Solwell Village

The two unlikely companions trudged toward Solwell Village, now in sight. But they looked nothing like companions, as Theios kept a few paces behind Sheora, wary of the trouble he knew she would undoubtedly bring. Seeing just the flat figure of her long red cloak—much better maintained than his own—he sometimes forgot that she was actually a beautiful young woman underneath. If not for her brute strength, he thought he might mistake her for a daisy blooming in the desert. She pulled the rope casually, her pace easy, while Theios had sweat beading down his cheeks.

While irked and lost in thought, a gust of wind lifted Sheora's much longer cloak, and it whacked Theios in the eye. "Ouch, dammit," mumbled Theios as it continued flapping in his face. "You should cut this." He shoved the cloak off his face. "It's practically dragging on the ground."

Sheora smiled and turned, happy to hear him talk to her again. "Are you a tailor?" 

Theios stared blankly at her in response. 

"Why hire a tailor when you can just cut it yourself? Right?" Sheora continued. She turned forward again, moving with more deliberate steps, then asked with a light but penetrating tone, "So, were you planning to fight the Azurian patrol?”

Theios continued in silence, fixated on her movements.

“I mean, after taking down a hybrid, I doubt you’re in peak fighting condition,” she said, her voice lilting with a hint of mischief as she glanced back at him. “Gonna recharge and take the other head?”

Theios honed in on her last statement and thought back to Kumo’s warning about being followed. It must have been her. But why?

“You ever been to the dome city?” she asked, her tone almost casual, like she was asking about the weather.

His steps slowed as they finally met the main road. That was no innocent question. “We're close enough. Drop the rope,” he said bluntly, his voice low.

Sheora laughed, feigning ignorance. “Will you fight for your trophy if I refuse?” He stopped walking, forcing her to turn and face him. She tilted her head, smirking. Her tone suddenly turned serious. “Whose side are you on anyway?”

His grip tightened on the rope. “Everyone’s fighting for someone,” he said flatly, starting to walk again. “And the fighting never ends." Walking in front for the first time, he concluded, "I’m better off on my own. Fighting for noone.”

She said nothing more and followed behind him in silence as they approached the towering pillar gates of Solwell Village.

The village was a strange blend of old, new, broken, and pristine. Crumbling ruins of old buildings surrounded them, but the helio-powered windows were well-kept, sleek, and shimmering in the sun like the very scales of the viper. Vendors lined the streets, their stalls overflowing with scrap gadgets, scavenged tech, and Azurian machinery most could only dream of obtaining. The air buzzed with the hum of Azurian tech everywhere and the chatter of traders haggling over prices.

Children—blends, humans, and Azurians—darted between the adults, some clutching makeshift toy hover-bots racing each other through the crowded market. Other kids played with simpler toys made of string and bits of scrap metal. Losing a finger while playing was nothing for a full-blooded Azurian. With medicine made from hybrid parts, they would regrow lost limbs in hours. For humans, those medicines were as good as dirt. Healing wasn't a sure thing for blends, but some showed regeneration within weeks.

Theios scanned the crowd. The village, which was more like a small city, was a melting pot of the wasteland: blends made up most of the population with shades of purple weaving about the streets. Humans came next, their numbers smaller but significant. Azurians, with their strikingly different forms, were the rarest, but their presence was impossible to ignore. They stood taller than most by a head on average, and the unique tails of their twelve factions would be the dead giveaway if not for their blue skin. But one or two blends, a purple closer to blue, had been caught with fake tails pretending to be Azurian. Most didn't attempt such silly things.

In the distance, at the center of the village, stood a massive building far more advanced than the rest and clearly of Azurian architecture. Deep within this circular high-rise was the only source of water in the village—a well of some kind, giving both the village and the building their names.

Solwell Tower never ceased to have long lines at its doors. Families would send a single representative at the crack of dawn one day a week to fill their containers. They'd be lucky to make it home before nightfall. Though tedious, this job was one of the most crucial for a family, as water wasn't just for cleansing and hydration but also for powering Azurian tech. Those with valuable items to trade would get fast-tracked past the tedious lines. Valuables like a viper's head.

A voice cut through the noise of the marketplace. “Hey! You there!”

Theios turned his head slightly to see an Azurro vendor, his rat-like tail flicking back and forth as he gestured toward the viper head.

“How much?” the vendor shouted, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Theios ignored him and kept walking. Sheora didn’t follow.

The vendor wasn’t deterred. He hurried after Theios, his voice growing louder. “Hey, come on! I’ll pay top Aurum for it. Or parts. Whatever you need!”

Sheora turned, giving the vendor a curious glance. “How much Aurum are we talking here?” she asked, just loud enough for Theios to hear.

“Your girlfriend’s interested,” the vendor said with a grin, looking at Sheora.

Theios turned with great disdain. “She is not my girlfriend,” he said, his tone enough to silence the vendor for a moment.

Sheora smirked, then leaned toward the vendor conspiratorially. “He gets shy about names,” she teased. “It’s cute, really.”

Theios glared at her but said nothing.

The vendor introduced himself. “Name’s Dorel,” he said, his tone smooth. “Three thousand Aurum, and I take this head off your hands.”

“Not interested,” Theios said, attempting to move again. He had no need for Azurian currency.

“Is it ‘cause I’m Azurian?” Dorel asked, his squirmy face twisting into a forced frown.

Theios stopped again and turned. “It’s 'cause I don’t like being pestered, and you seem determined to join her in making my day difficult.”

Sheora raised her hand as if in school. "Umm, I believe I made it an easier day."

Dorel grinned. “Alright, fair enough. But how about this to better your day, huh? Those boots of yours look like they’re running low.”

Theios glanced down at his boots. The power gauge was indeed flickering red ever since the battle with the viper.

“I’ve got a helio-battery for ya. Won’t ever lose charge again.”

Theios remained uninterested. “The boots are hydro only. You have two helios?”

“One’s all I got,” Dorel admitted, shrugging.

“Then I’m not interested.”

Dorel’s grin faltered as Theios started walking again.

“Wait,” Sheora cut in. “How many hydro-batteries do you have?”

Dorel blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… four.”

“Make it ten. Plus the helio. And one viper fang is yours,” she said, her tone firm.

“Ten? Plus a helio? For one fang? Could there be a worse deal?” For a moment, Dorel's countenance grew serious.

Sheora started walking away.

“Six and the helio!” shouted Dorel completely ignoring Theios.

She didn’t stop.

“Alright, eight and the helio. Final offer!” Dorel called after her, desperation clear in his voice.

"Twelve! Twelve hydros, and your two helios!”

Sheora turned back, fingers twiddling, smiling sweetly. “Deal.”

Theios stood between the two combatants post-haggle, marveling at Sheora's triumph. The water he would have spent hours waiting for provided less power than the new concentrated hydrofluid batteries. Kumo was both hydro- and helio-powered but required two of either batteries. He had never even touched a heliothread battery before, but now he held two in his hands.

Dorel muttered under his breath as he carefully extracted the viper’s fangs.

Theios turned to Sheora, his expression unreadable. “What do you want from me?”

Before she could answer, something—or rather someone—in a black cloak caught her attention. Through the crowded street, Theios couldn’t make out who it was, as their hood obscured their face. However, they exuded the same mysterious aura as Sheora. The black-cloaked figure disappeared into the crowd.

Sheora’s grin widened as she turned back to Theios. “I just want to see you fight again,” she said cryptically. "Before it's too late."

Then, without another word, she darted into the crowd until her red cloak vanished too.

Dorel also watched her go, his large eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Theios now stood alone with the heavy viper head. Adjusting his grip on the rope, he set off toward the tower. It wasn’t with ease, but he now managed to pull the viper head considerably faster. “Maybe just a bit easier,” he muttered.