V5 Incline 6: Nin

I smash into the ground for what I doubt will be the last time of today. A pebble rain hits away on my back, a frown otherwise settling on my face.

"Well?" Einervaene asks as she approaches, not much concern for the boulders rolling down the mountain ahead. One tries its luck spiralling all the way on an almost controlled path. It shatters against my back, fragmenting everywhere but nowhere close to anyone else.

"Oh, that's why." I quip, enlightened to why she wasn't all that concerned about approaching. She knew!

"You really need to be more careful when using your magic, you know, you don't have to break everything." she giggles, offering me my bag without much effort. I take it from her, almost surprised I forgot that she's quite the magic user herself. Actually...

"Says the one who met us by smashing through a window." I remark, smiling as that face of hers tints pink.

She looks away, hiding the majority of the red that follows, "I was tired that day and a ball of lightning at the time... So..."

A gentle snort leaves me, "But, to get back on topic. It seems to be that one right over there if you can see where my ha- Ahem, claw is pointing."

"I think I see it. And now that I also see it so clearly from the ground..." she lets out now while she can still speak. She vanishes in a flash to get a better view of Thrurstradtur's mountain.

"Hey, Baltanthan?" I call back to Grumpy as he comes into decent view.

"What?" he goes, stopping by me while he has the space between him and Rose.

"Does that mountain have a name?" I ask, trying to point where the blue lightning is otherwise streaking in the direction of. Seriously, where is she trying to go like that? It's an actual mess of volts up there.

"No, next to none of them do. Why?" he asks, joining me as we do the surprisingly fun pastime of cloud watching.

"Just got curious is all. But now that I know, why? We've been past a few with distinct shapes and stand-offishness." I ask him, looking away to give me neck a moment to rest.

"If we gave a name to every pile of rocks on this continent, then we'd never know where we were because there are so many we'd be repeating names until we die!" he says, his breath barely managing to supply all the air for that hot winded answer of his.

I smirk slightly over his tone, that annoyance that all but founds every sentence he has. A tone that just screams an idea I'm all too familiar with. Impatient teachers love to use it, people sick and tired of explaining things, too. The idea of 'how do you not know such basic information?' is a powerful thing indeed.

"No need to be so snappy." I quip, watching the grass burst out in a brief moment of fire and ash. Einervaene wobbles into the open, done with her trip. I catch up and catch her, letting her use me for support as she giggles nervously over the help. We keep ongoing, Rose-sweerui seemingly keeping her distance as a quiet envelops the four of us.

Each step closer to the mountain does nothing to change this.

Yet, as we get closer, the path starts to become familiar. A strange nervousness fills me as I correct my mind on the details. Not familiar because we've been here, familiar because it's well-used to the point we're now seeing distant groups. I look one way and then the other, spotting many guarded tunnels and roads that were otherwise hidden. Dozens of them.

While we've still got a while to go, it doesn't take much longer for us to be in the shadow of a mighty mountain. One that was glowing golden light last night. Just a little bit longer and we'll all be up there. I'm so close to seeing Vapooliar again...

Maybe that's why I'm so nervous? I'm just so excited to see her again and get this all over with? To get me onto the path that she told me will send me back home. The path would let me set all of this new continent stuff aside and relax, as it were.

I want that time to come so badly, yet, I'm gulping it down with a heavy heart. A tighter grip that Einervaene has certainly picked up on. Nevermind the slight stagger to my steps and all the physical nervousness. She's the expert on this kind of behaviour, I just hope she respects the privacy of the matter.

Either or... The things I want to happen will not come quickly. Even assuming everything goes all well from here on out. The distance to travel itself is something that will still take weeks upon weeks upon weeks... It might even be several years until I see Tobaballe again! And, that worries me. It worries me a lot as I'm not sure if I can keep the memory of home alive long enough for that...

I do not want to develop a horrendously wrong mindset of what home is like. My home. But at the same time, I guess... Misremembering is better than forgetting? I do not know the answer to that if I am entirely honest with myself... But...

A thunderous noise fills the valley.

"Humans really are incredible..." Rose-sweerui mutters with nothing but awe as the sudden noise pulls me from my thoughts. It's almost vehicular? No, it is!

"Now... That. That is impressive..." I say with a loosening jaw as a whole mountain of metal flies over us. Jets of pure emerald leaving its underbelly, keeping it afloat in the air. The light, unfortunately, obscures more the vehicle with the intensity that it shines. I can barely make out the rear end and the protrusion based from it. At least, what I assume to be the vehicle's rear with how it otherwise seems to have a cog-shape to its entire structure...?

A flying cog? What?

"Aw..." I let out amidst all the confusion as I'm denied the right to get a good look at it. It's already up and over a nearby mountain in but a moment! And yet, with such a sight having been in my eyes, I feel refreshed. Giddy. An adrenaline rush of pure optimism within me!

With such a sight, though, my mind can't help but try and force its inclusion into my plans to get home. In fact, it's not really up for debate, actually. I came here in a machine like that, didn't I? Before it crashed into the osibindah nest, anyway.

Still, it's a point and a few more. I do not need a machine like that cog one is. Another will suit me just fine provided it's big enough, I suppose? Of course, I've no idea at all if I'd be even able to purchase one. Surely these machines are something only a high-floor equivalent can buy? Or, as Rose-sweerui might put it, would I need to be a petal to even have the right to buy such a machine?

If there's no minimum rank required to stop me, how much would it even cost? Will I become so obsessed with trying to get one so I can go home that I end up spending more time trying to get it than if I had just walked the whole distance? I'm so confused...

Thankfully, I can try and get my mind off of the topic by just looking ahead.

And, as it turns out, I'm wrong again. Because now I'm looking straight at some kind of legged vehicle with a set of jagged, solid, otherwise metal wheels. It looks like a car, but it's also clearly not. Whatever the limbs are, they're going inwards because of some kind of magic device. A device that seems to let the vehicle adjust its width to match the congestion of the road.

A road that is only becoming all the messier as we go on... I don't think I've ever seen this many people on a road before. Where'd they even come from!? There was barely anyone... Hours ago? We must be at the tail end of a double-digit thousand total lot of people. At the very minimum!

"Where am I even going to go...?" I mutter in disbelief, taking in the scale of it all as I worry about how I'm going to slip away. There's just so many people going down this road alone that I'm not confident in the slightest about climbing the mountain. How in the name of all the gods above am I supposed to get up there without being spotted!?

"If we go to the back of this... Queue... Then we might be able to find a quiet spot for you to disappear up?" Einervaene contributes quietly, her voice quiet only by the scale of how much noise there is here. Her eyes linger on a floating platform, one manned by a group of men in brass armour. Weird designs aside, there's something familiar about them.

"Hey, it's those guns." I remark, noting the distinctly memorable and front-heavy nature of those magic sun guns or whatever they were. Gods I killed a bunch of those horrible osibindah with the one I had. It makes me a little nostalgic, if anything, though... I'd appreciate it if those guns were never turned on me.

It didn't happen so long ago that I've forgotten how those guns burn up osibindah body parts.

"Don't think we have a choice in that matter." Baltanthan says to Einervaene, a cautious arm extending our focus off into the distance. Some rowdy woman is trying to force her way ahead in the road. Only to be shoved off and sharply gestured towards the impossible to see rear of it. She holds her failing ground at first, the hovering gaze of the guards sending her off with a scowl.

My eyes go to Rose as I can very much see that being her if she acts up, "Let the other two do the talking unless absolutely necessary, please?"

She smiles and nods, "Of course, my love, if you believe that is for the best."

I nod myself a smile as she takes it without a single issue. Though I'm still a little surprised. I was at least expecting a jab regarding Baltanthan... What is she up to? Am I wrong to not trust her right now?

I honestly can't even think right now with how the scale of the road is taking everything my brain has. I used to live in a densely populated city, and this is simply absurd! People everywhere. Fancy machines all over, and that's to say nothing of all the buildings built into the mountains that are now becoming apparent.

"There seems to be machines that can take us in even from here." Einervaene points out as we seemingly shift towards the end of this near-endless column of people.

"No, we walk." Baltanthan tells her, words that all but magnetise our eyes to our feet.

"Can't we at least take one up some of the way if it is possible? We've been walking for so long, and the terrain of this land is not suited for long walks." Einervaene complains, moving her heeled feet about in-between steps. She's not helping herself, though, sticking to those high heels.

"My flower and all the others move around quite fine without issue." Rose shrugs with opportunistic haughtiness. Baltanthan snorts, our group's forced proximity certainly not helping the much welcome privacy all this noise brings. Yet, Rose does not rise to the challenge at all... Impressive, actually.

But, I can see that light of hers, I can see that gentle growl and that sneer.

"On that topic, though, shouldn't you be quite used to long journeys?" I ask, moving closer to Einervaene so she knows I'm talking to her specifically. A gap in the people opens up, showing a patch of untouched ground. I gesture for everyone to follow, and we slip on out.

I look at all the ways we might be able to get up the mountain. And there's an impossible lot. So many well-used and paved paths to take. Does this have something to do with the borders Futhans mentioned way before we left Tryhpeltzweig?

What defines a mountain-state and a ravineer town and all that stuff he mentioned...?

"I still spent most of it in some reasonable comfort. I wasn't always dressed in filth like I was before I met you. It was a long time, but it wasn't anything horrible by any stretch of the imagination. For the most part." she explains, rubbing a part of her bare skin as what must be a memory of filth comes to mind.

"Even then, surely you did a lot of walking? You said it was a multi-year journey." I point out, those key details not missed on her at all. I don't mean to condescend, but it's a hard thing to ignore.

"Not really." she says, her voice quickly becoming a mutter as she no doubt considers how strange it all actually was. I suppose it makes sense, though, all that sailing and all those ships. Maybe even floating hotels if that really is the case.

"Well, if your feet are hurting, would you like to hop on up? I have no issues with carrying you for a bit." I offer and Rose steps closer, her ears snaking in close with gentle wiggles, "You can get up, too. I have two arms."

"It's fine, it's fine," is all she has to sigh out with as she moves away. Only a little distance with what we have, but the intentions seem clear enough.

"What about you, Baltanthan? I got a space next to me if you want it?" Einervaene offers, even though she refused my initial offer, too. Though she's certainly committing to the act by at least getting ready for a pickup. Blush-inducing as it is for her.

"No, I'm fine walking." Baltanthan huffs, his reasoning clear even with how he's flexing his booted feet.

"Really? I thought you would have wanted a little break so you could spend more time focusing on the city." Einervaene goes, her curiosity out in full force as she steps close, a hand lingering near her lips.

"I could fall over, nearly dead, and I would still enjoy it!" he declares to her, but he's so loud about it we all hear.

"You don't look like you are enjoying it." I point out.

"Because we are not there yet," he snaps.

"We nearly are, though, so shouldn't you look more excited?" Einervaene adds in, her positivity doing little to affect Grumpy.

"No," he goes, all the same as he always is.

"You really should, it was nice seeing you smile back on prior days." Einervaene says, her sweet voice encouraging all but the sweetest of things.

"I'm not going to compliment you," he says, confusing the temporarily seated lady.

"I... I wasn't looking for compliments...?" she says, unable to figure it out at all.

"Good." Baltanthan grumbles, keeping his distance.

Einervaene sighs, taking her bag off and sprawling herself out across it, "What about you, Nin-kischu? Are you excited over the fact we are finally here?"

"Admittedly, I am more worried than excited. But all these vehicles are nice to look at. Very brass, though." I answer, commenting on the hundreds of vehicles spread out among the tens of thousands of people that keep on passing by to no end at all. Our raised ground does little to give an idea where it ends or begins.

I take the moment and sit down to catch my proverbial breath. The bag on my back rustles, a familiar colour of hair dropping down in front of me. She smiles, her upside down head making it all the stranger to look at. Still, she comes any closer, and that's a potential pecking if I wish it.

"That is true, a lot of them have been brass, copper or gold-like colours." she says, narrowly avoiding anything going near her eye.

"It's called having pride in your home," Baltanthan hisses, way too defensive about the colour of metal.

"I didn't mean any offence, I just found it interesting." Einervaene says, apologising for something I'd probably never bother with. I see no reason at all. If he wants to act up like that, then let him. I can certainly bruise him over it later.

Still... "Why are you so defensive about it, anyway? Thrurstradtur is not your home from what I gather."

But that only makes it worse. Making a reference to that little hometown of his. He's outright offended by it. He holds the idea with contempt.

"It soon will be, so don't ever bring up that backwater with me again." Baltanthan hisses, his magic seething out of him in a blatant threat display. I blink, unable to really get it. This contempt he has for his home upsets me. I'm desperate to get back to mine, yet he's all too eager to leave his behind. Completely.

"Woah-oh!" Einervaene squeals.

"So, Einervaene, anything you want to talk about?" I ask her, looking up as I stand up fully, her person remaining on the bag.

"Well, let me see... Let me think, pardon... I could speak about what I know of the school we are going to." she suggests, slipping down the bag and back onto the ground. Her heels stabbing into the ground. I smile at her, helping her out, and she falls against me. She backs up, a rosy cheek smile to her near-perfect body.

"That would actually be very helpful, so explain away." I tell her, keeping my eyes to hers.