Chapter 60

The days passed much the same as before Kalys had left for his mission, the only exception being this newfound closeness. No lines were crossed, but she was certain they walked them at times, especially in the evenings when they were reading through the journal. They still sat close, even though there were no pictures anymore. In a particularly bold move, she had even rested her head on his arm while he read, just lightly. He hadn't told her not to or seemed uncomfortable by it. 

They gave their grandfather a nice send-off when he returned to Solaryse. He did seem to enjoy spending time with his grandchildren, and he had pulled both her and Kalys into a painting session. It had been a little relieving to see Kalys be imperfect at something. When she had seen what he had produced, she hadn't been able to stop the snicker at it. It was terrible to laugh at someone else's work, she knew that, but it had been way beyond unrecognisable. The glare he'd cast when he'd heard her though, had silenced her quickly enough before his gaze had softened as he looked at her. All levity had evaporated from her then, replaced with that tension, that anticipation, she was becoming so familiar with. 

Their grandfather had cleared that right up with his own amused chuckle at Kalys's art.

The day Nick was leaving on his mission had also arrived and her and Zen had planned to say thier goodbyes at the train station before he left so Sun had had to let Kalys know she couldn't train with him that morning, she needed to be at Perdition early. 

It was early enough that there were hardly any people there. The only activity was focused on the train station. They would be heading to Solaryse to meet up with the First and the royal entourage before taking an airship to Mesmijan. Both she and Zen were infinitely jealous that he got to fly on an airship. 

"Sun!"

She looked at the voice, finding Nick and Zen standing together. In a few quick strides, she joined them. 

"You nervous?" She asked him with a grin.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Nick shrugged. "It's supposed to be routine, the King makes this trip annually. Never been any mishaps in the past."

It felt strange to be kept abreast of what the King got up to. There was still a fair bit of resentment and bitterness in her towards the guy over the conditions so many of his subjects lived in. But Emily was on her way back to Solaryse and once she got there they'd start the next step of their project - actually acquiring the supplies and hiring those to deliver them. If the King wouldn't help the people, then they would.

"How long will you be gone?" Zen asked.

"A couple of months, minimum."

That was the longest they would have ever been away from each other, barring the time the Revenants had dragged her to the Academy all those years ago. She supposed it was something they needed to get used to, especially once she started being sent out, those placements could last months. 

"Don't come back all broken like Sun did," Zen said, elbowing her in the arm. 

"Yes, it was me who spent weeks in the Sixth recovering," she drawled. 

"None of my bones were broken."

"Just everything else," she retorted.

"Children, children, do I need to leave you with a babysitter?" Nick asked.

"No need," Zen said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "We'll have a grand old time while you're gone."

It would be good to reconnect with him, since they became Revenants it did feel as if there was a distance between them all. There were even some times they went days without seeing each other. Zen had managed to coordinate his day off with theirs so they usually tried to meet up at least on that one day. It was a shame that day was tomorrow, Nick would miss it. 

"Farron!"

They looked over to the loud man calling their friend. He was tall, broad, maybe a few years older than them. He looked familiar.

"Move your arse, kiss your girlfriends goodbye," he said, joining their little trio with a wide shit-eating grin.

"Guys, this is Rex Arj, one of our second tiers," Nick introduced. "Arj, this is-"

"Yeah, I know you two. You almost died on your evaluation, and you're Illusens little princess."

"Oh, I don't think Illusen's that fond of me," Zen said, drawing an amused snort from Sun and a quiet chuckle from Nick. 

"All right, I better get to it," Nick said, pulling them both into a hug.

"Better hurry up or I'm going to think those threesome rumours are true."

"Want to make it a foursome?" Zen shot him a wink and a kiss over Nick's shoulder. 

"I'll see you guys when I return," Nick said, pulling away. "Be good."

"Be safe," Sun told him. 

They watched him walk off with Arj.

"'Want to make it a foursome'?" Sun asked, shooting Zen the side eye.

"I wouldn't actually let him, he's a prick."

"Do you know him?" 

They turned to head to their own Divisions at a very slow pace. 

"You don't remember him?"

"He looks vaguely familiar..."

"He graduated from the Academy a few years ago, tried to break up one of our fights with Sephs group and absolutely stomped me in the nuts. I could be sterile because of him!"

The light dawned, she did remember that fight. The laughter tumbled out of her. Arj hadn't intentionally stomped Zen in the groin, it was an unfortunate accident. 

"I doubt you're sterile, we'll hear the pitter-patter of little Zen feet eventually I'm sure. As soon as you can find a woman willing to settle for you."

She laughed as she ducked out of his reach, taking off at a run while he gave chase. It didn't occur to either one of them to use their auric manipulation to make them faster. They just ran. She ducked around corners, even if she were fast enough to hide, her laughing would have given away her position anyway. 

"I'm catching up, Sunny!" He laughed, and truly, he did sound closer but she didn't dare risk looking back. 

She darted around the next corner, skidding to a halt as she found Kalys, Lieutenant Reeves, Commander Mercer, and Commander Sorola walking together in deep discussion. It immediately stopped when she rounded the corner, her own laugh dying. There wasn't any time to say anything before Zen rounded the corner and slammed right into her at breakneck speed. They both crashed into the ground at the Commander's feet. 

"Ow, fucking hells, Sunny, why'd you st-?"

Through their tangle of limbs, he saw why she'd stopped. 

"Ah, youth..." Commander Mercer smiled down at them. 

"Are either of you hurt?" Commander Sorola asked as they tried to untangle themselves. 

"Just my dignity," Sun muttered.

Kalys offered his hand down to help her up and she took it, pulling Zen up after her. Zen stared unrepentantly in the face of Kalys's ire fixed on him. 

"You're all right?" Kalys murmured, barely audible to anyone but her. 

"I'm fine," she replied, just as quietly. 

While she had let go of Zen's hand, Kalys hadn't let go of hers. 

"We'll, we'll just be going," Zen said, pulling Sun away. "Sorry to disturb."

They scurried away, back the way they'd come. 

"Why couldn't it be your Commander we made fools of ourselves in front of?" She pouted.

"Commander Dyne would have laughed at us, maybe kicked us while we were down. At least your Commander wasn't a jerk. Thought your brother was going to take my head though..."

"He's protective," Sun shrugged. 

"Hey, tomorrow meet me here, me and you are going to do something."

"What are we going to do?"

"It's a surprise."

"A good surprise or a bad one?" She eyed him suspiciously. 

"That really all depends on how you want to look at it."

"And my enthusiasm just plummeted..."

"Your enthusiasm can start digging for all I care, you're still going to meet me," he insisted.

"Yes, yes, what time?"

"After breakfast."

They reached the gate to his division's grounds, this early they were mostly empty. 

"How's that infatuation you're nursing on your second tier?"

"Infatuation's a bit strong. Niya is fucking amazing though, I think the only people who might be able to beat her are our lieutenant and Commander. I haven't seen her lose."

"Is that what attracts you? That she can kick your arse?"

"And she'll look gorgeous while doing it."

A thought suddenly occurred to her. "You're a boy!"

"Took our whole lives for you to figure that out?" 

"Har har. If you were going to kiss a girl, what would make you stop before you actually did it?"

"That is a strange question. Why are you asking?" His eyes narrowed on her in suspicion.

"Just answer it."

"I don't know, I suppose if she didn't look like she wanted it."

"What would that look like?"

"I don't know, you'd know it in the moment."

"Has it ever happened to you?" She asked.

"No. I had that one date remember? We kissed, it was fine, and that was that. Who do you want to kiss you?"

"No one."

She may have answered too fast and earned an even deeper look of suspicion for it. 

"Fine," he sighed. "Don't tell me. But if this guy hurts you, you know me and Nick will have to kill him, yeah?" 

Sun smiled, at the warmth in her heart his words sparked and the image of him and Nick trying to take out Kalys. How disgusted would they be with this situation? She ribbed him for fancying Tills, but her infatuation was much worse than superior and subordinate.

"Farron, if you can stand there and chat, you could be training!"

Sun flinched as Zen caught the thrown training blade with ease. It had happened quite suddenly, she'd been expecting him to just get hit in the face. Clearly, this place was at least good for honing one's reflexes. 

Second-tier Tills was standing there with her training blade levelled on him. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sunshine," Zen shot her a grin and a wave before he charged towards Tills. 

Sun watched a moment, smiling at the unfiltered joy on his face while he sparred. He was in his element. She turned around to head to her own division when she stopped short, almost walking right into someone.

"The little Illusen," Commander Dyne grinned down at her, Commander Allens beside him.

Sun stepped back and bowed. "Commander Dyne," she greeted. "Commander Allens."

"Stopped by to see your little friend?"

"We just said our goodbyes actually. I'll get out of your way."

She quickly moved to the side to go around him, repressing a shudder at his presence. There was just something about Dyne that gave her the skeevies. Even as she walked away she could feel his almost reptilian gaze following her. 

She made her way to her own division at a sedate pace, lost in thought. She was curious about what Zen wanted them to get up to tomorrow. Mischief maybe? It had been a while since they'd gotten up to some good old-fashioned mischief. Though there was a reason for that. And those reasons hadn't changed. If anything, they had more reason to be on their best behaviour now. 

When she reached the gates of her Division she ran into Merete, one of her colleagues. She had started with the Eighth about two years ago, transferring over from the Eleventh. Sun did remember seeing her around in the Academy before she graduated, but it was a few years ago now.

"Good morning, Sun," she greeted. "You're here early."

"Seeing someone off at the train station," she explained. "What brought you out this early?"

"I forgot to file some reports yesterday and I'm shipping out today."

Sun nodded. "Where are you going?"

"North, Dyreffjor."

"Oh."

She was one of the ones taking over for those that died up there. "I heard the situation up there is a lot calmer now."

She saw Lieutenant Reeves with her brother this morning, so it must been peaceful enough for him to leave. 

"Thanks in large part to your brother," she noted.

Sun nodded her agreement. 

"I don't suppose he'll be making a trip up there to check on his work?" Merete asked with a grin.

Sun offered a weak laugh. It wasn't the first time the women in her division asked questions or made comments like that. Some less jokingly than others. What the appropriate response was she had no idea. If it were Zen and she thought the girl was someone he might be interested in, she would pass their interest along. She couldn't fathom doing that for her brother, for several reasons. Considering Nicks preferences she wouldn't do it for him either. 

Inside she didn't go straight to her desk, she wasn't eager to get started on all the paperwork and she still had time before she was really supposed to be here. Instead, she went out to the memorial garden, it was a quiet and tranquil place. She took a seat on the bench, sitting cross-legged while she stared up at the sky and enjoyed the scents of the flowers. She wondered who maintained them. 

The door opened and she glanced up to see who it was. She stumbled to her feet when she realised it was Commander Mercer. 

"No need to get up, Sun," he smiled. "Sit."

She did but kept her feet on the ground this time as he took a seat beside her. 

"Are you sure you weren't hurt in that fall earlier?" He asked, half amused, half genuinely concerned. "Your friend practically ploughed into you."

She winced at the memory, she had really hoped he would just forget about it. But she could feel a bruise forming on her back where she'd taken most of the impact. 

"I'm fine."

They lapsed into silence for a while, the discomfort didn't bother her over much but if she could have left without looking rude she would have. 

"I was hoping to speak to you today," he said, drawing her curious gaze. "I want to send you out on patrol the day after tomorrow when you're back."

She perked up, fighting down a smile and failing. "Really!?" 

"It's only around Kolver and some of the outlying areas," he told her. 

Sun nodded eagerly, her excitement only diminishing a smidge. This was still the first step towards something bigger. 

"You won't be going alone of course, Karsten will take you, show you where to go and what to do..."

Another nod from Sun. She had met Karsten before, he was one of their Second Tiers, one of the few still here. Most of the others were deployed. He was an older, quiet man, looked up to by the others from what she could tell. He was one of those Revenants who lived in town with his family. He came in, got on with his work, didn't socialise much at lunch or breaks, and then returned home. 

"Is there anything I should know beforehand?"

"You'll need your weapons, we never go out unarmed. Granted, there isn't much conflict around here it is always best to be prepared."

She understood that. It would be the first time she would take her new weapons outside of the manor too. While she wasn't hoping to run into any trouble, she wouldn't mind having the opportunity to use them. A little skirmish, arrest a bandit or two... 

"What kind of problems do usually crop up in this area?" She asked. 

"The occasional drunk, thieves, smugglers. We did have a rather large banditry operation settle here, we shut that down quickly."

"Why would they set up so close to Perdition?" 

That was mind-bogglingly stupid. 

"I never understood it myself," he replied. "Or how they got so big with such moronic leadership."

"Like attracts like?" She offered.

An amused smile crossed his face briefly. 

"I should probably get to my desk. Thank you, Sir."

Even if all they did was walk around, she was still excited for it. 

"No need for thanks, Sun. Just keep working hard."

Sun nodded, getting up and leaving. It was still much earlier than she usually started but she wanted to give the Commander the garden in case he had gone there for solitude. 

It was a nice place for it.