The treading continued.

Pushing away another large leaf, Juto caught something in the corner of his eye. He glanced over and did a double take before jerking back in surprise.

“Whoa! What’s that?” He pointed at some strange little creatures.

They looked as if various fungi developed little limbs and faces. They sat on a branch, hurdled together in the shade, staring back at them or at least that’s what Juto thought. It was hard to tell, because their bodies were deformed and wrinkly, their eyes hollow. Some had their little mouths agape as if frozen mid yawn. Jun leaned over to examine what Juto was looking at.

“It’s just forest sprites. We call them ‘little guys’.” He shrugged. “When they come out like that, it means it’s going to be raining soon.”

Now that he was aware of their existence, the soldier spotted more of them under the leaves, in tree hollows and between tree roots.

“Are they dead…?”

“Nah, just dried out. They can’t wait to soak in some rain water.” He resumed the walk.

“Mhmm.” Juto hummed.

He was about to take a step, when he noticed one skitter between his feet. He grimaced in disgust.

The jungle finally grew thinner, revealing a massive wall in the distance, which seemed to spread between two hills. A good portion of it was covered in moss and vines, making it blend in with the surroundings. It was definitely a sign of aging that worked in its favor, if not for the patches where the exterior coating chipped off exposing some bricks underneath.

"It's hard for me to believe you managed to cover all that distance to the beach in such a short time..." Juto was examining the surroundings.

"Psh, like I'd show you my secret shortcut!"

"I knew it. Well then, John, was it?"

"Jun."

"Jun, as I said earlier, just pretend we're buddies, and let's get this over with as fast as possible. Are we clear?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Jun threw his hand in annoyance, taking the lead.

They arrived at an iron gate with two tiger images embossed in it. The signs of aging matched the rest of the wall, but it was still sturdy and did its job well. An old asphalt road disappeared under it. The cracks running on each side and the line in the middle made it look like a black serpent. A set of cameras focused on the two as they came closer.

A greying man with droopy eyes peeked out the window in the nearby watchtower. The two waved at him with big fake smiles on their faces. Jun spoke up in a friendly tone.

"Hey, Al! Mind opening the gate for us?"

"What the hell did you do this time, boy? I heard gunshots in the jungle, was that you? Are you hurt? And who's this guy?"

Al leaned on the windowsill and squinted at them, examining Juto from head to toes.

"He’s a... survivor, I found him at the beach."

"A survivor...? Gosh darn it, don't tell me it's one of them pilots that were duking it out above our valley!?" He went pale.

"No, no, I'm just a marine biologist! I was doing some underwater research when I had an accident..." Juto lied, trying to be as vague as possible. "This little fella was a godsend!" He wrapped one arm around Jun's shoulder and gave him a hearty pat on the chest with the other. It may have been a bit strong, as it knocked wind out of Jun.

"Don't push it..." The guerilla whispered through his teeth, the corners of his mouth twitching while struggling to maintain the fake smile.

He adjusted his glasses, as the urge to uppercut the soldier grew stronger. He decided to keep a tally of all the things that Juto did to him.

The facade must've worked, because the guard's face brightened with a smile.

"Oooh, underwater, you say! That takes me back..." He picked up his pipe and took a deep drag.

Juto's grip on Jun's shoulder tightened when he saw it, glancing over at the guerilla with a pained expression of betrayal. The tiny man bit his lip, but it hardly could contain the shit eating grin that creeped on his face.

"It's been a while since I went diving." Al continued. "Back in me days we boys challenged each other to punch a shark! Good times!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell us all about it later, just let us in, so that he can get a check up or something." Jun cut the conversation short, as he knew once the man starts his old tales, there's no way of stopping him.

"Gotcha, mates." Al saluted at them and slid back in the room.

Jun didn't hesitate to swat Juto's arm off his shoulder and push him away. He adjusted the rifle strap. A moment later the clank of gears turning and whirring resounded somewhere within the gate.

"You said he'll share a cigarette with me!" Juto lamented, still hurt.

"I only mentioned that he's a smoker. Maybe if you ask nicely, he'll share his pipe?"

Juto just groaned in disgust.

The gears stopped turning and a click was to hear somewhere to the right. A portion of the gate the size of a regular door opened, instead of the whole thing.

Inside was a spacious corridor with designated area for vehicles where the road continued, and a walkway for people. Al came down to greet them, his height almost matching Juto's, but his build was lanky and his face adorned with wrinkles. If the worn uniform could talk, it would probably tell tales about the time when the gate was first built.

Al saluted and clicked his heels together, then handed Juto a tablet with a pen attached to it. Juto tried hard not to be distracted by the smell of tobacco that hit his nostrils.

"Please sign in. Just a formality, mate. As for you…" He turned to Jun “...I don’t recall you leaving the town.” He gave him a stern, knowing look. “Stop sneaking out the emergency hatch, ya hear me, you rascal?” He waved with his finger at him like a scolding parent.

“I know, I know.” Jun rolled his eyes, casually putting hands behind his head.

He peeked over Juto’s shoulder as he put the signature in. He hesitated for a second before writing the last name.

"Here you go." He handed the tablet back to Al.

"Welcome to Nokoa Valley, Mr. uhh... Gee-oo-tow... Karma?"

"It's Utoh." He corrected him.

"Ooh, I see. Is the J silent or sumtin'?" Al scratched his head trying to make sense of it.

"I think it's Gearmanic." Jun chimed in with a side eye. "They spell J as Y."

"Say, do you happen to have any spare cigs...?" Juto quickly changed the subject, partially because he didn’t want to explain the origin of his name, and because he had a sliver of hope that maybe he could satiate his craving.

The old man shook his head. "Nah, I’m sorry pal. I switched to me pipe ages ago, much more convenient, I tell ya. My cousin convinced me and-"

"Ok, let's not waste any time, you said you had some odd pains or something?" Jun pushed the soldier from behind to make him move.

"What? Oh, y-yes..." Juto played along and put a hand to his chest, faking a wince.

"Right-o, you better get that checked Mr. Karma. Jun here will show you where the clinic is." Al saluted again with the heel click and let them through.

The moment the door on the other side opened, the bustle and hustle of the town replaced the eerie silence of the corridor. The street from the gate led to a crossing, which then led to a gentle slope with the plaza further away. It was lined up with street vendors, cafes and shops on both sides and people in the middle going about their business as usual. Tightly packed colorful bohemian buildings rose on each side of the valley giving it a cozy feeling. The open sea breeze carried delicious smells from the vendors amongst the music and chatter.

Juto was about to tell Jun they should avoid the crowd, when the guerilla moved forward.

"Follow me!"

And with a confident step, he went straight ahead. Juto's firm grip on the arm stopped him in his tracks.

"Now hold on!"

"What?" Jun looked at him, pouting. "You wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, right? The fastest way would be through the main street."

"Where are we heading anyway?"

"There." He pointed at the building that stood above all else in the town. "See those antennas sticking out? That's where the radio station is."

It seemed legit. A bit far and not up to Juto's liking to waltz through the main street, more so since his companion seemed a bit too excited about it as well. He sighed.

“This won’t do. I’d rather take a longer, but safer route.” He scratched the back of his head.

“What’s the issue? You’d rather be mugged in a backstreet than seen in public?”

“The issue is that I can’t CQC a police officer and get away with it. You know, in case you decide to backstab me.”

"Ye boys are still here? Need some help?" Al interrupted their banter by peeking out again, this time from the other side.

Jun shook his head ready to bail, but Juto spoke up.

"What's that building up there?" He pointed at it.

Jun gasped at the lack of trust.

"Oh, that's the old observation tower, overseeing the pier. Good ol' chap Santelmo lives there, takes care of the equipment and the radio station. If there's something in the air, he'll know first. Speaking of, did I mention that two mechs were fightin' above our heads today? Crazy stuff!"

"Yeah, which is why I'm in a pickle now..." Juto sighed, not elaborating any further.

He thanked Al before the resident yapper could open his mouth again and pushed Jun to get moving.

"Are you still mad at me for the cigarettes?" Jun huffed.

"Fool me once, shortie, shame on you. Besides, it’s not like you trust me either.”

“That’s damn right!” The guerilla puffed his chest.

They turned left and crossed the road. Jun walked up to a dried out wall fountain depicting a tiger head. The surrounding area was covered in ivy and the occasional cracks here and there. A couple of “little guys” as Jun called them were sitting at the bottom of the basin, probably waiting for the rain there. Juto was wondering if this is some sort of landmark, when the guerilla turned to him.

“If His Highness demands the backstreet experience, then he shall have it.” He bowed theatrically.

He then put his hand inside the tiger’s mouth and pulled a hidden lever. A nearby part of the stone wall slowly slid to the side. Jun moved the ivy curtain out of the way, revealing a narrow alley behind it, gesturing to come in.

“Welcome to the hidden side of Nokoa Valley.”