Chapter 169

  “As for you,” Dreadus looked at the shotgun aiming at his face, “You will sleep anywhere as well, is that right?”

  Shotgun nodded instead, still pointing at his face while the granade went up and down, caught, before repeating its motion.

  “Great. Can you drop the grenade?”

  “Weird rock. What is it?”

  “Yeah. Grenade. Big boom. That sort of thing happens all the time,” he nodded, assured that she didn't know how to use it. Celeste frowned and looked at the rock before throwing it behind her without looking. Feeling the cold weapon, others were lying around but without any ammo whatsoever.

  She started to play while Dreadus made a simple cleanup; dumping clutter to one side and making the bed at least presentable was done with a few motions and kicks.

  At least the bed was high quality, though not as if Dreadus even remembered who forced it on him or gifted it to him because of some business or offering. People do it all the bloody times that he forgot how to deal with it.

  Not like Celeste cared about some clutter, but as he implied it to be weird, she let him do whatever he wanted. Soon, Dreadus sat on the ground and let Celeste have the bed. It felt softer than wet mud, which was weird.

  It was also warm, and while not really soft, it was more promising than anything she used for sleeping.

  It was a nearly sleepless night for many people, so Dreadus let her have his bed and went to one corner that shall be his bed. he sat there, leaning on the wall with his back, while he observed the girl and observed that Hound.

  Celeste cuddled with Hound and used him like a pillow. She fell asleep like never before, immediately and feeling no harm would come her way.

  However, that day, her dreams and nightmares weren't as simple as black and white, as her life changed forever.

  ***

  The next day, their situation reached no unexpected delays. Celeste woke up by nudging Hound right beside her face. Then licks. Annoying, but not the worse wake-up call.

  The shock was Dreadus right above them.

  “Morning.”

  As in previous days, Dreadus planned to ignore all summons and messengers and toss most issues out of his reason or position. It wasn't very clever, but that was who he was.

  Celeste was numb after waking up, unsure if the dreams were right, and glanced up and down. At Hound, she blinked twice before grabbing that jaw and hugging the head tight. It was a strange awakening. At least she still had her clothes and they felt as great and soft as yesterday. She didn't have to clean them, right?

  Hugging Hound, they left the barracks and found Reaz already waiting for them outside of the military perimeter.

  “You are this eager? I thought you would wait with Maul.” Dreadus teased her, but she didn't find this meeting appropriate or great. After all, her night was sleepless like many before.

  “Unlike you, I have standards.” Not only did she change her uniform, wash up, and clean every inch of her body, but her hair was finer and new uniform neater than in... years. Dreadus figured out she wanted to impress Celeste again, yet did it work?

  Not much; Celeste still regarded her clothes as the greatest invention of mankind.

  “Whatever. Let's go.” Dreadus shook his head and walked away.

  “Not so quick! Have you not read the reports?”

  “What reports? You serious?”

  “Than... are you fucking blind?” Reaz pointed to the sky, giving a note to further sections of the ocean, where dozens of Rifts gleamed in the exploding sky. More lights rose and dimmed, while many Walkers fought over there, above bridges and waters. Dreadus was familiar with them as much as anyone in his position.

  Most severe Rifts were almost a dozen kilometers away, but some were closer, both new or old, and things weren't looking good. Dreadus didn't have to be a genius to guess where this was coming from.

  Many perimeters had been breached, though the shore would never fall. Not when Assembly and Academy had all the reasons in the world to keep any troubles at bay and finish what they had started.

  “What a nice view, eh?” Dreadus pretended to yawn and was completely disinterested in this sight. Once in a while, shit happened. But this time, this was his fault. His cause. Yesterday, he had dived into a bunch of high-class Rifts himself, so who was he to care about these skirmishes?

  “That is the outcome of our mission. Someone is veeeery angry because of us, or this is a mere idea to show off or give us an idea that more is to come.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Again...”

  “Who cares, right? You silly bastard. At least give your higher-ups some face! Or me?! Have you thought this was simple? That Sea... This mission. There is a point in presenting reports and saying what could happen because of it.”

  “Oh, I see. What did they want this time around? Some fools bothered me yesterday but not today. If they don't think, I don't either.” Dreadus stopped her speech and reminded her who he was. There were plenty of useful positions who could think about it. He just didn't.

  Reaz massaged her temples. “I solved that, actually. Last night... deep into the night, I did.”

  “How sad for you, and how great for you,” Dreadus said coldly after not sleeping a minute himself. Not because he wanted to, of course, but checking on Celeste was his task, and he couldn't simply sleep it off.

  Celeste watched the sky and finally noticed what was happening. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight for her. In fact, this sight and morning Rifts weren't that bad or crazy. At the back of her mind, they even made her feel normal and fine.

  It was a bright and great battling morning, letting everyone know these explosions and colors spread far. It was quite eye-catching, though not more than in the night. Celeste liked what she was seeing regardless of that.

  Contemplating the vast sky, big views, and amount of issues further away, she wondered how terrific they were or how the sky could change after all this traveling.

  But who and what fought out there, or why, that she didn't know.

  Dreadus wasn't caring either, obvious by his step right beside her. He reassured her nothing had changed, and how many people fought for simple reasons and there was no stopping them.

  “What exactly is it that you want?” Dreadus asked Reaz, just in case some higher-up cared about him last night. It seemed Reaz was busy for his sake.

  “First, they wanted a ceremony for us and you. Means that Sea is a much bigger deal than expected, and it was an official and unexpected discovery that not everyone takes lightly. Emblem Association is caring about it a lot, while it is true that not everyone is surprised and pissed off at us for good reasons. Some don't care. Guess who does?”

  “First Head?”

  “Probably. Well, no idea about that one, but I know Assembly cares much more than you. The expedition and our bodyguards have already returned, and Fain did as well, while Assembly is half of everything in this land. They wanted you for something and didn't want me at all. Just care for it a little, Captain. Maybe you will find it surprisingly needed.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “Well shit, asshole! Read the reports next time, and don't fear some talking. They wanted you in the grand assembly. I went instead and not because they required it. Someone under Fain did. So I docked in, met some assholes, and...”

  “And?”

  “They wanted to look at her too.” She pointed at absentminded Celeste, who looked at the further sky. “Sure as hell I hadn't talked about nearly anything with them, but I did mention her. I had to do it against all those Pillars.”

  “Was Fain present?”

  “Probably. Most likely not. We were a bit too up in our asses and Assembly is too brazen. I think her existence is exposed, and some weird ideas linger in the air. They want you for something or just to touch upon it as you are the Captain while I am not.”

  “Not my problem. They won't get her.”

  “Figured. They still wanted your opinion and passes on some topics. They didn't tell me more acceptable specifics because of it, but they sure asked me a lot of questions. I didn't know every little thing because of...well, the reasons, so I made a bunch of excuses and empty promises.”

  “Oh, you can do them?”

  “I learn fast,” Reaz said almost proudly and gave that sky one last glance before turning away. “Let's be careful about this. No more dorms tonight. I got you a flat in the West District. A good place, I reckon. Think of it as nothing.”

  Dreadus wasn't keen on gratitude, so he simply snatched a key she tossed at him and considered Celeste's future. “Is there something big for you to gain from this? You aren't like usual.”

  “You think one round from Maul quenches my curiosity, let alone the last night? It is merely a start, like their talks. Assembly has merely started another problem. After these meetings and hearing those fuckers, I don't want to half-ass this shit. I will participate in this even if you don't like it. Got it? I want to know what that freaking mission was about because that's fair.”

  “Celeste, you mean?”

  “What?” Celeste turned and finally caught up to their conversation.

  Reaz waved a hand, gesturing for her to be silent, which the girl didn't even understand, but she could remain surprisingly quiet for a long time.

  “Not really. Sea or her, or... that Zone and everything. Maybe more will change? Some Rifts opened, new ones emerged, and whole tides of Darks are coming here. For us? Not sure. The second half of our problem is our dear leadership, and my part is the family who notified me.”

  “Your family is getting involved? Why?”

  “A a lot of mportant people want a great deal of words on this, or a decent look. I said your name and position and most of them shut up. You are welcome.”

  “How clever of them. Are you done?”

  “Almost halfway there, but let's leave before someone snatches us into that skirmish over there or kidnaps Celeste right before us. Or you, for that matter. Some fools wanted us up there, too, but our mission has its merits, and with Fain here, there is no short number of bodies to toss at those cracks, which is a welcomed change of pace. As expected of the Academy, yes?” Reaz shrugged and walked away.

  Dreadus observed the distant sky and had no bad feelings about his acts. He gestured to Celeste to get going and left those invasive battles for others.

  ***

  Walking into the Second Head Division was much easier for Celeste today. This time, she didn't even cry in the elevator. She just hugged Hound in the corner and endured the travel, plunging into the ground.

  They met no big issues here either. People and various agents of this place were less busy than the military above. No one stopped them because of the Sea either. Perhaps no one wanted to bother with this trio, which might be suspicious if some higher-up already wanted words with Dreadus about Celeste.

  There was Reaz with them, and no sibling was in sight, who were probably glad for any peaceful prosperity. Entering Maul's office, they saw him in the same position as they left him yesterday. There were many more documents scattered around the walls and floor. It seemed the calculations about the whole night got quite fierce.

  And the door was still missing.

  Dreadus coughed and clapped right behind Maul's head, waking him up from his deep reverie, which twitched his hands and feet and quivered his lips and eyes.

  Maul screeched and panicked. “Pancakes! Dreadus, you fucker.” he almost got a heart attack after this fourth all-nigher in a row. “Don't freak me! I freak easily!”

  “Oh, you've been that busy? How sad. Wants some tea?”

  “Fuck teas. Give me some brew of that Sea and we are even.”

  “I don't have one. Sorry. Not that I recommend you ever drink that stuff.”

  Weirdly, a glinting object soon entered their eyes, coming from a little hand whose mind had had enough sleep to know what to do. Celeste listened carefully and decided to play along with it, so she brought out a small vial with a pretty liquid and offered it up.