Banished Pt. 18

She bit her lip.

"I have no abilities," she said, and I shook my head.

"Intelligence is an ability in its own right, as far as I'm concerned. And who knows? Magic in this world is basically technology anyway; and your advice has been all the magic I could ever need."

She smiled a little, then accepted the token.

"Fine," she said, before moving off to stand beside her respective companion.

"And finally, Evie," I said, gesturing to the girl.

Molly squealed a little, hugging her tightly, and shooing her along as she timidly made her way over to me.

"The token of the cleric," I offered. "Not simply for your faith in God, but your growing ability as a healer. Our survival has depended on you perhaps more so than on any other single member of our group, and your importance is something that we will perhaps never see diminish in the trying times to come."

She accepted the token, blushing a little as she did, and bowing, before moving over to her respective companion.

"As you can see, there are some spots that still need to be filled; let that be motivation to everyone else to aspire to the heights of achievement set by your peers. But until then, let those who stand before you be known henceforth as the 'Divine Arbiters of Eltari'; the upholders of peace and paragons of virtue! And to you, my arbiters. May all tongued folk one day know of your wisdom and might!"

"Glory to the Gods! Victory to the Divine Arbiters of Eltari!" someone cried out, and cheers erupted across the hall, as many others echoed the toast.

"Literal chills," Molly said, as she hugged Evie, then threw her arms around me. "We're really gonna do this huh? Rescue Cameron? Build a freaking empire!"

I chuckled at her, as Lucia ran up to me and leapt into my arms.

"Nathan! Can Lucia be arbata?"

"You definitely can," I said, and the girl smiled, but Bianca moved in to tease her.

"Over my dead body. You realize we're competing for the same place, don't ya?"

Lucia folded her arms, then threw them around my neck.

"Nate likes Lucia more!" she countered, and I chuckled, as I gave her a little pat on the back.

"Maybe she can be your disciple," I offered, and Bianca smirked.

"Hear that, runt? You're gonna be my bitch!" she exclaimed, and I tutted at her.

"Language," I warned, and she put her hands on her hips.

"Lucia is no bitch! Bianca is bitch!" Lucia countered, and I chuckled at the two, setting Lucia down, as some of the new group members approached.

"How come Blair gets one of those tokens and none of us do? We've been slaving around for days," Wilt complained, and I frowned.

"I know; but she's going into combat tomorrow. The kind that she might not survive," I explained, and he shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," he said, grinning a little, before stealing to my side. "About these servant-companion things, though. What's a brother gotta do to get in on some of that?"

"Keep contributing to our development, and we'll see about it," I said, and he grinned a little, before moving off.

Francesca however, quickly stole to my side, nudging me as she did.

"You, uh... you said we were heading out tomorrow?" she asked, a bit nervously, and I nodded.

"I know we have more time, but something tells me that letting Ethan prepare for us is also a bad idea," I said, and she frowned.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready," she said. "I... embarrassed myself today."

I shook my head at her.

"You're overthinking things. Aletta made you fight those two because their weapon type has an advantage against you. You don't suddenly suck," I explained.

"Even so, I was thinking if I focused on like daggers or something for a day, then I could alternate with the weapons well enough to face off against whatever comes at us," she said, and I shook my head.

"That won't do. I need you focusing on the spear; it gives us the edge against most of the fighter types we'll ever encounter. If someone counters you, then one of the others will compensate. That's how we win. Play to our strengths, and cover each other's weaknesses," I reasoned.

She frowned.

"I just hate feeling like I suck," she continued, "I mean, I couldn't even beat Bianca anymore."

I shot Francesca a disapproving look.

"Which would you rather? Being useful to me, or beating Bianca?" I asked.

"Being useful..." she admitted begrudgingly, and I ruffled her hair playfully, before pulling her in for a hug.

"You don't suck; I promise. Aletta just needed you to see where you're weakest, so you'd know how to improve, okay? But I can't have my little lioness doubting herself. Not in this fight," I said, and she nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she said, and I gave her a quick squeeze, before letting her off.

"You have your hands full tonight, huh?" Evie said, as she stole to my side.

"Yeah? Just a sec- I need to get a message to Casey."

I flagged Casey, and as she moved to my side, I leaned in to speak to her.

"We should have that meeting tonight, huh? To finalize who's going and whatnot for tomorrow?"

"Already scheduled," she replied. "We also gathered some info that you might find useful," she said.

"Info? How?" I asked, and she looked away, a little timidly.

"I, uh... sent some runners out. To do some scouting," she explained, and I frowned.

"You what? That's crazy. If they encountered anything at all, their survival probability would be less than ten percent," I said, and she nodded.

"I asked for volunteers; made sure they knew the risks," she explained, and I shook my head again.

"That's crazy. They would all literally throw themselves in front of hell to save any of us. You know that," I countered, and she nodded.

"I know; I take full responsibility for it, I promise. I just couldn't let you go out there without some clue as to what we're up against," she reasoned, and I sighed.

"If any of them dies, you speak to their families yourself and take responsibility for who they've left behind. Understood?"

Casey stared at me, slightly shocked, eventually swallowing with some difficulty, and nodding as she did.

"Understood," she said, before heading out of the hall.

Evie shot me a worried look as she returned to my side.

"Wasn't that a little harsh?" she asked, and I frowned.

"I won't have any of us treat them as dispensable. No matter what," I said. "And if we make decisions that cost lives, we need to be held to account for it."

Evie nodded.

"That makes sense," she said. "I just didn't think you come down so hard on Casey."

"Why?" I asked, and Evie shrugged, smiling a little.

"Because you like her," she said, and I chuckled in response.

"I like you," I said, and she took a quick glance around, before nodding.

She took my hand, and pulling me with her, she guided me to the little meeting room just off of the main hall, and as she closed the door behind us, she wrapped her arms around me, and pulled me in for a kiss.

I returned the kiss, but as she pressed me, her lips parting and her tongue slipping into my mouth, probing and searching for my own, I backed up into the wall behind us, and she pressed her body to mine, kissing me.

"You're in a mood," I said, and she smiled.

"Something about the baby possibly growing inside of me makes me feel fluttery whenever I think about you now," she admitted, but as she leaned in for another kiss, the door beside us creaked open.

"Baby, huh?" Molly asked, poking her head inside.

She quickly scanned the room, before slipping inside.

"Baby?" she repeated, shooting a questioning look at Evie, and the girl began to blush furiously.

"I- uh, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing. We needed to accelerate his core regen... for healing. I-I swear!"

Molly put her hands on her hips as she eyed Evie a bit angrily, before suddenly breaking into a grin.

"Ugh," Evie groaned, running her hands through her hair, and I smirked a bit, as Molly's act hadn't really convinced me all that much.

"If you make it that easy for her, she'll give you hell," I chastised Evie, and she frowned.

"This is a big deal! I've been freaking out ever since it happened," she countered, and Molly smirked at her.

"Freaking out, huh? Is that what you two lovebirds slipped off to a dark empty room for?"

Evie's shoulders slumped a bit, but Molly quickly came over and took the girl's face into her hands.

"We're having a baby," she said, and as Evie nodded, a little tearfully, Molly kissed her, and the two women embraced. "Kid might be pretty good lookin' too, considering who its parents are," she added, shooting me a wink.

I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling nervously, but as Molly kissed Evie again, and Evie returned the kiss, I figured it was best to leave them to it.

"I'll be outside," I said, but as I moved for the door, Molly quickly cut me off.

"Make sure that I'm on that team, tomorrow," Molly said, and I shook my head.

"Are you sure? I only wanted to take the strongest fighters," I began, and she shook her head.

"I know I'm not that, but your gal-friend taught me some useful tricks. So, make sure my name is on the list. Besides," she added, turning to shoot Evie a playful look. "I can't allow the only guy Evie's ever fallen for to just go out there and die. I'm bringing you back. With or without Cameron," she said.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked, turning to Evie, and she quickly nodded.

"I would have come too, if I could," she said, and I shook my head.

"You're way too important to risk," I countered, and she frowned.

"Don't forget the meeting tonight," I reminded the two, and Molly blew a kiss at me as I waved the two off and headed out the door.

As I got outside, however, all of the faces in the crowd seemed to swirl around me, and I took a deep breath in as a wave of lightheadedness swept over me.

But as a hand reached out, steadying me, a smile crept onto my lips as I saw whose it was.

"Alina; I think I need to sit," I said, as my vision seemed to blur slightly, and the girl nodded.

She led me from the main hall, down the corridor, and up the stairs to Cameron's room.

As we got inside, she quickly led me to the bed, before returning to shut the door.

"I'm not sure what's wrong with me," I said, but as Alina returned to my side, she placed a hand against my cheek, and as I looked up at her, I caught a slightly nervous look on her face.

"My lady explained this matter to me," she began, and I studied her.

"You mean Cameron? What does that mean?" I asked, and she took a deep breath.

She seemed about to speak, when the door behind us burst open-

"I told you," Bianca said. "He's right here!"

Casey was following closely behind, and she furrowed her brow as soon as she saw me.

"Nate, what happened? Bianca said you looked dizzy, and you left the main hall," Casey said, and I nodded.

"Yeah; it's just a bit of lightheadedness. I'm fine," I said, and she stared at me incredulously.

"A bit of lightheadedness? Nate, you're going into fucking battle tomorrow. You can't do that if you're not well enough for a party!" she chided, and I sighed.

"I'm fine, seriously. It's no big deal," I explained, but I could see that even Bianca was a bit worried by what was going on.

"You're Alina, aren't you?" Casey asked, and the girl nodded. "Can you excuse us for a bit?"

Alina shot me a slightly panicked look, and I nodded as I raised a hand in her defense.

"Actually, I think we might need to hear what she has to say," I said, and Casey eyed me.

She turned to Alina, and the girl swallowed uncomfortably, before moving to place a hand against my chest.

"There is something in here. A core," she began, and Casey sighed.

"We know what a core is-" she cut in, but the girl quickly shook her head.

"It is not the same thing," she replied.

"Are you talking about his heart then?" Bianca asked, and the girl nodded.

"Yes. This is the word used by the gods for the organ and the center. Here is where the lack exists," Alina explained, and Casey studied her.

"I don't understand. He got lightheaded because of that?" Casey asked, and the girl nodded.

"It is like a core, but the depletion leads to a heaviness inside of the part, and to replenish it requires... more than a mere rest," she explained.

"But his core is fine. How can something like that lead to physical weakness?" Casey asked, furrowing her brow with some annoyance.

"Jesus. Have you never felt sad in your life? Ever?" Bianca asked, and Casey spun to look at her, a slightly shocked look on her face as she turned back to me.

"But- you can't..."

She stopped short, as she remembered that Bianca was in the room, but-

"Yes. He does not feel as we do," Alina said. "But the heaviness appears nonetheless. And Nathan is vulnerable to it, because he cannot sense when it begins to accrue."

"He doesn't, what?" Bianca asked, and Casey bit her lip uncertainly.

"I'm a psychopath," I explained casually, and Casey rolled her eyes a little as Bianca's jaw dropped.

"You're a psychopath? That's fuckin' awesome! Why didn't you tell me that before?" she asked, as she broke into a grin.

Bianca was studying me with a renewed look of admiration, and I shook my head disapprovingly despite the smile on my face.

"You know; if you wanna torture Casey, I could be into it," Bianca whispered, though not so subtly, and Casey let out a sigh.

"I'm like, right fucking here," she complained, and Bianca shrugged.

"We've gotta fill this emptiness in Nate's heart, right? Maybe his torture gauge is just empty?" she suggested.

"I do not have a torture gauge," I replied, as Alina moved to speak.

"Nathan requires the companionship of his lover; Lady Camryn," the girl reasoned, and Casey sighed.

"Yeah, well she isn't exactly here," Casey said, and Alina nodded.

"This is fact. But my lady provided me with a list of suitable goddesses and companions who might be of service to Herr Nathan in her absence," Alina explained.

"Oh~, a list? Please tell me Casey is on it," I pressed, and Alina nodded.

"Frei-Casey exists," she confirmed, and Casey began to massage her temples agitatedly, much to Alina's confusion.

"I fucking hate you sometimes," Casey mumbled, and Bianca frowned.

"What about me? Am I on there?"

"Yes, Lady Bianca. You exist," she answered, bowing a little, and Bianca smiled proudly, shooting Casey a smug look.

"Looks like I made the cut," she boasted, and Casey sighed.

"Congrats," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as I continued to smirk at her expense.

"I think I feel better already," I quipped, but Alina quickly shook her head at me.

"Your mood improves, but the lack persists," she said, moving to place a hand worriedly against my chest again. "You must tend to your lord," she explained, turning to Casey, who let out a sigh.

"You can actually see this thing?" Casey asked, and the girl nodded.

"This is my ability," she explained, and Casey frowned.

"I dunno... his core still seems fine to me," she said, but as she turned to Bianca, she let out another sigh. "I guess we better put the meeting off for tonight, then."

I bit my lip.

"Are you sure? I'm fairly certain that I can handle a meeting, and we need to leave at first light," I replied, and she shook her head.

"It'll be fine. I was planning on delaying your departure until mid-morning, or midday at least, anyway," she said, and I eyed her.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Even if you left a day early, Ethan's people might expect you at first light either way; later in the day, we might have a better shot at catching them off-guard," she reasoned.

"Sounds reasonable," I answered, and she nodded.

She took a quick look at Bianca, before nodding again, but as she made for the door, I sensed a bit of reluctance in her expression.

"I'll let everyone know about the meeting then," she said, gesturing to Alina, who followed along as she headed out of the room.

Alina shot me one more glance before leaving, and I sensed that there was something else that she wanted to say to me, but I figured she would want to have that talk privately anyway.

"You might need to keep that info quiet," I warned Bianca. "Some of the others might not receive it as well as you did."

"Yeah yeah, watevs," she said, as she waved a hand dismissively. "Let's get this armor off," she said, as she helped me to remove the pieces, and stowed them beside the bed.

Bianca was smirking at me, and as she climbed onto the bed beside me, I ruffled her hair a bit gruffly.

"You're misbehaving," I said, and she shrugged.

"Ohh~. Are you gonna snap? Bend me over and pound me until you're satisfied?" she teased, and I swatted her playfully, but as she giggled, she lay back onto the bed, and patted the bed beside her.

I scooted onto the bed, then eased down beside her, but as she moved over a bit, getting comfortable beside me, her expression changed a little.

"I don't get it. If you're a psychopath, how do you always know what I'm feeling? Psychopaths aren't supposed to be capable of empathy, right?" she asked, and I sighed a little.

"I'm really good at reading expressions; visual cues," I explained. "And I'm really good at replicating them too."

She bit her lip.

"So... you fake it, basically?"

I shook my head, chuckling a little.

"I don't think so. Faking seems to imply to me that I act one way while feeling another. I don't feel, either way. I do feel enjoyment though, and I enjoy taking care of people. Taking care of you."

"So... this make you fall in love thing. You were, like, literally asking me for a miracle?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I guess so," I said, and to my surprise, she smiled.

"Good. Then maybe we are made for each other," she said, leaning in to kiss me.

We kissed a few times, before she broke the kiss, still smiling.

"Okay, this expression is a new one. What are you feeling?" I asked, and Bianca grinned at me.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she teased, and I groaned. "Contentment," she answered finally, and I studied her.

"Contentment?"

She nodded.

"It feels much better knowing that I'm trying to make someone fall in love with me who might be just as incapable of it as I am," she said, and I chuckled at her.

"You're not a psychopath, Bianca. Just a damaged girl," I said, and she shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," she replied, climbing on top of me. "You know, part of me was kind of looking forward to us dying in each other's arms, like tragic lovers," she said, and I frowned at her.

"I hate it when you beeline for the easy way out," I said, and she smiled.

"Relax. 'A psychopath, and a girl who doesn't believe in love'. I think I like that story more," she said. "Too bad it'll have to wait until we get back from our rescue mission."

"We could get started now," I suggested, resting a hand on her hip, and she shook her head.

"Someone else needs you right now," she said, and I studied her, a confused look on my face.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked, and she bit her lip nervously.

"Casey really needs you," she said, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

She scooted off of me as I moved into a sitting position, and she fidgeted a little.

"This seems a bit... uncharacteristic," I said, and she shrugged.

"It's not. I mean, we all know what happens when Casey breaks down, and I've been keeping my eye on her; she's cracking. And we'll need her on top of her game to handle things while we're out."

I chuckled a little as I shook my head, shooting Bianca an admiring smile.

"I think it's happening," I said. "I'm falling in love."

She smiled proudly, and as I pulled her in, I ruffled her hair again.

"Guess I better go find Lucia," Bianca said, and I tilted my head at her.

"Lucia? What for?"

"She goes out looking for you every night unless someone stops her," Bianca said, and I shook my head.