MA: 101. The Streets of Aire

Human settlements were funny.

They had funny houses with multiple floors. Terraces ran from one end of the street to the next. They had to have big walls to keep things out, and dedicated mages and special stones that could produce water to supply the town.

The combat-oriented Red believed that a settlement would look more like a fortress than whatever Aire was. Weak things usually banded together because they were exactly that. Weak.

Strength in numbers was the only way they could survive. But as Red has come to learn, there was a large deviation of strength between humans. Of course, every human she had come across thus far was weaker than her.

However, she knew of the humans who could fight Corrupted like the Queen of Sweet and Bitter Thorns without lifting a single finger. The Facility that once kept her captive had extraordinarily powerful humans, who wielded weapons forged from Corrupted.

Yet they were every bit as expendable as ants from a colony.

It was a stark contrast to how humans treated each other in the Village of Heart and Aire. Red watched children walk with their parents like a hawk. Her face was stuffed with an edible cloud humans called ‘fairy floss’.

“Mommy. The girl over there is looking at us. Does she want to play?” A child asked, pointing over at a Red from across the street.

Suddenly, Red’s eyes narrowed as she wore a devilish grin.

“O-Oh dear, don’t point at her. Let’s hurry.” The woman wore a wry smile and quickly pulled her child away.

“But mommy!”

The human minions aren’t as knowledgeable or strong as the adults. It doesn’t seem to just be in size alone, but their mental capacity isn’t that great either. Looking at human… what was it? Children? The tiny little things? I don’t think it’s worth getting one for myself.

“It’s rude to stare.” Snow plucked a piece of fairy floss, causing Red’s face to droop with sadness.

“Hey! Get your own! No…! My cloud!”

“Don’t forget who paid for it.”

“Grrr! You’re getting meaner by the day!”

“Am I really?”

Snow jokingly asked as she twirled with a loose strand of black hair.

“No, I’m kidding. Pulling your leg, as they say. But not actually, because if I really did pull your leg then I might end up snapping it!”

“Don’t say that with such an innocent face.” Snow begged with a soft smile. “You were looking at kids. Why, you miss how small you used to be?”

“Huuuh?” Red looked up at her like she had pointed a gun at her head. “I was weighing whether having minions of my own would make life easier. Bullet carries. Bullet sponges. And don’t humans tend to leave little humans alone?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Minion assassins–!”

Flick

“Owwww! You hit me!”

“For good reason.” Snow sighed, and began brushing a thumb along Red’s forehead. “… Sorry. But you shouldn’t say those things.”

“I’d flick your head back, but I’m scared I might crack you like an egg. So–!”

“Bwa?” Red picked Three Paw up and attacked Snow’s face with his fluffy tail. “Sneeze attack! Go!”

As the trio fooled around, Rockie took a moment to explore a little on its own. It was still within Red’s sightlines of course.

“Woooah! A giant Rock Bug!”

“Why does it look so weird?”

“Is it that red-haired Adventurer’s pet?”

Children approached Rockie. It made a strange, high-pitched “Brrr!?” in surprise. It didn’t expect to garner this kind of attention in a human settlement. Furthermore, this was Rockie’s first time walking into a place as crowded as Aire.

It had lived its life as a bottom feeder deep in the Shallows of the Timeless Ruins. Day and night were but foreign concepts that became a reality not long ago. Neither did Rock Bugs even interact with the world, or those who hunted them.

They lived in utter isolation even amongst themselves.

Rockie was surprised to see children of Aire surround it with curious eyes. They matched the same light that Red sometimes had in her eyes, and for that reason, Rockie lowered its head to let them touch the fuzzy parts of its body.

“Brrr~”

*

They had spent the last hour travelling through the streets of Aire.

The smallest, most insignificant objects fascinated Red more than the shiniest jewels. Her eyes sparkled as she pointed at lampposts calling them ‘vantage points’, and bushes along the path that she was certain was for assassins to hide in case someone needed to be put down.

At one point, she found a spider hanging from an oak barrel containing smelly liquid that humans apparently loved to drink in places called inns. She gave it a bundle of fairy floss and said: “So you can grow big like Rockie.”

Rockie made a distressed noise and, for the first time, nudged Red in defiance.

“Rockie says that spiders have nothing to do with Rock Bugs.”

“It’s not your brother?”

“Brrr!”

It nudged Red harder.

“Oi, don’t forget the reason I’m keeping you alive is because you’re obedient!”

Their group became a walking circus. It wasn’t long before their presence spread across town. Though there were many Adventurers present in Aire, Snow had been talking to guards and Green Rangers regarding local news.

She bit her lip, and whispered: “Adventurers aren’t moving in or out of town?”

A guard defending the pathway leading to the residential district nodded.

“Exactly right miss! Caught wind of the news today. They reckon it’s too risky to move. Got all sorts of merchants and Adventures too scared to move. We’ll be seein’ people trickle into town days after, but if the news is right, then either no one’s gonna be knocking on the gates, or it’ll be people in tatters.”

He then knocked on his steel helm.

“Knock on steel it’s just rumors. Any news of Corrupted scares people shitless.”

“That would mean merchants and ferries will be out of service until the problem is resolved.” Snow immediately concluded and garnered a nod from the guard. “No amount of coin can change their mind?”

“Lady, you could have a king’s coffer on you, and no one would budge. No one’s strong enough to leave.”

Snow looked over at Red with a gentle smile. Red watched a stray goat nibble on the leaves of a hedge.

“I suppose there’s one way to prove one’s capability.”

But her cheek cramped when Red began nibbling on the leaves.

“Does this town have a bulletin board? A Guild?”

“You’ll find where the Guild used to be eastwards. Big building. You can’t miss it. With a pet like that metal spider, it might be easier to convince someone to ferry you. The biggest problem will be…”

The guard shuffled awkwardly, as though not wanting to offend Snow who he instinctively believed was a powerful Adventurer. Rockie’s presence served as a natural deterrent. One could only imagine how powerful one had to be to tame what could shrug off steel weaponry.

“Speed. Our weight has to be considered. Thank you.” Snow smiled and bid the guard farewell. “Red. Bad news.”

“I got bad news too.” Red stuck out her tongue as green goop dribbled out. “Leaves taste like dirt. So stringy.”

“We might not be able to find a ride to get us to Gelbore City anytime soon. We should be leaving as soon as possible.”

“With everyone, right!?”

“That’s the plan. But this town doesn’t seem half bad. It’s mainly a travel confidence and a weight issue.”

“Definitely a wait issue.” Red nodded, misinterpreting Snow.

“Ideally, I want to bring our friends along. All of them. But then when I think about the First and the Second Nights…”

It was a difficult decision to make. Red smiled and reached onto her toes to tap Snow’s head.

“We haven’t met them yet, and you’re thinking so far ahead. Why not be happy and enjoy new things?”

“Scarlet Logic is on our tail.”

Snow didn’t have to remind her, but Red still smiled at her, like she didn’t have a single thought or care in the world.

“True! But take one thing at a time!” Red took her hand, and she began dragging her against the wind. “Like a break-neck rifle! One bullet for this, one bullet for that!”

“… What are these analogies…?” Snow couldn’t help but crack a smile. “I’ll consider it.”

Their goal was to leave Aire as soon as possible, head to Gelbore City, and then – they would have a clear-cut path to Justica Arms’ 10th Branch.

Everything would be fine so long as they made it there.

Snow was absolutely certain of this.