211. The Rivalry between Two Ladies
A low hum, a digital purr of contemplation, emanated from Cubie. She crept to the side of the sleeping man, a mischievous idea taking root. To her vexation, he wasn't alone. A woman who bore little resemblance to Aurelia slept beside him, their backs resting against one another.
“Hmmmmmmmm… is this what you shut down for? So you can sleep with another woman?!” Cubie’s silent thought held a hint of a drawl.
Such peace. For a brief mont, Cubie was happy to see Zetius finally sleeping without a haunting nightmare, but her own pettiness was too tempting to resist.
Eventually, she nudged his cheek with her shimring, ethereal body.
He didn’t respond.
She bumped him again. Still nothing. The man was asleep like a newborn babe.
“Hmmmmmmmm…” she pondered a new strategy. Perhaps a hand would do the trick.
She began to picture the outlines of a chanical hand, a model from the sleek Armatus mobile suit. From that perfect image, she ticulously built its fra — wire and joints forming in an intricate latticework, followed by hydraulic cylinders and artificial muscle fibres.
The final touch was the tallic panels, covering the skeletal arm in a smooth, polished shell.
She flicked the fingers experintally; they worked exactly as she wanted. No doubt, she had done this countless tis.
Now, she could physically poke the man. A deep chuckle echoed in her mind, and a crooked smile ford on her face if she had lips. Slowly, she hovered a tallic finger over Zetius’s serene face.
“Don’t prank the man,” a quiet voice startled her.
“Wha!? She’s not asleep?!” Cubie flinched, dismissing her projected hands.
“Shush… I’m sorry, Cubellina. I believe we never got to talk properly,” Ziyue said, her eyes still shut. “Can I call you Cubie?”
Reluctantly, Cubie drifted closer with a nimble motion. “You know ?” she whispered.
“I do… I’ve seen you a few tis on the Zeigerlich.”
“I don’t quite rember…” Cubie swept her eyes to Zetius, who remained in a state of deep, undisturbed sleep.
“That’s alright.” Ziyue’s eyes fluttered open, the purple hue of her pupils sparkling like crystal. She put a finger to her lip, signalling for quiet. “He’d wake up soon. Don’t worry.”
“But…”
“He’s been through a lot, hasn’t he?” Ziyue started, a faint smile on her lips.
“Um, um.” Cubie rotated up and down, mimicking the motion of nodding.
“Then you would be a dear and let him rest fully?” Ziyue pleaded.
“Okay…” Cubie agreed, but a question lood in her mind. “But who are you again?”
“I’m just a friend. Co closer, I’ll keep you company.” Ziyue motioned with her hand.
And Cubie followed like a good girl, her scepticism lingering, yet her curiosity winning out. For what felt like an age, their exchange was filled with quiet pleasantries and newfound camaraderie until Zetius finally woke up.
It was late afternoon when Zetius, Ziyue, and Cubie erged from the main hallway. Feeling rejuvenated but with a slight drowsiness still clinging to him, Zetius stretched as he walked side-by-side with Ziyue.
Cubie hadn’t stopped talking about her new love for music, one of the few hobbies she had besides building Lego with her projected arcane.
“Fufu,” Ziyue chuckled. “As much as I enjoy Cyber Jazz, I love Darkwave. Have you heard of it?”
“No…” Cubie replied. “What is it?”
“Well, it is a subgenre, considered to be underground music back in the 1980s,” Ziyue explained, her voice laced with anticipation.
“So what’s it like?” Cubie asked.
“It can, at tis, be similar to cyber jazz, the lancholic characterisation, with minor key lodies, and introspective lyrics.”
“Wow! That sounds amazing! What about techno disco? I also enjoy that, too!” Cubie chirped loudly. For once, she felt like she had t soone who truly shared her love for the beat.
“Hmm. Let guess, 'Beating beats' by Céleste?” Ziyue winked, exuding her natural charm.
“Oh~wow! How did you know?” Cubie jumped jovially.
Zetius watched them, a soft, warm feeling swelling in his heart. So, that techno disco she had been blasting was this one-hit wonder from overseas.
“Unlike Zetius, he doesn’t like music. Sa as Aurelia.” Cubie turned, a pang of disappointnt dimming her light.
Joining her side, Ziyue eyed him questioningly, a sly grin on her lips. “What a waste of good ears.”
“Good ears?!” Zetius gasped. “That’s not true. I like classic jazz,” he said, reliving the ti he had in Jack’s life.
“But you barely turn it on,” Cubie argued.
“It’s best enjoyed live,” Zetius shrugged.
“Fair enough.” Ziyue nodded, touching her chin. A few crew mbers in jumpsuits erged from the opposite side of the hallway. They appeared to have finished their shift and were returning to their leisure ti. A few of the n glanced at her oddly before hurrying away.
“But you don’t look the part,” Zetius spoke up.
Caught off guard, she asked, “What?”
“I an, I never thought I’d learn this personal side of you. It really surprises .”
Pointing at his nose, she countered, “I’ll have you know that you only see half of the real … in this.” She gestured at her assassin’s cloak. “The fashion is terrible, but I’d rather be out of style than dead.”
“Really?” Zetius exclaid, raising his eyebrow in disbelief.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Oh… so how do you usually dress?” Cubie chid in, her body glowing brightly with girlish curiosity.
“Well, we’ll have to visit a mall, or a nice shopping district for that. Not on this battlefield, you know?”
Zetius’s eyes subconsciously drifted to the woman. Ziyue without her shadowbringer’s attire? He wondered how she would look.
“Zetius. Are you leering at ?” Ziyue teased.
“No?!” He choked, snapping his head sideways.
Abruptly, Ziyue stopped in the middle of the hallway, prompting Cubie and Zetius to turn.
“When the war is over… let’s go have fun together,” Ziyue couldn’t believe the words that had co out of her lips. The heat on her face was so foreign to her. “Anywhere that’s not the battlefield. Anywhere that’s not about a mission!”
Zetius exchanged a look with Cubie. “Sure!” He smiled widely, his eyes closed.
She found herself nodding, feeling a sense of relief. She found herself yearning for the experience she never had. The sense of normalcy a teenager should have, the childhood she missed, the connection with peers her own age. And for once, she’d like to experience that.
Soon, they reached the mid-section of the Yamamoto battlecruiser, where the port and an array of eting theatres were located. One of the doors slid open, and two tall, imposing figures strode out among other officials. The red curly hair was a giveaway. Astrid Ember Lorne, who had been absent for a while, had shown up.
“Father. May I?” she asked for permission, her tone deep.
“Sure, we’re done for the day anyway,” Lu replied crisply and turned to exchange a nod with Zetius. “Enjoy.”
The tall lady spun toward them, her face sour. “Tsh… Zetius, what are you doing with her?” The sudden hostility in her voice as she eyed Ziyue.
“With whom?” Zetius tilted his head to the side, a confused smile on his lips.
“Oh, Lunarius.” Ziyue began with a theatrical drawl in her voice. “Did I just sense sothing strange in the air? Or is it because of your tight, seductive dress?” She deliberately scanned Astrid’s costu in mock fashion, a sly smirk on her face.
It did feel out of place, seeing Astrid in a more feminine black dress without her bulky armour and steel plates. The fabric appeared to be a size too small, her powerful muscles stretching the material tight.
“Whatever. Co with , Zeta. We have missions to discuss,” Astrid said, forcing her tone to remain as steady as she could.
“Whoa~whoa! Not so fast,” Ziyue interrupted, stepping between them. “This is after-work hours. You can have your turn tomorrow. Haven’t you heard of a work-life balance?”
“What?!” Astrid’s face reddened, her jaw clenching with barely contained fury.
Nervously, Cubie drifted to Zetius’s side. “Umm… what’s going on?”
“I have no idea…” Zetius whispered back, equally lost.
Ziyue took him by the arm. “Co, Zetius. Are you hungry? Because I’m so hungry I could eat a Lunarius!”
“What?!” Zetius and Astrid blurted out almost at the sa ti.
Quickly, Astrid snatched his other wrist, yanking him back. “We need you now, Zeta. I’m serious.”
“Hey! I said wait your turn!” Ziyue growled, tugging him her way.
“Wait, you two!” Zetius’s voice was buried in the clash of their rivalry.
Questions whirred in his mind, almost making him feel dizzy. Did I miss a mo? Since when did these two have a deep-seated grudge? Had they even t each other before this?
Clap!
A single, sharp handclap snapped them into an awkward silence.
“Lunarius Willhelm?!” Astrid imdiately snapped to a salute, while Ziyue casually adjusted her clothes and whistled, as if nothing had happened.
“My apologies for intruding on the tug-of-war! As entertaining as it is…” Willhelm quipped, stepping closer. He gestured at the growing crowd of onlookers. “Ahem! It’s a little embarrassing, especially with so audience, you see.”
“Thanks for the save, Lunarius,” Zetius replied, brushing the back of his hair. Confusion still lingered on his face.
“Let it be known; you can continue this privately,” Willhelm winked at Zetius. The confidence in his tone spoke of experience, as though this had happened to him more than once.
“N~no. You’re mistaken, Lunarius Willhelm. I should be the one who apologised, Lunarius. Thank you for the reminder,” Astrid blurted, cupping her mouth and nose, mortified.
“Apology accepted,” Ziyue interjected, resting her hand on her hip. Her bait had worked; Astrid’s ears were now burning red.
“That isn’t for you—” She paused mid-sentence, forcing her tongue still. She had embarrassed herself enough for the day, perhaps for a lifeti.
“So Lunarius Willhelm… do you, um, need anything?” Zetius asked, uncertain of his sudden appearance.
The monolid eyes of the mage glimred as he nodded gracefully. Zetius still rembered the first ti he t the striking elven mage at House Tasmania. His charisma was still unparalleled, even after walking through hell.
Unlike Zetius, Lunarius Willhelm appeared completely void of the trauma from the powerful clash with Ignius.
A male was only as strong as his ntal fortitude. Without a doubt, Zetius admired him even more.
“I do, actually,” Willhelm said, flicking a stray hair from his eyes.
“See? Believe now?” Astrid scoffed, crossing her muscular arms.
Willhelm cleared his throat, flicking his golden ring to project a map of Tabit into the air. “There are multiple reports of missing people around the outskirts of Karrak.”
Is it happening again? Zetius’s smile faded, his eyes darkening with grim resolve. “Is this Master Ignius’s doing?”
“We don’t know for certain yet,” Astrid chid in, her voice flat.
Willhelm pointed at the map, projecting a red radius over the area with multiple marks. “So far, over five people have been reported missing in this area.”
“That is just the most recent count,” he added, panning out to show multiple red dots scattered across the country, mostly in rural areas. “There have been multiple instances all over the place.”
A heavy silence fell over them.
“That’s scary,” Cubie added with dread. Zetius swallowed hard, his face pale.
Willhelm locked eyes with Zetius. “It could be nothing, but we have to make sure that all leads are properly investigated since the Quagmire prison had gone cold. And that brings us to another issue; we are severely understaffed.” He shook his head grimly.
“That’s why I was called here,” Astrid added, her fist clenched tightly. “Despite the losses… But since when do enemies care if we have ti to mourn?”
“Count in, Lunarius.” Zetius stepped forward, his chest propped with resolve. “I want to be part of this investigation.”
“That’s the spirit I was hoping for,” Willhelm smiled, his eyes closed in contentnt.
Seeing Zetius volunteer, Ziyue placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can spare a day or two, so I’ll pair up with you.”
“Umm, no? He’s going with ,” Astrid snapped, gripping her wrist.
Ziyue’s eyes twitched. “Let go of my hand,” she warned, her gaze gleaming with maliciousness and challenge.
“Bring it on! You broke my shoulder plates, rember?” Astrid growled.
“Huh? Aren’t you the one who tried to sneak up on us first? You did a terrible job as an assassin, by the way. Zero out of ten!”
“Did you just rate a zero?! I can’t believe it!”
“Hey~hey~hey! Please. Ladies. How about this?” Willhelm interrupted, waving his hands. “I know you all are great friends, but like I said, we need to split up to cover more ground.”
“Agreed, Ziyue, Astrid. I’ll be fine,” Zetius spoke up, placing his hands on both girls’ shoulders. Seemingly, they cald down a notch.
“I’ll protect Zetius!” Cubie added a layer of reassurance.
“And I’ll be close by as well,” Willhelm said, looking at Zetius. “I’ve read your report.”
“Appreciate it, Lunarius.” Zetius nodded.
“Fine.” Both ladies snapped their hands away from Zetius at the sa ti.
“Now that the business talk is over,” Willhelm bowed dramatically. “How about you all join for dinner?”
They all exchanged a quick nod, then fell into step with him. As they walked through the hallway, Zetius whispered, “Are you sure, Sir Lunarius?”
A deep chuckle rumbled from Willhelm. “Trust , I’ll show you a thing or two when dealing with ladies.”
“It’s not what you think it is!” Zetius muttered, a blush creeping up his neck.
“I know so. Take it from an elf who has been living for over two centuries, okay?” Willhelm replied with a wicked smirk.
Exactly. Who wouldn’t believe a charming elf with a golden tongue? Zetius nodded before rejoining the girls. “Yes, I’d love to!” he answered aloud with a weak smile.
“And ladies, you would join us, right?” Willhelm partially turned, expressing a charming smile.
“Fine by ,” Ziyue muttered, looking absently at her nails.
“Yeah… Fine…” Astrid grumbled, but still agreed.
And they soon followed the Lunarius to the cafeteria on the second floor, where they proceeded to enjoy the succulent als the Yamamoto chiefs had to offer.
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