“We need to go,” I muttered to Banquet. “Now.” We started to walk away.
“Wait!” Rush yelled at us, making no motion to stop us or even stand up. “Don’t you want yer sister’s body? They buried ‘er in the cemetery, but we can dig ‘er up!”
“No,” I yelled back at her. “No, that’s fine.” We started to run.
“Strange,” Rush said after us, but we were already so far I could barely hear her. “Very strange.” Once we were outside the town limits, we stopped, catching our breath.
“What do we do now?” Banquet said, hunched over. “Where do we go?”
“We can’t go to the training grounds,” I said, a stitch in my chest and in my side. I needed to get in better shape. “There’s no one there.”
“So back to Coeur?” Banquet said. “We need to tell someone what happened. We need new orders.”
“We can’t find the Spire,” I said. “Candle was the one who knew where it was. And the portable’s dead. It’s been dead.”
“We need to try,” Banquet said. “It’s the only place we can go. We need to try.”
“You’re right,” I said, standing up. “Let’s go back to camp. We’ll leave in the morning.”
And that’s what we did.
WHISPER FLUX, NEON FARMER Stand back! Don’t come any closer!
GODSPEED NANO, HEAD LIBRARIAN Wait, Whisper, slow down—
PRINCE STOIC, OF ANIMA Little girl. What do you think you’re going to do with that dagger?
WHISPER FLUX I’ll cut off your balls and feed ‘em to you, you twat!
MALEVOLENT CASH, RESCUE PARTY Holy shit, listen to the mouth on her—
PRINCE STOIC I’d like to see you try, brat—
GODSPEED NANO Let’s just take a breath here—
WHISPER FLUX For real, though! All I’d need to do is prick you with this and you’ll be dead! Back off!
PRINCE STOIC I know what neon is, sweetie. You see this sword?
WHISPER FLUX I’ll shove that sword up your ass! Don’t take a step closer! How do you know my name?
GODSPEED NANO Your father, he—
WHISPER FLUX Where is he? You better not have hurt him!
PRINCE STOIC We saved him, actually—
MALEVOLENT CASH I saved him, actually, but that’s beside the point—
GODSPEED NANO He’s hurt. We can take you to him but he needs help. Do you know someplace nearby where he can be treated?
WHISPER FLUX This better not be a trick. I’ll do it. I’ll kill you bastards.
MALEVOLENT CASH I like this girl. She’s hard as nails.
WHISPER FLUX Keep your dick in your pants, creep. I’m eleven, but that doesn’t mean I can’t defend myself.
GODSPEED NANO Holster your swords, gentleman.
PRINCE STOIC She’s got a weapon trained on us!
GODSPEED NANO She’s a little girl. And time is of the essence. And if holstering your weapons makes it so that she trusts us enough to follow us, then that is what you’ll do!
WHISPER FLUX I’m not a little girl! But he’s right otherwise! Put your weapons away!
MALEVOLENT CASH Mine’s already holstered. Stoic?
PRINCE STOIC Alright. Fine. Let’s just get back to her father.
WHISPER FLUX You walk ahead of me. That’s right. Not too close. I’m still not sure this isn’t a trick.
GODSPEED NANO You have to trust us, Whisper. Your father’s hurt.
WHISPER FLUX My father taught me not to trust anybody. Turn around. That’s right. He’s not that far if he’s still where I left him.
GODSPEED NANO He needs medical attention. Is there a town nearby? Somewhere with medical staff?
WHISPER FLUX Aorta’s pretty close, but I wouldn’t say there’s doctors there. There’s a stitcher there. But he’s not going to help us without gold.
PRINCE STOIC Have you ever heard of a place called the Spire, Whisper?
GODSPEED NANO Now is not the time, Stoic.
MALEVOLENT CASH Gold isn’t an issue. We’ll help your father in any way we can.
PRINCE STOIC Don’t just go offering gold to her. We need that gold for our quest. And it’s mine, besides.
WHISPER FLUX Quest? What’re you, a knight?
GODSPEED NANO There he is, Whisper. Just ahead.
WHISPER FLUX Daddy! Oh my god. Daddy, are you okay?
DISASTER FLUX Don’t… don’t worry, child. Daddy’s gonna be alright.
WHISPER FLUX That lowrunner really got you. Fuck. Daddy. Are you going to die?
DISASTER FLUX Daddy’s going to be fine, Whisper. These men saved me.
WHISPER FLUX They said as much but I didn’t trust them. Okay. Don’t worry, Daddy. We’re going to get you to Aorta.
DISASTER FLUX Get the satchel, honey. Get the satchel. These men will help us to Aorta. It’ll be okay.
PRINCE STOIC Whoa, whoa. We didn’t agree to an escort mission. We’re not babysitters.
GODSPEED NANO It’s the right thing to do. We’re doing it.
MALEVOLENT CASH If there’s a town nearby, maybe they know something about the Spire. It’s a lead.
PRINCE STOIC Good point, Mal. Okay, we’ll help you. For a price.
GODSPEED NANO Stoic!
PRINCE STOIC Fine, fine. Out of the goodness of our hearts, then.
WHISPER FLUX Can we get the fuck out of here? He’s dying!
MALEVOLENT CASH How exactly do we do that? Do we… carry him? Maybe some kind of harness or stretcher?
WHISPER FLUX Daddy? Daddy! Open your eyes, Daddy! Is he dead? Please tell me he isn’t dead—
GODSPEED NANO No, he just passed out from blood loss. He’s not dead. But he could be soon if we don’t leave right now.
WHISPER FLUX Then let’s go, ya idjits! If my dad dies then so do the lot of you! Let’s get the fuck out of here!
CURIOUS HYSTERIA, AIDE TO QUEEN COMPLEX “Do you see that seam up there? Above where the bookshelf used to be?”
“No,” August said. “Where are you looking?”
“Here,” I said, moving to the right. “Stand where I was standing. See where the light hits the wall up there? There’s a seam. Barely noticeable.”
“How did you even see that?” August said. “Yes, I see it. You think that’s it?”
“Absolutely,” I said. I looked around the room, searching for something we could climb to investigate the seam. “Help me,” I said. “Help me right the bookshelf so we can use it to climb up there.” August grabbed the left side of the bookshelf and I grabbed the right. It was easier to lift than I would have suspected. The bookshelf was lighter without the books contained within. Once we got it upright we looked behind the shelf and saw all the clutter in between the shelf and the wall.
“Let’s move this shit out of the way,” August said, then flinched. “Pardon my language.”
“It’s fine,” I said. I had heard worse. “Just kick it out of the way. Don’t worry about breaking anything.” Finding the king and queen was more important than the state of their belongings. They would understand. August and I moved the debris and then returned to the bookshelf.
“You ready?” he said.
“Ready,” I said. We carefully moved the bookshelf back to its original position. The height of the bookshelf was perfectly aligned with the seam in the wall.