Rox hyperventilated as her ragged breath echoed inside her helmet while her chest had begun to tighten every second as if the jaws of something unseen was clamping down on her very being.
"Urgh… stop wasting time and—"
*click!
*hiss!
Without wasting any more time, Gelhyne pressed her thumb at the apex of the device, triggering the mechanism to which made it hiss and slightly glow a blue hue.
Eidra shimmered within the device, powerfully so, before a small needle point popped out at the bottom of the device.
Gelhyne inspected it for a split second.
It was clear as day that the object she was holding was an injection device.
In a swift manner, Gelhyne approached Rox, before kneeling just beside her as she was already on the ground, weak.
"Tell me where should I inject this device?" Gelhyne said hurriedly, her other hand supporting Rox's back as she stabilized her body.
"H-here…" Rox's index finger, shaking, pulled the fabric of the cloak just by her neck to which exposed her skin.
"Hold still…!" Gelhyne swiftly injected the device to the exposed skin of Rox's neck, the needle puncturing her skin as the substance—the eidra—that was contained within the device flowed straight through her.
"Urgh… haah! Now that's… better…," The sensation of relief washed over Rox's entire body like a cold and refreshing wind as the eidra from the device started to slither its way to each and every corner of her body.
"Does this… happen everytime?" Gelhyne asked, her hand still still holding Rox's shoulders.
"It's hard being cursed to live without eidra you know?" Rox raised a brow… before placing a hand upon the ground, releasing one final exhale before finally taking one foot forward to stand.
Rox patted her cloak a few times before coughing,
"U-Uhh.. Thanks for assisting me…" Rox spoke in an almost embarrassed way, her hand touching the back of her neck in awkwardness.
"Mhm, don't mention it," Gelhyne replied promptly as she stood up, patting her knees before finally staring blankly at Rox's face—well, her helmet..
Rox stared back silently… raising a brow as she slightly tilted her head as to why Gelhyne was staring at her silently.
…
"Do you have anything else to say?" Rox finally spoke, her head shifting behind her shoulder before returning towards Gelhyne's gaze.
"I'm about to retrieve my ship since you asked to me find this 'ruin' after all"
"Your condition… so these are the side effects of one being void with eidra," Gelhyne spoke, clearly interested before shaking her head subtly as she continued.
"I will join you in this scouting mission, I want to confirm with my very own eyes of your usefulness."
*sigh
"Fine, but don't touch anything while inside," Rox sighed, pointing at Gelhyne before finally pivoting as both her and Gelhyne travelled to where Rox had last stationed her ship.
.
.
.
*crunch! *crunch!
The ground crunched as Rox's boots pressed on the grass every step she took,
*fwooosh!
the wind slightly howled in front of them as both Rox and Gelhyne travelled through the very same pathway they had trekked on when Rox was held captive and brought to camp.
"So…," Rox said in almost quirky way,
"Since when were you a data broker?" she continued as if trying to break the stillness of the air between them.
Yet Gelhyne didn't bother replying while wearing her usual cold and emotionless face.
"You look young for one, I mean for a data broker. No offense of course," Rox continued, her stride not breaking yet she was looking at Gelhyne, expecting for an answer.
And so she did.
"We aren't here for small talk," Gelhyne replied coldly as she continued to walk forward, eyes straightforward whilst wearing her usual cold and expressionless face.
"So we're seriously just about to walk aaaaall the way to my ship without even talking, not even for the mission, anything?" Rox raised a brow as if Gelhyne would see it behind her helmet.
"Yes, now shut up and walk forward," Gelhyne glared at Rox.
She's angry again.
*Sigh!
Rox sighed as she took another step forward, releasing her gaze from Gelhyne as she continued to walk forward.
"Whatever you say, my lady!" The sarcasm in Rox's voice tainted her words as she subtly shook her head to drop the matter.
And just like that, both Gelhyne and Rox continued to walk through the flat grasslands until minutes started to bleed into a full hour…
Until they manage to return to the familiar scenery of thick and tall grass in every direction—the very place where Gelhyne had found Rox.
They continued forward a few more minutes before finally, Rox halted which prompted Gelhyne to follow her lead.
Gelhyne shifted her gaze around, trying to find Rox's ship, before shifting her gaze back towards Rox, waiting for her to do something.
Then, as if on cue, Rox raised her arm, her gloved fingers tapping swiftly across the glowing surface of her wrist mounted system pad.
*whirr!
*click!
The device emitted a soft and subtle hum before finally lighting up with blue lines that pulsed outward.
Gelhyne simply waited, her eyes locked on Rox's fingers to which was continuously pressing another sequence of presses upon her wrist device.
Finally, with a final press of the activation button,
*Tssssssssssssssh!
The ground several meters ahead suddenly came alive.
A deep and mechanical whir filled the air as invisible winds burst outward, scattering leaves that went past both Rox and Gelhyne's faces.
The distortion rippled like waters before the cloaking field of Rox's ship flickers and broke apart, revealing its features at plain sight.
"Camouflage deactivated!" announced a calm yet familiar synthetic voice from Rox's wrist pad—Celer, one of the AIs bound to Rox's ship.
And there it was.
Before them stood the Nightjarr, its metallic frame shimmering under the light of the sun.
The ship bore a few scorched marks and scratches from its previous flight, but even through the damage, its sleek and aerodynamic design radiated elegance and purpose.
Smooth black alloy plates overlapped across its hull, each etched with faint red lines that pulsed like living veins.
Gelhyne stepped closer, her eyes slightly widening as she slowly took in the sight.
"So this… is the Nightjarr," she murmured, her voice a mixture of awe and interest.
The faint reflection of the ship's hull gleamed across her lenses as she tilted her head slightly.
"Heh, she's a beauty ain't she?" Rox smirked.