**Hours later**
The sound of the Den's chugging and steam bursting sounded off from outside.
I hung out in my room, alone by the balcony, just staring out into the moving plains. The bags under my eyes felt heavier than usual. Perhaps it was this evening sun… or perhaps it was what Daz had carelessly said.
I let loose a sigh and threw a cigarette into my mouth. No lighter.
I swiveled it as I threw my hands behind my head and propped my feet over the rails, my chair creaking and balancing on two legs.
The Den trudged and the steam fluttered effortlessly from my view.
Seconds. Minutes. I brewed in utter silence.
"I don't understand the appeal…" I said, raising the cigarette with two fingers and tossing it over the moving ledge—never once lighting it.
Ever since Daz mentioned I was ex-W.M.A. nothing more was said.
If anything, what surprised the crew more was that I had done a complete one-eighty with my decision and simply ordered for the Den to start moving toward Tartarus… instantaneously. Like the decision was based less on my plea for their guaranteed safety, and more on the duty of what I once was…
None of us liked the W.M.A. but it was nothing to fret over. I'm sure they were all eager for the story behind that when I was ready to tell them.
But for now, just like most of our problems, it was brushed under the rug.
It felt almost like instinct when I made the decision. Like I was bound by duty I no longer carried… or maybe it was guilt…
I heard my door open and shutting as someone entered.
I knew who it was, and I didn't bother turning around.
He walked slowly toward me and stood to my left, taking out a toothpick, snapping his fingers, and replacing it with the cigarette I had just flicked over the ledge.
"Don't waste a perfectly good bud," he said as he lighted it and blew a smoke shortly after.
"I see you got your magic back."
"Daz was able to sway Envy. Havoc and I owe him one."
"Envy or Daz? Either way, that's one hell of a favor to owe."
"I can always go back and tell him I don't want it anymore," he spoke whilst puffing. "Then again, I wouldn't have been able to save this cigarette from the likes of you."
I snickered and said, "I guess you need it more than me, then. I don't smoke."
"Then why do you have it?"
I didn't reply. Still, I stared blankly into the distance as we moved.
He took another hit.
"I was just thinking I needed a vice," I replied at last.
"And lust isn't one?"
Silence again.
"Touché."
"Just tell me now if you're planning on betraying us. I've dealt with too much traitors recently," Code uttered with the bud in his mouth. We hadn't looked at each other once since our interaction.
But he was right. First Syemore. Then Polaris…
"Flare from the Crimson Dragons betrayed the Valley as well."
"Who?"
Code sighed. "The one I told you not to bring up when you went to see Ryo."
"Okay…?"
"You're hopeless… Anyway, after you, Ryo and the others departed over a month ago, I took on a mission the next day. I was set to be the joint mission captain. Everything was going smoothly, until we ran into a hitch…" he harshly breathed out a smoke. "Long story short, Flare sold us out to an Apostle follower."
"Apostle follower?"
"Like Polaris. Not exactly Apostles, but still work for them. Almost like a cult."
"Shit…"
"We dealt with the issue. Flare ended up getting arrested by the W.M.A. in his village willingly. No resistance. Thing is… I'm just tired of it, is where I'm getting at with all of this."
Code closed his eyes and said nothing more. A hand was held to his mouth, keeping the cigarette in place.
"Did you beat him?" I asked vaguely.
He took his time to respond, "Yeah… Specter wasn't that tough."
"Specter?"
"Sorry… the Apostle follower."
"Since when did you care to remember the enemy's name?"
"Don't know…" he took his time. "Guess we had something in common… only thing is, we're two roads on a forked path."
I raised a brow and said, "If you're trying to be methodical, I hate to break it to you, but I am the wrong audience."
"Obviously." He flicked the cigarette off the ledge, having burned through it in less than a few minutes.
He turned around and walked halfway toward the door before saying, our backs facing, "We'll never pry, but if you never share, how do you expect us to understand?"
He proceeded to leave after that, knowing full well I wasn't going to reply. He shut the door, and once again I was left on my own.
Only when he was gone did I turn around to view where he once was.
I got up, and headed for the bathroom to piss.
Once I had finished and opened the door, another member was there.
"Nobody ever knocks…" I said to her as her expression remained as it always was—bored.
"GG…" she said, grappling with herself whether to speak about whatever was on her mind.
"Jojo," I replied and said nothing more, passing by her and heading to my bed to lounge.
She stood there awkwardly as I patted the spot next to me, inviting her to lay as well.
Jo was already in house clothes, plus stockings. Her tail whipped on the floor as she crawled up next to me and rested her head.
"If you're gonna ask, I don't mind. Code was just here too," I started. "No promises on a complete answer though… or one at all for that matter."
"Oh… if that's the case, then we don't have to…"
"So you were gonna ask? Oh Jojo…" I closed my eyes and shook my head in disappointment.
"What!? No—I—you said—"
"Kidding."
"Ugh! Why do you always gotta play games?" She hit my chest.
"You're just so fun to tease." I flicked her nose. "You were on a two weeklong mission before I came back, right? How was that?"
She turned her head slowly to meet me with an incredulous look. "You're asking? You never ask… Who are you and what have you done to GG?"
I pulled her in and put her in a headlock, letting her squirm amid it.
She let out an oof when she finally got some air, delicately holding on to my forearm and bicep as she said boredly, "It was okay…" Classic Jo.
"That's it?"
"Yeah, pretty much… the Grade 1 extermination mission was a ploy for a bigger mission to take out two Grade 0 Leviathans… But other than that, it was kind of anticlimactic."
"You talk about Graded beasts like toys… Never have I talked to a mage that mentioned both Grade 1 and Grade 0 beasts—let alone two of them—in one sentence while being bored out of their mind at the same time…" I looked away and faced the outside. "Damn… this mean you're gonna be promoted now? Like Belle?"
"Not exactly… there were other Aces from the Valley there too, and we got the help of the Ocean Kingdom's Arcane King and the princess' personal guards just to take down one Leviathan… Unlike Belle, who took out that Colossal Sand Dragon in the Desert Kingdom on her own, we were all just merely assistance to the greater cause."
That was right. I had forgotten promotions past S rank were based on merit and recognition.
"And the other Leviathan?" I asked.
Jo sat up from where we lay and pondered for a moment. She had a finger to her mouth as she glanced at me sidelong about something, then proceeded to answer my question. "That one… I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well… it was there, and I was anticipating a brutal fight between two Grade 0 beasts, but that other Leviathan just… watched…"
"Just watched?"
"Yeah… like it was observing more than anything. We saw it in the distance beneath the surface, but we didn't pursue it since it wasn't attacking."
"Maybe it was scared of you all?"
"Hardly… We struggled against one. If it wanted, it could have used the opportunity to wipe us out while we were fatigued. Like a normal Graded beast with intellect… but this…" she almost shuddered as she mentioned it. "This one had a presence like a powerful mage… like it wasn't truly a beast. Let's just say, I was glad it went away."
I had never seen Jo so struck after any encounter with a Graded beast. But when she said, presence like a powerful mage… I didn't know what to think of it.
"Well, at least you were able to finish your mission. Heard the eterna was worth it?"
"Is that all you care about GG?"
"Huh?"
"Ugh… as oblivious as ever… I could have gotten hurt you know!"
"Yeah, but you're not, which means it just proves how strong of a mage you are."
She blushed and looked away. "Stupid GG…"
I smiled and sat up next to her to pat her head, to which she shooed me away and backed up, sat with legs crossed and stared at me intensely.
"Uh… what's this about?" I asked nervously.
"I need to know something," she said solemnly.
I gulped and dared ask, "What do you need to know?"
She readied herself and charged her response as she blurted, "Is the Ocean's princess your—"
Right then, my door creaked open and a girl was standing just on the other side. I felt her presence immediately, and my eyes gravitated toward her like she was the center of the universe. And by the Keeper… she absolutely was.
"Hello, my Greed!"
I smiled pleasantly and replied, "Hey, princess."
***
We decided to perch the Den near the Forest jurisdictions borders for the night. Belle had arrived like she had promised, but—per Daz's request—she wasn't able to stay for long.
I had taken advantage of her being here though… We had exited my room absolutely winded.
Sweat trailed down my neck and cuts of my body as I threw on a casual oversized shirt, and Belle had inched her gray bodycon dress back down as we passed by Havoc and Brand on the way downstairs.
"What's your two's calendars look like when you're both free? Does it just say SEX across the board or what?"
"Shut up," I replied flatly.
"Just sayin'"
"Fuck off."
"Anyway, check this out Cap!" Havoc pulled out his comm, showing me a picture. And when I saw it, I double took and grabbed his comm from him.
"Ayo, give that back!"
"Belle," I said as she turned around and we both looked at the picture.
When her deep blues saw it, she was less surprised than I was.
"What do you look so shocked for, my Greed?"
"How can I not?"
When I stared at the photo, I wasn't sure what to be more astonished about: the fact that Lance was smiling, or that he was smiling with Havoc and Brand…
"After we beat that Grade 1 Berserker, the dude started laughing his ass off. I couldn't believe my eye—pun intended—so I snapped a quick photo!" Havoc said.
"Whoa… a Grade 1 Berserker? What magic ability did it have?"
"Reverse Spell! And get this—it also had a Nullifying magic weapon too!"
"Shit… that's rough."
"Aye! But we beat it, no less!" Brand added.
"Once we figured it was just like fighting you, everything else came easy."
"Fighting me is easy now, huh?"
"More like—you set the bar for what an actual challenge is, so it made this thing a piece of cake."
I glared at him.
"Aw come on! That was a compliment!"
No wonder Lance looked so happy, I almost grew a smile just looking at him. I bet he pictured my face on that fucking thing.
When we made it to the dining area, Code had prepared hot pot like I had requested. Everyone was present—minus Nash. But I made sure to bring him some later.
Daz had made himself comfortable at the end of our long table, and the Arabella maids were busy cleaning everyone's messes.
I sat next to Ophelia and Star, attempting to make my own bowl, but Belle stopped me. "Hold on! Your dinner is over here!"
"What?"
"I cooked you a meal when I was in the Desert. You have to try it!"
"You cook?"
"Yes! And I'm very good at it, I'll have you know!" she said as she whipped up my meal faster than I could comprehend.
Nevertheless, I was pleased to see it. it was slow-cooked pork belly in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and…
"You'll have to forgive me though, my Greed…" Belle said shyly as she handed me my dish over rice. "I added a teeny bit more peppercorn than I usually do…"
I raised a playful brow as she went on.
"I—It wasn't my fault! Toto bumped into me while I was cooking and some of the peppercorn kind of just spilled in with the mix… I tried to take most of it out, but you may see more than needed in there… Sorry!"
"No problem, babe," I said as I scooped a bite without looking and led it to my mouth. "I'm sure it's not that ba—"
The moment I took the bite I thought I saw the Keeper for a flash of a second. My ears began to ring, and I thought my head slammed back, taking the rest of me with it.
But alas…
"Wow…" I said as my face contorted awkwardly. "Fuckin' delicious…"
"Are you sure!?" Belle shouted with her hands on the table, raising herself to a stand. "W-W-Why's your face look like that!?"
"Yeah… that was a spoon-full of peppercorn," Alice commented as she sipped some tea.
Everyone else laughed at my demise as we continued to banter and enjoy this night.
For some reason the conversation led to a few of them beating me… but I guessed it was my fault for playing a prank and pretending to be a traitor.
"Idiot," Alice said blandly, with arms crossed.
The rest of them shot their eyes at her as they studied her relaxed demeanor, and I remained as I was in my lunatic stance—hand over my face with an eye peaking through the windows of my fingers.
"You do understand, I'm the only one who gets your stupid joke?" she went on to say as I resembled a familiar enemy only she—and maybe Ryo—would know… but Ryo wasn't here, so I was left with Alice as the only ice breaker.
Befuddlement overtook them all as she said this—and her face was pure nonchalant. I couldn't have been any prouder.
SLAM!
I was hit with a random boulder of ice the size of a head, with a popsicle stick at the end of it…
Then following it, a herd of stomps destroyed me from two males and one female—Havoc, Code, and Star.
"Dumbass. Dumbass. Dumbass!" Code muttered as he stomped me.
"Fuck you, Cap! That wasn't funny! I almost transformed, Keeper!" Havoc followed.
"Teddy, you meanie!" Star added, her bare feet slamming my face—the only payoff here…
"Stupid, GG," Jo said from her side of the table.
Brand exhaled with a hand to his metallic chest, and Ophelia laughed hysterically at it all.
It was then that Daz had burst out in laughter as well, hands to his stomach. "You got me too! What movie was that from?"
"Not a movie. Terek from the Ex-Blue Phoenixes," Alice replied to him, still with that flat expression.
"Ah… man…" he said. "All of a sudden it's less funny now."
"Was never funny to begin with. Just lame. Look at him taking a beating from his subordinates… like a fucking loser. I can't believe I wanted to be a part of this Guild so badly not too long ago," Alice jabbed; I felt that strike harder than the beating I was taking.
As their stomps synchronized, I caught both Havoc and Code's boot with a hand each, and Star's bare foot flat on my face.
"embfspexftstr…" I said, my voice muffled from behind Star's foot.
"Huh?"
"Come again, moron?"
"embfspexftstr…" I repeated.
"Star, remove your fucking foot from the idiot's face," Code ordered.
Right as she pried it off, my words became clear as day. "I said, 'everybody stop except for Star.'"
The beatings continued as the endless lights filled the Valley skies from above the Den. We would enjoy the voyage at least. Because once we pass the Forest jurisdiction, we'd be in Mountain territory. And from there, it was onward to Tartarus.
***
Yuna was on the main balcony, laying and watching the night as a shooting star reflected off her gleaming, yellow eyes.
A distant sound then echoed through the valleys, and she whipped her head toward it. For less than a second, she witnessed two lights—like headlights off a vehicle—flash off, never to return.
She stared in that direction for a long while, waiting for it. But it remained dark there, and she never saw it again.
Unbeknownst to them then, miles behind and from sight unseen, a convertible vehicle was stationed in the distance—having followed since earlier.