Peak 6: Nin

"Is that airship still following us?" I asked pointlessly as I walked along the decking with Larishazza. The airship in question being so blatantly still there made my question irrelevant. But, I suppose having a conversation starter worked.

"As far as both of my eyes can tell, yes! That flying machine built somewhere in this land is following us." she said with a mock professor attitude before then smiling.

"Genius observations, Professor." I said back to her as I stared at the broadside of the airship. It towered over ours to an incomparable degree. And it would probably tower over it more so if we stepped out of line. Because I can't imagine we'd get out of the way of several thousand guns...

I had tried counting them but I always got lost doing so. Either because of a distraction or because the airship was so large. As such, that size made my eyes go funny and I lost track of which had been counted. Splitting it down into segments did not help either as it was just so large...

"I hope it leaves soon, Nin... I don't like having a warship follow us like this." she then told me as she nervously gripped the railings. I nodded in understanding as we had seen how these things worked. Our journey through what should have been the Theocracy was filled with war.

Every valley had some kind of struggle happen in it or have happened in it. It made me wonder why they still fought, these soldiers of the Theocracy. This Union had the overwhelming advantage with those airships yet they kept on going. It made me curious as to what kind of war this was...

What kind of war drove people to such desperate lengths as to fight for every bit of grass? No war recorded within the Civil Mountains back home had ever been so destructive. In fact, one could argue they were largely ceremonial after a certain point. The established cities were so strong you were never going to get them unwedged.

"Vadei is the one most informed here, we should go and ask her." I told Larishazza as my hand gripped her shoulder. A clearly nervous shake was inputted into her in an ironic attempt to reassure her.

"Let's go ask her then!" Larishazza declared as she spun out of my grip. Taking my claw into her hand just after before she pulled me forward. The control room doors made the usual movements and noises and we were then inside.

"Here to ask about that airship?" Vadei guessed while she tapped away.

"Yes...? How'd you know?" Larishazza said with surprise before she giggled.

"Because it's the only thing anyone is really been talking about lately." Vadei said with a disturbed sigh before she let her palms hold her face.

"I can get the other two to take over if you're tired?" I offered to Vadei as I approached her.

"I'm not tired, just stressed out. We have several thousand artillery pieces pointed right at us and a strict flight path. One mistake and every effort we have done up until now is pointless!" she nearly yelled out as she leaned back into her chair.

"I can still get the other two, either way, I'm sure they could do with something to do seen as you have made them useless for the most part." I told her with a slight smile that quickly went away. That lack of a smile on her own face did not help mine last.

"No... I'll stay here... Those two would probably try and work out something with those Jhermonikras across the cloudy sea..." she bitterly mumbled before she glued her eyes to another screen.

"How far do we have left to go anyway?" Larishazza asked Vadei as she moved in closer. Her fingers gently scratched the chin of an otherwise unbothered Vadei.

"Not far, we are nearing the canyon. You know, I am astonished by how quick this thing is." Vadei explained before she revealed her admiration for the machine.

"Care to put it into perspective?" I asked her as I assumed she had the capacity to do that. It wasn't hard to tell we were moving fast but how fast?

"I won't be able to put up a map, but I can show our recorded distance travelled and time and that." she explained before some more screens came up.

"This is how far we have travelled?" I asked after I read the large number.

"It is, but, bear in mind. This is with us in an airship, so the distance is much less than it would be on foot. And even with the issues of the mountains largely gone. It has still taken us a couple of weeks to get here."

"Do those couple of weeks include our various stops and the Salahma incident?" I then asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, they are included. Now, just try to imagine doing just all that by walking, not using an airship." she then let out with a tired voice as her eyes went wide. Mine did too once I figured out what the time to travel might have been.

"It could have taken us years..." I muttered while remembering how long it took us to get from Tryhpeltzweig to Thrurstradtur. And that was just to the bottom of the mountain! It still took Einervaene and that a few days to walk up it!

"I don't think that long, but, yes... Without this airship we would likely still be within viewing distance of Thrurstradtur's mountain." Vadei said to me while Larishazza moved away to think about something.

"What's on your mind?" I asked her as her thumb and index finger cupped her chin.

"Just trying to think about how long my ship ride to this land was." she explained.

"A few years maybe? That is how long Einervaene's trip apparently took."

"But my home is much farther away, so it will be more than that." Larishazza pointed out while her fingers made two different sized gaps. I guess it was to help us picture how different the scale of their travel was.

"Well, the next set of measurement past a year on its own is sets of them, so unless you plan on telling me you were a child before you were told to go to big girl school..." I argued to her just in case she was being serious.

"No, not that long, maybe a year longer? I don't know. We spent a lot of time island hopping in our travels. Me and my sister, that is."

"Well, either way, we know the lands the gods made for us so long ago are big." I said to both of them as it seemed like this topic was coming to a close.

"Wait, hold on you two, I am getting a message." Vadei then said to us as a loud beep began to fill our ears.

"Airship pilot, maintain your current heading. We are in no need to escort you anymore but will still open fire should you deviate." someone emotionlessly explained to us through the message. And, the airship did indeed stop escorting us. So I decided to go outside and watch it. But to do that, I had to climb a little so I could view it without issues.

"I can see how they plan on firing at the very least." I commented as the wind made my cloak flap about. A claw moved to the top of my hat to keep it in place. Otherwise, I did nothing but watch. I watched as it stopped following us and became more like a distant wall.

One so ladened with guns that we had no hope of ever escaping its clutches. It may have looked like it was getting smaller as we put some distance between us. The suddenly stronger wind made it clear Vadei was speeding us away. But, we would not get out of those sights, no...

"Hey, Ninno! Come look at this!" Larishazza called out to me from below. So, seen as it was her asking, I slid on down to meet her. Walking up to her once I had gone down as I slid down at an angle.

"Is that a marching army?" I questioned while staring at the distant flickers of light and gently swaying line of silver. Well, it looked like silver from here but that was likely without a doubt steel. The metal of all serious endeavours.

"No, not that! That!" she told me as her hand moved my beak to move my head as well.

"A giant bridge?" I said as I stared at the truly massive structure in the distance. So large was it that even this distance made it seem like it was so close.

"Yeah! Look how big it is!" she said with wide-eyed amazement as the halo lit it up. Its imposing shadow helped it stand out in an otherwise reddish environment.

"I assume this is the canyon then." I mutter as I turn my gaze down. A dark abyss was what awaited me and I saw no end to it at all. There just was no end to it that I could see. And, thankfully, I lacked the curiosity to test its depth.

"The edge of Jhermonikra..." Larishazza said while I began to look to my left. Somewhat looking at her in the process but I was meaning to look out towards my home. To her, however, it was just an excuse to be herself and smile.

So I smiled back after taking off my mask, "Say, Lari..."

"Lari? You haven't called me that in a while." she said with a grin. And it was true, it had been a short while since I used that nickname for her. But, I felt like I had reason to. She had no love for me beyond being my friend so a nickname felt inappropriate.

But, maybe just here, it would make a distance, "If I can... Would you... Would..." I began to say before I went quiet. A claw gently gripped my hat as I began to move away.

"Would I...?" she asked as she watched me move away.

"No, never mind. I'll leave you to it." I then told her as I walked away from her. In that moment I had wanted to ask her if she wanted to see my home. But, I also remembered that I was going to leave them all behind. Home was getting closer, I could finally have a normal life again to an extent...

Old Nin the Hermit...

That is what I would have to be, much to my displeasure. There was no way I could just go back to being a wall-engraver. Especially not considering what I had to do regarding Iishar. I needed to stop her trades first and foremost...

No one should be forced into being a living experiment, no one! But now came the question of how I was going to go about it... How was I going to get away from everyone? The lands around the Anvil-Peak were flat and featureless for the most part.

"Unless...?" I then asked myself as I gripped the wall of the airship. Perhaps I could get the others to camp outside for a night and abandon them... No, I couldn't do that. I was already cutting them out of my life, such cruelty didn't need to be enhanced...

This indecision angered me, it all just kept playing through my head. And, unfortunately, thanks to our earlier talks. I knew I did not have time to just let it slide and be forgotten. We would be home soon and it would all be over.

Perhaps I should find some private time with Vadei to talk about it then? Her family was involved in this so she deserved to know about my plans. At the very least anyway. But if I could not convince her, what would I do then?

She would know my plan and spread it to the others and nothing would get done! I could not just go home in those circumstances! I would be even more tightly involved with everyone else and that infuriated me! So to let some of it out, I just decided to slam my fist into the wall and dent it.

"HEY! Don't damage my airship!" Vadei called out to me through a speaker. Something that made me snort before I went somewhere where she hopefully would not bother me. I did not know where that place was, to be honest. But, a quiet place was a quiet place.

And once I got into that place, I went against the nearest wall. Letting out a long, tired, frustrated sigh while my claw touched my face. It clamped my jaw shut so I did not have to hear my chittering. Then, I just slowly slid down the wall until I thumped to the floor.

"I would see if prayer might get me the help or answers I need, but..." I began to say as I lifted up my left arm. Anger went across my face as I focused on where the bracelet used to be. I don't care if it was some sacred gift from one of the goddesses who help rule our world. It was the tool of a manipulator I would have no part in it.

If Einervaene and the others start to hate me and find me unbearable without it on. Then fine, I would suffer through that. But I would not and will never ever take part in something so indescribably immoral! If someone wanted to say they loved a bug like me then it can be done through other means...

Yet, if I cared so much about authentic love from another. Why was I so determined to go back to a home where exploration was the norm? Where most friendships ended without a second thought. All because they were founded on the mutual exploitation of the other...

I could not answer that question, admittedly. But, maybe, just maybe, I would figure out the answer soon. Or, maybe I was wrong, friendships didn't break so easily back home. They just had no time to mourn the loss as I did right now.

"Great..." I then found myself muttering as I felt water come to my eyes. It seems it was time for me to be pathetic again. More time for self-loathing than anything else. But, this all did make one thing clear, it made it very clear.

The need for me to just distance myself from these people was great, its time near.