Anisa held her temples as Tak looked as the armored figure wrote. “Okay, so when was anyone going to ask me before adding to my crew?”
Gavin stepped forward before the other two could speak, “He has nowhere else to go and his home was destroyed because of us.”
Anisa shook her head, hearing Gavin’s attempts to tug at her heart strings. She turned to watch Tak and the figure writing and sighed, “Does he know what we intend to do? Does he understand the risk? And what can this… weird knight… bring to the table?”
“He has a knowledge of fauna and flora, he is a skilled marksman, and he knows how to cook.” She glared at Gavin’s refusal to answer the rest of her questions.
She could feel Katsi and Dean trying to get her attention but she didn’t want to look at them. Realizing what had been said she came to a compromise. “Alright, fine. We could use a chef.” Gavin smirked but it lessened when she held her finger up, “But only if Tak can communicate with him well enough for him to know what’s going on.”
“Oh, he and I sorted that out a few moments ago.” Everyone turned to Tak in surprise, “I want to take some samples and do a complete health check on him, but he is actually rather intelligent. Well read too. He knows Ventari’s Law rather well. If I had to guess, this is the son of a particular runaway princess. His age would match with the rumors, but I doubt we are going to that part of space for a very long time. I’ll need to inspect him in an isolated space to limit the risk of infection.”
Anisa asked exasperated, “You mean he understands our goals? And he is okay being enemy number one of the empire?”
“More or less. He says that saving family is a noble ambition he would gladly die for. I’ve tried telling him that we aren’t related to the man but he doesn’t seem to see an issue.”
Having given up completely, Anisa approached him and stated, “Then you will work in the kitchen and occasionally go on away missions if we need a… cook?”
He looked at her through his armor. After a few moments he took the paper, wrote something down in his language and showed it to Tak who laughed. Anisa raised a brow and Tak translated, “He wants to know if you have a disorder because you are fidgeting so much.”
Sighing she said, “Check him, get him a way to talk in words we can all understand and let’s move on.” Anisa left the room and everyone relaxed. Gavin came a wrote Anisa’s verdict down for his new friend and the three of them all began passing the paper to talk for awhile.
Dean watched on, deep in thought before Katsi tugged on his arm. “Okay, big guy. Back to the training room for us. I am still not ready for half the crap you showed me today.” He nodded, but his heart was heavy from the events of the day. Something was off with all of this and he couldn’t shake it.
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Douglas stood at the city waterfront, trying again to find where he was supposed to be. As he did, an orange figure approached him. She spoke gently, “Excuse me. Are you Douglas?” He turned to see someone he hadn’t seen before but was oddly familiar. He kept his hand on his sheath, but nodded. “My name is Anisa Sasori. I was hoping we could chat about a mutual acquaintance?”
Doug nearly fell back into the water, “THE Anisa?” He leaned forward ready to draw.
She waved her hands, “Not Sculptura. Just Anisa!” He relaxed only a little. She let out her breath and stated, “I’m trying to save Shawn, but Dean told me it would be better to save you two first. That it would make things easier.”
Douglas softened some at the mention of Dean and eventually nodded, “Yeah. Shawn messed up, but without him things are probably a lot worse. How can I help put things back how they belong?”
She leaned against the railing, “Dean said you were the first one he trained. Tell me what happened from the moment you met him.” Her voice cracked some, “What happened after I died.” Doug joined her at the railing and the two of them stared into the permanent sunset.
Douglas sighed, "Shawn accidentally started a war, found me in the aftermath, and spent the next decade torturing himself from behind a mask as some form of penance. He taught me everything he had learned, but after a year of that I realized how lonely it had made him." He shook his head, "So, I walked a different path. Made peace with who I could, accepted who I couldn't, and made the Cosmic Patrol so that I wouldn't have to carry the weight of the Cosmos on my shoulders alone."
Anisa nodded, "Sounds like him. You probably did the right thing. How did Shawn feel about it?"
Douglas laughed, "He was mad at first, but when I told him he would be the figure head he got livid." He settled into a wistful tone, "But when I told him that he was my check on corruption, he agreed to the arrangement. Got to run as many solo missions as he wanted with little to no oversight and no one to answer to except me. I hardly ever saw him after that, but when I did, I was always glad he showed up. Just kept working himself to death, but always took his time to pat me on the back and reassure me I was doing a good job."
Anisa stared into the sunset with a sense of peace. It was good to know that despite some of what she had seen, her friend was still somewhere in the madness. She asked, "Alright, where do you want us to take your gem?"
Douglas shook his head, "It isn't that easy. I can guess exactly where you need to go, but it is deep in Falos Territory. Without more strength or an army behind you, you won't be able to get there safely. Take your time and when the moment comes, don't let anything stop you. Once I'm back, I'm certain we can put everything back the way it should be." Anisa nodded, sitting with him in the golden light.
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Once Fallen, All Life is Given to the Snow
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For All Life Was Taken From The Void
While The Surface May Lay Barren
Our Secrets Rest in the Solitary Prison of the Heart
A Scarlet Stranger to our Empty Shell
Guardian of the Treasure that Lay Beneath
In this Way We Honor the Nobility of Solitude that Unites Death and Life
-Ventari’s Law, The Reign of Agnasis