Finlandia

The left and right shoulders of the Bionis possessed climates so diametrically different that it was amazing they were even connected to the same mass, living or dead, to begin with. Finding a miniature farm run by a lone High Entia would be beyond preposterous to any visitor from either titan, if one expected a mirror of Valak Mountain on the opposite side.

It seemed the most unobtrusive place to land Copperhead and rest a while, though there was no telling what was visible from any vantage point upon Eryth Sea. Indeed, the greeting Minoth received was not "Halt!" but "Hello...?"

Minoth disengaged from the cockpit and stretched one quasi-equine leg down to the ground, keeping his movements slow.

The High Entia staring up at him continued not to attack.

Once he had stabilized himself (accounting for his impaired stabilizers), Minoth called out, "Am I intruding?"

And the man replied, "No more than I."

So they were both strangers in a strange land.

"Is that why you leave me in one piece?"

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have led with that, I imagine."

Having never been to the Bionis, Minoth had no real gauge for hostility toward Machina nor Mechon arriving there. The worst that would happen if he took this man at his word was him having to neutralize an unarmed hermit with - ostensibly - no one to tell the tale to.

Minoth came closer, Addam introduced himself, and they talked.

"You're still loyal to the Mechonis, then."

"Lady Meyneth has never led me wrong," said Minoth, face immobile. "You remain loyal to the High Entia even though they'd never let you live among them."

Other Machina reserved quiet judgement for Minoth's current state, nearly half Homs by blood-to-water ratio, but overall there was an understanding: what Egil had requested, and what one among them had consented to, with no consequence for any other.

Truth be told, he'd much rather be here, alone, gathering stories, away from the tumult of a disintegrating Machina society led by a friend neither he nor Vanea could effectively counsel.

Meanwhile, Addam could not return to Alcamoth, lest someone inquire into his parentage, and realize that he was the result of an affair unrecorded, between the times of Kallian's and Melia's conceptions.

The Bionite Order would have attempted recruitment if they knew he even existed.

"Clandestine's clandestine," Minoth concluded. "The conflicts crushing us all don't exactly glide smooth in my gears, but the fact that you're standing here talking to me now gives me hope beyond any of that."

Addam huffed a laugh. "Of course I find you fascinating - it isn't even a confession, I'm sure it's plainly obvious. A Mechon that can speak, here..."

"Something like that."