Rynth: Four Beats

| 7th of Teryusin — Year 362 of the Cycle of Synthesis, Grand Cycle ??? |

Half past two in the early morning—that was the time rendered on Raoul’s watch. For a while, they had followed the laid out beaten path, taking care to stick close to the wider, concrete-paved asphalt from which a few off-roader cars cruised by, most of which were taking the route to Cias Buril. It was hard to stifle a laugh or two, given the destruction he had made ensue during their exit.

Now that they were free literally and metaphorically, a single thought in his head persisted in its incessant droning. Amidst all the wide, open plains of grass and chunky emerald hills that offered a clear view of the of the equally unoccupied landscape, the mildly annoying chirps of crickets in the trees, and the clear midnight sky displaying a perfect view of the white crescent moon that was Fenyxia in the sky, Raoul couldn’t help but realize one thing.

He hadn’t had the slightest idea of how to set up camp.

Before invading Krocko’s office and personal residence a few hours prior, they had taken to shopping in Garajal District, browsing various different supermarkets for camping supplies. Somehow, Avil had opted to turn time four Cycles back and specifically bought gear from when the entire concept of camping became common: thick, fur-lined bedrolls made from some unidentified beast, cans of non-perishable food fit for doomsday skulking, a pot and tableware, two metal lamps powered and refuelable by Jati and four sets of tents in the colors of umber, pear, parchment, and snow. Ignoring the danger of sticking out like a sore thumb with how vibrant the latter half of colors were, there was at least a saving grace in the fact that wards enchanted into the items during creation allowed them to fold in absurdly thin so as to be stored easily in their bags.

Other essentials, such as refillable and washable water bottles and changes of clothes tailored to each of the Batan’s fittings were also paid for with the aid of Avil’s bank account. Like Raoul’s school card, Oroan would likely cut off his access to his credit card sometime in the near future, so there was no better opportunity to take advantage.

They had just about made it to a part of the path that curved directly into a meadow’s peak. Just a half-minute east of their position flowed a crystal-clear stream, trailing off from a wide mittelgebirge in the far distance. Hearing the familiar rush of water, Idri called out,

“I hear water nearby. Is it a stream? A river? Can we make camp there?”

Raoul followed the susurrus and caught sight of the stream a few moments later. He nodded in agreement, turning to Avil and Cali, who did the same. “I’m fine with that. I’m both sleepy and hungry.”

The four of them continued on further, stopping at the exact spot in the hill’s crest just shy of a trodden dirt track that led directly to the current below. Finding a sizable flat spot, Avil unslung his bag, setting it down on the grass before unzipping it open. Loosening opened into a seemingly near-infinite space reminiscent of the night sky, directly inside his bag. A Bottomless Bag, a popular artifact used by not only pioneers, but also the common folk in day-to-day life. He reached in, retrieving four different shades of tents, folded in the exact retail style shirts and the like were in stores. He went over to all three of his friends, gingerly handing their respective tents to their hands.

“Thank you, Master Avil.”

Calliope moved quickly. Without missing a beat, she set down her own bag and retreated to her own corner of their spot, deftly untying the ropes that kept her tent in place. Like a pop-up car windshield sunshade, the main body unfurled in an instant and floated idly much like a balloon. Reaching up, she caught onto one of the four stakes weighing the tent down and stabbed the first into the ground. The enchantments inscribed activated once she did, keeping the initial quarter stuck to the dirt. She did the same for the other three stakes, completely setting the tent up in record speed. She then turned, waiting for the rest of her friends to finish.

A sigh left her lips. Pure exasperation.

Avil was faring the best, but not by a huge margin. Him and Raoul were two peas in a pod, in the sense that physicality was the farthest from their list of priorities. His tent had floated just barely over the maximum height he could reach with an outstretched arm and jumping. And jumping he was, only to complete disappointment.

“Ah! Damn.” He muttered, almost tripping over himself. “Maybe I should stop time and throw Raoul’s dagger to cut it down.”

Cali snuck over, hand locked around each other and kept behind. “May I, Master Avil?”

“Gah…! By Estof, Cali.” yelped Avil, the bit of surprise forcing him to jump mildly higher than he was before. He attempted to catch the stake once more, only to fail thanks to his late reaction. “You could’ve warned me, at least. But yeah, I’d appreciate the help.”

No words spoken, she burst into the air again, grabbing ahold of the stake and stabbing it into the grass. She did the same for the other three, setting Avil’s up a few moments slower than hers.

“Thanks, Cali.”

“...It is my pleasure to serve.” She gave a firm, forced bow and continued on to where Raoul was.

In comparison, their leader wasn’t moving. Wrought by confusion, of course. He merely kept stroking his chin, trying to manufacture a bridge in his mind between ‘Raoul’ and ‘tent’ that didn’t just involve shooting it down with Ice Shard. His gaze rapidly drifted between the floating cloth and the ground, seriously debating it. Just before he began weaving the signs to the spell, Cali eased in.

“I am more than happy to assist you if you need it, Raoul.”

“Hmm? Oh, hey, Cali. You think I could just use a spell to shoot it down? Or… maybe I could use Emergence and have the calmer winds float it down to me. That’s a good idea, I think.”

In some areas, the boys of their little party completely dwarfed the girls. Thinking up easier, more practical approaches to problems wasn’t one of them. Cali held back another sigh that was brewing up in her nostrils and brought his tent down before he could do something about it.

Raoul blinked in shock, but chuckled and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Well, that’s something. I’m having a hard time deciding who’s quicker between you and Idri. Anyway, thanks, Cali.”

“You are welcome, Raoul.”

She could find no fault in Idri, despite her failing the hardest among the three of her friends, and this was largely due to her self-imposed blindness. The pale maiden had long since let go of the expanded body and was following the sound of a small orange oriole whistling atop a tree. She stood there, listening to its song with an entranced gaze.

“Idri.”

“Cali!” She turned, lightening up in a radiant smile as her friend joined. “Do you hear the songbird? Its voice is so soft. Do you think I could teach it to sing one of my songs?”

“I’m afraid not. Would you like me to bring down your tent, however?”

“Tent… Oh, right! My tent. I let go of it accidentally and couldn’t find it again. I navigate by sound, scent and touch, so anything that isn’t moving is effectively invisible to me. Could you do me a favor and help me pitch it, please?”

“I am more than happy to.”

Just like she had done for Avil and Raoul, Cali skillfully brought all four stakes down, finally setting up the last of their shelters in a perfect square. A spacious berth was left void in the center—space for a campfire. The Batan quickly gathered, setting down various sticks and stones they had picked up earlier in the middle under Cali’s instruction to form a modest campfire. With a flick of the wrist, she lit a fire on her finger with the Ember spell and sent the flare to the collection, along with a few blows of breath to hearten the fire to spread.

It was like babysitting a bunch of toddlers. None of them knew much of camping beyond the absolute basics. Cali couldn’t help but thank the lessons her mother had drilled her in, lest they journeyed with the cold of the night.

As the fire roared to life, crackling and burning, they sat down in a cross, watching the flames’ controlled chaos. There was still one issue before they could turn in for the night: hunger.

Raoul eyed his friends. “So… who knows how to cook?”

They all turned to Cali. She didn’t even attempt to hide her mild groan.

“...Please gather our rations. I will make something palatable.”