1.05 - Her Last Trace

 !! Contains Blood, Implied Death !! 

- Boron - 

I have learned a few important facts about my traveling companions during the rest of our time in the swamp. The first fact is that the two of them love to argue. The second fact is that they love to drag me into it.

As we walked through past the outskirts of that murky biome, I could hear Sulfur and Yttrium riling each other up again. I couldn't tell if they genuinely despised each other, or if it was their form of casual banter. Either way, it didn't take long for Sulfur to run up to me and ask for my opinion. Though I certainly didn't expect what was about to come out of her mouth, considering I had drowned out their constant back-and-forth as we went along.

"Boron!" Sulfur yells, as though she's a kid about to tattle on someone. "Yttrium says that pants are wrong. What does that even mean!?"

 "...Sulfur. You don't wear pants either. None of us do." I reply. As a response, she covers her face with her hands in devastation. 

"You can't be serious..." She huffs. "Sulfur knows we don't need to wear pants. But Yttrium says they're wrong! They think it's a crime to wear pants! How can someone be so stupid!?"

"Don't put words in my mouth." Yttrium chimes in from behind us. "I said that they don't look right. They're just...weird to me. Tried wearing them once. They were seriously uncomfortable."

"But if something's not right, it's wrong!"

"And what is right and wrong but our own mere perception?" They say with a wink, glancing at me for a moment. I have no idea why they did that, and quickly try to turn my attention away from their argument. My mind can't handle it right now.

But before Sulfur can come up with a response, Yttrium's eyes widen as if they've been alerted to something. They run in front of me, looking around before gasping in delight.

"We're here. Look, both of you. That's Aluminum's workshop, As peaceful as ever."

Sulfur and I quickly race to their side, looking past a few lone trees and boulders in the fields we had entered. There, nestled by the side of a thin stream, was a metallic shack.

I sigh in relief at the sigh of it, knowing that this incredibly long trek has finally come to an end. At least, for now. Who knows if we'd be sent somewhere else by Yttrium's bizarre friend...I only hope it's not through another swamp.  

"Well that took longer than I expected." I comment. "I never truly realized how large the swamp surrounding me was."

"You're kind of a hermit, ya know." Yttrium says, chuckling. "Glad we finally got you out of the hermit hole~!" 

I give a simple huff in response, before beginning the walk over to their friend's abode.

...Yet as we approach it, I immediately notice how strangely quiet it is. Not a sound of rattling or banging, no voices or even the patter of footsteps. It's as if nobody lives here at all...but perhaps she's asleep, or maybe just naturally silent. Though when I notice Yttrium staring at the door, clenching the end of their coat with one of their fists, I get a strange feeling in my core I can't quite shake.

Yttrium walks towards the door, and I can almost smell a tinge of their hesitation in the air. They knock, thumping on the door with their small hands.

"Aluminum? We're here."

...No response.

Yttrium twists on the doorknob, and to their surprise the door isn't even locked. They make a deep exhale. "...I suppose we'll let ourselves in."

Gently, they open the door.

"...Huh? Why's it so dark? Hello? Gah, the darkness hurts my eyes..."

"Don't worry, miss light-pants. I know where the switch is..." 

As Yttrium moves ever so slightly inside to turn on the lights, my eyes widen in fear as I realize that I hadn't been smelling anyone's hesitation.

...I had been smelling blood. 

Silvery-white blood stained the floors, walls, and somehow even the ceilings. Multiple pieces of supplies and equipment were knocked over and littering the whole room, as if a tornado had ravaged the place. None of us could find words to describe our horror. For what felt like minutes upon minutes, we stood there, silent and motionless.

Yttrium's mouth quivers as they make slow steps into the desecrated home, scanning the environment as if they're in disbelief. "Aluminum?" They squeak, as if squeezing out the last bit of hope they had that this was some sort of horrible misunderstanding.

But we knew it. Even Sulfur, who is able to keep a shaky smile thanks to her naivete, was gripping onto her bow tighter than usual. She glanced at me, looking for my reassurance. 

I could provide her with none, for I couldn't even find any for myself. All I could do was extend one of my charred, useless wings, and wrap it around her as we followed Yttrium's lead, looking through all of the broken devices and scraps. The smell of the blood was overwhelming.

"Do you...know what happened here, Yttrium?" I spoke, breaking the silence. They didn't even look at me when they replied. 

"No...No, I don't-" 

They froze, eyeing a door Hidden away behind some messy shelves and empty boxes."Oh- please don't tell me that the basement is...!" They mutter as they race towards the door, an aura of pure fear emanating from them. As they throw the door open and race down the stairwell into the darkness below, both Sulfur and I feel compelled to follow suit.

Before we can even finish the climb down, I hear Yttrium making a noise of desperate relief. "Hooh...thank goodness, you're alright!"

"Who's down there?" I ask, hoping that Aluminum had barricaded themselves down here and all this weight could be lifted. But what I found upon finally clearing the stairs only left me with questions.

What stands before me is an incredibly bulky creature, whose pale green eyes are staring right into my soul. From what I could recall, these beasts were known as badgers. A common mount that more adventurous folks sometimes own, yet I hadn't seen anyone look theirs up in a basement before. That is, unless they're particularly neglectful...

Yttrium swiftly walks over to the startled animal, but it seems more fearful of Sulfur and I than them. They hug its face, petting and kissing them as I see their tense pupils dilate, and their large, fluffy tail sway from side to side. "You okay Gizmo? You're not hurt, are you?" They ask it, all while it purrs with content. So its name is Gizmo...kind of cute, but there are more pressing matters at hand.

"...Hold on a second." Sulfur speaks, looking around the small room. "...This place doesn't have any blood or broken stuff in it...why is that?"

"It's a pretty hidden spot of her workshop. Whatever did...that...probably wouldn't want anything down here anyways." Yttrium responds, still petting Gizmo. They look back at it with a weak smile, until I see their expression change to confusion. 

"Hold on...you're not normally kept down here, are you?" They ask themselves, noticing the heavy chain the badger is attached to. "You're even chained up. She wouldn't do that to you for no reason, right?"

"Maybe this says something?" Sulfur interjects, looking over a few pieces of paper sitting on one of the tables. Were those...some sort of notes? Curious, I come over to get a better look. Yttrium and that badger do as well, all of us gathering around the table.

"What do they say?" I ask.

"It has words on it, but...Sulfur can't read." She replies, tilting her head down in shame.

"No worries, I believe I'm able to." I say, grabbing the notes. Skimming over the oddly neat handwriting on it, I begin to read.

"It says..."

Dear Yttrium,

I believe that I've become a target. I don't know how they found out I was a witness, but I can hear them breaking down the door. I'm afraid I can't stand my ground for long, but I knew this was coming. Gizmo, as well as any valuables they may also want, are stored down here. You can find my hammer behind all of the storage crates.

I know what they truly want, and that is me. If I survive wherever I am going, I trust that you and that old adventurer you went off to get can get me out. If I do not...then goodbye.

Head to The City of Light, and find Argon at the South Sector hospital there. I believe that she may know more than I do, as we've worked together in the past. As well as...the incident that happened back at her palace. 

Best of Luck,

Aluminum

As I finish reading those words, I can feel the magnitude of what is happening creep down my back, like a weighted cape made from fear itself. Did I not comprehend that my only friend these past 25 years may have perished? Or did my dead heart finally spring to life, and I could feel the well of anxiety which had long run dry? 

I hear the sound of Yttrium sniffle, and change my gaze only to see their chilling expression. Its as if a shadow has been cast upon their face, their eyes in a shape I'd never seen them in. Instead of swirls, there were sharp slits.

"...I'm sorry, Yttrium." I speak as softly as my low voice can go, but for a moment they don't even respond. And when they did, they shook away that grim face of theirs without a second thought.

"I- I'm fine." They proclaim. "...Not giving up hope...yet. She gave us directions for someone who can help us find her. I'm sure she isn't dead...she-...she wouldn't go down that easily."

"But all of that blood! It was so much...Sulfur almost vomited, and she still might."

 "Trust me, little gal. We can bleed a LOT more than that and be just fine."

Yttrium steps away from the table, looking behind a pile of boxes thoroughly. Without a word to us, I watch in awe as they pull out a giant hammer from behind the boxes. Its taller then they are, yet they seem to move it along without too much effort.

"Plus...ghh-" They grunt as they pull the hammer up, hoisting it over their shoulders. While it may look like it's about to crush them, they wield it without any problem.

"We have her hammer."

 "And how are we going to carry that around? Surely it can't rest on your shoulders forever."

"It won't. Because," They throw the hammer down again, before shoving it inside of their back. Despite my assumption that this wouldn't do much (besides being painful, surely), I watch as Yttrium shoves the Hammer into their own body, huffing in concentration all the while. "I have internal baggage. Just keep it in here when I'm not using it."

"Doesn't that...hurt?" 

"Eh. I'll get over the discomfort pretty fast."

Looking back at the note, I realize where it exactly wants us to go. The City of Light...what an odd place that is. I've never been to it myself, and despite wanting to keep it that way, I guess we have no choice. The more help we can get, the better. We don't even know who or what is causing this yet.

Most elementals live in humble towns or communities, but The City of Light is much more advanced than any of that. Instead of mounts, they drive cars. Instead of using tools to do the harder tasks, they get strange mechanizations of a bygone era to do it for them. Unfortunately, they don't seem keen on sharing this technology. If you don't live there, you don't get any of their endless growth.

But the most concerning part of this is how difficult it is to get inside. It's a black box, that place. If you haven't lived in it before, you're probably not going in now. 

"...How are we supposed to get into The City of Light to begin with?" I finally ask while Yttrium begins unchaining Gizmo, who patiently waits to be released. I put the note in my pocket for later.

"No worries there. I used to live in the city, believe it or not."

"What!?"

"Really!?" Sulfur yelps in shock. "But you're so...unsophisticated-looking."

Yttrium casts a glare of death towards Sulfur, before finishing freeing Gizmo. The badger happily pounces onto the small elemental, licking their face.

"Yes, yes! Hi! We have our own transport, too! Hahah..."

They free themselves, getting onto their feet and drying their cheeks. Gizmo then turns her eyes to me.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no.

Before I can get out of the way, I too am being attacked by this ferocious beast as she playfully gives me what I can only describe as "kisses". Guess that all of her fear from earlier has gone away...but now I'm covered in slobber. 

Eventually, I'm also able to escape my horrible fate when Yttrium offers me their hand to climb onto Gizmo's back. I can't help but catch their unusually serious expression as I hop on, Sulfur following close behind. I find it odd that Gizmo isn't wearing a saddle...but I've never owned a badger before. I can only hope Yttrium knows what they're doing.

"You know your way to the city, girl?" Yttrium pats her head, and I see her eyes widen. "Take us there. We're counting on you...and so is Aluminum."

Gizmo lets out a shrill roar, before racing up the stairs of the basement and out through the door. She takes no time running through the desecrated interior, almost tripping multiple times as she does. Once we finally make it outside, she makes a sharp turn onto a faded dirt trail, speeding off.

Her quick movements are hard to keep up with, and I grip my thighs tight on her back as we move. Sulfur is on the verge of falling off behind me...I offer her my hand to hold. The last thing I'd want is for her to fly off, obviously. 

...

We were so fast to leave, that I feel like we missed something. Surely it was nothing too important, yes? I have my note, I all of my belongings...

No, I believe we're all set. Maybe my concerns for Yttrium still haven't settled yet...despite their words, I just can't believe them.

That's all.

...

..

.

"...Are they going where the note said to go?"

"Yes. They are. It worked."

"Good. Let's report this to the others, so we can get this job over with." 

 Happy Birthday to me, who turned 18 years old around 20 minutes after posting this!

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