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The Multiverse

The Sovereign Country of Eden

115.75 INK

a part of The Multiverse, by RemÃĻus.

The country of Eden. The settlers in Eden came together during the countries birth, forming both a council and putting in place several safety measures to protect it from the outside world. They birthed a sort of force-field, defending Eden from attacks from outside of the island. Whether technological or magical, the attacks would not be able to make their way into Eden. In terms of inside of Eden, they have a strict anti-weapon policy. With their extremely attentive border control its rather difficult to get a weapon into Eden unless you've gotten the necessary permits. Generators running around the clock help to significantly weaken magical attacks inside of Eden's walls and EMP's are capable of completely dismantling technological attacks.

LeBeau holds sovereignty over The Sovereign Country of Eden, giving them the ability to make limited changes.

488 readers have been here.

Setting

The country of Eden. The settlers in Eden came together during the countries birth, forming both a council and putting in place several safety measures to protect it from the outside world. They birthed a sort of force-field, defending Eden from attacks from outside of the island. Whether technological or magical, the attacks would not be able to make their way into Eden. In terms of inside of Eden, they have a strict anti-weapon policy. With their extremely attentive border control its rather difficult to get a weapon into Eden unless you've gotten the necessary permits. Generators running around the clock help to significantly weaken magical attacks inside of Eden's walls and EMP's are capable of completely dismantling technological attacks.
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The Sovereign Country of Eden

The country of Eden. The settlers in Eden came together during the countries birth, forming both a council and putting in place several safety measures to protect it from the outside world. They birthed a sort of force-field, defending Eden from attacks from outside of the island. Whether technological or magical, the attacks would not be able to make their way into Eden. In terms of inside of Eden, they have a strict anti-weapon policy. With their extremely attentive border control its rather difficult to get a weapon into Eden unless you've gotten the necessary permits. Generators running around the clock help to significantly weaken magical attacks inside of Eden's walls and EMP's are capable of completely dismantling technological attacks.

Minimap

The Sovereign Country of Eden is a part of Eden Isle.

5 Characters Here

Cutter [1]
gree [0]
Edith [0] "Is there a problem? If so...could you please kill yourself? I'd rather not waste the energy doing it myself."

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2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kamala Ainsley Character Portrait: Elizabeth Fern
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#, as written by FizzGig
They sky was grey with predawn, and the entire bar was dark. Liz had collapsed into bed far too early for it to be healthy, however, and she'd woken gripped by a passion. She was moving around her room, slipping into a swim suit and pulling on board shorts and a loose tank-top. Finding her handgun, she strapped that to her hip, pulled her hair back into a loose pony-tail, then slinked off to where she knew Kam was sleeping.

No fun going on an adventure by yourself, now was it? A small twinge of guilt naggled at her as she debated waking Kam up from a sound sleep, but she ignored that, reassuring herself that he was going to enjoy what she planned on showing him.

"Kam," she said, kneeling and rubbing his shoulder. "Wake up. There's something you gotta see."

The particularly early morning and uncomfortable bed that night had reminded Kamala of his military days, and so had the restless bags under his eyes. He'd required a little more than a shake to regain consciousness, though after a minute or two had passed, the man had groggily awoken, and directed still-resting legs over to the lip of the bed, where they clunked to the carpeted floor beneath him.

With his wrist, he rubbed at the tiny corns of crust that imbedded themselves in the pockets of his eyes, before looking up to Liz with irritation, then to the window, which was just as good a watch as any. The sun hadn't come up yet, and if anything, that was telling.

"What time is it, Liz? God damn," he grumbled, and pressed his other hand into his eye. "You're triggerin' my PTSD. If there was a rifle in the room I'd be rollin' across the floor shootin' lamps and shit."

She hooked her palm underneath his arm and hauled him to his feet. All the while, he maintained the demeanor of a marionette. Even if he was grumpy, though, she was determined to maintain a positive attitude.

"It isn't a long walk, and I won't be wasting your time, I promise." She leaned close, so he could see her eyes in the darkness.

"Trust me, Kam?"

"Last time I took a step out of this bar I got brass-tackled by Kane. The only thing that saved me was Harriet, and that's 'cause she has psychic mindfuck abilities. You have... a gun, or two," he said, shifting from one foot to the other, before ducking away from Liz and finding a wrinkled shirt from the floor to slip on.

"I'm not sure what makes you so sure leaving is a good idea."

"Hiding in a hole isn't a good idea either." she told him, waiting for him to pull on his shirt before turning on her heel and walking towards the entrance to the bar.

"You won't need that for too long, Kam. Don't get comfortable."

There was a smile in her voice, and she slipped her feet into a pair of boat shoes before slipping out the front door. Coincidentally, no sounds of combat ensued. Only the noises of birds waking, and crickets serenading the morning.

Kamala stopped behind Liz.

What was that supposed to mean?

Regardless, he slipped on his shoes; a pair of Oxfords. Uncomfortable for following her in the way that she wanted him to follow her in, and sorely beaten up, but it was the only pair he had. Taylor wasn't his size, unluckily enough. Regardless, he followed her out the front door, albeit cautiously.

The sounds of the morning; the quiet rustle of the dewdrops on the grass as they trecked through, and the scatter of the bugs as they realized their bigger coexistants, didn't help to calm the panicked heartbeat of Kamala. If he were at all honest, it only worsened it. The only indicator of his stress was a furrowed brow, though, and such an indicator was displayed so superfluously that it was as if it was a part of his face by then.

The streets of Eden were just as quiet now as they had ever been, but, soon enough, the sounds of forest birds were covered by the cry of gulls. The noise of water lapping at cement pile-ons, splashing gently against the wooden posts of several docks, lured the pair closer to what looked like a wide, expansive port.

The land-side port was rimmed with a wooden dock, with slips provided for each and every sailing craft that desired to come into Astral Bay. The sky was grey, further ahead, water blending with the skyline as sheer cliffs rose up on either side, cocooning the harbor in its sheltering arms.

Up above, starlight was beginning to fade as streaks of clouds, lit silver in the early morning, were painted across the sky.

She lead him to the dock, the wood creaking slightly as she made her way past a dozen slips, towards an impressive, forty-foot catamaran. The mast was easily sixty feet in height, as naked as a tree in winter, and swayed slightly in the small rhythm the enclosed harbor provided.

She stepped over the railing and into the boat, grabbing a collection of ropes from beneath a storage compartment located in the stern of the craft. She glanced up to Kamala.

"Come on!"

The tightly knit eyebrows from before raised as soon as those ice blue orbs set foot on the sixty-some foot catamaran, in an impressed gesture, one might bet. Kamala treaded across the dock carefully, as if he'd felt like the wood might cave in beneath his feet any minute. The ship that Liz hopped onto looked like safer ground, ironically enough.

So, when she gestured for him to hop onto it, it wasn't too hard to coerce him to get on board. He hopped onto the railing just as she had, and stepped into the boat.

"Are you sure this is your boat?" he asked, his voice laced with serious uncertainty on the matter. "I mean, you own the bar, and it isn't exactly..."

Liz laughed, which was almost unusual for her. On any given day she would want to snap his head off for a comment like that.

Something about the sea just made her more... amiable.

"It was Taylor's." she told Kamala with a nod. "Believe it or not, the bar was something respectable in the years that he was here. War came, encroached too close to our borders and people fled to the mainland." she pursed her lips.

"I know," Kamala said, albeit quietly.

"Aschen attack on Terra didn't do much to help that. I don't get business, but I keep it up as best as I can with what money I have. As for this baby?" She started to climb the mast, hauling up what looked like a sheet and attaching it at various points.

"No way in high hell am I ever getting rid of the Nautilus."

"It's pretty, I'll give you that much. You know, I was thinkin' about signin' up for the Navy myself, but that all ended up differently, and all fucked up. I wonder if it'd'a turned out different if I would've. I might be in college right now if I had, you know?" he said, raising an eyebrow, and looking to Liz. "But screw that, 'cause what's better than near-death-experiences every other day of my life, right?"

He blew out air, crossed his arms, then sat down over the lip of starboard. He arched his neck skyward.

She didn't respond for a few moments, securing the last of the sails before shimmying back down the mast, landing in a crouch on the port side of the craft. Reaching to scoop up several securing lines, she looped them and laid them in a neat pile, before fishing out a set of keys from her pocket and jogging to the aft of the ship.

"Come back here!" she called. "I won't hear you over the motor otherwise."

She gunned the engine, putting the craft into idle before jogging to the stern and untying the lines that secured the ship to the dock. While she worked, she glanced to Kam with a melancholic smile on her face.

Releasing the lines and pulling them into the boat, she hung onto the rail, and pushed off the dock with her foot, before jogging back.

She threw the craft into reverse, gripping the helm and guiding it around. After easing it to troll forward, the ship began to totter towards the bottleneck entrance to the harbor.

Beyond the walls of stone, the sky was starting to lighten.

It took a while for him to move, but Kamala eventually climbed to his feet, and joined Liz at the helm of the ship. He sat against the railing behind her, though the open seas behind him didn't help the uneasiness that he managed to stir up by himself.

"You go out here a lot?" he asked, perhaps in an effort, to divine a subject that didn't conjure up ill will. Perhaps that was why she had brought him out there.

"Not enough." she replied, sighing wistfully as they approached the walls of stone. The narrow opening was actually about two hundred feet across, the waters churning where the harbor met the current of the ocean. The Catamaran's sleek design carried them through without incident, and with a smile, Liz gestured for Kamala to come to her.

"Hold this steady, I have to secure the sails." she explained.

"Uh, alright, but I fuck up and crash your boat, then you can't yell at me," he said, and moved toward her. He gripped what she had previously, and almost nervously watched her movements. Entrusting him with a ship wasn't quite the spectacular idea, in his mind. He'd only been on them in his childhood.

"Do it quick. I don't even know what I'm holdin' steady."

"Sail towards the sun!" she called back, grinning as the wind of the open ocean whipped at her hair, clawing at their clothing as she reached for the securing lines and began to systematically tie down the sails to the boom. It wasn't a lengthy process, but it required meticulous detail, making sure the lines were secure before she actually needed to unfurl the sails.

When that time came, she called back to Kam. "Hang on! This is going to pull us forward pretty quickly!"

Taking a breath, she finally grasped the final line, gripping it powerfully before pulling it open and securing it to the boom. The sail bloomed, filling with air, and pulling the catamaran further and further across the ocean. Liz, gripping the railing, made her way back to the hull before coming up to Kam's side.

"You're doing great," she said in his ear, pointing out towards the sudden, orange sliver of sun that had finally poked its head up over the horizon.

"Go to the stern!" she said. "Let your feet dangle! It feels like flying."

He was holding his breath, and when Liz came to meet him again, he let it go and handed it over to her. He glanced to the girl, and with a quick, breathless nod, he moved to the far end of the Nautilus. It was a rather large ship, but it didn't quite seem like such a long time since he treaded the length of the ship, and the matter wasn't a thought on his mind.

Still, early morning grogginess clung to him like tendrils. He stuck his legs out over the stern of the ship, and ever occasionally as it drifted, waves would splash upwards and wet the no-longer water-resistant Oxford shoes.

He placed his palms in his hands and closed his eyes.

Kamala was still very, very tired.

Liz was humming under her breath, a celtic ballad her father had taught her some years ago when he was first teaching her to sail. She was sure to guide the ship into the gusts, smiling as they were carried forward, the craft turning with each gentle touch of her hand to the helm.

After a little while, the sun had finally come up over the edge of the horizon, and she locked the helm into place before moving to release the sails and tie them back. The ship slowed, before it lazily floated, rocking gently as the ocean cradled it against its surface.

Liz walked to the stern, sitting down beside Kamala and leaning back against her hands as they both faced the glory of the rising sun.

"I'd say I was sorry I woke you up," she mused lightly. "But...I'm not."

Kamala's eyes glinted open when Liz's footsteps met his ears. He retracted his feet back onto the ship, and unlaced his shoes, before sliding them where they couldn't get any more damaged by the water. They were going to be a bitch to walk back in already, he thought. He thought. But he wasn't going to say that, because, well...

"You should be." he mused back. She couldn't tell, because he'd stuffed his mouth into the balls of his knees, but a slight smirk played to the man's face. "I'm tired as hell, and I'm not sure leaving the bar with Sen to look over it is exactly the best idea. Harriet and that weird French fuck left. We're probably going to step in and realize, too late, that the floor is covered in money and remote detonators."

He laughed.

"Too tired for this shit," he said, again, and pressed a thumb to his temple.

She reached to put an arm around his shoulder, looking to the sunrise and offering a shrug of sympathy.

"We'll get back soon enough. Sen'll be sleeping, and I've been watching the monitors like a hawk. No one was around, and if they were, I'd know." she shrugged. "And even if something did happen, I'm not about to hide in a goddamned hole because of them. We're safer out here than we ever could be on the island, especially locked up in that bar.

She glanced back towards the cabin. "If you want, though, there's a cot down below. It'll take us an hour to get back, since the wind isn't with us going that way. You can sleep until I pull into port."

She stood, holding out a hand for him to take, to help him to stand.

He nodded, seemingly of relief. The sunrise was pretty, and dawn was pretty, the ocean was sure as hell awesome to be on, but it was a little troublesome when he couldn't keep his eyes from closing every few moments to treasure the moment. If he was treasuring it. So, he reached up, clasped Liz's hand, and began to help himself up.

And that was when she intentionally fell sideways, into the ocean, and dragged Kamala in with her.

The water wasn't too bad. It was cold, certainly, but the current was okay, and the pair would drift along with the boat. Liz swam deep, avoiding Kam for a moment before surfacing roughly ten feet behind him.

"Nothing like swimming at sunrise!" she called with a laugh.

He fell into the water, belly first, and proceeded to try and orient himself for the next few seconds. The salty liquid didn't treat his nose well, nor did he enjoy the shock of being jousted into the ocean. When he finally surfaced, his face contorted into surprised shock, though it was hidden by the mop of black tendril-like hair that covered his eyes and nothing more.

"Oh, jesus fucking christ, Liz!" Kam screamed, so loud that his voice hoarsened like a teenager at a high point.

He dipped his head under the water again, if only shortly, to fix the hair over his eyes.

"Well, I'm awake, if that's what you were aimin' for," he grumbled. "God damned lucky I don't own a cellphone anymore. What was that for, anyway?!"

She was beneath the water's surface, her eyes peering at him just over the rim of the water.

"I didn't have a good reason, if that's what you were looking for." she replied, smiling sheepishly. She swam a few feet closer.

"You need to loosen up, Kam. Just a little bit." She flicked water in his direction.

"I think bein' tight is a particularly good idea when I got a million people wantin' to cut off my dick, thanks," he said, and raised a hand to block the incoming water. For some reason, beyond his understanding, it made him angry that she was taking light of such a serious situation.

So, naturally, he cupped his hand, and angrily sent a wave of water in her direction with his arm. It wasn't much, but it certainly made him feel a little better.

She pinched her nose, slipping underneath the surface before popping back up, closer to the ship. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Jesus." She shook the water out of her ears, climbing up on deck and making her way over to him, wrapping one hand around the railing before reaching down to him.

"Come on, let me help you up."

Kamala let himself sink to where only his eyes could be seen, and didn't move an inch. Not for a few moments. Then, he gave a wistful, underwater sigh, and rolled his eyes. Bubbles floated to the surface where his mouth was.

He surfaced.

"It's not a big deal. I appreciate you takin' me out. I really do. It's actually nice to know that Kane or Sanderson or Red or anyone can't get to us or me or you here."

Then, his body came up with the rest of him, and he began to float on his back. It took a little extra movement in his legs and arms, but he managed it. For a moment, it looked as if he were going to relax and close his eyes, before he scooped another handful of water, and aimed it for Liz.

"I don't think Sen'll wake up for a few hours, at least."

Liz's face was dripping, and her arm flopped limply against the side of the boat. But, at the very least, she was smirking.

She decided to lie down on the floor of the boat, her arm dangling, fingers trailing in the water as the waves easily moved the boat around wherever it liked. It was pleasant, peaceful even.

"Even if its only temporary, it really is nice to get away." she replied with a small sigh. She flicked water at his face again.

"I wonder if either Sen or Harriet can swim." she mused innocently, eyeing Kamala with a mischeivous look in her eye.

His face jerked away, before looking back.

"We're not gonna kill the prisoner, and you agreed to help Red first, I just followed in on the idea," he said, and let the lower half of his body sink into the water. He swam over to the deck, seemingly tired, and hauled himself up onto it, before lying flat on his stomach, arms outspread over his head.

"Sen probably can't swim tied up," he said, just as innocently, a downfard face masking his grin. "I had to take care of h... er? When you were sleeping. You weren't fuckin' kidding about needy, though I get the impression that if she weren't tied up, tryin' to kill us, and able to take care of herself, she might not be too bad."

He gave a half shrug.

"I've been wrong about people before."

She watched him, rolling onto her back and laying her arms over her chest. The sun was warming the deck, drying her skin and lulling her into a gentle drowsiness.

"So have I." she conceded, her eyes flickering over his form before turning back to the sky.

"Think we should head back?" she wondered, her brow furrowing. "I don't really want to."

A deep breath rattled through his chest. He rolled onto his back, and tucked two laced hands under a mop of damp hair. His eyes closed again, and though being dropped into the sea water had jolted him awake, he couldn't help but slowly presume the same drowsy state as he had beforehand.

"I think we should, if we're talkin' terminology," he said.

His eyes druggedly opened, and a small frown came to the edge of his mouth. "I don't want to either, but all things considered, who would?"

She rolled onto her side, before pushing herself to stand. Lazily, she stepped over his chest, making her way back towards the helm of the ship.

"I've been thinking of taking this thing all around Aslund," she told him. "Get away from Eden, sell the bar, go to Solinus and see if I can outswim a mermaid." She looked back to him.

"Maybe I could tempt you to go with me, when all's said and done."

"Never thought I'd hear the words 'sell the bar' from you, Liz." Kamala said, eyes closed. After a moment, he rolled to his side, and followed Liz to the helm, so they could continue their conversation without the motor getting in the way.

Again, he leaned against the rails behind her. He watched her man the helm, and steer the ship. "If I'm not dead, maybe I'll take you up on that offer. I'm not doing anything here, other than getting my ass beat. Can't afford college here, not after the DD. It'd be a hell of a deal to get away from all of this shit, though. Eden's not treatin' us well. She's a right bitch."

He was done smiling, then. His mouth shifted sideways. "Think it'd be good for you to get away from here, anyway."

Her hands, on the helm, tightened a little, and she glanced back over her shoulder to watch him. Her eyes were sad, reflecting a deep-seated pain.

"Think so?" she asked, her voice just barely louder than the motor. Her smile was almost wry.

"Man, I wish you'd been around to tell me that a year ago, Kam."

"Don't think it'd be good for you to leave a year ago, Liz." Kamala said. "If I suggested it a year ago, you might'a given me a lobotomy while I slept."

He regretted that they had to go back, then, even if it'd been the responsible thing to do. He liked the feeling of warmth on his skin, and he liked the invincibility that being on the Nautilus seemed to give him.

"See shore yet?"

"I see the stone walls." she replied, pointing ahead. "It's never a good idea to sale too far away from Eden. The island floats, and only someone who has lived long enough on the land mass has enough gut instinct to know where it might be. Even then, there's still only a slight chance you'll get it right."

She shrugged, pulling back on the throttle and easing the ship forward at a faster clip.

The rest of the trip went by in relative quiet. Liz didn't cut the engine until they'd passed the walls of stone. From that point, she let the engine idle, guiding it forward with the helm before locking the steering in place, and walking to the front of the ship to prevent them from smacking into the dock.

"Pass me the rigging?" she called back to Kam, gesturing to a pile of ropes on the deck.

He lazily clambered to his feet. There wasn't any eagerness in his stride when he stepped onto the railing and jumped onto the dock, and threw the bundle of rope from the deck to the ship.

"I'm gonna go back the fuck to sleep when we get back, just so you know. Prisoner duty is on you. I'd check around and make sure Sanderson didn't lace the walls with remote detonators or some shit, or hide a mercenary in the bathroom," he said, with finality.

Doing her best not to smile, Liz gave him a mock salute.

"Aye aye, Captain."

5 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Casey Delancy Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: Myles Lancaster Character Portrait: Proxy Character Portrait: Cutter
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-Eden: Deep in the mountains-

When she finally awoke, she was stiff, groggy, and sore. Her torso ached especially, making it difficult for her to take in deep breaths. She was lying on her back, flat on what might have been an operating table, and the lights had been dimmed to allow her some period of rest. When she turned her head to the side, though, she saw the cabinets, the drawers, the countertops that were organized with what may have been medical equipment and surgical instruments. With a shiver, she lifted an arm, observing the skin. All appeared to be normal.

She was covered in what might have been a hospital gown, one that her arms had been laced through, with a bow neatly holding it all together behind her neck. She had an IV in the crook of her arm, one that ran plan fluid, and the other looked like it might have been connected to a blood transfusion.

Was she in the hospital? Had she been rescued?

She hissed in a breath as she pushed herself to a seated position, her abdomen screaming with discomfort as she moved her legs to hang over the side of the table. When she lowered herself, allowing her toes to touch the floor, her knees gave out on her, and in her attempt to stop her fall, she upset an instrument tray that clattered to the floor noisily, sending sharp surgical utensils flying everywhere.

Casey threw her arms over her head, cowering into the base of the table as the metal pieces rained down around her.

"Jesus," she breathed, her voice hoarse and dry.

The door would immediately open. The masked man stood over her, peering down through his goggles. Instead of a suit, he was clad in more versatile clothing; grey cargo pants tucked into black high-top boots, a long-sleeved, black underarmour shirt, and of course, his mask. He reached out both hands, which were gloved, to pick her up by her underarms, and set her back on the table. "Stay still, or you will be restrained." He added bluntly. There was no remorse harbored in his voice. This man was here, because he was ordered to be here.

"I didn't know my legs didn't work." Casey muttered irritably, immediately falling silent afterward.

The shuttle had landed behind a mountain crevest near the coast of the city of Eden. There was a rocky path down, though hardly traversible. Hatchet went ahead to make the proper arrangements. The android stayed inside the shuttle, simply waiting for further orders, and keeping tabs on all activity through the utilization of the satelites of Terra.

"Do you recall where to take her?" Cutter voiced. His voice was produced by an autotomic emitter, of course. Although, it was characterized by a droll, polite tone.

"Yes," He sounded off, harboring some subtle irritation. He looked back at the girl, again. There were some awkward seconds of silence between them, until he turned around to retrieve more suitable clothing. He brought back the clothes they had found her in at the apartment. "Put these on." He dropped them on the table. "If you don't wear them, then you won't be wearing much of anything." The door was shut, but he kept his eyes on her through the window. There was no room for gentlemanly standards.

She stared towards the door, biting on her lower lip before reaching for the ties that held the gown to the back of her neck. Allowing the cotton fabric to fall into her lap, she began to slowly dress herself, mindful of the painful bandaging and stitches that made her skin tight and uncomfortable. Once her head broke free of her blouse, she pulled it down around her hips, before bringing her legs up and gently easing them into the legs of her jeans. It took a bit of methodical effort, but eventually she was able to get herself well dressed, and she looked towards the eyes that watched her and waved him back inside.

"I might need a little help." she told him once he came in. "My legs suck."

The door slid open, and Proxy stepped in. But, he turned around, again, with his back facing her. "Get on." There was a nap-sack of sorts strapped over his shoulder. It held all the equipment of his briefcase. Before she could make a move he turned his head to watch. Trust was still at bay in his mind. Caution was the prime factor of survival, and safety. "I'll break your legs, if you don't cooperate." He stood waiting, and ready to do just that.

"Yeah, yeah." Casey muttered, easing forward and putting her arms around his neck. Hoisting herself up, she held on tight, gritting her teeth as the stitches in her back strained uncomfortably. Rather than speaking, she merely tucked her forehead against his shoulder and buckled down for the walk ahead.

You'll probably end up breaking them anyway...

He latched his arms underneath her thighs to act as a harness for support of her weight. Then, he marched forth out of the ship. His boots thumped on the metal with every step, until they stomped on the rocky earth of the mountain. "It's five miles away from here. I'll be carrying you the whole way."

His body jolted with every foot gained of those miles. It was going to be a long walk. A very long walk. She would feel no sweat from his neck, or grumble from underneath his mask. His arms would bear her weight, until the very end. This being was a sentinel. He would protect the girl with his life, until ordered to take her life himself.

High behind them the mountain loomed, and sinked farther away bit by bit as he walked. Every now, and then, the Proxy would resecure Casey's weight by throwing her body forward against his back, while leaning into the strides. If she didn't talk to him, then he wouldn't talk to her.

She didn't speak. Not for a long time. The only sound that came from her was the gentle groan that accompanied his repositioning of her weight. She was busy thinking about a lot of different things, a remarkable feat considering how distracting the pain in her back and abdomen was.

"He's going to kill me, isn't he?" she finally said, her voice soft, but close to his ear.

"I don't know." He answered quite simply. "Ask him yourself if you feel so curious. In your situation, you can expect anything to happen, except for the good thing."

"Encouraging." she murmured, her eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. Well, if anything, she could anticipate that the situation was only going to get worse for her.

The scenery began to change, somewhat, after the first mile. A wooded area came into view about a mile ahead. The coast of the city was visible, as well.

He stopped, and leaned forward to keep her on his back, while he unzipped the pack with one hand and reached in to pull out a bottle of water. He handed back to her, before continuing on. "Drink it. You need to stay hydrated. We've still got a while, before we get there." Perhaps, he thought this moment of living was something she should cherish. She was not being beaten, or tortured, at the moment. So, why not take in the tweeting birds, the croaking frogs, and the wild dogs? Fresh sea breezes blew by, and seagulls honked their beaks over head.

Proxy had been on the course for an hour, now. Another two miles were gained.

As far as Casey was concerned, Proxy could take his birds and frogs and shove them firmly up his ass. When the water was offered, she drank, handing the bottle back to him and readjusting her grip around his shoulders.

In the end, it really didnt' matter how this happened. If she died, she died. If she didn't, well, as soon as Randin found out about this, it would all be over with.

It pulled her into a deep, dark area of her heart, one filled with a certain bitterness and despair. Miserable, lonely, and admittedly frightened, she didn't know what to expect, and she could honestly say she wasn't looking forward to any of the possible outcomes.

--------

They arrived at a spring with a set of cozy homes built on the edge of the water. Made from the exotic wood of Eden's local trees. They were structured on stilts, and each one had a stairway, which spiraled around leading to a balcony. The balcony overlooked the spring, and the parting of trees presented a view of every passing sunset. When one opened the front door, that sun was the first thing they saw.

Proxy carried the woman up the stairs. Each knee pumping up the steps quite easily . It was at least apparent his body had been conditioned to trek long distances, and keep going. Along the last two miles, the man did not speak to the woman. He thought the endeavor useless, anyway, since her end was imminent. However, he did spare her some words.

"We're here." He said, as he stepped up the last step, and allowed for a brief glance of the balcony's inspiring view.

Though, to interrupt any chance os positive thought the surreal location might have provided, he turned away, and walked closer to the door. He leaned forward. "Knock for me. Just one will do." He added. She was surely strong enough to do that.

Shifting her grip on Proxy's neck, the woman reached and knocked on the door, her chin resting tiredly against his shoulder. It had been a long walk, and she knew that whatever lay beyond that door wasn't going to be any easier to endure.

With a shiver, she realized this was probably going to be the last place she saw.

Unbeknownst to them, that door had just been shut. But, with a welcoming creak, it opened. Proxy immediately looked down at the boy standing before him. "How did you get here, so quick?" The man asked, though not very suspicious.

Myles, completely confused and well baffled at why he was in this building, became even more so when laying eyes on Proxy and the girl on his back. "Uh, I literally just walked in. Like, a minute ago. I didn't want to go to the spaceport, so Oli helped me get here. Ya'know... with his hat-tricks and all?" He glanced over at the girl, who appeared very exhausted. "She looks like shit. Did you do that, or is she one of us?"

Proxy stomped forward without an answer, and shoved pass the boy. There was a dusty living room with a couch sat on the edge of a carpet next to a fire-place. The couch was layered with teal colored, warm, bristley linen, and the frame was a stained oak. There was a blanket over-lapping one of the arms. Proxy turned his back to the couch, and squatted to let Casey down. Winter did not falter in Eden, so he made due to offer her the blanket, as well.

Myles watched the man curiously, though agitated by the silence. "Hey, who is that?" He gestured his hand, before scratching the back of his head. He was a bit anxious.

Casey looked pale and sick. No amount of biofoam could replace the energy and the blood she'd lost during her ordeal. She gingerly leaned back against the couch, idly draping the blanket over her knees and turning her face away so she could close her eyes.

"You can call me Casey, if you want." she murmured,eying the couch contemplatively. Man. She just wanted to lie down and rest.

Myles cocked a brow. "Man, she looks like shit, dude. Are you sure she's alright?"

"She'll be fine." He proceeded to drape the blanket half-way over her figure. "She just needs some rest." He turned to Myles. "Don't go outside." He ordered, before going into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Myles shook his head, as such meager commands were often made. His youth was the factor in these scenarios. He began to eye Casey, and looked to the kitchen. He waited for sound of the water-spout to start pouring. He crept closer to the couch, while being very wary of Proxy's return. He looked over the woman, as she lied down. "I'm Myles. I'll actually talk, so... Uh.." He realized her eyes shutting. "Right."

Suddenly, Proxy returned. He stopped in teh door way of the kitchen, and peered at the boy. If one could see his face, they would note a slight glare. "You know better." He pointed a finger to a flight of stairs inside, which led up to the second floor of the house. However, in contrast, he lowered it back down, and walked over to hand Myles the glass of water. "Stay here, and let her drink if she wants. Yell if she tries to escape." He had changed his mind of sending the boy away.

Myles nodded, taking the glass in both hands. "Fine." He smoothed his thumb over the bottom of the glass. "Whne can I see him?" His eyes commended a slight desperation.

"Soon. He's out of the building in a meeting, at the moment. He'll be back later tonight." He looked to the fire-place. "I'll be outside. We need wood."

Myles sighed in response, and looked back to Casey.

Raphael E. McGregor has arrived, coming from Eden City.
Raphael E. McGregor has left the area, heading up into Eden City.
Stone and Boyle vanishes into nothingness, but you get the feeling they are heading somewhere else.
Renegade 581 has arrived, coming from Eden City.
Renegade 581 has left the area, heading up into Eden City.