Chapter 34 "Moment of Truth"

~ SOLLERTA, at the local gallery ~

"It's from Torna? Are you absolutely positive?" My eyes were wide open as I leaned over my artifact on the scuffed tabletop.

"No doubt about it, that's the emblem of Torna!" Gerard, the local historian claimed after he and his associates had given my artifact a thorough examination. His crude gallery was in chaos as our treasure trove from yesterday's class field trip was scattered across several tables for similar treatment.

"It's not a perfect match to our records, given the damage," cautioned Mr. Bestel, who'd arrived to help after school let out for the day, "but I am confident that it originated from Torna, indeed."

"How about that, Nia?" I faced my partner who was only mildly paying attention. "I was right."

"Ah, that's… that's great…" Her mood was still curtailed from her argument with Tommy yesterday.

"That makes four Tornan artifacts from the same site," Gerard remarked, "your vase, the shield, both of which bear the golden country's emblem, plus two other pieces of armor which we've determined to be Tornan as well." Taking his confrere's cue, Mr. Bestel laid out the rest of the collection together.

"Is it possible that these all came from the same place within Torna?" I wondered.

"I've been pondering such," the teacher nodded. "Perhaps they belonged to a guard who survived the Titan's fall and fled to Prudentia."

"Sure, with the armor," I followed most of the connected dots, "but what about my vase, though?"

"Maybe the guard happened to be standing next to it in the palace when all heck broke loose," he threw a theory together. "The emblem on it highly suggests that it was a palace piece."

"Ah, sort of like my Royal Ardainian shield," I brought up for comparison.

"You've got one?" Gerard looked at me incredulously. "You really are a treasure-hunter, aren't ya?"

"Thanks, but actually I didn't dig it up," I corrected him. "It was a gift from the emperor."

"You've done business with the emperor?" his jaw dropped further.

"Uh… that's one way of putting it." I soon realized that most of the gallery was watching me, including a few random patrons near the entrance. "Anyway, what are your plans for the armor?"

"Ah, right, right…" the humbled historian smiled at his own distraction. "As with all treasures from the hunt, the students who found them are effectively the owners once we're done with them. However, they can also choose to donate them to this gallery or the museum in Dosilla. As for the core crystals, we'll send them to the Solly Mercs."

"That's neat, but some of the treasures are from other Titans, like our Torna collection," I pointed out. "What if the students want to return them to their original homes?"

"That's where the mercs come in," Mr. Bestel took over. "They'll deliver them on their behalf."

"We're part of that camp," I informed them, sidling closer to Nia. "I guess that's what we'll be doing in a few days, huh?"

"Yes please," her ears perked up.

"Oh, hang on," an obvious thought occurred to me. "Torna's not around, anymore. We can't exactly return its artifacts now."

"All is not lost… literally," Gerard started to laugh at his own lame joke. "We know that the kingdom of Torna reformed as Tantal. Perhaps that is where these items belong."

"Rem…?" Nia elbowed me.

"I know," my eyes lowered, "I know…"

"Do you?" she whispered loudly.

"Yes, you want us to take charge of those delivery missions, should they happen." I winked at her, having read her mind like a picture book. By now, the gallery had mostly fallen silent, aside from an unrelated jewelry appraisal for an Ardainian man behind us.

"Tomorrow, the students will decide the fate of their treasures," Mr. Bestel announced before we got too far ahead. "If the services of the Solly Mercs are needed, they will find out soon."

"And I suppose we'll find out, as well." I carefully placed the Tornan vase into a small crate which I'd converted into a travel case. "Thanks for the info. How much do I owe for the appraisal?"

"Please, this one's on the house, er… the gallery," Gerard smiled. "It's the least I can do after you'd suggested such a potent field for a digging site."

"Likewise, I extend my thanks," Mr. Bestel chimed in. "If not for you, my students would've had to settle for coins and bottlecaps."

"Well, coins wouldn't have been so bad." My cache of corroded coins from the same field had been inspected earlier, some of which were determined to be quite valuable. "At least let me deliver the core crystals for you."

"That'll be a big help, thanks." Gerard signaled for one of his associates to hand me a bag of cores which I slung over my shoulder with my free hand.

"Alright, Nia," I started to exit, "let's go."

"All my best to you two and your guests," Mr. Bestel bowed his head at us, "especially to Thomas."

"Thomas?" I forgot that he knew we were Tommy's hosts.

"Yes, he seemed a bit… off, today," his teacher expressed his concern. "I do hope everything is okay."

"Maybe he's feeling homesick," I lied, although it could've been true given the circumstances. We said our goodbyes and shuffled out of the gallery, careful to not knock over anything along the way.

"Really?" Nia growled once we were back on the street. "He really had to bring him up?"

"Perhaps the time and place weren't the best, but teachers are supposed to let parents, or in our case, guardians know when a student is struggling." My back was straining, having spent the last two hours cooped up in the small gallery. "Anyway, thanks for sticking with me through that."

"We're a pair," her frown dissolved. "Besides, I needed to get out. No way was I stayin' home all day, waitin' for Tommy to get back, only to probably ignore me like he did this mornin'."

"Save the pessimism for when the world ends. Come on, I need to deliver these before we go home." The Solly Mercs' camp wasn't far away which was a blessed thing considering the double load I was carrying.

Upon our arrival to the familiar plaza of tents and canopies, the soundless air made it apparent that our teammates were gone on a mission. The camp wasn't completely empty, however, as a couple of Ardainian men vacated the admin canopy with the strictest of strides. Inside, their masculine odor lingered as we found the chief's secretary checking the logbook.

"Oh, good afternoon," the busy woman appeared surprised to see us. "How can I help you?"

"The chief is expecting these," I turned the cores over to her, seeing as no one else was around. "Er… were those new clients who just left?"

"At the moment, no," she shook her head. "They just inquired about any openings for the coming days."

"Huh…" This tickled me suspicious, especially after the way they'd marched off like soldiers. One quick glance at the logbook showed that they hadn't submitted any requests indeed. However, it instead revealed that the Solly Mercs had already allotted the upcoming weekend for the possible treasure delivery missions in collaboration with Gerard's gallery. "Ahem… that'll be all for today. Give my regards to the chief." As I started to leave, the stench hit me again, this time tasting unpleasantly familiar. (Ugh… I'm getting some awful Iradell vibes in here.)

"All done?" Nia had been waiting outside.

"Yes, but…" The rest of my words failed to materialize.

"Rem?" she noticed my perturbation. "I haven't seen you look like that in a long time."

"Maybe I'm more tired than I thought, but I have a hunch that those men were Newt's." I peered over Nia's shoulder towards the street, but they were no longer in sight. "Didn't they act shifty to you?"

"Uh… no, not really," her face contorted like it was difficult to think. "Sorry, my mind was on… something else."

"Tommy, huh?" It was an easy guess for me to make. Considering it was a more immediate problem than whatever business the mysterious men had here, the latter had to be dropped, for now.

"He's been on my mind all day," she confessed, ashamedly. "I want to make up with him, but if he keeps avoiding me…"

"He can't avoid you forever, not when we're under the same, small roof." I saw the anxiety on her face where confidence normally pervaded. "The boys must be home by now. Are you ready to talk to him?"

"I'm ready," her response came quickly, "but will he be ready?"

~ HAGAN ~

Judging by the lovely expression with which he greeted us at the front door, he was nowhere near ready to talk. The young heir looked at us like we were a couple of traitors. Maybe he truly felt that way about her. Five months of progress he'd made in coming out of his shell had seemingly been undone in the last two days. As afternoon drifted into evening, and long after dinner when Nia tried talking to him, the tension remained like a dark cloud. I considered attempting to reach him myself, but I knew my chances were even slimmer than hers. (Maybe we should've waited another day…)

"Hey, Tommy…" she spoke up once more, right before bedtime, but the Gormotti lad rudely snubbed her on his way to the bathroom.

"Well, that was shiny," I grumbled as we heard the water rush behind the door. "It's like he's purposely trying to be as difficult as possible."

"If he thinks it's some kinda game, then he's a cruel, little…" Nia stopped short of maligning him, like it was a line she couldn't cross. "May as well turn in for the night, Rem. He's bein' stubborn and it's gettin' late."

"I'm not letting him sleep without apologizing to you first." I sat at the corner of the bed and crossed my arms like a disciplinarian.

"Good luck with that," she slumped away. "I'm goin' for one last sip."

I didn't budge for the next ten minutes, content to passively listen to the shower running down the hall. Meanwhile, Nia struck up idle chatter with Rodwyn, for whom I felt guilty for being an innocent bystander in our seemingly unresolvable mess. Occasionally, he popped his head into the hall, waiting for his turn, until his mate emerged in a steaming shroud.

"Took ya long enough," the younger student chided as they traded places. In no mood for jokes, Tommy rolled his eyes before resuming his gloom.

"If you keep frowning, your face will be stuck that way," I tossed out a joke of my own.

"Don't talk to me," his grimace darkened.

"Ay! Have a little respect, would you?" I stopped him in his tracks, scaring him a little. "We've opened our doors for you for the last five months, and this is what we get in return?"

"Sorry…" although he was hardly that.

"You don't mean it, do you?" My hands bunched into fists under my arms.

"You're right," he likewise gripped his towel tightly, "I don't."

"At least you're being honest, now." Moreover, I was glad that he was finally talking again. "I just wish you wouldn't be so cross with us."

"I'll have my father send you more gold," he offered, as if money could compensate for his behavior.

"I don't need more gold, Tommy. I just need us to come together on this, to form a truce, if nothing else." I stood and motioned for him to enter, and surprisingly, he did, with timid steps. "You don't like me, fine, but is there any way for us to see eye-to-eye?"

"No… maybe, I don't know…" he couldn't look at me straight. "I just… really want…"

"…Nia?" I finished for him.

"Y-yes…" The young Gormotti seemed too embarrassed to say it, himself, even though he'd proposed a date with her yesterday. "I never wanted anything until I met her."

"But you knew, all along, that such a communion would be impossible, right?" my voice softened involuntarily.

"Yeah," he glared at me again, "because you got to her first."

"Come on, now, you just said that you never wanted anything before you saw her," I called out his fallacy. "It feels like you're trying to be upset. I'm not your enemy, okay?"

"I know, but…" His evasive eyes started to reveal something else.

"Would you still dislike me even if Nia weren't in the picture?" I tried a different angle. His hesitation that followed was as good as an affirmative answer to me. Disappointment aside, I was determined to see how far I could go with this rare opportunity to talk to him. "Is it because of the water rescue?"

"The what?" he looked confused, perhaps in feigning.

"You remember… when we first met, you were stuck in the lake behind Torigoth," I flashed us way back, "and I happened to be there on a merc mission."

"No…" the flustered youth huffed, "okay fine, yes."

"Why?" I leaned closer to him. "What's so bad about a rescue?"

"It was humiliating!" he shouted like he'd been holding it in for years. "How would you like it if you had to be helped by a… foreigner… with all your friends and family watching?"

"Titan's foot…" I needed a moment to unpack it all. "Okay… foreigner? Really? That seems like an unfair, invalid reason to be put off, don't you think?"

"M-maybe…" his eyes finally settled on me without their usual tote of disdain.

"I understand the humiliation, but it seems like you transferred this ill feeling to me," I tried to piece this puzzle together. "And now with… the situation with Nia, you've turned it into a grudge."

"I-I… don't…" he stumbled for a response of any kind, dumbfounded by his own void of reason.

"Have you disliked me all along because I saved your life?" It sounded wrong to me when I asked it, but it seemed to be the case. Clearly, this was becoming too deep of a plunge for him, as he started to wipe his forehead with his towel still draped around his shoulders. Whether he was dabbing sweat or pretending to do so in order to hide dabbing a tear, I decided that the answer wasn't worth it. I was amazed that we'd gotten this far into a conversation, let alone one that shed some insight. Perhaps a lighter turn was in order. "You know, Tommy, I have to thank you…"

"For what?" he looked up again, dropping his guard.

"If I hadn't rescued you, then your father wouldn't have batted an eye at me and my treasure-hunting services, and he wouldn't have tasked me to find Nia's core crystal." I threw in a chuckle for good measure. "So, you see, if not for you, then Nia might still be lost."

"Great… I'll take her as a reward, thank you," the young heir cracked the smallest of smiles.

"Aw, let's not loop around that again," I playfully bumped his arm. As he sidestepped like it was a game of tag, I noticed behind him that Nia had been sitting on the couch, listening the whole time. "Hey, grudge against me or not, can you make up with her, though?"

"Hmm?" He turned around just as she did the same.

"She's been feeling down since the argument," I explained, although he'd likely figured it out on his own already. "Besides, you were rude to her, earlier. The least you can do is apologize."

"B-but… how?" the pathetic Gormotti was barely above babbling.

"What do you mean how? You say you're sorry and actually mean it!" I couldn't believe I had to tell him. "She's your favorite! It shouldn't be so hard, huh?"

"I c-can't talk to her now," he fretted, hinting that his discourtesy had been a veil for his fear of her all along.

"If you can ask her out, then you can apologize to her. Haven't you already talked to her about everything?" I was beginning to enjoy seeing him squirm over the thought of talking to my Blade again.

"But she hates me," Tommy continued to stall, depleting his excuses.

"No, she doesn't," my patience dwindled. "She cares a lot about you, and she misses you."

"Misses me?" he turned again, momentarily.

"You know, the Tommy who was fun to be around." By now, I'd gone from being glad that the two of them kept their distance to trying to get them back together again, at least as friends. Sighing and acting defeated, he slowly shuffled out of the bedroom and made his way towards her. (Here we go… the moment of truth.)

The air was still for the next thirty seconds until he was in her presence at last. Nia sat before him like a queen, her stern gaze as soft as she could make it. She too, began to pity this young fool. At first, I was content to have him out of my hair, but soon curiosity took over and kept my feet planted in place. If something good was about to happen, then I wanted to witness it.

"Hey…" he squeezed out of his mouth.

"Hey yourself," she sat forward, all ears to whatever he had to say.

"I'm sorry I made such a fuss," he tugged on his towel before moving onward. "It won't happen again."

"Oi! Where are ya goin'?!" the unsatisfied Blade froze his easy escape. "Is that all you've got?"

"Wha…?" Poor Tommy looked like he'd just stepped on a landmine. "W-what else should I say?"

"I dunno, but c'mon, don't be so dodgy!" she pleaded, bordering on whining. "You can't stay with us for as long as you have and suddenly avoid us just 'cause I turned you down."

"I'm not avoiding you," he feebly claimed, getting nowhere fast.

"You're still walkin' away from me, and you've barely said anythin'." Nia was hardly an intimidating figure, but Tommy was about as nervous around her as he'd ever been. "Here." She straightened herself out and patted the cushion next to her, an invitation which he hesitated to throw in the towel and accept.

And so, the two of them sat together, neither quite sure of where this could go. As Nia leaned back to get comfortable again, Tommy remained rigid on the edge of the couch like a stone protruding out of a cliff. Scared or not, the young heir's social skills left a lot to be desired.

"You must think I'm an idiot," he eventually spoke with his hands between his knees, fiddling with the cushion seams.

"Nah…" she shook her head, "not completely."

"Hey!" His eyes shot at her as she grinned, having successfully gotten a rise out of him.

"You were smart enough to come here and experience a different side of Alrest." Nia jabbed him lightly in the forearm, much like she'd done for me anytime I needed a boost of confidence.

"Father wanted me to sign up for the program," he revealed, as if to devalue his accomplishment.

"Okay, but you would've been an idiot to pass on it," she insisted, her hand now on his shoulder. "I know you would've been kickin' yourself if you'd missed out on spendin' time with me."

"But we fought," his voice quavered. "You yelled at me, and I…"

"Tch… I yell at everyone, more or less. Your turn was a matter of time." Nia had lightened up the mood, in her own way, further disarming the young Gormotti beside her. "Deep down, you understand that this is it for us… right?"

"Yeah…" he sighed heavily, reluctant to agree.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be your Blade," she reached across to his other shoulder and pulled him in. "But hey, you know what it's like to harness the power of a Blade… sort of. You'll have a partner of your own, someday."

"Well…" blush filled his face, "my father keeps a core crystal in his collection."

"Great! Just… take that one, form a bond, see what happens…" Her voice lowered with each thought, perhaps as a result of fatigue creeping in.

"I can't do that," he resisted her suggestion despite accepting her embrace. "It's s-supposed to be a great white tiger…"

"Ooo… sounds awesome, you'd be the envy of everyone in Torigoth," she continued her encouragement. "Imagine… formin' a bond with a magnificent beast."

"But I want to form a bond with you." The bewailing Gormotti sunk his face just below her neck.

"We share a bond, just in a different way." Nia was running out of ways to make him feel better, but fortunately his protests ceased. The warmth that emanated from her was enough to calm anyone, let alone someone who fancied her to no end. His breathing slowed and steadied as her sweet scent lulled him into a relaxed, tranquil state.

From across the hall, I could tell that this moment was meaningful, whether or not an understanding had truly been reached. I imagined how happy he must've been feeling, cradled in her arm. Then again, perhaps this was torture, being this close to her, physically, but never to pass through the gates to an Elysium that she opened exclusively for me. He wanted so badly to enter, but he knew that picking her lock would only ruin things again.

Nia whispered something to him, too quiet for me to hear. Whatever the words were, they seemed to satisfy him, and she followed them up with a kiss on his forehead. Sharp at the tongue at times, my healer Blade was a master at making people feel better, not just with the body but in the mind as well. I'd unwittingly begun smiling, having witnessed her unrivaled care administered to someone else for the first time. Only when Rodwyn returned did she leave Tommy's side, her quest complete.

By the time Nia retired to bed, I'd already tucked myself in for the night. No longer did I feel the weight from the past couple of days, a relief that I suspected was even greater for her.