Chapter 16

Stepping off the cabin, X stretched his body, feeling the stiffness in his muscles from the hour-long ride in a seat that was anything but comfortable. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. "And this place is...?" he asked, trailing off as he continued to stretch, his curiosity piqued.

"You two really are lost, aren't you?" remarked Dagger Man as he followed X off the cabin. 

"He is. I'm not," Sarandel interjected confidently. Mace Man offered her a hand to help her down, even though the cabin wasn't far off the ground and she didn't need assistance. She accepted his hand anyway, knowing it was just an excuse for him to touch her and allowing it as a small reward for giving them a ride.

"Oh, really?" X raised an unseen eyebrow beneath his skull mask. "Then, by all means, tell me where we are," he challenged.

Sarandel shrugged, glancing around before pointing at the plant-covered buildings that surrounded them. "You see the style of these buildings? They're unique to the city of Grealand, meaning we're in Grealand."

Bow Man, who had just disembarked as well, nodded in agreement. "Yup, the beautiful city of Grealand in the heart of Aetheria. One of the largest free cities and the only one of its kind," he added, his voice tinged with pride and patriotism.

X crossed his arms, his voice coming out distorted from behind his mask. "Grealand, huh? Sounds a lot like Greenland, but not as falsely advertised," he remarked as he took a closer look around.

The city of Grealand was a remarkable sight. Everywhere he looked, there was lush greenery, not painted but growing naturally. The buildings were gracefully intertwined with vibrant plant life, vines creeping up walls, and flowering plants cascading from balconies. The integration of nature was so harmonious that it seemed almost magical. It was as if the city had grown alongside the plants rather than being built around them, creating a seamless blend of architecture and greenery. The streets were lined with trees, their canopies providing shade, while ivy-covered lampposts and flower-filled planters added bursts of color at every corner. It was a sight that could never occur naturally on Earth, where nature and civilization often clashed rather than complemented each other.

Hatchet Man, the last to step off the cabin, broke the silence. "What's Greenland?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

X responded with a dry tone, "It's a place with a lot of ice."

The four men exchanged confused glances. "Then why's it called Greenland?" Dagger Man asked, bewildered.

"To attract settlers through false advertisement," Sarandel replied, backing up X's statement with a nod. (For all of you that are wondering if this is true, yes it is; that's genuinely why Greenland is called Greenland.)

"What are ya all talking about?" Driver Man (We're really going with this naming convention, aren't we?) asked as he hopped off the truck, looking at his crew with a puzzled expression.

"We're talking about Greenland," Bow Man replied, only to be met with a deeper frown from Driver Man.

"We're in Grealand, not Greenland. I know all of you are uneducated idiots, but you can at least pronounce shit properly," Driver Man scoffed, glaring at his men. 

Dagger Man rolled his eyes, frustration clear in his voice. "No, no, no, no! We're talking about another place called Greenland, not mispronouncing Grealand, dumbass," he retorted, annoyed at being labeled an idiot.

Driver Man glared back before turning his attention to Sarandel and X. "So, are you two from this 'Greenland' place?" he asked, using air quotes around the word Greenland with exaggerated skepticism.

"No, it's just a place we know about," X answered curtly, not bothering to elaborate. 

Sarandel stepped forward with a graceful smile. "Anyway, moving on from that, thank you all for picking us up. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened?" she said sweetly, though both she and X knew they had never really been in any danger. 

The men blushed slightly, clearly flustered by Sarandel's charm. Mace Man rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ahh, it was nothing," he muttered.

"Yeah, just did what anyone would have," Bow Man added with a nervous chuckle. 

Hatchet Man nodded rapidly, trying to appear nonchalant. "We're saints, ya know? Always out there helping everyone," he declared, though it sounded like a bit of a stretch.

Dagger Man grinned, leaning in slightly. "And besides, getting to spend a little time with you, miss... we don't need a thank you for that," he said, his tone a bit too eager.

Driver Man shot him a look and gave him a firm slap on the back. "Keep it in yer pants, why don't ya?" he grumbled, then turned back to Sarandel. "But seriously, no need to thank us. It wasn't a bother. We were headed this way anyway."

Sarandel nodded, offering them a polite, false, smile. "Okay, if you insist," she replied before turning to leave.

"See you later, Dagger, Driver, Bow, Mace, and Hatchet Man!" X called out over his shoulder as he followed Sarandel, his tone light and mocking, leaving the five men standing there, bewildered and a bit thrown off.

"Man, they were all over you, weren't they? I swear some of them were getting hard just from that thank you," X remarked with a smirk beneath his skull mask.

Sarandel crossed her arms, her tone flat and matter-of-fact. "It's to be expected," she replied before fixing her gaze on him. "Now, let's get on with this day so that you can finally take care of my problem."

X chuckled, the sound distorted by his mask, and gave a mock salute. "Aye, aye, captain," he said, his tone filled with playful sarcasm, more than ready to get this day going.