The Foroned Coaserdom of Henrika

The engine rumbled and roared as hard as it could as Chad held the throttle making the little wheeled platform of wood and steel race down the tracks as fast as it could muster. Yet another new rhythm of travel would be born between the duo, riding the rails on their railcar until they either hear an incoming train or near a city. To where they'd quickly have to grab the thing and lug it off the tracks into the woods themselves. Still the whole disaster that really was their stay with Drannor and the Free Youth Union really got Hikari thinking. “I don't get it, how can someone claim to fight for the people while they secretly want to be a tyrant?” Hikari asked Chad as he sat cross legged on the front of the railcar. “Well if you actually believe what Yathanae said and that they didn't start that way, living in the dark of a secret revolution might have messed with their heads over time. Personally though I think it was all an act, he just wanted an excuse to act out and anarchism was the one he picked because it made him sound better than he was. He was probably always like that and just tricked Yathanae when they first met by acting all sweet only to drop the act when she was too far in with them. Nobody who starts a secret cult that demands all the female members sleep with the male members, especially leadership, is someone who ever actually wanted to abolish power. Really you said it best, he wasn't mad there were boots on throats he was mad it wasn't his boots on their throats.” Chad explained as held down the throttle of the railcar. “It just angers me that these people do such terrible things in the name of rightful cultivation when they don't understand a thing about it, and worse they reject it when they're corrected on it.” Chad vented in frustration as laid back on the wood floor of the railcar. “There's a lot of people in this world that just say things and don't actually live them.” Chad responded as they raced down the track. With the Free Youth Union’s fire bombing of the guards nobody really cared about Hikari and his sword problems now that he took better care to keep the thing covered and the duo made it through the rest of the Republic of Fyhelean unbothered. Eventually they saw the ocean on the horizon and saw the train tracks end at a train station. They'd stop the railcar and stash the thing in the woods before heading into the seaside town. It was like any other elven town they came across only with a hint of salt on the sea breeze air. They cut across town and made their way for seaside markets. Chad explaining that there were Henrikan fishermen who often sold their catch in Fyhelean markets and that he'd get them a ride on one. They had to ask around a couple boats before a tall portly Henrikan with short blonde hair and a goatee agreed and let the pair on his modest fishing boat. After an hour's wait the ship set off and they headed northwest for Chad's homeland of the Foroned Coaserdom of Henrika.

The island of Henrika and the land of Fyhelean were actually incredibly close to one another, on a clear day like this one can faintly see the shore of the other land from the opposite shore. Still it was about four hours at max speed before they actually landed at a Henrikan port and got off with nothing more than a friendly wave to their captain. The architecture here was much different than that in Fyhelean, the look was dominated by red brick made buildings with white accents around the numerous windows or doors, and usually gray roofs. Much more functional and utilitarian than the extreme art nouveau total artistic domination of Fyhelean. “By the gods is it good to be back home, and in the best weather we've gotten all year!” Chad celebrated as he threw his hands into the air. “What's the weather usually like?” Hikari asked as he followed. “Shit” Chad laughed deeply. “Usually though it is raining here more often than not.” Chad elaborated as he led the pair into the sleepy seaside village. First thing they did on Chad’s insistence was eat, Hikari had a black bean burger while Chad ate fried fish and potatoes. Then Chad herded the pair into a yellow car driven by a stranger which drove them to a different much larger town whose architecture was dominated by blocky gray buildings whose walls had almost more windows than bricks. There the pair would be dropped off at a massive parking lot filled with RVs the likes of which were similar to the ones they saw in the nomadic camps back at Daion. Chad would head inside a small one story office building at its center before coming out with keys and paperwork. “I'm gonna show you how we modern Henrikans like to travel on land.” Chad stated as he again led Hikari to a massive RV and unlocked it with his new keys. The inside of the massive vehicle was like a house on wheels, coming with a bed, couch, tv, stove, sink, bathroom, and everything else one might need behind the driver and passenger seats. Chad stepped in and tossed his duffle bag on the bed before telling Hikari to do the same with his bag on the couch. “This'll be home sweet home for the next week as I drive you to Capital where you can present me to my boss like your dad did.” Chad elaborated further before sitting on the driver's seat and turning the key, bringing the mechanical juggernaut to life in only a couple turns of the motor. “Aren't you worried about the other agents trying to kill you for abandoning your mission like what you said in Daion?” Hikari questioned as he sat down in the passenger seat. “Not that we're here no, if we were pissing around in Daion or Vilnipolya still then maybe they'd think I'd be a turncoat. Being here if they even look for or notice me here they'll just assume I ripped them off and went home. I know enough people and enough things where even if that does happen I'll never actually get in any real trouble for it.” Chad answered as he put the RV in gear and set out for the road. Hikari frowned a bit, while he didn't love the whole law and punishment affair the idea that Chad was abusing his authority for his sake was even worse. Though by now he figured he'd just shut his trap and go along with it. With Daion, Vilnipolya, and Fyhelean all having some sort of disaster they had to run away from Hikari just wanted one land that didn't give them any trouble and Henrika with Chad was probably his best bet.

After they got out of the series of traffic jams that was the city the open highway rolled out before surrounded by miles of meadows, farmlands, and the occasional hardwood forest grove. Chad turned the radio on which played some sort of distorted electrical and angry sounding music Hikari had never dreamed of before. “We call it rock and roll, it's a newer music invented here in Henrika. I know you people aren't wild about music but road tripping is always best with some tunes I'd say.” Chad explained as he adjusted the volume with one hand as he steered with the other. “Actually I've been meaning to ask something. Where does hihiirokane actually come from? I noticed you never seem to use any other metal besides it in Muryowa but it's extremely rare everywhere else in the world.” Chad asked out the state of casual zen that comes from long drives with a friend. “Oh my grandfather told me, it's the energy of the sun. Plants especially grains take in energy from the sun and when eaten give that extra energy to humans. We live off that energy as is the basis of rightful cultivation. In nature if the plants aren't eaten by anything in an area for generations they deposit the leftover energy into the ground as hihiirokane. It is so common for us because skilled cultivators of upwards energy can create hihiirokane themselves the same way I use my cultivation for my kendo.” Hikari answered as he leaned back in his seat, getting comfy. “So it's not some crazy huge deposit in the ground then? Shit that makes my assignment all the more stupid.” Chad answered in turn. “The supplying of weapons to the hunting tribes?” Hikari asked in response. “Ya, the goal was to have them overthrow you in exchange for Henrika getting access to hihiirokane mining and mineral rights. If it's human generated though that would have been a lot of dead folks, a new violent regime, and a future thorn in the side of Henrika all for nothing. Hells man I'm sorry.” Chad reflected in frustration realizing the breadth of his work and its ultimate consequences. “Well, just do good things and keep trying to make up for it and we'll call it even. Say, do your people have any magic, like rightful cultivation or that shape changer back in Daion?” Hikari asked, wanting to lighten the mood. “We used to, back in ancient times, Runic Magic. These little symbols some ancient gothi discovered that can give certain powers to people and objects. They were a heavily guarded secret though and an even harder art to actually master. So when we discovered guns and technology our society abandoned our magic like so many others. Really Muryowa is the only place that actually relies on their magic anymore. Most everyone else in the world has switched to technology and relegated their old magic to ritual or parlor tricks.” Chad explained as he drove on.

And that was how the travel went, Chad would drive as he and Hikari talked usually something about their respective lives or homelands. Everywhere they went it seemed like Chad had some story about vacationing there as a child with his family, for his father was a witan and his family was very well off for it. The man was also fond of road trips so made sure he took his family on many vacations not unlike what Chad and Hikari were doing right now. Of course being an important witan meant they always had to have the Stealth-Folk and other secret agents watch over them, and that led to him becoming a secret agent to begin with. And while the stories such as him hiding a frog in his younger sister’s sunhat, or sneaking a beer with his old brothers as kids, made him laugh- a lot of the stories just reminded Hikari how disproportionately fortunate Chad and his family were compared to other people in this land. Eventually as dusk began to invade the night sky Chad would pull into a collection of camping sites and pay a fee with his plastic card before parking the RV at a camp site. “Why are we camping here? There's forests all around us I assume we wouldn't have to pay at?” Hikari asked in confusion. “It's all private property, can't go on it without permission from the owners.” Chad responded as he got up from his chair and stretched. “Can't go on it? That's ridiculous, what possible reason could those people have to deny the Earth we all live on to others?” Hikari asked, frustration painting his voice like a fine mural. “Because their ancestors made the correct political bets with the right kings and they own it now. To take it from them would be stealing. Besides we're in my home now, we can't completely disregard all the rules of the land anymore. All that camping we did in the Fyhelean forest was illegal as well, because they think it's too dangerous, the bastards.” Chad responded with a twinge of frustration but he knew Hikari was going to be like this when they got here and he mentally prepared for it. “What difference does it make if it's the government or the owners denying the people access to the land they had no involvement in making or cultivating?” Hikari sharply responded though minding his tone for the sake of friendship. “Because, that way it's up to the people to decide what they want, not some government lackey a thousand miles away who's never even seen the land. Besides humans need privacy, you don't just let random people into your home without asking do you?” Chad responded just as quickly. “We don't need a government to enforce private property for us because we freely share when asked and they are allowed to ask freely in return.” Hikari answered in turn. “Well people aren't so nice like that here, elves are different from humans and Henrikans are different from the Muryowa.” Chad responded before he left the RV to go gather wood for a fire. Hikari would join him soon after and the argument was quickly forgotten as they gathered around the night fire and cooked s'mores over it while drinking beer.

The next day they stopped for breakfast where Hikari would have pancakes with syrup and Chad had bacon and eggs. After breakfast they were off again and after a brief stop to help an elderly couple with a flat tire on the side of the road alongside two other cars that pulled over to help first. Chad would spot a roadside advertisement sign for a shooting range with gun rentals. Chad would turn at the sign without hesitation saying that he damn well wasn't gonna let Hikari leave Henrika without going shooting with him. So they pulled down the road to an isolated concrete building surrounded by numerous horseshoe shaped dirt mounds, each of which had an open faced metal building at their entrance. Chad went in and Hikari followed to see an arsenal of unimaginable proportions in his eyes. Guns of wood and iron, plastic and steel, browns, grays, blacks, big and small, in about every shape a human could reasonably be expected to hold. There were also plenty of people in there, many of whom would give the pair a nod and say something Hikari couldn't understand but in a friendly tone. It took a while but eventually Chad picked out everything he wanted and the duo would set everything up in one of those open faced metal buildings where the targets were set at the far end of the dirt mound horseshoe. Chad would start by giving Hikari a pair of earmuffs and the revolver before explaining guns safety. “Never point the barrel at anything you don't want to shoot and or kill, treat all guns like they're loaded at all times, and never walk in front of somebody who is shooting, got that?” Chad explained before Hikari nodded and took both items presented to him. “Alright now take your sword fighting stance, grab the handle with one hand and wrap your other hand around it like that, and keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire.” Chad explained as he helped guide Hikari as a first time shooter. “Alright now line up the front sight between the two back sights and aim for that closest target. Exhale as you pull the trigger and expect some recoil but don't be too afraid of it, it's nothing but pain and I've seen you take worse.” Chad finished and stepped away while Hikari fired his first shot. With a pull of the trigger and an exhale a shot rang out from the revolver and through Hikari’s body as he missed the target entirely and the dirt pile behind it kicked up a little dust cloud as the bullet sank into it. “Hey, not bad for a first time.” Chad explained and gave a thumbs up. Thus the two spent a couple hours shooting the various guns Chad had rented, a pump action shotgun, a semi automatic black rifle, and a great big bolt action rifle with a scope. Shooting especially the large rifles was exhilarating, each shot sent a burst of its own power through Hikari's body as it felt he summoned thunder with his fingertips. Of course he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn while Chad routinely hit the center of the bullseye on targets but still they both had a great time and Hikari understood why those living around the sulphur rich volcanos back home made a point to make their own guns from scratch and target shoot as their hobby. When they were done they gave everything back to the big concrete building and set off in the RV again. The bulk of their second day of travel was spent driving along some scenic biway as it snaked its way along a white seaside cliff talking about whatever came to mind before having a dinner of a lettuce wrap and a steak respectively before they'd pull into another pay campground for another night of beer and fireside revelry.

Yet their third day of travel was something of a brooding and somber one, for both men knew today was the day Hikari was to turn Chad over to his bosses like father did to Chad’s mentor Agent Fulton all those years ago. They knew after they'd never see each other again after becoming friends over the past four months of travel. Still they knew it had to be done and Chad kept driving regardless. The travel turned from coastal biway to inland highway as the duo would watch the miles of rolling forest and farmland hills pass by the window side. “Alright so when we get to the capital I'm going to turn the RV into the rental there and you're going to have to escort me bound up to my superiors. I am supposed to be your captive, not your friend in their eyes. Just don't draw your sword and this should all go smoothly. I'm also gonna arrange you a flight back to Daion where you can hop a boat back to Muryowa, that should save you a lot of time.” Chad explained as he drove. “You'd do all that, won't that blow your story?” Hikari asked in surprise. “We're pals aren't we? It's the least I can do, besides you've been out of the fields long enough on my end.” Chad responded “Thanks Chad, I'll miss you after this is all over.” Hikari responded warmly. “Ya same to you, though for both our sakes I hope we never have to bump into each other ever again.” Chad added before they both laughed. Hikari would change back into his now clean of blood kimono and wear his sword on his side for the first time since he killed that shape changer. Sitting on the couch instead of his usual passenger seat Hikari would unsheath his sword and look it over with its new scars of pitted metal where he stupidly let the thing rust. Now it was clean again though Hikari sincerely hoped he'd never have to use it again. Eventually a big city would appear in the distance as the road went from two lanes each direction to four lanes each direction and traffic spiked intensely. They'd have made it to the RV rental drop off an hour sooner had they not been stuck in traffic jam on account of somebody else's earlier car accident though they did eventually make it to the RV drop off where Chad simply wore everything he wanted to take and abandon his duffle bag in the RV. Before Hikari would tie him up with the same rope he did back in Muryowa Chad would slip the revolver he had into his Kimono. “Something to remember me by, I got plenty better ones back home anyways and that pistol I actually bought too.” They'd shake hands again as friends one last time before Hikari would bind Chad's arms behind his back. “In spite of all the bullshit that we got caught up in, old grudges, carney murder, attempted robbery, anarchist revolutionaries, and everything else. It was a damn good time, it really reminded me how to actually be a human being and not just a government drone again.” Chad exclaimed with a smile. “You said it, friend.” Hikari answered humbly as they stepped out of the RV.

So began the long walk from the RV rental to the Stealth-Folk headquarters through the big city of massive towering skyscrapers and busy crowds. While it looked like Hikari was leading Chad around with his hands bound in reality, Chad was guiding Hikari around so they wouldn't get lost. All the while Hikari shouted to the crowds around them to sell the act. “Shame! Shame! Shame upon all Henrikans! You dare send agents to attempt the destruction of Muryowa from the shadows when we chased off your petty attempt at an invasion?! Shame upon your tyrants and any who support them!” Hikari shouted to everyone around, though nobody actually understood him nor did they call the cops, thinking this was some sort of prank, social experiment, or fetish thing. It took hours to get across the city that was made more for the speed of a car than the foot traffic of a man, yet all the same Chad led the pair through the long streets towards a fenced off but unassuming red brick building in the shadow of a massive stone palace. Before they could to the chain link gate the pair were surrounded by armed shouting men in suits. Eventually an older agent would come and make them lower their weapons. “Agent Fulton” Chad would respond in an expertly mocked voice of relief before they'd speak in Henrikan and Agent Fulton would nod to Hikari and Hikari would present him Chad's rope. Agent Fulton would hand off Chad to a suited man and would take Hikari into custody with handcuffs. Hikari would be herded into a holding cell and held for a couple hours just as Chad said would happen before Agent Fulton would appear before him with the revolver, sword, and pack in hand. “Thank you for taking such good care of my student. The same way your father handled me back in the day. Now let's get you on a flight towards home.” Agent Fulton stated as he unlocked the holding cell and handed Hikari his things.