"It looks perfect!"

Everyone looked on as Callie made a little twirl, causing the long black skirt of her new regal garments to flare outwards and show the mantenta inside. The whole outfit followed the same convention, with black on the outside and magenta on the inside, with reflective patterns subtly woven into it. It left her middle exposed, a feature of current Octarian fashion, with cutoff sleeves that left her shoulders exposed as well. The result was an outfit that looked cute and regal, but also practical.

"You did a great job, girls."

The team that had put together the outfit: two octoling apprentices, Tandi, and a handful of other inklings, beamed with pride. They'd put their all into getting the outfit finished on time and had come to the house to ensure it fit perfectly for her big debut as a kravah of the Octarian Empire.

Her mother looked on with a different sort of pride, but it was mixed with the pain of a mother seeing her child grow up. Callie did her best not to think about that. She wasn't exactly eager about growing up herself right now.

Three looked at her watch. "It's almost time to go. The coach should be here any minute. "I'm going to go watch for it."

That was Three's subtle way of excusing herself from the room and reminding others to do the same. Tandi briefly grasped Callie's hand and nuzzled it before leaving herself, one parting gesture of love and affection from a lifelong friend.

Her father came into the pool room as her mother came up and hugged her. Callie had to kneel to hug her back.

"I'm so proud of you, Callie," she whispered.

"Thanks, Mom."

She hugged her father next. "Just watch yourself," he warned her. "And make sure to tell me about the domes when you get back. From what Gramps told me, they seem rather fascinating."

"They are, in their own way."

Callie stood and her parents gave her one last look before leaving the room. There was just one person left to say goodbye to.

She turned to face Marie. Her casual house robes looked almost frumpy compared to her finely tailored attire, but her posture and stance made her seem more regal than Callie thought she could ever be, and just for a second she saw the image of Reina overlaid on her.

Can I really do this without her? She was always the one able to figure people out, to outmanoeuvre people.

Callie knew she had always been a little too trusting. That was how they ended up working for an idol agency under deplorable conditions and in a highly exploitative contract. Marie had done her research and had known the company was full of scum. By then they'd already signed on, but Marie had only done so because Callie already had.

Callie didn't like to remember those days but she never hesitated to answer when asked about them. Others needed to know to avoid such situations. It was Marie that got them out of that mess, by making sure they owned the Squid Sisters name and trademark and made their own company. When they'd left their former manager had sneered at them, telling them that they would never make it on their own. That agency was now owned by Squid Sisters Inc. and Marie had taken a certain sadistic delight in personally tearing the company apart, changing its name, and making it into something reputable. It was something people still talked about, but Callie doubted, even now, that she could do such a thing.

Marie walked up to her and peered directly into her eyes. Callie managed to give her a smile. Marie returned it with a smile that looked just as forced, and the realisation made them both laugh. The laugh felt good, releasing some of the built up tension, but they both sensed it was time to go, they could put it off no more.

They leaned into each other, and kissed. It probably only lasted a second, but it felt like a small eternity. A young life's full of feelings and all the love they shared sparking together for a single instant, expressing what words, and even tuk'yan could not.

They parted and Callie turned around, leaving her precious other half behind.

—-

Avrika observed the small puddle near her feet with odd fascination. Despite it being the middle of winter the weather was warm enough to cause the snow to melt, a phenomenon she was unfamiliar with. It was a fortunate one though, as none of the Octarians were well adapted to the cold. Even the octolings living in Inkopolis didn't seem able to handle it as well as the average inklings.

Avrika stood near a large party of armed Octarians wearing the black and magenta uniforms of Callie's new personal guard, facing across a small army of various species armed with cameras of every description imaginable. Behind them, large crowds stood behind a line of tape, and were encouraged to stay there by several armed inklings from Xapheerell, albeit overseen by someone from Inkopolis Security.

This was the first time the Octarian Empire was showing itself publicly like this, the first time Avrika herself had been observed by Calachora's media for the world to see. It was all more than a little nerve wracking, especially since it all needed to go well.

Lakshi approached her. Lakshi was a former elite rescued from Pollip Prison by Callie the very day Avrika herself had tried to rescue Octavio, and got involved in all this. She looked considerably healthier now with her black tentacles no longer pale and shrivelled, and her new, close-fitting black and magenta uniform suited her.

"Everything alright, Ambassador?"

"Just a little nervous, Captain. I want to leave a good impression."

She smiled wryly. "Leave that to Callie; she's made a living of it."

"I'll be sure to take notes," she smiled back.

Lakshi touched her ear and spoke into the mic attached to her tentacle. "Understood, get everyone in their final positions." She told Avrika, "Callie's arriving", before walking off.

Avrika took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself. It didn't work, her hearts still raced like she was double-timing. This had to go well, for the sake of their future, this had to go smoothly.

The cameras all turned when the coach arrived. Three left the cab as the guards filed out sharply from the vehicle and came to attention. It was a display that would have made their old drill instructors proud. Four appeared from the back of the vehicle and made space before Callie herself emerged, clothed in a simple but fashionable coat but it was clearly hiding a lovely ensemble underneath.

Callie's expression was a pleasant, happy one as she made her way over, escorted on either side by Three and Four. She waved at all the camera wielding people with a big smile and saying a big hello.

Everyone was initially shocked by her appearance, most probably her enlarged size and her more mature features. She was nearly a full inkyora now. Avrika didn't blame them given how she herself had reacted, but that highlighted how unusual Callie and Marie's dramatic transformation was. They still had no explanation for that and she hoped that it wouldn't come to bite them later.

Callie reached the microphone stand that had been set up, her back facing a concrete wall as tall as she was. Lakshi had people positioned there to make sure nobody could lurk behind it. All the same, she saw Three check before returning to Callie's side.

Callie tested the mic by dlicately tapping it and then began to speak.

"Well, whoever said the best place to be was home was never forced to stay there for almost a month without being let out." The small jest earned a flutter of laughter from the crowd, and Callie continued.

"No doubt, you're all a little confused as to what's going on. Well, you know me, I can't stand doing nothing when people are in trouble. That's how I ended up as an Octarian Legate.

"The former Octarian dictator hypnotised me using Precursor technology, forcing me to help him find a way to conquer Inkopolis, using the suggestion of wanting to help the people against me. That's when he gave me the position of Legate, and the noble title of kravah, so that I'd have the authority to do what he wanted done." Then she smirked. "'Course, hypnotised or not, I'm still me, and the position of Legate is unique in that it involved civil responsibilities in addition to military ones, so I spent more time trying to make life better for the people than on his military projects. Even after my family rescued me and removed the hypnotic effects, I couldn't stop thinking about all the people still suffering in the domes.

"After rescuing a few Octarians from being imprisoned for no other reason than that they knew me, Marie and I decided we needed to give the Octarains a way out now that their dictator had been deposed. We offered to help them achieve peace with Calachora so that they wouldn't have to fight anymore to survive. But things are more complicated than that.

"All Octarians that you've seen have grown up being taught that Calachora is to blame for the conditions they live in, creating generations of hate that is only now starting to become undone thanks to the efforts of the new Octarian government. Whether Calachora really is responsible for what they've been forced to live through is something for philosophers to argue about in the future, but I'm worried about what's happening right now, because if we don't work towards peace, then we will become responsible. I'm not going to let that happen without a fight. So I'm going back there to help the people that have accepted me as one of their own, not because of fancy words but by the deeds I've done. What someone does always matters more than what they say.

"I know a lot of you aren't sure what to think about the Octarians; I didn't either, for a long time. I grew up with stories about the war from Gramps the same as I'm sure a lot of you did. I know all about the stories and the betrayal that started the war and all that. But then I got to know them. I saw how they lived, how they treated each other, how they grew up, how they dealt with the tragedies that happen in front of them every day, and while they were learning from me, I couldn't help but think about what we could learn from them, about all the things both our people could learn from each other.

"Don't believe me? Look at all the Octarans living in Inkopolis, how they've changed since coming here, since learning about us and how we live our lives, and see how it's enriched theirs. Marina is a great example! She went from knowing virtually nothing about music to becoming a music sensation! Isn't that something every Calachoran should be proud of?

"I know that it's hard to be trusting, and I know the Octarians didn't exactly encourage trust with the last war but this time it's different. The Octarians from back then would have taken any opportunity to hurt us, but during the Liberation, when hundreds of Octarians entered the city to help us, they didn't do anything to damage it and many of them gave their lives in that fight. Their actions proved that they aren't interested in fighting anymore if they can help it. They will if they have to," she paused then amended herself saying, "we will if we have to, but it's up to Calachora's government now to figure out whether that's going to happen or not. The olive branch has been placed at Calachora's feet. Now it's up to Calachora to decide whether to pick it up or not, and they'd better do it before it withers and dies."

Even the background noise from the city seemed to fade for just a moment, as Callie let the words sink into the minds of her audience. Avrika was glad she hadn't had to be the one to tell the Calachoran public what she'd more or less already told Minister Brentuk.

"I hope you'll all lend your support to the peace efforts and everyone working in Inkopolis trying to keep it safe. Also, please give some support to Marie. It's not easy for us to be apart after being together for so long, so send her your good wishes. I have to leave pretty soon but if you have any quick questions I can try to answer 'em now."

The press immediately advanced and began flooding her with questions. Scylla's people had to physically hold them back.

"Do you feel unsafe in Inkopolis? Is that one of the reasons you're leaving?" One of them asked. Callie responded calmly.

"The Octarian government simply feels it's their own responsibility to look after their own people, which I am now one of. I'm also Calachoran, obviously, but I don't work for the government here. They need me and Calachora doesn't; it's as simple as that. Obviously, the city is facing a very real threat, but I can't do anything about that stuck in my house; at least this way I can be productive, and help work towards peace on the Octarian side. I'm sure a lot of people would feel better about the idea if I was there, and it gives everyone a few less things to worry about."

"What about the failure of the National Security Force to respond to the alleged crab threat and what about the rumours spreading of the crabs targeting Calachora's children?" Asked another.

Callie's expression darkened. "Please be specific and refer to the Consortiums, not just 'crabs.' It was only the forces sponsored by the Grand Consortium that were a threat, not all crabs."

The reporter visibly shrank in embarrassment. "R-right. But aren't you worried about the threat to our youth?"

"Of course I'm worried about it. That's why we did everything we could to prevent it. That's one of the reasons we have our own private security here instead of asking Inkopolis Security to do it. They have more important things to do than babysit press conferences."

"And what about the doubts regarding the NSF's competence and demands for Chief Pein's replacement? Do you have any comments on that?"

Avrika watched Callie's eyes harden, and wisps of dark red stained her otherwise jet-black mantle.

"I do, as a matter of fact. I think everyone's being a little unfair. In case everyone's forgotten, the NSF has most of its resources in Bellchora to help them keep the Grand Consortium from invading. Has it left us vulnerable here at home? Of course it has, but from where else was the chief supposed to draw the resources he needed? And that's the part people always seem to miss. Chief Pein isn't doing this on some kind of whim, our national security resources are in Bellchora because it was the government's decision to send as many resources as possible there."

Callie's eyes swept over the crowd, cold and analytical.

"And we can't really blame the government either because Bellchora is an ally, a friendly nation. Why shouldn't they do their best to support and help our friends? We have an obligation to do exactly that. And then we have the Assembly who wanted to encourage Bellchora's vassalization as much as possible because they were trying to find a magic bullet that would fix the labour shortage and declining population until we could start laying a decent number of eggs again. Should the NSF have done something a long time ago about the crab gangs? Sure, but the chief can only make that decision if he actually knows how bad it is. Nobody told him it was as bad as it was. Is it because nobody told him or that nobody knew? I don't know, but a leader can't respond to a situation he doesn't even know exists.

"What's my opinion on the chief himself? I think his focus on his job instead of his public image shows that he's dedicated to his work and his duty. I don't need to remind you how quickly he got the militia off the ground. That kind of foresight and proactive nature is just what Calachora needs right now. What he lacks is resources and it isn't entirely up to him how those resources get used. So, instead of trying to point fingers at people, why don't you all actually try doing something to help the situation? You might not be able to enjoy your comfortable lives much longer otherwise."

Callie's words left the audience in silence. They looked baffled, some even appeared ashamed. Avrika couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at Callie forcing them to confront some of their own hypocrisy. A little self reflection would be beneficial to both sides in the long run.

The reporters were a little less pressing after that, asking more generic questions about her condition, about her plans for the future and the like. Callie answered a few of them but eventually cut the question off, saying she didn't want to keep everyone standing in the cold.

Callie stepped away from the mic and though the reporters kept calling after her, Scylla's people kept them contained. Her guards clustered around her and they moved together away from the crowd, towards the border.

Avrika was relieved that this part was over. Once Callie had appeared, nobody had been paying any attention to her at all and she was perfectly alright with that.

She walked along beside Callie with her own bodyguards, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to watch the behaviour of the crowd. Some still had their cameras pointed at them as they left, but the majority began to disperse, with some of the press grabbing members of the crowd and speaking to them. She wondered if there had once been Octarian press, back before the war. What had they been like?

They eventually arrived at Cuttlefish Cabin where Callie's attendants all stood waiting. Avrika was able to pick out Tephilla from among them and she felt a small swell of pride within her. The anxious but resolute young inkling was a change from the meek and dependant girl she had been before. She wondered whether it was her own influence that had brought about that change, or if she had simply steered the change resulting from that terrible night in that hardware store.

Tephilla and the other attendants were all wearing the same outfit. A simple magenta dress with a medium-length skirt and a matching hooded cloak similar to the one Avrika was wearing, but longer and made of higher-grade material. She was so focused on them that she almost didn't notice the Acolyte standing nearby.

"Floa?" Callie sounded surprised to see her there.

The acolyte bowed and placed her hand on a large wooden crate next to her. "Sorry to ask this but we were hoping you could do us a little favour by delivering this to the Exarch."

Avrika froze, her mind having to do a double take. The Exarch?

"I guess I can," Callie answered slowly. "What is it?"

"A gift from the Archon."

Callie flinched and Avrika thought she saw Tephilla visibly react as well, out of the corner of her eye. Avrika too felt a sudden surge of adrenaline. A gift from the head of the Ecclesiarchy to the head of the Ministry of Providence? What could it possibly be?

Callie flashed green and picked up the crate, which looked like a common parcel box in her grasp.

"Thanks, Floa. I'll be sure the Exarch gets it. Everyone, let's keep moving. It's still a bit of a walk to the domes. If anyone needs to use the bathroom, go now."

Nobody did, but Lakshi asked her, "are you sure you don't want to rest first?"

"I'm feeling alright, better than I thought I would, actually. Must be the fresh air. I want to keep going before that changes."

Lakshi nodded and got the attendants into three columns, rearranging the guards to cover them.

Callie affectionately brushed her tentacles over Three and Four. The mixes of bright and darker colours in their mantles must have said a lot and Avrika was sorry she couldn't understand them, but from the looks on their faces, and having been forced to leave loved ones herself, she could make a decent guess.

"Alright everyone, let's get moving; we can't keep our people waiting."

This was the first time Avrika had truly heard Callie refer to the Octarians as her people. She had alluded as much while addressing the press but this was different because she was saying it to them, and she wasn't saying it as Callie the celebrity, now she was saying it as Lady Cuttlefish, kravah of the Octarian Empire.

—-

Tephy did her best to keep step with everyone else as they traversed the broken landscape and passed through the ruins of what had apparently been an Octarian border town before the war.

Many buildings had been reduced to their foundations, a few concrete structures sat broken or crumbled into pieces. Sinkholes exposed concrete pipes and shattered bits of road occasionally poked through the broken ground like a leviathan's scales.

"Was the destruction really this bad?" She murmured to herself.

"Most of the buildings here were gradually taken apart and their materials used for projects in the domes. After a century of scavenging, there's unlikely to be anything left here."

Tephy looked over at Yuma, Callie's head attendant, and apparently the one who had looked after Callie's wellbeing since she had originally been abducted by the Octarians. In her mid-thirties, she was the oldest Octarain she knew and well respected by the other octolings, and over the past week of training with Eight, she had come to respect her as well.

"Is scavenging the only way the domes can get new materials?"

"Correct. That is one reason a quick peace is so important to our survival. Without being able to scavenge more materials, we are forced to recycle what we already have. It's also why Lady Cuttlefish didn't want to put a burden on the dome's resources. Also, Tephilla, try to speak Octese from here on out."

Tephy swallowed and answered, "Yes Ma'am," in said language. Eight's training sessions had been primarily in Octese, using Inklish only when she needed to explain something again for Tephy's sake or if there was no Octese equivalent word or phrase for something.

They eventually came upon a large, concrete opening built into the side of a hill. It was just barely high enough that Callie didn't have to duck.

Ambassador Betanuss said, "we checked and except for a few areas where the ceiling partially collapsed, the route should be high enough for you."

"Thanks for checking that ahead of time," Callie said. The genuine gratitude in her voice was unmistakable. How uncomfortable must it have been for her to be crammed into a normal-sized house when you were as tall as most commercial trucks?

They came upon a large iron gate with elevated windows on either side. Tephy had been told that they would have to go through a checkpoint before entering the domes proper. Was this it? She didn't see any guards.

The doors let out a tortured squeal as they inched open, bit by bit, until enough of a gap had been created for one octoling to pass through. Three Octarian soldiers emerged, armed with ink guns and wearing the black two-piece uniforms she had seen the Octarians wear during the Liberation.

The Octarian in the lead, probably an officer, had a weapon strapped to her back but held something in her hand about the size of a smartphone. The Ambassador stepped forward to greet her.

"I'm taking the Kravah and her party through, as scheduled."

"Hi," Callie said with a friendly wave. The officer stared up at her in amazement, as if noticing her for the first time.

"That is the Kravah?"

"Could she be mistaken for anyone else?"

The officer flushed with embarrassment and stumbled over her next few words so Tephy couldn't quite make them out. Whatever she said, Betanuss seemed to give her approval and stepped aside.

The officer briefly asked Callie about the box and seemed to flush again when informed of its importance. The guards allowed her into the formation but watched her closely. Lakshi then joined her as they moved to the formation of attendants and Tephy swallowed nervously.

"Just relax and cooperate," Yuma reminded her. "Just like you were told."

Tephy swallowed her nervousness and stood rigidly with her hands held tightly to her side. The officer approached and began glancing over the attendants one by one, gradually drawing nearer.

The officer finally paused in front of her, eyes narrowing suspiciously, and Tephy held her breath.

The officer suddenly yanked her hood back, causing her to let out a small squeak. The officer then lept back, eyes wide with terror.

Lakshi snickered. "Wrong inkling, Septain. Tephilla is Lady Cuttlefish's personal attendant."

Yet again, the guard's faces flushed, right up to her tentacles this time. "B-be that as it may, I still need to search her."

Lakshi's eyes narrowed. She was clearly being singled out just for being an inkling but Tephy was all too aware of how Octaraians had grown up thinking of inklings. If the octolings in Inkopolis could suffer the indignities they had, then Tephy, as a representative of all inklings to the Octarians, could as well. Without a fuss, she opened her cloak and spread her arms out, to be searched.

Lakshi looked at her but she couldn't tell what she might have been thinking, whether she was proud, annoyed, or angry, but when her eyes fell back upon the officer, she gave her a look that seemed to say "get on with it".

The officer searched her, padding her down. She found her phone, which Lakshi had to argue to let her keep, and even searched her bag of meagre possessions. After Lakshi had to explain a few more of the items, the officer finally moved on.

"Well done," Yuna whispered to her when the officer had gone.

Tephy flashed a summer green in thanks then put her hood back up and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Did she really think I was Three?"

Yuna smirked. "Well, you are about the right height and age. Most Octarains can't tell one inkling from another and this is probably the first time she's met an inkling face to face. She expected Lady Cuttlefish but not you."

Tephy bit her lip. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Don't worry about it right now. Worry about your duties first."

The doors began parting again, widening to let them through. They all waited until it was wide enough to let Callie through without her skirt brushing against them. The large arched space inside was fairly spartan with just a few pieces of miscellaneous equipment in the corners. Yuna explained that this was the first checkpoint and the space served as a staging area for any operations on the surface.

They approached another set of doors at the other end, these ones less rusted and operated by two large, ratcheting levers. Two of Callie's guards had to operate the levers to get the doors opened. The doors groaned in protest but moved as commanded, gradually revealing the long, dimly lit tunnel beyond..

They walked down the well worn path into the first of the outer domes. It was uncanny how easily they all marched in perfect step, and Tephy had to focus a little in order to match them. Only Callie's pace remained off the cadence, taking a relatively relaxed pace as they made their way further underground.

She had heard stories from the octolings she'd nursed about the domes, how difficult it was to live there, and how dangerous it was. Now, she was going to see them for herself and she wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

When she tried to imagine what they looked like, she imagined something akin to a network of large caverns with pathways carved through all the stalagmites and stalactites, with structures built into the walls of the caverns and strings of lights providing illumination. The entrance dome they had just left just seemed like the interior of a large warehouse. What she saw when she emerged on the other side was much different.

It was dark. The only lights were the ones placed along the path, and no two lights seemed alike. Each one looked like it had been taken from either a street lamp, road sign, or even the outside lights on old houses. She had already known the Octarians to be people who made use of whatever they could find, but this seemed like it was being taken to the extreme.

She looked up but couldn't see the ceiling, and the path they were taking, though wide, was uneven and not the least bit straight. Surely they should have been able to manage that.

She thought of asking what this dome's purpose was but thought better of it. Now was not the time. Everything too dark to see meant she had to focus on what was ahead of her, keeping step with the others and staying in line.

As they passed through another connecting tunnel; however, things changed dramatically. The walls themselves seemed to be made of tv screens, displaying a lovely (albeit low resolution) landscape of green trees, meadows, and a picturesque shoreline. The spectacle was ruined somewhat by the many missing or dark panels, but it was amazing nonetheless.

"Wow," she whispered. She couldn't help but enunciate. The dome was huge, probably two-hundred metres across at the base, and despite being underground, the large number of video screens lit it up almost like daylight. All around were octolings tending to large garden plots with storage silos and sheds set up along the edges. Many of them appeared to be middle-aged.

Despite the scale of their procession, nobody seemed to notice as they passed. The look they all had in their eyes was one of emptiness. There was no spark of life, as if all meaning had been taken from them. They were like drones.

Tephilla averted her gaze. She couldn't bear to look at them anymore.

The next dome looked to be one of the same design, but lacked the video screens completely, having only sparse overhead lighting. She saw many storage buildings and what looked to be large scrap piles. The octolings, all of them younger than the ones they had just seen, were busy taking the pieces of scrap metal and sorting them into different piles. She saw them doing similar things with other materials like bricks, wood, even chunks of rock and concrete.

Tephilla started coughing. The air was terrible, full of small particles and stuffy. Was there no air circulation in this dome? She had to cover her face with her sleeve to try and keep from breathing in the dust.

The group had to wait for a caravan of large, hand-drawn carts to pass before they could transition to the next dome. Rather, it turned out to be what was left of a dome. In practice it was little more than an elongated tunnel formed from bits of the dome's collapsed ceiling propped up by support beams, and Callie had to occasionally duck. It was dark too, a single string of widely spaced lights above provided barely adequate illumination. It seemed to put the guards on edge as they passed through that particular section.

And this is going to happen to all the domes someday, she thought soberly. And they have to keep using them right up until they do collapse because they don't have room as it is. Her mind went back to that dome with the older labourers picking at their garden plots and imagined the dome collapsing on them, and them actually being thankful for everything falling on them just to end their pathetic existence.

She forced the dark thought away. Now she better understood why Callie and Marie were so motivated about peace. What decent person wouldn't care if they saw people forced to live like this?

The remaining domes passed by more easily as the novelty wore off, replaced with the harshness of the Octarian's reality. A dome where the sagging ceiling was propped up by the living quarters of the people working in the nearby domes, an industrial dome where the air was sweltering and hard to breathe; and several others before they finally arrived at a place they called "The Kraken's Gate."

"It's the entrance to the inner domes," Yuna explained. "The inner domes are usually nicer than the outer ones, but that usually means there's more stuff left to fall on you, so watch it."

Tephilla flashed green, not that anyone could really see with her tentacles hidden inside her cloak.

Several important-looking people came out to see Callie. She didn't know who they were and her limited comprehension of Octese only let her pick out a few words from their conversations. After almost fifteen minutes of that, they were allowed through, the guards briefly checking them as they went. They spent longer on Tephilla, of course, and she couldn't help but feel the distrust and suspicion radiating from them. She was glad when it was over.

The inner domes were indeed nicer, but only on average. It seemed that none of the domes they passed through had the pleasant air from the first of the outer domes they'd gone through. All the air seemed stale and uncomfortably warm. No wonder the Octarians tended to wear such revealing clothing. The buildings within the domes didn't look much better either, most of them cracked, broken, or so badly warped that it seemed a miracle they hadn't collapsed.

How is anyone supposed to live like this?

They finally came to a dome that appeared to be for storage, most of the buildings being some kind of warehouse or silo. The air quality was noticeably better and she noticed that this dome had what looked like a support pillar right in the centre, with numerous pipes around it going straight up and into the ceiling. The lighting was dimmer than some of the other inner domes they'd come through but it wasn't unpleasant.

A number of guards waited in front of one of the larger buildings, this one of much sounder construction than the rest and some of it looked brand new. Was this where they would be staying?

"Wow," Callie exclaimed. "I'd heard you girls had worked miracles but this is something else."

Lakshi smiled. "Well, they did work hard around the clock to get it this far. Still some work to do but it's a lot better than it used to be."

"I'm sure it is. Mind if we hurry this up? I'm a little tired."

Lakshi nodded and started giving orders. The guards with them went inside while the ones outside stood guard over them. It wasn't until almost fifteen minutes later that they were allowed in.

Stepping into their new home was like entering another world compared to the dome outside. The floor had been replaced with laminate flooring made of false-wood panels. Nothing fancy but nice enough. The air still smelled faintly of new paint but was still much fresher than that of the dome. It was brightly lit with warm lights that almost made it feel like summer. To the right were large doorways clearly meant for Callie to walk through, while to the left were more conventional doorways for the staff.

Callie emitted a small groan and Yuma started giving orders using simplified Octese for Tephilla's benefit. They all followed Lakshi to Callie's new bedroom, which was large overall, but for someone Callie's size it probably felt like the kind you'd get in a small apartment. Most of the room was dominated by her bed, which was a series of mattresses linked by thick chords. Making the bed had to be their first job.

Callie sat in a large chair while chaos ensued around her. Tephilla and the other servants scattered around the house looking for the closet with Callie's linens, only to eventually find it on the other end of the house with everyone elses' linens. It was then a team effort to make the bed but by the time they'd managed it Callie had already fallen asleep in the chair.

Tephilla had done a lot of research over the past few days to prepare for her new role. She'd looked into the care of giant and colossal squid inklings and the struggles they faced. Because they were so large, they needed more energy to move around than most. Added to the fact Callie was still trying to build up her strength it was no wonder she was so tired after such a long walk.

Tephilla tried to tell Yuma in her broken Octese that they should set out some food for Callie for when she woke up to help her regain her energy. Yuma listened with remarkable patience, took a moment to clarify what she'd meant to say in Inklish, then proceeded to correct her Octese before giving them all instructions.

The food they found in the storage room instead of the pantry storage which started a full-on argument between Yuma and the construction team supervisor on where things were supposed to go, interrupting the conversation she'd been having with Ambassador Betanuss. Tephilla then set about taking some of the food to Callie's room while the rest moved the food into the proper storage location. Fortunately, the food was all sealed so there shouldn't be any damage.

Callie woke up after about an hour and had indeed been hungry. While she ate, Tephilla prepared a blend of tea that was reported to reduce fatigue. By the time it was ready, Callie had already finished. She accepted the tea gratefully.

"Thanks, Tephy. Could you ask the Ambassador to come see me. I need to talk to her about some stuff before she goes."

Tephilla bowed and walked briskly out of the room to the servant's dining room where she found the Ambassador looking a little weary herself. She felt bad telling her that yet another person wanted something from her.

"Are you alright?" Tephy asked, managing a cohesive sentence in the ambassador's native tongue.

"Fine, Tephilla. It's just been a difficult few days." She switched to inklish. "And it seems that you have found yourself a place and a purpose. I am happy for you."

Tephlla flushed slightly, her mantle making little waves of rosey pink. "I suppose I have. It's not what I expected but after what I've seen today, I feel better about it." The ambassador frowned and Tephilla explained.

"I now understand why Tani, and Callie, and the rest have been working so hard and been so passionate about this. I don't think I could sleep at night either seeing what the Octarian people have to live with and not try to do something about it. I knew what I was doing was important but I never really really understood until now. So I'm glad that, in some small way, that I'll be able to help. I want to live to see the Octarian people not have to live in the domes anymore."

Betanuss smiled and tenderly rubbed Tephilla's head. "That means a great deal to me. Thank you, Tephilla."

The bedroom was probably not the place a lady was supposed to meet guests, but the parlour wasn't yet ready. The priority had been to make the house livable first and then worry about some of the other functions later. Tephilla poured some of the remaining tea for their guest after one of the other girls had managed to find the regular-sized teacups.

"What can I do for you, Lady Cuttlefish?"

"Well, I know I have to present myself to the Ravalda in the next few days but before that," she gestured with one tentacle towards the box that the acolyte had given her. "I think I ought to deliver that to the Exarch. Would you be able to set up a meeting? I think it would also be polite for a new kravah to introduce herself to the Exarch."

There was hesitation in the ambassador's expression, but she answered, "I suppose I could, but what could possibly be in the box?"

Callie flashed grey. "I have no idea. Could be anything from a box of holy books to a box of chocolates. We'll have to see. It won't be anything harmful though."

Betanuss tapped her fingers together. "Well… I suppose it won't hurt to ask. But I've never even tried contacting the temple before."

"Perfect excuse then," Callie said with a laugh.

The conversation went on and they switched to other topics but Tephilla was unable to follow. Eventually, the Ambassador left and Callie switched to seeing to the house's affairs, getting things organised and getting her belongings unpacked from her boxes and into their right place.

After that was dinner and once Callie was fed, the servants and guards rotated through the dining room. Tephilla was hungrier than she had been in a long time and ate heartily.

She was given a chance to unpack her own belongings and then helped Callie get ready for bed before she and the other girls rehearsed how they would give Callie her bath in the morning. After such a long day, Tephilla was glad to finally get changed into her pyjamas, but she would have to wait until tomorrow evening to have a shower because there wasn't enough water available yet.

The servants' and guard's quarters were placed in the new part of the building. The bunk beds were small and simple but the mattresses were actually more comfortable than the one in her apartment.

With the room light off, the only illumination came from the dim lights out in the dome. She stared up at the ceiling and thought of Mia. She hoped she wasn't just ordering take out and actually making some effort to eat properly. She better not be neglecting the apartment's cleanliness either or she could get sick.

She sighed and settled in deeper under the covers. If someone had told her two months ago that Mia would become her best friend, she would have told Priestess Gallora that they ought to be sent to the hospital. Now, she missed her, missed her reassuring presence and the conversations they'd had getting to know each other. For the moment, she was with strangers, people she barely knew. That would change with time but for now, she couldn't help but feel alone. She hoped that Mia wasn't feeling the same.

Feeling alone was worse than feeling afraid. Tephilla believed that wholeheartedly, and she began silently praying for Mia's safety and wellbeing until she finally fell into dream.

Author's Notes:

I had to rewrite this chapter more times than I'd like, but I think I got it to a satisfactory place. I felt it was important to show the kinds of living conditions the Octarians have been forced to live in. We've heard a lot about it but never properly seen it from the inkling's perspective. The domes are falling apart, the air quality is terrible and resources and space are scarce. compared to it all, Callie's renovated warehouse is truly a palace. The domes aren't exactly built for someone Callie's size either.