Chapter Ten

     I thought we were over this...

     Alex groaned, leaning further into the metal mountain. The heat beaded his forehead and he wiped sweat away. It was so humid where they sat that many of them had been brought to gasps in the short amount of time that Darius was gone. The waters coursed and bubbled, and a few times Alex could swear he saw the ghost of life making its way to the surface. Whatever could easily live in the water's depths was not a creature Alex was keen on meeting. Upon the heat and strange creatures was the screaming.

The wind pulsed and howled. An insane force that boiled each of their bodies until blood pounded their ears and eyes in stressed attempt to be realised from their bounds. It was all Alex could do to cup his hands over his ears.

After Linus had jumped, they were all in such a hurry that he'd doubted Darius had brought the ear plugs. And, even if he did, he was off blowing steam somewhere.

     He looked over to where the group was gathered. They were talking over the screaming winds as if attempting to help one another stay sane. But, each one of them still reverted to cupping their hands over their ears in a similar manner to Alex. Watching Linus carefully, Alex couldn't help but wonder. Was it Linus's fault that Darius was reverting back?

     "Alex," Alex's gaze was torn away by the voice. He looked up. Fabrice and Tyrell stood beside him. Fabrice, the one who had spoken, was a muscled blond. A mistake of a moustache grew above his lip. In their usual setting it was washed out by the syline, invisible. Here beneath the overcast, it stood out.

     "Aye?"

     "We're not comfortable with this."

     "Not comfortable with what?" Alex looked up over furrowing brows. Was it about the water pirates joining them? Were they worried that they would be betrayed or go missing as so many others?

     "The rumours surrounding Navarian regions are being reported over wave again." Fabrice informed.

     "The rumours...?" Alex was taken aback for a moment. Reverting his mind away from the water pirates, he caught onto what Fabrice was going on about. Their worried expressions now made sense.

     "From where this time?"

     "The Farming regions, more specifically northern Dequim and southern Amartha. It's reported that recruiters are harassing the farmers."

     "So, it's the miners all over again, then?" Fabrice nodded. Alex sighed.

     We can't jump in this one... With Stonely being taken...

     "Wait," Alex gasped upon realisation, "Southern Amartha? Is there any news on Amartha sending out their tecs, then?"

     "None that we've caught on to."

     Alex nodded. "Keep your ears open then. On both Navar and Amartha. It may give us a hint to where Stonely was taken."

     "'Dunno," Tyrell shrugged. "Theys know 'erv our interferences."

     "That's right," Fabrice concluded, "they've been keeping their communication waves short for some time now. We'll have to fully infiltrate their borders for any luck of finding such things out."

     "Damn." Alex looked back at the group. Maybe somehow that group could be more than bait. "Could we send in reinforcements then? To listen and act among the civilians?"

     Fabrice took a long moment to muse such things over. "I'm sure something of the such isn't impossible. But it'd be a stretch -- not to mention dangerous. Hostility towards our fleets is growing each day. No doubt we'd have to walk far distances by foot to keep from being discovered right off the bat."

     "How far?"

     "Depends on which plate you wish to infiltrate. Amartha could be a number of miles from the southern farming regions or coastal and central mining camps, but if you were to chose Navar you would no doubt have to hike through the region's' harsh natural environment."

     "Aye, and in Navar we'd have to face the black ice." Alex's attention was momentarily caught by the sight of Cailen and Darius returning. "I guess that's our decision for the time being. We'll report back to Jericho once we get back to the ship."

     Tyrell and Fabrice nodded their heads as one. "But..." Fabrice looked back at Darius who had caught his attention as well. "Do we tell Darius?"

     Alex gnashed his teeth. His loyalty to Darius couldn't overlook the fact that Darius was becoming reckless again. If he told Darius now, the boy would likely throw a fit, and if his past had anything to say for him, he could end up doing much worse than that. "No, we'll keep it between us and Jericho for now. Darius... Darius has enough on his mind as-is."

     Linus clutched his side as he stood. Vint and Navir helped him up. Despite the pulsing pain that wracked his body, Linus allowed himself to be supported up. Warren and the twins looked forward at Darius who was sending Linus what could only be described as a death glare.

     "You're lucky we don't leave you behind," he said for the fourth time. He spoke under his breath, with his fists clenched, as if stuck in a state of unawareness. Peter looked back at Linus with a reassuring nod to which Linus half-heartedly returned.

     "Cailen, lead the way!" Alex said, standing up from his spot. His auburn hair was red beneath the overcast, and he walked over far enough to throw an arm around Darius's shoulders. "I'm sure this one found a great path to take us up."

     Cailen hesitated. "I... wouldn't exactly call it great."

     Alex's demeanour broke for just a moment -- so quick that Linus swore he was seeing things due to the pain -- and almost seemed like he was worried. He returned to grinning and laughing, squeezing Darius around the shoulders. Darius struggled as if he were being choked. "Lead the way!" He insisted once more.

     "Y-Yes." Cailen nodded, looking over the group once before leading the lot of them in the direction that he and Darius had come.

     "Are you trying to tell me..." The group of them stood to face their first obstacle. It hadn't taken them long to get there, but what stood in their way had Peter at the front of the crowd, looking straight forward with an anger coursing about him. "That we're supposed to jump this!?"

     Echo-Ridge had fallen prey to much during its desertion, the cliff they found themselves at proving it. A gaping hole stood before them. The winds drove in and out of the opening, screams becoming anguish for the group. One of the twins fell to a knee, yelling out loudly as he tried to stamp out the pain of the noise.

     "To become a Sky Pirate you have to deal with a lot more than this!" Darius announced.

     "That's a shit explanation!" Peter pushed back. "I never went through any such things to join!"

     "That's because you were too weak, we were afraid to loose an engineer due to harsh realities."

     Alex knocked Darius, who had begun moving forward as if to push Peter into the pit, back. "Darius! That is enough. I can accept your challenge for the newcomers, but know your allies!"

     Darius shot him a look stuck between disbelief and seething rage; Alex gave it no mind.

     "Cailen, you two got over this to check out the rest of the path?"

     "Yes, but --"

     "Then it's possible. This will be the path we take. Everyone, get ready to jump!" He turned towards the group. "Or be prepared to be left behind."