other race... the usual ones too. Well, not counting the Lupo...err, Rebbah? Whatever. But with nothing else to go off... an Anura? Maybe.
She kept staring until they were already in front of her, some looking at her behemoth and some at the caravan itself.
"...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 lightly, stepping back a few feet away. "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 constant gust.
"I've only been here a day, and I've already met interesting people. You might just top them all."
"Right?" Rain's grin turned downright shameless, then leaning towards her just a little. "My parents must've really committed to it if I'm getting a compliment already."
"Speaking of commitment, what's that piece you're hiding under there?" Rain flashed a canine, a glint slipping through her narrowed eyes. "Ah?! You really do have one? Haha, you don't need to stare that hard, you know."
Cecilia furrowed her brows, then raised a hand to rub at her head, already feeling a headache coming on.
"Ua...I'm already regretting this."
Rain laughed without a shred of shame, rocking back on her heels while the others finally started spilling out around them.
By then, Micah was busy talking with the rest of the new group, his attention split between whatever questions they were throwing at him.
"So what is it?' Rain asked again, tilting her head. "A knife? Something else? Don't tell me you're one of those people carrying around a saber under their jacket."
Cecilia stared at her for a long second.
"...Do I look like the kind of person who carries a saber?"
"No, that's just me."
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 said, glancing between Cecilia and the newcomers with a small grin. "Since we have enough people here…how about we make this interesting?"
He lifted his crossbow, its crystal red body reflected their persons.
"Anyone interested in 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, the group settled on something.
Micah clapped his hands, cutting through the noise.
"Alright, alright—before this becomes someone else's problem, we're moving it."
A few groans answered him.
He gestured toward the open stretch of dunes beyond the caravan, away from where they currently stood.
"We'll take it over there."
Micah raised his hand and keyed the radio clipped to his chest piece.
〈We're running a friendly spar about a few dozen meters out—by the wreck.〉
Static crackled briefly before a voice answered with indignation in their voice..
〈...why?! Who in their right mind woul—!〉
He lowered the radio with a grin and jerked his head toward the dunes.
"C'mon. If we're doing gonna be here for a while, we might as well make it entertaining."
Step.
Cecilia stepped off with them, stretching her arms over her head.
Step. Step. Step.
Then more footsteps joined.
Again.
Again.
One set became many, and before long the sound began blending with voices.
With every meter they put behind them, the faint smell of cooking food faded, replaced by the dry scent of endless sand.
A handful of people had already started trailing after them, wandering over with the casual curiosity of those who had nothing better to do.
By the next few steps, several vehicles rolled forward just enough to form a makeshift arena. Their engines rumbled low before falling quiet again.
A portable speaker screamed to life—low at first, then louder the instant someone found the volume knob.
The beat rolled across the clearing, stirring the sand into faint shifting patterns while sinking into Cecilia's chest, tuning itself to the thump of her heart.
Rain, on the other hand, dragged her along like she had been waiting for this exact moment.
She looks like she's having the time of her life…what kind of mess did I step into, sighhh...
By then, people had already started climbing onto bumpers, hoods, and roofs, turning the vehicles into makeshift stands.
Cecilia glanced over her shoulder and found even more perched atop their rides farther back, leaning forward to watch her and the others.
A loose ring of bodies formed around the flat clearing, their shadows stretching long across the sand like a dark halo.
Some stood with their arms crossed. Others crouched low.
"...Hah."
Cecilia stopped near the edge of the clearing.
Vehicles sat unevenly across the sand, their shadows stretched long beneath the glaring sun. Wind brushed against her skin, dry and hot, tugging lightly 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.
"You came all the way out here to stand around? Taking pictures too? What are you, somebody's aunt at a family party?"
Rain paused, then pointed at herself.
"Actually, no—that's my aunt. Always standing off to the side, putting on an act, even to my momma."
"Come on." Rain said, stepping closer. "Don't tell me you're shy."
Cecilia lowered her wrist.
"What's wrong with being shy?"
"People who wait too long miss all the fun."