The people of the village had come to see them leave. There was still a lot of tension in the air but at least the looks they gave them, were no longer hostile.
The councillors hadn't come to a final decision yet and Jason reckoned it would take them a while. Political decision-making on the Oceanplanet seemed to be just as tedious as on Earth. Both sides had signalled willingness to cooperate and listen which was more than he had hoped for.
Only one demand of the councillors bothered him.
"Are you really okay with this?" he wanted to know.
Shersheba nodded. She no longer wore any kind of bonds but the way the guards stood around her, following her every movement, still made it pretty clear that she was a prisoner.
"Yes. Don't worry. I won't be harmed," she assured him with a smile.
He resisted the urge to take her hand or hug her goodbye. Although he and Neri had cleared the air the night before, much was left to solve – mostly on his part. Problem just was, he had no idea where to start looking for his issues, not to speak of overcoming them. And displaying affection for Shersheba would certainly not be very helpful in restoring Neri's faith in him.
"Take care," he said instead, hoping she would get the genuine concern.
They escorted them back through the woods. Jason kept focusing on his steps, his mind soon occupied with flashes of the conversation he and Neri had the night before.
Afraid? Afraid of Neri? Of their relationship or its consequences?
During the years, the missions they had carried out had grown graver and more difficult with every task. A handful of kids against an overly ambitious scientist. It had been Hellegren's ambition, his fear of someone finding out about Neri before him, that kept her safe from the public.
The treasure hunt for the synchronium had been fun for the most part. But they had almost failed in the end.
Malakat had almost brought war upon them, and if everything would go public now without proper preparation, he might yet be successful.
Jason was no longer a sidekick, he realised. He had become a key figure, as Rugeaux had prophesied.
Was that it? Afraid of failing as Neri's partner? Afraid of the upcoming tasks according to this position? Was there a secret part of him hoping to somehow escape the responsibility?
He caught himself shaking his head slightly in disagreement with the latter. He had always known what he got himself into and had never any intention of bailing. Not so long ago, he had told Senator De Souza so. And where was he supposed to go anyway?
No childish games anymore. No kidding around. This was too big to escape.
He gave Neri who walked in front of him a quick look. Their romantic relationship was maybe at odds but he could never leave her alone to deal on her own with this massive weight on her shoulders.
They had reached the forest borders without him noticing. The sudden blinding sunlight drew him out of his thoughts and to the boat which was already waiting for them to take them back.
Boats were rare on the Oceanplanet. Most of them were used for fishing for transport over water was barely needed. Short distances were crossed by swimming, longer distances by the network of water tunnels.
The shore laying ahead of the glittering ocean was close yet too far for Jason to swim. He climbed into the boat, ignoring the mocking smirks from the guards. Humans were obviously still considered to be weak and clumsy.
Neri and Mera joined him, and when the boat was set in motion, the guards had already disappeared between the trees.