—

"To another golden year!" Petra grinned, tapping his cup against the side of Loqi's own.

"Here here," Loqi said with an amused raised eyebrow as he took a nice gulp from his mug. His mug of cider, of course. He was glad they had a stable food source, but dear Astrals was he tired of apple-flavored everything.

Loqi sat back in the chair at his desk, shaking his head. "I do wish you wouldn't jinx us like that."

"Oh, come on." Petra stretched to swipe at him, narrowly missing Loqi's arm as he shifted back just enough to avoid him. "It's called bein' optimistic. There's enough misery in the world as things are. I'm enjoyin' what I can! We've 'ad bloody good last year or so, and I'm wishin' for another!"

Loqi chuckled, consenting his point with a nod. "Fine. But if we both die on the next supply run, I'm blaming you."

"I can live with that." Petra waved him off casually.

Loqi rolled his eyes fondly, tipping his head back to relax further. If he listened hard enough, he could hear faint cheers of celebration reverberating down Crestholm's corridors. For once, being able to hear the noise of the main area was a pleasant thing instead of a buzzing distraction. He was fairly certain he could even hear some music going.

"You know, you don't actually need to come along on our next delivery." Loqi snagged another sip from his mug before setting it down on his desk.

"Blah." Petra yawned then, and Loqi waited for him to continue. "You're a man down and it's 'bout time I 'ad another word in person with Cor."

It was true. They were a man down on their delivery squad since Echo was out with a minor leg injury, and Petra had only made it to Lestallum less than half a dozen times over the years. There really wasn't a better time for the trip than now with the way things were going. Especially since they had a fill-in leader already here.

Petra snickered at whatever his expression was. "I'm sure Ravus can 'andle things 'ere without us for a couple of days. Crestholm won't be on fire when we get back. You can calm down. It's 'ardly the first time he's helped lead things around here."

"It's his first time without either of us," Loqi pointed out, though he knew Petra was right. Loqi just didn't like messing with formulas that worked. The delivery team and the leadership assistance had been solid for over a year now. Plus this time they were taking a truck since the load was too large for their chocobos. Trucks made a lot of noise and attracted daemons.

So, to sum it all up… different leadership for the city, a harder target to protect, and a replacement member for his usually very in-sync team.

Adding so many changes as once made him antsy.

He or Petra had always been here before. They hadn't both been out of their little city since… Well, since Fita… And they'd never both been out at once willingly since they'd founded this damned place.

Six, if that wasn't strange to think about. Sometimes it was difficult to believe any of them had ever had a life before Crestholm. It felt like so much longer than seven years since this all started.

"It'll be fine, Loqi," Petra stressed. "Our work will 'old up more than a few days without us. We didn't build this place to fall apart."

"Nothing is built to fall apart until it does," Loqi said dryly.

"Piñatas," Petra said instantly.

Loqi leveled a withering glare at him. "Are you drunk? What is with you today?"

Petra scoffed. "Who wants to get drunk off this anymore?"

"Plenty of people. Drunk is not about taste. Have you ever been to the bar in Lestallum? It's a wonder Sikozu can keep that lot in line."

Petra rolled his eyes. "No, I 'aven't, but I'm thinkin' about it now. And I told you, I'm bein' optimistic! Stop rainin' on my parade!"

Loqi sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. I'll withhold my miserable comments for the road instead."

"Oh, don't you dare."

Loqi grinned. "No promises."

"Oh what a beautiful mornin', oh what a beautiful day…"

"I am going to sock you in the throat," Loqi growled in Petra's direction, keeping his chocobo at perfect pace with the truck. Petra had him trapped. He had to stay close and be subjected to this torture. "Can you not pay attention to the road or something?"

Petra just grinned, his focus honestly completely fine. Loqi just wanted him to shut up. Sweet Astrals, he was the worst road trip partner ever. He'd traded his ever-faithful co-archer for someone who couldn't carry a tune if he'd had a pet behemoth to help him.

"I'm just tryin' to take the edge off, Lacky." Petra had one hand resting on windowsill as he casually steered with the other.

"You're putting the edge on," Loqi growled.

"Yeah, but now you're annoyed at me, not worryin' 'bout things out of your control."

"Are you implying that you're under my control?"

"Not a chance."

Loqi rolled his eyes. He understood that Petra was trying to help in his own way, but it was still annoying. There were too many threats out here for him to let his guard down even a little. He'd made this trip enough times to know that. Petra would learn that too if he started joining them more ofter.

Loqi gave his chocobo a light kick to speed it up as they reached a downhill slope in the road and Petra's truck gained a bit of momentum.

He really hated this, Loqi noted again as he eyed the upcoming tunnel. Trucks were just so… cumbersome. Their chocobos were very in tune with one another, and everything felt out of sync. Loqi also kept having small heart attacks when he checked around and didn't see Echo. Even knowing that the boy was safe in Crestholm, Loqi couldn't shake that instinctive feeling of missing a member of his squad.

He just wanted to be in Lestallum already.

Fortunately, they were close. Close enough that Loqi was itching to kick his chocobo into a full gallop and just be there already. He resisted the urge, though.

Just a little longer.

"So, do I get to take part in these legendary poker games I keep 'earin' 'bout?"

Now that got a smirk out of Loqi. "If you think you're good enough to keep up with the rest of us."

"Oh, I think I can manage. Got a wonderful poker face, I do!"

Loqi sorted. "You're sure about that, are you? You certainly weren't very good at covering up that you despised me when we first met."

"…Yeah, I wasn't bloody tryin' to cover that up. Not like you were any better anyway."

He had a point there, Loqi had to admit. They'd held only the goal of survival back then. Their past selves would have been aghast at the idea of civilly co-leading a city–

"Loqi!"

A sharp cry from Evan had Loqi drawing his bow as quickly as could, his gaze locking onto the boy as he drew his own weapons.

That tone had to be a daemon warning. But where was–

A shriek echoed through the tunnel, and Loqi recognized the type of beast without having to see it.

The wall. One of those blasted daemons that lived in the walls of caves and tunnels such as this.

Not good. Not good at all. Those things were vicious.

But their range was limited. That was his team's advantage here.

"Petra, drive! Go!" Loqi ordered. Petra may have been his equal in the city, but out here Loqi considered his word law. Petra didn't have the experience he did.

Thankfully, Petra listened and speed up immediately.

"Delilah, Dino – take the lead!" Loqi leaned and nudged his chocobo with his knee, handlessly steering the bird just the way they trained it. He needed to watch the rear. These daemons had a habit of attacking targets' blindsides.

Astrals, Loqi hated smart daemons. They were bad enough when they were lethal and stupid. Evan pulled up beside Loqi, a dagger poised in one hand as he seamlessly joined him.

"Just keep moving!" Loqi barked in Petra's direction.

Delilah and Dino would know what to do. Evan knew what to do. Even with one less long distance fighter, they could handle this. They'd handled far worse in the past while dragging someone that was injured.

This damned tunnel just had to be the longest one on the entire route.

The daemon screamed again.

There! Movement in the wall – headed their direction.

Loqi steadied his chobobo as he took aim.

He had to wait for an opening. It would do them no good to waste arrows on the actual walls.

Steady, steady…

Wait… Breathe… Relax… Control…

The moment of calm before the outbreak of blood.

Ready…. ready…

The screaming grew louder. The truck's engine grew further away.

And fire.