Luciola turned at the sound of footsteps behind him to see an old woman shuffling towards him. Her wrinkled face creased even more as she smiled. "Good evening, young man. If you and your young lady friend need a room for the night, you'll find plenty around here."
He was vaguely perturbed by her referring to Daphne as his "lady friend", but he ignored it. "What happened here?"
Her smile grew even wider, revealing several missing teeth. Daphne shuddered. The woman answered in her creaky voice, "Why, the Silvana came. They took everyone away…said something about the end of the world. But I stayed, I and my sisters. We will always stay. There were some others who refused to go…they all refused to believe the nice young boy who came and told them the world was spinning into the sun."
A young boy? Could she possibly mean Lord Dio? "What did this boy look like?"
The old woman chuckled, a horrible raspy sound. "A young boy to me, but a man to you children. He wore a jumpsuit and a pilot's hat. He told us all to leave before the world ended, to go to Exile and the blue planet. But we are old, my sisters and I. So we stayed. You're welcome to join us for supper. We've been so lonely with no new people around for us to…meet."
Daphne turned pale, backing further away from the old woman. Luciola felt a tremor of fear and took a step back to stand next to his navi. So it was one of the mechanics, then. That proves that the Silvana was here, at least. "Do you know where the Silvana went?"
She turned away from them, clearly trying to remember; Luciola motioned for Daphne to start up the vanship again. With a sly glance towards them, she replied. "I just can't remember the exact direction…I'm sure my memory would improve if I had something to eat. Are you quite sure you won't do me the favor of joining me for supper?" Luciola shook his head; she was eying him as though choosing a haunch of meat at the butchers'. Behind him, the vanship's engine roared to life.
She took a step closer to him, and another; he retreated in equal measure. "West. They went into the setting sun last week. But you know you'll never be able to catch them now. Why not stay for dinner?"
In a single smooth motion, Luciola turned and leapt into the pilot's seat, taking off.
They were well clear of Troizen before either of them spoke. Luciola asked, "What's the closest town?"
"Slow down a bit so I can check the map." He did; there was a great deal of rustling and cursing from behind him until Daphne replied. "Zeleia. It should be about two days to the west, over the Ida Mountains."
He turned to the west. As they flew, he shivered with anxiety. Soon…only a few more days until I see you again, Lord Dio. Wait a little while, and we will be together again.
&
It had been a few days since Dio had awoken, and most of the house walked on eggshells around him. Indeed, Dunya's two little brothers and youngest sister flatly refused to be in the same room with him, while her sister Irena could only be persuaded to bring him meals. He wasn't violent or excitable, but he rarely spoke or showed emotion and spent most of his time staring out the window in his room, mumbling to himself.
This was how Alvis found him. He was sitting upright in bed, clad in some of Claus's cast-off clothes; they were heavily patched, worn and faded to a dull brown, but they fit. They had unwrapped his hair and left it loose; he was twining the longer section around his fingers. He did not see her come in.
"Umm…Dio?"
He ignored her, whispering something under his breath. She crept closer in order to hear him. His eyes were blank, unfocused, as he stared at the shifting clouds.
"Nothing…nothing and everything lies beyond the stars, in the darkness between the stars. Luciola…find me. Find me; look beyond the stars and to the blue planet."
She grabbed his wrist, causing him to turn and stare at her—or, rather, through her. She trembled, but stood firm. "Dio, it's me. Alvis Hamilton, remember? I made you cake…cake with pink icing and strawberries on top, and you liked it even though it looked weird."
He stared at her. There was a faint expression of bewilderment in his face. Alvis sniffled. "Y-you don't remember me? T-there was cake…and—and presents! And it was all for you, right before you left!" Frustrated and sobbing, she ran out of the room.
She missed seeing him smile.
"…Cake…"
&
Zeleia was a vast city built on a rocky mountainside, easily larger than Norkia. Even from a distance, Luciola could tell that the Silvana was nowhere near. He would have turned for the next city, but Daphne's voice stopped him. "We need more food and Claudia. Besides, even if the Silvana's not here, it might have passed by." And so they coasted to a stop in the hangar.
A group of young men around Daphne's age were loitering nearby as she and Luciola unpacked their bags; instead of help, they offered catcalls and wolf-whistles. Daphne gritted her teeth and ignored them. Luciola glanced at them, and they fell silent; as he walked past them, he couldn't help feeling surprised. I've never been able to glare someone into silence before. Then again, I suppose this body is a bit more intimidating than my old one. He ran his hand over his stubbly chin. And I need a shave.
The area of town near the hangar was clearly wealthy; the buildings were freshly painted a blinding white and hung with brightly colored awnings. The day was blisteringly hot, so it was almost deserted. Almost, that is, except for an old man sitting in a chair, holding a poster. He looked up as they approached. Daphne asked, "Excuse me, sir. Has the Silvana passed through here?"
The man twitched violently when he saw them—or, rather, Luciola. "You!"
He blinked in surprise. "Pardon me, sir?"
The man clapped his hands together, and a the once-deserted square became lively. Young men, old women, even children younger than Luciola left their houses and gathered around the old man. Daphne pressed herself closer to him; the expressions on these people's faces were far from friendly.
"You killed my son! Hector is dead because of you! Seize him, my people!"
Two burly men grabbed Luciola by the shoulders; Daphne cried out. "W-wait, stop! Luciola's not the guy you're looking for!"
"We shall see. Take him to Andromache."
Luciola was led through the city, with Daphne following. Although the old man refused to speak to them, the woman nearest to them in the crowd gave in to Daphne's ceaseless questions, so they learned that he was Duke Priam Priamides, retired after a minor stroke, and that no, the Silvana hadn't been sighted.
The duke's villa was located high on the mountainside. As they walked through the city, the crowd fell away, until they arrived at the iron gates with only the old duke and Luciola's self-appointed guards. With a nod from Priam, the gates swung open and they proceeded into what Luciola supposed was a garden. It had very clearly seen better days.
The trees and grasses were either dying or dead. There was no sign of insect life, nor any life at all except for a woman dressed in black sitting under a dying olive tree. Her gaze hardened as it fell on Luciola.
Since arresting Luciola, Priam had been silent. Now he bowed and spoke. "Lady Andromache. Is this the scum of Prester that caused your husband's death?"
She regarded Luciola with a cool look. "…Come a little closer." His guards shoved him in her direction, and she studied him intently. Luciola met her eyes calmly, willing her to see the truth. I am not Curtos Atreides, though I use his body. Please. Pay no attention to outward appearances.
"Hmmph. Who is this girl?" Evidently, she had noticed Daphne—which wasn't surprising, as the girl had given up trying to make herself unnoticeable behind the guards and was now gawking at the once-fine scenery. She held her head high.
"Daphne Korakos of Norkia, my lady. I am Luciola's navigator." She shuddered violently. "And he did not kill your husband. The man who did that is dead."
Andromache's eyes narrowed in fury. "Who are you to tell me that? I was there that day. My husband fought because one man—Curtos Atreides—insulted me. He lingered for months before dying of his injuries. And you contradict me as to whether or not his killer stands before me today?" She motioned to her father-in-law. "My lord, what do you suggest?"
Priam looked from her to Luciola and sighed heavily. "Although he is, according to Paris, the spitting image of the man who attacked Hector…it was Paris who described him as such. Let us keep them here until he and Helena return."
Daphne spoke up. Her voice trembled. "Wh-what are you going to do with us once Mr. and Mrs.--Excuse me, Count and Countess Priamides come back?"
Andromache fixed her with a cold stare. "Why, have you executed, of course."
&
It was night on the blue planet. The little house in the middle of the wheat fields was silent, as all its inhabitants were sleeping. All, that is, except Dio.
The house was several miles outside town and there was nothing worth stealing anyway—not to mention that none of the townspeople with half a brain would encroach on former crewmembers of the Silvana—so he was easily able to open the front door and head out into the night.
It was too warm for him inside, so he lay in the grass and stared up at the stars. Prester was visible as a glowing hourglass shape to the north.
Luciola, Luciola, Luciola…you're out there somewhere beyond those stars. I know it—you have to be. You're not dead you're not dead it's not my fault. It can't be my fault.
A firefly buzzed around his head. It was soon joined by another and then another, until a swarm of flashing green lights illuminated his form.
He smiled. Luciola…you always know just the right way to make me feel better.
&
The clicking stopped.
Luciola blinked and looked up from the history book he had been paging through. In a nearby chair, Daphne had been knitting something that he supposed could be called a sock—it was too early to tell for sure. Now she set it aside and looked at him curiously. "Hey, Luciola?"
"Hmm?"
She hesitated. "Ummm…this might be a bad question, but here goes. Aren't you worried about what might happen when you find the Silvana and your Dio again? You told me once that your new body barely looks anything like your old one, so how is anyone going to recognize you?"
Luciola sighed heavily. She was right. Cutting his hair had helped a little, but his face was just a little too angular and his eyes a shade too narrow to really look like he had before. But then again… "I was planning to join the Silvana as a passenger and offer to help out with the vanships. The mechanics didn't know me very well, but they were quite good to Lord Dio. If he is onboard, he will be in the hangar, and I believe he would recognize me no matter what form I take."
Daphne stood up and went to him, lightly touching his hair. He stiffened at the contact. Seemingly oblivious, she asked, "Don't you think bleaching your hair might help? You told me you were blond before."
He fought hard to keep the skepticism out of his voice. "Do you know how to bleach hair?"
She grinned hugely. "Of course! Now, where can we find some lemon juice?"
Luciola cast a cursory glance around the room. Since Priam's estate apparently lacked a dungeon, he had put them in the shabbiest guest room he could find. There was a bookshelf, a large and empty closet, two dressers, and an interesting mosaic on the floor, but no lemon juice. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.
&
Breakfast in Mullin and Dunya's house was always a slightly chaotic affair, what with four young children who all preferred different flavors of jam and toast in various degrees of burnt. Alvis and Irena took pride in the fact that they didn't need to be told to wipe jam off their chins, or eat the crusts on their toast, or any of the many other admonitions that Irena's brothers and sister seemed to need every few minutes.
As always, Lavie had to practically drag Claus out of bed in the morning, but he perked up once he saw the food. They were currently occupied in shoveling in as much of their breakfasts—toast, jam, and milk—as they could, until the sound of footsteps down the hall made them pause.
Silent and stumbling, Dio padded into the room on bare feet and sat down in the one vacant chair.
Everything was silent. Dunya's brother Nikos dropped his toast. Mullin, passing the grape jelly to Lavie, paused with it in midair. Alvis stared at Dio before jumping up from her seat and rushing to the toaster to rescue two slices of bread before they could burn too badly. She offered them to Dio with a shaking hand.
Slowly, he took them. And then he spoke. It was only a whisper, but all heard him clearly.
"…Thank you."