It was a few hours after the meeting that Red found himself back on the empty plateau top. His gaze lingered on the sea for a long time. Before, they couldn't really have determined how much time they had. Now though? It could be any minute or another few days before they were discovered.
The sun began to dip down behind the horizon, casting its dim glow across the sea. The light rippled across the water, splashing it with endless colors of greens and blues. Red only stared at the sight. He had, of course, seen the sight countless times before. The entirety of Valencia was built on the back of the sea, after all. Nevertheless, he still let the sight pull him in for a few long moments.
It reminded him of beyond Rim. There was so much out there to explore, to see, for the lack of a better word. Red still wasn't sure how his life had taken such a drastic turn into what it was now, but he wanted to know what life would be like after.
Would he be able to sell his shielding design? Would he be able to explore the many different islands and locations across the seas? Would he be able to find a place for himself in the vast expanse of the sea? But most pressing, would he even survive the coming days?
There were too many questions and not enough answers at present. He always tried to remain focused on the present, but it was starting to drag him down. He hadn't noticed at first. Everyone had been fighting for their life, and he had as well. If he stopped fighting, then he stopped living.
However, that feeling had slowly been warping into one of exhaustion. He was tired of fighting, even more so because this war was not supposed to be his. He had come here looking for his future and ended up finding its possible end.
There was no telling what the following days would bring. Perhaps he would be dead tomorrow; only time would tell. Red knew he was unwilling to simply let himself die. It was basic human instinct, but that didn't mean he wasn't tired. He had felt so invigorated by this conflict once, and now he just wanted it to be over.
"Bloody hell. I sound like an old man. Maybe Old Man Gary was after all," Red snorted.
It didn't matter, though. The problem with conflict was that no matter how tired he was, he needed to keep fighting or face death. And he had double the reason to keep fighting. Zara was also still out there somewhere, and he wouldn't let her stay there. Of course, the only way to do any of that was by continuing to fight.
Red sighed. If he wished to save Zara, he had one big issue first. That was, of course, the job of defeating the damn blasted bloody flaming Pirate King.
It seemed to always go back to that monster. Everything was balanced on a knife's edge, waiting to tip one way or another. One side was their loss, and the other was their victory. Only their victory was so centered around the Pirate King that everything seemed to already be leaning his way.
Everything the group had come up with still didn't seem enough to tilt the scales back in their favor. They now knew the Pirate King's full powers, and victory only seemed to grow further out of reach.
His plan was their only hope, their only shot. No one else knew it as intricately and intensely as he did. That was why, no matter how crazy, only he truly understood how crazy. Everything could be over in a blink if it failed. They would be relying on systems that could easily be avoided. Red could only hope that his talent for bullshit would be enough to distract the Pirate King long enough to get the job done.
If anything went wrong, they'd die.
His plan was going to work, though. It had to work because it was their one shot. He was going to make it work. He had to make it work.
Red turned at the sound of footsteps behind him. He expected Derrin or perhaps Silas. It might have been one of the sailors or even one of the soldiers. Who he did not expect was Silas.
The man paused slightly as he reached Red and stared out across the sea as well. Neither of them spoke, and Red felt his hackles rising. What the hell was the man doing? After a few minutes, Red finally couldn't hold it anymore.
"Is there something you need?" He asked, trying to keep the annoyance from his tone.
"No, but I believe there is something you need from me," Silas replied levelly, his attention fully on the distant sea.
"There is?"
"You need a distraction. It was one of the things you neglected to explain in detail when you discussed the plan. You need someone to keep the Pirate King busy long enough for everything you're setting up to activate."
Red narrowed his eyes. "That is correct."
"I'll do it."
"You'll what?" He gaped openly now.
"It's simple, really. It only makes sense even if you didn't have me in mind for the job. Someone must do it, and I am the strongest here. I will do it; it is my duty after all."
"But the risk involved… the…"
Silas waved a hand. "Are we not all taking risks as we speak? None of it matters if that bastard lives, though. However, if we all die, then at the very least we'll go out as soldiers of Valencia."
"I'm not a soldier… and Derrin's Montrelan."
The slight corners of Silas's mouth turned upwards in the semblance of a smile. Red felt like he was about to get cursed, but when Silas spoke, it was with a jovial tone to it. A tone that Red had never heard from the man's lips before.
"And I'm a damn asshole. We all have our… uh, deals, but we fight for the same cause even if we are all from different backgrounds," his voice grew hard as his gaze locked on Red. "Redwynn, no matter what happens tomorrow, promise me this…"
"What's that?" Red asked, suddenly uncertain.
"Promise me that you'll continue to use that brain of yours for good even when your life is no longer on the line."
Red nodded slowly. "Of course."
Silas nodded, "I really mean sooner rather than later. Even when all of this is over, and that bastard is dead…our friend is still trapped, and I mean to get her back. I will get her back. We just need to deal with this first. Will you help me?"
"Yes," Red said hoarsely.
He wisely chose not to add that he had been considering fighting the man had he chosen to do anything else.
The two of them remained in amiable silence for a time. Eventually, they were forced to return to their work. They had a lot to do before the upcoming assault.