Thermophile

Nineteen: Close

"Halufaya is close, we'll rest there for a bit."

Elliot directed me to go west and came across a rockier path.

When we reached said place, there was nothing. The place was just a very vast space with nothing—not even trees nor bumps on the snow-covered ground.

"Should we just sit here, because I see nothing."

Elliot had the audacity to laugh. "Yeah." The fucker.

I dropped his ass on the ground. Unlike the other places we passed by, the snow here was compacted and it only reached our ankles.

He was still laughing even when he was lying on the ice with his legs in awkward positions. "Hear me out, at least we can see everything and will know when somebody is there."

"Whatever, hurry and do your thing so we can move on." And end this disaster once and for all.

"This is an isolated place too, so no electricity." Elliot rolled on his stomach. "Please put the metals here." He pointed a few inches from his face.

I did what he asked and piled the things we took from the previous place.

I watched open-mouthed as the metals were reduced to a silver dust when Elliot touched them. His legs moved on their own and untangled themselves out of the awkward knot they formed when I dropped him earlier.

After a few seconds, my friend stood up like he wasn't disabled a few moments ago.

"What in the ever-loving fuck just happened?" My mind couldn't comprehend what took place in front of me. "Was that black magic? Sorcery exist?"

"That's what they called Alchemy, my friend. I just improvised it."

Alchemy. Alchemy exists?

"You're an alchemist?" What a stupid question to ask.

"You could say that, but I can't make gold out of other metals that that particular element is not a part of. Also, the nanomytes in my body plays a big part. They help rearrange and transmute the elements to my desired thing."

Well, what the hell?

After getting over the fact that my friend might be a sorcerer, I took a seat in front of him which he followed suit. "Are we going to stay here all day?"

Elliot looked up at the gray sky and sighed. "Maybe a couple of minutes to settle my newly formed legs."

And we just sat there, him looking at the horizon while I pat the snow next to me.

"Do you think Nathan's... army of mutated beings are already situated in the future places we'll pass through?" I asked.

It took a long beat before Elliot answered. "Yes." He was so sure. Could it be that he detected them?

"Okay."

A sudden thought came to me while looking at my friend.

"Elliot, will it be okay with you if I leave you and go to the mine by myself, hypothetically asking?"

"I know you're thinking about my safety but I would rather get beaten up fighting alongside you." I saw his hands form a fist on the ground, taking bits of snow in them. "You leaving me and going on your own equals to you sort of cutting ties with me,"

I opened my mouth to tell him that was not what I meant but he beat me to it.

"I know I'm useless when it comes to fighting but I still want to be there with you. I don't want to be in a "safe zone" and hide somewhere while you're out there fighting for the both of us. And I can help too, you know."