9 The Ridge

When Kai trudged through enough sand to see Therma in the distance, he tried to do something about the black sword at his side. It stood out way too much.

"Can I change this?"

Yes, the god said. And know that it has a name. Fel-Cleaver – a title that once struck fear in the hearts of countless mortals.

Kai rolled his eyes. He thought naming weapons was for weirdos, but maybe back in the day it was a more common thing to do.

"Yeah, okay, this Fel-Cleaver." he raised the blade in front of him, turning it over. "A lot of people are gonna have their eyes on me if I go into Therma with it. I need it to be a little smaller. Also, easier to use."

Very well.

Kai nodded as the blade shifted in his hands, breaking apart into its basic black particles before clustering into a much smaller, more manageable form – a dagger.

"Yeah, this'll do." Kai clipped the dagger to his belt and headed to Therma with confidence, watching the village's walls get nearer and nearer.

Well, something like walls. Therma, as one of the main villages of the Isles, had the manpower to circle itself with sturdy metal blocks from the Fields, welding them together in an uneven, jagged wall, but a wall nonetheless.

Kept bandits out, and the further North you got in the Isles, the more bandits you'd see. Also made it a premium living space. Only issue was the Don controlled the place, and his rule wasn't exactly all peachy. He taxed the villagers of their products, whether they be technical gadgets or even livestock, every month, and if they didn't comply, well he had quite a few debt collectors to go about taking approval by force.

If you couldn't pay up, either you died or you became a slave. And once you became a slave, there wasn't any going back – you'd be thrown out the city walls if you tried to rebel, and it was better to be a slave in safety than a free target for roving bandits.

Speaking of, Kai was thankful there weren't many bandits south of Therma, where he'd lived. Therma was in the very most southern part of what was called the 'Goldilocks Zone' of the Isles, where the sand stopped, dirt and grass grew, livestock and crops could grow, and general trade and roads spread out.

Only people that went south of Therma were people who picked up junk from the Fields, which incidentally also made Therma the biggest village for metals, parts, and the like.

Kai reached the wall and followed it. It stood about ten meters tall and heat radiated off its metal hide. Soon enough, he reached Therma's southern gate. One of two gates in the village, and the least guarded. It showed, too. The gate consisted of a barely functional security double door – plated titanium, though thing to punch through – that slid apart with the press of a button on the other side.

Only issue was the surveillance and intercom on the door had long since ceased to function, so there were gatekeepers that sat atop the doors that let people pass. And today's gatekeeper was a familiar face.

"Kai, my man, how is it going?" said a youthful voice.

Sheng – a Daemon. Older than Kai, but not by much. Legs dangling lazily from the edge of the wall, white hair spiked and sticky from taking in the sun's rays from so high up, black eyes wide and curious.

"Nothing much." Kai rapped on the doors, a dull echo resonating each time his knuckles made contact. "Can you let me in?"

"I could, but I think it's best you leave," said Sheng. He jerked his head behind him, towards the village. "You heard the news, right? Elsia's coming in hot. We're so far down South that they haven't gotten most of their forces on us yet, but there's still a squadron knocking at the Northern gate right now."

"Oh?" said Kai. "And did you let them in?"

Sheng shook his head. "Not yet. Don wants to see whether Elsia's not fucking around first. They did give us twenty four hours and all. If the pressure starts coming in, then I figure the Don's either gonna show his belly or try and put up a little fight."

"Then there isn't any danger now, is there." Kai knocked on the door again. "I need to finish up with some business before things get hairy, so…"

"You've always been a little stubborn here and there." Sheng stood up on the wall and peered behind him. "It ain't safe because of other reasons. Don's told his men to round up all the Daemons in the city for 'protective custody'. You wouldn't be safe in the streets right now."

"What about you? Looks like you're still around and about, and you're a Daemon as much as I am."

"Don can't afford to take me, you know." Sheng shrugged. "The Ridgefolk have chosen me as one of their community reps. Plus I gotta man this gate. Don can't afford to round me up just yet."

Kai nodded, remembering how Therma worked.

The village was split into two parts geographically. There was a Faultline at its center, a deep fissure in the earth that split the place neatly in half. On the southern half, where Kai stood, the land rose up, forming a ridge.

People that lived here were called Ridgefolk, and they were the poorer villagers. It was hotter on the Ridge. Sand from the southern ends of the Isles blew in, and not much grew on the hard, compact, cracked old earth.

On the other side, though, was soft dirt, rich and brown like chocolate. Crops could sprout there and some livestock could graze. The Don lived there, as did the people in his circle of trust. However, most of the city's profits came from Scrappers in the Ridge that went out daily to pick up pieces and parts in the Fields, so he did have to give them some leeway.

Such as letting the Ridgefolk appoint community representatives. Of course, all of these things were a little ceremonial in nature. The Don had the mechs, so he laid down the terms for any deals and nobody really had any room to change them.

Kai had to change that. He put a hand to the dagger on his belt, feeling the power emanating from it.

"I know you're worrying about me, Sheng," said Kai. "But I have urgent business. It's for Dahmer."

Sheng nodded. Dahmer was pops's last name, and his name still had weight behind it from the days when he was a revolutionary commander.

"I don't know why Dahmer would send you when Daemons are the hottest targets right now. Lotta risk in you coming here. Elsia wants em' killed and the Don wants em' rounded up," Sheng waved behind him, at an operator behind the doors. "But if Dahmer's finally getting off his ass to plan something, then I won't stand in the way. Wish he'd send that pretty little elf girl, though."

Kai rolled his eyes and waited for the doors to slide apart. When they did, he stepped through with a brisk pace, nodding at the operator, a human, and taking the worn and beaten path into the Ridge.

Sheng stared at Kai as he walked away, noting that despite how hard Kai tried to hide his wings – they were folded back and covered with rough cloth – they still stood out.

"Man's been eating right, I guess," shrugged Sheng as he resumed sitting on the wall, staring into the distance where the nothingness of the desert greeted him.

____________________

Kai weaved through the Ridge with expert ease. He often traded in parts here or bought necessary tools for the bunker.

Contrary to what the vast wasteland outside would have suggested, Therma had a pretty damn sizable population. The Ridge in particular, had a shit ton of folk. Narrow pathways flanked by buildings welded together with ill-fitting pieces of scrap, or if that was too expensive, large tents made of coarse but durable cloth, nailed firmly into the hardened ground below.

The streets, though, were eerily quiet. Normally, people shouted and advertised, telling the whole wide world that they had usable parts or weapons or had the tools to weld and make things or whatnot. The occasional bustle of a slave driving cart. Few food carts vendors and there. A tavern every three or so streets active even during the days.

But not today.

Everyone stayed holed up. Kai felt an eeriness settle on him as he walked. Sometimes, he could make out eyes flitting from windows – cutouts made in metal walls and covered by film – staring at him, wondering at what he was doing.

Kai headed to his usual place – a tent at the edge of the Ridge where a friendly kobold traded parts. He'd get some more in-depth information about what had been going on there. Though really, he already knew.

The Don was rounding up the Daemons not for their safety, but to hand them over if the going got tough. The Daemons were profitable – the absolute best Scrappers around, but if handing them over saved the Don's fat ass, then he'd ship them to die without a single second thought.

That was why when he heard the footsteps of a few of the Don's men trailing behind him, following him, he smiled. These men would hopefully know where the Daemons were being held, or if not, lead Kai to the right people to question.