EX//MACHINA: EXORDIUM

Chapter XX - No more tears

Amy had certainly seen her quota of weird happenings during Ark's quarantine, still, crossing the county with a blessed priest was unexpected even considering the circumstances. The first day was as close to normal as possible, but that's just because she was in no condition to walk around. Her routine was short and simple: wake up, get the wounds treated, eat, rest, repeat. Sometimes she would wake up and Dantalian was nowhere to be seen. Other times he would be sitting in a chair, reading a book.

— Good morrow, Miss Hill, doth thy wounds still ache?

He asked every single time she woke up, with the same words and even the same tone. She was creeped out by it, and answered things like "I'm fine" ever since he asked it for the first time. Still, he always had a way to prove — rightfully — that she was in no condition for such a trip. The only reason she didn't try to escape by force was his comforting aura. He always had the right words, and easened her worries. By the time she realized it, Amy was already talking about her goals and this type of thing she never told anyone, even her own conspiracy theory about the infected.

She had heard once or twice about this kind of thing; people you feel like you could talk to without any judgment or consequences. While she initially thought it could be this, it wasn't natural by any means. It was as if she was compelled to speak in his presence. It took Amy a long time to accept that if monsters exist, then people with powers — other than Peter — could very well exist too. Still, this kind of power that messes with your head could be the worst, as she didn't know which decisions were hers and which weren't.

Then time passed, and he finally agreed to hit the road. After one day, though, she realized even weirder stuff. A horde of Mawlers — very, very small monsters that aren't too dangerous by themselves, but that's why they were always in groups of dozens — walked past them as if they weren't there. Of course, Amy was already prepared to fight for her life once more, then she remembered what happened to the last Pursuer that she fought. It was the exact same phenomenon, like Amy and Dantalian were invisible to their eyes.

That made the trip go at least two times faster than expected, and so she realized something else on the second day. She was proud of being good with directions, and Amy knew her way around Ark pretty well using only landmarks. That's the reason she realized they weren't going to the Coalition. By the fourth day, she could tell they were getting closer to Dantalian's objective. She only had this opportunity to do something about it.

— Hey, Dantalian, I think we might be headin' in the wrong direction.

Truth be told, Amy did consider pointing a gun at him first and asking questions later. This time, though, she decided to be civilized for once. Again, was that out of her own volition, or was it Dantalian's fault..

— And for what reason?

— This ain't the right path to the Coalition. — she said suspiciously, trying to see if he was going to admit it or try to convince her she was wrong. — We're actually headin' the wrong way altogether. This is westward, their base is down in the southern corner of the quarantine zone.

— But we art not bound for the Coalition's base, fair Miss Hill, as thy companion resides there nay longer.

— W-what? — Amy felt dumb for not asking this earlier, but she knew she was afraid of being manipulated. Her mind was already ready to insist on her directions, but she wasn't ready to hear him being so straight to the point. And besides, why wasn't Peter there? — Where are we goin' then? Why didn't you mention this earlier, priest?

— Firstly, we art bound for a haven of safety, and I can attest to its security, for it is shrouded by the same veil that doth conceal us. Secondly, thou ne'er didst inquire.