Leading the transportation of the prisoners was Sedmo Crankor, a notorious figure known for having imprisoned over 40,000 individuals in the past, a grim testament to his ruthless efficiency. Simultaneously, old propaganda resurfaced, once again depicting Zoners as savages and inferiors, reigniting widespread hatred against them.
As Grinex galloped along the dusty, rutted roads, Braxill's eyes widened. This was not the lush, vibrant Berryville he knew. Here, children lay gaunt and poor on the ground, their tiny bodies testament to prolonged starvation. Adults toiled endlessly in the beating sun, their faces etched with desperation, trying to convert whatever meager scraps they could find into sustenance. Moco's harsh words from their last encounter returned to him, a chilling echo in his mind.
"This is my first time seeing this," Braxill mumbled, his voice hushed, "but it doesn't feel that way at all."
Grinex's eyes were locked on the prison wagon cart straight ahead, his massive legs pumping, never breaking stride. Gravixor ran beside him, her powerful frame a blur of protective motion.
Meanwhile, on a perilous journey driven by separate but converging objectives, Lanni, 1st leader of the Zoner Knights, rode in a sturdy horse carriage manifested from her Abi an ability granted to those in the Knights class, making her way towards the same cargo ship.
She received an urgent intel message from Grutix: Grinex and two other bears were also moving to retrieve the prisoners. Since the resource cargo ship was the same one they had planned on hijacking, Grutix requested an alliance with the bears which Lannin accepted making it clear she had much reverence for the Grinex also known as The Wild Black Bear.
Lanni's face was a mask of furious determination. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the reins. "I will not stand here and allow the people to suffer anymore, that cargoship is mine!" she snarled to her accompanying Knights, her voice laced with venom. The King's latest decrees, the stolen resources, the brutal selections—it was all too much.
A bold new plan was formed: the Knights would hijack the entire convoy, as the resource drop-off was directly in Zonerville, before the goods were then transported to the Royal districts. Along their converging paths, they would undoubtedly face encounters with the increasingly aggressive wild Parasites, a threat that would force Braxill to learn more about the harsh realities of the world beyond his valley.
A Flash of Fury
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Grinex continued his relentless pace, tearing through a dilapidated Zoner village. The villagers, already cowering and fearful, became even more so at the sight of the colossal bear thundering through their makeshift homes. Their cries of alarm followed him.
They passed by a disturbing scene: several Delta Robots were systematically setting a Converter machine on fire, destroying the Zoners' meager means of survival. The people were on their knees, begging the robots not to do it, their pleas echoing in the dusty air.
Braxill's eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed in sudden, pure anger. His right eye began to glow with an intense, vibrant green light. He squinted, focusing intently, locking his gaze onto the lead robot. A guttural growl escaped his lips. "Reddlock!"
The Delta Robot, without warning, exploded in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. Gravixor, running beside Grinex, looked up, her eyes wide with surprise, noticing the sudden burst of green light from Braxill's eye and the immediate destruction of the robot. She exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Grinex. This boy was more than they knew.
Far ahead, Sedmo Crankor, riding in the lead cargo ship, noticed the approaching horse carriage, its speed increasing rapidly. A flicker of concern crossed his metallic features as he realized what was happening.
Inside the rattling prison wagon, Grixie sat huddled beside another human girl, Moco. Grixie, with her keen bear senses, immediately picked up on Moco's deeply suppressed, yet incredibly powerful, aura. It hummed beneath the girl's quiet despair. She tried to offer words of comfort, nudging Moco gently. "Don't worry, little one. My friends, they'll come. They'll save us."
But Moco, her ghostly pale skin stark in the dim light, finally spoke, her voice flat and devoid of hope, almost a murmur against the wagon's incessant creak. "Nobody is coming to save us. We are alone, and we will always be alone. Just like I've always been alone." Moco pauses, pain in her eyes "I was planning on going to the surafce anyway, guess this is a free trip."
Grixie "That is a foolish thing child, if you go to the surafce you will be devoured by Barrakudo or you will die from the fall."
Around them, other prisoners, gaunt and defeated, had already accepted their bleak fate, their eyes hollow.
Grixie shook her head, her deep bear voice firm. "I understand you're a zoner and life there must be unbearable. Not to long ago a child walked into our village, he too is a Zoner, although he has no memories of his past he is the epitone of Joy. This has given him devine versight. Even if you don't realize it, you're strong. You have a special kind of energy, deep within you. My ancestors spoke of humans of humans... you're a Demigod!"
Moco simply stared, her expression unchanging, unable to grasp Grixie's words.
The Shockwave
Lanni, now standing atop her horse, her form silhouetted against the setting sun, raised her gleaming sword high. Its blade seemed to hum with contained energy. "Art of Knights!" she roared, her voice echoing across the dusty plains. "Moon Sword!"
Crankor Sedmo, realizing the severity of the threat, immediately increased the speed of the massive cargo ship, hoping to outrun the attack.
But it was too late. Lanni leaped into the air, a blur of resolute motion. With a mighty cry, she slammed her sword into the ground just ahead of the convoy. A massive shockwave erupted outwards, tearing through the earth. The colossal cargo ship, despite its immense size and momentum, bucked violently, then was forcefully sent to its side, grinding to a screeching halt, its metal groaning in protest. The prison wagon, attached behind it, also slammed sideways, rattling the prisoners within.