29. HYRAN
29
HYRAN
OpenLog/entry
There is a celebration, and no one told me! The only warning I had was Butler Bot 20 telling me that the Tower AI had told it what the Municipal AI had told the G&C Center AI (which talks to the Tower AI), which is that the Argentean Op-AI awarded Conduit Orrey the rank of third as an operative.
I prepared layer cake. It was meant as a surprise. I will serve it even if Glass & Iron never would. I hope Conduit Orrey will enjoy it.
(From Butler Bot 35’s personal log.)
The team that wasn’t quite his yet but starting to feel at least familiar all took their seats around the table. Hyran wanted the chair with the best view of the door to the suite, but Col shooed him away from that with an “I sit there” that allowed no argument.
“Are you sure you don’t want to change into that dress?” Lapatea looked at Taros, who had put the boxes aside on the floor so they could spread out the food on the table.
Taros sat next to Hyran, and surprisingly, the animosity Taros had sprouted like his blades seemed to have gone out of him.
Taros nodded. “I don’t think he wanted me to wear it for dinner. Sorry, Orrey, I know it’s your celebration, but…” The Guardian shrugged. “Kashana.”
Orrey chuckled. “I don’t know what that means, but it’s fine. Col, I should thank you for all of this.”
Orrey and Senlas sat opposite Hyran and Col, and Yamara, looking tired, sat on Orrey’s other side.
“Pfft. I should have done it sooner. I know Senny can always back you up when needed, but”—Col made a halfway dismissive gesture at the telekineticist—”He needs all this prompting.”
“Prompting?” Senlas asked, frowning. “When have I ever needed prompting?”
Col leaned over to Orrey. “And as you can see, the best prompting is the type they don’t notice.”
Orrey nodded while petting his Guardian’s hand. “He’s always happy to back me up.”
Col nodded like an approving teacher.
“Orrey did high-level operative prompting when Sen and Karmine were hiding on that roof,” Vin said. He took the seat next to Yamara.
Karmine plopped onto the chair next to the illusionist. “Hiding? We had the best tactical position while you were trying not to get lost. What would you have done without Yamara, huh?”
The petite Conduit nearly jumped in his chair. Hyran could see the team notice, file it away, not react. He made the right choice with them. And maybe I did too.
Col leaned to him and put a hand on his leg. “We had Hyran with us by then, so we weren’t lost.” He cleared his throat. “I have an announcement before we celebrate properly. Tomorrow is going to be the last day for us here. This team belongs in Argentea, and it’s high time we return there. However, Hyran and I will stay here in Ferrea for another week or two.
“First and foremost, I want to look into the other insurrectionists. I know you tried your best, Vin, but we’ll need psionomancers after all. Also, if I can do anything for Linar, I think I should.
“Orrey, the woman you overheard back in Argentea, I have reason to believe she is still outside the walls, still acting. According to Vin, Pinota listened to her. Alesa, while thinking Pinota was in charge, seems to think this woman will return to free them both.”
“Then we should stay and make sure she can’t,” Senlas said.
But Col shook his head. “I need you in Argentea. I don’t think the insurrectionists are done with their attacks on Op-AIs, and ours, while vigilant, doesn’t—maybe can’t—see that danger.”
Orrey looked up. “If they attack again, it would be terrible for Argentea, but worse again for Ferrea.”
Col nodded. “I think so. And we don’t know…there is too much we don’t know. That’s why Hyran and I will take trips outside the walls to investigate what the outsiders he knows can tell us about those insurrectionists and that woman. No, before anyone objects, it will be trips, and with Hyran’s speed, we can return to this very suite each night.
“Perhaps the outsiders Hyran will take me to can tell us more about the AIs as well, maybe a way to make them or…I’m not sure. It might be a futile hope, but I don’t know what else to do about that particular problem.”
Taros clinked his spoon against the rim of his plate. “I’ll come with you, of course. I mean, look at him.” He gestured at Hyran, who frowned. “Bloody lip from walking into a wall and with a potent lack of vision that made him reject Kashana. He’d be lost without me.”
Hyran felt Col’s eyes on him. “Kashana wanted to have sex with you?”
Hyran might have imagined the jealousy in Col’s voice. He liked the sound of that but also didn’t really want his Conduit to think he would ever share affection.
“A long time ago. Before you.”
“Ah. Well, in that case, I cannot do anything about Taros teasing you relentlessly. But Taros—”
“No. I’m going where you go.”
Hyran bristled. “Taros, with respect, you are slow. I can move much faster with just Col.”
Taros shrugged and examined his spoon. “Then you’ll have to move slow. Third rank, back me up.”
Hyran watched Orrey’s head go berry stew red. “T-there is an advantage to going in a group, especially into potential danger. Taros is lethal.”
“Aw, beautiful, you’re too sweet.” Taros winked at Orrey. Hyran noticed how Senlas barely seemed to react, let alone mind the attention.
Orrey looked at Col. “Also, the med drop.”
The table fell silent, or Team Three did. Yamara watched, uncertain, Lapatea was confused, and Hyran wanted to know what he had missed. Or rather what happened outside the walls when Alesa hunted them.
Col’s gaze dropped to his still empty plate. “We’ll do that another time, little brother.”
“But, Col.”
Orrey looked at Senlas. The Guardian frowned. “Coldis, I—”
“I’m sure, Senny. Another time.”
Hyran could tell Orrey didn’t like it. Apart from Yamara, he was the youngest, had lived as a regular, and compassion came easy to him.
Hyran turned to his Conduit. “What is this about?”
“Nothing that has anything to do with this. You can move Taros and me?”
Hyran’s eyebrows flew up. “Not at the same time.”
“So yes.”
Taros shifted. “When Col says move…uh. No. Col, you want your Guardian to carry me?”
“But that would mean—” Hyran started.
“We would be slower than a kinetomancer with a vehicle,” Col said. “Travel with him will take us minutes, if that.”
Taros crossed his arms. “He can’t carry me.”
Col groaned. “Just because you beat him doesn’t mean he can’t carry you.”
Hyran huffed. “He didn’t beat me.”
“I didn’t not beat you.”
“Ah. Hyran didn’t walk into a wall, huh?” Orrey asked.
Senlas raised his brows. “You thought he actually walked into a wall, kitten?”
“My little brother isn’t used to Guardian-level stupidity, let’s just leave it at that. And I don’t fucking care who beat who. Taros, Hyran will carry you, and Hyran, you will carry Taros and not drop him. It’s that simple.”
Hyran frowned, but then he felt his cock harden at Col’s tone.
“Should we come?” Orrey asked. “Sen can fly us.”
The telekineticist nodded. “That could work.”
Col sighed. “No. Flying exposes you to attacks from below. We still don’t know what we’re running into, and I want my mission lead and the second highest-ranking operative in Team Three in Argentea in case you are needed there.”
“I hate that that makes sense,” Karmine said.
Hyran sighed. “Col, I don’t want to take Taros along, because I have to leave you alone to go and get him if we travel like that. I cannot carry you both.”
Col took Hyran’s hand. “We’ll make that work. I am a shooter and not as defenseless as you are afraid I am.”
Hyran sighed but bit his lip. He’d already learned that much about his Conduit.
“We need to get you ammunition.” Vin lifted the top off one food container, releasing a mouthwatering smell of herbs, spices and something delicious cooked in good oil. “We should eat. This looks delicious.”
“We should celebrate.” Col clapped his hands. “There is nothing more to discuss anyway, and Orrey deserves the evening to be in his honor.”
“We’re all still here. We all deserve this evening.” Orrey played with the hem of his shirt, and Senlas was leaning toward him, protective. “I’d be back in protector housing if I hadn’t bumped into Sen.”
Hyran, who had only ever bumped into solid objects, cocked his head. “You collided with your Guardian?”
Col snorted. “Why does that surprise you. You collided with me.”
“We all collided with one another,” Lapatea said.
Hyran wasn’t sure when the Conduit had joined the team, but no one objected.
“Okay, food now,” Senlas said, and the remaining lids Lifted off their containers all at once, filling the room with the smell of sweet and savory, salty and sour delights made by the best restaurant in Ferrea.
Col turned his head to look at the butler bot, who came hovering over with drinks—Hyran saw kuvana among others—and a prettily made layer cake, shaped to perfection in the way only a bot could make.
“Conduit Orrey, congratulations! I have prepared this to celebrate as well. Please enjoy it.”
Orrey looked from the layer cake to the butler bot. Senlas huffed out a laugh.
“And this is why I don’t like butler bots,” Vin said.
The butler bot blinked with discomfort, but no one noticed. Senlas had already Floated the cake into a spot on the table, right in front of his Conduit.
Hyran glanced at Col, who smiled fondly at Orrey.
One day soon, I will give you what you love as well, Coldis. All of it.
To Hyran’s surprise, he ended up enjoying the celebratory dinner. Much of that had to do with Col enjoying it. Throughout most of the meal, Taros was by far too occupied with recounting time and again each garment he’d seen when Kashana had invited them to his studio than to continue his harassment of Hyran. As such, the other Guardian was almost pleasant.
After the food, they began moving to the couch with a selection of drinks to see how the ice sculpture contest had concluded. Before he could sit, Col grabbed Orrey, citing operative business, and pulled him along to his room.
Hyran’s skin tingled, but Orrey was imprinted upon, a Conduit, and very clearly very in love with Senlas. This shouldn’t worry me but—
“Kuvana shot?” Senlas sat next to Hyran, holding out a glass to him.
“Sure. To your third rank.”
Senlas grinned. “To him.”
They downed their drinks and focused on the screen for a while. The sculpture contest had turned into a ChannelPulse live documentary, and Shoda was doing the narrating.
“Right now, we’re done with the sculpture contest, but we’re not done with donations. We have a few pyromancers here as well, some champions, and we’re taking the slow route through the Grounds and to the Western Entrance, along Main Walk. If you want, come join us! The goal is going to be feeding the regulars still waiting at the Entrance as well as the protectors who have worked tirelessly to help with anything and everything we here in the Grounds needed help with.
“Fellow Guardians, donate your cooking skills, and your time. The pagomancers with me are going to take care of furniture, but we’ll need blankets. We need ingredients and cooking equipment. Join us!”
“Do you know Shoda?” Senlas asked.
“You mean, socially? Not really. We have met, as you do, but he’s a champion, and I work logistics outside the walls.”
Senlas nodded. “Worked, more like. But you’re keeping your Ferrean position to make this trip you’re going on with Col easier, right?”
Hyran nodded. “Yes. It makes sense. There might be runs I’m scheduled for, and if possible I’ll complete them, but I’m not sure. I haven’t been sent an updated schedule. Not since the Op-AI died.”
“Yeah. That will delay things. Before we leave, you’ll get Col a check-up at the clinic, right?”
Hyran sighed. “Something for tomorrow. He might not like it. He seemed in a hurry to leave.”
Senlas looked at Hyran for a long time, then said, “Col has always been very independent.”
“I could tell.” Are you blaming me for taking his independence? Or should I blame myself for that? Hyran looked at his empty glass. “I think I could do with another shot.”
Karmine whistled. “Did I hear shot? Lapatea, do you hear that? This is your moment.”
The Conduit chuckled. “I will try one. I have been to tastings, but those’re not for drinking, least of all for a guide.”
“Not a guide anymore,” Vin said. He had ended up with the layer cake on the couch table in front of him and was now precisely slicing it so they could continue eating it while they followed the live documentary.
“Oh, Guardian Vin, you’re always so…” Lapatea bit his bottom lip even as Karmine filled a glass for him.
“Lacking? Creepy? Armed?” Taros suggested. “Pour me one too. This is like the Guardian Games all over again.”
“You celebrate the Guardian Games by drinking?” Lapatea asked.
Senlas snorted. “More like, we hide and get drunk.”
Hyran cocked his head. “Awkward then for the Op-AI to have put you in the Tower.”
“Well…” Senlas didn’t finish, but it changed the mood to gloomy.
Lapatea stood. “To the Tower! The most comfortable place for teams to stay! Who will catch me if I get drunk and decide to faint, Guardians?”
“I’ll catch you,” Karmine said. “But even you need more than one shot to get drunk.”
Senlas rolled his eyes, and they all downed their drinks.
“You know what you’re doing. Outside the walls?” Senlas Floated his empty glass over to the low table while Lapatea and Karmine broke into giggling fits.
Hyran nodded. “I’ve probably traveled more than you have.”
“I’ve done a good amount. And I’ve always had a team with me I had to watch out for.”
Hyran scratched the back of his head. “I’ll look out for Taros and Col. You don’t have to tell me.”
“But I’m telling you.”
The other Guardian was firm, his dark voice making clear this wasn’t so much a threat as a taste of the effect failure would have on their relationship.
Hyran lowered his gaze. “I’ll protect them. I know the area and the people. I don’t spend too much time around Hound paths unless I have to.”
Senlas nodded. “Taros, you still remember the maps, right?”
“Sure do.”
“I made him memorize them before we left Argentea.”
Hyran looked at the panoplian, who was sharing another drink with Lapatea and Karmine.
“I hadn’t planned on staying outside long, actually. It should be fast. Col might want to spend some time in the village to get the information he wants, but we don’t even have to sleep out there to make that happen. Benefits of being a kinetomancer. If everything works out really well, we might even arrive in Argentea before you.”
“Things rarely work out really well,” Vin said and handed Hyran a piece of layer cake.
Orrey and Col returned then, chatting about coffee and a coffee shop Col wanted to take Orrey to.
“What’s this?” Col asked the lot of them. “Do you see this, little brother? They started drinking without us. And why aren’t we watching My Secret Guardian? ”
“We cannot miss what Champion Shoda is doing,” Lapatea said and pointed his empty glass at the screen. “He is at the Western Entrance, asking everyone to come out there and help feed both protectors and the regulars still waiting for news of their loved ones.” He looked at Orrey with rosy cheeks. “You should go! And take your Guardian. People would love that! Guardians and Conduits would come out to meet you, especially if you announce you’ll be leaving after tomorrow.”
Hyran sighed with relief when Col sat next to him, quite close and accepting Hyran’s embrace. However, the Conduit used that as a ploy to steal Hyran’s glass from his fingers and fill it for himself before looking at Orrey.
“Little brother, your face gives you away once more. If you want to go, go. The protectors will appreciate it, I’m sure, and Lapatea is right. If you announce the team will leave, people will want to see you one last time. That will bring even more attention to the donation drive.”
Orrey nodded. “We can make that announcement. Right, Sen?”
Senlas groaned. “But aren’t you tired? Don’t you want to go to bed early today, kitten?”
Orrey shook his head. “Why would we go to bed earl—oh. Well, we can still do that after? Please, Senlas?”
Hyran had never been fond of Conduits who seemed to need a Guardian or those who liked needing a Guardian. But knowing these two are imprinted…I want that. I want Col to come to me and ask me to go places with him, preferably places inside the walls.
He sighed.
Col leaned into him even as Senlas got to his feet with grumbled complaints.
“What?” Col asked.
Hyran couldn’t help himself. He stroked Col’s hair. “I was just thinking…nothing, really. Just that it’s really nice to have you close. I like being close with you.”
Col huffed. “I would like it more if you didn’t have a split lip, but maybe I’ll forgive you for that.” He leaned against Hyran’s shoulder so he could whisper into Hyran’s ear. “You made Taros very happy with that dress. And with meeting Kashana. Thank you.”
Hyran’s belly flooded with heat. They were all settling on the couch now while Senlas and Orrey were heading out to join the celebration that was forming at the Entrance. Col pulled up his legs to get comfortable and leaned against Hyran, stoking that heat. When the Conduit accepted the pieces of layer cake Hyran fed him, Hyran could barely stop himself from smiling.
It should have been too much, having and holding the one person he would do anything for, the person who meant everything. But when Col relaxed against Hyran’s chest, it was just right, the most at peace Hyran had ever felt. He glanced at the screen, sure, but in reality, Hyran had eyes only for Col.