Chapter 26: Sand Lands
"Okay, none of you an tell me this is normal." Damien looked forward to an expansive desert, sand and dunes as far as the eye could see, yet directly behind him was a thick forest plain.
A truly peculiar phenomena where someone could walk along a line where the sand and grass met. Something Damien did take to doing. Even the weather between the two areas were different. The half of his body still in New Dawn was met with the cool mid Fall breeze while the Soaring Sun half took the full brunt of the blazing desert sun. Krista and Amelia were also not immune to the awe of this impressive sight.
"I have to say, I would have never thought I'd get to see Soaring Sun's lands in my life," Amelia remarked with a smile on her face, "Actually, I've gotten to see a bunch of new things after meeting with you, Darius."
"And they'll be so much more to see as we go further in," Dante added as he wrapped a thin brown layer of cloth around himself, "Hope you all brought some desert clothes."
"Wait, are we taking our nymphs across this desert?" Damien asked Dante. "Terra or maybe even your fire nymph might make it though fine, but Nightshade is untethered. Actually, won't Cleo's wind nymph have an even tougher time through the desert winds?"
"Given a choice, I'd prefer sand worms or some crawlers to traverse through Soaring Sun's deserts," Dante admitted. "Unfortunately, none of us have any experience in using them, so we'll make do. Just make sure to replace their desert shoes regularly and give them plenty of water."
Hearing Dante's answer Damien leaned in close to Amelia, "Sand worms?"
It was an empty expanse, not a sign of anything other than bug life and the occasional cactus within the area. Yes, a cactus, they looked exactly the same as the cacti back in Journey. Considering all the wildlife he had seen, Damien decided to give them a wide berth out of fear of how these plants utilized wattiez and its thorns.
"Not the desert again!" Jikan whined, "I want to back to the nice, shaded forest in New Dawn's lands. How long until we make it to Nova?"
"It's not far from the border, just a few hours more hours until we're there," responded Cleo.
"Finally, I'll be able to get my hands on some ambrosia!" Jikan yelled elatedly, "Hey, let's see if Animus can catch us some fresh meat rations, I'm tired of jerky!" complained Jikan.
"Who even is this Animus person?" Krista asked Jikan, "Dante mentioned her before, but we've never gotten to meet her. Where even is she?"
"I have no idea," Jikan explained, "but if you guys still haven't even seen her, then maybe one of you said something that really bothered her. She's usually a pretty chill person, so I bet one of you said something mean to Dante or Raven?"
Krista already had an idea as to what that could be, "Darius admitted to wanting to kill Dante."
Jikan, who hadn't been there to hear that, responded with a blank face, "That would definitely do it."
"I would enjoy meeting her myself," Amelia said joining their conversation, "Dmitri and I have both had our troubles with dealing with strangers, so we can relate to her troubles."
"So, you're a loner?" Jikan replied in a hurry, "Sorry, that came out wrong. It's just, I have a bit of a bias towards those who choose to purposely avoid people, isn't that right Animus?"
He looked off into the empty space beside him but truly asked as if someone was actually there. No, as Krista looked closer she could almost see a shimmer, but it quickly disappeared. Dante had heard the conversation and slowed himself down until he was side by side with Jikan before punching him over the head.
"Bad form, brother," he said to Jikan looking disappointed, "Ani needs her time, and she deserves to choose whether she wants to show herself or not, it's not up to you. Just be happy Raven's to busy to deal with you, and Shix isn't with us yet. Would Jin and the rest approve of this?"
Jikan looked away from Dante and bowed his head, "No, plus Kan and Imai is probably gonna beat me up later. You're right, I'll apologize to her later."
He sped up his earth nymph to catch up with Cleo and Raven, effectively leaving the conversation, "He talks about his clones as if they were real people. He even gave them names. Why is that?" inquired Damien.
"Talking to me now?" teased Dante.
"Don't test me," Damien responded, "I'm best with a bow, but this dagger isn't just for show."
"Play nice boys," rebuked Krista.
Dante waved her off, "I was just happy to hear something other than threats, between him and Raven, it was getting a bit tiring."
"Then it wasn't just me," sighed Krista.
"So, about Jikan, he's quite the peculiar guy, isn't he?" asked Dante.
"Unpredictable would be a better adjective," offered Dmitri.
"Yes, yes, unpredictable, "Dante agreed, "I met Jikan nearly a decade ago in Dusk, though he didn't actually join Shining Twilight until three years ago. Didn't want to leave the shop he built with his older sister."
"How'd you manage to convince him to leave his sister then?" Damien asked, "Indoctrinated the poor kid to believe in your cause? Took him from the only home he knew in order to give him a life full of chance and danger?"
"Yes, exactly that," replied Dante looking downtrodden.
"You're serious?" asked Damien unsure why Dante would tell them this.
"When I met him again three years ago, it was just him running the store," Dante continued, "Well himself, himself, himself, himself, himself, and himself. In his mind, they became the family he lost… probably not the healthiest coping mechanism."
"Can't be any worse than helping someone start an insurrection," interjected Damien.
Dante eyed Damien who stared right back, "Do you want to know why I started Shining Twilight?"
"World domination, vindictive slight, possibly the need to prove yourself to-" started Damien, but Krista pinched him.
"Yes, please tell us why," she answered for him.
"Actually, Darius nearly hit the nail on the head there with that last guess," Damien said, "I've already told Krisha the story, but when I was four, I was found to be untethered, and by the look on your face Amelia, it seems that she hadn't gotten to telling you both yet."
"No, she hadn't," said Damien unsuccessfully hiding his anger.
Dante shrugged, "I'm glad she didn't, makes my story a much better listen. Anyways, an orphan and untethered not really the most pristine combination for a successful future. I had little to no options, either find work in the lowest of the low positions, become a politician, or make something of myself."
"Then you chose option number three," reasoned Krista.
"Not in the slightest," Dante said simply, "I chose option two, just a different kind of politician. A politician of war! I keep myself grounded by repeating a phrase, no life worth living is lived without the support of others."
"Is that Shining Twilight's motto or something?" asked Damien sarcastically.
"I'd like to think so, they're at least the words I've used to make every one of my decisions as the leader of Shining Twilight," Dante answered, "It's also the reason why I couldn't just leave Jikan in Falling Starlight."
"You didn't want him to be alone," Krista added, "You went and gave him a life where he could rely on the support of others."
"He imposed his own ideals on a kid who'd lost his only family, Krisha," Damien argued, "Rather than, I don't know, teach the kid how to get a girlfriend. Dante, here, choose to bring him along into a mercenary group. I can't imagine the life expectancy of that kind of life is very long."
"Dying happens to everyone, it's not living that really kills ya," Krista shot back.
"What's that, your slogan now?" asked Damien.
"It was something that my mentor, Kim, used to tell me," Krista said, "Sure, if Dante left Jikan alone, he would have been safer, but inside he would have been wasting away."
"Life's full of fun, pleasure, and more, but you'll lose your chance to experience all that if you end up dead," retorted Damien.
"Oh, and where did you hear that?" mocked Krista.
"Made it up just now, but they are good words to live by," Damien responded, "Unlike you two, I just like living my life and I don't need some grand purpose to drive me."
"That's not living that just coasting, at best!" shouted Krista.
"I'd have to agree with Krisha there, Darius," Dante added, "Living for something, in my case others, is fulfilling. It could be anything, really."
Damien thought on that for a moment, "You know what, you two might be onto something."
"Really?" inquired Krista who definitely didn't think Damien had changed his mind so quickly.
"Yeah, I'll just keep living for the day where I make Dante take his final breath."