Echoes of the Past

Chapter Twenty Seven - Part One

Chapter Twenty Seven: The Midgan Casino - Part One 

The rickety hovercraft had been hot and stuffy, even without the roasting desert air blowing in. The soldiers in the outpost hanger had given them an old model craft, one that would not look out of place among the local townfolk.

James had enjoyed the luxury of travelling by craft again, having spent enough time walking and riding mousslos the past few days. Flying the craft, Sam had spent the journey with a thoughtful, troubled expression.

James spent the journey thinking about what Liana had told him. That Sam had been in charge of a transport craft during a war called The First Fire Wars. The ship was destroyed, and over five hundred people - soldiers and civilians - were killed. Sam blamed himself and never recovered. Liana mentioned that Sam went into a dark time for a long period, but she wouldn't go into detail about that. Sam had decided to leave the military and try and start a new life, but he had never figured out how to be someone else. Someone he wasn't.

And that explained a little more about Sam. Now James could understand him a little better. Why he never carried a grapple hook. Why he was so guarded and secretive. Why James had yet to see him use any Light Magic. Sam was holding back because he didn't want to be an Oneron any more. And yet he had been helping James become one again.

James regarded Sam in the seat beside him. He would confront Sam about it all some time, but for now, they had to keep their minds on Higero Jaxx. The thought of meeting the dangerous arms dealer sent a familiar shiver through James. Castan made conversation at times, not seeming to care if they responded to him or not.

When they reached Riondon, James saw a dense collection of brown and red buildings–mostly flat roofed, with some pointed peaks– that made up the majority of the town, with some taller structures near the centre. None of the buildings were anywhere near as large as the skyscrapers in Tyken Town, but still, the bustling town was larger than James had thought it would be.

"Here resumes Castan's tour services," Castan said, leaning forward from the back seat. "Here we have the town of Riondon, best known for its restoration of mechs and tech. Home to over sixty thousand residents. Its main source of income comes from reselling and exporting its restored tech. The iron forge is another main focus, which used to work alongside the restorations and provide new metals, along with trinkets and commonplace items supplied to nearby towns.

"Although the forge has been shut down for several years, it has recently been bought by an outsider. This fellow Higero Jaxx, you fellas are interested in. He has declared he will restore the forge to its original glory, and the townfolk love him for it."

"Aye," Sam said, coming out of his thoughts. "While using it for his own purposes too, no doubt."

"Is the forge closer than the casino?" James asked. "Will Evan and Liana get there before we arrive at the casino?"

"Roughly the same distances, I'd say," Castan said. "Just different directions. The forge lies near the eastern edge of town while the casino is close to the centre, which is more directly in front of us."

"We can keep in touch with them via sat-coms," Sam said. "Hopefully they won't run into any trouble there."

"Hopefully neither will we," James said.

"One thing to caution you on, James," Sam said. "As the local authorities may be looking for us, I wouldn't show that we're Oneron in public. No big jumps or fancy acrobatics."

"No big jumps or acrobatics," James repeated.

"And no using your grapple hook. That's a clear giveaway of an Oneron. If the news casts have marked me, or both of us, as Oneron, then we especially don't want to reveal ourselves in public."