“Routine patrol, you said. Back before lunchtime, that’s what you promised.”
The low, flat, nasal tone speaks of a bored, gruff veteran who’s got no qualms about walking up to a standoff without a weapon in hand, and that’s exactly what the bald Ranger does. Ain’t in no hurry either, nor is he hesitating as he moves across the blood strewn valley at his own pace while directing his verbal tirade at Kacey beside him. “Told you there wasn’t any point, that the Rangers had the routes locked down tight,” he continues, fixing his squinty glare onto me for a brief second then over to the Nipponese soldiers with an extra emphasis on the snooty kid. “But no, you just had to drag me out on my one day off for a ‘routine’ patrol. The first actual break I’ve had since taking you on, and now I gotta deal with this bullshit.”
Kacey doesn’t argue the matter, doesn’t apologize or make excuses. She just accepts the Ranger’s rant as due course while looking fit, fine, and furious as can be as she marches over in her tight tan tank top and coarse cargo pants while little Inari nips at her heels like this is all a game. The Nipponese beauty has got a sheen of sweat on her brow after all that fighting, but is none the worse off for it despite being half dressed. Got a black sports bra that’s keeping her dignity intact, but her rage on is on full display as she struggles to keep from overtaking the older Ranger who’s moving much too slow for her liking. That’s the thing about Kacey though, as she’s too polite to walk ahead of her Mentor, as a teacher must be accompanied, not led around.
So she spends that time directing all her ire into a glare aimed at her little brother, who’s suddenly a full head shorter as he goes all hangdog and ashamed to match his three-headed doggy familiar. It’s almost amusing to see it happen in someone else, since I’m usually on the receiving end of this sort of thing, but my grin melts away when Kacey directs her fetching glare my way and I can’t help but look away. At the kid and his soldiers mind you, not at the dirt like her little brother, but it’s still a cop out all the same and the tips of my ears heat up in embarrassment. I can stare down a killer without batting an eye, but when a pretty girl with lovely eyes fixes her anger my way, there ain’t nothing I can do except wilt away.
As for the Ranger, he stops short of walking right in between me and the Nipponese soldiers and crosses his arms like he’s dealing with feuding school kids rather than an armed standoff. He don’t say nothing once he’s here, just stands like a man in charge waiting for someone to explain what’s what, while making everyone sweat bullets beneath his glare. The soldiers are all looking twitchy as can be despite holding their rifles in hand, the same El-ministers as everyone else. Great weapons, but as we all just saw here and now, you need volume of fire or a damn lucky shot to bring an armoured Behemoth down.
Course, my skin ain’t all that thick, meaning them guns be more than enough to deal with me even through two layers of armoured plate. Might not pierce through the darksteel, but it’ll still knock me on my ass all the same, if not break bones and cause internal bleeding. That’s why I wanted to take the snotty brat hostage, seeing how these soldiers with the fancy footwork are his bodyguards. You don’t get that sort of protection without pulling a whole lot of strings, so I figure the kid’s my best shot of getting out without getting got. Now that the Ranger’s here though, that might mess my plans up, as baldie there might well also be under orders to protect the kid. Or at least protect Kacey, who seems furious as can be as she alternates between glaring at me and her brother while somehow also keeping her head inclined in a slight bow. Guess the kid’s more important than I thought given how much respect Kacey has to show, so I make sure to angle one Judge to keep the kid between my Mage Hand and Kacey to keep her from taking it out with a throwing knife.
As for the kid himself, he’s standing with head held up and nose to the sky like he done no wrong, even going so far as to clasp his hands behind his back. Say what you will about his shitty attitude, but he don’t seem none too concerned about being gunned down in broad daylight, or at least not all that scared of the prospect. Courage he’s got in spades, but sense not so much, as he don’t say a word to anyone as he acts like there ain’t nothing out of the ordinary going on here and refuses to even acknowledge the Ranger’s presence. Me, I ain’t one to play those games, as I like to strike first, strike hard, and strike again a few more times before my opponents got a chance to speak, so I greet the Ranger with a smile and a nod of my head.
“Ain’t nothin’ to concern yourselves over,” I say, keeping my eyes fixed on the kid and his retinue while watch the Ranger and Kacey out of the corner of my eye, the latter of whom is busy keeping Inari from running over to beg for treats. “The kid wanted to see my guns, and offered to walk me out so long as I was willing to show ‘em, so here we are. Time to go, kiddo. Head for the hills and I’ll be right there with you.”
Course, the kid don’t move and acts like he can’t hear me, though I suppose it wouldn’t matter if he did seeing how he don’t seem to understand English. Ain’t faked either, as I was intentionally rude about it, and he didn’t react until Kacey’s little brother got to translating. Problem is, the little brother don’t dare say a word, so now we at an impasse because I ain’t about to poke the kid with a gun being held by a Mage Hand Cantrip. Yeah, that’s right. A Cantrip, as I didn’t expect a standoff after saving all their sorry hides, so I didn’t blow 16 Aether on an upcasted Mage Hand to get me battle ready. Nor can I just upcast the Spell now and pump more power and structural stability into the Mage Hands currently in existence. Doesn’t work that way, as a new instance of the Spell don’t sustain a current one, but rather creates a new set of Mage Hands while the old ones just wink out of existence.
Which ain’t ideal when said Mage Hands be holding the Blastguns trained on the kid and his retinue. While the Nagas are great at piercing through targets to also hit whatever’s behind them, I can’t count on the soldiers to know that, so if all I got are my revolvers trained on them, they might think it’s well worth the trade to open fire on me and take two Bolts in return. It wouldn’t be worth it, but I’d also get shot at and have to ride away, because there ain’t no way for me to fight off a platoon of thirty-odd soldiers who’re all gathering around for a look see, save for those who’re injured or busy treating those who are.
So I want to get going while the going’s still good, but the kid don’t take the hint. Nor does the Ranger seem willing to go along with my relatively painless and wholly bloodless suggestion as he snorts in derision and says, “Like hell you are. You know who that kid is?”
“Some snot-nosed little shit who thought he could order his goons to drag me off my horse and beat me,” I reply, letting a bit of the Yellow Devil show through as I give the kid a glare and a grin. “He was wrong.”
“That he was,” the Ranger allows, which throws me for a loop, as he’s agreeing much too readily for my tastes. Still got his arms crossed though, else I might be a little more concerned about him taking action against me. “Problem is, there’s no chance in hell any one of these men are gonna let you walk away with their Daikan’s son.”
“…His daddy’s a caddish?” Raising an eyebrow in amusement, I see that the Ranger don’t get my meaning, though Kacey and her little bro have both cottoned onto it, and the latter has to suppress a smile. “Ain’t that what a daikon is? A Nipponese caddish from the old world?”
“Fucking hilarious,” the Ranger says, sounding not at all amused. “Tell him.”
The command is directed at Kacey, who’s still got her head slightly bowed yet manages to hit me with a glare all the same. “Daikan-domo speaks for the Kanrei here on the Frontier.” That’s all there is, and while I ain’t exactly an expert on Nipponese politics, I know enough to know that the Kanrei is their official head of state. Like a President or Prime Minister pretty much, though they prefer the title be translated to Chief Administrator in English. So if the Daikan speaks for the Kanrei, that makes him their head of state on the Frontier, one I doubt was democratically elected, but will no doubt make heads roll if his boy loses so much as a single hair on his head.
“So his daddy’s a political bigwig,” I say with a shrug. “Good for him. All the more reason he sees me off. Seems like the least he could do after I helped save your sorry hides.” Suppressing a wince even as I say it, I look away from Kacey’s renewed glare to catch Big Al’s quiet amusement as he shakes his head in disbelief like he can’t believe I just said it. Don’t change the facts none, as I did save them from taking a fair few more casualties than they otherwise would’ve, though to be fair, the Ranger had yet to really step in. Then again, as a Diviner and Conjuror, there’s a good chance the Entangling Grasp was his, as them Glassmaws looked strong enough to tear their way through a standard Entangle without too much trouble, so might be his Spell was all that was keeping the Nipponese from getting overrun.
“You do not understand,” Kacey explains, her brow furrowed in adorable pique as she glares daggers at me. “To be taken prisoner would shame Minamoto-sama, and in turn, shame Daikan-domo, and this cannot be allowed.”
“Sounds like their problem, not mine,” I reply with another shrug. “Me, I’m more concerned about gettin’ out without gettin’ shot, and if some politico’s reputation gotta take a hit for it, then he should’ve raised his son not to be a little shit. Live and learn though, so might be this’ll teach him a little humility.”
“Doubtful,” Kacey replies, and there’s an edge to her voice that tells me she’s just barely keeping her anger in check. “As the only way to restore Minamoto-sama’s honour would be to commit seppuku and atone for his disgrace by cutting open his belly.”
Seems a bit much, and I blink a bit to hear it, but I’ve heard tales of how the Nipponese be a crazy bunch. “Still sounds like his problem, not mine,” I reply, because let’s be honest. I’m ready to gun him down to get myself out, so balking at the fact that he’ll die regardless ain’t exactly gonna stay my hand.
“No, it is your problem,” Kacey replies, her eye twitching in sheer rage as she does, “Because every Nipponese soldier present would sooner die than allow you to disgrace Minamoto-sama and he knows it. That is why he has no fear, because he believes that even if he dies, he will take you down with him and glean much honour in the process.”
“Even if he don’t do nothing but die?” I ask, almost amused to hear how stupid this all is, and Kacey nods to confirm it. “Well then,” I continue, keeping my guns trained on the kid and resisting the urge to prove everyone wrong here and now, “Guess we do have ourselves a problem then. Can’t just leave, as it’s a long way up that hill, and I ain’t about to turn my back in good faith. Honour or not, this snivellin’ little shit seems like just the type to order his people to shoot me in the back and lie about how I got got.”
“He might,” Kacey replies, which ain’t helping her cause. “However, he will not open fire if I leave with you.”
Raising an eyebrow, I give her a once over and look at her in a new light. She sounds mighty certain of herself, which means she’s got some sort of political pull with the Nipponese that I didn’t know about. Probably for good reason, but I’m not feeling charitable enough to let her have her secrets, as I got my life on the line here, and Old Tux’s life too. “And why not?” I ask, my mind racing through all the possibilities without landing on any one in particular, because I just don’t know enough about Nipponese politics.
“Because I am betrothed to Minamoto-sama,” she replies, which wasn’t even on the list and throws me for a loop.
Can tell she ain’t none too pleased about it, but I ain’t here to talk about her relationship over tea. “My condolences,” I drawl, giving the kid another look and seeing no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He’s not tall, not handsome, not striking or even all that intelligent looking, and aside from how sharply he’s dressed, I got nothing nice to say about him. Well, he got a nice sword hanging from his hip, a long, curved dealie that looks like it’d be fun to brandish about, but otherwise, he’s about as plain, boring, and hateful as can be. “You sure you don’t want me to shoot him?”
That gets a cough out of the little brother, who clearly don’t care all that much for Minamoto either, though I think that’s his family name. From what little I know about the Nipponese, they’re big on formality, and familiarity is reserved for speaking in private, and maybe not even then. Kacey ain’t none too amused though, as she speaks through clenched teeth. “Yes,” she says, taking a deep breath to calm her rage before continuing. “I am sure I do not want you to shoot the son of the Nipponese head of state, to whom I am engaged. I would ask that you put your guns away so I can walk you out, as you are right to be concerned about being shot in the back.”
“So much for honour, I guess.” Eyeing the brat once more, I glance at the Ranger and ask, “What’s your take on all this?”
“My take is that you’re all idiots keeping me from that pot of coffee I was about to make,” the Ranger replies. “So try not to kill anyone and delay that any further.” Grimacing he adds, “Try not to die either. Same reason. If the girlie says she can get you out alive, then believe her, because I sure as shit can’t stop the little punk from doing whatever he pleases.”
Guessing he wasn’t clued in to the fact that Aki was fixing on hunting Abby out here. Seems like the Nipponese already knew about the cave and came out to deal with it. No, they don’t got enough people or guns. More like Kacey found it, and Aki got it into his head to clear it out by his lonesome. Probably refused to listen to the Ranger’s advice and walk away once they found it. Either way, I’m guessing the Ranger is pissed that so many people died for no real reason, but he’s got no real power to do anything about it.
Kacey’s patience has worn thin though, leaving me no time to consider my options. “Dismount from your horse,” she snaps, and I gotta stop myself from following through just on tone alone. “I will walk along behind you and escort you over the hill. Leave your guns trained on them if you must, but if you do not move soon, the other soldiers might stop standing around and find sense enough to encircle you.”
Seeing no other real option, I heave a sigh and swing one leg over Old Tux’s neck before sliding down off the saddle. It’s a longer drop than you’d think, but I stick the landing with both Nagas trained on Aki and make him flinch just a bit. Guess he’s not as calm and collected as he appears, just blessed with the naivete of youth and thinks he’ll live forever. Kacey moves exactly as she promised, coming forward to stand between me and him, though still a good foot away from me. Still gets Aki’s goose all a-gandered though, as his eyes go wide with rage and his body gets to trembling something fierce as he roars in Nipponese using a tone I don’t much care for when speaking to a lady, much less one he’s engaged to.
Kacey ain’t no wilting flower though, as she hits him with a glare that’s got me quaking in my boots. Figuratively speaking of course, as I gotta give off the image of the implacable Yellow Devil, one who ain’t none too fussed abut this conundrum I’m in even though I’m mighty grateful to the fierce Nipponese beauty for giving me another option. One that don’t include getting shot at, though from the sound of things, as Aki is downright furious and none too shy about showing it. I don’t understand Nipponese, but I can imagine it’s anything nice.
As for Kacey, she don’t interrupt his tirade, or remind him how she’s capable of cleaving through Glassmaws with one hand. She just stands with head bowed and lets him shout himself hoarse. Soon enough, he’s run out of breath and is panting and heaving something fierce, as rage do take a whole lot out of you. She’s cool as a cucumber though, only straightening up when he’s all out of gas to speak Nipponese in an adorably cutesy voice that is nothing like her normal terse and stilted tones. Got no idea what she’s saying, but it hits the kid like a truck as he reels from the cutest verbal smackdown I done ever did hear, one that leaves him looking mighty defeated.
Even though she clearly holds the upper hand, Kacey’s tone is sweet and saccharine as can be, like she’s praising him all the while in an over-the-top manner. She even ends with a question, which I belatedly realize was asking for permission when Aki responds with a dismissive wave of his hand as he turns his head away, like he’s refusing to watch Kacey walk away with me. Dunno if Kacey’s got the kid gloves on because he’s her betrothed and she’s gotta give him face, or if Aki’s actually in command of this here operation and Kacey is one of his soldiers. She got a Ranger badge and Ranger training, but end of the day, she’s still a Nipponese national, one that’s only on loan to the Rangers as opposed to a Federal soldier in truth.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
A question I leave for later as I holster my Nagas while leaving my Judges to cover my retreat. Even with Kacey’s assurances though, I feel compelled to turn and watch them as we leave. Takes every ounce of control I have not to smirk or slip an arm around Kacey’s shoulders, and the only reason I manage to rein it in is because I’m pretty sure she’d kick my ass if I tried, and I don’t fancy my chances against her up close and personal. That and the fact that Big Al is looking mighty concerned, and I’m not sure if it’s for me. He’s been partnered with Kacey for some months now, and underneath that calm and careful demeanour hides a hot-blooded young man. Who’s to say he didn’t catch feelings for Kacey? Or even if he didn’t, he’s right to be concerned about his friend who just went out of her way to save another friend from having a shootout from her countrymen. Nipponese honour seems rather finicky if you asking me, as what sort of honour demands that a man kill himself for being taken hostage while celebrating that same man for losing his life in a senseless standoff against a stranger who just saved his ass?
So soon as we’re far enough away where I don’t gotta keep an eye on the soldiers behind us, I heave a sigh and say, “Not for nothing, but if that’s how you and yours thank folks who ride in to lend a hand, then I don’t think there gonna be many willing to help out again.” A roundabout way of saying how I ain’t gonna risk my neck for them, without actually coming right out and saying it. Who says I don’t have tact?
Kacey glances over to meet my eyes without turning her head, so as to make it look like she’s paying me no mind. “Thank you for your assistance. We would have lost many more had you not held the Aberrations back and dealt with the Dire Glassmaw.”
“That one I would’ve done fer free,” I reply. “You see how it went up in flames? Also, why we do we call the bigger behemoths Dire whatever? Makes no sense to me, because technically, anything bigger than a horse is considered a Feral Behemoths. Some are just bigger than others, as they’ve either had more resources devoted to their growth or more time to accumulate biomass after the fact. Makes for good huntin’ though, big ol’ loot pinatas chock full of Aberrtin.”
In response, Kacey goes and shows that she knows me better than she let’s on as she says, “I will see what I can do about getting you paid your fair share of the proceeds. I counted 7 kills, but I may have missed a few as I was otherwise engaged.”
The Rangers don’t share profits on hunts even if you do lend them a hand, but folks only put up with it because they’re one of the strongest militaries around. The Nipponese can’t say the same, so they’re more reasonable in that regard, and seeing how it’s no skin off Kacey’s back, I tell her the truth. “Ten confirmed including the big’un, but four were with an assist on the Entangle. You can write those off to your Ranger Mentor.” Kacey raises an eyebrow at that, so I ask, “That was his Entangle, wasn’t it?”
“It was mine,” she replies, all calm and frosty in tone but her eyes give away her pride.
So I gotta gas her up, because above all else, Kacey is a friend who I want to see succeed. “Damn fine work then,” I say. “Big strong Feral like a Glassmaw would run through my Entangle like it wasn’t even there. Even my Web might not hold one for long, but yours had ‘em locked down tight. Colour me impressed.”
Especially since she also had a Mirror Image going, which also requires Concentration. I’m guessing she got something similar to Tina’s bracers, a set of Spell Storing Artifacts that can handle Second Order Spells. Given the increased strength, the Entangle was probably manually cast to make use of Kacey’s familiarity, while her Mirror Image was from the Artifact and only as good as the base Spell, which is why I found it lacking.
I don’t say as much, since it ain’t polite to pry into a Spellslinger’s gear and capabilities, and Kacey ain’t one to brag. She don’t say nothing, but she do stand a little taller and step a little lighter to hear me sing her praises. Which does interesting things to her profile, especially as scantily clad as she is, so I reach into my saddlebag and pull out a spare shirt for her to wear. One of my favourite blue button-ups, as the colour really pops and the cut is just right, but even though Kacey is plenty comfortable in her skin, I can tell she’s grateful for the gesture. As for me, I try not to grimace when all her lovely, sweat glistened skin gets covered up, to say nothing of how aggravating it is to see how well my clothes fit her slender yet athletic frame. “I was changing into my armour when we came under attack,” she said. “Lieutenant Myers says a Scout must remain light on their feet, even if that Scout is also a Vanguard.” Eyeing my improved duster weighted down by a dozen darksteel plates, she adds, “Though it appears you see things differently.”
“Gettin’ shot does that to a man,” I reply, and she winces to hear it even though I thought I sounded pretty cavalier. “Weight ain’t so bad though. Get used to it after a few weeks.”
“I heard about your close call in the Deadlands.” Hesitating, Kacey takes a beat to find the right words before settling on, “How bad was it?”
“Almost died.” A truth I’ve since come to accept, which is why I didn’t argue against the armoured duster. “Doc says the Bolt was a hair’s breadth away from grazing my heart. Would’ve bled out in less than a minute if it’d come to that, and almost did so regardless before they got me patched up well enough to fly me out to a hospital for open-chest surgery. Fun times.” Flashing a smile that’s all teeth and no eyes, I glance back at the soldiers who’re still glaring daggers at me, including Aki who ain’t none too pleased to watch his betrothed walking at my side. “Least your people were disciplined enough not to shoot me on accident.”
In the moment, I wasn’t sweating one bit, but now I’m feeling the stress pile on as I go over all the ways that could’ve gone wrong. Stupid that. I should’ve just ridden away as soon as I saw they were NSDF soldiers and done like Mr. Tillman suggested. Send an itemized bill alongside a notarized copy of the recorded fight. Then the Nipponese would have no choice but to pay me, and I wouldn’t have had to draw down against some snot-nosed little shit who thinks he better than me because his daddy is some hotshot politico. Annoying is what that is, because bad as dealing with politicians might be, I got no stomach for dealing with the children of politicians, or any other figure of authority who didn’t have the time to teach their kids right.
Never works out well for me. Jacob Junior, Mia Pugliano, and little Dick are just the worst of the bunch, but there plenty more offenders I could list. Now I got Aki to deal with too, and somehow I doubt he’s the type to take this sitting down. Rather than ask her outright about her betrothed, I instead question her on how all this unfolded, and she’s more forthright about it than I was expecting. “There have been talks of holding a general election among the Nipponese people,” she replies, in a tone so neutral I can’t tell where she stands on the issue. “Minamoto Daikan is… not popular among the people, as he demands much from them and offers little besides safety and satiety. The issue is, he has given them as much as he could, and those who served under him know that the Nipponese people would have fared far worse under another’s leadership. He is calm, decisive, and utterly devoted to the wellbeing of our people, and many in power believe that his guidance will be necessary to see us through the Watershed.”
Much as I love the concept of Democracy, I can’t argue that now is not a great time for a regime change. Even if they got all their ducks in a row, the transfer of power won’t go off without a hitch, as folks are far from ready for it. Especially considering the lag time in communication since even long-range Radio is spotty at best, though the Feds been putting up towers everywhere to improve that. That said, the power-that-be have had 19 years to arrange an election, and there ain’t no excuse to not already have had at least one. It’s greed pure and simple, as they simply refuse to let go of their power in hopes that if they cling to it just long enough, they can become entrenched and unassailable as a pillar of the people, like a hegemonic dynasty of old. Shows in Aki’s demeanour, as he ain’t nothing but a politician’s son but acts like nobility who’s too good to look a man in the eye.
Sucking some air through my teeth to show I ain’t all that impressed, I drawl, “Well, whatever his strengths as a leader might be, his parenting leaves much to be desired.” She don’t respond, and I get the feeling she don’t exactly disagree, but don’t want to continue along this line of conversation either. I don’t push her, but I do prod her back in another direction. “So what happened back there? Y’all just happen to stumble across an entrance to down under dark and decide to investigate?”
Kacey’s features twist into an adorable pout, and I remind myself that this is a woman who’s already engaged and is fully capable of carving me into slices without breaking a sweat. “I was told little more than Lieutenant Myers,” she replies, and I get the feeling she’s every bit as annoyed as he was. “A routine patrol of the area where we lost the trail of a pack of Aberrations who attacked last week.” Huffing in displeasure, she adds, “That much proved false when we ‘stumbled’ across the hidden entrance and Ren revealed he’d brought my armour out with him.”
Guess I can stop calling him Kacey’s brother now that I know his name, but Ren don’t fit the bearded, towering teen all that well. It’s much too cute and gentlemanly for someone who looks like a thug ten years older than he is, but seeing him supress his giggles back there really showed how young Ren really be. “Guess Aki’s got some sort of hold over Ren too, if he got him involved in all this,” I observe, making sure to watch Kacey’s reaction without giving too much away. “Didn’t do you no favours keepin’ you in the dark like he did, especially if he knows how this’ll reflect on you. The L.T might not be able to prove you were in on it, but he’ll suspect it all the same, and that breech of trust could mean the difference between a full-on dedicated Mentor and one who just dots his I’s and crosses his T’s until it comes time to send you on your way.”
“That is not all,” Kacey replies. “Alfred offered to come along to act as a social buffer between myself and Minamoto-sama, as my partner in training has every right to come along. His Mentor will not be pleased to hear that his pupil came under attack however, as Ranger Gibson is a friend to Wallers and has taken Alfred as his Disciple in truth as opposed to simply going along with the Federation’s arrangements.”
“Oof.” Spellslingers who adhere to the old ways put a lot of stock in the Mentor/Pupil dynamic, to the point where it’s almost like a second family rather than teacher and pupil. Glad Alfred has a Ranger looking out for him like that, but Kacey’s right to be worried. The Rangers look out for their own, and even though they gave her a badge, that don’t make her a Ranger. It’s the same as what happened with my daddy, in that the Feds will happily take credit for the good Kacey does and turn on her at the drop of a hat the moment she does something wrong. Not sure if this qualifies, as no Americans were killed or injured, only Nipponese soldiers, but it won’t win her any points with Alfred’s Mentor either.
Even though she probably knows it, I feel compelled to offer some advice all the same. “Best you watch yourself then,” I say, staring straight ahead so as not to give any emotion away. “Once a Ranger, always a Ranger don’t apply to foreigners. If I were you, I’d pick a side and stick to it, or walk away from both and call it a day.”
“If only it were so simple.”
I remember her being all sour about how there were talks of having her stationed to help the NSDF in the south, and after seeing them in action, I can see why. Smart to send Kacey to train with the Rangers, because the NSDF don’t know shit about fighting Abby. Setting up so close to the tunnel, not having the right weapons, not giving room to their close-combat specialists to work without getting shot by their allies, there’s a whole laundry list of issues in that engagement which I don’t care to touch on because there’s more wrong than right.
That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of one girl though, even one as capable as Kacey. “Didn’t say it’d be easy,” I reply with a shrug. “Just that it needs to be done. You gotta draw your lines and stick to them, else you’ll find yourself tripping up all over them and pulled in every which way other than the one you really want to go in. It’s one thing to be proud of your heritage or be loyal to your allies, but make no mistake; the Feds and the Nipponese will chew you up and spit you out without so much as a blink, and likely turn a blind eye when you go come lookin’ for help.”
Unable to stop myself once I get going, I gesture back at the fracas behind us. “Just look at what happened here. I don’t got the full story, but I know enough to guess it. Aki’s hungry for military accolades, so when he found out about this tunnel, he figured he’d lead the NSDF to clear them out and maybe even take down the Proggie while he’s at it because he don’t know shit about nothin’. He figures it’ll be a crapshoot, a line of guns to send volley after volley into the enemy ranks like Abby will just line up and wait to get got. I bet you even warned him against this, told him it was a terrible idea to dig in so close to the entrance and let Abby know you comin’ before you even ready. Bet he claimed to know what he was doing too, and ignored any and all efforts to change his mind. Now, a bunch of soldiers are dead because he’s too proud to admit his ignorance, and the Rangers will be cheesed because you NSDF soldiers are supposed to be here to help defend the new towns, not hunt down Abby and die trying. Don’t know much about how the Nipponese see honour, but that right there is a black mark against Aki in my books, and I’d disembowel him myself if me or mine died because of him.”
“You make many assumptions,” Kacey replies, a bit too curtly for my tastes.
“Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll apologize,” I say, doubling down despite having no skin in the game and more to lose than I gain. As luck would have it, Kacey don’t argue the facts, but she ain’t none too pleased to have it all rubbed in her face like that, so much so that even Inari stops circling around my boots and runs ahead to give me a disapproving look. One that disappears when I toss her a honey drop which she snatches out of the air, crunching down on the sweet treat before running over to beg for more, which don’t help none with the awkward silence when Kacey gets to glaring at her Familiar.
“Three tailed fox for the older sister, and a three headed dog for the little brother,” I say, if only to clear the awkward air. “That’s somethin’.”
Not my best move, but it does prompt Kacey to speak up again. “I envy you,” she says with a sigh, looking tired and burdened by more than I can imagine. “Not only do you have the courage to strike out on your own, you have a family who supports you in all your endeavours.”
“Well, I dunno about courage,” I reply, feeling awful shy now that she’s being so complimentary. “Don’t take much courage to take the only path left to you, as it wasn’t like I was spoilt for choice. The family thing though, that’s all luck. Got myself the best family a man could ask for, even if we only sorta family.”
“There is nothing sort of about it,” Kacey replies, and I can’t disagree. “If you, Chrissy, Tina, and Rachel are not a family, then there is no such thing.” She falls silent after saying as much, and I get the feeling there’s a lot more she wants to say, but won’t because of one reason or another. I ain’t one to pry either, but I don’t want to leave her in the lurch like this, so I pick my words carefully before speaking again.
“Look,” I begin, opening my mouth before I’m entirely ready because I just like to jump the gun like that. “I don’t know what you goin’ through. If you want to talk about it, I’m here. If you don’t, that’s fine too, but let me say one thing first either way.” Course, now I gotta stop to rethink my words, because after jumping the gun, I was too focused on getting the words out of my mouth to think more on the actual words I was gonna use. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I just go with my gut and say, “If you ever need a hand with anything, then all you gotta do is ask and I’ll do what I can.”
Then, to lighten the mood, I reach into my pouch for a spare prosthetic and toss it over with a grin, because who doesn’t love a bit of physical comedy. “Just like that,” I say, as she rolls her eyes and tosses it back with the barest hint of a smile. “Ain’t just me either. You got plenty of friends, and plenty of options. I bet the Feds would be happy to offer you citizenship if you want to be a Ranger in full, or failing that, you could always hire out to the Métis or the Brits.”
“Or go Independent?” she asks, and I shrug in reply.
“It’s an option sure, but I can’t say it’s a great one. Not sayin’ it’s a terrible one, but I ain’t all that clear on the benefits just yet. Mostly the downsides, of which there are plenty.” If it wasn’t for Aunty Ray navigating through all the red tape alongside Mr. Tillman, I’m almost positive I would’ve flipped out at least thrice now and broken something vital punching it in a rage. “If that’s the way you wanna go, then I even got a place you could stay if you need it.” Not sure about houses for sale, as Levi is working double time to fill the vacancies and eager to get a head start on building more houses, as there’s still plenty of room for growth at the quay.
Course, only after a few seconds pass do I catch on to what Kacey was hinting at, and I kick myself for not catching it sooner. “Oh, of course,” I say, giving my forehead a little bop to show how dumb I really am. “If you lookin’ to partner up on the trail, I’d be thrilled to take you on. You overqualified in fact, so much so that if we ride out together today, I reckon it’d be you showing me the ropes rather than the other way around.”
That gets a chuckle out of Kacey, which is a rare thing indeed, though I suppose it’s also rare for me to admit humility out loud. She don’t say nothing else though, not until we almost over the ridge and I’m home free with Old Tux. “Be careful on your trip south,” she says, with a look that says she’s not saying the whole thing. “Things are not as they seem with the Federation or the Qin, nor should they be your only concern.”
Which is certainly cryptic and ominous, but she don’t say nothing else, just turns and wanders back down the hill so that she never leaves sight of anyone watching. Rather than try to pump her for more information, I toss another candy to the trailing Inari and say, “Good seeing you again, Kacey. Take care of yourself out there. Give Alfred my best too.” She nods without looking back, and I hop onto Old Tux and make for the road, mulling things over while finagling with my hand-held Radio to make it sound scuffed without breaking it entirely. Doesn’t take long to meet up with Sergeant Rowan again, who rode out with Kairi and Tina to maybe pull my giblets out of the proverbial fire, and I thank them kindly for their efforts while accepting the haranguing from the surprisingly foul-mouthed Sergeant Rowan who’s more than happy to chew me out with Aunty Ray out of earshot.
Maybe there’s something wrong with my head, but somehow, I ain’t all that cheesed about it seeing how it’s coming from a woman. Can tell that Sergeant Rowan was really worried about me, unlike Kairi who almost looks disappointed to see how I came out of it unscathed. The Sergeant grills me over everything that took place, and I share as much as I care to while leaving out anything personal regarding my talk with Kacey, but I fill Tina in after the fact once the Sergeant runs out of ways of calling me stupid and pigheaded.
“She never came right out and said it,” Tina begins, her illusory voice a faint whisper in my ear to keep the conspiratorial tone going, “But we all knew Kacey was carryin’ a lot of weight on her shoulders and feelin’ the pressure from it.”
“High expectations can be a weight all on their own,” I say, also speaking through Minor Illusion and making sure it comes out as a whisper. We used to do this all the time when we was kids and staying up past our bedtimes, because so long as we had a lit candle to illuminate our faces, we could see each other well enough from our bedroom windows. “Course, Kacey meets them and more, but I get the feelin’ she ain’t feelin’ all that appreciated for it. If she’d been in charge of that op, it would’ve never gotten so bad, but I figure her blushing groom to be decided it wasn’t manly to take advice from a woman.”
Which is stupid, because what’s gender have to do with qualifications? Yeah, a man is physically stronger, but not so strong that Magic can’t make up the difference, to say nothing of the fact that female Spellslingers on average will become more familiar with their Spells at a faster rate than males. Probably because they’re more in touch with their emotions, as that side of Magic is nothing if not illogical.
“You know, she never mentioned a fiancé,” Tina says, giving me a look like she trying to read my reaction. “With all that you’ve told me, I’m thinkin’ I know why now.”
“Yeah,” I drawl, shaking my head in disbelief. “I wouldn’t tell folks about being engaged to rude idiot like that either.” Tina gives me a weird look, and I match it with one of confusion. “What?”
Rolling her eyes, Tina smiles and shakes her head. “Nothin’,” she chimes, all cheery and bright as can be. “Just needed remindin’ that you the dumbest smart person I done ever did meet.”
“Now that’s uncalled for,” I reply, pulling Frowny out of my pocket to perch him on my shoulder now that it’s safe again. “True, but still uncalled for.” Stella and Terrance follow soon after, and I idly wonder if I should rethink my stance on having a familiar. It’s a little like having a mobile Clairvoyance, which can come in pretty handy at times, to say nothing of how much fun them Familiars be, especially that three headed doggy with six very expressive eyes. Or maybe I should get something with wings, so I can send it off into the air to scout for me. There are a lot of nasty fliers out there though, and I’d hate to lose a Familiar I’ve bonded with, as I hear that it’s one and done. You lose a Familiar, and it’s gone forever, as even if you go and Summon a new one in the same form, it’ll be a completely different beastie with a different personality and no memories of what you shared before.
Which is pretty much the same as any real animal, so I ain’t all that eager to throw one into battle. Bad enough risking Cowie, Old Tux, or any of the other animals in straight up fight, as it ain’t like they chose this life. Conjured Summons though? I’d love to learn more, as having a partner you could call up with Magic and send off to their death without remorse seems like a real tempting prospect. Ain’t easy though, which is why I’ve yet to really see anyone put it to use. Was kinda hoping to see more of that from Kacey, or maybe Lieutenant Myers, but maybe another time.
Course it’s not until we link up with the wagon that I realize my mistake, as we’re still heading for the town the Nipponese are likely stationed in. Stupid to not cotton on to that soon, but here’s hoping Sergeant Rowan can smooth things over and keep me from coming into conflict with the Nipponese again.
And who knows? If I see Kacey again, maybe I can even get my shirt back.
