As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

8- Mississippian

"That child is the property of Axis Mundi. You will return her to us immediately."

Estelle and Rita both stepped back, Rita turning to pass Bell over into Estelle's arms.

"I don't think so," Rita said, looking back once Bell was settled. "But here's what we are going to do. We're going to give you until the count of ten to get the hell out of here before we call the Royal Guard on your ass. You got that?"

"You can call," the man answered, "but the Royal Guard won't come. We're protected by the Ancient One."

"...the ancient one?" Estelle murmured. "You mean Utnapishtim?"

"We don't speak his name out of reverence to him. But yes-"

"You're so full of it!" Rita interrupted. She'd run to the back of the room near the bed and began pressing a mechanized button over and over. "See how well your beloved ancient one protects you now!"

The sound of alarm bells echoing down the tiled hallways filtered in through the open door, loud and unmistakable. Bell began to scream, and Estelle tried to pull her close to muffle the sound. The Krityan man sprinted forward, frantically waving his hands.

"T-turn off those alarms! They're hurting her ears, and you're going to smother her if you hold her like that-"

Estelle was too stunned to move, so Rita jumped in front of her, grabbing the meteorology book and smacking it against the Krityan's face. He stumbled backward, and Rita pushed him over with a swift kick to the chest.

"Where the hell is the royal guard? They're supposed to respond in seconds!"

The Krityan pulled himself up into a seated position, wiping away a stream of blood from his nose. "Th-they're not here… please, they…" He winced and clutched at his torso with his other arm, but a voice spoke up from the hallway before he could say anything else.

"Waste not thy breath, Jakob. Axis Mundi overestimated the wisdom of these humans."

Jakob turned his attention back around to the door, where another figure emerged from the darkness of the hall. This one was also Krityan, but was hunched over and walked with a sort of hobble. He had a long, braided beard, and his antennae were so thick that they rested atop his shoulders and draped across his chest, almost dragging the ground as he shuffled over to Jakob and helped him up.

Rita spoke up first. "Overestimated? I'll show you overestimated-"

"Rita, wait!" Estelle broke in. "Sir, are you… Enki?"

The old man looked up, his dark eyes scanning Estelle. "You are observant, Your Highness, though you and your companion seem to lack the wisdom to which we had attributed your care of the Atrahasis. Your designs upon it do not reflect a respect for its power, but instead the insatiable nature of humanity to own everything it encounters."

"They even gave her a human name!" Jakob hissed.

Enki closed his eyes and shook his head. "Such a waste, that human determination is squandered in the pursuit of that which they cannot possess. The longer you struggle to keep the Atrahasis in your possession, the more painful the inevitable separation will be-"

"SHUT UP!" Rita had been quiet for Estelle's sake, but she couldn't take it anymore. It was just too much. "Stop talking about her like she's some kind of object! Bell is a person, and I won't ever give her over to people who won't treat her with respect!"

Enki's voice remained flat. "It is not your decision to make. The child's mother delivered it into our care, and from that moment forward, the Atrahasis was the property of Axis Mundi. Should you refuse to return it, you will be guilty of kidnapping and holding a child hostage."

Estelle shifted her weight uncomfortably. "B-but… someone asked the Union to care for her…"

"My sister," Jakob spat, "kidnapped her. She must have been the one who left Atrahasis with the Union, that way we wouldn't be able to follow her. But make no mistake, she- and you- are the kidnappers. Not us."

Bell was still crying, and Estelle leaned down to press her forehead against Bell's. "It's not right… it's just not right…" she murmured. Rita clenched her teeth and glared back at the two men.

"Don't listen to them, Estelle! They're trying to mess with your head the way any cult does. Bell belongs with us."

"Cult?" Enki asked. "Once again, you cannot comprehend concepts that lie beyond your selfish human desires. Face the fact that the Royal Guard is not coming to your rescue and hand the Atrahasis back over to us-" He held out both hands. "-now."

Rita took a step forward and pressed her hands together. "I'm sorry, Estelle. I didn't want to ruin anything in your room, but these guys are just asking to get blasted."

"R-Rita! In a small space like this, you might hurt Bell!"

"But…" Rita began and then shook her head. "...dammit, hand-to-hand combat is not my thing!"

Despite what she said, she sprinted towards them, swinging a kick toward Enki. He ducked out of the way, and her foot made contact with Jakob's stomach again. He toppled over onto the floor, and Rita turned back to Enki with her meteorology book. However, as she brought it down toward his head, he reached up and grabbed her wrists. She yelped as he tossed her to the side with a strength that she hadn't expected from someone who looked so old and fragile. She heard Estelle scream her name, but Enki slammed the book back into her face, hitting her on the forehead and sending her reeling backward. Her ears rang and her vision blurred.

Just who is this guy-?!

By the time Rita's vision cleared, she could see Enki halfway across the room, approaching Estelle and Bell. Estelle had found a knife and was holding it out with one hand while cradling Bell with her other arm. She had her back to the wall, though, and it seemed that there was no way out. Rita was still dizzy, and she struggled just to scream.

"Estelle-!"

"HALT, INTRUDERS, IN THE NAME OF THE IMPERIAL KNIGHTS!"

There was a sudden rush of activity as another figure appeared in the doorway and pointed a sword in Enki's direction. Jakob pulled himself up off the floor, stammering a pathetic "but the Royal Guard shouldn't be-"

"I am the commandant of the Imperial Knights," Flynn corrected, "and I order you to step away from Lady Estellise. Failure to do so will force me to take action. Do you understand?"

Enki turned away from Estelle to look at Flynn. "You humans speak of action, yet there are forces that render even you powerless. I see now that it will take such forces to inspire within you the respect that Axis Mundi deserves."

"Axis Mundi is registered as a civic club and the Empire respects its position as such," Flynn answered with the same composure. "Claims to the contrary will be considered an admission of fraud and potential terrorism, given your actions here in the palace. I recommend that you step back and follow me to avoid appearing as though you're resisting arrest."

Enki let out a low chuckle and stepped toward Flynn with his arms out. "Lady Estellise and her partner misunderstand our intentions. We do not mean them any harm. The child in their possession was kidnapped, and we wish only to bring it back to where it belongs."

"I'm afraid the Empire has no records of the child. She is therefore considered a citizen of the Union and a ward of the guild Brave Vesperia, and as per the Union's agreement with the Empire, we must respect such claims. Rita Mordio and Lady Estellise are associate members of Brave Vesperia. In the Empire's eyes, sir, you are the one attempting kidnapping."

The room went quiet for a moment. Enki shook his head, walking back across the room to help Jakob to his feet. "Let us take our leave. We were mistaken in thinking this was the appropriate time for retrieval of the Atrahasis. In order to avoid violent conflict, the humans need more time to appreciate the Ancient One's power."

"Wait just a minute!" Flynn protested, holding his sword out in front of the door. "I'm afraid I can't let you go anywhere. The two of you are under arrest on charges of criminal trespassing-"

"Then we shall cease trespassing," Enki interrupted, taking Jakob by the arm and pulling him to the window, "and you shall cease arresting."

"That's not how it-!" Flynn lunged after them, but he wasn't fast enough to reach the window before Enki climbed out of it and leaped off the windowsill. "Wait! This is not the ground floor! You'll-"

"Rita!"

While Flynn looked out the window, Estelle dropped the knife she'd been holding and ran to Rita's side. She pressed a hand to Rita's forehead, and Rita winced and drew back.

"Ugh… so that's how it feels to be on the receiving end of one of those books… but you should take care of Bell first. Is she alright? That guy didn't do anything to her, did he…?"

Bell was still crying, but it was now a softer sort of cry rather than the earlier screaming sobs. Estelle kept Bell close to her chest and shook her head.

"She's fine. Just spooked by all the noise, I think." Estelle passed a hand over Rita's forehead, and a momentary flash of light appeared along the area where Rita had been hit. "Does that feel better?"

"Much better, thanks."

Flynn ran over and knelt down beside the girls, surveying them to make sure they were alright. "They disappeared into the tree. With the power off, it's too dark to get a visual on them in the courtyard below," he explained. "Even with the tree there, a fall like that may have injured their legs, so they can't have gotten far. I'm going to search for any guards on duty and have them sweep the area. In the meantime, you two should come with me."

"If we do, will you explain what you're doing here?" Rita shot back. "Why there's no Royal Guards on duty? Why those guys were able to just sneak in without anybody catching them-"

"Rita," Estelle murmured, placing her hand against Rita's arm. She turned to Flynn and continued, "we do want to know what's going on, but most of all, we're grateful to you for coming in when you did. Thanks for saving us, Flynn."

"I didn't save you so much as I filled in for the shortcomings of my own soldiers. If the Royal Guard were on duty like they're supposed to be, this never would have happened." Flynn sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to find out exactly why no one reported for duty this evening, but that will come later. Right now, it's probably best for you to take Bell and get out of the city."

"Out of the city?" Rita demanded. "What does it matter? They've got a tracking device on Bell anyway!"

"Yes, but getting you away from the city will at least slow them down somewhat."

"Kida said that Enki is their leader," Estelle added with a nod. "If he's hurt, it will hinder their further movements. That should give us at least enough time to rejoin Brave Vesperia and tell them what happened."

"Safety in numbers," Flynn agreed.

"Safety in we'll-kick-the-ass-of-anybody-who-tries-to-take-her-from-us," Rita corrected.

Estelle and Rita gathered their things and left the palace with Flynn. Unable to find any members of the Royal Guard, he diverted several members of the city patrol in the nobles' quarter to sweep the palace grounds and arrest anyone fitting Enki and Jakob's descriptions. Rita pointed out that he'd catch hell if the nobles learned they weren't being properly guarded by their precious night patrol, but Flynn assured her that catching criminal trespassers in the palace took precedence.

Flynn's ride was waiting for him, a convoy of knights loaded up with mining equipment that was bound for Heliord. They had hoped to arrive in Nor Harbor before sunrise the next morning, but Flynn's delay cost them a few hours, and he apologized profusely. It didn't take long for them to make a space for Rita and Estelle, however, and the two settled down in the back of Flynn's wagon with a set of blankets.

"I had to make a quick, routine delivery to His Majesty before leaving the city tonight," Flynn explained from the front of the wagon. "But while I was dropping off the documents, I noticed that there seemed to be no members of the Royal Guard on duty. I had some extra time, so I looked around the palace to see if I could find anyone at their posts. But before I could, the power went out and I heard the alarm sounding from your wing. I'm sorry that it took me so long to get to you."

"Why didn't any of the Royal Guard show up for duty?" Rita demanded. "How does that even happen? Don't you have failsafes for those kinds of things?"

"If they had called in sick or taken leave, we would have found replacements to cover their shifts," Flynn replied. "For them to just not show up- I don't understand it either, and as the commandant, that kills me."

Estelle had been rocking Bell to sleep, and once she finally drifted off, Estelle placed her comfortably in the bassinet and turned to join the conversation. "That old man, Enki… he claimed to have certain powers. I wonder if-"

"No way," Rita interrupted, shaking her head. "Magic may seem miraculous, but it follows certain rules. There are scientific laws that can't be broken. Whatever Enki says he's doing, there has to be a logic to it, and making an entire Royal Guard patrol vanish is out of the question."

Estelle looked away. "Even so, those people really seemed to believe what they were saying. Kida too. Surely there must be a reason for their belief."

"This Enki would not be the first to inspire loyalty in his followers with trickery and sleight of hand," Flynn offered. "He was quick to retreat as soon as he was outnumbered. Someone who truly had supernatural powers wouldn't have reacted that way."

Rita crossed her arms and nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much. He's a fraud, and all that talk of 'avoiding violent conflict' was just his way of covering up the fact that he couldn't take us in a fair fight."

"But…" Estelle fidgeted with her hands. "...it really didn't seem like they wanted to hurt Bell. In fact, Kida's brother seemed to genuinely care about her wellbeing-"

"You're not saying we should've handed her over, are you?" Rita spat.

"No! No, of course not!" Estelle began waving her hands and waited until Rita had cooled off to relax again. "What I'm saying is, I don't necessarily think they have bad intentions. Maybe if we find a way to channel their energy toward more productive outlets, Bell could return to her birth parents and live a normal life."

Rita shook her head. "That's never going to happen. The cult worships her as some kind of messiah figure, and that's not going to change just because you've 'redirected their energy' or whatever. I know on the surface it sounds great for her, but…" Her voice lowered, growing shaky. "...Estelle, you of all people should know how much it hurts… to grow up surrounded by people who put you on a pedestal…"

"Rita…"

"After my mother died, I ended up being raised by the mages in Aspio. They didn't want to bother with me, so they'd sit me down in front of a pile of books and expect me to entertain myself all day. So I did. Then, when I grew up into a child prodigy with zero social or practical skills, they treated me like I was a weirdo. Like it was my fault I didn't know how to make eye contact or hold normal conversations. Like… like there was something wrong with me for just being me." Rita closed her eyes and let out a long, slow sigh. "If Bell is raised by a cult that worships her, she's going to grow up isolated and alone. I can't let that happen to her. I won't."

Estelle reached out tentatively and placed a hand against Rita's shoulder. "I won't let that happen either."

"Thank you," Rita answered, placing a hand over Estelle's. The two sat there for a moment, looking at one another, examining the minute expressions in each other's eyes. They said nothing, however, and Flynn's voice finally broke the tension between them.

"You two should get some rest. We'll be arriving at Nor Harbor just after sunrise, so you'll need your energy."

"R-right," Estelle answered, pulling her hand away from Rita's shoulder. "That's a good idea. Thank you."

Both Rita and Estelle made themselves comfortable on the blankets, but only Estelle fell asleep. After a few minutes, her breathing slowed to a rhythmic pattern, her nose whistling slightly as it had a tendency to do. It was a sound that Rita was normally fond of, but now all it did was confuse her. She quietly pulled herself to a seated position again and shuffled over to the front of the wagon where she could speak to Flynn. She hated asking for advice, but figured it was no different in this case than a scientist consulting the established literature before beginning an experiment. And besides being a relevant source, Flynn was the kind of person who wouldn't judge her for what she was about to ask.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?"

He'd heard her shuffling around in the back of the wagon, so it wasn't a surprise when she spoke. "Of course," he answered, the friendly smile in his voice encouraging her to press forward. "What is it?"

"Why… why did you start dating Yuri?"

Flynn shifted in his seat and looked back at her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Why did you start dating Yuri?" Rita repeated. "I mean, I know you were old friends and all that, but what prompted the romance? I genuinely want to know."

There was a moment of quiet between them, Flynn letting out a puzzled sigh and shaking his head. "We found that we had mutual romantic feelings for one another and decided to act on those feelings. I'm not sure how better to describe it."

"I get it, I suppose," Rita answered. "But was there a reason beyond that? Mutual romantic feelings don't always have to end in a romantic relationship."

"Yes, I recognize that there are times when external factors make such relationships difficult. But despite our positions and the societal constraints that accompany them, Yuri and I felt too strongly about one another to let such matters get in the way."

"That's not really what I meant," Rita replied, sitting up and shuffling closer to the front. "What I mean is, didn't you feel scared?"

"Scared?"

"Of losing what you already had. Of moving too far or too fast and ruining your friendship."

That prompted a laugh, though Flynn still tried to keep his voice low. "Perhaps there was some fear of that. But I think the bigger fear was of what might happen if we did not pursue our true feelings- what we would lose if we kept silent forever and tried to play at a friendship that was always tinged with the desire for something different."

"What you'd lose if you didn't…?" Rita murmured. "That doesn't make sense."

"That's because you're too concerned with the potential consequences of action to realize that inaction comes with its own set of consequences as well."

Rita flinched and turned her face away. "Wh-who said this was about me? I'm the one asking you the questions."

"Right, of course." Flynn laughed again. "I suppose, then, the reason I chose to pursue my relationship with Yuri is because I couldn't bear to live a life in which I didn't. Does that answer your question?"

Rita went quiet again, resting her arms against the side of the wagon. "Is that the same reason you want to get married?" she asked, "Or is that, like, more of a tax benefits thing?"

"No tax benefits, I assure you." Flynn shook his head. "Yuri is a citizen of the Union and I of the Empire. If he chooses to marry me, our taxes will actually become much more complicated."

"Wow. You must really love him, then."

"Well, there are a host of benefits to the potential marriage too, but…" Flynn glanced down at his own hands, watching the way the moonlight glinted off his armor. "When you get right down to it, the most important reason is that I simply don't want to live a life in which I'm not Yuri's husband."

"Damn," Rita breathed. "You said that to him, and he still has to think it over? Harsh."

"W-well, I didn't exactly say it in those words, but-" Flynn answered with the wave of one hand, and then stopped as he realized what he'd just said. "I… I didn't say that to him, did I? Maybe Sodia was right. Maybe it is a matter of sentimentality after all. I speak incessantly of love at all other times, yet I can't do so when it comes to the most important decision of our lives-"

Rita cut him off, knocking against the back of his seat. "Hey, um, can you save your personal epiphanies for later? I'm trying to get advice for me, thanks."

Flynn turned with an amused look. "Who said we were talking about you?"

"W-well-! That's-!" Even in the dark, it was obvious how red her face flashed. "You knew from the beginning I was asking about me, didn't you? Why hide it?"

"My thoughts exactly." Flynn reached over and patted her head with one hand, though she slapped it away and he looked back out at the road as he continued. "Estellise loves you very much, Rita. She's at least somewhat aware of your feelings, and wants the two of you to act on them."

"I know," Rita sighed, exhaling the breath she'd been holding. "I'm just not sure if I want to yet."

"It's always prudent to consider the consequences of a decision, especially a decision like this one. But if you do not consider the consequences of both possible outcomes, your analysis of the situation will be deeply flawed, and your results will be skewed. A true scientist considers all the information available, doesn't she?"

Rita just nodded silently.

"Get some rest and think it over. I can give you advice like this, but I can't tell you what decision to make. That is your job now."

Rita turned back to the back of the wagon. "...thanks…"

"What was that?"

"I-I said thanks, Flynn," Rita spat before diving back down onto the pile of blankets so that he couldn't follow up. She could hear him laughing again but chose to ignore it rather than get upset. She had more to worry about, after all.

Estelle was sleeping on her side, one arm draped protectively over the bassinet. She really did look like a mother guarding her child, and that stirred something deep in Rita's heart. She lay down beside them and put her own arm over the bassinet as well, not touching Estelle's but still close enough to feel the warmth radiating off of her. If they could be this close without even taking any major steps forward, she thought, imagine how close the two of them could be if they did.

And once she imagined that, could she ever be content without it?

Rita didn't realize she'd drifted off until she was awakened by sunlight filtering through the canvas of the wagon. She could hear the ocean and figured they must have passed Ehmead Hill and were on the cliffside road down to the harbor. The arm she had over Bell's bassinet was entirely devoid of sensation, and she had to sit up and shake it out a little before the blood finally flowed back into her fingers and she could once again feel the fabric of her gloves.

They arrived in the harbor with no trouble, but didn't get quite the reception they'd expected. Knights were running about the city, all seemingly in a rush, and Flynn wasn't able to even flag one down to ask what was going on. He led the group to the city's knight headquarters instead, where he found the one person he knew could explain what was going on.

"Commandant! Oh, thank goodness you're here!"

Sodia waved and ran to meet him, leaving behind a group of knights that she'd been giving orders to. One called out to her and she shouted back at him to get to work, so they scurried off, leaving her free to report to Flynn.

"What's the matter?" Flynn asked, his ever-professional voice hiding a twinge of worry. "You're supposed to be in Heliord. Has something happened-?"

"There was an earthquake," Sodia replied. "Reports say the epicenter was about two kilometers north of the drilling site in central Tolbyccia. Word of upper-five level damage is already coming in from both Heliord and Dahngrest, and a significant number of our research personnel are wounded or missing. They're requesting your presence in Heliord to lead initial recovery efforts. I am overseeing the movement of supplies here and will join you soon."

Estelle gasped. "Yuri and the others are still in Dahngrest! We've got to get back there right away-!"

"Don't worry," Flynn interrupted. "I'll make sure you're with me on the next ship. I can accompany you as far as Heliord, and I'll send an escort with you to Dahngrest from there."

"You'll need to be careful," Sodia warned. "There's still a significant danger of aftershocks."

"Of course." Flynn nodded. "We will keep that in mind."

The commotion was bothering Bell, not enough to make her cry but enough to cause her to squirm in Estelle's grip. Estelle held her tighter and looked over to Rita.

"What should we do?"

"Isn't it obvious? We've gotta get to Dahngrest and make sure everybody's okay."

"But I'm sure there will be injured in Heliord as well… and I just can't leave them…"

Flynn patted Estelle on the shoulder. "It's alright. We have some of the best medical teams in the Empire working in Heliord. Your powers will likely be in greater need in Dahngrest."

"Ah… right… thank you."

Flynn led them along the streets toward the docks, where Sodia said that a ship was waiting for them. As they walked, Rita nudged Flynn's arm.

"An earthquake near the drilling location? You know what that means, right?"

"We were aware of the risks, but…" Flynn's expression darkened. "...but we never expected it to happen so soon or to such a magnitude."

"If the damage in Dahngrest is really as severe as Sodia said, the Union is going to make sure there's hell to pay for the Empire."

Flynn shook his head. "Let's not allow the frightening specters of political upheaval cloud our good judgment. Right now, what matters most is rescuing and tending to the needs of the survivors. Everything else… will come later."

Both Judith and Raven volunteered to cook breakfast the next morning, but Duke wouldn't hear of it. His emphatic insistence made it feel less like hospitality and more like he didn't want anyone else touching his kitchen appliances, but they were in no place to argue. While Duke worked at the stove, Raven sat at the kitchen table and leaned across it with a groan.

"My poor back ain't used ta sleepin' on the floor. I'm gonna be feelin' this fer weeks."

"Aww, poor Raven," Judith cooed. "Whatever will we do without you?"

"Don't be mean," Kida warned.

"Yeah, listen ta the kid! Why don'tcha use that energy ta help me out?"

"Help you out, hm? If that's what you really want." Judith walked around to stand behind Raven, cracking her knuckles as she did so. "I'm not quite as practiced as Estelle, but she taught me a few acupressure techniques. Here."

Raven perked up. "A massage from Judith? Ooh, I feel better alrea- OW!" He went stiff as she dug her thumbs into his shoulder at the base of his neck. "OW, OW, OW- okay, okay, I get it! Stop that, will ya?!"

Judith pulled her hands away with a pleased smile. "Dear oh dear, you're just a bundle of nerves. It's not my fault your muscles are so tense."

"Not yer fault? You're the one always causin' me anxiety-!"

Duke had stepped away from the kitchen and carried a jug over to the table. He slammed it onto the tabletop, causing Raven to jerk to attention.

"Outside," Duke began sternly, "there is a well pump at the back of the house. I ask that one or both of you take this and fill it with water, then return it to me."

Raven pointed across to the kitchen. "Wait, don'tcha have a pump in here-"

"One or both of you. Outside. Now."

Judith smiled and picked up the jug. "Sounds like we're in trouble," she said with a wink and then headed toward the door. Raven scrambled out of his chair and ran after her.

"W-wait fer me!"

The two headed around to the back of the house, Judith laughing about the two of them being "put in time-out like a pair of children." Raven, meanwhile, patted his shoulder.

"Funny enough, I actually feel better. There must be somethin' ta that pressure point stuff after all."

"That's the placebo effect talking." Judith waved him off and approached the well pump, setting the jug down underneath. She then walked around the side to begin cranking the rusty pump handle, but Raven stopped her.

"Here, darlin'. Allow me."

She considered it for a moment and then stepped back. "Oh? What a gentleman. I'll let you handle it, then."

She watched him struggle with the pump for several minutes with no results. At first, he played it down, pretending there was no difficulty. However, he tired quickly and began to groan with each subsequent pump. Judith laughed and held out a hand to take over.

"The water level must be low. Let's take turns."

"After a rain like yesterday's? I think the damn thing's just dug in the wrong place." Raven walked over to sit next to the jug, holding it over the pump outlet despite his misgivings. Judith continued to pump, glancing back at the little house with a smile.

"So…" she began, turning her attention back to Raven, "...Kida and Harry, huh?"

Raven looked up. "Kida say somethin' to ya last night?"

"I don't think she meant to. His name just slipped out when we were talking about humans. But it certainly explains a lot."

"She's not a good liar," Raven agreed with a laugh of his own, "but it suits her. Honestly, I think they're a good match."

"She does love him-" Judith gave another unsuccessful pump and paused to catch her breath. "-but what about Molly Cooper?"

"Oh, it was never gonna work out between her and Harry. That's been clear fer years."

"Then why haven't they broken off the engagement? This love affair between Kida and Harry has been going on for a while."

"The engagement was set up by Molly's old man and Harry's grandpa, both of whom ain't around anymore. The poor kids think it'd be disrespectful ta ignore their wishes."

Judith gave the pump another shove, and a steady stream of water finally tumbled out of the spout and into the jug Raven was holding. "I never knew Molly's father," she continued, "but I know the Don would've wanted Harry and Molly to be happy. Allowing them to find love for themselves can't be going against his wishes."

"Maybe so, but that's fer the kids ta decide themselves. It's not our place ta meddle in their love lives."

"We already kind of are," Judith pointed out, and Raven shook his head.

"That's different. Axis Mundi is its own issue."

"I wasn't talking about that."

There was a pause, and Judith stopped pumping as the water sloshed over the top of the jug. Raven capped the top and stood up again.

"We should head back inside. Duke's probably gettin' too comfortable without us."

"Before we go-" Judith began, and Raven stopped to look back at her. "-I want to apologize."

"Apologize? Fer what?"

"For my behavior the other night, when you met Kida. Karol and I saw you with her and we made our own assumptions. I'm sorry for being angry with you."

Raven laughed. "Don'tcha worry about that, darlin'. You were concerned 'bout an old friend."

"But I wasn't," Judith corrected. "The truth is, I didn't even recognize Kida. Not until yesterday morning when she was standing right in front of me. And it's not like I'd begrudge her the ability to choose her own partner anyway- though I must say, I think she'd be a terrible match for you."

"A terrible match?" Raven gasped. "But she's such a sweetheart! Too young fer my taste, mind ya, but a good, honest gal."

"Exactly. She'd let you do whatever you want. You-" Judith jerked a finger in his direction. "-need somebody to keep you in line."

Raven's eyes lit up and he leaned closer, a grin passing over his face. "Somebody like you, ya mean?"

She turned away with a huff. "Surely you could understand. You're the one always fawning over me, after all. How do you expect me to feel, suddenly seeing you with someone else- much less a young Krityan woman like myself?"

"Jealous… you were jealous!" Raven laughed to himself, circling her in an attempt to make eye contact. "The beautiful, powerful Judith, jealous over little ol' Raven! I'm so moved, I could cry!"

"Then cry," Judith answered back, bending down and hoisting the jug in her arms. Raven followed after her, still laughing.

"That-! See, that's exactly why I was so surprised! I may dole out the compliments, but you don't ever take 'em. You're too cold ta me, Judith darlin'."

"I didn't think I was being cold," she answered, stopping by the corner of the house. "It's banter. We banter."

"Banter? You're downright mean sometimes! How was I supposed'ta interpret that as interest?"

Judith turned back to face him, leaning closer with a smirk. "You know me. I don't ever play with my food unless I'm willing to take a bite."

Raven leaned in too, though his smile was a little nervous. "Ya sound like one'a those spiders that eats her mate after she's done with 'im."

"I do like a man who's willing to risk death in order to be with me," she answered, a glint in her eyes.

"For you, Judith darlin'? I'd die any time."

There was a moment of pause, Judith considering his words carefully. She shifted the jug into one arm and reached out with the other, tracing her fingers against his chest. When she finally spoke, it was hushed, almost a whisper.

"Please don't."

Raven's smile relaxed. He put a hand over hers, and then reached out and took the jug from her with the other.

"Don't you worry yer pretty head about that, now. You own me, remember? I ain't dyin' unless you say so."

"Brave Vesperia owns you," Judith corrected, her smile returning.

"Right, right. Brave Vesperia owns my life. But you, you own-" He was still holding her hand against his chest, and he glanced down at it. "-well, I'm afraid that ya got a bad deal there, darlin'."

Judith was quiet and then suddenly drew back, pulling her hand from Raven's. He noticed her expression fall and reached out for her again.

"H-hey, I didn't mean ta upset ya. I was just kiddin' about tha-"

"It's Ba'ul. Something's wrong."

That statement quieted Raven, and he shifted the jug into his other arm as he watched her retrieve Ba'ul's horn and hold it up to her ear. Her eyes were closed and her mouth displayed no emotion, but he could see the muscles around her eyebrows tensing as the conversation went on. Finally, she opened her eyes again and looked up at Raven.

"Something's happened. Ba'ul sensed a large release of energy from within the earth, a shifting of the land somewhere in central Tolbyccia."

"Ya mean, like an earthquake?" Raven asked.

"Most likely. He said he sensed that, and-" Fear crept into Judith's eyes as she continued. "-and a great number of people in distress and pain."

Raven grimaced. "...damn it all, this is just what we needed…" He shook his head and pressed on toward the front door, tossing it open. "Kida! Grab yer stuff. There's been a change of plans."