Elvira had never been to the Northern city of Bachija before, and it hadn’t featured much in her studies. The extent of her knowledge was that it was hot, sandy, and flat. What her readings had failed to uncover, somehow, was that it was common practice to walk around topless.
She’d had quite the shock when she stepped off the airship a half hour ago. Her embarrassment was tempered somewhat by sharing it with Protius, who’d been equally astonished. She suspected his reaction was more boyish fascination, but at least she had someone to share in all the amused glances. Chandra found the two of them especially comical.
Hitori took the team to an outdoor bar a short distance from the skydock, where they were going to wait out the hottest part of the day. The shaded area would be a good place to acclimate to the temperature. Also, Elvira supposed, to the sights. Even in the sweltering heat a handful of pedestrians continued about their business.
She noticed a curious similarity in the common attire to Chandra’s own outfit. She had thought the Paladin’s armor too risqué with its exposed midriff, but here it seemed excessively conservative. The most anyone had on beyond a coarse mesh top and linen skirt were shirts made of transparent fabrics in pastel colors.
While Elvira spent her time sipping a glass of water and watching passerby, she listened to her teammates talk amongst themselves.
“What exactly are we doing here again?” Gordon asked.
“I already told you,” Hitori said. “Like three times.”
“Tell me again. Trying to figure out why I gotta waste my last break on some dumb mission.”
Hitori sighed. “All Mr. Foster told me yesterday was the White Temple had a special mission, and requested our team specifically.”
“Why us?”
“I don’t know, and neither did the Headmaster.”
“So, your fault.” Gordon huffed.
“I don’t see how it could be,” Elvira said. Gordon snapped his gaze over to her. “I mean, why would the White Temple care about Hitori? They’d be more interested in me, if anything.”
“Good point. Should we have brought her?”
“We talked about this too,” Hitori said.
Hitori was right, but Elvira couldn’t say she didn’t share Gordon’s concern. They had the discussion on the flight, and apparently Nova started work on something shortly after the Grey Order made their offer. They developed a sigil that would make her look like she had a regular VN to any curious Paladins.
So the claim was, anyway. The solution came with an abundance of caveats, and given she didn’t know much about sigils, she didn’t understand enough to know if she should trust it. In any case her own VN proved capable of reading the stone-like token Hitori gave her, though Vinni complained when Elvira made her use it.
“But that’s all problems for later,” Elvira said after Hitori finished his explanation to Gordon. “For now let’s focus on the good news. Like, hey, we’re being posted to the Academy, so we’re not going to have to move or anything. That’s cool, right?”
Gordon turned away from her. “Yeah, great. Woo.” He hopped off his seat. “Anyway, ain’t meeting the client for an hour, gonna look around a bit.” And with that he strolled off.
Hitori stood up too, looking after Gordon as he walked away, only stopping when their red-headed teammate turned down a side street. “Some reconnaissance wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Hitori said, then leaned in a little closer to Elvira. “By the way, I got a message from Varzhish during the flight, but all she had to say was she’d prefer to discuss things in person.”
“Ah, yeah, okay,” Elvira said. She looked at Hitori. He had a pensive look, and his eyes were still aimed toward the street Gordon went to. “Just, you know, you don’t have to put too much on your plate. There’s no hurry, I’m sure.”
Hitori smiled at her. “It’s no problem.” Then he addressed the rest of the team. “It’s fine if you guys want to explore a bit too, but make sure you’re back before four.” With that he turned and walked away.
Elvira grabbed her water and moved a few stools down to the rest of the team. Only Protius and Chandra remained, and they were chatting about a popular serial. It was one she’d seen herself, ages ago, media recovered from before the Fading.
Elvira was surprised Protius was in to it, given the series was a romantic drama. She was more surprised Chandra didn’t seem interested at all. Protius was driving the conversation, while Chandra sat quietly, watching her drink as she rattled the ice.
It was peculiar. Admittedly, Elvira didn’t know them very well, but even a few hours ago, on the airship, the two were quite lively together. She watched a short while, then stood up, touching Protius on the shoulder.
“Hey, what do you say the two of us do a little reconnoiter ourselves?” Elvira said. “What do you think, Chandra? Can you hold the line here while Protius and I are out?”
The Paladin looked up from her glass, her blue eyes pausing a moment before darting between her two companions. “Ah, um, yeah. That sounds fine.”
Protius started to voice his confusion, but Elvira pulled him away from the bar, choosing to go the opposite direction Hitori and Gordon went earlier. After they traveled a fair distance Elvira finally let him go.
“What was that about?” Protius asked.
“Chandra might want some time to herself,” Elvira said. “Don’t you think she seemed kind of off?”
Protius touched a finger to his nose. “Maybe. She loves talking about Saint Spire, and a new episode was found in some old ruins a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, that’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah! Chandra suggested we could do our own translation for it,” Protius said. “But ever since we landed she’s been, well….” He shrugged.
“Maybe it’s the heat?”
“I doubt that. She’s from here, you know.”
“Oh yeah,” Elvira said. “I guess all Paladins kind of are. Then what do you think?”
“I’m not sure.” Protius slowed down. “You, uh, don’t think it might be, like, some kind of girl problem, do you?”
“A girl problem!” Elvira giggled. “Now, whatever is a girl problem?”
Protius blushed. “Ah, you know.” He averted his eyes. “Like, maybe she’s thinking about a, uh, boyfriend, or ex, or something.”
“Ah! I see.” She grinned. “Yes, yes, it could be something like that.”
“Do you really think so?”
“It’s a definite possibility,” Elvira said, more serious now. “Though wouldn’t you know better than I do? The two of you seem pretty close.”
“We do?” A faint smile crossed his face. “But, still, she doesn’t talk much about her life at the Temple.” They walked on in silence a while. “Maybe you should talk to her?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, if it is a, um, girl problem, she might prefer to talk about it with, a, uh—“
“A girl?” Elvira offered.
“Y-yeah,” Protius said. “That is, if she wants to talk at all.”
Elvira hummed. When was the last time she had regular girl talk, she wondered. Li was a very nice woman, but the idea of talking with her about a boyfriend seemed impossible. And asides from Li, when was the last time she had a friend her age?
“Oh no, now you’re doing it too.”
“What?” Elvira said. She noticed Protius was a few paces ahead, looking back at her. His face was mostly amused, though she noticed a hint of concern. She quickly laughed.
“Girl problems?”
“Not really, though you may have a point about Chandra.”
“Alright! How about you head back? I’ll find Gordon and Hitori and get them to give you some space.” With that Protius left, taking the curious option of jumping on top of a nearby building before heading in the opposite direction. Elvira watched him leave, wondering if that was normal mercenary behavior.
She shrugged, and made her way back to the bar. She hadn’t made it far, so didn’t have much time to decide on her approach to the conversation. She did somehow find plenty of time to realize she had no idea what she was doing, however.
“Hi! You literally met me a week ago, tell me your darkest secrets!” Elvira said under ger breath. She huffed. What was she thinking? And how the hell did she let Protius talk her into doing this so easily. Was she that desperate?
She didn’t have anywhere near long enough to consider it, because here she was at the—
She stopped. Protius, it seemed, had not been far off in his concerns, although perhaps he hadn’t considered it was an ex-girlfriend he had to contend with. Chandra was standing, pinned against the bar by another white-haired woman, about her own age. Perhaps a former classmate?
Elvira blushed. This was not a moment she should interrupt. As she was about to turn away, she felt a pit in her stomach as her fingers trembled. What was this feeling? She steeled her nerves, and spent a moment to fully review the scene.
Chandra was pinned, her arms crossed demurely in front, by another Paladin. Her uniform was similar, but lacked any armor, and the shirt covered the midriff. She was a hair shorter than Chandra, and her position pushed Chandra on her toes, so she was looking up into her eyes. She had one hand pressed into Chandra’s cheek, while the other was wrapped behind her waist.
It had all the makings of an intimate reunion, but Elvira couldn’t shake the feeling something was off. There were two other Paladins nearby, a man and a woman. The pair was turned away, braced in a subtle challenge to nearby pedestrians. Also, Chandra’s supposed parter had a haughty look on her face which, like her cronies’, dared a challenge.
Elvira approached at a wide angle, careful not to stare. As she approached a position in front of the bar, she casually slowed to a stop, feigning idle curiosity. Her left hand slipped to her sheath.
From here she had a clear view of Chandra’s face. Her expression was subdued and neutral. They locked eyes a moment, and her teammate gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head. The woman pinning her noticed, and turned to glare at Elvira.
“You’d best mind your own business, mercenary.” She spat the word ‘mercenary’ like a curse, then returned to Chandra, whispering something to her.
Something was definitely wrong. Elvira clenched her fists, grinding her teeth. Could she really…? What was she supposed to…?
Before she could work up the grit to do something, she heard footfall behind her, then saw a dark figure slide through her peripheral vision.
“This is our business,” Hitori said, holding the tip of his sword up to the Paladin’s neck. “And I’d wager you damn well know that.”
“Ah, you must be my dear pet’s new friends,” the woman said. “I do hope she treats you better than her last ones.”
“Please remove yourself from my teammate, Kalindi.”
“Pandora,” She said with a saccharine smile. Hitori pushed his sword a little closer to her neck. “Of course, of course. We wouldn’t want to cause an… incident.” She backed away, giving Chandra space to step away from her. “Just saying hello to a dear old friend of mine. Chandra and I go way back, don’t we dear?”
Chandra continued to walk away. Kalindi laughed.
“Hitori, what’s going on?” Elvira asked.
“This is Pandora Kalindi,” Hitori said. “A Paladin with the White Temple, our contact for this mission, and I suspect the reason we were chosen.”
“Kalindi?” Elvira said softly. “That sounds familiar. Doesn’t the Pharaoh Queen have a daughter by that name?”
Pandora huffed. “Yes, yes, you Nova types are very knowledgeable.” She pushed Hitori’s sword away then walked past him. Her Paladin compatriots took her flanks. “Let’s not waste our time on political trivia. I believe you lot have a job to do.”
“I trust you have a discreet place in mind to discuss the details?” Hitori said.
“Of course, follow me,” Pandora said. She turned to Chandra. “It’s a shame we couldn’t get more alone time,” she said with a sweet tone.
“Just hurry up,” Hitori said, stepping between Pandora and Chandra.
“Let me get this straight,” Gordon said. Hitori resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The team was assembled in a large suit on the top floor of Amun’s Rest inn. They finished their briefing with Kalindi and had a few hours before to go before their mission. “We stroll up, ask for a box, then walk ’til we die.”
“Yep, thats right,” Hitori said. This time he failed to resist. Gordon didn’t seem to notice.
“Great, first mission’s a fetch quest.”
“At least it’s an illegal fetch quest,” Protius said. “That’s exciting.”
“Fair,” Gordon said, then he turned to Hitori, “What is up with that anyway?”
“It’s not exactly illegal,” Hitori said. “The policy on Guild Markings is meant for conflicts with militaries and other mercenaries. If things go according to plan we won’t be fighting anyone, except maybe some bandits.”
Gordon made a face and muttered, “‘According to plan’,” under his breath, then said, “Why bother?”
Hitori sighed. He would know if he paid attention to the briefing. “The White Temple would prefer not to be associated with this. And no, before you ask, I don’t know why.”
“Is it because the Ex Stone is a kind of arte?” Elvira said. “I’ve heard they have restrictions on the research they can do.”
“That would be my assumption,” Hitori said. “But let’s keep the speculation to a minimum. Sometimes we’re paid to think, and sometimes…” He shrugged.
You do what you’re told.
“Ah, yeah, that makes sense,” Elvira said, giving him a curious glance.
“What’s the plan,” Gordon said. “You walk up and ask nicely?”
“I was thinking it would be the two of us,” Hitori said.
“Smart,” Gordon said.
“I- uh, yeah.” Hitori almost launched into a rehearsed argument before he realized Gordon agreed with him. “Anyway, we’ll head to the lab just before they close. There will only be a few junior staff there, especially since this is the Sunday leading in to Kosmiche.”
“They expecting us?” Gordons asked.
“They’re expecting someone to arrive on behalf of their client,” Hitori said. “Although according to Kalindi we’ll be picking the stone up before any tests were done.”
“Why?”
“Good question. No idea,” Hitori said. He looked around the room. “Any other questions?” When no one answered, he continued, “Then we’ll head out in about an hour. You can wander around a bit, but don’t go far.”
His team seemed content to remain nearby, though Chandra made her way out a window and onto the roof. Hitori gave her a few minutes, waiting for the team to get settled, then followed.
He found Chandra sitting on the far corner of the building, watching the sunset. Hitori approached conspicuously, taking a perch a short distance away from her. They sat together quietly as the sun dipped below the horizon.
After sharing a moment in the cooling air, Hitori said, “Want to talk about it?”
“About what?” Chandra said without looking at him.
“Life?”
Chandra gave him a weak smile, but didn’t answer. Eventually, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Oh great, another one apologizing for nothing. Who’s next?
Hitori frowned. “What are you apologizing for?”
She shook her head. “I don’t belong here.”
He studied her a few moments. “You mean in Nova, right?” She nodded. He hummed. “I’m not sure I agree with that, but where do you think you belong. Back here?” She shook her head. ”Then where?”
Chandra looked down, watching her feet dangle over the edge. “Nowhere.”
He hummed. “That’s rough.” Hitori scooted closer, then said softly, “You didn’t leave the White Temple by choice, did you?”
“N-not exactly.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, is Kalindi the reason?”
Chandra nodded, her eyes drifting northward.
“So… do you want to talk about it?”
She remained silent a long while, the two drifting into total stillness. Finally, she said, “You basically already saw. Only, last time, I put her through a wall.”
Hell yeah!
“Hell ye—”Chandra shot him a hurt look. “Sorry! Sorry! That was insensitive, but… I think she deserved it.”
You’re gods damned right!
“What?”
“Exactly what I said!” Hitori stood up. “I don’t care if she’s the Pharaoh Ascended, if anyone—“ Hitori cut himself off with a deep breath. “Ah, sorry. I don’t mean to tell you how to feel, I, uh….” He shrugged and sat back down. “I think you did the right thing.”
“That’s not how the Temple saw it,” Chandra muttered.
“I can’t speak for them, but I know you don’t deserve to be mistreated.” Hitori settled into a more stable position on the parapet. He carefully drew and released each breath so he wouldn’t start ranting again.
Chandra considered Hitori for a moment. “Thanks.”
“Huh?” He turned to her. “For what?”
She couldn’t help a little giggle. “For coming to talk with me, duh. Yeah, yeah, just doing your job, I’m sure.” She smiled and rolled her eyes.
“Nothing wrong with that, I think,” Hitori said, standing up. “Still, I’m glad to see you’ve cheered up a little. But don’t go thinking you gotta put on a strong face all the time or anything. It’s alright to feel stuff, you know?”
Chandra gave a weak shrug.
“I’ll give you a little space. I’m sure you had some thinking to do and I’ll leave you to it. Still, I’m gonna stay here on the roof.”
“Are you worried Kalindi will come back and start something?”
“Maybe, but, honestly,” Hitori leaned in. “I have kind of a bad feeling.”
“Really?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, but, I saw someone watching for us when we landed, someone for Kalindi, I’m sure.” He looked to the side. “Only, I also might have seen someone else watching them.”
“Oh. What did Gordon have to say?”
“He, uh, didn’t notice anything.” Hitori laughed. “So, yeah, like I said, probably nothing. Still, sometimes a little paranoia pays off.” He turned to walk away. “Anyway, I’ll let you know when it’s time.”
Kimi took a deep breath, wet and ragged in spite of the dry desert air. A wave of coughing overtook her, but she steadied after a few seconds. Her Vital Net reported damage done and repaired. A sensation she was perfectly accustomed to from before she met Morgan, but never to this extent, like every cell was under attack.
“That’s what I get for picking up a cursed ghost.” Kimi said, putting away a small cloth after she finished wiping her hand. She’d need to rinse it soon.
“I wouldn’t call it a curse,” Morgan said. “More like a virus.”
Kimi almost chided her hitchhiker for picking lousy names again, but that was cool enough. “What did your acolytes call it?” Kimi asked.
Morgan hummed. “You know, I think they called it the Curse Arte. Isn’t that funny?”
Kimi squinted. Not at anything in particular, but she was sure Morgan knew it was for him. “Not really.”
Morgan laughed briefly, then stilled. “I suppose you’re right.”
“What?” Kimi said. She’d felt like Morgan was looking at her expectantly.
“I… don’t think we finished our discussion about the Shaping Stone.”
“This again?” Kimi shook her head. “There’s no hurry.”
“There is so—“
“I’m not going to let you risk everything for your… impatience. If you rush in and cause trouble you’re going to bring every Paladin on the Northern continent after you, and probably the Black Temple too. Plus, like you said, there’s no guarantee they finished assembling your arte. After they power it up it should cause plenty trouble on its own, and hopefully make it out of the city too.”
“Yes, I know, but there’s no guarantee that will be in time to… to be very timely.”
Kimi did her best to glare at Morgan. “Doesn’t matter. And besides, like you said, your beacon has been active for years, and they moved it a few months ago. The longer we wait, the more likely we are to find everything together if we go in.”
“We don’t have forever, you know,” Morgan said.
“Yes, fine, give it a few days, then we’ll risk it.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Fine, fine, tomorrow.” No wonder Morgan had lived such a disastrous life. He would be totally lost without her. “Anyway, what we should be talking about is that stalker. After last night I’m certain she wants something from you.”
“So you said this morning, but I still think it’s curiosity.”
“There’s a whole planet to be curious about, she wants something. What does she know about us?”
“Nothing, as far as I can tell.”
Kimi frowned. She wished she could hear the strange woman when she talked to Morgan. “What do you know about her?”
“She hasn’t even told me her name. Kind of reminds me of you though.”
That was not a good sign, Kimi thought. Morgan politely pretended he couldn’t hear.
“I don’t think we need to worry about her,” Morgan said.
Kimi huffed, but managed to avoid airing her mind, instead she said, “We should get the Oracle Stone from her. That will be much safer than raiding the Black Temple.”
“That is true.”
“Exactly. Next time she contacts you, tell her you’re interested in studying the stone she’s using.”
“We don’t know she’s using an ODA.”
Kimi rolled her eyes. “The arte she’s using, and tell her you’ll compensate her for the trouble.”
“We don’t exactly have any money.”
“What’s that matter,” Kimi said. “It’s just bait anyway.”
