Sigrid’s escape from the battlefield had halted, with Sigrid frozen in terror. The horror she had felt when the destructive beam had dropped had only intensified when she had noticed the falling satellite.
And while her eyes were witnessing the thunderstorm that was tearing the dropped satellite apart after a comet had risen against it from the ground, her mind was struggling to come to terms with it. That her side, the cause she had fought for was behind it.
At last the blinders she had worn since childhood came off as she was witnessing the spectacle. Dad had been a good man, a good father, this she was still certain of. But had Terra Sentinel ever been what she had thought it to be?
Sigrid shook her head furiously, both to get rid of that thought as well as to distract her from the horror she was still witnessing.
It did not matter. Whether Terra Sentinel had ever been what she had thought did not matter. What mattered was that this iteration of Terra Sentinel was not.
And she needed to get out of there. Far away from the crime site.
Jaohm abruptly turned and continued its flight, Sigrid ignoring the smell and the uncomfortable mess marinating her lap. thankfully that was easy thanks to Terra Sentinel.
They also were the cause.
January 19th
23:13
Huangshan, Eastern China
It was several hours later now. After the first one instead of continuing to haphazardly fly around without an end point in mind Sigrid had set course for one particular place, hidden deep inside the breathtaking mountain range of Huangshan.
She was on foot now, exhausted as she was. She had landed Jaohm… less than gracefully a short distance away, signaling the small base she was headed for that someone from Terra Sentinel was coming. Her clothes weren’t covered in her vomit anymore, she had cleaned that mess with a small application of Prana, but the smell was still there, bothering her nose as she took one step after another.
The damage Jaohm had suffered in the landing did not bother her. She did not want to continue to use that machine. Her father had used it once, and she had been happy piloting it. But it reminded her too much of her adoration of Terra Sentinel, blinded to the ugly truth of what she was a part of.
But that was why she was here, trudging in the foliage ocean of the valleys of the Huangshan. She was leaving Terra Sentinel, but she would take something from them before doing so.
An Elemental was stored here, and from what she had heard it would be easy to obtain.
The small facility it was stored in had been built on the root of one of the mountains, or more specifically to one of them. It was carved to the mountain and the ground around it. Sigrid did not see any outward defenses as she approached where she knew the gate was, but she had not expected to see any either. Hiding was the best defense for a base like this, if it was found out it would be taken easily.
But that was much easier said than done. She knew that the gates were where she was looking at at the bare mountain side, but she could not see them. The only suspicious part about it was seeing it be bare instead of covered by foliage at this altitude.
A small hole, enough for a person to walk through, opened on the mountain. A middle-aged man with stubble stepping out of it with a lit cigar. He took one look at Sigrid as she came closer, exhaling smoke. “Girl, you look like absolute shit.”
“Smell like it too, what the hell did you do before coming here?” He continued as she walked close enough for him to smell, before shaking his head. “No, nevermind that, don’t want to know. Plausible deniability and all. Just get your ass inside and quick.”
Sigrid stopped and blinked blearily at the man. She was all but spent, already having trouble staying on her feet. After a second she complied, slowly moving past the man and inside the tunnel he had come from.
She heard the man wearily sigh behind her, and her ears registered the sound of him stomping something to the ground.
Then she let out a surprised yelp as she was picked off the ground. “You’re in no position to walk around or do much of anything girl, faster this way. We’ll go take a look at the machine first thing tomorrow alright? You just worry about rest. There’s a vacant room here where you can crash while we prepare the Elemental and wash your clothes.”
“Just this once we’ll only take half the price for the service. We’ll send the bill alongside the one for the Elemental itself.” Her carrier added, but she wasn’t sure whether he was serious or not.
“So, my name’s Harry, I’m technically in charge of this place. What of you girl?” The man asked, but one look to the girl in his arms told him that she was already falling fast asleep.
Harry shook her lightly, making sure she did not fall asleep just yet. “Now now girl, no sleeping just yet. If you fall asleep before we arrive at your lodging for the night I’m dumping you to a bath, clothes and all. You really could use some cleaning before sleeping.”
Sigrid half opened one eyelid to peer at him. “Sigrid.” she murmured in reply.
Harry gave her a smile. “Welcome to the Huangshan branch of the Alkahest Corporation Sigrid. It’s no five star hotel but it serves its purpose.”
And while her eyes were witnessing the thunderstorm that was tearing the dropped satellite apart after a comet had risen against it from the ground, her mind was struggling to come to terms with it. That her side, the cause she had fought for was behind it.
At last the blinders she had worn since childhood came off as she was witnessing the spectacle. Dad had been a good man, a good father, this she was still certain of. But had Terra Sentinel ever been what she had thought it to be?
Sigrid shook her head furiously, both to get rid of that thought as well as to distract her from the horror she was still witnessing.
It did not matter. Whether Terra Sentinel had ever been what she had thought did not matter. What mattered was that this iteration of Terra Sentinel was not.
And she needed to get out of there. Far away from the crime site.
Jaohm abruptly turned and continued its flight, Sigrid ignoring the smell and the uncomfortable mess marinating her lap. thankfully that was easy thanks to Terra Sentinel.
They also were the cause.
January 19th
23:13
Huangshan, Eastern China
It was several hours later now. After the first one instead of continuing to haphazardly fly around without an end point in mind Sigrid had set course for one particular place, hidden deep inside the breathtaking mountain range of Huangshan.
She was on foot now, exhausted as she was. She had landed Jaohm… less than gracefully a short distance away, signaling the small base she was headed for that someone from Terra Sentinel was coming. Her clothes weren’t covered in her vomit anymore, she had cleaned that mess with a small application of Prana, but the smell was still there, bothering her nose as she took one step after another.
The damage Jaohm had suffered in the landing did not bother her. She did not want to continue to use that machine. Her father had used it once, and she had been happy piloting it. But it reminded her too much of her adoration of Terra Sentinel, blinded to the ugly truth of what she was a part of.
But that was why she was here, trudging in the foliage ocean of the valleys of the Huangshan. She was leaving Terra Sentinel, but she would take something from them before doing so.
An Elemental was stored here, and from what she had heard it would be easy to obtain.
The small facility it was stored in had been built on the root of one of the mountains, or more specifically to one of them. It was carved to the mountain and the ground around it. Sigrid did not see any outward defenses as she approached where she knew the gate was, but she had not expected to see any either. Hiding was the best defense for a base like this, if it was found out it would be taken easily.
But that was much easier said than done. She knew that the gates were where she was looking at at the bare mountain side, but she could not see them. The only suspicious part about it was seeing it be bare instead of covered by foliage at this altitude.
A small hole, enough for a person to walk through, opened on the mountain. A middle-aged man with stubble stepping out of it with a lit cigar. He took one look at Sigrid as she came closer, exhaling smoke. “Girl, you look like absolute shit.”
“Smell like it too, what the hell did you do before coming here?” He continued as she walked close enough for him to smell, before shaking his head. “No, nevermind that, don’t want to know. Plausible deniability and all. Just get your ass inside and quick.”
Sigrid stopped and blinked blearily at the man. She was all but spent, already having trouble staying on her feet. After a second she complied, slowly moving past the man and inside the tunnel he had come from.
She heard the man wearily sigh behind her, and her ears registered the sound of him stomping something to the ground.
Then she let out a surprised yelp as she was picked off the ground. “You’re in no position to walk around or do much of anything girl, faster this way. We’ll go take a look at the machine first thing tomorrow alright? You just worry about rest. There’s a vacant room here where you can crash while we prepare the Elemental and wash your clothes.”
“Just this once we’ll only take half the price for the service. We’ll send the bill alongside the one for the Elemental itself.” Her carrier added, but she wasn’t sure whether he was serious or not.
“So, my name’s Harry, I’m technically in charge of this place. What of you girl?” The man asked, but one look to the girl in his arms told him that she was already falling fast asleep.
Harry shook her lightly, making sure she did not fall asleep just yet. “Now now girl, no sleeping just yet. If you fall asleep before we arrive at your lodging for the night I’m dumping you to a bath, clothes and all. You really could use some cleaning before sleeping.”
Sigrid half opened one eyelid to peer at him. “Sigrid.” she murmured in reply.
Harry gave her a smile. “Welcome to the Huangshan branch of the Alkahest Corporation Sigrid. It’s no five star hotel but it serves its purpose.”
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