When Zeke left on this last trip, the Gardens had been in a pretty sorry state. The uprising was orders of magnitude worse than any other attack they'd suffered because, in the wake of it, people couldn't trust each other like they used to. The sense of community they'd taken so long to build up had been torn down in a single day, and the whole place felt ready to implode. Zeke had expected that, even if he'd managed to curtail their immediate political threats, getting back to normal would be a long, hard road.
Instead, the first thing he heard on their approach was music. Ursula, one of the healers, was sitting in the courtyard, singing and strumming away on some stringed instrument. A small crowd had gathered to listen, but mostly she seemed to be singing for one of the construction crews. Blades moving and shaping the earth to patch some of the holes in the Caretakers' quarters.
"Quite a catchy tune," his old man muttered. "Is there always live entertainment, or is this a special occasion?"
"I'm not sure," Zeke admitted. "An outdoor concert was about the last thing I expected, honestly. Things seem much livelier than when we left."
"On account of the coup?"
"No need to spell it out, but… Yeah, basically."
"Time heals all wounds," his old man said. "People are remarkably resilient when faced with hardships. You taught me that, remember?"
"I think it was probably the impending populist revolt that taught you that," Zeke retorted. "But I guess I did help a little."
"Quite. Now, we've been travelling a long while, and I've grown quite famished. Is there somewhere we can deposit our things? I'm eager to try these dumplings you've been telling me about."
"Oh no," Pandoria said. "I hadn't considered what would happen if your dad and Vess ever met."
"Assuming the universe doesn't collapse in on itself?" Zeke asked. "I expect either one of them ends up dead, or they'll join forces to brainstorm new and innovative ways to humiliate me. Should be interesting to see which we get."
"I'll strive to exceed expectations!" his dad said, rather excitedly. He'd become much more upbeat since ditching the crown. Finally, he'd started to resemble the man from the stories Zeke's mother used to regale him with.
They made their way past the construction crew and into the quarters, hunting for a spare room to toss his dad's stuff in. As they passed the infirmary's wing, a voice called out to them.
"Pandoria!" Kora shouted, leaning out from where she'd been waiting outside the infirmary's door. Immediately, Pandoria dropped her stuff and ran to meet her girlfriend. They wrapped each other in a hug, and after a moment, kissed.
It wasn't long, but Zeke could practically see the sparks flying off the pair. There had to be some kind of chemistry there if Kora was good enough to drag Pandy away, but he hadn't been expecting this. Frankly, he was an idiot for not seeing it sooner. They made a good couple, and they deserved to be happy.
Good for them.
It still stung, a little, to have Pandoria put someone else before him. They'd always looked after each other first and foremost, and he was going to have to get used to doing without that. But he'd do whatever it took to make Pandy happy. She was his family, and she deserved the world.
"Pandoria looks happy," his old man observed. Zeke eyed the man for a moment, trying to determine if he'd have a problem with Pandoria's new girlfriend. But he gave a very genuine smile, so if he was secretly a bigot, he was pretty good at hiding it.
"Yeah," Zeke agreed. "I can't remember the last time I saw her smile like that. At least not while forcing a joke."
"Don't sell yourself short, Zeke. You're the best thing that ever happened to this family. I'm sure Pandoria wouldn't have traded you for the world."
"I know." Zeke sighed. Then he slapped his cheeks. The time for moping was now officially over. From now on, he was going to be supportive, damnit.
"How about you, son? Got anyone in your life you haven't told me about?"
"Nope," Zeke said. Which was the truth. It was true, no matter what nonsense Pandoria spouted. "I've got too much on my plate to worry about my love life at this point."
"Well, I wish I had some advice," his dad sighed. "But being the heir apparent to the Tantalese throne tends to stack the deck in your favor, so I'm afraid I don't have much experience in the rough and tumble of the dating scene."
"I've been around the block a few times, alright? My activities in exile weren't limited to chasing bandits. I know what I'm doing."
"Oh?" His dad raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yes. I suppose that explains Queen Raqura's animosity when we first spoke. In that case, I find it hard to believe you simply haven't had the time."
"Listen, old man, I don't need you getting on my case too, alright? It's hard work, building a country from the ground up."
"Yes, I suppose I know a thing or two about that, at least." The man sighed. "We should find a room. Pandoria?" he called out. "Should I carry your things?"
"I'll get them," she said, barely looking back at them. She and Kora had a lot to catch up on, it seemed. Zeke debated grabbing her bags anyway, as a gesture of kindness, but before he could, someone tackled him from the side, wrapping him in a hug.
"Shellhead!" Nia shouted. Despite being over a ped shorter than him, she still nearly knocked the wind out of him with that tackle. Not that he was complaining. "You're back! I was starting to wonder if I needed to send a search party."
"We got sidetracked," he said, looking down at her. But with the previous conversation and Pandoria's nagging comments still fresh in his mind, he quickly looked away and broke the hug, shuffling back slightly. Then he remembered that might be rude, so he motioned at his dad. "You've met my old man, right?"
"It's a pleasure to see you again," he said, bowing. "You're looking well."
"At least someone appreciates the effort I put in." Nia said. She glared at Zeke, and he rolled his eyes. "And we're happy to have you. It's good to know Zeke's on good terms with his family again. And that presumably we aren't going to face an invasion from Tantal in the near future."
"Hopefully not," Zeke said. "We should probably talk about that, by the by."
"Yeah." Nia sighed. "No rest for the weary, right? There should be some spare rooms at the end of the hall there. Do you mind if I borrow Zeke for a bit?"
"He's all yours," his old man said. "I'll go get settled in."
He turned and winked at Zeke just before heading down the hallway. Bastard. He must've caught on to what Pandoria had been insinuating. Either that or she'd straight-up told him. Either way, there was some kind of conspiracy afoot here, and he didn't like it. Not when they already had one of those to deal with from Spessia.
"So how'd things go in Tantal?" Nia asked. She started walking, probably on her way to whatever she had to do next, and Zeke followed her.
"Chancellor Diarkis wanted me to join the army," he said. Which was only kind of true. She'd wanted Pandoria and the Eye of Genbu back. But still, it was the same result either way.
"Oh. I'm sure that was a fun conversation."
"Well, you know how it goes. She threatened to take things up with the Coalition. We threatened to expose she'd been using KOS-MOS to spy on the other nations. Pretty standard stuff. In the end, we decided to just stick with exchanging embassies and sign a perfunctory non-aggression pact to make things easier on everyone. Astelle and KOS-MOS will be coming by in a month or two to get settled in as the new ambassadors. We should probably have some idea who we want to send in exchange by then."
"I'll let Mikhail know."
"Right." Zeke had forgotten he was Head Caretaker now. "I should probably be reporting all this to him, then."
"Probably, but he's busy, and I'm relatively free for the moment, so I can take a message at least."
"Really?" Zeke asked. "You're not working at all right now?"
"I wouldn't say that, but my job's mostly been building bridges, these days. So long as nothing's on fire, I can afford to take a few minutes."
"Speaking of," Zeke said. "Things seem to be doing better now."
"They are, yeah. We caught our spies. Azami and Dagas."
"I should've guessed." Zeke shook his head.
"With them out of the picture, we've opened a dialogue with everyone who sided with Corvin. It's slow going, and not everyone can agree on everything, but we've made some good progress."
"Well, it'd explain how cheerful the place feels. How are you holding up, though?"
"Me?" Nia asked. "You should know the answer to that, Shellhead. I'm fine."
"Are you?" he asked. "Because you always say that, but…" He made a so-so motion. "You haven't had the best track record."
"Well…" She hesitated, and he almost physically prodded the words out of her. If something was wrong, he needed to know it. He couldn't fix the problem otherwise.
"Dromarch's still in a coma," she admitted. "Adenine isn't sure when, or even if, he's going to wake up. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep at all until I know he's alright. But compared to how things were a few weeks ago, I'm doing great."
Zeke couldn't bring himself to believe her until he saw her crack a smile. A rare sight these days, especially with everything she'd been through while he'd been away. But, credit where credit was due, she was the strongest person he knew. Maybe the strongest person in the world. If anyone could come back from the place she'd been in before the uprising, it was her. He just wished she didn't have to do it alone.
As much as he tried to take on the world by himself, he at least always had Pandy to back him up. Well, up until now, anyway. With Dromarch still in a coma, Nia needed someone to back her up like that, and he was more than happy to fill that role.
"Glad to hear it," he said. "What with everything that's happened lately, you deserve a break."
"I don't know if I'd go that far," Nia said. "There's still a lot of work to get done. I imagine that's going to be true up to the moment we step down."
"Wait, what?" Zeke stopped. "Has my hearing gone funny, or did you just say we're stepping down? I never agreed to that."
"It won't be right away, but…" She sighed. "It's one of the concessions we made to help things get back to normal as fast as they have. Once this business with Spessia is over and done with, Mikhail's agreed to dissolve the Caretakers. From then on, the community succeeds or fails on its own."
That was quite the shock, to say the least. Zeke didn't like the idea of just up and quitting, but… If the Gardens needed the Caretakers to hold it together, then this place wasn't going to last long anyway. Might as well rip the bandage off and see which it was going to be.
"Well bugger me," he said. "You're telling me I'm about to be out of a job again?"
"I'm sure you'll still find plenty of things to do," Nia said. "But if you want to leave, then… I suppose I can't stop you."
"Who said anything about leaving?" Zeke asked. "Sorry, Furry Ears, but you're stuck with me. I'm just not sure how my old man is going to handle me being unemployed again."
"Well, that's a relief." Nia seemed to relax a little. "I'm not sure what I'd do without you around."
"Finally recognizing my brilliance, are we?" he asked. "It's about time I got some respect around here."
He crouched down slightly to put himself at her eye level and gave her his best smug grin, expecting her to roll her eyes at him. She didn't, though. She just nodded.
"You're right," she said. "You're one of the best Drivers I know, Zeke. You're one of the best people I know. You make this place feel like home, and I…"
She trailed off rather than finish whatever it was she'd been saying. Zeke hadn't really expected a genuine response from her, so he didn't know what to say. He'd been trying to lighten the mood, maybe get her to snap at him or shove him through a window or something. Not… Whatever this was. It was nice, sure, but it was still just about the last thing he'd expected.
He found himself blurting out the next words without really thinking about them.
"I suppose you've lucked out, then, because Pandoria's gone and gotten herself a girlfriend, so she's getting out of the game. Which means I'm in the market for a new partner. If you really want me around that badly, then you could always take up the position yourself."
The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted them. It was absolutely the dumbest thing he could have said in the moment, and he came right out with it. Right off the back of talking about Dromarch's coma, too. Her own partner, as it were, who was still injured. How insensitive could he be?
Frantically, he tried to think of something to say. Some way to apologize. But she didn't even give him that courtesy. Instead, she just kept walking, not even acknowledging his idiotic comment at all.
"I've got work to do," was all she said. And then she was gone, disappearing around a corner as fast as she could.
Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. He'd been trying to cheer things up, brighten the mood, and predictably, this was the result. What had he even been trying to say with that, anyway? Someone who didn't know better might've taken it for a romantic proposition. If Pandoria had heard that exchange, she'd never let him hear the end of it.
Ever since Pandoria had put that idiotic idea in his head, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. Morbid curiosity made him wonder how she's react to a genuine proposition. Or, no, that probably wasn't the best word. Confession? It wasn't like he had anything to confess, per say, but maybe that's what she thought was—
No. He was way overthinking this. He'd said something insensitive, she'd gotten mad like usual, end of story. Trying to project something nonsensical onto it was a recipe for disaster.
Even if he was curious how it might turn out.
Gah.
He'd apologize later. Right now, he had other things to worry about. If Pandoria really was officially ending their partnership, then he needed to send her off with a bang. And, coincidentally, her birthday had just passed, which meant this was the perfect time to kill two birds with one stone. Now that Pandoria was busy catching up with Kora, this was his opportunity to get started. And he needed to get started quickly. Assuming the schedule hadn't changed much since he left, the last prisoner transfer was supposed to be today, which meant the others were going to be coming by in a couple of hours. He needed to keep Pandoria distracted until then, at least.
"Hey, old man," he said, sticking his head into the room his dad had settled in.
"Finished with Nia already?" the man asked, looking up from his book. He hadn't wasted any time getting settled in, apparently. "I had figured you'd take longer. It seemed like you two had a lot to talk about."
"Yeah, well—" Zeke stopped himself short of spilling the beans to his old man. "Nevermind that. Listen, can I ask a favor?"
"I…" His dad seemed startled. "I never expected to hear that from you. Of course, what is it you need?"
"Can you keep Pandoria busy for the next few hours? Maybe she can take you on a tour of the city."
"I suppose, yes. It'd be a good opportunity to get acquainted with your new home." He stood up and tossed the book back in his luggage. "May I ask why?"
"We're throwing Pandy a party," Zeke said. "I'm going to get everyone on board, so can you keep her busy in the meantime?"
"I will stall as long as I am physically able." His dad smiled at him—something he was still trying to get used to—and headed out the door. "Just make sure to put something good together, you understand?"
"Way ahead of you on that," Zeke said. "You just make sure she doesn't start at the market. I've got reservations to make there."
The man gave him a mock salute, and the two parted ways. Alright. With that done, the next step was to find Vess and Mabon. Any good party needed food, and he couldn't think of a better chef. Luckily, they were where they always were.
"The market" wasn't one, really, because there weren't any prices. People just called it that because if you needed something, chances were you could find it there. But in reality, it was more of a communal workshop and kitchen. In a community without war, lots of Blades took up some kind of craft to pass the time. Woodworking, baking, brewing, and so on. It was slow going at first, but these days most people had something they wanted to share with everyone else. Vess's dumpling stand was nestled right between an embroidery shop and a man who carved custom-made wooden dolls.
Zeke could smell the fresh dumplings as he got close, and there were already a few people sitting at the bar, waiting on their orders. Mabon sat next to them, facing the wrong way so he could watch one of the construction crews on the other side of the market. A crew that, Zeke realized, included Electra.
It seemed like they had her doing the heavy lifting, for the most part. Probably part of Mabon's training regime. Zeke worried for a moment that he might be working her too hard, but she seemed pretty gung-ho as she zipped through the construction site with a pallet of bricks balanced on her shoulders.
"She gets better every day," Mabon said. "Honestly, I'm having a hard time believing she's the same girl you introduced me to."
"I told you, she's my star pupil," Zeke said, sitting down on the stool next to Mabon. "One of these days, she's going to be stronger than Pandy and I."
"You know, if she got some proper training, she could probably kick some major ass on the battlefield."
"No," Zeke glared at Mabon. "As long as I'm the one setting the rules, we're not teaching her how to fight."
"She should at least know how to defend herself," Mabon protested.
"She can defend herself just fine. But I'm not going to teach her how to hurt people. There's too much darkness in the world, and I'm not going to introduce her to it. At least not if I can help it."
"Spoilsport," Mabon muttered. "I taught you how to fight, and you turned out fine."
"If there ever comes a time where Electra needs to fight, rather than one of us, then we've failed as teachers."
"Yeah, well I hate to break it to you, but that already happened."
Zeke didn't really have a response to that. It was all well and good to call the Gardens a place without war, but that only worked if they kept the peace amongst themselves too. And he trusted Nia to keep something like the uprising from happening again, but… Well, he'd trusted her to keep things under control before the uprising, too, and this is where that got them.
"Gah." He waved Mabon off. "We can argue about this later."
"Admitting defeat?" Mabon asked.
"No, but there's more important stuff to get to."
"Planning on throwing a birthday party for Pandoria?" Vess asked, glancing up from steamer.
Zeke turned around and stared at her, dumfounded.
"How in the world did you manage to guess that?"
"Seemed obvious." She shrugged. "It was only a week or two ago, right? And you two were travelling the whole time, so I doubt you had a chance to do anything extravagant."
"I think you might be setting your expectations a little high, there," Zeke said. "I was just planning on getting the gang together to celebrate. Probably commandeer the community hall, cook some food, have a few drinks. That kind of thing."
"Well then it's a good thing you came to us," Mabon said, standing up. He stretched out his back for a moment before flashing Zeke the biggest grin. "Because there's no way we're letting this be anything less than the best, y'hear me?"
"Quite right," Vess said. Then she turned and banged her ladle on the counter. "Last call for orders, boys, we're closing up shop."
While her customers groaned and put in the last of their orders, Mabon grabbed a pen and started jotting down a list of supplies.
"Tell Electra to grab everything on this list," he said, handing it to Zeke. "Vess and I will meet you at the community hall after we close down."
"Can do," Zeke said. He was a little surprised by how immediately involved they'd become, but he honestly shouldn't have been. They'd probably been planning to throw their own party anyway.
"Electra!" he called out, holding the list aloft as he ran over to the worksite. In a flash, she was standing in front of him, bouncing on her heels.
"Sensei!" she shouted. "You're back!"
"That I am." He held out the list. "Listen, I don't have much time to explain, but I need you to grab everything on this list. We're throwing a secret party for Pandy, and—"
"On it," she said, snatching the list from his hand and bolting before he could finish. He hadn't even told her where to bring it, and… Well, whatever. She'd figure it out. He needed to go reserve the community hall in the meantime. Hopefully Cole wasn't planning anything grand today. Heck, he could help out, if he wanted. The more the merrier, at this point.
Still, as Zeke trudged up the hill back to the community hall, he couldn't help but replay that conversation with Nia over and over again in his head. It haunted him. Mocked him. He did his best to push it out of his thoughts, but it stubbornly persisted.
Pandoria usually got whatever she wanted for her birthday. And a small feeling in the pit of Zeke's stomach told him that there was a slight possibility she'd get to see all that wild speculation of hers bear some fruit.
Slight possibility.
But a possibility nonetheless.
Nia stewed in her own thoughts, quite unsure of how to process what had just happened. Zeke couldn't have been serious, could he? He hadn't been back for an hour, and already he'd hit her with that. She'd managed to stop herself from saying anything idiotic, but… If having to talk around and police her feelings was the new normal, then it was going to be hard to get used to.
Still, she couldn't afford the distraction. Especially not today. If she'd known it would be this hard to stay focused with him around, she would've avoided him until this whole mess was over and done with. Case in point, she was thinking about whether or not Zeke had meant anything by his offer instead of the impending prisoner transfer.
"You're nervous," Mikhail observed.
"Of course I'm nervous," Nia said. "I can't imagine Orion will just walk into Coalition custody. He's going to try something."
"If you want, you can help Strix bring the prisoners up."
"I don't think that'll help. It's better if I'm here. Mòrag'll want to see a friendly face in the greeting party."
"You wound me, Nia." Mikhail put his hand to his chest. "I'm the friendliest guy here."
"You also tried to kill her on more than one occasion. That's the sort of thing she holds onto."
"Not entirely true," he pointed out. "From what I've heard, you tried to kill her on more than one occasion too, and now you're best friends."
"You save her brother's life, and I'm sure she'll welcome you with open arms. Just let me do the talking, alright?"
"You're so pushy. I thought I was supposed to be in charge now?"
Nia rolled her eyes at him. People had claimed that Mikhail's position as Head Caretaker was really just for show. That she was still the one running things. She liked to think that wasn't true, but if they wanted to fight that perception, then he needed to put in some amount of effort.
"They're here," Strix said, interrupting Nia before she could say anything else. After a moment, she could hear the thundering of two dozen feet against the ground. Then the convoy came into view.
Two Archelons trudged up the path to the Gardens, flanking a much longer Titan with more legs than Nia cared to count. It was long, and its back had been outfitted with row after row of seats. Mòrag and Brighid rode up front, while Rex and Aegaeon sat in the back. There were a few other soldiers in the mix, either walking alongside the convoy or manning the Archelons' guns, alongside some Blades and Drivers that Nia didn't recognize. Roc swooped down from overhead too, perching on the tail of the carrier Titan. And Poppi flew overhead, carrying Tora on her back. They'd really pulled out the stops for this one.
"Mòrag!" Nia called out, waving. Mòrag brought the Titan to a halt just outside the gates and jumped off, giving Nia as warm a smile as she could muster.
"Here as promised," she said. "Hopefully we'll be able to fit everybody this time."
"Thanks for taking them off our hands," Mikhail said. "We really weren't sure what to do with them, after all the trouble they've given us."
"Are you referring to their first attack, or…"
Mòrag let the question hang. She must've heard about the uprising by now. She wasn't the kind of person who'd let that cloud her judgement, but she also wasn't one to neglect her duties. The rest of the Coalition probably knew too.
"All of it," Nia said. "No one feels good about keeping Blades and Drivers locked up, but after last time?" She shrugged. "We can't just let them out either. It's probably better if you hold onto them."
"Right." Mòrag nodded. "I'd rather this be over as quickly as possible, so let's get going."
"We're starting immediately?" Rex asked. "We just got here. Can't we take, I don't know, five minutes? I could really use a second to stretch my legs. Maybe we could even stay a few hours, catch up with—"
"I told you this wasn't a courtesy call," Mòrag said. "We don't have the luxury to follow through on every passing thought that enters that man's head. Keep your mind focused on the task at hand."
"Rex is right," Mikhail said. "Why don't you take a second? It'll take Strix some time to make sure the prisoners are good to go anyway."
"Yeah, sure," Strix said, already heading for the Caretakers' quarters. "Whatever. If anyone feels like not wasting time, feel free to come with me."
Immediately, Aegaeon followed him, motioning for some of the others to do the same. Mòrag stepped forward too, but Brighid put a hand on her shoulder.
"You get started, Aegaeon," she said. "We'll be there shortly. We just have something to discuss first."
"Whatever you need," he said. After most of the soldiers and other personnel had followed Strix inside, the rest stepped back, giving Mòrag a wide berth.
"You alright?" Mikhail asked.
"I'd been hoping to avoid discussing something this droll," Mòrag said, sighing. "But it appears Brighid doesn't agree."
"There's been some rumblings that the Coalition military is planning to mobilize soon," Brighid said. "Chairman Niranira implied they were going to attack Leftheria."
"Wait…" Nia looked between the two of them, then back at Rex and Roc. "You didn't know?"
"So it's true," Mòrag said. Her brow furrowed for a moment. "That's disappointing. I'd hoped the Chairman was taking us for fools, but…"
"I can't believe they didn't tell you," Nia said. "I'd just kind of assumed, considering…"
"Considering what?" Mòrag asked. Nia almost didn't tell her, just to avoid having this conversation, but if she'd been kept in the dark, then she needed to know.
"As best I can tell, Niall's the one organizing the campaign. He sent us a messenger weeks ago asking us to honor the Elysian Treaty and contribute troops. I would imagine the other nations got similar requests."
Mòrag frowned, and for a moment Nia could practically feel the rage coming off her.
"I hope you're wrong," was all she said.
"Please tell me you're not sending troops," Rex said.
"Of course not," Mikhail said. "Who do you take us for?"
"We decided to try brokering a ceasefire," Nia explained. "Mikhail's going to lead a group of volunteers to talk with the Coalition military."
"Or the Praetorians," Mikhail said. "Whoever's willing to listen. Failing that, I suppose we just stand in front of the guns and dare them to shoot. But we're not going to contribute to another war, that's for sure."
"The other nations won't like that," Brighid observed.
"The other nations can shove it."
"Indeed," Mòrag said, surprising Nia a little. Usually, she wasn't one to act against orders. "Invading Leftheria now would provoke needless conflict. Another pointless, idiotic war."
"We could always join forces," Rex pointed out. "A few Blades showing up to protest is one thing, but if the Restoration Department put their foot down too, then the Coalition would have to pay attention."
"Yes." Mòrag cracked a smile. "Yes, I imagine they would. I quite like that idea. If you wouldn't mind the company, Mikhail, then I'd be happy to lend the Department's assistance."
"I'll take all the help I can get," he said. "But we should probably get these prisoners loaded up first before we talk shop."
Mikhail motioned back toward the Caretakers' quarters, where Strix and Aegaeon were emerging with the first of the prisoners. Orion, flanked on either side by his Blades. All three bound tight in ether netting.
"Wow," he said, looking over their group. "The Flamebringer? You really broke out the big guns for little old me. I'm touched."
"Don't try anything funny," Nia warned.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He did his best to throw his hands up. "I'm not dumb enough to cross the two deadliest bitches in Elysium. Dimly lit box and all that." Two soldiers pulled him up onto the Titan's back and strapped him in, making sure he couldn't move or use any ether. "Just make sure my next cell has a good view, alright? You owe me that much."
"I owe you a broken jaw," Nia snarled. "Considering what you've done, you're getting off easy. Now shut up."
Orion shrugged as best as he was able, given his restraints.
"Can't hurt to ask," he muttered. He leaned back and got comfortable as his men were loaded up after him.
"You alright?" Rex asked, putting a hand on Nia's shoulder.
"No," she admitted. "This asshole tried to kill Zeke. If I didn't have to worry about being a Caretaker, I'd have already beaten him bloody. But I'm going to be a lot better once he's out of my sight for good."
"Alright." Rex nodded. "That's… Sure. We can definitely do that."
"Aegaeon," Mòrag said. "Can I trust you to handle the transfer on your own?"
"I've got seven Drivers with me, not counting our outside help," Aegaeon said. "I think we can handle a couple punks. Why, you guys heading somewhere?"
"I have business to discuss," Mòrag said, glancing at Mikhail. "I think I'm going to stay a day or two to get things sorted out. Rex, would you—"
"There is no way you're dragging me into a meeting," he said. "But I will be staying, if you're giving permission. Zeke wanted our help with some stuff, and this way I don't have to think up an excuse to stay behind."
"When did you talk to Zeke?" Nia asked.
"When he rescued Tora's granddad. He's been planning…" Rex trailed off. "Actually, y'know what, I think I'm sworn to secrecy about it, so." He shrugged and turned around. "Poppi! Tora! You guys feel like staying a couple of days!?"
"Of course!" Poppi shouted. "Been looking forward to this for weeks!"
The pair swooped down, and they began following Rex and Roc toward the market. At least it explained why Mòrag had brought so many heavy hitters for a nobody like Orion. And it was in typical Zeke fashion to do something like this without consulting her.
"Sure," Nia muttered. "Don't tell me. That's fine."
"It's supposed to be a surprise," Mòrag said. "But I don't think Zeke ever swore me to secrecy, so if you want, I can fill you in later."
"That'd be great."
Nia refocused, glaring up at Orion.
"Make sure you keep a close eye on them," Brighid said. "They have a history of slithering their way out of prison."
"We'll handle it," Aegaeon assured her. "Is that everyone loaded up?"
"That's everyone," Strix said. "I'll accompany you to the border, make sure things are alright until you're in Urayan territory."
"Then we should get going. I'd rather not spend too much time on the road listening to this loudmouth." He jerked his thumb back up at Orion. "Wouldn't shut up the entire time we were bringing him up."
"What can I say?" Orion asked. "I'm a conversationalist. One of my endearing traits."
"This is going to be a long ride," Aegaeon sighed. He climbed up onto the Titan, and the rest of his men followed suit. "See you soon, Director."
He gave Mòrag a salute, and she returned the gesture. Then the Titan's pilot whistled, and the convoy began to turn around, heading back the way they'd come. Nia watched them, waiting for Orion to pull something, until they were out of sight. But nothing happened. It appeared as if, at least for the time being, he wasn't their problem anymore.
"Finally," she said, letting out a breath she'd been holding. It was hard to keep herself from doing something reckless whenever Orion was around. The bastard knew how to press people's buttons.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you that angry," Mòrag observed. It took a moment for Nia to realize she was talking to her. "Not since we confronted each other in Torigoth, I don't think."
"He tried to kill Zeke," she said. "I've got very little patience for anyone who tries to kill my friends."
"I suppose, it's just…" Mòrag trailed off. "Nevermind. We've more pressing matters to attend to. Mikhail, do you think—"
"Hold that thought," he said, putting a finger up. Faintly, Nia could hear Patroka's voice coming from his earpiece. "Alright. Yeah, I'll get on it." He sighed. "Crossette just set her workshop on fire again. Trying to blow up that Artifice of hers. Again. I should probably go deal with that."
"Understood," Brighid said. "We can hash out plans for Leftheria once your duties for the day are concluded."
"Let's get you two settled in the meantime," Nia said. "There's an empty room in the Caretakers' Quarters we can put you up in."
"Sure, yeah, do that," Mikhail said. "I'll see you all later."
Quickly, he ducked out, running as fast as he could for Crossette's workshop and doing his best not to look panicked.
"This is a rare treat," Mòrag observed. "A personal escort from the Head Caretaker."
"You know I'm no longer in charge, right?" Nia asked. "Mikhail's the Head Caretaker now."
"We'd heard," Brighid said. "We'd hoped it wasn't true."
"Is everything alright?" Mòrag asked, stopping just before the doorway.
"Why does everyone have to keep asking me that?" Nia asked. "I'm fine."
"You've lost your position, your temper's shortened considerably, and there seems to be something on your mind. Something big, I'd wager, if it's taking priority over dealing with the situation in Leftheria."
"Mikhail's in charge of that," Nia said. "He should be the one who comes up with the plan. No sense in me stepping on his toes."
"If you say so." Mòrag shrugged. "But something's still on your mind. What is it?"
"Nothing important." Nia sighed. "Listen, let's just get to your room and—"
"Not until you tell me what's going on."
Nia stared between the two of them for a moment.
"You two aren't using this Leftheria thing as an excuse to hang around here and harass me, are you?"
"It certainly isn't the only reason," Brighid said. "We also needed an excuse to stay and help Zeke that people back in the capital might buy. But I agree with Mòrag's assessment. You don't feel quite like yourself."
Sod it. It wasn't like she could keep this to herself forever. She felt like she might explode if she didn't tell somebody. At least these two weren't liable to tell anyone else.
"Let's talk inside," she said. "I'd rather not have people overhear." As quickly as possible, she led the two of them to the other guest room.
"This is rather secretive," Mòrag noted. "Does this have anything to do with your Spessian spy?"
"Oh that?" Nia said. "We dealt with that already. Zeke told you about that too?"
"He gave us the executive summary," Brighid said. "If this doesn't have to do with the spy, then…"
She motioned for Nia to fill them in.
"Right." She paused for a moment to steel herself. "There's no easy way to say this, but… I think… Maybe… I might be in love."
Brighid and Mòrag both stared at her, deadpan. For a moment, she was afraid they'd laugh or call her an idiot.
"I see." Mòrag nodded. "That would explain some things. With whom, if I may ask?"
Alright, better than she'd expected. Now it was all or nothing.
"…Zeke."
Nia hadn't ever given voice to the thoughts before, but now that she had, an uneasy feeling began to gather in the pit of her stomach. Something she'd been trying to deny and push aside for weeks now was suddenly unavoidable.
"Oh dear," Brighid muttered. She and Mòrag stared at each other and seemed to communicate something wordlessly.
"Listen, I can't explain it," Nia said. "I barely understand it myself, it just happened one day. After the uprising, I suddenly just…" He gestured out with her hands, not really sure what she was trying to convey.
"Your taste in men aside," Mòrag said, "This is going to be tough case to handle. Zeke can be rather dense sometimes, and I fear that anything we might try will simply bounce right off."
"Come again?" Nia asked. "What are you saying?"
"Well, you need help, don't you? What kind of friend would I be if I let you pine after an oblivious dolt like him? Clearly, you've not had much success, so we'll assist you."
"Back up a step. I didn't come here to get advice, you two made me tell you. I never said I needed any help. And since when are you two the love experts, anyway? Have either of you ever been in a relationship?"
"Several, in fact," Brighid said, betraying a smile. "According to my journal, I was quite the paramour in my past lives."
Mòrag, meanwhile, was entirely stone-faced. "I fail to see how that question has any relevance. I won't lose, regardless of the nature of the battle I'm fighting."
"I think maybe you're misunderstanding," Nia said. "The problem isn't that I don't know how to act on my feelings, the problem is the feelings. Now that I think back on it, they've been plaguing me since at least the summit, and I can't figure out how to get rid of them."
"Get rid of them?" Brighid asked. "Why would you want to do that?"
"We both have our responsibilities. I wouldn't want feelings to come between that. And I can't afford to lose focus."
"It isn't healthy to deny your feelings, Nia. Being in love isn't a distraction, it's a natural part of life for many people. Trying to push it aside is only going to create more problems."
"We're both Caretakers," Nia said. "Do you know how it'll look to everyone else if I start dating the guy I brought on not even six months ago?"
"What other people think is irrelevant," Mòrag said. "So long as you aren't harming anyone, then it's none of their business."
"I can't just pretend this doesn't affect the community, Mòrag. I've already prioritized Zeke's life over everything else on more than one occasion. I can't afford to be at risk of that happening again if Spessia comes looking for a fight. As a Caretaker, I need to prioritize the community. Being in love is basically the opposite of that."
"That's sophistry," Brighid said. "You're an adult. You should be capable of separating your personal and professional lives."
"I can't take the chance."
"Whether or not you might do that is irrelevant," Mòrag said. "You said you're in love with Zeke, right? If it's really love, then something as trivial as this shouldn't even cross your mind. If your feelings aren't enough to overcome a concern this small, then they're not worthy of being called love."
Mòrag stared adamantly at Nia, and she got the sense that this woman wasn't quite on the same page as her.
"I'm not here to debate whether or not I'm in love," she said. "And I'm not here to get help confessing my feelings. My concern is my ability to perform my duties."
"That's a rather pessimistic view to take," Brighid said. "If you have to sacrifice your happiness to perform your duties, then there are much larger problems at play than whether or not you're in love."
"Larger problems?" Nia asked. "I suppose there might be, yeah, like the fact that—"
She stopped herself just as she started to raise her voice. This wasn't a topic she wanted to dig into, but judging by the look on Mòrag and Brighid's faces, that ship had just sailed.
"And now we get to the heart of the matter," Mòrag said. "What is it that's really bothering you about this Zeke situation?"
"It has nothing to do with him," she muttered. "Not really. It has to do with Dromarch."
"I did notice he wasn't around today," Brighid said. "Is he alright?"
"No. He's hurt pretty bad. And… I'm the one who hurt him. I was trying to fix him, and it didn't go according to plan. Now he's in a coma, and I…"
She stopped herself before the tears began to spill. Just barely. She hadn't allowed herself to cry since it happened. There had been too much to do. Threats from Spessia, looking for the spy, dealing with the Coalition's politics, the situation in Leftheria, Corvin's uprising, rebuilding the community… She needed to be strong to deal with all of that. So she wasn't going to cry.
"I can't afford any distractions," she repeated. "I can't afford to let what happened to Dromarch happen to anyone else."
"I don't think avoiding your feelings is going to help with that," Brighid said. "It seems to me like it's only going to make this problem worse. As strong as you are, hearing all this has me a little worried."
"I know," Nia said. "It's why I didn't want to tell you. It's why I didn't want to tell anyone." She sighed and leaned back against the door, slowly letting herself sink to the floor. "But I did, like an idiot. Gushing my problems to the two most obstinate people in Elysium. Any chance I can convince you two to leave well enough alone?"
"None," Mòrag said. Which is what Nia had figured. These two were going to bother her about this until either she relented, or something forced their attention away. If she could stall until Mikhail was free to talk shop about Leftheria, she might be in the clear, but with how persistent they usually were about things, that seemed like a dim possibility.
"I'm telling you, I'm fine," Nia insisted. "If you two want to help, you can help by not sticking your noses in."
"If we leave you like this, we're all going to regret it," Brighid said. "You say you're doing this to stay focused, but that's not how I see it. You're using your responsibilities as a way to hide from your feelings, both about Dromarch and about Zeke. That's hardly responsible, that's reckless. If you really care about the Gardens, then you need to consider how this behavior is going to impact your ability to do your job."
Nia almost shouted out her stock response. She knew what she was doing, she had a responsibility not to let herself lose focus, and all that other crap. All the crap she'd said a thousand times or more by now. But she stopped herself. The idea that she needed to take on the world, no matter what anyone else said, was part of the attitude that had driven a wedge through the community.
Maybe there was some truth to what Brighid was saying.
Some.
"Even if I could somehow spare the time, it's not going to turn out well," Nia insisted. "Every time I think I can tell how he might feel about me, he goes and says something that throws everything off. I feel like even if I was honest with him, he might just use it to make fun of me."
"He isn't that petty," Brighid said. Nia looked up and stared at her, but she held her ground. "Don't get me wrong, he's petty. But he's casually petty. When it comes to the important things, he's always been serious."
"I guess…" Nia sighed. "I just can't take the chance either way. I've got too much going on."
"Like what?" Mòrag asked.
"What don't I have going on? There's this whole situation in Leftheria, Dromarch is still in a coma, Spessia is—"
"I don't mean in the abstract, I mean today. What do you have to do today other than the prisoner transfer?"
"…"
Nia didn't have a great answer to that question.
"I was going to help with the Leftheria plan," she said. "But other than that, my schedule's clear. Dromarch made me promise I'd take better care of myself, so I thought I'd try setting aside some time to relax. It helps that Mikhail's handling some of my old duties, so I can focus on mending fences. So long as no one tries to start a fight, then… I suppose I'm free for the next day or two."
"Then Leftheria can wait. If you're afraid you might hurt Zeke by opening up to him, then I'm going to prove to you that isn't true. Today, come hell or high water, you are going to spend time with Zeke, you are going to get some much-needed relaxation, and above all, you are going to be happy. After everything you've been through, it's what you deserve."
It wasn't what she deserved. She didn't deserve to be happy, not after what she'd done to Dromarch. But… Maybe she could have that anyway, even if she didn't deserve it. It's what he would have wanted.
"How do I know I won't screw up?" she asked.
"You don't," Brighid said. "You never do. But we're going to be there to help you, and I promise we won't let anything bad happen."
Some promise, coming from two people who barely had any experience of their own. But Mòrag and Brighid were strong enough to fight monsters like Malos and Aion without flinching. They could probably pull this off through sheer stubborn grit.
"Alright," Nia said. "We'll do things your way. Just for today. If nothing else, this might help me put some of these feeling aside."
"I very much doubt that'll happen," Mòrag said. Nia doubted it too, but she needed an excuse to quiet the part of herself that saw her feelings as a distraction.
It was the same part of herself that had thought she could handle finding the spy on her own. That had tried to fight Corvin's entire army at once. And that had led to so many people in the community feeling like they couldn't trust her. The need to take on the whole world was powerful, but she couldn't keep feeding it.
For the sake of the Gardens, and for the sake of her own sanity, she needed to try something new.
"Alright," she said, relenting. Whatever disaster came next, at least it would be fun. "What did you two have in mind?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Rex said, lifting up one end of the bench. "You didn't actually say that, did you?"
"Unfortunately, I did," Zeke said. He lifted up his end, and together they marched it toward the back of the room, clearing a space in the middle of the community hall.
"Wow. That's just… I mean, even for you, it's pretty stupid."
"Gee thanks, Rex. Way to make me feel better about myself. I knew I could count on you."
"Oh ha ha." Rex rolled his eyes. "Sounds like you had it coming, to me. How'd she react?"
"How do you think?" Zeke asked. "She just left. Mumbled something about having work to do and took off running."
"Running?"
"Well, not exactly, but—"
"No wonder she's in a mood."
"Oh. That bad, huh?"
"I think the last time I saw her that incensed was when she yelled at me back in Tantal."
"It couldn't have been that bad."
"She snarled," Rex said. "I don't think I've ever seen her snarl before." He stopped for a moment as they set their next bench down. "Wait, actually I take that back, I have seen her snarl before. But this time was definitely angrier."
"I'm sure it's fine," Zeke said. "It's not like this is the dumbest thing I've ever said to her."
"That is not the best standard to set for yourself. And, no, it categorically is not fine. Unless she's run off in a hurry all the other times you said something this stupid."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, usually she calls you a dumb nickname or hits you on the back of the head or something. But this time, she avoided confrontation entirely. That's not like her. I imagine things with Dromarch are pretty bad if that's how she responded."
"Bloody hell." Zeke set the bench down and immediately collapsed into himself. "You don't think she hates me, do you?"
"She knows you well enough that I doubt it's permanent," Rex said. "But I can't imagine she's very happy with you right now."
"I can't believe I had to step in it this bad right before Pandy's party."
"Alright, mope later." Rex kicked him in the shin, and reluctantly, he stood back up. "We've still got stuff to do."
"You two done moving the benches?" Cole asked, surveying their work. "Good. Tables should be in the supply closet. I think we'll need them all to accommodate whatever feast Vess is cooking up."
"On it," Zeke said. He and Rex skirted the edges of the room, avoiding the center where Electra and Iona were spreading out materials for the decorations, and started pulling tables out of the closet.
"Clock's ticking," Rex said, setting the table down in the area next to where they were set up. "How're those decorations coming?"
"Fantastic!" Electra said. "Just need a few more minutes to put on the finishing touches, then we'll start setting up."
"You sure you two can handle this on your own?" Zeke asked.
"I used to help out the stagehands," Iona said. "This'll be nothing compared to some of the stuff grandpa had us cook up for 'Journey to Elysium'."
"Is that the play you guys made about us?" Rex asked. "I never did get to see it."
"It might be a little surreal to see yourself on stage," Zeke said. "And I doubt it was entirely true to life. No offense."
"None taken," Cole said. "Rex used to be such a brat back when we first met. I had to change around some of the earlier stuff to make him more palatable as a protagonist."
"I can't say I blame you," Rex said. "It wasn't a very auspicious beginning."
"I also had to cut a lot for time," Cole confessed. "Zeke ended up featuring a lot less than I would have liked."
"Are you kidding me?" Zeke asked, nearly dropping the table. "I was practically the star of the whole ordeal! I nearly single-handedly defeated Aion!"
"I don't see why you're complaining," Rex said. "Most of what you did was run around and embarrass yourself. And from what I hear, Mòrag and Poppi are the ones who did most of the damage to Aion."
"Lies and slander. The Eye of Shining Justice played a pivotal role in slaying the great mechanical monstrosity."
"Didn't you all never technically kill Aion in the first place?" Cole asked. "Rex told me it just kinda shut down after Amalthus died."
"Details." Zeke waved him off. "You wouldn't really be one to let stuff like that get in the way of a good story, would you?"
"Don't we have work to do?" Rex asked, drawing Zeke out of the argument.
"Fine," he sighed. They set up a couple more tables before Electra and Iona began hanging the decorations. They draped a big banner above the stage that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY PANDY", before hanging a bunch of smaller stuff throughout the room. Things were coming along nicely. If Zeke's old man could just keep Pandy at bay for another couple of hours, they'd have this in the bag.
"A birthday celebration," Nia noted, walking in. "Huh."
Immediately Zeke's blood ran cold. He knew a proper celebration would have to involve her at some point. But he had hoped to put this off as long as possible. If she was still mad at him, then he didn't know what he'd do.
"Good luck," Rex muttered.
"Yes," Zeke said, trying to remain calm and disaffected. Or would it be better to apologize? He didn't know. "We're throwing a bash for Pandy's birthday. Finished with your work early?"
"I didn't have much else to do today," she said. "I thought I'd pitch in with whatever it is you're cooking up. Should be fun, right?"
"That's the plan."
"What is this?" Brighid asked, walking in after Nia. "Why are there benches just haphazardly strewn about?"
"We needed to put them somewhere," Rex protested. "And it's not like there's a lot of storage space."
"Unacceptable," she said. "This is what we get for leaving you two laggards in charge."
"Hey," Cole said, looking up from his spreadsheet. "I'm here too."
"You three laggards, then."
"Better," he said. "You want to take over here?"
"I think I'm going to have to," Brighid said. Immediately she snapped around and pointed at Rex. "Get tablecloths. We'll need this place looking somewhat presentable. Once that's done, we can think about how to better rearrange these benches."
"On it!" Rex shouted, snapping to attention. "Nia, you guys have tablecloths?"
"Check the kitchen," she said.
"Speaking of which," Mòrag said, emerging from behind Nia as well. She held a list in one hand and a… A fishing tackle in the other. Somehow. "We just swung by there ourselves. Your friend Mabon asked us to pick up some more ingredients. Apparently, the market didn't have everything they needed."
"Abyssturgeon?" Rex asked, leaning over to glance at the list. "Damn. We're eating good tonight, apparently."
"Depends on if we can catch one or not," Nia said. "Zeke, you want to help us out? I don't think either of us have been fishing before."
"What makes you think I have?" he asked.
"It seems like the kind of things you'd have done to scrounge for food."
"Well… Yes, you're not wrong. But—"
Rex elbowed him in the side.
"I'd be happy to help," he said.
"Fantastic," Mòrag said. "The sooner we get going, the better."
The three headed out, leaving Brighid to issue more orders to those left behind. Zeke wondered for a moment why they weren't taking Rex instead of him. Rex had basically lived off of fish for years, while Zeke had only done it on occasion. And besides, he really didn't want to suffer through how awkward things were probably going to be around Nia. Or give more ammunition to Pandoria's idiotic musings. But he wasn't really in a position to question them.
"How're we getting there?" he asked, keeping conversation to safe topics.
"I called Azurda," Nia said. "He should be meeting us at the gate. Where are Tora and Poppi, by the way? I thought they'd be helping out too."
"They are," Zeke said. "Tora wanted to test Poppi's new stealth mode, so the two of them are tailing Pandy from afar, making sure she doesn't blow the surprise early. And Roc's tailing them, making sure they don't accidentally blow the surprise either."
Just as Zeke said that, Pandoria emerged from the Caretakers' quarters with Kora and his dad. Zeke's heart nearly leapt out of his throat, and he did everything in his power to keep calm. He couldn't give anything away. Frantically, he looked around for their supposed lookouts. After a moment, he spotted Roc on top of the Caretakers' quarters, one hand clamped over Tora's mouth, but Poppi was nowhere to be seen. Zeke could guess what had happened, though. Tora had tried to shout a warning, and Roc make a very split-second decision that kept him from blowing the whole thing.
"Hey guys," Pandoria said. "Hey Mòrag. Didn't know you'd be visiting today."
"Prisoner transfer," she said. "Brighid and I decided to stick around a couple days to discuss some business with Mikhail. So until he's done with his duties, we have some free time on our hands."
"Nice," she said. "Oh, right, I should introduce you. Mòrag, this is Kora. My, uh… What are we going with?"
"I think girlfriend is fine," Kora said. She stepped forward and shook Mòrag's hand. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Only good things, I'm sure," Mòrag said. "Good to meet you, Kora."
"You guys want to tag along with us?" Pandoria asked. "We're showing Zeke's dad around, and I just realized that you and Brighid could probably use a tour yourselves."
"We'd love to," Zeke said. "But we've got… Stuff… To do."
Mentally, he kicked himself in the pants. But he drew a complete blank as he went to come up with excuses. Too much on his mind at the moment.
"O…Kay…" Pandoria frowned. "Like what?"
Mòrag walked up to Pandoria and whispered something in her ear. Zeke couldn't see her expression as Mòrag told her whatever it was, but as she stepped back, Pandoria gave Zeke a wink. That couldn't have been good.
"Need my help?" she asked.
"No," Mòrag said. "You should show your father around."
"He's not really my dad," Pandoria said.
"Nonsense," Zeke's old man said. "After everything that's happened, I consider you family. I'd be honored if you did the same."
"And as family, it's your turn to take the burden and show dear old dad around," Zeke said. "I'm sure he'd love to see the market."
"I think he'll probably enjoy the greenhouse district more," Pandoria said. "But fine. I'll take one for the team. But you'd better make good progress."
Progress with what, she didn't say, but still, it got her to leave. She and the others peeled off from their intended trajectory, heading down into the town proper. And narrowly avoiding the community hall.
"Crisis averted," Nia noted. "Azurda should be here. We should probably get going quickly."
"Alright," Zeke said. Then, he stomped up to Mòrag. "But don't think I didn't see that back there. I smell a conspiracy."
"I don't know what you mean," Mòrag said, smiling at him. There was definitely something happening here. Zeke knew it. Nia had probably enlisted Mòrag's help to get back at him for what he'd said earlier. Well…
Normally, two could play at that game, but honestly, he deserved it. He'd take whatever they dished out on the chin. It was the least he could do to get things back to normal around here. If nothing else, he'd do it so Nia stopped looking so uncomfortable. She hadn't been able to look him in the eye since he'd made that idiotic remark.
They wasted no time in meeting up with Azurda and flying out to the coast, near Temperantia's tail. It swept lazily back-and-forth through the water. Not entirely Cloud Sea these days. Water. Zeke still had a hard time wrapping his head around it. Salty water, to boot. The Alrest sea life seemed to get along with it well enough, though. The only ones at any real risk were the Titans, who had less Cloud Sea to go around these days.
"Abyssturgeon like to eat the detritus off Titan hides," Azurda explained as they swooped down toward the tail. "They give a mean cleaning, too. Best in the business. So the best place to find one would be the tail. They've taken to congregating there, and a lot of the others use the area as a sort of bathing pool."
"Now there's an image," Zeke said. "A bunch of old Titans hanging out at the tail like it's a hot spring."
"Now there's an idea," Azurda said. "What do you think it'd take to heat the water a bit? That'd do wonders for my old back, with how much flying I do these days."
"I'll have someone look into it," Nia said. "Though I doubt it'd be very healthy for the fish."
"I suppose not. Hold on, we're landing." Azurda slowed down and came to a gentle stop in the water by the tail. "Around here should be good. Just let me know when you're done."
Mòrag set out the fishing tackle and rods, then looked up at Zeke expectantly.
"Well?" she asked. "You're the fisherman here."
"Alright then…" he said, staring at what he had to work with. It wasn't what he was used to, and he was a little rusty, but eventually he put together something that would probably do the job. Then he held up the rod for inspection, as if either of them knew more than he did.
"Looks fancy," Nia said. "Can I try?"
"Sure," he said, handing her the rod. She held it out back, ready to cast. He wasn't sure where this had come from, but—
The second she cast the line out, he was dragged forward. He twisted around just in time to see that Mòrag had attached the fishing hook to one of his belts. That should've snapped the line, but he'd used pretty heavy-duty stuff, on account of the size of their quarry. He had to respect the hustle. It was a good trap. Good enough that he couldn't even really be mad about it as he fell into the water.
He did, however, neglect to close his mouth, too busy screaming as he was cast headlong into the abyss. Instantly, it filled with saltwater, and he began to wretch. He wasn't used to this, and swimming in it felt so weird compared to the Cloud Sea. Between that and how hard he had to wretch to attempt to dispel the horrid taste, he couldn't stay afloat.
After about thirty seconds, someone dived in after him, grabbing him and dragging him back to Azurda. The two of them flopped back onto his shell, and he turned over to see Nia staring down at him, hair a sopping wet mess. She looked almost worried. And—
Damnit. The intrusive thoughts returned, telling Zeke that she looked beautiful. Which was always true, but it wasn't something he ever made a point of recognizing before now.
"You alright?" she asked. "You were under for a while there."
"I'm fine," he managed. "But this salty water stuff really doesn't agree with me."
"That's good." She sat back.
"I take it we're even now?" he asked.
"Wh… What?"
"You know, for…" Zeke narrowed his eyes at her. "This isn't payback for what I said earlier today?"
Nia stared at him, and he couldn't at all parse the emotions on her face. But judging from how long it took her to think it over, he doubted he'd read the situation correctly.
"I guess it kind of is," she decided. "But I didn't mean to throw you in."
"You didn't huh?" Zeke asked. He looked over at Mòrag, but she didn't give anything away. He knew she'd done it, but there was no point in litigating it. "Well, accidents happen. My fault. Let's get that fish, yeah?"
"Yeah," Nia said. "Though, maybe you should cast the line. I'm not sure I'm cut out for it."
"Nonsense," he said. "Here, let me show you how."
He stood behind her and placed his hands over hers, guiding her through the motions. The same way Mabon taught him to fish all those years ago. They cast the line out, and it landed perfectly in the water.
"The most important thing is the follow-through," he said. "You can't…" He trailed off as he noticed Nia had frozen up. She stared straight ahead, barely even breathing. A moment later, he noticed he'd practically wrapped her in a hug.
"Too close?" he asked. "I can—"
"No," she said. "You're good where you are. I'm just… Concentrating."
"The hard part's over," he said.
"Help me reel it in, at least?"
That wasn't something he thought she'd need help with, what with her monumental strength and precision control of water. There wasn't any real need for the fishing rod at all, unless the salt somehow got in her way. But whatever. He wasn't in a position to turn her down, not while he was in apology mode. So he stayed where he was. Very aware of how close their hands were to touching.
Very, very aware.
He tried so hard not to think about it that he nearly missed the bobber dip below the water line.
"Pull!" Zeke shouted. He grabbed the rod, but he didn't really exert much force. That would be up to—
Immediately Nia wrenched the thing from the water, stumbling back into Zeke and knocking them both on their backs. But the abyssturgeon was high in the air, and Mòrag whipped out one of her whipswords, wrapping around the creature and dragging it onto Azurda's back.
"We did it," Zeke said, splaying his arms out to give Nia some room to get up. Hesitantly, she got to her feet.
"Yeah," she said, smiling. "I've never been fishing before. That was fun."
"We could go another couple rounds," Zeke suggested. "Anything else on Mabon's list that needs a fresh catch?"
"Unfortunately not," Nia sighed. "And we should probably be heading back."
"Are you sure?" Mòrag asked.
"I'm sure. We should deliver the fish as quickly as possible."
"Right then," Azurda said. "You have the catch secured?"
"Ready when you are," Mòrag said. Immediately, Azurda took off, taking them back to the Gardens. Things were pretty quiet for the ride back, but it felt less awkward, at least. Nia didn't seem so guarded.
"I'll try to stop by for the festivities," Azurda said. "But I can't guarantee anything. Tenax is holding this week's council tonight, so I may not make it."
"I'm sure Pandy will understand," Zeke said, sliding off Azurda's back. Nia followed him a moment later, and then he felt a strange tugging sensation on his clothes as she sucked all the water out. Right. In all the excitement, he'd forgotten he was still soaking wet. She'd already dried herself off, too.
"Mòrag, you think you can run that fish to Mabon?" she asked. "Zeke and I can grab the rest of the ingredients."
"Are you sure?" Mòrag asked.
"I think we can handle getting a few ingredients," Zeke said.
Mòrag looked like she was about to say something, but Nia shot her a look, and she decided against it.
"Be quick," Mòrag reminded them. "We don't know how much longer your father can keep Pandoria busy. And try not to be too suspicious."
"We'll be in and out of the greenhouse district without them ever noticing," Zeke said. "Trust me."
He gave Mòrag a salute, and they parted ways. Rather than risking a trip through the market, though, they cut along the wall, taking the back way to the greenhouses.
"What's still on the list," he asked.
"Mostly just stuff the kitchen ran out of," Nia said.
The conversation didn't really go anywhere, though. Sod it. Probably Zeke needed to confront this directly.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier," he said.
"You're… Sorry? Why?"
"That whole remark about joining up as my partner, I… I should've known better. I was trying to lighten the mood, make some banter, you know. The usual. But I didn't think about what I was saying. It wasn't appropriate to make light of your relationship with Dromarch like that."
"Hardly anything you say is entirely appropriate," Nia said. "It's what I like about you. And honestly, that implication hadn't even crossed my mind."
"I see," Zeke said, more than a little relieved that she wasn't mad at him about that. "Wait, if that wasn't it, then what did you toss me into the sea for?"
"I didn't mean to toss you into the sea," Nia said. "That was all Mòrag."
"You admitted it was payback, though," he said. "Payback for what?"
"I was so startled by what you said that I forgot to get in a good comeback. Try not to overthink it."
"Seemed a little excessive for that."
"Call it accumulated interest." They reached the edge of the greenhouses. "Keep an eye out, would you? It'll only take a second to grab what we need."
Nia ducked inside, leaving Zeke to stew in his own thoughts. If she wasn't upset with him, then why had she reacted so strangely to his proposal in the first place? What had startled her about it?
…
It couldn't be the other implication in the proposal. The "romantic" implication. She didn't think of him that way. There was no way. It had only crossed his mind in the first place because Pandoria had implanted the idea in his head, and now it wouldn't leave.
But he couldn't think of any other reason. So he just sat there with the horrible feeling in his stomach that he might have accidentally stumbled onto the real reason Nia had been acting so strangely.
Though, would it really be that bad? He could do a lot worse than Nia. And—
"I get where you're coming from," Nia said as she opened the door again, holding a box of hand-picked herbs and vegetables. Picking up right where the conversation had left off, apparently. And saving Zeke from his own thoughts. "It'd be a pretty shitty thing to do to imply you want to replace Dromarch. But I know you better than that, Shellhead. And hey, if I ever manage to get some free time on my hands, I wouldn't mind a little adventuring. It's been a long time since I've properly been on the road, and you'd certainly make things interesting."
"Sure," Zeke said, just sort of agreeing to whatever she was saying. It didn't explain how weird she'd been acting earlier, but he wasn't really in a position to press her on it. Either she'd lied about not being upset, or the other option was true. He didn't want to press things if it was the first one, and he didn't want to think even think about the latter. Or, well, he did, but it terrified him at the same time. Which was a brand new experience.
They took the least-trafficked route back to the kitchen, trying to keep out of sight in case Pandoria happened to be passing by. They got the stuff to the kitchen and immediately got roped into helping Mabon and Vess prepare the last of the food. But Zeke wasn't really focusing on that so much. His thoughts were on Nia the whole time. Trying and failing to unravel that mystery. And trying and failing to avoid the looming thoughts of romantic interest that kept nipping at his brain.
Thankfully, he was saved from the conundrum at least temporarily when Roc arrived to warn them that Pandoria was on her way to the community hall. Just in time, too. They managed to rush the last of the food over and plate it just before she swung open the door.
"Surprise!" the whole room shouted, catching Pandoria completely off guard. Someone popped streamers as she stared at the room, full to the brim with people and food and decorations. All for her.
"Happy birthday," Zeke said. She started to tear up, and a massive grin spread across her face.
"You didn't have to do all this," she said. She stepped in, and Zeke's old man closed the door behind her.
"I beg to differ," Zeke said. "We're long overdue for a celebration. You're practically starting a whole new life. It's the least I can do to make sure it starts off right."
"You idiot." Pandoria wrapped him in a hug. "Thanks. For everything."
"It's been a wild ride the past twenty years," he said, returning the hug. "Having you accompany me for it has been the greatest honor of my life. So even if our partnership, such as it was, is ending…" He broke the hug and reached back for a pair of glasses, offering one to Pandy. "I'll always have your back."
"I wouldn't want it any other way," she said, taking the glass. Then, Zeke raised his and looked around the room.
"To Pandy!" he announced. "To new beginnings! And to the best damn birthday party you've ever seen in your lives!"
A cheer went up in the crowd, and Zeke and Pandy clinked glasses. Then he downed his glass in one stroke and stepped back. He'd done all he could for her. From this point on, Pandoria would make her own future. He watched her and Kora walk down the tables, hand in hand as they surveyed the food on offer. He was proud of her. She was finally coming into her own, instead of just being his shadow.
Then his eyes settled onto Nia, standing a little ways away in the crowd, smiling a full, beaming smile.
That one smile shook him to his foundations. He'd been denying his feelings since he got back, but every time he thought about it, the thoughts only grew louder. That smile was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. For a moment, as he stared at her, it was the only thing in the world that mattered.
Shit.
Maybe Pandoria was right after all.
How in the world was he supposed to deal with that?