Is there someone who'll reach out?
WHO: satisfiedsigner & Peruvian NPCs
WHERE: Markawasi, Peru
WHEN: July 2 - July 7
WARNINGS: nope
SUMMARY: Markawasi trip!
FORMAT: Self-log!
[[Here, have a revent post. :)]]
Kiryu didn't get anymore sleep that night. Miguel pressed a cup of coca tea on him after seeing how distressed he really was, ignoring Kiryu's protests that he didn't need it. Even though he probably did, and he felt much better after drinking it, but it made any attempt to fall asleep again useless. He doubted he would have been able to fall asleep again anyway with all the thoughts rushing through his head and all the emotions that came with them.
And he'd switched forms as soon as he was done talking to Yuusei, and he'd never slept well as a Dark Signer.
He absently wished he could stay in this form for the rest of his time here, or at least for the rest of this particular trip. It was so natural and the energy of the place resonated with his powers so well--not quite the same but in a way that was almost harmonious. He almost wondered if he might be able to finally summon his God with enough food and sleep. And it was almost enough for him to feel like he could go back to the City now, but he did really like being here in Peru, other than feeling frustrated by another language barrier, and it wasn't quite the answer he was looking for.
He laid down and stared up at the stars, just enjoying the feeling for several long minutes. And the stars. They were so bright here, and there were so many. They rarely been able to see many of them back in Satellite; the lights from Neo Domino and the smog washed them out too much.
Yuusei still wouldn't be able to see hardly any of these with all the lights of the City...
Of course, his thoughts would go right back to his hated former teammate. Who still worried about him.
He scowled and flicked a card out of its holder, hardly having to look to know it was Infernity Beast. He usually stuck it near the top. A brief moment of concentration, and the beast was laying down half on top of him. He was sure anyone still awake would notice, but he was beyond caring. He needed the distraction, and he needed to use his powers, and he wasn't going to hide what he was for other people's ease of mind.
Yuusei had been worried about him. He'd also spun a very nice tale about what had happened that night and how he'd felt about it that Kiryu wasn't sure he could believe. But he really had been worried. Kiryu knew he looked like crap, especially with that damn dream, but he hadn't thought Yuusei would care. Yuusei had betrayed him once and didn't care then and now Kiryu wanted him dead so why would he care now? Or at least, Yuusei thought Kiryu wanted him dead. Kiryu still wasn't sure about that.
But Yuusei had asked what was wrong. More than once. And he'd been genuinely concerned, Kiryu could tell that much. Yuusei's expressions hadn't changed since Team Satisfaction.
Kiryu really didn't know what to make of it. Why would he care? He knew Yuusei thought of them as friends, but they weren't, and Kiryu had made it clear that they weren't going to be. Why was he still trying?
He sneered and grabbed his comm, ready to throw it across the campsite. Maybe it would land in the remnants of their fire and explode. Maybe then he'd stop thinking about Yuusei damn him why was he in there all the time?
But that wouldn't solve anything and that pissed him off too. And if he destroyed his comm, he'd have a harder time bothering Yuusei, and Alastair and Saitou might worry if they tried to get a hold of him. So he stuffed his comm back into his pocket and looked back up to watch the stars slowly circle across the sky.
~*~*~*~*~
The guides had them gather early, not long after the sun had risen, to start their trek across the mesa to the first formation in today's hike. They were going to be hiking both standard route around Markawasi, but only one actually started and ended at the Amphitheater, and Miguel had explained that the effect of shadows one a few of the formations wouldn't work nearly as well if they started at the wrong place. So they had to hike to where this route began, because they wouldn't be going on the other until tomorrow.
Kiryu didn't mind that too much. He'd been ready to go for a couple hours. And if they didn't hike around, he'd never get used to it.
And he felt a some vindictive pleasure in walking around with these Americans who knew exactly what he was now and were far too nervous about it. The more time he got to spend making them uncomfortable, the better. They didn't even have a good reason; he wasn't going to hike around as a Dark Signer.
They finally stopped near a huge rock, the Monument to Humanity, that looked a bit like two faces back-to-back. It didn't even require much imagination to see it, though one was slightly more difficult to pick out than the other. One of the other guides, Leon, started pointing out the various faces this particular rock was famous for, most of them much harder to see than the most obvious. Kiryu thought whoever found them first had too much imagination, but some of them were definitely there.
He expected to feel something different around this formation, and all of them, once they got there, but it wasn't any different from the general feel of the rest of the mesa. It was almost a little less. It didn't make the rock any less magnificent and cool, but he felt like maybe he was missing something. There was something interesting nearby, but it wasn't this.
"Kyosuke?"
Kiryu blinked and started walking again; he hadn't noticed he'd stopped. And he thought he could see the whole thing just fine from here, but it seemed Leon was going to lead them around to look at something else. Miguel hung back to let Kiryu catch up with him.
"Are you all right, Kyosuke? How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Kiryu said, shaking hie head. Which hurt, a little, but he didn't think he'd drunk enough water on the hike over. "Just, this is very..." He paused, thinking to think of a word other than "amazing" or "cool"; those were too boring. Which was why they were some of the only ones he'd learned in English.
Miguel waited until it was clear Kiryu couldn't come up with anything, then he laughed and gave a good-natured grin. "I understand. It strikes most people that way. That's why they come here."
Kiryu nodded. He wondered vaguely if the mesa itself did that to people to keep them coming.
Miguel led him to where the other guides were showing the rest of the group a couple pictographs etched into the Monument where they'd be simple to miss without a guide. Kiryu wasn't sure what was so remarkable about them--a checkerboard shape and a couple others--but everyone else seemed excited.
Once they finally started wondering away from the Monument, the guides pointed out a few more formations nearby. They weren't too hard to see either--a turtle and a pair of lions, completely out of place here. And a woman with children once after a bit of hiking; it wasn't too far from the Monument, but it only looked right from the other side.
But after that there wasn't much to see for a while. The guides pointed out some things, but they were much more difficult to pick out. They spent so time wandering through some ruins, but other than the briefly novel feeling of those, Kiryu didn't care about that much. However different they looked, they were too much like some areas in Satellite. And there wasn't much else until they reached the Amphitheater again.
Of course, Miguel led them around the edge, staying away from the campsite, since they were only passing through for now. He pointed out a couple formations they'd missed before for lack of looking and led them out the opposite end of the bowl, a way they hadn't gone yet.
And Kiryu started wondering off before he realized he was doing it.
He couldn't sense it until they left the bowl and got to be on about the same level, but then it was there. Something similar to what he'd felt back at the Monument to Humanity, but closer and easier to feel. he wasn't even sure what it was or if it was really there at all and not just his crazy mind playing tricks, but there was something there. He started wandering off to find it while Leon was pointing out another formation. he glanced back a couple times to make sure he wasn't being left behind, but he wasn't really worried. If something happened or he got lost, he had his powers, still straining to be used again after their brief unleashing.
He quickly reached a cross shape etched into the rock, only standing out if someone was actually trying to look for it. It was probably one of those that showed up better when the sun was in the right spot in the sky to cast the right shadows. He found his way there without trouble; the mesa wanted him there, so he found it. But he was hesitant to step on it. There was something off. Like it wasn't the right time. It wanted him there, but not on it.
The someone appeared standing in the middle of it. Kiryu scowled and hovered on the edge of transformation, but the man just stood there, watching him patiently. He almost seemed to be shorter than Kiryu, although Kiryu was sure he was a couple feet taller.
"Kiryu Kyosuke. The farthest traveler we've received."
First, Kiryu was surprised to hear his name in the proper order--he hardly even introduced himself that way anymore. There was no point when he lived in a place where no one introduced himself that way and no one understood it when he did.
Then he realize the rest had been Japanese. He hadn't heard pure Japanese from anyone in Peru since Alastair and Saitou had left. Yuusei didn't count; he was still in the City, or at least, he wasn't in Peru. It took him a moment to adjust his thinking back to it.
"Who are you?" he asked, He'd meant to sound demanding and angry, because that was what he was--he hated being caught off-guard--but for some reason, that seemed like a bad idea.
The apparition didn't seem to hear him. He just went on in flawless Japanese. "You won't find what you're looking for here, except in your clever cell phone. I wish you luck in your quest. The mountain will plague you no longer."
He disappeared before Kiryu could say anything. Kiryu reached out as if to grab him and keep him here, but it was a useless gesture. And the man probably wouldn't have even explained what he meant anyway.
Then he heard someone laugh behind him before he could give it much thought anyway. He turned to see Miguel leading the group up the side of the rock, a bright grin on his face.
"Look at that. A natural vortex-dowser. We might put you to work."
Kiryu supposed this cross was a "vortex" since he had no idea what Miguel meant by any of that. He scowled anyway, though he had a feeling he just looked put-out. This damn world and its lack of Security and Yuusei had made him soft.
Miguel went on to explain that the vortexes were natural concentrations of energy, enough that anyone could feel them, whether they regularly worked with energy or not. There were 22 across the mesa and each had a different purpose. One had even healed someone paralyzed in a car crash; he'd been able to walk himself back down to the village after being left there for a couple days. They wouldn't be seeing all of them, but they'd see a better example tomorrow.
Kiryu asked if the vortexes had ever shown themselves like people. That had to be what the man before was about. He didn't hallucinate in the middle of the day; it was always a continuation of a dream after Saitou shook him awake.
Miguel just gave him an odd look and Kiryu shut his mouth again. He wasn't about to explain if Miguel hadn't heard of it before. Everyone already thought he was crazy enough.
Leon was eager to keep going, so they didn't stay there long, just long enough for anyone interested to investigate. Kiryu wasn't too upset about that. He was eager to leave, to be somewhere else where his head would be clearer and he could just think without feeling such a need to let his powers loose. He was content to take his established place at the back of the group as they started on the second half of the loop along Sunset Ridge.
Anne was the one to point out most these formations, including a few at the spot where tomorrow's hike would begin. Kiryu leaned out like the others to catch a glimpse of the elusive Alchemist, and he thought he might have seen something, but it didn't really look like much right then. It was one of the formations that relied on shadows to appear. The others weren't, so they were far easier to spot.
Kiryu felt it as they walked past another vortex once they were close to the beginning. The one he'd felt before, near the Monument to Humanity. He pointedly ignored it, although Miguel glanced at him like he knew exactly what was going on. He probably knew it was there; Kiryu thought he might have heard him mention it while he was distracted. But it wasn't directly on the way, so he wasn't sure he cared. The other vortex hadn't been very helpful.
His dreams were thankfully free of Yuusei and Cavil. The man in the vortex appeared again, briefly, but the dreams he remembered were mostly of Saitou and Alastair and Bakura and their apartment and Ryoko's and making out with Alastair (which had been far too long along and if he hadn't already been planning this trip he would have asked him out again weeks ago) and trying to make Saitou smile.
He actually didn't want to wake up in the morning. He'd almost forgotten what that was like. Even in Satellite, it was necessary to sleep with one eye open most nights.
He had the brief desire to send them a text to let them know how he was doing and that he was still here. Hey, I'm still here. Still having a good time. Are Demak or Rudger in the City yet? See you in a month. But breakfast distracted him. Maybe later.
They spent quite a bit of time just in leaving the Amphitheater through the Gate of the Gods. There was such a huge concentration of formation in the one place, it took longer than usual to look at them all. And they didn't walk very far before they ran into more. Kiryu glanced in the direction of the vortex as they passed it, but he felt no need to wander over again. He didn't think anything would happen if he did.
Kiryu was much more interested in the next couple sites anyway. Miguel started explaining one of them a fair distance away from it.
"Local myths say if you try to jump over the Infernillo, you'll be dragged down into the depths of the earth. Or if you walk into the crevasse, you'll be taken through the mountains and end up in the middle of the jungle, changed forever."
He gave them a skeptical smirk and calmed the nervous awe that'd been forming within the group. Obviously, he didn't think there was much behind that myth. And Leon readily jumped over the deep gash in the rock when they arrived. The rest of the group took turns jumping the gap as if trying to prove they hadn't really believed Miguel's warning.
Kiryu felt a clicker of irritation as he jumped over, but he pushed it away. What was there to be irritated about?
He wandered lower down to investigated the mouth of the crevasse. Here, it was like a cave; the bit of light let in at the top did a poor job of illuminating the whole thing. There wasn't really anything foreboding about it, though he could understand where the myths might have come from. He certainly felt no desire to explore any further.
From there they could see what Kiryu thought was the coolest formation so far--a huge man lying on his back on the mesa, staring up at the sky. Anne said it was similar to a face on the surface of Mars and even brought a picture of it to compare. They weren't the same, of course, and Kiryu doubted it meant anything at all, but it was cool. He wished, for the first time, that Alastair, Saitou, and even Yuusei could have been there with him. Yuusei wouldn't think much of this, he was sure, but he needed to come here too. The Crimson Dragon came from here too after all.
He had to quickly think of something else before his powers went crazy again. Thinking about that damn dragon always pissed him off.
The rest of the group pointed out the next couple before they got there; they were just so obvious it was impossible to miss them. Kiryu felt a brief something as they walked around the Condor, but it was hard to tell what. It wasn't familiar, but almost.
It didn't distract him for long either, because as soon as they reached the next one and the dry lagoon nearby, he felt another vortex. And Miguel started leading them to it. This had to be the one he'd mentioned before. And Kiryu felt it more strongly than he had the others. Maybe the amount of people who visited had something to do with it. He could only guess; he didn't know anything about this stuff.
This cross was more obvious than the other too. A couple of white streaks on the ground like someone had taken whitewash to the rock. They each spent a few minutes standing or sitting or laying on the spot; it was strong enough that everyone could tell there was something here. Kiryu went last and laid down, closing his eyes. No weird people. No voices. Just a faint sensation of warmth and peace. He felt his powers come out and didn't care. He didn't feel like he should be in this form, especially on this trip, but it almost seemed like the mesa wanted him to be this way and who was he to argue? He was more comfortable in this form anyway. The Americans would just have to deal with it.
He almost didn't hear Miguel call for him and he wasn't quite ready to go when someone shook his shoulder. But part of him felt ready to go. And he wanted to see the rest of the mesa.
He glanced back once on the way back down the rock. A man stood on the middle of the cross, a very brown man not too unlike Demak. He smiled and nodded to Kiryu and disappeared. Kiryu snarled and looked away again, but he couldn't keep a faint smile from forming as he eased his way down the rock after Miguel.
He ignored any odd feelings for the rest of the day. One other vortex felt insistent, but he was done with them, He just enjoyed being a tourist, like everyone else.
he was already planning to come back, though. Maybe not this trip. but sometime in the future. He'd have to start learning Spanish.
~*~*~*~*~
Even from this far away, he felt it. Just a subtle shifting in the world as nature tried to fill a new vacuum, the lack of something that had been there long enough to establish itself but didn't belong here anymore than he did. He wondered if he would have noticed it if it he hadn't been in this particular place, this place where he knew he was more in tune with himself than he ever had been. But he had felt this before. A couple times before. And he hadn't been here.
One of the Endless was gone. It didn't matter which one; he would have noticed either still in the City.
But it did matter. Because he'd only ever spoken to one of the two. And she was the one who was gone. He didn't have to check his comm to know it. The lack of some thoughts and enhanced presence of others was enough.
He didn't say a word for the rest of the day. He didn't feel like answering any worried questions or explaining why he felt the need to be in his Dark Signer form the whole day. He shouldn't have to explain himself anyway, especially to a group of people he didn't know and wouldn't meet again. If they couldn't tell the difference in the world, that was their problem.
~*~*~*~*~
Miguel came to him that night with a cup of tea and a vaguely sympathetic expression. Kiryu wondering if he'd felt Del leaving too. He'd at least decided it was time for Kiryu to stop sulking.
Kiryu mumbled out a thanks for the tea and threw a stick for Infernity Beast again, watching the monster chase after it with little of his usual enthusiasm. The tea was a little cold, so he lit a small fire on the ground in front of his to heat it up. His powers might as well have been crying in joy for how easily he could use them. They obviously wanted to be used, he could tell that much.
Miguel stared at the fire for a moment, because Kiryu hadn't shown off that particular power yet, but he didn't stay surprised for long. Kiryu had doubted he would.
"You stopped hiding it," he said, nodding at the fire.
Kiryu shrugged, admitting awkwardly, "The mountain wanted it."
Miguel chuckled. "The apus generally know what is best for you. I think it's good, to not hide it anymore."
Infernity Beast dashed back over and dropped the stick at Kiryu's feet. Kiryu threw it away again.
"You seemed depressed today, Kyosuke. Did something happen?"
Kiryu glanced at him. He probably already knew something had happened. No one had ever asked Kiryu that question when they didn't. He just wanted to hear it from Kiryu, a confirmation, something that would let him help. Saitou did that too and it ticked him off. He just wanted Kiryu to say something that would get himself in trouble.
"Someone close to me is gone. 'Ported out," Kiryu muttered. The fire he'd lit briefly flared up. He put it out before it could burn up his tea. "Like...part of me...'ported out."
Miguel nodded slowly. Maybe he had felt Del leave. But usually, the natives who knew Del were locked up or on drugs to block her out.
"How often do you deal with that? With people being sent...home?"
Kiryu laughed and threw the stick for his monster again, accidentally lighting it on fire. Infernity Beast gave him an annoyed look but still ran after it. It was like the fire could hurt him after all.
"Too much. We still...get upset. We all fear it. I am next? He is next? Always there." He kicked at the dirt, deciding whether he wanted to say more, but Miguel had been a good friend so far, whether he was getting paid to be one or not. "I hope...no. This is my home now. I want to stay here. I hope to not be afraid when I leave."
Miguel smiled and sipped at his own cup of tea, watching Infernity Beast start jumping around, snarling and biting at some invisible enemy. Kiryu briefly felt like telling him everything about his own world, but that should just be for the Nazca lines themselves and the mountains. he hadn't known Miguel that long.
"It seems like you've dealt with this before," Miguel said after a moment. "You knew what to do to feel better."
Kiryu shrugged again, grabbing his own tea. He hadn't gone all out, out of respect for the mountain if nothing else, but he did tend to play with Infernity Beast more when he was upset. He wished he didn't know how to cope; that he did showed he'd had to too many times.
"No music," he muttered after a moment. He'd decided bringing his mp3 player camping was a bad idea. "Everything else is the same."
"No music..." Miguel grinned and poked at his shoulder. "Our music? Or do you superheroes have your own bands?"
"Not enough for that. I went to Versailles' concert last month." He had to smile as he remembered that. It had been very nice to listen to something live that he could understand entirely.
"Are you going to anymore concerts while you're here?"
"Maybe."
"Have you ever thought about learning to make your own music?"
Kiryu smirked and reached under his shirt, pulling out the harmonica hanging around his neck. He'd gotten it about a month before this whole trip, practiced a couple time, and stuck it under his shirt for safekeeping. He'd only tried playing it a couple time while in Peru and given up. He didn't think it was something he was going to pick up naturally.
Miguel smiled at first, but quickly looked confused. "But you're not playing it."
"I'm not good yet."
Miguel clicked his tongue. "You're good enough. Let me hear."
Kiryu scowled at him, but he really couldn't come up with a good excuse not to make music, so he lifted the harmonica up to his lips and started playing. Infernity Beast came back and laid down next to him, aware that his owner wasn't playing their game anymore.
he didn't think this relaxed him at all. If anything, he felt more frustrated--he didn't like struggling at something, and he didn't like having to perform before he felt decent at it. It was like speaking English, except he actually liked this. but he did feel better after a while, or at least, less preoccupied with Del's leaving. As frustrating as it was to have to pause every other note or so to figure out the next one, it was still relaxing.
He was almost annoyed at Miguel for being right, but maybe there was no point in that. It had helped, after all.
And after a while, Miguel started giving him tips and helping him remember where various chords were. Kiryu was vaguely annoyed at that, but it quickly passed. He did appreciate the help.
WHERE: Markawasi, Peru
WHEN: July 2 - July 7
WARNINGS: nope
SUMMARY: Markawasi trip!
FORMAT: Self-log!
[[Here, have a revent post. :)]]
Kiryu didn't get anymore sleep that night. Miguel pressed a cup of coca tea on him after seeing how distressed he really was, ignoring Kiryu's protests that he didn't need it. Even though he probably did, and he felt much better after drinking it, but it made any attempt to fall asleep again useless. He doubted he would have been able to fall asleep again anyway with all the thoughts rushing through his head and all the emotions that came with them.
And he'd switched forms as soon as he was done talking to Yuusei, and he'd never slept well as a Dark Signer.
He absently wished he could stay in this form for the rest of his time here, or at least for the rest of this particular trip. It was so natural and the energy of the place resonated with his powers so well--not quite the same but in a way that was almost harmonious. He almost wondered if he might be able to finally summon his God with enough food and sleep. And it was almost enough for him to feel like he could go back to the City now, but he did really like being here in Peru, other than feeling frustrated by another language barrier, and it wasn't quite the answer he was looking for.
He laid down and stared up at the stars, just enjoying the feeling for several long minutes. And the stars. They were so bright here, and there were so many. They rarely been able to see many of them back in Satellite; the lights from Neo Domino and the smog washed them out too much.
Yuusei still wouldn't be able to see hardly any of these with all the lights of the City...
Of course, his thoughts would go right back to his hated former teammate. Who still worried about him.
He scowled and flicked a card out of its holder, hardly having to look to know it was Infernity Beast. He usually stuck it near the top. A brief moment of concentration, and the beast was laying down half on top of him. He was sure anyone still awake would notice, but he was beyond caring. He needed the distraction, and he needed to use his powers, and he wasn't going to hide what he was for other people's ease of mind.
Yuusei had been worried about him. He'd also spun a very nice tale about what had happened that night and how he'd felt about it that Kiryu wasn't sure he could believe. But he really had been worried. Kiryu knew he looked like crap, especially with that damn dream, but he hadn't thought Yuusei would care. Yuusei had betrayed him once and didn't care then and now Kiryu wanted him dead so why would he care now? Or at least, Yuusei thought Kiryu wanted him dead. Kiryu still wasn't sure about that.
But Yuusei had asked what was wrong. More than once. And he'd been genuinely concerned, Kiryu could tell that much. Yuusei's expressions hadn't changed since Team Satisfaction.
Kiryu really didn't know what to make of it. Why would he care? He knew Yuusei thought of them as friends, but they weren't, and Kiryu had made it clear that they weren't going to be. Why was he still trying?
He sneered and grabbed his comm, ready to throw it across the campsite. Maybe it would land in the remnants of their fire and explode. Maybe then he'd stop thinking about Yuusei damn him why was he in there all the time?
But that wouldn't solve anything and that pissed him off too. And if he destroyed his comm, he'd have a harder time bothering Yuusei, and Alastair and Saitou might worry if they tried to get a hold of him. So he stuffed his comm back into his pocket and looked back up to watch the stars slowly circle across the sky.
~*~*~*~*~
The guides had them gather early, not long after the sun had risen, to start their trek across the mesa to the first formation in today's hike. They were going to be hiking both standard route around Markawasi, but only one actually started and ended at the Amphitheater, and Miguel had explained that the effect of shadows one a few of the formations wouldn't work nearly as well if they started at the wrong place. So they had to hike to where this route began, because they wouldn't be going on the other until tomorrow.
Kiryu didn't mind that too much. He'd been ready to go for a couple hours. And if they didn't hike around, he'd never get used to it.
And he felt a some vindictive pleasure in walking around with these Americans who knew exactly what he was now and were far too nervous about it. The more time he got to spend making them uncomfortable, the better. They didn't even have a good reason; he wasn't going to hike around as a Dark Signer.
They finally stopped near a huge rock, the Monument to Humanity, that looked a bit like two faces back-to-back. It didn't even require much imagination to see it, though one was slightly more difficult to pick out than the other. One of the other guides, Leon, started pointing out the various faces this particular rock was famous for, most of them much harder to see than the most obvious. Kiryu thought whoever found them first had too much imagination, but some of them were definitely there.
He expected to feel something different around this formation, and all of them, once they got there, but it wasn't any different from the general feel of the rest of the mesa. It was almost a little less. It didn't make the rock any less magnificent and cool, but he felt like maybe he was missing something. There was something interesting nearby, but it wasn't this.
"Kyosuke?"
Kiryu blinked and started walking again; he hadn't noticed he'd stopped. And he thought he could see the whole thing just fine from here, but it seemed Leon was going to lead them around to look at something else. Miguel hung back to let Kiryu catch up with him.
"Are you all right, Kyosuke? How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Kiryu said, shaking hie head. Which hurt, a little, but he didn't think he'd drunk enough water on the hike over. "Just, this is very..." He paused, thinking to think of a word other than "amazing" or "cool"; those were too boring. Which was why they were some of the only ones he'd learned in English.
Miguel waited until it was clear Kiryu couldn't come up with anything, then he laughed and gave a good-natured grin. "I understand. It strikes most people that way. That's why they come here."
Kiryu nodded. He wondered vaguely if the mesa itself did that to people to keep them coming.
Miguel led him to where the other guides were showing the rest of the group a couple pictographs etched into the Monument where they'd be simple to miss without a guide. Kiryu wasn't sure what was so remarkable about them--a checkerboard shape and a couple others--but everyone else seemed excited.
Once they finally started wondering away from the Monument, the guides pointed out a few more formations nearby. They weren't too hard to see either--a turtle and a pair of lions, completely out of place here. And a woman with children once after a bit of hiking; it wasn't too far from the Monument, but it only looked right from the other side.
But after that there wasn't much to see for a while. The guides pointed out some things, but they were much more difficult to pick out. They spent so time wandering through some ruins, but other than the briefly novel feeling of those, Kiryu didn't care about that much. However different they looked, they were too much like some areas in Satellite. And there wasn't much else until they reached the Amphitheater again.
Of course, Miguel led them around the edge, staying away from the campsite, since they were only passing through for now. He pointed out a couple formations they'd missed before for lack of looking and led them out the opposite end of the bowl, a way they hadn't gone yet.
And Kiryu started wondering off before he realized he was doing it.
He couldn't sense it until they left the bowl and got to be on about the same level, but then it was there. Something similar to what he'd felt back at the Monument to Humanity, but closer and easier to feel. he wasn't even sure what it was or if it was really there at all and not just his crazy mind playing tricks, but there was something there. He started wandering off to find it while Leon was pointing out another formation. he glanced back a couple times to make sure he wasn't being left behind, but he wasn't really worried. If something happened or he got lost, he had his powers, still straining to be used again after their brief unleashing.
He quickly reached a cross shape etched into the rock, only standing out if someone was actually trying to look for it. It was probably one of those that showed up better when the sun was in the right spot in the sky to cast the right shadows. He found his way there without trouble; the mesa wanted him there, so he found it. But he was hesitant to step on it. There was something off. Like it wasn't the right time. It wanted him there, but not on it.
The someone appeared standing in the middle of it. Kiryu scowled and hovered on the edge of transformation, but the man just stood there, watching him patiently. He almost seemed to be shorter than Kiryu, although Kiryu was sure he was a couple feet taller.
"Kiryu Kyosuke. The farthest traveler we've received."
First, Kiryu was surprised to hear his name in the proper order--he hardly even introduced himself that way anymore. There was no point when he lived in a place where no one introduced himself that way and no one understood it when he did.
Then he realize the rest had been Japanese. He hadn't heard pure Japanese from anyone in Peru since Alastair and Saitou had left. Yuusei didn't count; he was still in the City, or at least, he wasn't in Peru. It took him a moment to adjust his thinking back to it.
"Who are you?" he asked, He'd meant to sound demanding and angry, because that was what he was--he hated being caught off-guard--but for some reason, that seemed like a bad idea.
The apparition didn't seem to hear him. He just went on in flawless Japanese. "You won't find what you're looking for here, except in your clever cell phone. I wish you luck in your quest. The mountain will plague you no longer."
He disappeared before Kiryu could say anything. Kiryu reached out as if to grab him and keep him here, but it was a useless gesture. And the man probably wouldn't have even explained what he meant anyway.
Then he heard someone laugh behind him before he could give it much thought anyway. He turned to see Miguel leading the group up the side of the rock, a bright grin on his face.
"Look at that. A natural vortex-dowser. We might put you to work."
Kiryu supposed this cross was a "vortex" since he had no idea what Miguel meant by any of that. He scowled anyway, though he had a feeling he just looked put-out. This damn world and its lack of Security and Yuusei had made him soft.
Miguel went on to explain that the vortexes were natural concentrations of energy, enough that anyone could feel them, whether they regularly worked with energy or not. There were 22 across the mesa and each had a different purpose. One had even healed someone paralyzed in a car crash; he'd been able to walk himself back down to the village after being left there for a couple days. They wouldn't be seeing all of them, but they'd see a better example tomorrow.
Kiryu asked if the vortexes had ever shown themselves like people. That had to be what the man before was about. He didn't hallucinate in the middle of the day; it was always a continuation of a dream after Saitou shook him awake.
Miguel just gave him an odd look and Kiryu shut his mouth again. He wasn't about to explain if Miguel hadn't heard of it before. Everyone already thought he was crazy enough.
Leon was eager to keep going, so they didn't stay there long, just long enough for anyone interested to investigate. Kiryu wasn't too upset about that. He was eager to leave, to be somewhere else where his head would be clearer and he could just think without feeling such a need to let his powers loose. He was content to take his established place at the back of the group as they started on the second half of the loop along Sunset Ridge.
Anne was the one to point out most these formations, including a few at the spot where tomorrow's hike would begin. Kiryu leaned out like the others to catch a glimpse of the elusive Alchemist, and he thought he might have seen something, but it didn't really look like much right then. It was one of the formations that relied on shadows to appear. The others weren't, so they were far easier to spot.
Kiryu felt it as they walked past another vortex once they were close to the beginning. The one he'd felt before, near the Monument to Humanity. He pointedly ignored it, although Miguel glanced at him like he knew exactly what was going on. He probably knew it was there; Kiryu thought he might have heard him mention it while he was distracted. But it wasn't directly on the way, so he wasn't sure he cared. The other vortex hadn't been very helpful.
His dreams were thankfully free of Yuusei and Cavil. The man in the vortex appeared again, briefly, but the dreams he remembered were mostly of Saitou and Alastair and Bakura and their apartment and Ryoko's and making out with Alastair (which had been far too long along and if he hadn't already been planning this trip he would have asked him out again weeks ago) and trying to make Saitou smile.
He actually didn't want to wake up in the morning. He'd almost forgotten what that was like. Even in Satellite, it was necessary to sleep with one eye open most nights.
He had the brief desire to send them a text to let them know how he was doing and that he was still here. Hey, I'm still here. Still having a good time. Are Demak or Rudger in the City yet? See you in a month. But breakfast distracted him. Maybe later.
They spent quite a bit of time just in leaving the Amphitheater through the Gate of the Gods. There was such a huge concentration of formation in the one place, it took longer than usual to look at them all. And they didn't walk very far before they ran into more. Kiryu glanced in the direction of the vortex as they passed it, but he felt no need to wander over again. He didn't think anything would happen if he did.
Kiryu was much more interested in the next couple sites anyway. Miguel started explaining one of them a fair distance away from it.
"Local myths say if you try to jump over the Infernillo, you'll be dragged down into the depths of the earth. Or if you walk into the crevasse, you'll be taken through the mountains and end up in the middle of the jungle, changed forever."
He gave them a skeptical smirk and calmed the nervous awe that'd been forming within the group. Obviously, he didn't think there was much behind that myth. And Leon readily jumped over the deep gash in the rock when they arrived. The rest of the group took turns jumping the gap as if trying to prove they hadn't really believed Miguel's warning.
Kiryu felt a clicker of irritation as he jumped over, but he pushed it away. What was there to be irritated about?
He wandered lower down to investigated the mouth of the crevasse. Here, it was like a cave; the bit of light let in at the top did a poor job of illuminating the whole thing. There wasn't really anything foreboding about it, though he could understand where the myths might have come from. He certainly felt no desire to explore any further.
From there they could see what Kiryu thought was the coolest formation so far--a huge man lying on his back on the mesa, staring up at the sky. Anne said it was similar to a face on the surface of Mars and even brought a picture of it to compare. They weren't the same, of course, and Kiryu doubted it meant anything at all, but it was cool. He wished, for the first time, that Alastair, Saitou, and even Yuusei could have been there with him. Yuusei wouldn't think much of this, he was sure, but he needed to come here too. The Crimson Dragon came from here too after all.
He had to quickly think of something else before his powers went crazy again. Thinking about that damn dragon always pissed him off.
The rest of the group pointed out the next couple before they got there; they were just so obvious it was impossible to miss them. Kiryu felt a brief something as they walked around the Condor, but it was hard to tell what. It wasn't familiar, but almost.
It didn't distract him for long either, because as soon as they reached the next one and the dry lagoon nearby, he felt another vortex. And Miguel started leading them to it. This had to be the one he'd mentioned before. And Kiryu felt it more strongly than he had the others. Maybe the amount of people who visited had something to do with it. He could only guess; he didn't know anything about this stuff.
This cross was more obvious than the other too. A couple of white streaks on the ground like someone had taken whitewash to the rock. They each spent a few minutes standing or sitting or laying on the spot; it was strong enough that everyone could tell there was something here. Kiryu went last and laid down, closing his eyes. No weird people. No voices. Just a faint sensation of warmth and peace. He felt his powers come out and didn't care. He didn't feel like he should be in this form, especially on this trip, but it almost seemed like the mesa wanted him to be this way and who was he to argue? He was more comfortable in this form anyway. The Americans would just have to deal with it.
He almost didn't hear Miguel call for him and he wasn't quite ready to go when someone shook his shoulder. But part of him felt ready to go. And he wanted to see the rest of the mesa.
He glanced back once on the way back down the rock. A man stood on the middle of the cross, a very brown man not too unlike Demak. He smiled and nodded to Kiryu and disappeared. Kiryu snarled and looked away again, but he couldn't keep a faint smile from forming as he eased his way down the rock after Miguel.
He ignored any odd feelings for the rest of the day. One other vortex felt insistent, but he was done with them, He just enjoyed being a tourist, like everyone else.
he was already planning to come back, though. Maybe not this trip. but sometime in the future. He'd have to start learning Spanish.
~*~*~*~*~
Even from this far away, he felt it. Just a subtle shifting in the world as nature tried to fill a new vacuum, the lack of something that had been there long enough to establish itself but didn't belong here anymore than he did. He wondered if he would have noticed it if it he hadn't been in this particular place, this place where he knew he was more in tune with himself than he ever had been. But he had felt this before. A couple times before. And he hadn't been here.
One of the Endless was gone. It didn't matter which one; he would have noticed either still in the City.
But it did matter. Because he'd only ever spoken to one of the two. And she was the one who was gone. He didn't have to check his comm to know it. The lack of some thoughts and enhanced presence of others was enough.
He didn't say a word for the rest of the day. He didn't feel like answering any worried questions or explaining why he felt the need to be in his Dark Signer form the whole day. He shouldn't have to explain himself anyway, especially to a group of people he didn't know and wouldn't meet again. If they couldn't tell the difference in the world, that was their problem.
~*~*~*~*~
Miguel came to him that night with a cup of tea and a vaguely sympathetic expression. Kiryu wondering if he'd felt Del leaving too. He'd at least decided it was time for Kiryu to stop sulking.
Kiryu mumbled out a thanks for the tea and threw a stick for Infernity Beast again, watching the monster chase after it with little of his usual enthusiasm. The tea was a little cold, so he lit a small fire on the ground in front of his to heat it up. His powers might as well have been crying in joy for how easily he could use them. They obviously wanted to be used, he could tell that much.
Miguel stared at the fire for a moment, because Kiryu hadn't shown off that particular power yet, but he didn't stay surprised for long. Kiryu had doubted he would.
"You stopped hiding it," he said, nodding at the fire.
Kiryu shrugged, admitting awkwardly, "The mountain wanted it."
Miguel chuckled. "The apus generally know what is best for you. I think it's good, to not hide it anymore."
Infernity Beast dashed back over and dropped the stick at Kiryu's feet. Kiryu threw it away again.
"You seemed depressed today, Kyosuke. Did something happen?"
Kiryu glanced at him. He probably already knew something had happened. No one had ever asked Kiryu that question when they didn't. He just wanted to hear it from Kiryu, a confirmation, something that would let him help. Saitou did that too and it ticked him off. He just wanted Kiryu to say something that would get himself in trouble.
"Someone close to me is gone. 'Ported out," Kiryu muttered. The fire he'd lit briefly flared up. He put it out before it could burn up his tea. "Like...part of me...'ported out."
Miguel nodded slowly. Maybe he had felt Del leave. But usually, the natives who knew Del were locked up or on drugs to block her out.
"How often do you deal with that? With people being sent...home?"
Kiryu laughed and threw the stick for his monster again, accidentally lighting it on fire. Infernity Beast gave him an annoyed look but still ran after it. It was like the fire could hurt him after all.
"Too much. We still...get upset. We all fear it. I am next? He is next? Always there." He kicked at the dirt, deciding whether he wanted to say more, but Miguel had been a good friend so far, whether he was getting paid to be one or not. "I hope...no. This is my home now. I want to stay here. I hope to not be afraid when I leave."
Miguel smiled and sipped at his own cup of tea, watching Infernity Beast start jumping around, snarling and biting at some invisible enemy. Kiryu briefly felt like telling him everything about his own world, but that should just be for the Nazca lines themselves and the mountains. he hadn't known Miguel that long.
"It seems like you've dealt with this before," Miguel said after a moment. "You knew what to do to feel better."
Kiryu shrugged again, grabbing his own tea. He hadn't gone all out, out of respect for the mountain if nothing else, but he did tend to play with Infernity Beast more when he was upset. He wished he didn't know how to cope; that he did showed he'd had to too many times.
"No music," he muttered after a moment. He'd decided bringing his mp3 player camping was a bad idea. "Everything else is the same."
"No music..." Miguel grinned and poked at his shoulder. "Our music? Or do you superheroes have your own bands?"
"Not enough for that. I went to Versailles' concert last month." He had to smile as he remembered that. It had been very nice to listen to something live that he could understand entirely.
"Are you going to anymore concerts while you're here?"
"Maybe."
"Have you ever thought about learning to make your own music?"
Kiryu smirked and reached under his shirt, pulling out the harmonica hanging around his neck. He'd gotten it about a month before this whole trip, practiced a couple time, and stuck it under his shirt for safekeeping. He'd only tried playing it a couple time while in Peru and given up. He didn't think it was something he was going to pick up naturally.
Miguel smiled at first, but quickly looked confused. "But you're not playing it."
"I'm not good yet."
Miguel clicked his tongue. "You're good enough. Let me hear."
Kiryu scowled at him, but he really couldn't come up with a good excuse not to make music, so he lifted the harmonica up to his lips and started playing. Infernity Beast came back and laid down next to him, aware that his owner wasn't playing their game anymore.
he didn't think this relaxed him at all. If anything, he felt more frustrated--he didn't like struggling at something, and he didn't like having to perform before he felt decent at it. It was like speaking English, except he actually liked this. but he did feel better after a while, or at least, less preoccupied with Del's leaving. As frustrating as it was to have to pause every other note or so to figure out the next one, it was still relaxing.
He was almost annoyed at Miguel for being right, but maybe there was no point in that. It had helped, after all.
And after a while, Miguel started giving him tips and helping him remember where various chords were. Kiryu was vaguely annoyed at that, but it quickly passed. He did appreciate the help.