Kozuna
Well rested and fed by the following morning, I stood at the vantage point outside the barracks, waiting for Yvira to join me. She was still gearing up. I was hoping there wouldn't be much fighting, for her sake. At least at the time, it should've been… relatively safe to investigate...
A few minutes passed of me enjoying the gentle breeze and early-morning sunlight before Yvira stepped out of the barracks.
"I'm ready to go! Are we driving to Jigen? Or... do you have another method of transport..? We're not allowed to drive the buggies without Anari's permission."
"We're not taking the buggy... There are cargo trains that travel through the desert. We'll just hitch a ride. Normally, they would stop at the town, but since there was an attack... I'm assuming they won't. But, the train'll still pass by Jigen... so... we'll have to jump off the train if it doesn't stop. Alright?"
Yvira began scratching her arms, her eyes frantically darting between me and the city.
"Won't we... break our legs?"
"Not if you roll as you land."
"Could you... show me? Y'know, how to do this rolling thing the right way?"
I waved her off dismissively, turning and heading down the hill.
"I've seen you do it before, let's not waste any more time."
Yvira grunted quietly and followed along.
The cargo trains of the Ozukashi Clan were long, umber hunks of steel. The train cars alone stretched for miles, and the intricate paths across our territory would send said cars around all day. There were, of course, regular trains for civilian use, but using the cargo trains were free...
But aside from being free, it was also illegal... but only if we were to get caught. Yvira had never ridden on the cargo trains, but I did all the time when I was younger. They were some of my favorite places to catch a nap.
The cargo train station was at the center of The Primary, surrounded by dozens of high-rise city buildings. It was blocked from the main roads, so pedestrians wouldn't try to board it, but- like me- a handful of people found ways to board the train. As I led Yvira through the city, I brought her to my secret childhood passage.
In one of the many city alleys, was a beat-up metal fence nestled between two spires. It hadn't been fixed in years- likely forgotten about- and was an easy way in. I often utilized the nearby trash cans when I was little, and those same cans were all still there, ready for my usage.
I simply climbed atop the trash cans and subsequently hopped the fence with little to no effort. The barrier was high enough that it was a bit of a pain to climb but not high enough that standing on something wouldn't allow me easy access.
Yvira followed shortly after, and lucky for us, the train wasn't moving yet. So all we had to do was find a nice spot to relax at.
***
On the other side of the fence was a brick walkway leading left and right, and in front of that were the tracks, the train sitting motionless on the rails.
"Let's hurry."
We jogged to the left, the direction of the rear rail cars. Almost each was filled with equipment and goods, except for a couple near the far back. But as we got closer, the train started moving. The sound of wheels rolling on the tracks rippled through our ears, and the rail cars with open doorways came forward alarmingly faster than expected.
"We're gonna have to jump in!"
Yvira's eyes opened wide, and her body came to a sudden halt.
"Wait, wait, wait..."
She couldn't finish her sentence as I swiftly jumped into the car.
"Come on!"
Yvira, violently shaking her head, got a running start and jumped in, bumping into crates as she landed.
"Ouch..."
She rubbed her forehead while I snickered a little and sat at the doorway, my feet hanging out the side.
"Yeah, laugh it up, jerk... A little warning, next time we need to jump into a moving vehicle..."
"What? You saw them moving. I apologize for nothing, heh... I mean, I DID mention this might happen earlier."
"You mentioned jumping OFF!"
I laughed even harder; I couldn't stop myself, despite Yvira pouting at my side.
"Yeah, yeah, you might be right about that one..."
Yvira growled, then sat next to me, staring out the opening as the train moved faster. In no time at all, we had pulled our goggles on. The pressure of wind, combined with sand and dust, was getting intense fast. And in a matter of minutes, the train departed from The Primary, and we were out in the countryside. We would be at Jigen in no time flat, but we waited without speaking.
***
About fifteen minutes passed before Jigen was within sight. I pointed in the distance.
"Get ready to dive out. It's gonna come faster than you think."
"Wait, what?"
I took to my feet, pulling a fearful Yvira up along with myself. Just as I stated, the town was promptly coming into view, and the time to get off the train would soon pass.
"Kozuna, I don't think we can just jump off... We'll almost certainly get badly injured! And… and… I don't wanna break any bones..."
This is why I prefer to do things alone. I don't like having to coach people along...
"Nah, we'll be fine. Look at a distant landmark and use it as a perspective. As soon as you land, go straight into the roll."
Yvira took a step back, nervously trying to avoid jumping off the train.
"Listen, you can do this. We've been through much worse situations, this is just jumping from a moving object. It's nothing compared to what we've had to deal with."
"I-i-i'm not... ready to just jump out of something... Not after what happened yesterday..."
"I don't mean to be that guy that's insensitive or anything, but... Just so you know, if you shy away from something, it's only gonna get harder to do the longer you wait. Besides, I'm here to catch you if you mess up."
Staring at me, Yvira slowed her breathing to a calm state.
"Y-you're right... you're right." Yvira slowly crept to the edge of the car. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this..." She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Could you... give me a little push?"
I slapped her back, and she dove forward, screaming, "ASSHOLE!"
Prodigious as ever, despite being afraid, Yvira performed a perfect break-fall roll.
I dove to the ground right after her and rolled beside her with a chuckle.
"Nice job. Wasn't so tough, now was it?"
Yvira blushed but was still clearly angry.
"YOU're... NOT the one who was traumatized from FALLING through a… freaking CANYON!"
"Heh. Bet you're not traumatized anymore..."
Yvira growled once more and stomped away, practically blowing steam from her ears.
***
Our gaze soon flipped to the bleak, uninhabited town of Jigen. It was once filled to the brim with people, but that was no more. There wasn't a single sign of life to be found. The buildings were completely intact, but bloodstains were, in fact, sparsely littered across the paved roads and sand. Just like the commander said.
As we proceeded, Yvira mumbled cautiously, "What the heck happened here..? This seems more outlandish than I imagined..."
She stayed behind me, letting me take the lead as we came to the town square, where a cloaked man was sitting with a dark-eyed, menacing glare.
"Who are you two?"
Yvira was about to introduce herself, but I abruptly covered her mouth.
"You first."
The man stood and pulled down his hood, revealing long black hair that fell to his shoulders. He folded his arms, wrinkling his ragged, red Ozukashi cloak. Only then did I notice the strap across his chest that held a greatsword on his back...
"Very well... I'm Nazun Ozukashi, a substitute squad leader who is supposed to be investigating this town's massacre. Now, identify yourselves."
Yvira pushed my hand away the moment he finished speaking.
"Really? We were assigned the mission to investigate too! I'm Yvira and this guy is Kozuna. We came here early to try and pick up the trail."
Ugh... She just HAD to mention who we are and what we're doing...
I didn't trust him at all; he seemed way too suspicious… Even if he hadn't done anything.
Why is he here by himself? And why is that sword wrapped up rather than in a sheath?
"Did you say, Yvira and Kozuna? You two are among the three that I'm teaming up with for this mission. I see that Nikai is not with you, but at least you two came to put in the extra work... Like me."
Yvira, at that point, stepped before me and gave Nazun a firm handshake.
"Have you figured anything out? We just got here and don't know where to start."
As Yvira began spewing our business out of her mouth, I took a good look at the surroundings. Aside from the blood in the sand, nothing else was... at all... suspicious... There wasn't even a single busted window. At that point, the massacre was beginning to seem very strange, based on the lack of damage... Much more odd than I, at first, thought it would be.
What the fuck happened here?
Nazun waved to me, weirdly trying to get my attention.
"Hey Kozuna, you're being awfully quiet back there. Why don't you speak a little, instead of gazing at the scenery?"
I'm not sure massacre was the right word to describe this... There's virtually no trace of human life around here... I should conduct my own investigation without letting Nazun or Yvira know if I find anything...
My gaze fixated back on Nazun. He wasn't very much taller than me and didn't give off the vibe of intimidation. Still, he made me feel skeptical, eyes alone. Like there was a second set of eyes watching me...
"Nice choice of words... I'd rather get to the bottom of this situation, instead of having a friendly chit-chat..."
"I like that attitude, kid." Nazun took a small sip of water from his canteen, then hooked it around his waist. "Here's what I've gathered so far: I don't think there was any slaughter here. Sure there's blood, but... I doubt the citizens are dead. If the bodies aren't here, that means they were carted off somewhere, using transportation that wouldn't leave a trail. Question is… who would do this, and why..?"
"You seem to know a lot..."
"I have been going through this place, searching every nook and cranny while you guys were off securing a water source. I gained most of my information yesterday if you really must know."
So he's defensive...
"...fair enough. So, do you have any clue where to look next? If you've searched the entire town and picked up no reliable evidence?"
I had to avoid making him sense my doubts as much as possible, though that much was probably impossible. If what my instincts were telling me was right, I needed to be on guard. Yvira was naturally a trusting person, so she didn't question him at all, while I was the total opposite.
I should try to be a little more open with him and gain his trust...
"I have an idea as to how someone could get the bodies out of here..."
Yvira lit up with curiosity.
"You do? What is it?"
"Seriously, you haven't thought of it? The train. It's right next to the town, and before the attack, it stopped here every day. If someone took over the train, or if the conductor was in on this whole scheme... My point is, it would be easy to move a lot of bodies if they had built-in transportation at the ready."
Nazun slowly nodded.
"Right. The train passed by not long ago, we could take my buggy and follow the route. If we stop at each location the train does, maybe we'll pick up some clues. But what if there was a different mode of transport they used for the bodies? What then?"
"Then, maybe Yvira and I should explore my lead. You can try to pick up another trail in the meantime."
I was carefully watching Nazun's every word. Everything about him gave me a bad vibe. Because of that, I wanted to put as much distance between him and us as possible while still not seeming too off-putting.
Nazun rested his arm on Yvira's shoulder.
"No, no... I think we should team up... I mean I AM your substitute squad leader, so you two are under my jurisdiction. And in any event, do you plan to follow the tracks on foot? Or by use of my buggy?"
Yvira started blushing as his arm touched her and stayed silent. Ignoring that, I answered, "Just to be clear, we're technically not on a squad mission... That doesn't start until after tomorrow, so we're not under your jurisdiction. These are our days of rest, meaning we're not obligated to take orders from a squad leader, substitute, or not. You can come along, but only because we need that buggy."
"You don't have to be so feisty Kozuna. He's not gonna kill us or anything, we're all on the same side here, trying to solve the same problem."
"Fine, if that's how you want to play it. You don't have to take my orders, but I expect cooperation." Nazun stuck out his hand to shake mine. "Deal?"
Deciding to play along, I reluctantly shook his hand with a heavy sigh.
"...deal..."
Nazun grabbed his bag from the ground, swung it over top of his blade, and began heading for the northern exit of Jigen.
"Alright then, let's get started."
Outside was a station filled with buggies, but Nazun's was not parked in the station. His was across from it...
So the people living here, their buggies are all still in the garage... That adds up a little… and… does Nazun have a buggy with a roof? Never seen that before...
Nazun jumped into the driver's seat, and Yvira climbed into the other front seat.
"You don't mind me sitting up here, do you?"
Nazun smirked evilly, showing his teeth.
"Oh, not at all, your company is quite pleasant. Unlike someone else I know, heh..."
They both laughed while I took a deep breath.
She's really trying that hard to make me jealous? I suppose Yvira finds petty romance to be more important right now... more important than solving a murder mystery...
Nazun soon fired the engine and drove toward the train tracks, following the path the train would typically take.
"So, how old are you guys? You two seem a little young to be scouts or soldiers."
"Oh, I'm seventeen, Kozuna back there is sixteen. How about you?"
"I'm thirty-two. I didn't realize the team I would be helping... was so... young."
It didn't take long for me to end up butting into their, at-first, welcome conversation.
"A bit unexpected of teens to be scouts, you mean?"
"Not that you guys aren't adults. It's that your team was tasked with securing a water source, and that's an important mission... I figured they wouldn't leave that to kids, but I suppose you two and the others must be pretty capable."
I made a nasty face as Yvira turned back to me briefly.
"Hope you two are ready to prove how good you are... I see something up ahead, it looks like two buggies from an enemy clan. I think... that's the Bahsin Clan symbol on their buggies," Nazun commented, pointing ahead.
I peeked out from the side of the buggy.
"Shit, you're right. They're probably here to get revenge for us taking their water source."
"Maybe. But it's also possible they're the ones responsible for the attack on Jigen."
There was a hint of suspicion in my stomach...
Wait a second... didn't Kaiten say the town was attacked prior to our raid in Bahsin territory? Is this just a coincidence, or was his info somehow... wrong?
"Hey, if either of you can shoot while moving, get ready. They're headed our way."
I readily grabbed my pistol.
In a few moments, we heard bullets flying and the sound of them deflecting from the metal of Nazun's buggy. He sped up with haste to drive past them, but the Bahsin drivers didn't hesitate to give chase. It was time to get busy...
"We may have to go a bit off the trail! Hold on!"
My gun was fully loaded, and though I didn't have the intent to kill, I did have the intent to keep Yvira safe...
"Hold it steady, I'll handle these losers..."