Chapter 37: Unexpected Collision

Away from any city, far from any town. The desert is home to no one. Only the strongest would survive the unforgiving heat in the day, and the intense cold at night.

It is silent, where only the rustling sound is heard from the patches of grass. Grains of sand sweeps off the ground, into a spiral by the commanding wind.

Along the ground, past a few patches of dry grass, still no life is seen. After a moment, a small area of sand caves in; a brown snout, and claws sprouts forth. The creature climbs out. Its back, covered with large black scails.

The animal lets out a small growl, and starts sniffing along the dry ground. Slowly, it walks with its four limbs, leaving its tracks in the sand. After a moment of scrounging, it stops, and turns its head, its nose still picking up scents. Out from the silence, a homing sound is heard, as it slowly gets louder with time.

Just then, the animal scampers away, only for a grey object to zoom past, leaving behind a orange cloud of dust.

Following the trail of dust it caused, the grey object is known to be Leah, and Kase's hovercraft. Kase drives the vehicle across the stretched out desert with no pathway, nor any road to follow, the hovercraft still wobbling from the small bumps it drives over.

Still, music is heard within the vehicle. Leah is seen leaning her cheek on her hand, gazing at her window, watching small trees, and rocks pass by. In the distance, one of the mountains can be seen standing out from the fog of dust.

Turning her gaze to the windshield, now looking ahead at the seemingly endless landscape. Inhaling, she lets out a sigh, and sits up, only for her to stretch her arms with a yawn.

"Do we even know where we're going?" She asked, staring blankly ahead, her eyes starting glisten.

"Head North, isn't much of a direction." She wipes a tear from her eye.

"I'm afraid I hardly know where we're going either," Kase said, chuckling, he takes a glance at her, and looks ahead once more with a frown.

"Are you crying?" He asked, looking at her once more.

She starts chuckling, and shakes her head.

"No," she simply said, still looking ahead of herself.

"Whenever I yawn, my eyes tear up." She lets out another chuckle.

Kase chuckles.

"Alright then," he simply said.

"We should have asked for specific directions," Leah noted, adjusting herself in her seat.

"I feel like we're stranded."

"I guess we'll just have to continue to head north,"

Leah sighs, leaning into her seat, her arms now crossed.

"That's all we can do I sup-"

The radio station gets interupted by white noise, urging Leah to gaze down at it. Just then, the radio goes silent.

"Hello, ningens," a woman's voice said from the radio.

"I almo-"

"Is that you, Anya?" Kase asked, frowning, still keeping his attention ahead.

"Yes, who else would call you?" Anya said, and clears her throat.

"As I was saying. I almost forgot to give you the exact coordinates of that thief. I'm sending it to you now."

After a moment, a bleep sound is heard from the console.

"Did you receive it?" Anya asked.

Leah leans forward, and types on the screen, her lips twist into a smile.

"We've got it," she said, zooming in on the map. Her smile fades.

"That's a bit far isn't it?"

"I didn't say it would be easy." Anya answered.

"How do you even know she's there?" Kase asked.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions," Anya answered, her voice oozing in frustration.

"The two of you must get my relic back, and take care of that thief in any way you can."

"But how can we be sure she's still there?" Leah asked, frowning.

"I can't talk rght now," Anya answered with haste.

"Goodbye." The call ends, and the radio continues playing music.

Leah continues to stare at the screen for a moment, she frowns, and bites her bottom lip.

"That was convenient," she said, looking at him.

"We would have been stranded if she hadn't called."

Kase chuckles.

"Agreed," he said, looking at her briefly.

"Now we can restasure we'll find this thief."

"That's if she's still there,"

"Is information even worth it?" Kase asked.

"Finding the thief, getting the relic back?"

Turning her gaze to him, she looks ahead once more.

"No, not really," she simply said.

"Then why?"

Leah looks at her window once more, a faded reflection of her face is seen.

"I am just a curious person," she said, fiddling with her pendant. The same one which before, was held by a necklace, only now it's on the black color around her neck.

"I want to see this thief," she continues to fiddle with her pendent.

"If she is a ningen, then maybe we can talk her into giving it back."

She looks at Kase.

"Especially since we're of the same race," she said, only to look outside once more.

"I doubt it, but we can try." He said, looking at the map on the screen, only to tap, and slide his finger across, only for the vehicle to suddenly shift to the left. With a gasp, he looks ahead, and straightens his hands on the wheel, noticing Leah's hand holding it as well. He turns his gaze to her with frown.

"Focus on the driving!" Leah said, her voice echoed around the small space of the vehicle.

He looks ahead of himself, his face calm.

"Sorry," he said, adjusting his fingers around the frame of the steering wheel.

"It's fine," Leah said, leaning back into her seat.

"Just be more careful, okay?"

"Okay."

Just then, a loud snap his heard followed by the vehicle leaning to the one side.

"What was that?" Leah said, sitting straight, looking around herself, only to look behind to see a sharp rock being left behind in the distance.

Looking ahead of herself, holding onto her chair, she looks at the hood of the vehicle.

"I think the vehicle is damaged!"

"You think?" Kase scoffed, his hands gripping tight on the wheel, while having it turned to the right.

"I can't stop, or control it!"

"Alright..." Leah said, darting her eyes all around, breathing heavily as she does.

"Ummm." Just then, the console starts beeping, a red light flickering on and off with each beep.

She looks at Kase for a moment, watching as he struggles to control the vehicle.

"Let go," she simply said, her face calm and collected.

"What!" He said, turning to her with a sternful look.

"If I do now, it will only cause more damage!"

"Trust me, just do it!" She grabs both of his hands, and pulls them off the wheel.

They both watch as if in a moment in time, the vehicle slowly leans down to the side, only for it to grind against the desert ground, causing flares of sand, and shattered rocks to fly over the vehicle, causing the entire thing to shake, and wobble.

"Alright," Leah said, her voice trembling from the vibration of the vehicle.

"Now all we need to do is wa-"

Both Leah, and Kase, jolts forward. Within a moment in time, the ground moves over them before their very eyes.

Their vehicle flips over, and starts tumbling, parts, and pieces of metal fly off into the distance as it continues to slam on the desert ground, clouds of dust, and smoke tails behind it. Just then, it collides into a large bolder. After a moment, a cloud of smoke, and dust sweeps over the mangled craft; like raindrops, the fine grains are heard hitting the metal body.

The vehicle rests against the bolder, with the front of it facing the sky, smoke still seeping out from the engine, the sound of muffled music still playing, chasing away any silence. Through the cracked windscreen, Leah, and Kase are still seated.

Eyes fluttering open, they narrow at the sunlight beaming down onto her green pupils. Blood glistening from the side of her head, Leah moves her hand near it. Her eyes shuts with a moan.

"H-how did that...happen?" She muttered under her stunned breathing.

On the radio, a new song fades in; slow, soft rythims are heard playing. The tune is calming to the ear of its listener who would slowly fall asleep. Opening her eyes, Leah turns her gaze to Kase, noticing his unconscious state; no visible injuries are seen on his body. Looking ahead at the blinding sky once more, still shielding her eyes, everything around her starts to darken, slowly she feels herself slipping away, her eyes slowly close, her arm goes limb, only to hang down along the side of her.