Chapter Four: The Cold Truth
Rover walks through the streets of Jinzhou, lost in thought. She found herself having walked all the way from Taoqi's home to the bell square. Her mind wandered for a moment as she looked to the side, where a cluster of flowers bloomed, all planted by the general of the Midnight Rangers, Jiyan. She walks up to and among them, the calm breeze softly flowing by as she has a seat on the ground, careful not to sit on any of the flowers as they held very special meaning. Each one the representation of a fallen comrade from the war, and she had been asked by the general himself that, should he one day fall in battle, that he wished for her to plant a seedling in his name.
"I wonder how he's faring…" She sighs, it had been some time since they last spoke and longer since they stood together against the Threnodian. Rover sits in silence, watching the lake waters below her.
"Oh, good morning, Rover." The voice of Sanhua shakes the Rover from her daze, the silver-haired bodyguard stepping up beside her.
"Oh, hello." Rover looks up at her.
"What brings you here today?" She asks, light crimson eyes looking down at her.
"Oh, I just…needed some quiet to think about something." She says, trying to be vague.
"Amidst the reminders of those we have lost? It must be something rather serious then." She says, raising a brow.
"Y-Yeah…" Rover looks aside.
"I came here myself for something similar, but mostly to tend to the plants." Sanhua says, Rover finally noticing the water pail she held.
"Oh, s-sorry, I'm in the way aren't I." She starts to get up.
"No, no need to rush Rover." She says, setting it down on the floor, "With the important symbolism this patch holds, they are very well tended for. They can wait a few minutes more for some watering." She leans against the stone hedge at the edge of the patch, "Perhaps I might be of help? What troubles you?"
"It's…rather personal." She looks back to the water, the glimmer of her new earring catching the stoic woman's insightful gaze.
"…I see what's happened." She says.
"Huh?" Rover looks back at her, confused as she hadn't said anything specific.
"You're in the society now." Sanhua says, turning the gilded spheres forming her necklace and displaying a small golden carving of a conductor's baton hanging from the spot that had been behind her neck.
"Y-You too?" Rover hadn't been explicitly told but given the group's name and theme centering around music, she could make a guess that the Magistrate of Jinzhou's head bodyguard was also a Conductor.
"Indeed. Tell me…who has the honor?" She asks curiously.
"…T-Taoqi." She says softly.
"Oh, so she really managed to pull it off, did she?" she taps her chin in thought. Rover watches her, wanting to get up and walk away. Though despite what was most likely to happen, she was comforted to see a friend again and not in some manner of dangerous situation.
"They did say she…set me as her goal." Rover says, unsure how to feel about that.
"Well, would you care to help me water the plants?" Sanhua asks, taking Rover by surprise, "Why so shocked? Disappointed I didn't suggest intercourse instead?"
"N-No, plants are fine." Rover quickly says, getting up.
"Here, let me show you how I usually go about it. Having played such a major role in the war, even if short, it would likely mean a lot to people if they happened to glimpse their hero honoring the fallen in such a manner."
"I was just…doing my part." Rover blushes slightly at the woman's wording of her performance.
"So humble. Rover if it had not been for you, we might not still be here today." Sanhua says, demonstrating to the heroine her technique for the plant watering and passing the pail to her, "Give yourself more credit if not just for yourself. I'm not suggesting you brag and boast after all, just accept our deepest thanks for what you have done for us."
"Sorry…I just…with what happened yesterday and all I'm not exactly in my best mind." She says, focusing on the menial chore she had agreed to help with. "Each of these small plants denote someone who had perished fighting for their homeland, for those they loved and cared for." Rover thinks to herself, and at the end of her process she pauses.
"Rover?" her companion looks at her, seeing her suddenly lose track of her timing and pointing the tip of the pail upright to not overwater, "Are you alright? You just suddenly zoned out."
"…" She says nothing. "Care for…" she thinks once more.
"I did this because I care about you." Taoqi's voice swims through her mind.
"Sanhua, can i…ask something?" Rover looks at her.
"About?"
"The…group." Rover picks her word carefully, for risk of exposure in public.
"I see. Let us finish the watering, and transition to a more private place." Sanhua says curtly. She nods, and they swiftly finish the remainder of the task. Afterwards the icy guardian sets the pail in a small space nearby in the hedge.
"Where to?" Rover asks.
"That depends." Sanhua says, "Would you like to stay in Jinzhou, or perhaps take a bit of a walk elsewhere and talk?" Rover ponders the options but is stopped quickly as soon as she said 'walk'.
"Rover, why not take a walk for a bit to think…?" her friendBaizhi's words pass over her now.
"Let's take a walk." She said rather fast. She sees her friend usher a sliver of a smile, "I ah…could use some exercise."
"Exercise hm? In that case…" she turns, looking up at the closest of the two mountainous spires that made up Shade Ridge, the city hall nestled up between them, "Fancy a bit of a hike up Mt. Pingting?"
"Alright." She nods. The trail for that side of the ridge had virtually fallen apart over time, making it an unworthwhile climb for those not being Resonators. It would be unlikely they would be disturbed at its peak, where a small pagoda rested, as apart from a view of the clouds and landscape there was scarcely cause to up there at all.
"Then it's settled. Let us be off then."
The duo makes their way up the hill, the incline growing steeper quite steadily until they reach the beginning of the trail marked by a massive tree root bridging the gap over the river. After crossing it would be where the easy walk ended, already the wooden planks of the trail slumping down edges or having rotted away completely.
It was a rough climb, Rover feeling the strain on her injury but pushing through the discomfort. She wanted answers to things and after all this she was going to get them at any cost. By the time had passed well into midafternoon they finally reached the top, the pagoda standing at the end of carved stone stairs that doubled back and forth up the diminutive peak. Under the roof was a single square table and a set of chairs for each side. Sanhua, none the worse for wear from the climb, relieves her legs of duty and sits down.
"Hah…hah…" Rover meanwhile pants, legs wobbly.
"You should know better Rover. A rushed ascent is a recipe for soreness." Sanhua chuckles, sounding like a lecturing mother. Rover grumbles, walking to the table and sitting at the seat next to the Conductor, "now, catch your breath and enlighten me to your questions, should you have more than one. Keep in mind however…" Sanhua's Tacet Mark bearing eye stares her down, "You are in the presence of a Conductor of the Orchestra, and you are a fresh-faced pet. I can, and will, withhold any information that I deem above you."
"I understand." Rover breathes deep, calming her chest from the adrenaline of such a tense climb, "My first question is…more one of curiosity if I might be so bold, and is specific to you." She says.
"My former Conductor was not the Magistrate." She says with hardly a beat between their words, "that is all you need to know."
"I, would actually have been more surprised if you said it was." Rover admits. Given the care Jinhzi showed for her people, her devotion to Jinzhou's Sentinel Jue and their intricate link to the other, it would have baffled Rover beyond words if Sanhua had said anything else. However, it ushered a new question to her thoughts, "Which makes me think…this, Orchestra group, does all this to help fellow Resonators lower the stress of their responsibilities so they don't overclock, right?"
"Correct."
"But…when is it seen as safe to do so?"
"Think of if Taoqi had attempted this before the Threnodian attacked." Sanhua starts, "You would have been incapable of operating in combat effectively the moment you encountered her again at the gates when you came to our aid."
"But how can we tell something else won't happen again soon?"
"We cannot truly know, but we have our ways. Why do you think scientists like Baizhi firstly require every scrap of data in relation to Tacet Discords, Fields, and Sonoro Spheres?"
"i…can't really guess…" Rover admits in shame.
"Don't beat yourself up, you lost your memories from before Chixia and Yangyang happened upon you in the gorge after all. The reason, Rover, is patterns."
"Patterns…from the data of TDs."
"Yes. As you might remember, a month ago was not the first time the Threnodian reared its head to us." She says, "We barely pushed it back those few years ago. However, from analyzing data over and over, comparing it to new information and patterns, we were able to confidently estimate that our enemy was merely building its strength to return."
"From the fighting in the Desorock Highlands…" Rover prompts a nod from her current instructor, "It seemed to have had a great…instinctual desire for any weapon at all, even mimicking General Jiyan's spear halfway through the battle."
"I read the report, yes. Do you see the point I'm trying to convey?" She inquires.
"I believe so…"
"Speak your mind, and I will confirm or correct you."
"Looking at patterns in data…past and current events…people like Baizhi, who are also in the Orchestra can make the same kinds of educated predictions for when it's alright to…do your work?"
"I confess I didn't know you had already encountered her after you and Taoqi began the process." She states, then nods, "but yes, that is correct. We have been rather inactive for some time now, as the Threnodian threat was growing further prominent as time passed. We only stepped in for emergencies and even those were weighted and considered heavily as to their interruption to the defense effort in some cases."
"…Like Chixia?" Rover asks, concern for one of her closest friends very clear.
"Yes, with the constant warring on the fronts just as many criminals saw chances to line their pockets as there were those grieving and scared. Chixia worked herself to the bone, and Taoqi as her superior brought it to Baizhi's attention that the eager Patroller might be in danger of overclocking even despite her minimal levels of risk."
"What did she do then?"
"…she monitored her condition, being close as a friend made it easy after all. Chixia couldn't tell it herself, but the wear of her working overtime was slowly making her more susceptible to an overclock scenario. She brought the matter to the attention of our senior council, and as Chixia had been taking on the work of others and even doing her job outside of work hours, it was agreed that her subjugation would not severely affect the local stability so long as Taoqi gave a documented reason for her leave of absence. As the Director, it was simple for her to do."
"…" Rover thinks in silence.
"Is that all you had to ask for the time being?"
"I have…a better understanding of the basics of this…secret society now. Thank you Sanhua."
"In that case…" She suddenly leans forward, grasping Rover by the chin and bringing their faces close to one another. The sudden loss of control made the learning pet's heart starting to beat faster despite it not being Taoqi, "You should know what I will be demanding as payment for my time."
"…Y-Yes…" She gulps meekly, feeling as muddle minded as Taoqi had made her. "Is…this what she meant…by free use? Any of these…Conductors can control me?"
"Good." She rises from her seat, "Shorts off. On the table. Lay on your back." She commands.
And Rover obeys without question.