Tin grunted, sweat pouring down her body, making her ragged tunic and pants cling uncomfortably to her skin. She eyed Ein, who she’d just dragged down far too many feet of spiraling stairs. Behind her, Jav muttered to himself while setting up lanterns they’d taken from the cannibals. Zia made soft sounds of awe, still standing at the base of the stairs.
“Come on Zia, we need to get him patched up. You’re the one who heard running water and said we might need to,” Tin said, panting as she stood and rolled her aching shoulders.
That snapped the teen out of it. She tossed her pack down near them, then scampered off with several mostly empty canteens. Zia had never seen a whirlpool, let alone one so immense.
They’d descended the stairs to find a roaring, fifty-foot-wide whirlpool ringed by a circular steel platform. Frothing water sent sprays of fine mist through the air, and though waves sloshed onto the platform, the whirlpool’s edges were gentle enough to collect water from.
Zia tasted the water, then held up a thumb—it was drinkable and seemingly clean, thankfully. She started filling canteens as Jav sat down near Tin and pulled out mechanical pieces to fiddle with. Tin slumped against the wall, glancing at Ein.
They’d bound his leg with clean rags for now and removed various darts and metal shards from his body. Wounds and cuts covered him, but his breathing and pulse remained strong and steadfast.
“He’s always a damned fool,” Jav muttered. “I don’t know why or how he does it, any chance he can.”
Tin laughed and said, “Maybe he is a fool. But even if he won’t admit it, he throws himself into danger because he’s grown to love us.”
Jav wrinkled his nose but smiled after a few moments. “Love is a tad strong, I think. But I can’t say I don’t hold a certain fondness for this group of fools.”
“And where would we be without our dutiful voice of logic and pessimism!” Tin winked at him, earning a scowl.
“I… I wish I wasn’t so scared and weak.”
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Tin shrugged and said, “Don’t say that, man. I might be a little more robust, but I don’t have the stones or fortitude to do what he does. I’d be frozen if I tried to go against demons, cyborgs, wraiths and anything else while you guys escape. I’d say fear and a healthy sense of self preservation is normal.”
“Maybe.” Jav started assembling parts, gears, and devices on the floor in front of him. “But he feels that too, yet…”
“It’ll always be a mystery, Jav. Best not to question the only reason we’re still kicking,” Tin said lightly. She eyed Jav as his dainty hands assembled parts and connected wires with ease. “How the hel do you even know what you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your doodad. It just looks like a bunch of pointless devices and metal scrap, but I’m sure you’re making it into something interesting. How do you know to do that?”
Jav shrugged, hunching over as he said, “How does Ein know how to fight and be fearless? How does Zia know about healing, and how is she able to absorb the light from crystals? How do you know your way around a brawl, and know how to prepare food safely?”
“We just do,” Tin sighed, rolling her eyes at his response.
“It’s like this metal, these little devices and contraptions were meant for my hands. I see a simple, pleasing beauty in them, and try to imagine what they could be.”
“Maybe you were an eccentric inventor in another life!” Tin laughed, wagging her eyebrows at his mildly amused face.
“Perhaps. The baser knowledge and skills are there…but when I try to think hard about who I used to be, it’s as if someone placed a black miasma on them, hiding them just beyond my reach.”
“Same here,” she sighed. “What are you building?”
“Hm. A weapon of sorts. It’s taken months to get what I think I need. Though I wish I had some scraps from cyborgs or demons, or knew about the runes that cover demons.”
Tin perked up. “What sort of weapon are we talking about?”
“If it works, a small firearm that uses crystals for part of its power source and projectiles. It certainly has interesting interactions with electric power, as well as certain metals,” he explained excitedly.
“That just confused me more,” Tin groaned.
“Small rifle… fire… crystal shards,” Jav said slowly, with a growing grin.
“Oh. Will it help against metal monsters and more?”
“Maybe. I’m not so sure about demons, though. Their ceramic plating seems to be tougher than steel, and those runes somehow make them even more resistant to damage.”
Tin nodded. Even if it didn’t kill everything, it sounded like a good idea. She just hoped Jav was a good shot.
Zia finally returned with her canteens. She dumped them on the ground, then got to work pulling clean bandages, salves, and other medical supplies from her pack. Tin moved to assist, knowing Zia would want help.
It was going to be bloody work, and she hoped the Change would fuck off long enough for them to finish.