Dawning Skye

527 Complicated Relationships(Part Two)

Hana had walked straight towards Genie, then whispered something into his ear that seemed to annoy him. When he looked down at the floor and sighed, Skye knew that he was contemplating something. When he huffed again and looked up at her, she knew that whatever it was that Hana had said was about to affect them..

“Apparently, Senator Tokuga had hired a team of mercenaries to try and break into the vault while I was away. One was killed, two lost limbs, and one is now...mentally unfit to do anything more than mutter and drool. I told that fool before I went to Alcon last year not to try anything..”

Genie’s face scrunched as he had finished speaking, like he’d bitten into something sour. Skye and Tidas’ expressions went from shocked, to angry realization in seconds. As Skye went quiet, Tidas snapped at Genie first.

“You swore that my family would be safe while we help you! How can Zazzy and Skye stay safe when you want them to enter a maze that takes Limbs off?! And what did you say about the other survivor?! That he’s mentally unfit?!”

“Well, that’s what happens when unprepared people enter a dangerous place. That’s why I want to train you and Skye before you enter the vault. As well as work with Zazzy a bit,” Genie replied calmly, hoping that his cool response would inspire Tidas to do the same as well.

Tidas crossed his arms over his chest; “These were mercenaries! And Two were killed! That’s not something a bit of training can compensate for! What aren’t you telling us, Genie? What Exactly is this Vault, and why do you want in it so badly?”

Genie sighed; “I’ve already told you, it holds Sai’s history, as well as other things..”

“What other things, Genie? Speak the truth, or I’ll ken,” Skye stated in a hard tone.

When he looked at his former pupil, stubbornness reflected in Skye’s features clear as day. She wasn’t going to budge on anything until her questions were answered, and Genie knew it. Resigned to explaining most of the whole, he took a deep breath..

.....

“The vault is like a maze, as I had told you before. But what I didn’t tell you was that it has traps in every path, and the only way through is to navigate it like a ninja. Only the Tokuga knew the correct paths to take, but that knowledge was lost a couple of generations ago.”

“That’s why he sent a group of military-level mercenaries in, and why he was desperate enough to try and take down Zazzy, even within the city. The history locked away inside could shake the very foundations of the world, especially here..”

“Before word of Zazzy’s existence had reached here, there was a religious group that had been rapidly expanding. Now that Zazzy’s been seen by most within the capital, their numbers are likely to explode. That wouldn’t normally matter, except an aspect to this religion is ‘returning to the old ways’, as in reinstating the Tokuga Family as the royal family, and making Senator Tokuga Emperor.”

Tidas scoffed; “That’s ridiculous! Sai is a Republic, not a kingdom or empire. It’s prospered far more now than it ever did as an empire!”

Genie made a ‘tsk’ noise before saying; “Well, that’s partly right. According to legends, when the Tokuga took power, the old kingdom flourished for centuries before the other kingdoms brought war-but that’s exactly why it’s important that We be the first to reach the treasure room..”

After straightening his back and taking on a serious expression, Genie added; “If Tokuga’s people reach it first, they’ll destroy anything that doesn’t support Their narrative. Thousands of years of knowledge could be lost if we are not the ones to enter and reach the center of the maze first. I know you’re angry that I held back, but you Must understand why-how important this all is.”

Tidas was at a loss for words. He wanted to be furious with Genie for holding back yet again, but the circumstances were too similar to something Marco would pull. By twisting his own situation and comparing it to Genie’s was making it difficult to find words.. But Skye was different.

She had sat quietly listening to her former mentor, and believed what he had said. But Skye knew that there was still more to it. He seemed to focus on talking to Tidas more, like he was mainly trying to convince him. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but Skye knew that Genie wasn’t telling them everything yet..

“Ye say that ya dinna ken the world’s history, but I do. I know the part in the plot constructed by the MacArthurs that the Tokuga played, and why they were granted their own kingdom.. Ya dinna need the tomes-”

“But we do,” Genie interrupted; “You cannot expect thousands, if not millions of people to trust you based on your word. Do you have a tome from Alcon, or in Alcon that details the continental history?”

“No, but Ima the bloody Catalyst! Why wouldn’t people believe me? Especially if I do here what I did in the capital and Dragonhorn,” Skye replied with a bit of sass to her words.

“What did you do there?” Mei asked, just trying to be a part of the conversation.

Skye turned and smiled at her as she answered; “Do ya not recall from me letters? I healed the citizens. Enough ta fund the orphanages and free clinics fer a few years. Nobles can be quite generous when ya save their bacon.”

Mei quirked an eyebrow; “I don’t understand.. What does saving breakfast meat have to do with orphanages and free clinics?”

Skye was cracking up before Mei had even finished speaking. She and Genie had been speaking in Alconian, but Skye had answered Mei in Sai’s mother language. It was an odd mix between four ancient languages, and varied depending on which part of Sai one was in.

Sai’s language was a made up of ancient Japanese, Mandarin, Filipino, and Vietnamese. The core words varied from area to area, but the proper form of the language was recognized everywhere. Only when slang was used did Skye find it complicated.

‘Tis rare, but bein’ the Catalyst has it’s perks..’

As the thought crossed Skye’s mind, she explained herself to Mei, then asked Genie; “What else do ya want us ta do while we’re here? I seriously doubt breaking into the vault thing is all yer wantin’..”

When Skye saw Genie and Tidas exchange a look between them, she knew right away that there was something She didn’t know. As her level of annoyance rose, she decided to change targets. Shifting her view to Mei’s father, Skye asked; “What aren’t these two sayin’?”

Not missing a beat, Bai Lei replied; “Tidas is going to go through the financial records for our port. To see who might be bringing in weapons to Sai.”

Skye turned back to face Genie and Tidas; “Oh really.. Care to explain, or should I just drop ya two into a bottomless pit? And save me self a headache?”

Tidas shot up; “It’s not dangerous unless the wrong people find out I’m snooping. I already figured out a way to help determine which ships might be responsible..”

“How?” Genie asked a bit too enthusiastically.

“Aye. Tell him so He can risk his neck checkin’ on things. We’re here as diplomats, husband. We need ta at least Seem like we’re not here ta cause issues. Zazzy’s still in danger, ya ken?”

Tidas looked as his wife and sighed; “I know, and I swear that we’ll keep her safe. But like I said: I already know what to do. Genie isn’t as good with numbers as I am. I remember that from our childhood.. If I check the numbers, it’ll take half the time. And we’re here for the next several months anyway.”

“Again: what is your strategy?” Genie asked with a touch of petulance to his voice.

Facing Genie again, Tidas replied; “The ships’ weights.. We need to compare their logs from when they departed other ports to when they arrived. I bet we’ll find discrepancies by looking at the comparisons.”

Genie donned a contemplative expression; “That just might work. There’s no way that the smugglers would’ve loaded the weapons until after they had cleared each port’s check point. When they entered Sai, they should be heavier than the recorded weight when they set sail.”

Tidas grinned; “Exactly. If there are weapons being smuggled into the capital, then we’ll know.”

“That’s a very interestin’ idea, husband. Quite brilliant, actually,” Skye said as she looked at her half-eaten plate of food with a small smile.

“Thank you, love. I do have my moments,” Tidas replied with a smoldering look that sent Skye’s heart pounding away in her chest.

The conversation turned less serious after Tidas’ reveal. Genie and Bai Lei were satisfied that he could help, and Skye felt better knowing that Tidas was mostly on the same page as her. The only thing that seemed potentially troublesome were the vibes that Mei and Hana were giving off.

As Skye ate a bowl of dumplings, she realized that they would finally be able to bathe and sleep next to each other with a relatively decent amount of privacy. When naughty thoughts started to fill her head, Skye shook it lightly, then refocused on Mei. They had been talking and laughing for a solid twenty minutes when Skye felt Hana’s eyes on her.

Turning around, she caught the end of a dirty look. It wasn’t vulgar, more like she’d been offended somehow. When Mei noticed her expression, her entire demeanor turned almost sad. Confused, Skye was half-tempted to say something, but the meal had reached it’s end.

Most of the food in Sai was flavorful and rich, but the sponge cake that was brought out nearly made Skye fall out of her chair. The smell and texture was wonderful, and she couldn’t recall the last time that she’d sat and enjoyed her food. By the time Skye had finished, she’d lost the chance to ask Mei about Hana, or vice versa.

Seeing how late it had gotten, Skye decided to push the shopping trip on Mei, and directly invite Hana as well. When she did, Genie stated that he had already planned on assigning Hana as Mei’s bodyguard. Again, the two shared an odd look between them until Bai Lei coughed.

Mei turned away with a timid expression, but Hana flatly stared at him. She had known Mei’s father for years, and didn’t find him threatening despite his position as a Senator. As Skye realized that the tension between them wasn’t hostle, she scratched her head over what it could be.

“Psst.. Husband? Do ya see that? I think there’s somethin’ goin’ on wit those two, but I dinna ken what. Whatcha think?”

Tidas sighed heavily; “I think that you’re seeing things. Mei is married.”

Skye scoffed before she spoke with heavy sarcasm; “Oh aye. Cause that stops people from fallin’ in love wit another..”