Joran, Off to the Sea

Returning to their dorm, the kids playing by the grassy park, under the tree, caught Lanz's eyes. They gathered in a circle with one kid meddling with a puppet.

"There. All done!" It's a wooden figure, a guy holding a sword, probably he carved. He stood up and handed them to the two boys, excited.

"Wow! Amazing!" He did it for him. He took it from his hands gently and dashed off into the distance, the young girl following after him. Another young girl was gathering grass alone in the background.

"'Kay, I'll bagsie the next one! I even brought the materials an' stuff. Make me something mega cool, yeah?" The other boy requested for his puppet figure. All the while, Noah stood beside Lanz, both watching them play. The others entered the lodge.

"Sure. What kinda Blade do you want? Sword? Gun?" We saw the girl chasing after the boy whom held the puppet high up as he ran around the grassy park.

"Fist."

"Okey dokey."

Lanz called out, "Hey."

"Mm?" He turned to look at him.

"If we didn't have to fight each other... you think.. that could have been Joran?"

Start of Memories

Joran was meddling with something by (his?) bed as the three entered their barracks, Lanz calling out, "Joran! Didja ditch training again, just to work on this stuff?"

"Did not! I'm not skiving!" He was using a carving knife to carve something. He continued his carving with attention, didn't lay their eyes on them, while explaining himself away, "I just... had a bad headache. I gave notice, too..."

Eunie couldn't believe her ears: "'Scuse me? Noah did that for you. Right?"

He just laughed it off, "Huh huh, err, I'm used to doing it."

"OK, it's done!" Joran held it out and the others bent closer to peer at it.

Lanz: "Hold on! Isn't that..."

"Ahahahah..." He tucked it to the side of his belt. There were already 3 figurines hanging on it, all wearing war suits, one male with gray spiky hair, a female with short blond hair and wings on her head, and the last with dark hair and a strand of hair slicing through between his eyes, its ends on the side of his nose.

Eunie asked, "Who's that? Lanz?"

"This one's Eunie... and, this is Noah."

Eunie was impressed! "Hey! That looks just like me! Good job, matey!"

Lanz: "Huuuh...?"

Noah gave praise readily, "I love it, Joran!"

"Uh? Yeah...?"

"Yeah!" He nodded with confirmation. "We don't have your talent. All we can do... is slash and shoot each other... But you create things!"

"Hahaha..." He was humble to hear it.

Lanz broke into their conversation, asking, "Hey! So who's this?" Joran looked down at the last figure, the one wearing red striped shirt, thick hair that covered both side of his eyes. "We know someone like that?"

Eunie: "Look like a real tough fella."

In an embarrassing and awkward tone, "Umm, that's... Err... It's me..."

Both (except Noah) in unison¹, "Whaaattt???!!!"

Lanz: "This is you?"

Eunie: "It looks nothin' like you!"

"M...mm... Yeah... But, like... That's what I wanna end up like, someday. Haha... Silly, huh?"

Noah rebutted, "It's not silly! I believe in you. I've seen exactly what you can do!"

Lanz disagreed, "You think he's got what it takes? You're talking out your bum."

"No, I'm not! He can do it! Right, Joran?"

"Uh... Uh... I'll... try, then. I'll... try really hard!" His tone grew anxious as he isn't sure if he can meet his expectations. Noah nodded back at him. The others mentioned nothing to disappoint him.

End of memories

Lanz, in a regretful tone, "He looked up to me, man... Smiling..."

"Sometimes it's hard to judge, huh? What we're supposed to be protecting. It all gets a bit blurry."

"Yeah..."

"Even so... His smile... was the real thing. We should cherish that."²

He resignedly sighed. Then, he looked at his hand for a while, until Noah held out his fist straight to him. He turned to meet his eyes, and Noah continued, "Next time, we'll think twice. About... who really needs punching." He withdrew his fist from him.

Lanz looked down at his fist once more, closed his eyes, agreed, "Yeah... Yeah... I hear you." Noah held out his fist once more; this time, Lanz punched back, and their fist met, a sign of agreement.

Looking up at the candle-lit metallic roof, Eunie, lying on her bed, eyes stay opened while others had dozed off. With lingering thoughts that forced her not to sleep, she sat up and climbed down the two-layer bunker bed ladder, went outside the dorm, and paid the growth modules room another visit. Focusing her vision on the unconscious Ethel, the evidence that reminded of her husk on the battlefield, her dog tag with her name on it that she retrieved it from her husk's chest.

"So you saw it."

"Huh?"

"Your husk. Your own lifeless husk. You've come across it?" Such mind-reading ability from Monica. Or maybe, Eunie wasn't the only one...

"How did you...?"

"Your eyes... You looked like you were gazing into your own past."

A moment of digestion before she replied, "That's crazy. Live long enough, and you learn how to figure out stuff like that?"

"Oh, it hasn't been as long as you think. But, folk do tell me I'm pretty sharp."

"Hah. That all?" Monica walked up and stood beside Eunie; they turned their gaze at the growth modules. "How come you don't wake these guys up? Couldn't you use the help? Or is it... 'cause they'd just be Moebius fodder?"

"They can't be fodder. If we wake 'em up here, they'll be freed from the shackles of the Flame Clock."

"So, why then?"

"Because this is our fight. We don't know how long it'll take. And their lives are short."

"So you don't wanna get 'em mixed up in everything?"

She snorted at the hypothesis, "That's one reason."

"And... the other?"

"People need to learn who they really are. What they have to leave behind for posterity. I want them to wake up in a world... that affords them that chance."

Eunie looked away, asked quietly, "How do we discover who we really are...?" She held the dog tag on her palm, peering at it.

"That from the husk?"

"Yeah."

"You won't find yourself there."

"Huh?"

"You've gotta look to the present and the future only. The one in the past -- it isn't 'you'. You didn't make that and it's not yours."

Confused, "Make that...?"

"But... look to the future, and you can build yourself up however you like. You can become whoever you wanna be."

"I can...?"

"You've got the power to do so. Be true to yourself."

"Thank you, that's..."

Monica turned away from her thanks, explained, "Well... That's what my dad always said."

"Your 'dad'...?"

"Mm... But it goes for you, too." Then, she walked towards the entrance as she finished her sentence.

She watched her leaving, trying to internalize what she passed on, "True to myself... We'll see." She took a last look at the dog tag, clenched it within her fist, her heart knot³ untangled.

Next morning. Mio was doing the cooking in the park square alone, stirring soup on a stove placed on top of a table. She took a ladle from the steaming soup, forcefully blew into it for a few times, before taking a taste. "Mm... Ahh!" The content was too hot, she squinted to soothe her pain.

"HAH, REALLY?!!! Did you seriously just burn your tongue again?" Lanz cheerily called out, walking up to her and earned her attention. The others seemed to not be around.

"Uh... Haha... Ah, you saw that?"

"Well, your soup is one of the highlights of my day."

"Really?!" That was surprising to hear. "Whoa, thanks! I'm flattered."

"It was just the truth..."

"Uhm... Want some? To taste-test?" Now that she had a better tongue, eh?

His eyes lit up, "For real?! Good thing I got up early!" She poured him a cup of it. He took it in his hand, continued the conversation while waiting for the heat to dissipate. Or maybe, he's just interested to know more about her.

"You enjoy cooking?"

She continued stirring the pot of soup, her eyes on it, while replying, "Oh, it's been drilled into me. It's a ritual now. Can't really start the day without making a pot."

"I get ya. Two months, huh? Since that battle..."

"Yeah..."

"You're tough. No joke."

"Eh?" She turned to him at such comment, surprised by the adjective he used.

"We heard, from Eunie. That you're just like us."

"Oh. That part."⁴

"I've been plodding along, playing it all cool... But when we saw him again, I thought... Nah, snuff all of this."

"I'm scared too... Just so you know." In her appreciation stance, "Since Monica told us the whole truth... I've hoped... No..." She shook her head, "I'm sure I'll see Miyabi again. I'm so sure of it."

"Hard, wasn't it? Hearing that."

"Yeah. But... It sure beats ignorance."

"That's what Noah thinks too. You're hard as nails."

"What we don't know, might as well not exist... It's an obvious way to think, but it isn't right. Closing my eyes doesn't mean evil disappears."

"And so... You go on?"

Nodding, "Yeah. I'll keep going, while my flame still flickers... to the bitter end. With all of you."

He closed his eyes a moment, turned away from her, and opened looking down, "You said it." He finally emptied her soup in his cup.

The others had already gathered outside the dorm as Mio and Lanz joined in. Upon arrival, Lanz immediately asked, "Did we hear from Monica?"

Noah replied, "Yeah. The ship's ready."

Mio: "Mr. Samon must have pulled an all-nighter."

Eunie: "It's all going to kick off soon."

Taion: "Our preparations should also be complete. Let's rendezvous with Mr. Samon at the port."

Mio nodded, "Let's."

They arrived beside the ship. Mr. Samon and the Ouroboros candidate plus Monica already waiting there. Samon called out, "I been waiting for you! Ship is steady-ready."

Monica: "OK, I'm counting on you to bust out and bring back Ghondor."

Eunie didn't understood, "You're counting on us? Count on yourself -- you're coming too, aren't you?"

"This isn't the Lost Numbers' only job right now, you know." Turning to one of the guy, "Jansen, you're in charge of the infiltration."

"Understood." Jansen turned to the group, "Try not to drag us down, Ouroboros."

Lanz threw his hands into the air, still don't like their manners, "Worry about yourself!"

Monica just shook her head, refused to mediate for such small matters, "Samon, tell us the route."

Suddenly put under the spotlight while busy listening, his thought gathered slow, "Meh! Me-hem! As said before, you cross along Erythia Sea on good ship Boundary, then go to prison direct underneath Castle."

Eunie: "Ah, good. Right through the fog."

"But! Here is detail of importance. Even if all get there without bumps and bruises, island is surrounded by tall cliff on all side! Boundary only run over water... After that, friends will need proceed under own strength."

Sena: "So we just have to do our best to climb up the cliffs without getting rumbled?"

Taion was imagining the cliff might be higher than they could muster: "If we can climb up them just by doing our best then that's great, but..."

Monica agreed, "First, it can't be done."

Mio shared, "If the prison's in Agnus Castle, then it's going to be more heavily guarded than any old Colony."

"Right on the money. Before you head for the prison, rendezvous with a soldier hiding on nearby Vinisog Holm. Her name's Kisame. She's the only soldier who managed to escape from Hope's Rest."

Taion hypothesized, "If we learn about how she managed to escape, we can use that information in our infiltration, is that right?"

Monica didn't reply to him directly, "Vinisog Holm is on the way anyway, so rather than fiddle with janky comms, I thought it'd be best to go there and chat."

Noah: "Yeah, makes sense."

"That's all I've got to say. Get everything ready for departure."

"OK."

"All righty-doodles, goodest of luck to friends."

Lanz: "Wait, are you not piloting us, Mr. Samon?"

"Samon is tired after long night of work. Please to not overwork poor Samon."

Mio: "So who is our pilot, then...?"

"Pilot is inside you all along! Samon can send information of direction to any Iris, so anyone who want to pilot can fulfill dream." Huh, a secret friend in the team?⁵ But however, if break Boundary, is punishable by megaspankings."

Lanz: "Yeah, yeah, we get it."

Riku took out his comms and checked the information Samon sent before tucking it back into his pocket. "...Fine, fine, Riku will volunteer for pilot."

Noah: "Is that OK?"

"Is easier than working Levnis."

Noah turned to the candidates group to explain, "Riku was our mechanic back in the colony. He's good with stuff like this. I trust him to lead us right."

Jansen: "Sure it'll be fine."

Manana fluttered, "Will do our best!"

Noah: "This Ghondor person in prison is our key to finding the whereabouts of the true Queens."

Mio: "We have to pull this off."

Translator's note on environment: Island small enough only to build a lighthouse on top of it. More smaller ones cannot even support buildings of large. Sandy beaches barely emerged between these sharp rocks piercing up into the sky. Larger island could be seen elsewhere. The inaccessible island shaped like thorns carpeted with yellow grass and some bushes, or maybe trees, marked the boundaries of the sea. Plants so huge they tangled from the lower part of the island to the upper portion. Some species had their leaves shaped like peas, single branch, emanating green luminosity. Dolphins with lanterns on their antennas swam in a shoal. Above all, the floating fish we saw in the desert⁶ patrolled their territory. Where inaccesible island don't bordered was a waterfall, where water fall 85° straight down into an abyss so deep; which they called it the Vortex. We could see the Agnus Castle floating on the opposite side, above one of the boundaries on the sea. This, is Erythia Sea, of Cadensia Region.

The group walked up to the bonfire set under the double-layer island; a dome shielded it from the scorching sun in the day. There were barricades and supplies and tables and chair set up to one side of the bonfire. Looking around, they found no one. "Hm..."

Sena: "...There's nobody here?"

Manana: "Puzzles..."

"This is definitely the rendezvous point." Jansen confirmed. "You guys take a load off. I'll take a look around."

Noah: "Sure thing." Then, Jansen walked away himself.

The group separately gathered into their own sub-groups. The Ouroboros camped beside the bonfire, the candidates nearer to the tables and barricades. Shania was on the watch, not even joining her group. Lanz and Sena were doing pushups. Riku and Manana, Eunie and Noah, both having conversations one-to-one. The evening sun that penetrates the hole on top of the dome caressed the sandy floor.

Mio and Taion took steps toward one edge of the island, outside the dome's shield, scanning the vast blue that stretches into the horizon.

"Mmm... Ahh! It's gorgeous... I can hardly believe my eyes. Is this real?" The various island of various shapes in the distance; not even the thin black fog can shroud the distant view. The Agnus Castle floated in front of them, far in the horizon. The waves, surprisingly, did not beat against the edge of the rock, as if they pull back on time before it could make contact.

"We don't wage many battles at sea, so... makes sense the seas would be relatively untouched."

"Aha..." Too logical.

"When people do die at sea, it's usually due to their Ferronis sinking... They drown. It's hard to draw out their life with a Blade. Putting it that way... I guess it's kinda obvious, huh?"

"A little ironic. That that's why it still looks... so pristine."

Changing the focus, "The other half of my reason..."

"Oh? Are we talking about that now?" It's not that long for her to forget, since leaving Colony Lambda.

"About why I'm here, yes." Now that he was ready. "Right? I told you there was a second half."

"Mm...?" She nudged him to go ahead.

"It's you, Mio."

Her eyebrow shot up, "Me? What do you-?"

He didn't gave her long to finish her sentence, "You want to leave an impression." She blinked her eyes quickly twice, peering at him, as he continued, "On all of us, and the world. Don't you?" He turned to join eye contact with her.

"Hmm..." She turned away to look at the sea.

"I can only hazard a guess at what you'd want it to be... And even then I'm not confident I'd guess right... But... let me just say this: You've only got... a little over a month left. We can't change that fact. It doesn't give you much time to leave your mark."

"Hmph..." Her eyes dreary with tears, she looked down at the disappointing fact so clearly laid out.

"If... there were anything I could do to give you time... If it were in my power, I would!" He turned to look at her, "Not just me! Sena, too! And Noah. We all think that way."

She turned away from him to wipe his teary eyes, "Mio?"

"Sparks! You're making me tear up here, man."

"Oh uh... sorry. That wasn't my intention!"

"No. Thank you. Nimue's doing?"

"Huh?"

"You were even being nice to Eunie. Stuff like that."

"Oh... oh, really?" Feeling awkward, he went on to scratch his head. "I'd never even thought about it."

"Let's give thanks, if we ever see one of those trees of hers."

"A Saffronia? Right... I think that's a great idea." Together, they peered at the moving clouds, the breezy wind that moves it, and time moving, as they put a stop on the topic.

Mio and Taion rejoined the two groups that had gathered in front of Jansen and another woman, with Jansen speaking, "Everyone's here. Good."

Mio questioned, "Is this the person that made it out of the prison camp, then?"

"Kisame." A short dark hair woman that seems as tough and manly as a stereotypical man.

Jansen turned to her, "Right, sorry to rush you but can you tell us about the camp?"

Without objections, "I can. Let's see now... Inside the camp, every prisoner is tracked using identification devices. You need those devices to move around the grounds. But if you go anywhere you're not supposed to, they'll trip the alarm and the guards will come running."

Eunie folded her arms, "So you can't go anywhere without 'em, but they stop you escaping? Crafty so-and-sos..."

Noah: "So, how did you manage to escape?"

She shook her head, "I'll be honest, most of it was sheer luck. I was working by the western gate, when I happened to notice that there were fewer guards than normal... I asked my mates to help, and we got me out, alone." She lowered her head as the pain ruptured her feelings; they most probably had sacrificed.

Taion left her emotions unattended, "In other words, it wouldn't be feasible for us to infiltrate by the same route you used to leave."

"I imagine it wouldn't, no."

Lanz plainly suggested, "In that case, why not drop the sneaky stuff and just get caught on purpose?"

Jansen rebutted, "If the guards figure out you're Ouroboros, the plan's gonna fall to pieces. They'll just kill you right then and there. At least until you can get information out of Ghondor on the inside... you can't let the Agnians know that you're Ouroboros."

"Hrm..."

Eunie: "Right, so we're saying stealth's the only way to get everyone out safely, Ghondor included."

Kisame: "Since you've mentioned Ghondor... We used to gather in the central cell block for morning assembly, so it should be easy to make contact, provided you can get in."

Jansen appreciated, "Good info, thanks. I suppose we'll need more data points on the prison if we're to figure out a way of infiltrating it."

"I figured you might say that, so I got busy while I waited here, observing Agnian troops. Seems to me you might have more luck getting information from them, seeing as how I only saw one part of the prison..."

There was a huge island, tall rocks that crafted multiple layers, that stood near the vortex. Plants with their leaves shaped like crystals decorated the island. Kisame commented, "Can you see that island to the northwest? That's Corne Island. I saw the Agnian transport Balaena heading that way. It's most likely a Levnis from the Castle, so if you can access a terminal or something, you might be able to learn a thing or two?"

Another island; perhaps nearer to the middle of the sea. It was also a huge island, but only a single layer; the upper layers were inaccessible, overgrown with trees with red leaves. Connecting to the roads onto a higher ground by a bridge was a stronghold with a lighthouse installation, and a building beside it. The sides were unclimbable theoretically, not to say they built walls all round the edges; so the bridge is the only means of access. "And then, there's Turbin Island, to the northeast. It has the Erythia Relay Base on it, permanent garrison and all, so you won't have trouble finding information there."

Behind Turbin island was another island that had a spider-web dome in the middle of the sandy beach, perhaps as large as Turbin island.

Taion assessed the situation, "It sounds like we'll have to accept a certain level of risk, since there is no other way."

Eunie was optimistic, "We just want the info, right? We can slip in and out without getting caught, quick as you like."

"Yes, I would like that, but how likely does it sound...?"

Mio: "More data on the prison is important, sure, but it won't mean much if we don't figure out how to circumvent the ID devices..."

Kisame: "Here, you can use this." She took it out and handed to them, "This is the device they'd put on me." It's only singular, which she handed to Jansen. Turning to the others, "And these... These are the ones from my friends who died in the camp...⁷ Should be enough for all of you, and then some."

Jansen: "Thanks, we appreciate it."

Kryto: "Jansen?" He is the guy whom said the Ouroboros stole Ouroboros from them. "About those ID devices. Mind letting me have a crack? I think I can pull the warning systems out of 'em. And since you need a few, I'd like to borrow Nissick."

"Understood, thank you. So, with the devices in Kryto's hands..."

Turning to Noah and the group, Noah acknowledged, "We'll see what we can find on Corne Island and Thurbin Island."

A large transporting Agnian ship parked on the coast beside a small beach. The group, including the candidates, stood on the grassy area overlooking it. Noah questioned, "OK, now... How do we get closer to the Balaena...?"

No worries. They were already spotted. The Balaena deployed at least two levnises at them. Eunie: "Queen's ruffles...!"

Sena: "We got found..."

Jansen: "Wipe 'em out." They drew their blades for a fight.

After the battle. Still on guard, Noah prompted, "No more enemies...?" Sheathing their blades after confirmation, Noah turned to the others and said, "Good. Let's check inside the ship."

Mio suggested: "I think some of us should stand guard outside."

Lanz volunteered, "All right, I'll be the lookout."

Sena excitedly seconded, "Me too!"

Corne island has some grassy fields and short slope. On the upper area stood some pillars of rocks and weird-growing plants shaping like cocoon, and is that some rainbow crystals or plants sticking to the rocks?

While Sena were doing squats on the grassy area with no others in sight, hands behind her head, Shania approached her with questions, "So, Ouroboros does training as well, huh?"

She stopped and turned to her, "You're... Uhh..."

Stopping about 4 to 5 arm-length distance (about 3 meters) facing Sena, she reintroduce herself "Shania. Shania Reid. About your rescue mission. Ghondor and I are friends from the crib."

Curiously, she asked, "I don't know that word, 'crib'... Does it mean you've known each other for a while?"

"I guess you don't use that expression, huh? Why even use words? Feels like we're just talking at cross purposes." Her friendly tone ignites a furious remark. Shania could not help but see a neutral tone as an aggressive ones, targeted to belittle her; or maybe she's just impatience and jealous. She had no intention of providing a definition to satisfy her curiosity.

"Uh... Sorry about that."

"Uh... Know what, forget it. Well? Gonna answer my question?"

"You mean, about training?"

"Yeah."

"That's the thing... Mimi and the others are doing their best. I need to as well. Anything to help me get an edge. So..."

"Aaahhh... 'Mimi' is it? That's what you call her? The one with the long ears?"

"Yeah. We've always been in the same colony."

"You're friends?" From Translator's perspective, she seems indirectly trying to check for similarity between herself and Sena.

"That might be saying a lot... She's kinda like my role model. She's strong, kind, mega-dependable..."

Start of Memories

Soldiers chatting with each other, or just traversing to their destination, in the training camp. Sena, her back laid on the diamond-grid fence, sat with legs pulled up, arms gently put on her ankle, looking down and lonely. She might have thought this will stay forever, until Mio's voice sounded, "You're... Sena, right?"

She took a second to figure out someone was calling her unexpectedly, "Huh? Oh... It's... You are..."

"I'm Mio, third term. We... haven't met before... have we?" Despite they're expected to be age 13⁸, they looked the same in their final and penultimate term, no change in body features nor facial appearances,unlike Eunie and the others which clearly looked different when they were children.

Excited tone to conceal her nervousness and awkwardness, she excitedly stood up, all the while replying, "Ahh, I'm sorry....! Your name totally slipped my mind! But... I don't think... we've talked before...? Uh... Uhm..." She was acting shy.

"You know, I was just looking for a training partner."

"For the trial...?"

"I like to think I'm pretty quick on my feet, but... I'm not really... strong enough. Our captain... said you would make a good addition. And that you're super strong!"

Shaking and scratching her head, she humbly replied, "Hehehe... He's exaggerating. I'm totally average. Totally."

She invited anyways, "Wanna try? Teaming up?"

"With you?" To which she nodded, putting up a smile.

She don't have the confidence, "You sure? I'm a nobody..."

"Sure I'm sure, I'm literally asking you right now. It's your choice."

She thought for a while before replying, "Well... If you really don't mind... Sure." Sena didn't even raise her head to look at her.

"Really? Golden! We're a team then!"

"Mmm... Thank you!" They continued their conversation thereafter.

End of Memories

Sena was smiling at her recall.

"Role model, huh." Shania folded her arms, the sourness of jealousy on the verge of explosion.

"She's the one who's kept me going. I wouldn't be here otherwise. And after meeting you guys... now I understand what life's really all about. A part of nature's cycle. I'd never even thought about it before, but... it's pretty amazing, huh?⁹"

"HOW IS IT NATURAL??!!!"

"Huh?" She didn't get why Shania suddenly got angry.

"Why should we swing our Blades around without a hope of winning? Better to die, and be born again inside their cycle."

"Huh..." She was shocked by her philosophy.

As if to not kept her lingering on it, she changed to a joking tone and smiling face immediately, "Just pullin' your leg. Caught you off guard?" It's not the time yet... Not the time to let the others know yet...

"Haha... Well, yeah, you kinda did! How'd you expect me to react to that?"

"Hahaha..."

Scratching her head, "Hehehe... Hehehe..."

Back to her serious tone, "Hey. Do you always work so hard for approval? That fun¹⁰?"

"Huh? You can... tell...?"

"That's right... 'Cause we're just the same." Then, she turned and walked away.

"Huh" The deep breathe she pushed out from her lungs, she watched her leave without a smile.

Near the Balaena. Shania stood on the beach herself, looking at the horizon. Her mind was recalling something else.

After she picked up the eyepatches from Guernica's remains, a female Moebius sounded while her attention absorbed on it, "C'mon now. Be true to yourself." She raised her head in shock, turning around to find the source of the voice. The moebius figure, dimly lit so we can only see its eyes and core, walked towards the defensive Shania.

She clenched her fist, swaying between loyalty and being true to herself. The aurora in the sky she could not notice.

The next morning. Taion was speaking to the candidates. Lanz was out there doing squats by himself. Mio was wiping the dishes, Sena stood still accompanying her, looked at her for a moment, then looked back down while she lingered in her thoughts from yesterday. Then, she turned to look at Shania, whom was still standing on the beach herself, facing the same direction.

"Hey, uh... Mimi?"

"What's up? Speak to me."

"Ah...uh...ahuh..." Shook her head for a while, "Uhm... It's uh... Lovely... weather we're having!" She couldn't muster the courage to speak up, perhaps on the weird thought Shania had the day before. She looked up at the sky in the Agnian castle's direction, Mio followed her glance; it was cloudy.

She didn't get the underlying message, of course, "I don't know I'd say 'lovely'... Bit overcast."

Scratching her head, "Ah, -y-you're right! Eheh...Silly clouds! Guess I had my head in 'em. Ahahahah!" Then, she quickly walked away to escape the embarrassment.

Mio watched her leave in awe, "Huh? Hmm... What was that about?"

The group and the candidates gathered around a bonfire on the grassy patch near the Balaena. Parking on the mouth of the entrance (gulf) was their ship, facing to the vast sea.

Eunie questioned, "So, what's our loot from the Balaena lookin' like? A survey sketch of the Agnus Castle Barbican...? Now we're talkin'!"

Taion seemed to analyzed it before the meeting, "And yet, it doesn't enable us to build a plan on its own. If possible, I'd like us to gather further intelligence before acting."

"Bah... Always with the caution, this bloke."

Noah agreed with Taion, "This time around, we'll need as much caution as we can muster, Eunie. We might be able to find more information at the Erythia Relay Base on Thurbin Island."

Mio nodded, "That's right. Let's follow all the leads we have."

Inside the Erythia Relay Base, Olive manipulated the controls that looked like those on the ships in the 20th century. Though, the screen was a lime green hologram, which even today's technology find it hard to cast such huge screen unless with a projector. On it shows several maps, and she navigated between the different maps.

Olive: "Huh... Not bad, not bad at all." Turning the the groups, she touched her temple, "I've sent the data to your Irises. Give it a look over for me."

Checking the data, Sena questioned, "What's this...? A map of the prison camp?"

Noah suggested, skipping her question for later analysis, "We've got a good deal of info now. Let's go back to Kisame on Vinisog Holm."

Gathering around a bonfire on Vinisog Holm, Jansen questioned, "OK, tell me what you know."

Olive started, "Let me send you what Taion and I got from analyzing the maps." Both touched their irises.

Taion started explaining, "First, about infiltrating the island itself... It appears that there are natural caverns directly underneath Agnus Castle. If we break through one of the walls, then climb the cliffs, we can avoid most of the guards' attention."

Noah and the others were checking on their irises too, with Noah suggesting, "There should be even less chance of us getting caught if we do it under cover of darkness."

Kisame: "I seem to remember a little inlet near Hykt's Cove. It could be a good place to wait for nightfall."

Taion: "Once we've ascended the cliffside, we can approach the camp from the back. Notice the air vents? I expect one of those is our way in."

Lanz: "That's quite a drop."

Taion nodded, "Indeed. They won't be any use for exfiltration. Those ID devices are certainly going to be a help."

Olive: "Well if they're not and you're spotted, you'll all be rounded up in seconds."

Eunie: "So, assuming we get into the prison, how exactly are we supposed to blend in?"

Kisame: "See how the vents also connect to the central cell block? It should be easy for you to mingle when the prisoners are all in one place for morning assembly."

Olive removed her hold on her temple, "After that, you can move about in the open, calm as you like. As long as you've got an ID device, they won't suspect a thing."

Jansen: "Once you're inside, you should make contact with Ghondor as soon as possible... I've prepared a few possible plans of action for when you're ready to leave the camp. You'll need to change plans as the situation demands. Everyone needs to play their part. If you can get out quietly, head for Patulia Bay, where you'll rendezvous with Kisame. But top priority is breaking out Ghondor. Blast the western gate off, if you must."

The guys agreed to the sound plan. Noah: "Well, it seems like we've got our plan in place."

"Riku roger that. When preparations ready, we take Boundary to Hykt's Cove."

The night fall. Starlight pierced through the slightly cloudly sky heavy with black fog. The Castle was close; they were waiting at Hykt's Cove. Lanz and Sena were looking up at it.

"It's massive... That's the Agnian Castle?"

They, of course, weren't the only ones observing. Eunie: "And it's floating..."¹¹

"Seen it before, Mio?"

Shaking her head, "Nope. First time for me too. Unlike you guys, we never got any special training."

"Ah..."

Taion turned their attention to their mission: "If our intel's right... we ought to find a cave if we circle along anticlockwise."

Sena: "Is that the one that then leads to the ventilation ducts in the camp?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Noah: "Quickly. We need to get in, before it gets light."

Footnotes:

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1: Seemingly Noah didn't readily judge him as Lanz and Eunie did.

2: The kids now gathered back in a group to see him making the new puppet.

3: Direct translated from Chinese: 心结, which one isn't sure what it's called in English.

4: Bright fig, Miyabi, if you didn't already got it.

5: Yes, a secret friend for real. Look out for the 'hammer'!!!

6: Danagh Desert and probably another place, one can't remember.

7: As if they never cancelled the tag's accessibility.

8: Assuming when they're zeroth term, they're age 10, so they die by age 20. That's an assumption that Translator took, but different people might give a different range, maybe 12 to 22, or 13 to 23.

9: Happy tone.

10: Quieter tone.

11: Remember, Agnian had anti-gravity technology the Kevesi don't; that's why their levnises are floating on balls, while Kevesi was attached to wheels.