The trio didn't hesitate to drag themselves out of the water and drop onto the sandy ground. The sand stuck to his wet clothes, and he knew he'd be mad about it later. For now, he was way too exhausted for that.
Derrin was the first to move. Having layers made him able to take the strain far more than they could. Red wouldn't have been surprised if Derrin did this sort of thing in his free time.
"We need to move," He took in a deep breath, "We are surrounded by hills and jungle. Anyone could be looking at us right now without us even realizing."
Red agreed, but he just couldn't make himself move. He was exhausted. Every fiber of his being not only hurt from the events on the ship, but now they ached from the treacherous swim. Vizim was in an even sorrier state. Red wondered if this was the first time he had done something like this. It was his first time at least.
Derrin helped both of them stumble upwards. Red's legs nearly gave out, but he eventually managed to stand, somewhat. He glanced around the beach. It was hard to really see much now that the sun was on the horizon. Everything was in the shadows. He wondered what Derrin thought they should be doing.
Traveling into the jungle seemed like a bad idea. They had no idea what lived on the island. They also didn't know if there would be people trying to kill them. Red let that idea go, but Derrin didn't seem to.
"Follow me," he commanded and strode towards a large rock formation near the side of one large hill, "I think there is a cave in the wall over there. We don't want to be in any open areas."
"Do you think we'll be attacked?" Vizim stammered breathlessly.
"Perhaps," Derrin nodded, "It is unlikely. For tonight at least. If the inhabitants had known we were coming, they'd already be here killing us. But we don't want any chances. I wouldn't be surprised if they come to check the beach in the morning to see what sort of stuff floated up."
The cave was small, but Red didn't complain. He had slept in a crackerbox for the last few days. None of them said anything as they pulled off their soaked clothes in the darkness. Red removed his designs and laid them out as best as he could. He doubted they'd properly dry, but all he could do was give it his best.
He pulled out his shockblasters and cursed. They were drenched. He hadn't expected any different, but it still wasn't good. The guns may have been water-resistant, but they weren't meant to be fully submerged. He began disassembling them. Once they dried, they would hopefully be usable, but until then, it was safer to leave them in fewer pieces. He dropped everything onto his coat.
He was currently standing there in nothing but his underwear. Everything else was being left to dry. Red glanced around the small cave. Derrin had said no fire because they needed to learn the situation first. That meant they were stuck sleeping in a cold, damp cave. Red was glad they were doing this in Valencia and not somewhere like Montrel. At least Valencia was pretty warm year-round.
Vizim sat silently in the corner, and it was hard to make out the figure in the darkness. Derrin, on the other hand… That blasted man was sharpening his sword like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"What are we going to do in the morning?" Red sat down next to his coat.
Derrin sighed, "We need to get the lay of the land. Vizim, do you happen to know the location of the fort on the island?"
There was silence.
"I think he's asleep," Red remarked.
"More than likely. I'll keep watch for now. You get some sleep too."
Red sighed and did as instructed. The cold bit into his skin, and it was very difficult to find a comfortable place to lie in the cave. He shut his eyes and tried to control his breathing. In only a few short moments, he could already hear Vizim snoring beside him. But sleep wouldn't come for him.
How Vizim had fallen asleep so fast after a traumatic experience, he didn't know. That wasn't what kept him from sleeping, though. It was his callous reaction to the entire situation. His friend was struggling to continue moving forward, and yet, Red didn't feel very affected by the deaths and carnage.
"What's going on?" Derrin asked.
Red's eyes opened in the darkness, "How did you know I was awake?"
"Your breathing didn't slow," he replied simply.
"I'm worried about what just happened, Derrin," he finally said.
"We'll be fine. Might be tricky over the next few days, but we'll get through it fine. I have sworn you a blood oath after all."
Red shook his head, then realized that Derrin couldn't see him, "I'm not worried about that."
Derrin didn't speak. He was clearly trying to give Red space to articulate his feelings. Red almost wished he did speak because he wasn't sure how to put his worries into words. It seemed silly to be worrying about something so strange.
"I didn't feel anything about their deaths," he paused, "Obviously, I feel disgusted by the gore and blood we saw, but I just don't feel anything about all of them dying. Shouldn't I feel something? Sadness? Guilt? I don't know why I'm even saying this. Vizim is the one who is going to need help."
He fell into silence. Red wondered what Derrin was thinking about him right now. Would he be disgusted by his lack of empathy? Or was he going through a similar experience himself?
The echo of the sharpening sword paused, "I had a friend during my days at military school in Montrel. We ended up deployed together in the same combat unit, while most of my other friends didn't join the military. The military had detected a massive gathering of gearborn ships hiding in Montrel. We brought hell down on them. Nearly every ship in Montrel attacked. Quite similar to what's happening here, actually, but that's besides the point."
"A lot of people died during that battle…my friend included. I watched his body get cut down by an extremely powerful gearborn. I watched it happen, unable to do anything about it. Still, we fought on. After the battle, those who survived returned home. It was the strangest thing. I still remember sitting down at a restaurant back home and feeling the anguish finally hit me. It hadn't hit me during the battle. It hadn't even hit me on our way home. It was nearly a week later when I registered that he was dead."
"I'm sorry."
Derrin chuckled. A sound that felt so strange in the melancholic atmosphere that Red was startled.
"There is nothing for you to be sorry for. That happened years ago," Derrin shook his head in the darkness, "I thought there was something wrong with me originally. It wasn't until much later that I learned the truth."
"The truth?"
"Our hearts are made to help defend us and keep us safe. Sometimes it may not feel like it, but that is their main function. When we are in an emotional state, and our life is on the line, our hearts will automatically work to suppress the overwhelming emotions. It is something instinctual for those of us who are weaker. People like Ayjax are likely able to turn certain emotions on or off in dangerous situations."
"So you're saying my heart is working to protect me as we speak. It knows we're in a dangerous situation, so it is trying to prevent me from doing something potentially self-destructive."
"That is the basic idea, yes."
Red leaned back against the cave wall. Despite the strangeness of the conversation, a sense of relief overcame him. It was good to know he wasn't going crazy, at least. It was also oddly reminiscent of engineering. It was important to build the designs in a way that accounted for their potential shortcomings. He had done that in his shockblasters which was why they would even be usable again.
"Thanks."
Derrin didn't respond. With a new sense of calm overtaking him, Red shut his eyes and fell asleep in only a few minutes.