Chapter 4

 Aeda privately admits that if it were not for their Angarde escort, Kit and her would be nowhere closer to the airship. The Angarde is everywhere rounding off their victims, pillaging enriching valuables, or simply acting as sentries on key paths and bridges. 

 The woman is able to bypass every checkpoint or suspicious patrol by saying that they're here on Angarde business. One of them was generous to even offer a freezing Aeda an elegant jacket, for which she feigns gratitude after returning the rough cloak to Kit.

 "I suppose I should thank you for not hauling me off to wherever you store people you don't like?" Aeda quips nimbly changing out of her shirt while covering herself with her new coat. 

 The elf does not look amused.

 "We are grateful for the help." Kit says diplomatically. "Once we're in Gierrox, my friend will be in better spirits, I assure you."

 "Yes, well my sour mood didn't appear by chance, I assure you." Aeda. "It's the company I keep."

 "Are all humans unbearable such as you?" The elf asks in annoyance. 

 Aeda shrugs. "Some more than me, I assure you. To me, everyone is unbearable. Besides, you work with humans in that social club do you?"

 "Doesn't mean I engage in a conversation with them."

 "Why?" Kit asks. "They can be quite amusing once you manage to get underneath those hairy exteriors."

 Aeda's cheeks flush. "Uh, pardon?"

 The elf brushes Kit's humor aside. "Just because we have the same goals doesn't mean we're immediately dear comrades." 

 "Very practical of you." Kit muses. 

 "When I want to be, fortunately for you two." 

 "Be serious, what do you mean 'hairy exterior'? You're just referring to my hair, right?" Aeda presses.

 "Shh! Hush!" The elf hisses. 

 It's the distant voices not far from where they are that silences Aeda though. However, the rancid smell nearly causes her to groan in disgust. 

 "That's fish." Kit concludes the stench. "We're close to the docks. Hopefully there's still a boat we can borrow?"

 "And if there's not?" Aeda asks. 

 "Well, you can demonstrate your superior skills underwater then." Kit remarks. 

 "Yeah, maybe my tits will freeze off me this time." 

 "Well put that on hold for now." The woman says. "We have a more immediate problem right now."

 Peeping from behind a colored wall lays the docks that look towards a huge body of water. Aeda's nostrils twitches from the strong odor originating from the nets and baskets containing schools of colorful fish that have long since suffocated from their exposure to dry land. 

 And the dock's stewards are some rugged looking individuals with stained clothing that are dangerously armed with splintered rifles. Aeda can see through their intimidating appearances with the anxious glares and twitchy movements every time they hear the tiniest of sounds. 

 "Seems they're on the run." Aeda assumes.

 The other two are skeptical of that line of thinking. 

 "Unlikely." Kit says. "It's more likely that they're on guard."

 "For what?" Aeda asks. "The only thing I can see them protecting are those scaly monsters."

 "Ahh Void…" Kit curses. "Shame they're not guarding a boat."

 Aeda quickly realizes that he's right, there are no boats docked on the deck. 

 "Seems I'll be freezing my tits off after all." Aeda unpleasantly whispers. 

 "Could she be any less vulgar?" The elf snaps. "And how will frost eat away at you with that carpet wrapped around you?

 "Actually, she can." Kit answers. "Though it's a rare occurrence sadly."

 "That was rhetorical!"

 "Did you hear that?" An unsettled voice calls out. "Hello! Anyone there?"

 "Quiet, you fool!" Another seethes. "Do you want to give ourselves away to the Angarde?"

 An uneasy silence cuts through the air as one of the disheveled men slowly steps down the road, his rifle trembling.

 "Are you daft? Get back here!"

 "Shut it! The boat will be here soon, so calm yourself!"

 "Argh! Bleeding Void!" The second sentry breathes. "Angarde are everywhere and each passing minute we waste here is more a chance for those bastards to swarm us."

 "Will you just shut it?" His partner snarls. "We survived them before, we'll do it again." 

 With his weapon raised closed to his cheek, he pivots forward passed the wall and aims ahead with heavy breaths filling the air. Sniffling reaches his ears and notices Aeda down on the floor, her back against the wall and her legs close to her chest. 

 When her big tear glistening eyes making contact with his over-alert ones, a short pause follows with the soft gust of brisk wind blowing through the streets. 

 Finally, the man is the one to speak first.

 "This is the wrong place to weep, love." He tells her. 

 Aeda sniffles. "I know." She whimpers. "But… I know not what else to do."

 "You from 'roun here?" The man questions. "You don' look like some posh girl from where I'm standin'."

Aeda shakes her head quickly taking note dark blue shirt and beige trousers. "Bleeding Angarde is to thank." She spins a story. "They robbed my best clothes and threw me into a river. I only acquire this coat from my... oh goddess..."

 The man frowns and then glances left and right for any danger. "Best not talk about it here, girl. Come quickly. The docks are just around this corner and a boat will be here to lead us to safety."

 Aeda nods. "Bless you, sir."

 Despite her kind words of gratitude, Aeda grows uneasy as she's going to be under the protection of two less than desirable looking individuals. Her mind races with fears of them holding her captive, or even violating and killing her, planting doubts in her part of the plan. But she knows that it's preferable if she's caught compared to either Kit or that Angarde elf. 

 As she follows the man to the docks, she sees his comrade relax glancing at her, but she can see his expression scornfully telling her that she should not be here. Her instincts tell her that she should not trust these men, but for good or ill, disregards those unsettling feelings remembering her part of the plan. 

 "Fret not." Her new escort calls out. "Just some poor soul that's fortunate enough to escape the horde."

 "So, I see." The sentry says lowly as he rests his rear on the deck with his rifle laying on his lap. "Long as she doesn't cause trouble."

 "Hah! Doubt she even can even if she tried." 

 Encouraging her to sit with them, Aeda claims her spot close to the edge of the deck with one leg dangling over the ocean. She dares not break away from the two men that she's now under their protection, or their captivity. 

 Aeda desperately hopes that the former is true. 

 She decides to take the initiative and speak. "I trust I'm not being held prisoner or held for ransom?"

 Her escort snickers while his partner grunts and looks away.

 "You must forgive first impressions. But I assure you that we would never stoop so low. Our Lieutenant would have our hides if we ever did, Goddess embrace his soul."

 "Lieutenant?" Aeda repeats. "Wait…are you two with the army?"

 "Aye… what's left of it from the looks of it." The sullen man mutters. 

 Aeda can't help but let out a laugh a relief. "Even if it's just the two of you, the Army is a welcoming sight."

 Her words seem to have brightened both of their spirits.

 "Very kind o' you, love."

 Aeda nods and hangs her head. She feels uncomfortable of the next question she has, but she does not want to lose the initiative. 

 Biting her lip, she decides to risk the gamble. "Forgive me, but the Capital was to be nigh-impregnable what happened?"

 Aeda expected the mood to be sullen, but the dreadful silence from these two men makes the wait all the more dreadful. 

 Finally, the salty man of the two speaks up.

 "What happened, is that everything that could go wrong, bleeding went wrong!" He bitterly mutters. "Word of advice? You ever by some luck become an officer; don't drown your army in the damn cities. They'll get swallowed up and spit out, like bad ale."

 The more thoughtful soldier chimes in. "Soon as the gates threw themselves open, tits were swinging in all directions. Mates turnin' coat, meek folk now out to skin ya, nothin' we coulda done but flee."

 "Goddess…" Aeda gasps. 

 "Oh, aye. And thas'how we found ourselves 'ere, two lovers waiting for our romantic escape to brighter shores."

 Aeda suppresses her stifled laugh figuring the sour soldier is her favorite out of the two. Shame that he's old enough for the grey in his hair to be showing. 

 "Wha' abou' you, love?" The first soldier intercepts the conversation. "Wha' brings you 'round here? No offense, but a girl at your age and your status shouldn't be wanderin' around Emerald."

 His question catches Aeda off guard. She knows where this man is getting at: this is an interrogation. 

 A chill runs down Aeda's spine and her skin becomes prickly, fearing that these two men, soldiers of the Royal Army, could arrest her at best, or kill her at worst for treason. The gears in her mind rapidly accelerate as she does her best to come up with a story, and through the crammed milliseconds, the fabricated result pours out of her mouth. 

 "Like I said, some Angarde pricks threw me into the water an-"

 "The truth." The man repeats, then ominously adds. "If you lie to us again, I have no choice but mark you as a spy an' a traitor to 'Is Majesty, King Jeon, an' possibly sentence you to death on the spot."

 Aeda jerks back and the second man rising to his feet and menacingly towards her with his rifle held close. 

 But Aeda, refusing to be intimidated, furrows her brows and finds her composure. "Are you two daft? After what I'm seeing the in the bleeding streets, I prefer keeping my distance from those animals."

 Her response is being encircled and rifles aimed at her face. 

 "Last chance." The second soldier growls. "Or you may 'as well pray for the Goddess to embrace you."

 Aeda purses her lips, more irritated than frightened. "Bleeding Void! I'm Bleeding Aeda Lutinisa!" She reaches underneath her shirt and yanks out a clay model of a decaying white Griffin. "Bear witness to bloodline's seal! My father dare not desert! He's still loyal! Him and my Aunt! They're both loyal to His Majesty!"

 Aeda didn't know what gave the larger effect, her crest, or her cries about her father and aunt, but either way, the two men's hardened faces softened and their rifles slowly lowered. 

 "Goddess's plump arse… a bleedin' Lutinisa 'ere in the Capital?"