Trash: Chapter 174 Mental Distractions (Patreon)

Chapter 174

Mental Distractions

Shivers run down my spine as I watch Lelia effortlessly guide us, a ten-person expeditionary team off campus and towards parts of the dead city. Part of the unease comes from the fact that we are going to the very place that almost took me out completely yesterday. While I try to focus on ways to distract myself. This is when I come up with a theory to distract myself from the building dread that is all but tangible to me.

My theory is simple, sometimes while walking and following in the footsteps of another can give you a foreshadowing of just how important they will be to you in the future. This is my current thought as I follow Lelia to parts unknown over grounds that I know are dangerous. How dangerous they are is yet to be fully understood, but the fact that no one lives here, and that no life lives here is a good indication that on some basic and fundamental level everyone knows to avoid this place. Yet, for some reason Lelia looks right at home walking in these open wastelands, and that is when I get a glimpse of not just who she is now, but who she will become, and she’s frightening.  Not frightening in the she will wake up and slaughter you in your sleep. But Lelia is frightening on a whole other level, as if she is just finally figuring out who she is, and who she will eventually become.  

I watch her because I am forcing myself to, as a method of staving off the residual disgust that permeates these lands and feels like it is sinking into my bones by residual poisoning. The only thing that works to stave off the disgust and nausea is to force my mind to only stare at the body of the person guiding us, as if my inability to see the ground that we are walking on is a way to prevent the nausea that I felt yesterday. Logic tells me that yesterday was but a mild test, one that I am meant to prepare for with my healing classes that should be happening right about now. That or I am missing my etiquette classes, it is hard to tell at this point. I do know I missed my window to run to the cafeteria to grab lunch at the very least, meaning the last meal I had was a big breakfast. For a moment I want to ask Marcus where I should be, but alas he was ordered to stay behind this impromptu adventure. As he is part of the reason why Lelia and I made out like bandits. At least, I thought we made out like bandits, until Lelia began guiding us out here for her payment.

In the end, I got us 500 credits for her disclosing the location where she obtained her stash of crystals. Crystals that Marcus and Junior are now overlooking for the team, while we go out and verify that Lelia first didn’t steal the crystals, and second that there are more crystals available in her original foraging location.

500 team credits.

Not that I could see them, as I didn’t have access to that function of the team. But that was how much I had earned through my negotiations with Lt. Keller for the team, once we provided the location of the crystals.

At the time, I thought we made out amazingly well. Then again, I assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that this stash was on campus. Technically this location is still on campus, but on the quarantined section of campus that is only used for training. Had I known the hazardous location associated with the credits received, I would have asked for an additional 50% hazardous duty fee. Then again, had we known the location from the start, it is likely that the ROW officers in charge would not have bothered with the two deals in the first place.

Now I just use the price as motivation for myself. That and knowing that this adventure will set up what is the equivalent of a lifetime scholarship for Lelia as she will be able to stay here and learn for free forever. The campus might come up with ways to gouge her for books, materials, or gear in the future, but overall, her lessons will be set, and her meals will be free. I have no doubt that she will find a way to make that work, if she one day decides not to stay with my team. Then again, just watching her bravely stroll out, into fields without any iota of self-preservation while grown men shiver in fear around us proves that I was right in trusting my gut. We need Lelia in our team. She’s what I assume would be the scout role, again either missing my Healer Team Lead: Logistics and Strategies class, or that is one of the classes that will be switched out tomorrow. From my understanding it is that class that will teach me how to assemble a team and what Skills they should learn to get stronger and support the team. My mind thinks about everything and anything to stay occupied and to help avoid the deep unnerving tingling sensation that seems to be drilling into my very bones. Fortunately, Lelia saves me from the existential dread that is permeating me by giving me the most beautiful two words I’ve heard in a while, “we’re here.”

At that declaration, I stop and do possibly the dumbest thing possible, I look away from Lelia’s capable shoulders and back and look around. The minute my eyes break eye contact, is the minute the mental distraction that I made for myself dissolved into nothingness, leaving me with just the world and my overactive senses. Senses that instantly told me that this place was wrong in the way black mold is wrong in a house.

I stagger for a moment, but that’s when a strong hand reaches out, grabbing me under the elbow and helping me stay upright. I look to see the silhouette of a tall thin lanky ROW cadet. One who wears a white veil that completely covers their face, but just a touch and view of his silhouette, my mind puts the pieces together.

“Mousey?” I wheeze out, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Not that the air is unpure, which it is, but that my body can’t help but feel the revulsion of energies around me. Energies that seem to run counter to my very existence.

“It is as Lt. Sinclair said,” Lt. Keller states as he looks at me with an inquisitive stare. I can feel him reading me, his eyes are glowing with an unmistakable blueish hue that lets me know that part of the new nausea I am feeling comes from his very stare. “You are already an exceptionally talented healer. I had my doubts at first, but it appears you have partly learned the art of mindful meditation to alleviate your body’s natural repulsion to the decay of this area.”

As Lt. Keller speaks, I start to understand why my body in particular dislikes the sensations that are attacking it currently. Apparently, healers are naturally repulsed by decay? I mean it makes sense in a way. I am thinking about this, when I see where Lelia has taken us to.

A cave.

That or a giant bunker in the ground that has been slowly encroached upon by mud and seasonal floods. Just seeing the state of the area, I realize that this area has long been abandoned and left to time. The fact that Lelia was here recently is obvious, as she is the only set of footprints that are already here. Somehow, she managed to nearly walk identical paths down, a fact proven by how her new footprints mostly cover the previous imprints she made when she came here earlier. Just the fact that we can leave imprints in this muck, causes me to cringe, as I feel the unnatural mud cling to my boots with each step. Then going further in, I see an unmistakable glow coming from up ahead.

“What is it?” Lt. Keller asks, his voice calming as he tries to understand why I suddenly stopped moving. It takes me a minute to regain my senses, before I reply with an answer.

“There are ghosts ahead, a lot of ghosts—”

***

(Mr. Qiang Yi)

“You see anything?” Christoph Karl asked, as he was already showing his impatient ticks from being told to stand in place for too long. His large feet and frame already making multiple deep groove marks in the loosened soil surrounding Bloom Park. Watching him, it was clear to Qiang Yi that his former comrade in arms had not changed. If anything he his time away had only made him even more impatient.

“Not yet,” Qiang replied, calling down from the tree he was in. His golden eyes scanning the area from his higher vantagepoint, searching for any signs of a disturbance. This was the problem with a seer as wise and powerful as the general, she could get you an area to search for, but finding things was tougher than expected.

This was why Qiang and Christoph were often sent together as a team. Qiang would be the scout, focusing so intently on identifying all problems that he would often miss the looming threat stalking him. Meanwhile, Christoph was so energetic that he would have to move around, often exposing a threat before it was fully ready to strike.

At first, it took time for Qiang to get used to Christoph’s energetic idiosyncrasies, it wasn’t until those very same unnerving idiosyncrasies saved his life that he finally learned to relax and let Christoph be Christoph. Just as Christoph let Qiang be Qiang.

That was their dynamic, a merging of unlikely teammates that feel like they shouldn’t work well together, until they do. Then just as Qiang and Christoph were searching Bloom Park for any signs of a disturbance, Markan and Vivian were sent to search the arena district, a place that had been closed down since the raid by General Brack’s men.

Why they were searching these places today of all times was beyond Qiang, but it would no doubt come as the General predicted. A flash of light, a surge of energy, and then chaos, that was all the description the General gave, and that was all the team needed to realize that this was an important mission.

It was important, but it seemed that for whatever reason Christoph was particularly agitated today as he kept pacing more than usual.

“Everything okay?” Qiang asked, realizing that only by talking would his large lumbering friend stop his pacing and allow Qiang the chance he needed to listen for any disturbances in the area.

At first, Christoph just looked lost. Then he paused, and finally looked up to lock gazes with Qiang and that’s when he saw it, a look of hope, expectation, and fear that looked oddly out of place on the large giant’s face. To make matters worse, it was clear that many of these emotions were seemingly new for Christoph, as his face seemed to almost be stuck in a state of extreme pain as he tried to let his face express the emotions that were bubbling forth.

“Ye—no,” Christoph finally managed to answer honestly.

“What’s going on?” Qiang asked, heading down from his perch as he realized this moment took precedent over anything. Also, it wasn’t like Qiang could really focus with the big guy clearly needing to get something off of his chest. Within a second he dropped to the ground and was standing before the giant of a man.

“I-I mean we, are—” Christoph began trying to stammer out. From the clue given Qiang knew that the big guy only spoke about we, at least with that voice inflection when he spoke about her.

“You two have a fight?” Qiang asked, going for the most obvious answer.

“No, actually the exact opposite,” Christoph began.

“Oh come on,” Qiang replied holding up his hand as he did not want to hear any more about the two lovebirds’ exploits together.

“No, it’s not that. Well, that is what caused it, but—” Christoph began but then stopped, letting his unanswered thoughts fill the air, creating a pregnant pause.

“Wait? You mean?” Qiang’s analytical mind only took a second to piece together the pieces.

“Yeah!” Christoph replied, his voice feeling lighter as he finally got that burden off of his chest. Suddenly so many things about Christoph’s actions today made so much sense.

“That is fantastic! Congratulations! Do we need to get a meal real quick and talk?” Qiang offered.

“Shouldn’t we continue monitoring?” Christoph asked, gesturing to the open park around them.

“Now you want to focus on the task? You haven’t had your head in the game since we got here. Besides, this requires a celebration. Also, isn’t it time for your second dinner?” Qiang asked, realizing that taking thirty minutes for a meal now would mean that the two could get back to work for the night.

“Twist my arm why don’t you,” Christoph finally said. “Honestly thank you, it feels good to tell someone.”

“No, this is perfect, let’s go grab something to eat, then we will come right back and be better than ever,” Qiang said, patting his friend on the back as the two made their way out of Bloom Park and towards the nearest food vendor.

The two were so lost in the moment of shared joy that they missed the faintest spark of magic that began to appear deep within the heart of Bloom Park, right next to an old broken stone anchor point that sparked and fizzled, before ultimately dying out never to be rekindled. Still, the spark would have been enough to warn Qiang that something was in fact coming.

A warning that would go unnoticed.