Dyss, fortunately, was good-natured enough to not question some things, even when he didn't know what the hell was going on. Really, he already knew more than he cared to know about too many things... If Attis thought there was nothing to be done, that was good enough for him.

Dyss's attention, once the Legionnaire turned to the village, would briefly move to the village. Dyss's first priority, perhaps, was the safety of the Memories, but he didn't really want to see an unstoppable force of nature unleashed on innocent people, either. The activity in the town would draw his attention, however...

"Attis, I think there's something going on in town... And the Legionnaire is going there."

"In the village . . .?" Attis asked as he turned back to Dyss.

Dyss managed to steer Attis's thoughts away from the girl's current plight. She continued to plead with him to let her leave, but Attis--only vaguely understanding why the girl could not leave--didn't answer her with much depth. So he could better understand the situation, he asked her politely to be calm whilst he investigated the current situation, that he couldn't exactly leave until he was certain that innocent people would ultimately go unharmed. If something was happening in the village, though . . .

Attis looked only to Dyss. He had Attis's entire attention, regardless of how many times he heard the girl protest staying around. She didn't particularly like the idea of sticking around for any length of time, but her pleas quickly fell from desperate to silent once she was certain they were falling on deaf ears. Attis apologized one last time, though.

I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. But . . . you have to understand, please. I can't leave yet. I can't run if these people are in trouble.

The girl still had great apprehensions. When she replied, she was more hesitant than ever before--but ultimately defeated. If Attis was so dead set on staying, then there was nothing she could do about it. And . . . and if they are not in trouble? If they are not in trouble, you will run away?

Yes, of course.

D-do--do you promise?

I promise.

Attis looked behind him only briefly, then back to Dyss. "What do you see?"

Within the village, Dyss would find familiar faces. The Legionnaire was still hanging back with Milos, who seemed much more willing to stand by the Legionnaire's side than before. Within the center of the village, nearest a wide structure very notably labeled "Hillcrest Pub" on a hanging sign before the door, two men walked. One, Dyss would recognize without a second thought. Someone that should have been in Galaens before this. A gruff pseudo-Ulsterian with a bottle of liquor in hand. It was Recheov.

He stood, smilingly, next to a man of shorter and smaller stature. This one, Dyss would have a harder time recognizing, but he ultimately would . . . eventually. This man wasn't a social figure. He was short in stature, scrawny in build, and had definitively similar traits as Cizokians, though he differed in certain rights¹. His hair was just short of chin length and seemed to be an icy blue color. He regarded Recheov with a frown, but still walked by the man's side as they left the pub. The man was a long time resident of Memoria, one absolutely impossible to befriend. He was renowned for his inability to feel anything beyond degrees of hate. His name was Toushikyo, and he was another individual of dangerous reputation. A lack of kinship--especially the lack of the ability to maintain kinship--ensured little more than temporary alliances at best . . .

The two of them were heading for the Legionnaire at a casual pace.




¹ In actuality, Toushikyo looks more Chinese than anything else. However, the only nation on Utopia/Dystopia similar to China in ethnicity is mostly unknown until after the End . . .

Dyss would check several times: checking people's faces was certainly not a strong point. Color was one thing, but it took him a bit longer to reform the patterns he saw into faces. In the end, though... There was no denying it. As impossible as it was...

"Recheov and Toushikyo are in town... And going to meet the Legionnaire."

Meeting, of course, considering those two, could be anything from a few strained words to a shouting contest or a fight to the death. And there was no real way to tell what either of them had in mind. The important thing, though, was that Recheov was laid up, waiting for them at Izumi's home. And here. And that just made no sense...

"Attis, this isn't normal... I don't think I like it..."

"Recheov is . . .?" Attis trailed off.

Shouldn't Recheov have been back in Galaens? Back there with Izumi and Illorex? That's where they last left him. He was supposed to have been taking care of Izumi and Illorex while they were gone. There was no reasonable explanation available to Attis right now to describe why Recheov might have come to Hillcrest. Toushikyo, on the other hand, was a bit easier to explain. If the Legionnaire was here, then there was no reason why he couldn't have brought someone else with him. For whatever his reasons, though, he brought that man . . .

It begged the question, though: why would the Legionnaire be amongst two people very capable of senseless and irrational destruction?

"Why would Recheov be . . . here. And with Toushikyo of all people?" Attis asked himself. It was something of a scientific question, though, spoken without much emotion, but the highest level of casual curiosity available to a concious being.

It didn't take long for Recheov and Toushikyo to reach the Legionnaire, though they seemed to share words before that much. Recheov said something, took a swig of his bottle, and laughed heartily. Toushikyo, however, whispered something, shook his head, and intentionally disregarded the man next to him. At least until Recheov said something else, set his arm around Toushikyo's shoulders, and with a menacing smirk across his lips, whispered something in his ear. Toushikyo regarded Recheov with only a glare, prompting Recheov to jump away as if bitten by a snake. He laughed, it seemed, as he shook warmth back into his arm.

The moment they reached the Legionnaire, the armored and crowned figure spoke first, and all three of the Memories in his presence were silent, even Recheov. After awhile, though, Recheov took a drink and coughed. Conversation amongst them began--and it seemed Milos was the only one that didn't speak.

"I hoped you knew?"

Dyss, of course, had no idea what they might be doing, and even less idea why they all seemed relatively friendly with each other? There was just... No reason for it. It wasn't as if someone was imitating Recheov. Disguises were essentially useless when Dyss was looking at them...

"They're all acting normal. As if they expected it? Recheov, Toushikyo, Milos, the Legionnaire... Well, Milos is quiet. I can't tell if he's surprised?"

Dyss continued to watch carefully, satisfied that at least the Legionnaire's sword was not being used. Recheov might well be able to handle him, but he didn't want to see it tested... Nor Milos, immortal though he may apparently be. Toushikyo was less of a concern...

"No," Attis shook his head. Regrettably, he hadn't a clue. "Recheov should've been back in Galaens. I've no clue why he'd be out this way."

It was futile to try, but Attis did anyways: he put his ear out and tried to pick up some bits of conversation. The forest was quiet, but it was dense. Too dense to let such small sounds pierce through all the brush. Attis was ultimately disappointed by the turnout of sounds. Unfortunately, if they couldn't hear what the group was discussing, there was no way they were going to make since of Recheov's purpose for being there--or why Milos was still even hanging around.

"Can you hear them at all?"

This, too, was a futile inquiry. Dyss could only perceive light, not pick up sound waves from afar. Still, it was worth asking.

"No, I can't..."

Dyss couldn't read lips, at all. Really, anything short of sweeping motions of some sort, he didn't get. He just couldn't keep track of the small, subtle movements involved in speech well enough to understand lips from any distance. And of course, he didn't see sound, either...

"They just seem... Almost casual. Expected..."

Dyss didn't really know what to make of them...

"I see . . ." Attis trailed off. That's what he figured was the case, that Dyss couldn't hear them--and he even suspected that the meeting Dyss was discussing was something preplanned and expected. Attis simply didn't see it coming. If they couldn't hear them, though, they were going to be hard pressed to figuring out the nature of the meeting. Attis figured at last that he should ask his other contact.

What about you? Can you hear them?

The girl was still hesitant about the circumstances. She didn't answer Attis for some time, and was unwilling to accept the idea of sticking around anymore. Can I hear them? I only hear what you hear.

You can only hear what I hear?

I cannot understand. The girl became frantic again. Comparing the two situations, the Legionnaire's arrival and her ability to perceive only what Attis could, the girl seemed most concerned about the former. Please let us leave!

We might just do that. Hold on a second, okay?

"Dyss," Attis spoke up, "We can either return to Galaens and destroy or hide our research or . . . whatever we can do. Or . . . we can get closer."

"Home..."

There wasn't much they could do here, really. Confront the Legionnaire? Confront Milos? Confront Recheov? All of those seemed like bad ideas at the moment. Better to go home and take care of the research. And more importantly... Izumi and an incapacitated Illorex had been left at home by Recheov... Dyss wasn't exactly happy with his friend for that...

"I'll let Milos know."

Dyss would create a faint glowing red message in the air in front of Milos, reading simply "Going to Izumi's." It wasn't the first time he had done such a thing, and Milos would presumably recognize the sender. Dyss took some care to mask the image from the perspective of all three of the other people gathered, only allowing Milos to see it briefly before it faded away...

"Done... Let's go."

There were some situations that, when presented to a person, were far too confounding for a person to comprehend immediately. What Dyss presented Milos was one of those scenarios. It was made worse by last several hours of his life, which were wholly and completely unbelievable. First, there was the shadow creatures and all the death he witnessed. Then, everyone was alive again, simply sleeping. Then, Attis and Dyss were upset with him. Now, Toushikyo, Recheov, and the formidably armored Legionnaire were speaking along with him. When images appeared before him, images that no one else seemed to perceive, Milos was so surprised out that he might have considered it a mere figment of his imagination.

Beyond Milos slowly swiping at the air confusedly, Dyss wouldn't see much indication that Milos did or did not get the message. He did, however, attract odd stares from his fellows.

Attis didn't know how Dyss planned to tell Milos, but he didn't refute it--merely hoped that he wouldn't wind up revealing much to any of the others.

"Home?" Attis asked. That was his biggest concern. Home to him was not home to Dyss, and either this was the first time Dyss mentioned it or the first time Attis picked up on it. "Why would we go that far?"

Dyss watched Milos paw at the air, but didn't think too much of it. He would make sense of it. There was essentially no one else who could or would deliver that message. Milos would figure out it was Dyss who had done so. Dyss wouldn't respond to Attis for a moment, trying to figure out what he was implying and such...

"Um... Yes... Izumi's home..."

Dyss's voice was sort of quiet. At some point, he had in fact started to think of Izumi's home as his own. It was certainly more of a home than Purgatory had ever been. And really, if things didn't work out, it was where he would much rather be if he faded out...

"A-ah . . . right," Attis replied; although hesitant at first, there was a distinct tone of understanding and acceptance in his voice.

After all, who could love a place like Purgatory? Their Unreal world and their Unreal city were all so bleak; it was difficult to feel fondness for it all after spending time in the Real world with Real people. It was a reaction he'd documented numerous times, a problem the ceased the sponsoring of activities in the Real world: it was so easy to become envious of the Real, perhaps violently and depressingly so, once a life like theirs was experienced by the Unreal. It had a habit of changing Memories . . . often for the worse.

W-we are leaving, then . . .? The girl asked, drawing Attis away from the thoughts he'd much rather never have again.

Yes, we're leaving, and everything will be fine once we're gone. Attis thought reassuringly. The girl didn't respond, but he could easily imagine her sighing and smiling in weak relief. He could imagine it as vividly as if he were actually there, standing before her, and watching her reaction.

"All right," Attis drew in a deep breath; he stood up and leaned forward, ready as ever to commence the long hike back to Galaens. "I'll lead the way. You just keep a watch on them, okay? And let me know what they're doing, when they do it . . ."

Dyss was a bit wary of the plan, as it was quite a long walk, and if he wanted to continue watching the group, he couldn't watch himself. He would have to hold Attis' shoulder and walk blind. Not that it was an entirely unfamiliar proposition, but it was still a limiting one...

"Allright, but I'm not sure what I can do. I won't be able to see what's around and what's by them..."

Dyss would put his hand on Attis' shoulder, though. Presumably, his friend had accounted for that. Once Attis started moving, Dyss would follow him, though Attis would have to guide him pretty well...

Attis nodded to Dyss and put his arm about the man's shoulders. Walking like this was going to be tough and get them nowhere fast, but it was necessary. So long as they were going to Galaens at a faster pace than the Legionnaire was doing . . . well, anything . . . then they were fine.

Attis heard the girl's voice in his head soon enough. A-are we . . . are we leaving, now? She asked.

Yes. Don't worry, we're leaving as fast as we can. He replied with the most reassuring mental tone he could muster.

The girl seemed relieved.

As they walked, Dyss would find minimal difference amongst the Legionnaire's group. They talked. The Legionnaire spoke and Recheov replied with a laugh. Toushikyo muttered something and Milos looked as if he was put off by something and ready to wander off on his own. The exchanges continued unabated, though it appeared as if the Legionnaire spoke more than anyone else.

It wasn't ten minutes after Attis and Dyss had set out that something happened to alert the Legionnaire's gathering. Almost all at once, they looked to their immediate left, somewhere off into the woods. The first reaction was Milos's, who looked surprised more than anything else. The second reaction was Recheov's, who smirked, made a remake of some sort, and snickered. Toushikyo, on the other hand, seemed to regard it with a disinterested stare. The Legionnaire held out his left arm expectantly.

The arrival was one Dyss would recognize instantly. She'd come from the forest, from a path Attis and Dyss had taken some time ago to escape Milos's presence. She had a glazed look about her face, the same sort of expression she had when she slept. The girl, Izumi, walked lethargically and came to a stop only when she reached the Legionnaire's side, who put his armored hand upon her shoulder.

"Wait!"

Dyss stopped in his tracks. The whole situation had gone beyond strange, now. What the hell was Izumi doing here, now? And where was Illorex? He couldn't imagine either of the two leaving Illorex while they were hurt, and yet... Well, here they were. And if Izumi was here... Well, Dyss didn't want to head anywhere...

"Izumi is here, too... And there's something not right with her... I need to go back."

Dyss wasn't well-attuned to expressions. Expressions could be so subtle that the changes in light they produced didn't mean anything to Dyss. Eyes, in particular, were something of a weak spot. And yet... Dyss could tell something was wrong. Maybe it was the way he had viewed Izumi so much since regaining his sight... And the emotions he felt. Who exactly was this Legionnaire? And what gave him the right to do whatever terrible thing he was doing? Laughing Recheov or not, the charade had gone a step too far, and Dyss felt a somewhat terrible anger at the situation... At least, he thought it was anger...