Somewhere Someplace

The sun rose upon a new day, as it had the day before and every other day before those many days before. It was the dawn of a new month, if such had not been already so the day before. The tenth month, Autumn's Feast; that month of harvest and bountiful giving. Although, such was unlikely to be found for the County of Humbleberry.

Antica made her return to that Humbleberrien camp, which was surrounded by wooden logs and constructed palisades—features that were present during their arrival a week ago. This camp's establishment had likely pre-dated the griffon incursion. The camp itself was sizeable and well-spaced, although clearly not meant for a gargantuan force… No more than a thousand souls at most, which for the standards of this continent was apparently quite a many. It was one of many such camps scattered about Humbleberry, although this one was of the more isolated ones, apparently.

And both fortunately—for them, the Humbleberrians—and unfortunately—for them, the party—, it was located in the far opposite direction of where she and company had been intending to go—Grandberry.

Passing through the palisades' entry, Antica could see the many Humbleberriens were already out and about, doing their doings. Throughout this week, she had observed the personnel stationed here. They varied considerably in both quality and professionalism, with the many being…whatever was the sufficient label for the opposite of the Company's soldiers, frankly… They looked like random non-combatants who were given buckets as helmets and agricultural utensils as spears—in fact, it was obvious such was precisely what they were… They had been conscripted into service—or 'levied'.

This camp was, at least, organized. There was a clear division of labor, with roles being assigned relative to pre-existing specialties. Those who could 'cook' were assigned to food distribution, those who could manage animals tended to the…captive and presumably domesticated animals, those who could work with metal manned the forages and smiths, et cetera.

Truly, having literally nothing better to do, Antica had learned more about this primitive army than she ever cared to, just from her observations and notes thereof. For example, apparently the leader of this subdivision was not necessarily a 'commissioned officer', to borrow what she had heard from the Company, as much as a local governor or administrator of sorts… Or, right, a 'feudal' or 'lord'—governors by natal inheritance or something like that. He was a 'baron' to be precise.

Antica made her way through the camp and finally returned to that tent of hers… Of which she had barely made any use, besides hiding within to use her terminal device or communicate with Bee. She had not slept once since arrival, such being unnecessary since nights and days ceased being distinct. Beyond repetitive and stereotyped behaviors, all she had effectively been doing was standing in the position at which she was now…once again so standing, silently.

The Humbleberriens had split them up. She had not seen the other two, Blue and Red, since their arrival, and Novea was a rare sight considering she was the one…handling things—negotiations and talks. Normally, such would be grounds for some concern for those under her…technical supervision Remnant-wise, even though she was one…also being supervised denizen-wise.

Regardless, she had been utilizing Fly to monitor them periodically; so, she knew nothing bad was befalling them. If anything, the Humbleberriens had been relatively tame. They had been provided food and water—she herself, of course, not eating anything, and she questioned the water's…sanitation—, and they had been allocated tents for shelter… Or, at least, the ladies of the group were provided tents as a so-called 'honorable courtesy'.

Indeed, the only male of them, Red, had been given nothing. Although, considering he spent this entire week defensively affixed to his wagon guarding the unicorn, he did not seem to mind. His companion, Blue, likewise was largely remaining with him, never seeming to utilize her allocated tent. Indeed, with respect to Blue's priorly observed behaviors, that arcane specialist had been awfully reclusive, with observed behavioral display seemingly indicating discomfort and perturbance.

Nevertheless, beyond basic so-called 'courtesies', the Humbleberriens had been mostly ignoring them… And, more especially, they had been especially ignoring her.

Indeed, outside of Bee, Antica had not spoken a single word since arriving here. Beyond the expected denizen remarks, none of the Humbleberriens had tried to directly speak or bother her either. She was enigmatic and looked dangerous, with her 'gear' being quite peculiar to them; they were either captivated or intimidated.

Such was not to say, of course, that they had not been discoursing amongst themselves. Most seemingly assumed that she was some kind of elite adventurer; those were the only characters they could conceive of being with such bizarrities, although even for the expectations regarding adventurers, Antica's things were seemingly perceived as…'uniquely different'.

Likewise, one strange and frequent discourse she had been overhearing amongst a few bored souls throughout the week was regarding her humiform… It appeared that, because of how…comprehensively obscured she was by her hood, smart-cloak, fox half-mask, and facemask, there was a struggle in ascertaining her biological sex, even though her hair was becoming long enough to be discernable even with her smart-cloak's hood… Although, right, hair length was not always a reliable phenotypical indicator; many of the males here had quite the long hair.

Regardless, beyond these occasional whispering conversations and discourse, there was not actually a whole lot of talking. The overall atmosphere of this camp had been and still was…a persistent bleakness; one that seemed to have only depressed further as the week dragged on, as more and more information slowly crawled its way hither.

Antica had been attentive to whatever scraps of information—news, rumors, or gossips—she could overhear circulating around. She was able to construct somewhat of a picture of things.

Apparently, during the raid and incursion by Grandberry, Humbleberry's own already amassing army was slow and cumbersome to respond, having been caught by total surprise. Humbleberry's griffon forces were apparently the first to respond but were unable to keep up with Grandberry's own who were superiorly experienced and…bluntly outnumbered them. Words seemed to have varied, but there were allegedly extensive causalities, with some speaking that Humbleberry's griffon knights had been completely wiped out; some, likewise, had remarked that other assembly camps like theirs had also been attacked and destroyed.

Regardless, by the time Humbleberry's armies did respond, most of Grandberry's griffons had, for whatever reason, rapidly withdrawn, ending the attack. And, even after a full week, the Humberriens were still assessing the extent of the devastation, with any news slowly spreading from source to camp to camp, no doubt progressively distorted in the process.

However, judging from the quiet sobs she had noticed in tents or reclusive corners, away from everyone else; the belligerent hostility and constant lashing out amongst many around; most of them had likely concluded that their…communities—families, kin, and offspring—were dead… Nothing to return to. There was a mix of vindictive bloodlust and simple unadulterated grief circulating in the winds' affect.

Perhaps Antica herself ought to feel something more complex from such sights, yet it was mostly hollow. Even so, such did, at least, reinforce within her…that decision, that choice, she had made. Lives defended and prolonged… Perhaps, maybe some of the conscripted souls here did have something to return to.

Indeed, truth be told, her only regret was not intervening sooner.

Regardless, for now, it seemed that the Humbleberriens—of this specific camp at least—were still unaware. Antica had yet to hear a single gossips or rumor regarding anything…extra-ordinary or otherwise relevant to…what she had done. And the one time Novea had spoken to her this week did not seem to indicate any awareness from her either.

However, Antica knew very well that it was only a matter of time… Even if information was so very…slow to travel…

And, most truly, had this whole week so demonstrated to her just how…slowly this Calamitous playground of a world so turned for these denizens, even if Antica had no grounds to possibly complain of slowness considering where she operated from was even slower.

Regardless, from what Novea had said during their one conversation, she had been sending correspondences to her relevant people and the Security Office, the baron of this camp meanwhile also sending his own letters to his higher lords as well as the Company's headquarters in Strawberry seeking confirmation regarding the declared cooperation, and such and such, and all of these letters, replies thereto, and replies to those replies required time to move back and forth.

It truly was no wonder that they had been stuck here for a week… Frankly, with the current pacing, Antica would not be surprised if this dragged out for multiple weeks…

Preferably, however, she would want to be out of here sooner than not. Certain news was bound to reach here, and she knew with certainty that Novea would immediately—

"Hey!!"

Almost as if on cue, or perhaps deliberate narrative construction to provide the sense thereof, a familiar voice came bouncing her way.

« Huih? » Antica's long past expired brain required additional processing in order to comprehend that voice, having been barely present. With a turning glance, she saw that familiar cloaked figure approaching closer with quite the wave…

Only for that figure to abruptly trip onto the dirt.

"OUCH! Ah!! Fuck!" She had narrowly avoided smashing her corvid mask into the ground, although dirt certainly tarnished her cloak a little.

Whilst that Raven helped herself back up, Antica took this moment to finish the incomplete arrival by approaching. "Nine. I greet you." she thus greeted Novea; "Are you…fine?"

"Yeah, yeah! I am fine, just…" Novea's voice seemed audibly annoyed. "Anyway, so, we'll be leaving soon." Yet she was quick to rebounce.

« … » Antica froze, needing time to process this information; it was as if she was actually in genuine disbelief, would that she could comprehend such internally. "…really?"

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"Yeah, I know right!" Novea exhaled a sense of relief… "Felt like I was going to be stuck here forever!! Or… I mean, we… All of us." She ahemed. "Anywayy, so, nothing happened rightly right? You aren't… They didn't… You're…" Hm… The way Novea was talking…

"I was silent." Antica stated.

"Oh, hey… That one's speaking now."
"Aha! Told ya, that one be a girl!"
"I owe thee my rations, Gods' sacred shitter-bucket…"

"…until now, at the least. But they did not bother me, and I did not bother them."

"Good goodly heard…" Novea sighed; "They trusted me the least, so I was kept under constant supervision… Wasn't even allowed to potty alone! They took no chances with me… It's why I couldn't talk to you at all."

"I know." Antica merely replied.

"Yeah, I bet." Novea replied in kind. "Anyway, might've not looked like it for you, but…it's been such a week… You have no idea. Lots of shit's been happening."

"Just very slowly." Antica remarked.

"Eh." Yet Novea so shrugged. "Honestly, this has gone pretty fast, all things considered. All the letters being sent all over the place… Could've gone way slower—I was once held for a whole month because the nearest Guild location was…"—she ahemed—"Actually, that doesn't matter." She ahemed again.

Well, it seemed Novea had not been cognitively zapped by this wasted week. Though, it was obvious that her sense of time must be just as horribly warped as Antica's, albeit in a different direction.

"Anyway," Novea transitioned, "the Security Office in Grandberry has been made aware of our situation, but Sir Baron Buttfucker the Second—my endowed name for him—was ignoring anything from the Guild. 'Uhm, how do I know you aren't accomplices, we still have no reason to believe that you three—four—didn't murder an entire fucking village'." She made a mocking voice. "Even though I assured him over and over and over… Why the fuck would we even do that??" She sighed… "But on the good wing, she… he… How—Wow, I cannot speak right now."

« … » Antica stared blankly. Alright… "When was the last time you slept?"

"…" Novea was silent, conspicuously so. She began to play with her fingers, standing awkwardly as her masked gaze drifted aside… "Uhm… I mean, feel fine—fantastic even! Blue had these, these,"—she took out from a sack beneath her cloak…a kind of…burnt bean of sorts—"beans, which…she gave me—or actually I kind of I took them while she wasn't looking thinking it would be, be… What's it called again? Chocolate, rightly—b-but, and so, so… I feel great! These are magical!" She was becoming observably jittery in stature, unable to hold still as she became increasingly stimulated from excitement. "Tastes so bitter though… Way too bitter…"

Antica looked at the burnt bean in Novea's hand, staring, before relooking at her. "Ah." Indeed, ah. She would have to analyze that bean's properties to ascertain what exactly it had done to Novea. Regardless, "well, continue."

"Huh?" Yet Novea's over-active mind had already lost track… "Oh, rightly,"—she ahemed—"He didn't treat us prisoners even though…he could have, so… I cannot be too mean to Baron Buttfucker the Third."

"So, if this 'baron' person, this 'fucker of butts'—"

"PFFhahaha!" Novea nearly spat as she broke into laughs. "To hear you say that, oh Gods' sacred Raven Mother, hahahaha! That was too—too… I can't, I can't…" She was losing her breath.

Sleep-deprived and overly caffeinated; truly, what a horrifying combination for some individuals.

"…rightly…" Antica wanted to stay on topic. "But if he was distrusting, then… So, why are we now free? You have not said that he is…now trusting of us."

"Huh?" Novea calmed, refocusing. "Oh, rightly,"—she ahemed—"Wow. Really keeping me on the road here, huh? That's why I love you so much." Quite abruptly, Novea went frozen static. "…I mean…" Her words suddenly went from energized to clumsy and stumbly. "I didn't mean, like, not, like, you know… Not in… Wow… Haha… Did I just say that? Wow… Why do we only have one word for…a lot of different affections?"

« … » Antica just stared, incapable of even being confused as to why Novea abruptly shifted. "What is… What is this? Why this?" She stepped a little closer.

And Novea's corvid mask hid what was the mother of all blushes. "Anyway, so…" She backed away. "It's because he received this here you go!" Speaking quite fast, she hastily handed Antica a letter of sorts. "Anyway I'm going to go tell Red and Blue now so bye!" And she swiftly raced off.

« … » Antica, again, simply stared… « Benique… Éd evenjít. Quid ețiam oi consumisset…ut aghat ita? » Well, that happened. She promptly assessed the letter… "Forward Notice from the…United Central Trade Company, seventh district… Colonel Lanford Faulkner…" Her mask-obscured ignited eyes thus began to read, first aloud but then quickly to herself…

Ah. The Company had sent a detachment to fetch them—or rather, no doubt, more accurately her specifically. According to this notice, receiving it meant that this detachment was going to be arriving soon to 'accept the transfer of the desired persons' and urged the Humbleberriens 'to cooperate'… There was a hidden threat here, probably.

Nevertheless, this answered one of Antica's inquiries that had been lingering throughout this prolonged week… Colonel Faulkner was at least being a reliable superior officer, though he was perhaps more annoyed over this…delay to his initial plans—she herself was certainly annoyed…deep behind her mind's shadow.

-||-

"Buhuhu!" Blue was 'sobbing', perhaps exaggeratively. "Red!!!" she whined, her sniffling nose and watery-looking eyes looking to her partner whilst gripping his arm. "Why did you let them take all of our supplies?!"

"Not everything. Just the Far West exotics and other useless crap." Red simply replied, leaning against the readied wagon which was now situated atop a most humble hill well outside the camp; and, indeed, that wagon was considerably emptier than before. The majority of the Company's provided foodstuffs and exotic treats had been confiscated by the Humbleberriens during their allowed departure.

"The wagon was way too crowded and the unicorn was getting slowed down." Red justified; "Needed to unload shit, and they gave us their food despite us not…"

"Yes! But you gave them such expensive treats for free!!" Blue whimpered and whined, accusing. "And not to mention our instruments! The cooking pots and, and…"

"We never used that shit, Blue… I kept a small pot and pan for us; that's all we need." Red stated. "Besides… You saw those poor fucks, right? Gods above know they could use that chocolate and cooking shit more than you…"

"Damnation to you! I deserve sweets!" Blue was no longer whining, though she was retaining her drama.

"You ate enough, Blue." Red was plain. "And pretend as you want, you saw what happened here… Be glad they didn't torture us despite thinking we were part of it."

Blue went quiet… "Yeah…" She exhaled, losing the dramatic drive… "At least we are finally departing… I really hate camps like that."

"I know…" Red replied.

Blue gently held his hand, leaning in… "I suppose I should thank you for staying with me…"

"…you were the one who stayed with me, though? I didn't…"

"Ugh." Blue ughed, withdrawing… "Why are you such a terrible romantic…" She pinched his cheek, harshly but gentle enough. She then turned her eyes to the puffy clouds of the autumn sky, the sun heading away from the late noon… "Autumn's Feast, huh? It seems we did miss the festives after all…" She was reflecting more than lamenting.

"Honestly, it'd be hard to celebrate…" Red remarked.

"That is true…" Blue agreed; "I still can't…remove it from my head."

"Shit always sticks, don't it? Even when you get used to it…"

Such being said, it nevertheless had been a week. They had already come to terms with what they had seen. Ultimately, nothing about those sights was exceptional or extra-ordinary for these lands and the manners by which wars were waged.

Blue, becoming bored, eventually stepped away and went to the wagon's back. "Well…" She peered into it… "I suppose we do now have more comfortable space… Although, we will have to resupply somewhere." She peeked her head to Red, sternly. "Even when disregarding what you allowed them to take for free—"

"I wasn't going to charge poor levied peasants for shit." Red was quick say.

"Which is why we are always broke!" And Blue was quick to chastise, albeit more teasingly. "Anyhow, I need more mints, spice leaves, and…" She paused as her sight returned to the wagon's back, noticing… "Assassin, are you…alright?"

Indeed, Novea was already situated at her usual bench spot… Although, truly, she was hardly 'situated' as much as…utterly slumped over and out of it, covertly groaning as if beset with the hardest of all crashes. Antica, meanwhile, was situated directly parallel to Novea's position, silent and static as if hardly a relevant character.

"…fine, I'm fine…" Novea's voice was as groggy as her slumped stature. "Just… I feel heavy…and… My head…"

"Mh…?" Blue looked into her with squinting eyes, as if quickly realizing… "You know, Red," she peeked her head to Red, "I noticed… My sack of energy beans was missing…"

"I didn't hand them over, if that's what you're saying. I know not to touch that." He was quick to defend himself.

"Yes… They were missing beforehand." Blue clarified, calmly.

"You probably ate them all." Red replied, bluntly.

"No, no." Yet Blue wagged her finger; "That is not possible. Those beans are very concentrated, as you are aware…"

"Yeah? They're basically… What? Fifty coffee beans smushed into one, right? It's why they're so expensive even without tariffs." Red replied.

"Yes… And so, it is very much unpleasant to eat beyond at most five in a day, and I usually eat up to three only when I must." She was still talking to Red, although her voice was seemingly directed towards someone else, her eyes glancing similarly. "I had a hundred and fifty beans, freshly bought from Strawberry. Thus, I could not have possibly eaten them all."

"Yeah, and it used up like half our remaining coin!" Red so stated; "That's why we're always broke."

"Anyway," Blue opted to ignore that, "one hundred and fifty, thus fifty days if I was eating my maximum." She finally turned her full attention to that particular miserable soul, no longer implicit. "So, this only makes me wonder…"

"…" There was a groggy silence. "…here…" Novea so drowsily 'tossed', though it was more of a slumping drop, the stolen sack of those so-called 'energy beans'—an imported crop product related to coffee however extremely concentrated in caffeine and…

Traces of methylphenethylamine-based compounds.

"I saw… I wanted…chocolate, and…it was…brown, so…" Novea could not even explain how she had confused these with chocolate… Albeit, granted, she was not necessarily looking when she had so swiftly snatched whilst Blue was inattentive. "Thanks, though… These seriously helped…a lot…this week…"

Blue reached in to retrieve her returned sack of energy beans. "Well, at least you said thanks." She smiled, not particularly upset… This was quite amusing, if anything; to see this mysterious clandestine operative act…more like a normal girl. "Although, wow…" Indeed, she then looked into the small sack… "Thus, a hundred beans now… You consumed four golds worth." She of course did the math.

"…yeah…" Novea so replied, head throbbing from thinking about it.

Blue popped a bean into her mouth. "They stain your teeth, by the way" she casually remarked with a bitter-tasting crunch; "So, you better be good with linen cleaning, otherwise thou shalt have teeth that be looking brown and rotten."

"Great…" Novea just grumbled in a grugh… "Life was easier not knowing that, thanks…"

"Glad to be of help!" Blue just delightfully smiled, pleased. A mystery solved, she stepped away and returned to Red. "So, uhm… What are we waiting for? Why can we not simply, you know, depart?"

"She told us to wait; so, we're waiting… You know how that works, Blue." Red replied.

"Thus, the wanderer does not wonder for once…" Blue merely remarked.

"Not loudly, no." Red mumbled in kind.

"Do we even go to Grandberry now or might we be switching destinations again?" She turned her eyes to the wagon behind.

That Raven was not visible from the side angle, considering she was slumped over, never mind that other hooded head obscuring. Thus, all that came was a gruggly reply from the depths of that wagon's bowels. "Still Grandberry… We've been subpoenaed… Remember?"

"Oh… Rightly, right… It is almost like we were trapped within an army camp for the last week, so I must have forgotten about that." Blue was being quite sassy, indeed; perhaps she was just a little upset.

"…we're waiting for… Company… They'll be…here soon…" And Novea wanted to rest before then.

Blue sighed, returning her eyes to the distance… "I know my contract proclaims that I shall be tolerant of much, but I would nonetheless like to know for whose company we are…"

However, just as she was about to ask, Fortune and Fate conspired in union to answer her question on demand. For, first hailed from the echoing sounds of hooves and fast-moving wheels, emerging into view in the distance afar with quite the galloping speed was, indeed, a company.