Renevere Mars: Part Two

Episode 17: The Mountain Hive

They had done it, they had saved the earth-user capable of drilling into Hashu Mountain, the known hide out for Maharabi's Men and the last place that Cara and Sam were believed to be held, alive. With Ben Long rested and returned to Ossilith, he would be able to get them into the mountain for a much delayed rescue mission. It had been nearly a month since Sam and Cara were taken. Ren couldn't bear to think about what could be happening to them inside that mountain.

It was for this reason that she was grateful for their haste. She didn't care that they left Portolm at the crack of dawn with only a few hours of rest, didn't even care that Duren had made sure to split up the rooms rented at a local inn by gender, probably as to avoid being near her at all costs. She didn't care that her feet were still screaming from the day before's walk and they had to do it again today. She didn't care that when they returned to Ossilith in the evening, that they had no time to rest before they would be leaving again for Hashu Mountain. She couldn't have possibly rested anyway, because since they had set out on the mission to rescue Ben Long, Ren had contained a building buzz in her stomach that was now reaching an impossible-to-ignore frenzy. Tonight, they were going to rescue Sam and Cara. Tonight.

Ben Long was already waiting at the randevu point outside the city when Ren arrived. He was not an attractive boy, though marginally cleaner and well kept now that he'd had a night to rest and wash up after being kidnapped for days. However, now in more regular context, it was obvious that he was actually rather odd looking, with messy brown hair and a thick headband around his forehead. He wore heavy spectacles that magnified his beady black eyes to look slightly too large. At the notice of Ren's approach he inclined his head just slightly.

"Get anything to eat?" Ren asked, making pleasant conversation out of social expectation.

"Some," he said. It didn't appear he was going to say more than that so Ren settled her attention on the night sky and tiny bats that fluttered over the field in which they stood, trying with very concentrated effort not to explode with anticipation.

The others arrived thankfully soon, Heath, Trish, and lastly Duren with his jacket and angry metal mask adorned. They made quick travel to the mountains base, running with energy control at impossible speeds. It was difficult for Ren to keep up, and it drained her energy reserve more than the others probably, but she managed without complaint. It was well into the night when they reached the base of the mountain and Duren in the front slowed the group to a stop. He turned to face them. Briefly he locked eyes with Ren, maybe the first time he'd done so since they'd returned from Portolm.

"Alright," he said, quickly shifting his gaze to Ben, "we're close to where the entrance was found the last time, though we now know it to be sealed."

Ben simply nodded. He had already been briefed on the mission, though he gave so little away it was difficult to feel confident in him. Duren staired at him expectantly for a moment. "Your call then, where do you want to do this," he finally said, bobbing his head toward the mountain.

Ben took a long breath through his nose and held his hands in an odd position, flat before him as if he was placing his palms on a table. He started to march forward, carefully, like there were things he could see in the rock that the rest of them couldn't. They followed behind, giving him space to do what he was doing. Ren's heart was thundering so loud in her chest she had a hard time having thoughts at all.

"You ready to be back here?" Heath muttered down to her, breath moving some of her hair by her ear. She startled a bit, unfortunately making his case for him.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be."

He grimaced at her. "I dunno if I would be."

At this, Ren softened a bit. "As a girl, maybe not. I don't know really, because I'm... not her right now." If felt incredibly true, though she hadn't thought it before saying it aloud. She wasn't Renevere Mars anymore, the girl, not in this moment. "As a warrior?" She looked over her shoulder to make eye contact with him, somehow finding a surprising steadiness. "This is exactly where I'm supposed to be."