Die or Walk

Cage sits on the center bench of the canoe, eyes wide as he scans his surroundings. The flying vessel floats from the stem of Kalar and into a vast tunnel. The small boat is merely a speck in this space, and it would take several minutes just to float from one wall to the other. The rounded barrier between this space and the kaleidoscope of floating colors on the other side is a translucent white, the millions of strings that weave together always shifting with light and dark shades of the same color. As if the ethereal construct is breathing.

"Is this one of the branches?" Cage asks, black eyes reflecting the vibrant colors surrounding him. He looks forward, and the branch stretches far beyond what he can see, following straight until it suddenly curves downward. A soft breeze tickles Cage's pale cheeks, seeming to come from nowhere.

"Yes," Kyro says, gazing at the back of Cage's head from the back bench, one hand sliding across the Control Orb, the other fingering the hilt of his sword, "One of them."

Cage nods absently, still hypnotized by the colors. Though they are strikingly beautiful, the bright colors make it hard for him to think. It's been two days since they made their escape from the Massor on Kalar. Silence has hovered over them for most of that time, the anxiety of the situation causing all three men to retreat into their minds. Ingen and Kyro have switched between steering and sleeping when they can, yet Cage still shows no sign of being even slightly drowsy

Ingen sits silently on the front bench, elbows to knees and head in his hands. Cage seems to be the only one no longer feeling the shock of their encounter with the Massor. Though it is his first time traveling in the branches. Kyro remembers his first time, and his reaction had been similar to Cages. The colors were so bright and striking that, for a moment, he had forgotten his destination.

"Cage," Kyro calls.

Cage turns in his seat, finding it hard to take his eyes off his surroundings. He looks at Kyro with a plain expression, "What is it?"

Kyro pauses, gazing at Cage. He is startled by those black eyes, though he does not show it. He still feels it each time their gazes meet. That emptiness, "We have put off the discussion for long enough," Kyro says, brows furrowed, "How did you survive? The Massor should have killed you."

Silence falls for a moment. Cage does not know how to feel about being told he should not be alive, but he understands Kyro's confusion, "If I knew, I would tell you. It just... passed through me. Like I wasn't even there," Cage eventually says, voice low and uncertain.

Of course he doesn't know, Kyro thinks, sighing. It was worth a try though. Perhaps it has something to do with Cage being from Earth? That is the only explanation. The Rajin thinks of when Cage told him where he came from, and one thing pops into his mind. It should be extremely important to him, yet the one-armed man only mentioned it once, "You told me you have a brother. Do you remember him?" Kyro asks.

Cage's black brows raise, startled by the subject change. He hears movement behind him. Ingen must be interested in his answer as well, "A little. I still can't remember most of my previous life, but a few memories have returned. They're foggy though," Cage responds.

Kyro nods, "That is good," he says, voice quiet over the silence of the branch, "Do you know where he is? I..." Kyro's expression softens as he organizes his words, "...I'm afraid that if he was on Earth, then he may no longer be with us," the words feel wrong coming from his lips. If that is true, then how is Cage here?

"No!" Cage's eyes bolt up, his words the closest thing to a yell Kyro has heard from the man, "No. I know he is alive. He must be somewhere in this place. I have to find him. I will find him," he says, expression solid as he stares up at Kyro.

Ingen peeks around Cage's head, eyeing Kyro, "As I thought, you were lying," he interrupts, sighing, "He does remember."

Kyro purses his lips, glancing at Ingen. The Rajin had forgotten about his own lies, "I am sorry, Ingen. Surely you can understand my hesitation. The man is from Earth for Betor's sake," he says.

"And you believe him?" Ingen responds, brows furrowed.

Kyro scoffs, "After all that you have seen, you do not?" he says, gesturing with an open palm toward Cage, "You will have to believe me. The man has not a single crumb of Vas within him," he says.

Ingen pauses, cocking his head back. He looks at Cage, who still sits facing Kyro, "Impossible," he says with blunt words.

"What do you mean? You don't sense Vas in me?" Cage asks, rubbing his right shoulder.

"Remember when I told you that every living thing has Vas within them? As a Vas user, I can sense that energy," Kyro says, "I can't sense it in you, at all."

"Oh," Cage hums, eyes falling to his feet. He ruminates on the detail for a moment, soon raising his head again, brows furrowed as he looks at Kyro, "Is that a good or bad thing?"

"I'm not sure," Kyro says. It isn't a good or bad thing, it just is, Kyro thinks. The Rajin thought he understood the universe and its workings. He thought there was a set way that things work, and he found comfort in it. But every movement, every word of Cage crushes that understanding to dust.

"It can not be good," Ingen says, finally raising his head, "There are not many Vas users on Raj, but if one does notice Cage's... peculiarity, then there is no telling what will happen."

Kyro sighs, eyeing Ingen over Cage's head, "Well, there is not much we can do. Let's just hope that doesn't happen," he says.

Ingen shakes his head, sighing, "Okay, if you say so," he says, "What about his origins? No one will believe that he is from earth, it would just be suspicious."

Kyro hums, meeting the gaze of Cage. He seems to be listening, at least, "Any ideas, Ca..." his words trail off as he looks to the side. A vessel identical floats along far from their own, heading in the opposite direction. Two blue figures occupy it, their heads lowered. Another collector team.

"The Massor! They'll be killed!" Ingen yells, standing. He faces the passing vessel, huge arms waving in the air as he yells to get their attention.

Kyro stares with a wrinkled forehead, "They will be fine. There are only two of them..." he pauses. That line of thinking does not apply to the Massor they just encountered. Kyro grimaces. Why is this happening? Everything used to make sense.

Ingen is successful with his calls, and the two Rajin men look toward them. Lagir and Derni, soldiers that Kyro and Ingen served in the army with. Lagir was caught stealing from one of the Rage Stone stores, and Derni committed adultery, though the details are fuzzy to Kyro. Still, once a Rajin man marries, only death or becoming a Collector can free them from that. To sleep with another woman while married is a crime.

Lagir and Derni continue to glare, glancing from Ingen to Kyro. Lagir's lips move, his words inaudible, and Derni laughs. They look away, engaging in a conversation between themselves.

Ingen growls, balling his fists, "Go on then! Get yourselves killed!" he yells, dropping to the bench with a thud, "Damn it!"

Kyro looks at Ingen with eyes narrowed. He turns his head, glancing back at the other vessel as they pass, closing in on Kalar's stem, "What did you expect?" he asks.

Ingen shakes his head, "For them to listen," he says, "I suppose that is too much to ask."

"Why do they treat you like this? Is it really that bad to save someone?" Cage asks, peering up at Kyro.

"It is, in war," Ingen says, "For Rajin warriors, one either dies on the battlefield, or carries himself from it after victory. To deny a soldier that honor is blasphemous."

Cage turns, lifting a leg to straddle the bench, "What if they lose?" he asks.

Ingen scoffs, "We have been invaded for hundreds of years, and have never lost a skirmish," he says casually, "Loss is not a word that Rajin are familiar with."

"If they did lose," Kyro says, drawing Cage's attention. He stares off, face solid, expressionless, "Then all of them are dead."

Cage nods slowly, forehead wrinkled as his eyes drift off to his surroundings. Far behind the vessel, he sees Kalar, surrounded by that translucent barrier. The stem stretches narrow, both ends spanning out to connect with the branch and planet. Kalar's sun floats beside it, covered in the same barrier, but disconnected from the main body.

This is all so strange, Cage thinks. A completely different universe that knows of his own. The Rajin, a strange-looking race with even stranger morals. There is even magic here.

It seems so overwhelming. So big. But, he will need to learn. He will need to fight. If not for himself, then for his brother.

Though another reason floats to the top of his river of thoughts. That dark place, where nothing exists save for Cage's own mind. If he dies, will he return to that place? The thought frightens and excites him, all at the same time. A gamble where he has everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Why not enjoy it? The worst is already past him.

"Kyro," Cage calls, gazing at Kyro with those black eyes, "Train me."

Kyro looks down at Cage, brows furrowing. What is that he sees in those eyes? Only moments ago, they were empty. Though it is small, Kyro now sees something in them. Determination. It reminds him of Mavyl and the look his nephew would get before a battle. If Cage will give him this chance, then will not fail this time, not before his own life ends, "Alright. What will this training pertain to?" Kyro says.

"Fighting. I want to protect myself," Cage says.

Kyro smiles, looking to the path ahead as he rows, "I suppose I can do that."