Chapter 31: THE BOUNTY HUNTERS [PART TWELVE]

From an elevated position the wind rips past the two figures. Beyond a dust choked horizon the entire Baitan Plateau stretches onward, air itself burning underneath the power of five suns.

Broken by jutting knives of eroded red rock, the scarred landscape was dotted with massive excavation pits. Rusting corpses of mining equipment left behind from civilization, remnants of an era beyond this world.

Samantha scans the landscape with her weapon, slightly misaligned scope magnifying outwards towards windswept dust. “I do not see this location you are referring to.”

Auditor Manara blinks as augmentation flares, vision focusing. “Adjust your heading. Search for a cloud of dust approximately twenty five meters in volume.”

Another scan across the landscape, the girl finding the subtle discoloration against the horizon. Emanating from a barely visible mining pit, a single spark of civilization. “I have observed it.”

“Based on triangulation, such is the most probable location of the criminal collective.”

“What is the distance?”

“Deriving from the current pace of travel I estimate fifteen kilometers.” The Auditor breathes, air exchanging from within iron lungs. The glow of augmentation fading, she turns to the girl. “Perhaps another half day’s travel.”

Samantha scoffs as she lowers her weapon, the carrying strap placed back upon her shoulder as she stands from her kneeling position.

A small pause as the girl scans their perch upon a spire of stone, the Auditor speaking. “Samantha, may we have a conversation before returning to Samuel?”

The girl stops as she avoids hued eyes with a scowl on her face. “I do not see a purpose for continued conversation.”

“It is for a selfish purpose.” Auditor Manara blinks as she cycles through words, a single tipped spear of conversation emerging in direct assault. “I sense hostility from you, a hatred I cannot place nor reason.”

Samantha stops at the observation.

“May I know the reason for your emotional state?”

A memory of single warfare, of carnage brought forth in ancient deserts. The corpse of a divine being bleeding upon scorching sands, the ear shattering scream of rifle fire and roar of augmentation blending together into mindless conflict.

“No.” The girl bites back.

“Why?”

“Must there be a reason for my emotional state?” Samantha dismisses as she attempts to find a foothold in the sheer rock face, a single footstep sending a loose pebble tumbling into open air.

“There is.” The Auditor replies warmly as she watches the girl attempt to find footing. “You are protective of Samuel, are you not?”

“My relationship with my brother is of no concern to a creature like you.” Samantha coldly settles as she reaches towards a possible ledge two feet beneath her. “And what does an Auditor know of family.”

“You speak in grave generalizations.” Auditor Manara notes harshly as she readies herself to catch the girl. “I myself am the oldest sibling within my primary familial collective. I recognize your protectiveness as my own. You are the oldest, are you not?” She asks with deceit.

“Correct.” The girl stops as she nearly slips off the side of the rock spire, a lethal fall below marked by falling pebbles.

The Auditor smiles at the answer, watching as the young form pulls itself back from the cliff’s edge. “You remain protective of him as an older sibling should, despite your status as a woven pair. But, I cannot imagine protecting an unarmed individual through a huntarus.”

“It has its difficulties.”

“I do have a question regarding Samuel.” Auditor Manara stops with a serious tone. “One that must be spoken away from him. It is in regards to his condition.”

Samantha immediately freezes at the words, realization dawning upon her mind. A hand slowly moving towards her anti-material rifle, ears open as the creature continues. “My attempt to scan him during his crossing of the bridge was unsuccessful, I believe he carries with him an artifact of arcane nature.”

“You scanned him?!”

“I was not successful.” The Auditor maintains. “It was done to ensure his safe recovery. However due to the anomaly I was unable to accurately estimate his biological makeup and needed to resort to more conventional methods of recovery.”

Unconvinced, the girl continues to listen.

“Through this event I believe I have discovered the primary reason for your deceptive nature.” The Auditor finishes. “He carries with him an arcane artifact, similar to the one within your weapon.”

“You are incorrect.” Samantha rejects the concept as she hides her face.

“I do not see the purpose for you to continue this lie.” Auditor Manara blinks curiously. “Such a mechanism prevents the progression of his condition does it not?”

A misunderstanding, the girl blinking. “Explain.”

“There are a number of diseases that are classified as incurable. Many arane items exist to prevent their progression. Those items are often mastercraft works, and their removal from the collective requires a huntarus to recover.” The woman explains. “In a sense, I understand your predicament.”

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Samantha remains quiet at the woman’s observation, the thing continuing. “To be protective of our siblings is a burden we must carry. It brings me great distress to be separated from my own familial collective for such an extended period of time.”

“Is your duty not to terminate mages?” The girl asks coldly.

“That is a correct assessment of my oathed duty. However, District Two does not commonly produce losethi, and even if there are it is rare for them to travel beyond the borderlands. My presence therefore is commonly found in the domestic setting rather than foreign.”

“Then why have you become an Auditor? It is clear you do not enjoy such a method of living.”

“In a similar manner of you protecting Samuel, I myself must protect the Collective.” Manara admits. “It is a tradeoff I have weighed, but yet it is a los minari.”

A rare sense of confusion is detected from the woman, Samantha beginning to speak as the terminology is lost on her. “I am not familiar with such a saying.”

Manara smiles. “It is a restrictive dichotomy. To protect my familial collective I must leave them. To maintain the order of life I must terminate agents of chaos. It is a duty that I have oathed to uphold to protect those I care for.”

“Yet you are not content with your position.”

A consideration, an emotional response acknowledged and suppressed from an augmented mind. Auditor Manara turns the concept within herself, a solution found in the simplicity of contradiction. “Perhaps. However, an oath made before the gods is unbreakable. When you and your brother were born, you were oathed by the Five to keep each other. When I was augmented, I became oathed to the Collective. To uphold its principals, the Empress’ will, and through her Armin herself.”

Samantha blinks. “You rely on principle to exist.”

“That is an accurate statement.” Manara observes quietly. “It is ironic that I am perhaps jealous of your method of living.”

“Explain.”

“A freedom from the oaths, to carve a destiny independent of any collective.” Manara continues carefully as she watches a distant horizon. “It is, if theoretically envisioned, possibly attractive.”

Samantha scoffs. “There are aspects to such a lifestyle that are not optimal.”

“There are dangers.” The woman agrees, then pauses. “Samantha, you remind me of the third youngest within my familial collective. She is stubborn, ambitious, and difficult to manage, but yet she is very protective of those around her.”

“Was this the purpose of bringing me to this location?” The girl blankly asks as she peaks over the ledge. “To speak to me?”

“That was perhaps one of my reasons.” Manara smiles. “I simply want to make clear the common ideology of our temporary collective.”

“A common ideology?”

“I understand your protectiveness, and your carefulness regarding Samuel.” Auditor Manara of District Two speaks with power. “To guide such fragility across this world is an incredibly difficult task. But yet, I sense a comfort between you and him. A tie of blood created underneath Armin and the Five, but yet forged by conflicts. I perhaps… envy you.”

“Envy?” Samantha blinks at the strange word.

“I would never speak of this within the Collective, but yet I am seemingly drawn towards an admittance of a truth towards you, Samantha.” The Auditor straightly speaks. “May I speak of it?”

A burden of secrecy between souls, the admittance consented with a single nod from the girl.

“We each have our duties, each to our own collectives. I am afraid that in my oath to the Empress and the Collective I have neglected my own familial collective.”

“Is your family not able to sustain itself?”

“No.” Manara takes a breath as she stares into the horizon. “It is simply the missing of existence. My father’s mid-day meals and mother’s debates, to send the younger ones to schooling. And now to know that Inara, the youngest within my familial collective, will undergo the riula exa augmentus without me at her side. I cannot think of a larger sin an elder sister can commit.”

The girl suppresses confusion at the foreign term. “I am sorry to hear of such an event.”

Manara exhales air. “I as well.”

An emotion emerging from within as a new connection in a dying world is formed, a tiny beacon amongst the ruins of dead divinity. A light suddenly snuffed as training and augmentation destroy the transience of humanity against a conflict to come.

The woman smiles. “As a fellow older sibling I understand the burdens you carry upon yourself. So please, I ask that you allow for a trust to build between us beyond that of a temporary collective.”

Samantha remains still at the offer, the augmented monster before her staring with deep insight and humanity. A single half-lie is spoken, the girl hiding behind ambition and agreement. “I believe I understand.”

“Thank you Samantha.” Manara smiles. “I am appreciative of your understanding.”

The girl avoids eye contact with the woman, listening as the next words from the Auditor are spoken. “We shall not keep Samuel waiting then.”