—

Securing a ride was unbelievably more simple than Loqi could have predicted. Be it luck or fate, one of the men in charge of a working vehicle had a debt to pay up on.

"I still 'old to you cheatin' on that game! What you need to get to Tenebrae for anyway? Supplies left there can't be worth a trip that lengthy wiv a vehicle thas as small as mine!"

Loqi chuckled. "I assure you, Callux, I didn't need to cheat – you merely have an utterly garbage poker face. And it's around Tenebrae, not into the country itself." Not that that mattered other than for directional guidance. Come to think of it, the only designations that mattered now in terms of nations were Lestallum, Crestholm, and the rest of the world that was now lumped together as the uninhabitable lands of darkness.

That should have occurred to him earlier, but it hadn't. How startling. Lestallum and Crestholm weren't just cities – they were nations now. The only true places where people could live and be raised in culturally different ways. If the children being born lately survived to adulthood, Imperial and Lucian titles would mean nothing to them.

"Still don't answer my question." Callux crossed his arms. "Trips out of the city aren't small favors these days, y'know."

"Well, you didn't owe me a small amount of gil," Loqi shot back with a smirk. "It's a retrieval mission. Potential survivors. Something I do hope you'd be interested in assisting with even without a debt involved." And technically that was the truth.

"Wha, out there?" Callux said incredulously.

"There's more people out there than you lot think," Loqi said dryly. The rest of the city hadn't even been told about Crestholm yet. Callux likely thought Loqi was just another of the ever-dwindling nomads. "Anyway, how soon can you be ready?"

Callux shrugged. "Soon as you need. Just gotta load up some supplies for the road an we're off."

Excellent. Of course they were already prepared for missions like this. Loqi wouldn't even need to secure more supplies. All his work was being done for him.

"Good. I'll return shortly." Loqi turned on his heel, exiting the transportation area as quickly as possible without looking guarded. The last thing he needed was one of the city leaders getting suspicious if they decided to keep an eye on him.

The rest was up to the bathtub dweller now–

"Thinking of leaving already, Shrimpazoid?"

Loqi's heart skipped a beat, and he forced himself to stop with a ragged sigh. Irritated was better than caught. "That's hardly your best nickname, Highwind." He swiveled to face her. "And you could hardly blame me if I was after that mildly civilized verbal war."

Highwind shrugged, casually leaning against a nearby brick wall. "You show up and start challenging the city rulers about five minutes later, you're probably not going to get the warmest welcome."

Loqi rolled his eyes. "I have no desire to challenge the Immortal's reign – one city is far more than enough to look after, thank you. I merely don't take kindly to him speaking to me as though I am some sort of subject to him. We should be on equal footing." Well. He wasn't challenging him much. Just borrowing a few resources without permission because he knew his plan would be denied if he asked.

She snorted. "Yeah, and your attitude there has nothing to with your old weird rivalry obsession, I'm sure."

…Well, shit. She did have him there. As much as he hated to admit it, that mindset was still lingering in the back of his head. Not in a way that would jeopardize citizen's safety – he wasn't that obsessed – but he still damn well wanted to be recognized and respected for doing just as good of a job as the Immortal did, if not better. Cor had taken over leadership of a city. Loqi had made one from scraps and dungeon.

Loqi took a breath. Directly fighting the city's leadership at every point would lead to nothing good. Maybe he couldn't truthfully deny that last allegation, but he could shift to a less antagonist topic in general. "Look, Highwind, I'm just trying to do what is best for my citizens. It is not my intent to alienate the lot of you. That said, I will need to eventually return home, so checking your methods of transportation was a priority."

"I don't care what you do as long as you aren't causing trouble, Loqi." She pushed off the wall, striding forward in her heels so she towered over him with her eyes narrowed into slits. "There is just one thing – one thing – that I won't tolerate from you."

"And what might that be?" He narrowed his eyes right back at her, refusing to be intimidated.

"Stay the hell away from my kid."

"Your kid?" Loqi repeated, now definitely more confused than threatened.

"Evan," she clarified. "I may not be the ideal example of loving mother, but Ignis and I brought that kid here, and the last thing he needs is someone like you twisting his impressionable mind."

Now, he hadn't expected that. The rough and tough Commodore mercenary playing parent? Well, from what he'd seen, she was right – she wasn't the ideal example.

"Indeed," Loqi said flatly, suddenly brushing past her so he could walk away. "Given what I've learned, it seems he's had enough people taking advantage of his mindset already."

...And he was one of them. But at least he'd asked the boy if he wanted to come. …After manipulating him into wanting to come.

Damn it.

He'd have further words with the boy before they left. Prod him into thinking for himself. After all, Loqi wouldn't need him after he go the location of the base.

Whether or not he came was going to be up to him and him alone.

No mind games.

And if the boy truly wanted to come? Well, then he would. And Highwind could kiss Loqi's ass.

As much as they needed expertise on the orchard and the fruit it was producing, Ravus couldn't help being a little wary of this… Sania woman after the conversation he'd been part of. She sounded like she had all of Argentum's endless talking ability and at least half of Besithia's terrifying let's-pull-it-apart-to-see-how-it-works mindset. That was a combination he could do without. He was already making a note to keep Lunafreya away from the woman in case she got curious about how her abilities worked.

Quite frankly, Ravus was surprised Scientia had made it away from that group without being dissected given his unique biological status.

Ravus pinched the bridge of his nose, mostly tuning out Sikozu's words towards Coctura. She was perfectly capable of handling the thanks on her own, he needn't add anything.

It still didn't sit well with Ravus that he couldn't share his knowledge about Scientia with anyone. Particularly since Evan in all of his wide-eyed innocence was approaching them.

What was he doing here anyway? There was no one outside the city he'd need to speak to.

Perhaps he just wanted to speak to Coctura. Ravus had never paid attention to whether or not they stayed in contact after… the wedding.

Whatever his reasons, Evan was hovering. And Ravus needed to speak with Sikozu. Well, he could assist them both.

Ravus gently put a hand on Sikozu's arm, tilting his head to gesture that he wanted to speak with her off to the side.

She nodded, thanking Coctura once more before letting him pull her away.

"What is it?" She asked softly once they were alone by a nearby wall.

"Are you absolutely certain Scientia's presence in your group must be kept a secret?" He eyed Evan as he spoke, whom Coctura greeted with an embrace. It didn't look like they been in frequent contact – she was too pleased to see him.

Sikozu winced evading her gaze from the scene. "Look, I don't know why he wanted his identity kept secret, but he was very insistent on it. We were trapped together for a month expecting to die and he wouldn't even give me any hints."

Ravus scowled. "There is so much suffering. I hate to deny that boy and everyone else Scientia was close with this hope."

"But we don't even know for certain that he is still alive – only that he survived that initial fall." Sikozu reminded. "Is in not crueler to give them hope that's potentially false? That kid in particular. And if he is alive, then his reasons for wanting to be thought dead probably still apply."

Damn it all. She was right. The knowledge of his potential survival wouldn't help anyone. If he was still alive, being thought dead was what he wanted. If he wasn't, then knowing he'd survived just a bit longer than they thought would only bring more pain.

Why? Ravus mentally wondered, not for the first time. Going to the almost literal ends of Eos to save Noctis he understood – that was typical Scientia behavior. But why had he needed the anonymity of being dead for what he was doing?

Ravus kept staring at Evan as he hunched over some maps alongside Coctura. She circled one part with a pen.

Ah. The boy was probably wondering where Crestholm was given his new roommate… So curious. It was good to see his spirits up again.

…But why? Why would Scientia make his choice knowing how much damage his death would do to those here? He was a carer – the type of person who would do anything to help his friends and comfort them in times of duress.

Ravus growled under his breath. "I cannot make sense of this." So far, his best and only theory was that Ardyn was part of Scientia's reasoning, but that was a guess at best and it still didn't explain… anything, really.

"Me neither…" Sikozu muttered.

Evan beamed at Coctura, giving her another hug before they started rolling up the map they were looking at.

The artificial lights around glinted off the face of the map as it was held up in Ravus and Sikozu's direction.

Ravus tilted his head. That was not Crestholm. Or anywhere near the former Lucian capital, for that matter. Was that Imperial territory?

The map was rolled back up now, but Coctura didn't take it back. Evan was keeping it. He kept smiling at Coctura as he started to leave – a smile that faltered slightly as he spotted Ravus looking at him.

And then he was gone. He was jogging away from the area.

Ravus was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Coctura," he called over the short distance that lay between them. "What was it that Evan was speaking to you about?"

—