HAPPY BIRTHDAY IGNIS AND AERITH!

"All set, yeh?" Callux asked, dusting off his gloves as he finished loading the last of the provisions into the truck.

It wasn't much to work with, Loqi noted, but he wasn't complaining. He of all people understood rationing. It just meant that they were either going to have to track down more along the way or make the trip fast, especially if they'd be picking up extra mouths to feed along the way.

Of course, one mouth to feed that he was trying to mentally tally in was still only a possibility.

"A moment," Loqi said, moving to the back of the truck.

"Sure. Jus' let me know!" Callux climbed into the driver's seat.

The bathtub dweller looked small and unassuming as he stood in the middle of the road behind the vehicle – like a child that didn't belong. Loqi almost felt obligated to bring him at this point, but no. He may have prodded the boy in this direction, but he had to choose his own actions.

Loqi stopped a few feet from him, trying not to seem as imposing as earlier. "I can handle this alone now that I know where to go. You are under no obligation to come with me if you wish to stay here."

Evan frowned. "But…"

"This is not to persuade you either way. I merely want you to think about the consequences of both courses of action and decide what you want to do." He might suffer some small ramifications if he stayed, the true danger was outside the wall.

The boy was silent for a moment, various emotions flitting across his face. "Do you think there are more of… me?"

Perhaps there were. Perhaps their weren't. He could be risking all of this for nothing. But that was a chance he was willing to take. They could no longer sit idle. There was no telling when the precious Lucian King would be back. Action had to be taken if they all were to survive until then – he firmly believed that. Rash actions might be their only chance, ironically enough.

"I believe there is a very good chance," Loqi said. And he did. Others could say what they would about the Empire, but no one could deny its technology was the best. If anything could withstand this world, it was one of their scientific bases. Particularly if it was Besithia's. Mad as he was, he was efficient.

"Then I'm going." The boy straightened his shoulders, determination clear in the line of them. "Cor may put me under guard again, but if I can save them…"

Loqi nodded. "Off we go, then."

And now they needed to hurry. It would only be so long before the city leaders figured out what they were up to. Something told Loqi that they were going to be far more enraged at him than before with the bathtub dweller along for the ride. Or someone, rather. Someone who was going to be chasing him down with a lance very soon.

Bastard. That conniving, no-good, child using, bastard.

Ravus' phone was jostled as he ran, probably bruising his ear, but he paid that no mind. If he didn't make it to the transportation area soon enough, Loqi would be too far gone to chase down.

That little Imperial sewer rat moved fast. Ravus hadn't expected him to give up his asinine plan easily, but certainly hadn't expected the runt to con a child into getting him information and then take off this soon after the meeting had ended.

"What's up, Wax-sculpture?"

Ravus didn't have time to be annoyed at Highwind's ever-growing list of nicknames for him. "Tummelt is a wretch, that's what. He manipulated Evan into getting him the location of that base."

"Son of a bitch!"

Ravus yanked the phone a few inches away from his ear for a moment given the loudness of her swearing.

"I warned that asshole to stay away from him!"

Highwind had directly warned Loqi and he'd still gone along with it? That dwarf of a leader either had nerves and guts of steal, or he was an absolute idiot, and Ravus genuinely wasn't sure what his bet was. He might have held no fondness for the man, but he couldn't deny his success and obnoxious amount of determination.

"I'm headed to the transportation area now," Ravus said once Highwind had finished damaging his hearing.

"I'll meet you there – I'm not far."

Ravus hung up without another word and focused on running faster.

He wasn't fast enough. Neither was Highwind.

Highwind did appear to have been closer, because she was already terrorizing the other drivers into giving her information when he got there. Those poor souls.

"Highwind! What have you discovered?"

Highwind whipped around, expression so furious that Ravus felt his heart rate spike even though he wasn't the target of her rage.

"That son of a daemon spawn didn't just use Evan for information – he took him with him! And Biggs!"

Oh, dear Shiva, that man was dead. Ravus probably should have been more angry himself, but no. He was feeling pity. He doubted Tummelt could have made Highwind more livid if he'd tried – the boy and one of Highwind's own men?

"Can you not call your man?" Ravus demanded. They couldn't be far enough away yet to be out of range, and Loqi likely didn't know that they still had phone service in Lestallum to do anything about that.

"Oh, I did," Highwind growled, yanking on her hair ends. "No answer."

…Or perhaps he did.

"What you mean that's the only music they've 'ad you listen to?" Callux squawked, sounding personally offended on the bathtub child's behalf.

The boy shrugged faintly – a common thing for him, Loqi had already noted. He really made himself the smallest and least noticeable thing in any given space, but Loqi wasn't sure yet if that was an intentional or subconscious thing. Right now he was hunched in the back seat of the truck, almost curled into a full ball against the right wall.

"They didn't not let me, Talcott just only listens to a certain kind," the boy mumbled.

"…Roight. We're fixin' that." Callux reached for the music player to mess with the settings, and Loqi glanced at the road to make sure there were no daemons popping up while their driver was… occupying himself with other important matters.

Loqi flinched a moment later as the first few chords of electric guitar ricocheted down his ear canals.

Dear Astrals… Why had he even expected otherwise from on of Highwind's men?

Although… the noise was surprisingly more tolerable than he'd expected.

Noise. Music.

Hell, when was the last time he'd even heard any type of music? Perhaps in passing from a refugee before their device died and couldn't be re-powered due to the resources being prioritized for other things?

"…The daemons might hear this," he noted reluctantly. Even if it wasn't to his taste, any music beat night's endless "silence" that was really comprised of distant daemons groaning.

Callux made a dismissive sound, waving his hand. "If they're gonna 'ear us, they 'ear the truck, not the music."

A fair point. Loqi conceded with a nod. A nod that happened to lower his gaze enough to see the lit-up screen of a phone that was seated between him and Callux in one of the cupholders.

What the hell? They had working phones in Lestallum? Well, he supposed that made sense given the natural supply of power and the lines that were still up around the city.

Lucky bastards.

…And lucky him, too. Callux hadn't noticed over the music that the device was lit up with the words Lady A.

Loqi shifted subtly, making appear as though he were just settling better into his seat as he snagged the phone and slid it under his leg. He had a pretty good poker face if Callux started asking where it was later, which he was sure to.

"So, Loqi…" Callux flashed him a grin, bobbing his head in time with the music. "Tell me about this Crestholm place you've been runnin.'"

"Yes, please do!" Evan sat up suddenly, leaning to rest his chin on the shoulder of Loqi's chair.

Loqi glanced back at him. "Are you so certain you wish to move?"

"Yes," Evan said instantly.

Loqi arched an eyebrow. "What of your friends?"

Now that made the boy pause. "…Can't they come too?"

Shiva, this boy was so innocent and naive with his every sentence. Loqi was starting to regret bringing him. He could fight, but would he actually have the guts to kill something? Or had he already? He'd mentioned he'd been on one mission.

Here was to hoping he wouldn't have to find out, but there was almost sure to be a daemon encounter of some kind on this trip.

"I would pose no objection, but that's a decision they would have to make."

"Right…" Evan mumbled.

"So?" Callux prompted again. "Tell. Come on, we got a plenty long enough drive!"

That they did, Loqi thought as the phone continued to vibrate under his leg.

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