"Listen to me carefully, Vaan," said Kage, stepping forth into the alley. "You'll need to lay low for a while. Keep out of sight from the guard, and refrain from meddling in people's business. If you feel like you're in danger, then you've already crossed the line of caution. I am simply giving you advice, as this is where we part ways."
Vaan stepped back, puzzled by Kage's direct, uncharted tone. "W-what do you mean? Why are you saying farewell?"
"I have no idea how, but the empire has caught onto my father's actions. Over the course of his time here, he's broken hundreds of rules just to keep us both alive, so this is a matter that I can't push aside."
"What're you going to do, kill every last guard that roams the streets?" Vaan raised his voice. "You can't just act like this and think it'll work," Vaan paused, hesitating for a moment. "I want to help. You've helped me more than I could ever ask for. I beg you, allow me to repay whatever I can—"
"Vaan," Kage said, softly, stopping him. "I know you might not have had the greatest childhood. But you can live a somewhat normal life from now on. You should treasure these moments. Because one day you'll wake up, and everything will be gone before you even had a chance to say goodbye." Kage swept his hood over his head, "If you come with me, there's a likely chance you'll die. And your death, if caught by the guard, would have been pointless. This is not my choice to make, I am only trying to protect you. Therefore, I will leave it for you to decide. If you wish to risk your life, meet me by the south wall at sunset. If not, then goodbye."
As Vaan tried to stop him, Kage evaded the boy with a swift step to the right, "Don't let your head control you into thinking what is right and what is wrong," said Kage, seconds before disappearing into the street. "Let your heart guide your path forward, and let your head remind you that of which is wrong."
...
As the day passed, the blazing sun bathed coral tints over the wispy clouds above. The buildings stood tall, like strong, dark soldiers, all standing in an uneven row. A few rooftops had some onlookers, watching peacefully as the sun faded into the distant mountains scattered across the horizon.
Vaan had considered Kage's words carefully over some boiled stew from a nearby street seller. He now had terrons to spare after the previous ordeal, and soup would keep him warm and hydrated long enough to ponder about what he should do. The soft roll moistened in the broth, melting in Vaan's mouth like baked cheese. The saltiness bit at his tongue, colliding with the sour tastes of the bread perfectly.
The further Vaan marched southward, the further the brilliant sunset stepped out of his vision. Dust filled his nostrils, the air grew thick, polluted with rags and trash, and the glares of onlookers became more menacing and concerning.
Vaan had never traveled to the southern wall of the Dustlands alone. Before, he had always been accompanied by others, or led by someone more knowledgeable than himself. He had already passed Willow's bunker a few minutes ago, and now, as the towering buildings became noticeably shorter, the creped walls came into view.
As he kept approaching, a sudden tug, or rather a forceful pull, swept him into an alleyway a few blocks short of the wall. The collar of his hood had momentarily choked his neck, loosening as a hand wrapped across his mouth.
"A bold decision," said Kage, freeing his grip around Vaan's jaw. "You have decided to come, I see." Kage scanned him up and down, frowning. "Empty handed as well."
"Can you maybe not scare me half to death every time we meet," Vaan jumped, catching his breath. "You never mentioned I had to bring anything."
"I never mentioned you had to come either."
Vaan pursed his lips, slightly ashamed of his lack of better judgment. "What is it you plan on doing anyways?"
"Do you recall my father mentioning he was a miner," Kage asked, and after a firm nod from Vaan, he continued. "Well, during one of his trips, many years in the past, he was separated from his team. Nowadays, the guards supervise quite efficiently there, however, this being a couple years before the Horkos had started, the number of guards were astonishingly low. So, it wasn't uncommon for miners to get lost, die, or go mentally unstable from such a long exposure to underground air—"
Cutting himself off, Kage yanked Vaan's collar once more, pushing him against the shaded wall. Three guards carefully passed by, their footsteps blending in with the sounds of their relentless chatter.
Kage ducked down, motioning Vaan to do the same, and with his voice significantly more quiet, he continued. "When he was split from his team, my father came across a hidden throughway. The passage he found hadn't been previously ventured into, and he did everything he could to keep it that way. Soon enough, with time, he turned that cave into his bunker, and all he ever mentioned was that his craftsmanship is forged inside that cave, and that cave only. No matter how many times I had asked to visit, he refused to show his work. According to him though, the guard had labeled those pathways as restricted, so his work should still lie within those depths."
"You're not planning on sneaking out to the mountains, are you?" Vaan whispered. "You can't be serious?"
"His hideout could hold answers, and right now," Kage's tone turned cold. "I have nothing else I can do. It's the only plan I have. "
"So…" Vaan backed away from the wall, following the trail of stone peeking from the rooftops. "How exactly do you plan on getting past that wall?"
"Now that you're here, it might prove to be more difficult."
Vaan gave him an unsatisfied look.
"You see," Kage sighed. "The empire is smart. Their uniforms are white not to signify the color, but to be visible from all around, even in the darkness. The wall has four egresses to the outside, one on each post. Southside. The North gates. Eastside. And Westside. The door is blended in with the wall, but there are always guards on standby." Kage began creeping towards the entrance of the alley, scanning the streetside. "The problem lies in our escape."
"What do you mean?" Vaan followed, tip-toeing behind him.
"The door to the wall leads to the top, not through. And the top has guards stationed every fifty feet or so. Meaning that if we get through the entrance, we'll have to climb to the top, deal with the guards up there, and then make our way back down to the freeland."
Vaan shrugged sarcastically, "With the way you're speaking, you make it sound a lot easier than it seems."
"I never said it would be easy. No, I'd say it's impossible."
"Of course it is…"
"That is precisely why we aren't doing that."
Vaan inhaled deeply, perplexion shrouding over his expression. "May you please just tell me what we're gonna do. I can't follow your thoughts."
"The miners need to get in and out of the mines somehow right? And from what my father has told me, there is an underground railroad that used to take him and his crew straight to the mines every morning at sunrise. However, we don't have time to sit around until then. We'll more than likely be traveling by foot, and that can take an extended amount of time."
Vaan sighed, "I can see where this is going…"
"Correct. We will have to get inside."
"And this underground railroad is… Where exactly?"
Kage nodded above him, "See the outpost?"
On the wall stood a large tower, thicker, more sturdy than the wall itself. On ground level, below the tower where the guard kept watch, sat a small, worn-out entrance of some sort, held together by beams and timber. Four men guarded the outside of the tower, all in white uniforms. Two wore white caps, lined with silver edges, tucking away their hair and hiding parts of their eyes below.
"That entrance," said Kage. "Is our only way inside the mountains."
Vaan sighed again, "Don't tell me you plan on—"
"No." Kage stopped him before he could finish. "Messing with the guard is too dangerous right now. They keep a close watch on their numbers, and if any go missing or die, then serious problems will happen. You'll stroll up to them, ask when the next recruitment is."
"Me?! Are you crazy? Why aren't you going?" Vaan shouted.
Kage's grimace turned cold, "I wasn't making a suggestion."
Vaan gulped, "H-how exactly do you plan on getting in then…"
"That should be none of your concern. I have my ways. You just need to get inside the entrance. Lie if you need to. Lie with your eyes, not with your words."
"And if I'm not able to?"
Kage didn't respond, half of his brain thinking of a reply, the other half not wanting to give one. Instead, he drew in a deep breath, and with a soft exhale of what seemed to be black smoke, he grabbed Vaan by his collar. "You will be able to," and threw him out into the street.
Vaan stumbled and rolled across the pavement, quickly taking cover behind a nearby street light. As he turned back to scream at Kage, as always, no trace of him remained. So, wiping the droplets of sweat which had accumulated on his forehead, Vaan swallowed the dryness that had been building in his throat, and stood from the dusty cobble below.
Something about the way Kage orchestrated his plans baffled Vaan. This is ridiculous, he thought. Here I am, trusting this guy again out of my own will. And here I am, once again, left alone to follow a single phrase as my instructions. Vaan clenched his fists, brushing aside his golden locks. Is this even a plan? Does he trust me that much to—
Vaan's thoughts cut off short as he realized he was already in the deadcenter of the street, faced with four men staring him down roughly 40 feet away. Behind them stood a large tower, built thickly into the wall guarding the Dustlands. The tower roomed a watch post overlooking the mountains and the empty streets, reflecting beams of the fading sunset across nearby street lights.
Slowly, Vaan approached, his inside's trembling. "H-hello," He said. T-this is the mining outpost, c-correct?"
The four men looked at each other, sharing a silent glare, as if this information was not easily spread around, especially to those at such a young age. They gawked back at Vaan, frowning distinctively. One of the men stepped up to him, his white collar wrapping around a cream leather vest. "State your business," he said, unamused.
Vaan choked on his nerves, quickly making up a lie. "I w-would like to be recruited for the mining team."
The man's stern expression hadn't shifted, instead, he looked rather amused by Vaan's choice of words. He studied the boy, then smiled, revealing a row of stained, crooked teeth. "Come with me." said the man, "You're at the right place."
Vaan felt a shiver run down his spine, his mind racing with endless possibilities. The man led him inside the first set of doors, traversing into a clear, poorly constructed room of sorts. Despite its odd nature, it was rather empty, held together by old timber and metal beams. It seemed to be more of a safety measure, or a resupply station before a more practical entrance into the depths beyond the wall.
Two of the men then walked back outside, keeping watch at the doors. The other two, including the one who had spoken, stuck close to Vaan, careful as not to let him slip out of their sight.
Toward the other end of the room, a set of sliding doors sat firmly in the wall, closed shut by a half-broken lock on the left. A layer of rust carpeted the edges of the lock, along with a foul, old smell. However, with a simple flick, the lock slipped off its hinges, and one of the men slid the doors ajar, welcoming the darkness beyond.
One of the men gave the other a nod with his cap, giving a signal only the two of them knew the meaning of. After a few moments, the man by the lock joined the others outside, shutting the doors behind him.
As he stood alone next to the white-uniformed guard, a sudden surge of unease washed over Vaan. That feeling quenched his stomach, screaming at him to run.
"What do you believe is out there," The man spoke to him, gazing into the darkness. "Surely you must have some clue. It's not often a boy comes up to us at the brink of night, asking to be recruited for the mines. No, it's simply unheard of." He placed his palm on Vaan's shoulder, his freehand gripping his core-imbued sword.
"U-uhm," Vaan stuttered, the cold touch of the man's gloved hand seemed to pierce his soul, grasping it. "The mines sir. It's been a dream of mine to mi—"
The man squeezed Vaan's shoulder beyond levels of mere discomfort. "Don't lie. Who are you working for? I'll give you one chance to tell the truth, and if you do, your life will be spared. If not," The man met Vaan's stare. "You can consider your existence gone. Any trace of you will perish, left alone until the wind sweeps you away."
As he stared into the darkness beyond the door, a paralyzing fear overtook him, urging him to speak the truth. The mere thought of the current situation froze him for a moment, and yet something reached out to him from the black void ahead, something otherworldly entirely.
"So," The man said with a malicious grin. "What do you see when you gaze into the darkness?" He asked as if not expecting a reply. "Do you see death? Do you see your own life? Or do you see fear; the imaginative representation in our subconscious mind, flowing peacefully outside our awareness. It is all there in the darkness, even in our unconscious self. You feel it, don't you?" He squeezed Vaan harder, directly gazing through the open doors. "In there. Inside the darkness. To think I would have the honor of meeting the boy that started it all. Or should I say Ka—"
"That's enough," A voice escaped from the darkness, followed by a pair of emerald eyes, blazing fearlessly. Kage stepped out from the doors, his hood resting on his shoulders like a hanging curtain. "I'd prefer if you left the boy out of this," He gestured towards Vaan.
The edges of the man's lips curled even higher, splitting his face into a nasty smile, "I could tell something was wrong the second a child asked about the mining expeditions." He said in an exaggerated tone, mockingly. "Especially the day after a man from the mining crew was identified as your father; The man known as a traitor to the empire."
"W-what is he talking about?" Vaan shouted.
"Yes!" The man barked, laughing, "What is he talking about? Surely you wouldn't use a child for your own selfish greed? Would you?"
"Let the boy go," Said Kage, struggling to keep his voice calm.
"Or what?" The man gripped Vaan even harder, unsheathing his sword. The orange hue on the hilt began to glow, sparkling the blade into a swirl of crimson flames. The heat rose quickly, nearly burning Vaan's clothes off.
"Just like you said," Kage's cold stare met the man's, "You can consider your existence gone. As if you were never born. Something far worse than death."
The man's grin faded, replaced with a smoldered grimace. He threw the boy to the side, clicking the core in his sword, and unleashing a flare of flaming winds with a broad sweep of the blade.
Kage reached into his torso, whiplashing a single sickle from his side while keeping his other holstered. Darkness steamed off the tip of the sickle, enveloped by the black void of the mine's doors.
The man looked concerned for a moment, as if he wasn't expecting such a crude weapon. As he met Kage's gaze, the confidence he had when holding Vaan twisted into a sensation of lost hope. As if he needed to plead for forgiveness.
"So the rumors were true," The man spat, attempting to regain the little confidence he had. "There was a boy who survived the unimaginable. To think that the birthplace of the Horkos was all due to some brat who got lucky."
Ignoring his words, Kage dove forward, swinging the sickle from underneath, prepared for his attack to be blocked. However, a trail of flames met his ribcage, and although he managed to cleanly swipe through the man's leg, a fiery blade sliced directly through him, sending the room into a parade of scarlet embers.
However, as the blade swept through him, instead of burning flesh, his body hadn't faltered, somehow remaining intact. It's as if the blade cut through a mere shadow; a reflection of his former self.
The man's leg quickly crumbled into ash, giving birth to a spectrum of black roots traveling up his wound. Before he could scream for help, Kage sliced through his neck, perishing the man's existence into nothingness with a hollow wisp. All that remained were a white vest, folded unevenly next to a cream cap and a white collar.
Vaan, tucked away in a corner, shivered out of fear. Thoughts that would normally drive his questions seemed absent. Nothing made sense, and right now, he didn't know whether he was going to survive or not.
Kage acted as if Vaan hadn't been present in the room, gathering the leftover clothes as if this was his own bedroom. He took off his cloak and replaced it with the collar, buttoning it seamlessly. Then he tailored the vest to the best of his ability, covering his hair with the cap, tucking it downward.
His pants, however, were charcoal. He would have put on the pair left by the man, but since he sliced through his leg, the pants vanished along with it. He then creaked ajar the front doors of the construction room they were in, tucking his cap to cover his face as much as possible. Then, in a poor attempt to mask his own voice, he spoke to the remaining three guards outside. "This might take some time," His voice sounded raspy, but it was close enough to the deceased man's. "I'ma have some fun with the kid."
Two of the guards chuckled, while the other gave him a judgemental look. The guardsman observed Kage for a moment, unable to see his face, nor his eyes. All that was visible were the white collared shoulders of a normal guardsman, and an oriental cap a few of them wore by choice. Most avoided it, as it was made of a cheap fabric that created a stench after several uses.
"Hold it," The guardsman said, turning to Kage.
The tension suddenly changed, like a glass breaking in a quiet room. Kage, keeping his composure firm and ready, listened closely, ready to draw his weapon if need be.
"Shifts change in an hour. Don't be too long."
Kage nodded, exhaling the anticipation that had been building in his lungs.
The door shut behind him, which made a scraping noise as if it were held together by rusted screws. Kage picked up the guardsman's sword, using it as a torch with whatever energy remained in the core. "Let's go," He said, his gaze avoiding Vaan's.
Vaan bounced to his feet stubbornly, head down, hands tucked below his armpits.
Kage advanced into the darkness, shining light onto cement walls which quickly turned to dirt and timber as the floor descended deeper and deeper underground. The ceiling barely supported the poorly architectured mine. Iron beams zigzagged from left to right, running down its center, drilled into packed dirt and clay. Although invisible to the naked eye, these beams sprouted to the surface, which acted as a gateway for solar energy to power the cores in the mine.
Rocks peaked out of cracks and loose beams, and soon, a railway with an empty mineshaft came into view. Small rusted carts were aligned next to the wall, stretching roughly 20 feet in length, yet only 4 feet wide. They housed a set of railings on the sides, as well as planked seats, and luckily, a few were already on the railroad.
"Get in," Kage ordered.
Vaan did as he was told, having no other option. Still quiet from before, he hadn't thought of how to address what he had witnessed. His thoughts had started to trail back to some level of normalcy, but that only left him more bothered and distracted. He felt as if he were a tool, one that was being worn until the very last use, before being disposed of like trash.
Kage grabbed hold of the railing in the back, and with a soft jog, the cart gained speed rather quickly. The core on the bottom of the cart began to glow a dim orange light, and as Kage had just enough momentum to let go, he hopped in with a swift leap.
A gentle breeze swept through Vaan's hair, thinning the air as they traveled deeper. The smell of dryness and sweat swept through the mineshaft, and soon, the darkness that swallowed them in, felt welcoming.
"Do you remember the revolt?" Kage asked. "14 years ago."
Vaan nodded, though he didn't look at Kage.
"That was the first time the Dustlands tried to fight back, but from what had happened, it'll be hard to convince a single soul to revolt again," Kage sighed, desperately. "I was 10 years young back then, and being the dumb kid I was, I put myself in the streets, trying my best to fight back. Screams. Blood. Wreckage. Bodies. Death. All around me, yet I wasn't fazed by it. Not a single bout of fear. It felt right being out there."
Vaan kept to his silence, listening.
"I got caught in a fight that was impossible to win, blazing swords from the guard cutting down everything," Kage paused for a moment, his foolishness a testament to his remembrance of forgotten memories. "Well, every fight was impossible to win at my age. I remember throwing a rock at a man with a white uniform, and the look I received in return still haunts me to this day. When my father came looking for me, I was already half-dead, lying face-up, half my body nearly split in half, in the hands of a stranger."
Vaan choked at the thought, but restrained himself to avoid saying a word.
"I don't exactly know how I was alive. In fact, I don't remember being alive. In my mind, I was dead, pure darkness. No pain. I was… Gone. Then, a few days later, I woke up in my bed, feeling the worst I've ever felt. However, I was alive." Kage took off his vest, unbuttoning his collared robes to reveal a gray, worn out t-shirt. His arms were decently built, as if he knew more than just his way around any weapon. Scars were placed here and there, adding more stories to his list of tales.
As he took off his shirt, Vaan couldn't believe his eyes, and his anxiety pounded even harder. Following a thick trail—roughly three inches in width—from his left shoulder to the top of his abdomen, Kage's skin had been replaced by pure steel. And in the middle of that thick sheet of metal, sat a core, gleaming bright, pulsing alongside his heartbeat.
Although it wasn't unusual to see people get metallic implants instead of certain limbs, this was the first time Vaan had seen an implant on the torso. More importantly, an implant with a core imbued within.
"According to my father," Kade added. "He rushed me back as quickly as possible with the help of another. I had lost so much blood that my heart needed energy to survive. And being a pretty crafty blacksmith," Kage coughed, the mine's dust growing thick. "The only chance he could take was placing a core inside me. It was a life or death situation, and since I was going to die anyway, this was his only choice."
Vaan finally gathered the courage to speak, breaking through his barrier of silence. "I-is that what I think it is?"
"Yes," Kage put his shirt back on. "It's the same core formula my father used for my weapons a few weeks later. A precise mixture of Arzin, Iron, Obsidian, and rose ash."
"I've never heard of such a—"
"Rose ash is an herb my father received from a friend a long time ago… According to him. It doesn't grow within these lands, and he refuses to speak about it any further."
"So," Vaan asked, nervously. "Can you do what those scythes can do?"
"Yes and no. It took a while to figure out that I can actually use this core. One thing I noticed almost immediately was that my senses were sharper. I was a lot stronger too, although I didn't look like it. Speed, power, agility, vitality, endurance. All elements were improved as time passed. However," Kage gained a dark look. "The core inside me doesn't work like any other core. After doing some experimentation, even using my ability for a single second can cause extreme fatigue. So, I've practiced as much as I could to endure the consequences."
Vaan scratched his head, seeming more calm now. "What is your ability in the first place?"
Kage sighed, and in an instant, vanished in thin air, disappearing into a black mist. Seconds later, the cloud of black mist formed behind Vaan, creating and shaping Kage back together.
"I don't know the exact name of what this is," Kage said. "It is still a mystery to me. But I can flow through shadows as if they were my own, like a wave in an ocean."
Vaan, starstrucked, scooched backwards in his seat. "Is there any downside?"
Kage sat back down, slouching his shoulders. "After some testing, if my skin doesn't reach a single bout of sunlight in 150 hours. I will most likely die."
"What!?" Vaan gasped. "How are you so sure?"
"Well, I made it to hour 148, and my heartbeat thundered against my chest, screaming at me, trying to power the core. All my limbs felt numb to the bone, as if I couldn't feel them even if they got sliced off. So, I decided it was appropriate to step outside, and a pain burst through my body where my core was, but my heart settled, and I was back to normal after a few minutes of readjusting."
"Do you regret it?"
"Regret what?" Kage asked.
"Do you regret fighting back that day? Do you regret revolting despite the outcomes that followed."
Kage thought for a moment, considering the boy's words carefully. "My father always told me to live without regrets. Although I still don't know if I truly follow that principle."
Before Vaan could say anything else, a large thud stopped the cart, nearly sending Vaan flying across the mineshaft.
Kage hopped out, tucking his shirt into his black cargo pants, "Looks like we're here. We'll save this conversation for a different day."