Chapter 165 - B.A.M

Reaching its time of rest, the sun slowly began to lower itself into slumber as the skies set to a warm hue of orange. Paired with the repetitive sounds of the wooden wheels rolling over dirt and the occasional pebble, this atmosphere had nearly driven Sora into a state of slumber, invoking a bellowing yawn as the only thing keeping him awake was his task as the carriage driver. 

"How much further? I'm dying here…"

Letting out a whiney groan, Sirius looked up towards the white shell of the coach, gently rocking his head back against the wooden frame. 

"I believe we should be around the "The Colossal Vale of Habascus", right about now, in fact."

Lucas ran his finger along the proper route of the map, answering in a calm, somewhat hesitant voice as he seemed to confirm his own answer. 

"And how do you even know that? You've been counting each spin of the wheels or something?"

Sitting up from his laid-back position, Sirius brushed his messy hair back, looking down at the map with his azure gems. 

"Take a look outside."

Sounding somewhat perturbed by the mocking tone of the black-haired companion of his, Lucas looked up from the map, gesturing with his chin towards the open back of the carriage. 

Hesitant about this, Sirius slowly brought himself to his feet, walking along the shaky floorboards of the ever-moving transport, peeking his head out as his hair met with the rapid winds, pressing against his skin the chill breath of the world. 

Seeing the scenery all around them, his eyes grew entranced at the spectacle; hugging their pathway on both sides were enormous walls of stone, their summit touching past the ivory fluffy in the sky, covered in evergreen, layered with bountiful flowers plucked straight out of paradise. 

Running down the shoulders of the gargantuan mountains, streams of crystal clear water ran coalesced naturally formed fountains. The serene sounds of this aqua as it smoothly traveled along the slopes of verdancy were enough to soothe any worries plaguing the heart, caressing both fears and anxiety out from his pores. 

"...Beautiful." 

It felt as if he had to pry his eyes from this view in order to seat himself back down in the carriage, feeling a warmth come over his body as now his ears could only focus on those fresh streams moving along. 

"You've never traveled through here?"

"Nope. Haven't really needed to."

Looking at Lucas and his eyes that matched the lustrous green past the carriage, Sirius knew the boy loved this sort of thing--but he took his role as navigator quite seriously. 

"This land has quite the history attached to it."

"Yeah? You really know your stuff, don't you?"

Asking with a smile, Sirius watched with his cobalt gaze as the boy reached into his pocket; a familiar pocket watch being retrieved. As his eyes rested on the object, his smile dissipated, while Lucas formed one of his own; though it held no joy. 

"...You still have that."

"Of course I do...I would never discard it...It's the last I have of him."

The way he held it so tightly between his fingers, caressing it and watching its form so closely with yearning eyes; one could mistake the watch for a sacred relic by the fervor shown. 

On the other hand, Sirius couldn't stand to look at it; whether it was the existence of an object belonging to a dead man or the unbecoming look on Lucas' expression, his eyes were averted, looking out towards the grandiose valley they passed through. 

--It's not my place to tell him how to grieve; I just hope one day he can move on from it. Not that I'd ever say that...Lucas can hold quite the grudge, Sirius thought. 

Holding that last thought to himself, Sirius let out a dry chuckle from the corner of his lips, earning a token glare from Lucas. That look was something he quickly learned after meeting the feminine boy wasn't personal; it was his default stare, it might be even more perplexing for him to look at you with welcoming eyes. 

"...Hey, sorry about what I said earlier."

Scratching his cheek bashfully, Sirius muttered out the words through stone-tight lips, turning his gaze away as Lucas looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 

"For what? I don't remember you saying anything offensive."

"I'm talking about back at--oh, right...Yeah, I guess I'm just misremembering."

Realizing Lucas' intentions, Sirius shared a smile with him. As taut as he could be; Lucas was an outlander--a special bond was held between all of them; this was something Sirius especially held dear, as did Lucas. 

--I'll never let what happened with Sebastian repeat, Lucas. I promise, Sirius thought to himself with a resolved look in his azure eyes. 

As Lucas returned his investive mirrors back down to the rugged map he held so firmly between his fingers, not allowing the slim chance of the passing winds to pry it from his fingers--a stunned look came over him for a moment. 

"...Sora. Sora!"

His first call with an inside voice garnered no response; beckoning from him a sharp yell that earned a "Ah!" from the steerer of the behemoth upfront. 

"You don't have to yell so damn loud! Nearly made me lose my hold of the reins--what the hell is it?"

Under the looming shadows of the high-hanging clouds, Sora turned his head back momentarily as his crimson locks were helpless to the winds. 

"We're coming up on a narrow trail."

"Are you scared Bemo isn't going to fit or something?"

Responding to Lucas' worrying comment, Sirius butted in, earning a chuckle from Sora at the thought of the bulbous beast not fitting through a crevice. 

"...That's not it."

"Get to the point then!"

Sora had to yell out for his voice not to be carried away by the loud winds, further amplifying his voice due to the tremor-inducing stomps from Bemo. Smacking his palms down directly against the creaking planks of timber, Lucas let out a huff as his hazel locks were tugged by the wind's many hands. 

"...It is the edge of the mountain, you idiot!"

Finally hearing this, Sora quickly turned his gaze back towards the path, looking onwards with a squint at the quickly approaching end of the cliffs hugging both his left and right. It was impossible to tell; low-hanging branches completely obscured what sat at the end of the current trail. 

Frantically, the muscular man flicked his wrists; pelting the behemoth's scale-covered back with the ropes. 

The reins were nothing more than noodles being whipped against unmoving stone; watching as Bemo continued his fast-paced stomps forward. 

"Right...This damn thing is tough! The hell is the point of these reins then?!"

"Give them here!"

Leaning through the window leading to the coach seat, Sirius snatched the lines from the man's confused grip--a sudden traversal over a large pebble causing Sirius to smack the top of his head against the sharp edge of the carriage. 

Squeezing the prickly rope between his gloves, the black-haired Outlander unleashed a current of electricity along the hemp; traveling directly through the nomadic behemoth and bestowing upon it a sharp jolt. 

Feeling the effects of Sirius' violet magical energy, the hulking beast let out a bellowing groan, slowing down as its heavy, frantic steps were reduced to leisure stomps. 

"Phew…"

Sora wiped the sweat from his forehead, taking back the reins as the lightning mage let out a sigh of relief as well, slumping back down in the carriage. 

"Good thing I was around right--"

In a braggadocious manner, Sirius shrugged his shoulders--finding himself promptly interrupted by a deep, harrowing hum that seemed to come from all sides. It wasn't just him that heard this; Lucas was already as stiff as an arrow, while Sora had frozen, listening closely to this sound. 

"What was that? Did you see anything?"

Sirius brought himself to his feet in a single movement, holding onto the sill of the window as he shouted directly in his red-haired companion's ear. 

"No--I didn't see anything! Bemo, stop! I think that noise scared him--he's picking up again!"

The carriage was now being pulled at a dangerously rapid pace; the wheels spinning at such a frequency that it became grating to listen to. 

"Give me the reins! I'll calm him back down again!"

Just as the tips of his fingers met with the rope, one of the wheels shot out from the carriage, leaving the back left of the transportation device scraping against the stone behind them. The sudden incline of the carriage nearly caused Lucas to slip out from the back, grabbing onto the narrow grooves of wood with his fingertips, wincing from the pressure applied. 

"Shit!"

"I'm fine--just calm that damn beast down!"

Assuring his companion, Lucas gritted his teeth from the rough, prickly wood being scraped against his smooth fingers. 

Each half of Sirius seemed to be holding onto two different actions; one hand holding onto the reins as one reached out towards Lucas--it was a decision he wasn't prepared to make in this second of mayhem--but he didn't need to make it. 

Before a choice was needed, it all became obscured. The sun, the ancient, historical stone around them, bountiful springs of water--it was all replaced by a sudden abundance of fog setting in, inhabiting the once beautiful vale with the harrowing scenery of pale winds. 

--Where did all of this fog come from? Just a second ago, it was nothing but sunshine and flowers, Sirius thought. 

The fog grew so thick that he could no longer even see Sora, who was no more than an arm's reach away.