Tensions

When Darian stood up and banged her spoon against the side of her bowl, the chatter echoing around the mess hall trickled into silence.

Theo looked up from his empty bowl. It was the first morning after they'd left Kurno, and he had joined the others in the mess hall for breakfast. One of the larger rooms aboard the craft, it featured long metal tables bolted to the floor and wide portholes letting in the morning sunlight.

The sweet taste of the porridge still lingered on his tongue. Theo almost fell sorry it was gone; rich and creamy and flavored with honey, it had to be one of the best things he'd ever eaten. Even if he couldn't say much for Cay's attitude, his cooking was the real deal.

The cook himself skulked at the corner of the furthest table from the entrance, keeping a clear berth from the others. But right now, all of Theo's attention was all on Darian up front.

"All right, I figure it's time to discuss our plans," Darian said.

"Ooh! Where're we going?" Across from Theo, Fia wriggled in excitement. They'd spent much of breakfast staring agog at Zenith, who'd come with Theo; apparently the knight didn't often join the crew for meals.

"That's what I'm getting to," Darian said with a smile. "We're going to pay a visit to the sages. The nearest temple is Mount Neym, so – "

She didn't get to finish before Cay jumped to his feet. "You can't be serious, my liege."

His gray eyes narrowed, dark as storm clouds. Theo could've sworn the temperature dropped several degrees.

"Cayelci!" Guntar sputtered, but Darian just cocked an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem, Cay?"

Cay clenched his hands into fists, his throat convulsing. "May I ask for what reason, my liege?" His voice came out thin and sharp as a razor blade.

"I've already agreed to this with Theo." To Theo's surprise, Darian nodded at him. "He has a shard of the Star of Miriel. We believe the sages might be able to give us more information about it."

Just like that, all eyes in the mess hall turned toward Theo. He swallowed, trying not to blush under all the attention.

"A shard of the Star? Him?" Cay sneered.

"It's true." When Darian nodded at Theo, his heart jumped. Realizing what she wanted, he fumbled in his jacket pockets and pulled out the Star shard, holding it up for everyone to see. Well, at least now they weren't all staring at his face.

The crystal's Levia pulsed against Theo's palm, calming his racing nerves. But it didn't seem to have any effect on Cay, whose expression only became icier.

"Oh, really. And we're supposed to believe this is a Star shard?"

"You can feel its Levia, can't you?" Now Darian sounded a little exasperated.

Maybe it was time for Theo to speak up. "Um, it's – I don't really know anything about it, but I know I have a mission to complete it. I was told to go to the sages, so…."

When Cay glared at him, all the words dried up in his throat. He couldn't remember anybody, not even enemies like Mirage or Oliver, ever looking at him like that before. As if he was something disgusting that had crawled out from beneath a rock.

But rather than him, Cay spun toward Darian. "So you're going to drop everything to follow the whims of this human boy you've known for only a few months? I thought you had better judgment than that, my liege."

Next to Theo, Zenith hissed in a sharp breath and his armor creaked. But before he could say anything, Darian snapped, "That's enough, Cay. You know I value your opinion, but I won't allow you to speak like that about Theo. He's proven himself time and again, and I trust him implicitly."

With each word, her voice became firmer, her eyes harder. Even Cay's fury couldn't match her stern resolve. Scowling, he shrank back. "As you wish, my liege," he said stiffly.

"If it helps, you don't have to get off the craft," Amaro piped up, leaning back with his arms behind his head.

Cay's face flooded scarlet and his mouth twisted like he'd eaten something bitter. "Shut up."

"I'm just saying." Amaro leaned back further, his tone too casual. "It's a shame, since I bet everyone would love to see you and Eulyn again. But if you really – "

'Bang.' Before Theo could figure out what was going on, Cay jumped to his feet and slammed his fist to the table. The noise echoed through the mess hall like a gunshot. "You keep her name out of your filthy mouth."

"Sure, sure." Amaro rolled his eyes. "As his highness commands."

With an inarticulate snarl, Cay whipped around and marched out of the hall in a blur of white robes. Along with everyone else, Theo stared after him in stunned silence.

Just...just what had happened?

"Sorry 'bout that." Amaro leaned back again, all carefully feigned nonchalance. "Let's just say Cay's not looking forward to paying his old temple a visit. But don't let that stop you. Like I said, he can always stay on board. So shall I go set our course, prince?"

He tilted his head at Darian, who nodded. Stretching like a cat, Amaro got up from the table and strode to the door with his hands behind his head.

Bit by bit, conversations started bubbling around the hall again. Theo stared at the Star shard in his hand, feeling like he'd been spun through the strongest cycle of a washing machine.

"Geez! What is with that jerk?" Sam growled, shaking her fists.

"You okay, Theo?" Fia asked. "I don't think he meant it...well, maybe he did. But I think he's mostly just mad at Amaro? I don't really get it myself but I think they've got some kinda history. Not that it means he should take it out on you, of course!"

"It's okay," Theo said quickly. It wasn't like he'd expected everyone on the crew to like him, but the sheer depths of Cay's vehemence had caught him off guard. Fia was right, though, in that he had the sense Cay's anger hadn't really been aimed at him.

So where did it come from? Even if it wasn't any of his business, Theo couldn't help but wonder.

"So is that really the Star of Miriel? It's so pretty! And its Levia feels so nice!" When the salt smell of the sea drifted over to him, he realized Fia had leaned across the table and was staring at the crystal in his hand with huge eyes. Theo obligingly held it up to give them a better view.

"It's neat, isn't it?" Sam said, grinning. "Did you know it actually started out as two parts? But they fused together!"

"Wow!" Fia's eyes grew even wider, almost swallowing half their face.

"Just so ya know, if it weren't for me we'd never have gotten both pieces," Ryan chose that moment to declare, hands on his hips.

"There he goes again…," Ryllis grumbled, shaking her head.

"Fia!" Nevy's high voice blasted across the hall. She stood in the entrance, waving furiously. "Did you forget you're assisting me in the lab today?"

"Oh, right! Coming!" Fia chirped, jumping to their feet.

"By the way, do you mind if I examine you? I admit I'm just dying to see what a homunculus aside from Sir Zenith is like." Nevy directed this at Avia, who was sitting next to Ryan in her glamour; the wings of her true form proved impossible to fit in the craft's narrow corridors.

"Say what?" Ryan yelped. "Avia's not your lab rat!"

Theo leaned back, letting their voices wash over their ears. Seemed like everyone was settling in just fine to their new lives aboard the Blue Sky...well, with one glaring exception.