Tikimaken had settled into a new routine, even if it was stressful and hectic. He rarely ever got enough sleep these days, and he was unsure how much he was actually accomplishing. The war was going badly, after all. It would be unwise to state it openly without some qualifiers, but it was obvious to pretty much everyone. He was trying his best, but not even General Aliekin could prop up the Gnomish Confederation’s armies for long.
They’d lost one major city and were a hair’s breadth away from losing several others, and a major chunk of the country. It was only a matter of time at this point.
As a silver lining, his job seemed to have gotten slightly easier as he not only settled further into his role, but the political aspect was getting more tractable. He’d been pushed into liasing between Historical faction leaders and the military Strategic Command several times, and the change was noticeable. The politicians were actually trying their best to support the generals now. Or so it seemed, anyway. The last requests he’d carried to them had all been granted, at least in part.
He tried not to dwell on the question of whether it was too little too late.
Still, because of the importance of his work and how busy it kept him, he usually came home after Eli. And they’d talked about their schedules for today, so she shouldn’t have been kept that long. As he came home and found the apartment empty, he had to calm himself down from an immediate surge of worry. Perhaps it was a testament to the tension of the time and how on edge they all were, but his mind immediately conjured up all kinds of unpleasant scenarios. He paced through the living room for a bit, then almost burned dinner as he tried to distract himself with cooking.
I should go out and look for her, he thought, then shook his head. No, what if she comes back and no one is home? He sighed, then started parceling the food onto plates and setting them close to the stove.
Finally, as the sun set and he was just starting to consider asking one of his neighbors to pass a message to some of his acquaintances, the door creaked open and she walked into the room.
“Eli!” He hesitated for a moment, then rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her.
“Tiki,” she replied with a smile, then pushed him away so she could shrug out of her jacket. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“What happened?” he demanded. “I was worried.”
Tikelikel visibly hesitated, then turned away to take off her shoes and neatly lined them up. “I’m fine,” she said, turning back to him. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but I wasn’t in trouble or anything.”
“What did you do?” he asked again, trying not to sound accusing. He was just relieved she was safe.
She shrugged. “It smells like you cooked dinner, how about we eat something? I’m famished. We can talk while we eat.”
He sighed and nodded, stepping away to set the table and bring the food. Prices had risen drastically and neither of them saw the point in paying too much for rare foodstuffs, so it was quite basic, a vegetable and mushroom stew served with bread without any expensive ingredients. They could afford better, but he’d rather save their money.
He started eating in silence, quietly watching his partner. She was obviously hungry, but didn’t seem particularly tense. It relaxed him knowing that he had most likely simply overreacted.
“I suppose I owe you an explanation,” she finally said, leaning back in her chair and rolling her shoulders.
“You don’t owe me anything, but I would like to know where you’ve been,” he replied.
“The old mining quarter,” she responded after a moment.
He frowned. “That place? Why? It’s not exactly on the way home for you, is it?”
She smiled a bit. “No, I was working in the inner city this afternoon, as I told you, meeting with several other business owners and coming up with an opinion paper regarding the state of the economy and the proposed subsidies.”
He put down his cutlery. “What brought you out there, then?”
“An opportunity I couldn’t miss.”
He raised an eyebrow when she didn’t continue, examining Eli’s face. “I suppose it wasn’t a business opportunity?” he quietly asked. She wouldn’t be this hesitant to talk about it if it was.
She returned his stare, then sighed quietly. “Anything but,” Eli said quietly. “Before I continue, Tiki, tell me true: Are you a supporter of the faction leadership?”
“… We’re both members of the Historicals,” he pointed out.
“Obviously, and that’s not what I asked.”
He sighed. But the fact that he hadn’t immediately answered in the affirmative and asked what had gotten into her was already an answer in itself, he supposed. And if he couldn’t be honest with Eli, when could he be? “No, I’m not,” he finally said. “The current cadre have far too many things on their conscience. I’d protest if I thought it would do any good, and if it wouldn’t cost me my job.” Or worse. “And neither are you,” he added, as a statement, not a question.
Eli smiled at him, and why did he only now realize how long it had been since he’d seen her smile like this? Or smiled himself, he supposed. “No,” she agreed softly. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. Not that I really had any doubts.” She shook her head. “If nothing is done, the current executive council is going to lead us all screaming straight into the abyss.”
He grimaced. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had the same thought before, but it was still not a pleasant one. “Maybe,” he said. “What, exactly, are you proposing to do about it? What can we do about it?”
“Alone, not much,” she agreed, lifting her glass and letting the light reflect off its edge. “But … We’re not meant to be ruled by a small cabal of self-serving autocrats, Tiki. We’re gnomes. The Confederation is supposed to be ruled by and for the people.” Her grip tightened. “I don’t say this lightly. I know how you feel. Dekilakel is my friend, and we’ve both respected and looked up to many of the others. They’re just …” she shrugged helplessly.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Oh beware, that you do not become what you fight, for ever bewitching is the lure of tyranny,” he quoted.
That coaxed a chuckle from her. “You and your cheesy dramas,” she said fondly. “I suppose the playwrights aren’t wrong on this one, though.”
“They’ve become tyrants,” he said, feeling something unclench as he voiced it.
“And if we can see it, many others can,” Eli added.
Tiki nodded, and they were both quiet for a minute. He wasn’t surprised by her opinion, even if they’d both avoided talking about it before. Now, he was wondering what plan she might have. He wished he had a plan at all.
“So, what did you do today?” he finally asked.
She chewed on her lip for a moment. “There was a meeting,” she said slowly. “I heard about it from some acquaintances … well, more like I overheard something and then went asking around a bit. Someone must have vouched for my intentions, since they seemed mistrustful but I was still told the time and place for a meeting. Just this afternoon, so I had no time to prepare anything or let you know. They were pretty leery, since I’m a member of the Historicals in good standing.”
“Maybe that’s why they risked it, they saw it as a golden opportunity,” he pointed out. “If this is the kind of gathering you’re making it sound like it is.”
“They didn’t talk about outright treason, but they were definitely not in favor of the current regime,” she confirmed. Then Eli hesitated for a moment. “Are you upset, Tiki?”
He massaged the bridge of his nose. “To be honest, I’m not sure if I should be,” he admitted. “What did you learn, at least?”
“Not much,” she shrugged. “They were sparse on details. At least when talking to me.”
He snorted. “I wonder why,” he said sarcastically. “This is dangerous, Eli. I don’t like the idea of you going to something like that alone. And what if they did have some kind of plan to, what, fight the executive council? What then?”
Eli shrugged again with what he could recognize as affected nonchalance. “Well, if it’s a good plan, then I could help them with it.”
“You’re not a revolutionary, Eli.”
“Maybe I’m not yet.”
Tikimaken shook his head and stood up, starting to pace. “And then what?” he demanded. “Get killed going against the Confederation? Sabotage the war effort? Join or found some kind of opposition faction?”
Eli stood as well. In contrast to him, she now seemed entirely calm. “If that’s what it takes,” she said. “This cannot continue, Tiki. There’s no point in winning the war against the Hivekind if we lose our entire soul in the process. And that’s assuming we can even win the war at all. Wasn’t it you who sees little prospect of that, if you’re being honest?”
He sighed again. “You’re not wrong,” he admitted, even if saying it hurt, still. “But I’m still not comfortable with the idea of doing something that would hurt our ability to fight.”
“And for what? Look at it this way, Tiki; if we’re doomed to lose the war, then the best thing to do would be to lose it quickly, with minimal loss of life, or, ideally, to make peace with the new Central European Empire as soon as possible. You know that, too. But you know just as well that the current government of the Gnomish Confederation isn’t going to do that. They could already have armies sieging the capital and they’d probably refuse to talk, as it stands.”
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Do you think making peace is even possible?”
Eli crossed her arms. “Think back to the Hive Queen we met before all this started, Tiki. Does she seem like a genocidal maniac who’s not open to reason, or someone who can be negotiated with?”
“The latter,” he admitted. “You’re right. But we should still focus on a political solution. I would be betraying my country and my comrades, Eli, I don’t want to do that. Let’s keep sabotaging the war as a last resort, alright? Or doing anything like helping the Empire win the war by providing information.”
“Of course,” she conceded. “And this is all academic so far, anyway. But you’re alright with continuing on this course?”
He started pacing again. “I don’t like the idea of you putting yourself in danger,” he said. “But I know I can’t talk you out of going.”
“You could always go with me,” she pointed out with a smile.
“Believe me, Eli, I intend to do that.”
“Not that I want you to put yourself in danger, of course. We’ll be careful.”
He nodded silently, and turned to do the dishes. She lingered for a moment, then withdrew to their bedroom. The rest of their evening went by quietly, and they both turned in early. He still had difficulty finding sleep, his mind churning with thoughts and options, each plan more doomed than the last. In the end, he had accomplished nothing but making himself more anxious. Eli’s presence, as always, though, calmed him.
The next day, he was somewhat distracted during his work and found it harder to focus on the strategy and troop deployments than he was used to. Fortunately or unfortunately, however, he was hardly the only one to be anxious as the war kept going badly, so it didn’t draw particular notice. He found himself gazing at General Aliekin, considering his position, and forced himself to stop and act normal, pushing any thoughts of the broader political situation out of his mind.
Eli came home earlier that day than the last, though still a few minutes later than she should have. She was flushed with either excitement or agitation and he saw her taking the stairs at a fast pace.
“Tiki,” she called as soon as the door clicked into the lock. “You won’t believe what I heard. I need to figure out the best way to ask people about it this evening —“
“You’re meeting someone this evening?”
“There’s another meeting, short notice,” she said. “You can come to that one. We need to get ready and leave soon. It’s the old factory by the river across the northern mining district this time. But that’s not what I mean — We were talking about options yesterday and as it turns out, they’ve already contacted the Hive Queen!”
Tikimaken blinked and raised a hand to try to calm her. “Eli, slow down,” he said. “They did? Who’s they? And how did you find out?”
Eli took a deep breath and fell into one of their chairs, tipping it back. “I’m not sure I should be telling you who told me, we need to be careful with identities and such. But they’re someone I trust. Apparently some of the opposition leaders talked to her, though. I didn’t get many details.”
He frowned, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms, resisting the urge to pace again. “They didn’t talk to her in person, though, did they?”
“… No?” She looked hesitant. “Probably not, I think we would’ve heard if she traveled to the front, right? But it almost sounded like they did. Presumably they talked through that psychic connection, wouldn’t they?”
He hummed. “Actually, I think we can figure out what’s going on. We got intel that her heir, Princess Janis, is at the front. And apparently, she likes touring their companies. Whoever it is probably met with her, then.”
“That makes sense.” Eli sat up straight again. “Do you think we can contribute some information?”
“Well, we are the ones who met the Hive Queen before she became Empress,” he considered. “I’m sure someone is remembering that.”
After another moment of silent contemplation, he nodded, stood up and headed to the small anteroom of their apartment. “Let’s grab our jackets and go, then. I want to see this gathering.”
Eli followed after him. “We should take a circuitous route.”
“Of course,” he said drily. “No sense getting picked up by the good officers of the law. I could probably talk us out of anything unless they outright bust the meeting with us there, but it’s better not to risk it.”
She smiled crookedly. “I guess I made a good choice in my partner, didn’t I? You’ve got all sorts of uses.”
He finished tying his shoelaces and turned to her, capturing her in an embrace for a moment. “All only for you, Tikelikel,” he assured her.
She laid her head against his shoulder for a moment. “Good.”
Tikimaken smiled, allowing himself to bask in the warm glow of her presence for a moment. At least, whatever happened, they could depend on each other.