Emissaries - A Kai Side Story

Chapter 3: The Whispering Flatlands

NOTE: This is rose. It's late again, but still within this week. The second chapter for this week is already in the works, so stay tuned.

Discord: https://discord.gg/wEp44XuaT3

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Cent. Calendar 11/09/1639, the Whispering Flatlands, Quila, 12:00

The vast, arid desert that spanned the territory of the kingdom of Quila stretched to the horizon in all directions–a sea of whites, beiges, and grays enveloping the earth underneath a carpet of deep blue sky. The blistering, unforgiving sun was at its zenith; while it was at its harshest, it only meant that it was now on its way back to the horizon.

In the midst of this northern region in Quila–known as the Whispering Flatlands due to its dry, howling winds–five bronco birds were making the dangerous trek across the scorching hot, hardened clay plains. It is on the backs of these indomitable animals that the veritable trade routes between the bickering dukedoms of the former hegemonic kingdom of Louria to the west and the mineral-rich Quilan fiefdoms to the east are made possible; it is then a no-brainer that it is on the sturdy, capable backs of these stoic birds that the scholarly expedition of the Japanese government is making their desert crossing.

"Stay strong, everyone: we're on the last legs of the journey to the Watak oasis."

Commanding the rearmost bronco was Olek, the beastman warlord of this domain–perhaps on his nth crossing of the Flatlands. Whether or not he was used to the dry conditions or he had prepared sufficient supplies for the journey, it was clear from his calm composure that this crossing was but an ordinary thing for him to do. The same goes for his fellow beastman warriors who commandeered the four other broncos. On the other hand, however, the blazing heat and the extremely dry conditions were proving near insurmountable for their foreign entourage.

"Fuck... gotta ration my water... till then..."

Feeling the few droplets of moisture evaporating from her throat, Kita was trying hard not to take another sip from her canteen–her last vessel of water after emptying two plastic bottles earlier. She tried closing her mouth and hiding her face deeper into her colored headscarf, but her rapidly flaking lips and water-starved tongue meant that she just couldn't help wanting to take another sip. Behind them, Cecilia, who was riding on the bronco immediately to their rear, didn't seem to be taking it well either, hunching over towards her ride's long neck and clutching a water bottle. Although judging from the burly hiking bag she brought along, she might have actually packed a lot more water than her. Looking the other way towards the two broncos in front of them, the escort provided by the government looked to be in the same predicament. Despite being trained personnel of the Self Defense Force, they're rather fickle-looking and easy to give in to the elements. She could even hear one of them groaning out loud, "I shouldn't have taken this mission!"

"Girl... I sure hope Olek is right... I need to refill my water at that oasis soon..."

Still trying to be the tension reliever of the group, Kita tried chatting up her best friend, Izumi, who was riding on the same bronco as her.

"Mhm..."

Izumi, however, didn't appear to be in the mood for talking. While Kita wanted to respect her wishes and space, the fact that she was basically silent for the last three or two hours of the trip weighed heavily on her mind. The last meaningful thing she heard from her was a complaint in the form of a long, deep groan; since then, she's been silent, keeping mostly to herself underneath her carpet-like head scarf.

"Ya alright, Hikari?"

Finally mustering up the energy to show concern, Kita tried asking Izumi. Still, no answer nor bodily reaction. Begrudgingly setting aside her concerns, at least for now, Kita opted to leave her be.