B2 Ch. 24 Send Me On My Way.

Tilly made it to his room a little while later, choosing to take the trip at a light run.  Kindle took turns launching herself from his shoulder and gliding back down to practice navigating the air at speed.  As he looked up, she could tell she still had some trouble gaining altitude, but her maneuvering was looking more natural every day.

Cheeeeeep

She trilled, sending him the image of several predators pouncing on prey as her talons locked on his shoulder, arrested her most recent dive. Soon she would be too large to sit on his shoulder, the thought of her no longer being able to perch on him was accompanied by a small pinch of nostalgia at her rapid growth.  However, in the face of her fierce pride, he couldn’t help but play along.

“AAARRGGH” He shouted, Pretending to stumble as if a great weight had just crashed into him from above.  Those last stumbling steps brought him around the corner to the front of his building and to his surprise he found someone waiting for him.

“Good afternoon Jonathan, a little birdie told us you were leaving an hour ago, so George and I got this together for your trip.”  She said, hefting a pack the size of an ambitious middle schooler's backpack.

Cheep?

Kindle replied, not liking being implicated by a woman she hardly knew.  She blasted out a mental image of a flock of birds exploding from a small tree, which Tilly took to be a denial of any involvement.

He did his best to ignore the byplay and beamed at the Arborist.

“Wow Edna, thank you!  I was about to head to the supply depot to see if I had any contribution points to spend to prepare. Believe it or not… I actually hadn’t gotten around to checking to see what my balance is, or if I even have an official position with the Alliance.”

The Three-Fold Alliance's fledgling economy was underpinned by a currency they called Contribution Points, something Shuji assured Tilly was very normal in these sorts of situations. Until they established contact with the outside world, no conversion to other currencies was offered or necessary.  Everyone in the city was issued a stipend according to their experience, class, and position within the structure of the Alliance.  Along with additional points assigned to certain tasks and goods produced.

For example, Edna had told him that they would be able to build a nice house after the war, with all the points she and George had received for their classes and the amount of food they were able to produce.

Tilly, however, hadn’t needed any Contribution Points (CP) to buy any equipment so far.  His legendary gear covered his weapons and armor and the med kit they had outfitted him with upon request had never come with a price attached.  On top of that the food and lodging seemed to be covered for him as well, at least no one had said anything so far…  He was not sure this was true for anyone else in the Alliance besides maybe the two lords.

“Oh, Don’t you go worrying about things like that!” Ednaa said, snapping him out of his sheepish look,

“You need to concentrate on keeping us moving forward.  You take care of us young man, and we take care of you.  That being said,  I do think you will have a fair amount of points whenever you do get around to checking.”  She said, with a wink.

“Well, I appreciate it a lot, Edna.  Anything else I'll need to grab?  I was just swinging by to pick up my first aid bag”

“That is already packed and restocked at the top of this.” She said, holding up the bag for him to put on.

“I hope you don’t mind.  Amelia’s coat will make sure you all have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, the others will each carry some essentials for the team, including a pot and some dry goods.  With your self-repairing equipment and fire abilities, it wasn’t too hard to get together what you needed. Just a cloak colored to help you blend in with the environment, and a few small essentials.”  She said with a sad twinkle in her eye.  Something about her holding up the full pack as Tilly shrugged it on, reminded him of his first day at school decades ago.

“Tell George that I am so thankful for you two.  It's the little things like this that keep me moving forward.”

“Oh nonsense!  He regretted not being here, but he has been working with Amelia on our boundary.  Now I want you to do something for me…-”  she said, trailing off before surprising Tilly by pulling his shoulders down to her height and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.  Then holding him down level with him, she leaned back and looked him straight in the eyes.  Her expression taking on a much more serious cast.

“No more worrying about us. George and I never got the chance to have children of our own, and for better or worse, you have taken that place in our hearts young man. We won't ask you to stay safe, but don’t take on any more than you have to… Too many young people die thinking the world lies on their shoulders.  Your effort isn’t the beginning or the end of any story.”

Tilly was once again taken aback by how genuine and vulnerable this couple had both been with him. Now, even though he had only known them for a few weeks, he couldn’t imagine life on Nephesh without their warm support and belief… As this warmth flooded him, that old panic began to rise.

He didn’t deserve this.

He would fail them, just like he had failed everyone else.

Everyone had left in the end, and so would they…

All of that and more crackled at the back of his mind, as the white noise of his ever-present anxiety rose in volume. He could feel the newly thickened ichor of the Corruption’s presence weighing down his buoyed emotions.

Through it all, unaware of the secret war raging in Tilly’s heart, Edna stood there.  She was three-quarters Tilly’s height, yet she looked into his eyes with all the confidence of a person completely at peace with their place in the world. In that moment, secure in her belief and trust, she seemed immovable.

Even amid his internal triggers, that expression and the choice it represented pulled words from the deeper places of Tilly’s soul.  Somewhere beyond that wall,  deep in the ocean of his trauma, where his doom lurked, a bright light appeared.

“Thanks Edna…”  He started in a croak.

“Honestly, I didn’t have much in the way of parents either, so I guess that makes us about perfect for each other…”

Silence hung between them as she offered him a small smile and shining eyes.  She gave him a motherly pat on his shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly, sealing the moment.

“You better get going, or you are gonna have this old lady blubbering all over you, and I’m sure you don’t have time for that.”  Tilly nodded gratefully, not so sure that she would be doing all the blubbering.

“I’ll see you when I get back, until then, you two stay safe! Look after those kids for me, alright” He answered, shouldering his pack and turning away.  Kindle turned back toward Edna and called,

Cheep!

“I will! And little lady, if anything tries to get our boy, you burn it to a crisp, you hear?” she replied fiercely to the phoenix.

CHEEP she affirmed.

Tilly was faintly able to pick up images of forest fires and burning villages.  They whispered by the edges of his mind, and he was almost sure he was not the intended target.

Wait… Kindle could talk to others?

…

After a few more quick stops, Tilly found himself at the eastern edge of the parade ground.

He had made sure to visit the nearest outhouse building and take his time clearing out his system.  He had a pretty good idea of what a long trip through enemy territory would be like, and he imagined this would be the last really good dump he would be able to take for a while. The shack he had first visited, had grown to a complex of 20-30 cubicles, all taking advantage of the building semi indoor plumbing rigged by a few Honu craftsmen.

He helped himself to a generous few handfuls of leaves from the new charmin trees on his way out.  Edna had cultivated them on either side of the street near the building and with her skill level they had grown to semi-maturity in days. Then he visited the supply depot to double-check his med bag and get it stocked to his specific standards (never trust a medic who isn’t anal about his bag).

After a quick inventory, he grabbed a free attendant, and they hurried off to locate the few missing supplies Tilly thought he might need for the journey.   He saw others verifying their identities on tablets and seeming to go through monetary transactions, but Tilly wasn’t asked for anything of that sort, and he was starting to get worried about being late, so he decided to check when he got back.

Then he was on his way out of the city.  By the time he reached the far edge of the parade ground, the evening ranger patrol had already formed.  Franklin was there waiting with Gorock, who carried his proportionally large pack with ease. Ichiro arrived behind him, moving at a deceptively easy pace, yet somehow appearing out of nowhere.

“Alright, is everyone ready?  Mrs. Cooper will be meeting us at the boundary, my understanding is she will be finishing her work at our departure point.”  The rangers all saluted in response.  Something that had spread from the Bastion’s influence.  A closed right fist knocked lightly against the chest. Gorocks resounded much more loudly than necessary, and the Wall Breaker looked to be murmuring in anticipation.

With that, they moved out, Tilly taking up the rear with Franklin.  Tilly once again noticed that Franklin had no trouble keeping up with the rest of the group, showing none of the characteristic slowness that his people so consistently demonstrated in most situations.

“Hey Franklin, how come you don’t… you know, move like the others of your kind?” Tilly asked as they moved through the grass to the treeline at a double-time march.

“Are you asking why I am so different from the other Honu you have met?”  He responded, shooting an easy glance in Tilly’s direction to let him know he wasn’t offended.

“Yeah, that.”

“My Great uncle sent me away from the clan when I received my class.  I joined the caravans, gaining experience and levels away from the imperial army, and their crooked politics. I had just returned after a 7-year stint when the Cult started to truly press the Empire.  Then a few months later, you arrived.

“We don't have to move slowly, it is just a cultural habit.  In fact, there is a class in my people's history called Wave Runner that is built around Dexterity.  We are by nature a thoughtful and careful race, but often, in my experience,  too slow when it counts.  I’m sure great uncle could tell, and that is why he sent me off to begin with.  Out with the caravans, I saw many people and cities, and I guess, eventually, I acclimated to my surroundings.”

“Thanks for being cool about that.  It can get really frustrating here sometimes when I am faced with a million things I don’t know every day, and I end up making stupid mistakes out of ignorance.”

Franklin nodded along with Tilly’s words.

“I felt quite the same way my first year on the Steppe.  Do not worry yourself on my behalf. If you have any questions, especially about magic and mana-based abilities, I would be happy to share what I know with you.  That is  if we get the chance.”

“I'll keep that in mind. One more thing, is it ok if I call you Frank? I've always been pretty big on nicknames, and it kills me that almost everyone here refers to me by my full name.  I get that it is cultural and a sign of respect, but It feels like I’m back in grade school.  Except for Gorock, he seems perfectly comfortable using a nickname for me.”

“Not a problem… Tilly.”  He smiled, ducking his head under the thickening foliage as they continued through the forest.  The Ranger patrol fell back into the habit of full noise discipline and Tilly did the same.

After a few minutes more, Tilly could see the boundary just ahead of their line.  He shifted the pack on his shoulders and settled it in his mind that training was over.  It was time to see if all the grueling hours he had put in would make a difference or not.