Incline 19: Nin

"Einervaene, a word?" I said as I approached my saviour who was currently fixing the ship. But, she was also doing it in such a way that it made it clear why she was doing it. She was trying and failing to keep her mind off of something. And it seemed that me coming along basically set her off.

"What!?" she snapped up at me with a mixture of anger and sadness. Was this perhaps related to the washroom door slamming earlier?

"I would like to talk to you about La-"

"Oh, so you want to talk about nothing then? Quit wasting my time." she said with a snort before she dragged her finger across the metal. Filling up the hole a wyvern attack had left but also distorting it unnecessarily.

"You're wasting your own time by acting this way, Einervaene. Now, please, will you hear me out?"

"Why should I hear you out then, hm? Why!? You never heard me out when I had done something to you! SO WHY SHOULD I HEAR YOU OUT!" she ranted out to me before she then shot up to her feet to shout. Lightning crackling off of her in an oddly calm manner before she settled down. Well, settled down was not the right description. The fire was just not bursting out into an inferno for now...

At first, I was a little confused by what she said, but then I remembered what I did to her. Back at the Academy not long after she met Lari for the first time. My brow steadily lowered itself while my body straightened out. Even if I could not word it right, I know for a fact these two situations are not comparable.

"If you just went through all that effort," I began to say, pointing at the arm I bandaged up, "to save me, then why would you not listen to me? It is clear I mean something to you. And you mean something to me. So, again, please, listen." I said to her while trying to keep myself calm.

"Alright then! Why should I just let you prattle on about that coward to me then!? I saved you! I SAVED YOUR LIFE! SHE WAS WILLING TO ABANDON YOU TO DIE!"

"I know you saved me, and I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am, Einervaene." I said to her as I put my claw on her shoulder. My eyes moving about as I felt the lightning surge into me. But, I ignored the pain and kept my hand there with a steady grip on her shoulder. Watching as she brought her head down until her face was hidden. And then, I felt her body jump lightly before water fell.

"T-Then why are you so kind to her even when she was willing to let you die...?" she asked me once her red face came back into view. This time, tears were flowing again and they were taking little zaps with them.

"Because, at one point, she saved my life too. It may have not been with bravery and might like what you did so recently. But, she did save my life. The least I can do is stay calm and hear her out."

"I saved your life too, though... I stopped that man from shooting you..."

"I know you did, Einervaene. But I was alone for a long time at the Academy before Lari came along. I will not abandon you, Einervaene, so please, hear me out." I said to her, blatantly lying at the end given my future plans.

"Fine... What do you want to talk about?" she said with a relenting sigh as she looked away with a sneer. Some tears still present as she did it.

"I am of the impression you and Lari had something planned for me? A dance? And that you were going to make some special outfits for the occasion?" I said to her, adding on detail after detail. And I was happy to see her face light up. And I was also saddened by how quickly it dimmed out again.

"We did and we were..." she tried to correct me with a set of bitter words.

"I would very much like to see it then. I would like to see you two dance for me." I said to her with a smile and slight nudge. Gently rocking her body to the side with that little gesture.

"Okay..." she muttered before she then slowly came closer and stood there. My smile grew to be much wider before I then gave her a hug. Holding her head with one claw while the other rubbed her back and patted it.

"Do you want to wait a bit before you start getting this dance sorted out then?" I asked her just in case. I was already doing a lot of this on the fly after failing to plan for it. Now I felt like easing her into it would be better. Forcing the pair might cause more issues...

"I don't know." she mumbled with a clear sense of no-direction before she went back to her repairing. A smile still on my face before I pointed at her prior job.

"Need some help?" I asked her just before she went to sort out another hole. Waiting for an answer and kneeling down when I got a slow nod. And then, I took her hand into my claw and let her put a finger out. Performing a few motions in the air before we moved on.

"How is this helping?" she asked me as her head turned away towards me. Something I fixed by turning it back with my free claw.

"Keep your magic focused and move steadily. Don't dig your fingers in, just let it slide." I explained to her as I brought her finger closer. Letting her magic build up before I then felt her jump. It seemed like the sparks had given her a fright of some description. But it was alright, I was here to comfort her through the process.

And clearly, she liked it, "How'd I do?" I was then asked by her as I let go of her hand. Her head having turned to me again while I focused on the signs of her weld. It was a little dark at points, but, it was cleaner. So, as such, it was vastly better.

"Much, much better. Now try not to let the temperature spike if possible, burned metal is weaker than that which is not. Don't worry either, there are plenty of holes to patch up. Plenty of time to try." I explained to her while giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"How long did it take you to get used to this, back at your home?" I was then asked by her. I wanted to be smug and say not long at all. Instead, though, I blew my mouth up and chuckled.

"I never welded back home, I just listened to others." I answered, taking much joy in how her eyes widened. And I took even more joy from how she smiled and rubbed her fingers together.

"So we can both learn together?" she asked me while her eyes went between her fingers and me.

"Indeed we can, so how about we get to it?" I offered to which she nodded with an embarrassed smile. And that is what we did, we kept going at it. I myself guided her on some while she did other holes on her own. We got a lot done, however, there were also a lot more.

But, they could wait as it was not getting dark, something she too was aware of. So we moved indoors and headed on down to the cafeteria. Settling down near where the food would be served by a chef if this airship was properly crewed. Watching the two slavers cook all the while.

Vadei must have sent them down here, which I guess made sense. Since the attack she seems to have grown a lot more knowledgeable of this machine. She even came out while we were practising Einervaene's welding skills. Mostly to show off but it was what it was.

"Can you guess what it is they are cooking?" Einervaene asked me as she leaned on my slumped down shoulder. Staring intently at the much more relaxed slavers as they actually seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then again, I can't say I am surprised. They have been working under the threat of death for the most part.

"Human." I then joked, ultimately to myself as only I would get it. But, apparently, Heiya heard it and she grinned as she turned over some kind of meat.

Einervaene went pale, however, "H-How would you know that, you're joking, right...?" she asked me. To which I turned to her with slobbering jaws and an active tongue.

"No... I haven't had human for so long... It tastes so sweet and juicy, you know." I told her as my head went closer to her arm. Pulling back shortly after and breaking into hearty laughter while she got confused. At least, until she figured it out and got annoyed.

A slap coming from her as punishment, "Don't scare me like that!" she told me off with. But the laughs kept coming from me as I was enjoying it far too much.

"But, no, I don't know what they are cooking. I have no idea what anyone is really cooking nowadays." I then said to her with a shrug and slightly trembles of laughter. Calming down shortly after.

"If we got Vadei to lend us some information, I might be able to cook something from my home." Einervaene told me as she stared at the empty serving trays.

"She has that kind of information?"

"I assume so, the way we found you was through a library of some kind that detailed potential threats to the airship."

"So you are hoping it also has information on potential food sources?"

"It's a good thing she mentions that, actually." a voice then said from a speaker or something. That voice clearly being Vadei's.

"Go on, explain then." I asked as I spun around to face the roof. Not really having an idea of where the speaker itself was. Assuming there was one and it wasn't some hidden magical contraption.

"I was having a look about and there are several listed supply depots we could go to. Towns and cities with the capacity to handle airships coming into them."

"Ah, alright, you want to grab something to make sure we have enough for the journey?"

"Bit of that and just general sightseeing."

"We're on an airship, Vadei..." I droned out with a roll of my eyes.

"I know! Doesn't mean I don't want to just wander a market or something..." she mumbled into whatever she was using for a mic.

"Anything else?"

"That and it might help us find a route around the no-fly zones."

"No-fly zones?" I asked as I got up.

"Doesn't say why, just that the Royal Jhermonikra Air-Navy won't let anyone into these areas. But, it is apparently getting smaller day-by-day."

"Oh, in which case, see if you can get us a route that goes by it." I then said with a shrug.

"Why...?"

"Want to see some military airships I guess. Nice little sight before we go somewhere rather barren, you know?"

"I command this airship, I say where we go." I was then told before the room went silent. And then, I went back around to look at Einervaene.

"Any place you likely to want to go before we leave this continent? We probably have more than enough time for it." I said to her as I thought on Vadei's words. Maybe it would be nice to just go visit a town? No masks-off, though... Wasn't being chased out again, no I was not.

"A trip to a market is fine with me."

"YES! TWO TO ONE!" Vadei then cheered through the speaker system. Something that led to both me and Einervaene breathing out a smile.