The atmosphere inside the palace grew even tenser after Yeza's announcement, but the Niqols knew how to deal with it. They threw a massive party the day before the departure that saw the presence of adult aliens and some soldiers. Their participation initially made things awkward, but the booze vanquished that feeling rather quickly.
Khan and Liiza didn't waste a single second of the time that Zalpa had given them. Massive problems that they couldn't solve filled their minds, but they made sure to appease them through their overflowing feelings. They didn't show their faces often, and the other couples imitated that behavior. Everyone made sure to spend a few hours together before taking care of their loved ones.
The day of the departure saw a large group amassing in the large area in front of the palace. A small army made of a hundred Niqols and few humans gathered inside the mountain and followed their superiors' orders to take their spot in the simple battle formation planned in the previous days.
The muddy valley wasn't nearby. The group would take a bit more than two weeks of constant travel to reach it on foot. They would even need to spend that time in the wild without proper knowledge of the fauna since no one had the chance to perform thorough inspections without the Aduns.
The students and recruits who had traveled with Zalpa didn't worry too much about the monsters. They had seen how easily the old Niqols had ensured that no danger ever appeared on their path, and they even had many powerful assets leading them at that time.
However, some doubts still existed in their minds, mostly due to the timing of the travel. The sunlight had theoretically entered its last phase. According to the soldiers' math, Nitis would regain its iconic constant night soon. They had calculated that it would take between two and four weeks for the sky to return dark.
The group might even witness the event during their travel. The crisis was about to end, but that didn't manage to raise morale. The issue with the Aduns had halted most hunts, meaning that Nitis was full of monsters that had been free to thrive under the sunlight for entire weeks. Some of them had probably also gone through the second round of mutations.
Khan and the others might avoid meeting monsters during the travel, but those creatures were a problem that they would eventually have to face. The battle inside the muddy valley might even attract some packs due to the massive discharge of mana that it would inevitably feature.
Nitis might require entire years to return to its past stability, especially since the rebels had decided to make their move. Many battles would follow the end of the crisis, but the soldiers couldn't wait for them to arrive. The planet's chaos would work in their favor once they regained access to the teleport.
Khan could easily understand those political matters, and he could even guess that his superiors were betting a lot on him to gain more freedom on Nitis. Still, those motives barely managed to make their way inside his mind. He would give his everything in each battle but for very different reasons.
Zalpa revealed the full extent of her expertise by shielding the army with countless potions that she had prepared in a matter of days. The group departed after that process ended. They abandoned the safety of the mountain to step into the wild.
Long and silent days followed the departure. Khan was among his friends, but none of them dared to speak for too long. The army was already quite loud on its own, so they didn't want to add noises that could waste the effects of Zalpa's potions.
The higher-ups led their underlings across the regions fearlessly. The army had a series of scouts that inspected the areas and updated Yeza constantly, so she could always find a path that would limit the number of breaks or battles.
The army's size didn't allow it to avoid monsters altogether, but those meetings led to one-sided slaughters. Even packs with more than thirty specimens were nothing more than ants in front of all the powerful soldiers in the group.
Breaks still happened, but they were rare, and they never left room for intimacy. Yeza's knowledge of Nitis' layout had allowed her to pick resting areas even before the travel, which mostly featured empty zones that offered a complete view of their surroundings. Everyone slept in the open and near their companions to ensure that no one got lost or worse.
The group crossed the environments seen during the meetings. The forest led to a small plain connected to a series of dark rivers. The vegetation began to thrive again afterward and forced the army to tread among thick woods. Mountains eventually followed before the path transformed into a plain.
The army had to change its pace and approach depending on the environment it was crossing, but the leaders took care of every decision, so the underlings only needed to imitate them. Random battles and issues with the breaks affected the schedule planned in the palace, but the two mountains containing the muddy valley appeared in the distance only a day later than expected.
The travel had taken a total of two and a half weeks. Khan needed George's reminder to recall that their first academic year was over, but neither of them had the time to think about the topic. The sunlight illuminated Nitis even as the group settled in a spot near the two mountains. The crisis was still ongoing, so the matters concerning the Global Army felt too distant from their current situation.
"The rebels have probably already learnt about our arrival," Yeza announced when she made the army stop next to the river that led into the muddy valley. "Let's set up a camp quickly and rest. We'll take one day to remove the fatigue accumulated during the travel. The battle will follow."
The announcement made most underlings gulp, but none of them fell prey to fear. The crisis had trained them for those situations, so they quickly began to work on the encampment.
The Niqols had prepared provisions and portable tents that revealed how mana could replace technology for the most part. One of the aliens carried a backpack filled with glowing cards that made the ground raise once they touched it. A series of short triangular structures soon grew on the relatively barren shores and created an encampment capable of containing the entire army.
That scene would normally surprise the humans and many students, but everyone was too tense to pay attention to those valuable tools. Their entire focus was on the imminent battle and making the best out of the time before that.
"[I never expected us to be our greatest enemy during the crisis]," Ilman announced before gulping the booze in his cup.
"[I never expected to share drinks with you]," Azni joked. "[Nitis must have really gone crazy]."
Everyone laughed at that comment. The Niqols had obviously thrown a party after they completed their tasks, and Khan and his friends had sat in a circle to enjoy those short hours together.
The army had orders to sleep early the next day, so the students and recruits planned to enjoy that event to its fullest. Some soldiers and adult Niqols also shared that mindset and decided to get drunk or join the chants echoing among the camp.
"[I can't believe that we have been here for six months]," George chuckled as Havaa laid her head on his shoulder.
"[Right, you use years to divide the level of your instruction]," Doku commented. "[That still feels stupid]."
"[We are so different]," Helen sighed, but a warm smile appeared on her face when Vait placed a hand on her back.
"[We have all changed a lot]," Azni announced, "[Especially you and those two over there]."
Helen blushed, but she imitated the others in the circle by glancing at the couple on her left. Liiza was sitting on Khan's lap, and the two often exchanged whispers that led to cute laughs or intense stares.
Khan and Liiza noticed that the attention had moved on them, but they still exchanged a series of teases that only they could hear before turning toward their friends. Different expressions that mostly showed affection or approval unfolded in their vision and made them smile warmly.
"[I didn't change at all]," Khan stated, but his words transformed most affectionate expressions into glares. Liiza even had to cover her mouth to suppress her laugh.
"[Don't laugh]," Azni mocked. "[You are no different from him. No wonder you two get along so well]."
"[She is just jealous]," Khan joked while wrapping his arms around Liiza's waist.
"[I want you two to remember that I had to babysit your relationship when you still acted as edgy kids]," Azni sneered, and everyone laughed again, Khan and Liiza included.
"[Though they fooled all of us]," George admitted, "[Except Ilman, I guess]."
"[My intuition is unmatched on Nitis]," Ilman proudly announced.
"[I wouldn't put it like that]," Khan rolled his eyes.
"[And I was lucky enough to witness everything]," George cleared his throat before emptying his cup.
Laughs resounded among the group again. Teases, jokes, and stories about their memories on Nitis followed as the group tried to make the best out of that last party. Other Niqols and humans joined and left as the hours passed, but the celebrations eventually started to end.
"[Well]," Ilman exclaimed before standing up and spreading his arms, "[I'll try to end the celebrations like a true Niqols. Wish me good luck]!"
Everyone saluted Ilman, but Helen and Veronica turned toward the boys to shoot questioning glances as soon as the Niqols left.
"[He will try to find a girl tonight]," Khan explained.
"[Did he finally get over Liiza]?" Azni asked as curiosity filled her eyes.
"[Not really]," Doku revealed. "[He is only trying to experience a normal life to find his true self]."
"[And he doesn't want to die as a virgi-]," George began to say, but Havaa slapped the back of his head before he could finish his line.
"[How come you three know so much about him]?" Azni asked. "[We have barely spent time together in the past days]."
"[Men only need a gesture to convey entire speech-]," George exclaimed, but Havaa slapped the back of his head again to interrupt him.
"[What was this for]?!" George asked in surprise.
"[I don't need a reason to slap you]," Havaa proudly declared before continuing to speak in a softer tone, "[And it's getting late]."
George revealed a blank expression in front of Havaa's meaningful gaze, but he quickly snapped back to reality. He threw away his cup and wrapped an arm around the girl's waist to lift her as he jumped to his feet.
Havaa giggled as she wrapped her arms around George's neck and stretched her legs to make him put an arm under her knees. He rotated on himself to tease his girlfriend before stopping to face his companions and voice odd salutes. "[I have to take care of my woman's needs]!"
Havaa slapped the back of George's head again, but the latter didn't care. He started to laugh as he turned and carried her back to his tent.
"[I'm surprised Havaa lets him talk at all]," Azni commented when the couple disappeared among the tents.
"[He is an idiot]," Doku chuckled.
"[He is a good idiot]," Khan corrected before laughing with his friend.
"[We'll also take our leave]," Helen announced as she and Vait stood up elegantly. "[I don't know if you'll see us tomorrow, but we will be at your side during the battle]."
A round of salutes resounded again, and others soon imitated the couple. It didn't take long before the circle only had Khan, Azni, Doku, and Liiza left.
"[I won't even ask if you'll come out of your tent tomorrow]," Azni said in a helpless tone, and Khan and Liiza shook their heads to confirm her guess.
"[We won't get out either]," Doku announced. "[I bet that the entire encampment will remain empty tomorrow. The battle is worrying everyone]."
The comment made a sad aura fall among the four, but they fought it by relying on their partners. Both couples silently stood up and exchanged simple waves of their hands before separating to reach their respective tents. They didn't need to say anything since their friendship was already beyond those things.
The following day went as Doku had predicted. The camp was almost empty, and no one celebrated or roamed among the tents. Everyone dealt with their anxiety by training, sleeping, or focusing on intimate intercourses. The only interruption in that free time was a message that appeared inside each habitation and described the battle plan.
"[Your mother is definitely spying on us]," Khan groaned as he straightened his back to sit cross-legged on the ground and study the battle plan.
"[At least she is choosing to interrupt our sleep instead of the other stuff]," Liiza joked in a sleepy voice before adjusting her position to lay her head on Khan's lap.
Khan only needed to place his cube on the ground to take control of the battle plan and inspect it from different points of view. He could even read the names that would make each platoon. He was on the sidelines while Liiza would remain behind to focus on her spell.
"[Don't you dare to get caught]," Liiza stated after studying the battle plan. "[I won't hesitate to leave my position otherwise]."
"[Are you trying to encourage me by using your safety in a threat]?" Khan asked as he tinkered with the azure drawing on the ground.
"[I know how your brain works]," Liiza proudly declared, and Khan couldn't help but divert his gaze from the battle plan to focus on her.
Khan caressed Liiza hair, and she wore a smile as she took one of his crossed legs in her arms as if it were a pillow. She was the epitome of cuteness in that position, and Khan couldn't help but express his feelings.
"[Did I already tell you that I love you]?" Khan whispered.
Liiza opened her eyes and turned to glance at Khan. His loving azure eyes appeared in her vision and made her emotions burst.
"[Yes, but never stop saying it]," Liiza responded before placing a hand on his abdomen. "[Get down so that I can also tell you how I feel]."
The couple enjoyed that loving moment as long as possible, but the morning eventually arrived. Humans and Niqols left their tents and saluted those who would remain in the camp before starting their march toward the two mountains nearby.
Zalpa did her best to hide the army's presence, but her help ended there. She only made sure to nod at Khan and Liiza before returning to the camp and preparing a medical bay. She knew that many would need it.
****
Author's notes: The second chapter will be late again, damn me. According to my calculations, which are always wrong, it will take less than two hours for me to complete it.
