Chapter 10 - Tea

The man bound in the cell in front of him had been the one Tetsuo had fought in the cave. Tetsuo knew that the patrolling guard would be some time before they returned, long enough for someone to make a decent attempt to escape. He pitied the prisoner, knowing that if he was aware of their goal, Tetsuo would have tried to help them. The door was locked but there were keys towards the end of the hall. Quickly glancing to his sides, he creeped towards the end of the corridor eyeing the other cells he passed, for anyone he may be able to recognize. The closer he was to the keys, the more he could feel the sweat on the back of his neck.

They’d be unable to pursue him on Earth, so what difference did it make committing a crime here. Though, the knowledge they had as Earthens made their goal to return to their world dubious. And trusting the word of Pia, a child who had spent less time in Alvania than himself, was reckless beyond reason. But the fears of falling into the bureaucracy of this world, to acknowledge it as his own, and to be consumed by the responsibilities of a knight and citizen were enough to dispel his doubts.

Tetsuo reached for the hook where the keys dangled. His hand paused over it, trembling. Taking a moment, he forcefully shut his eyes, wiped his face with both hands, then spread his fingers apart and stared at the keys through them. The light from the mounted lanterns glimmered against the key’s metal. Tetsuo took in a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. He looked at the keys one last time and sighed. As he prepared to leave, his back began to feel cold. The air he was breathing suddenly felt sharp and chilling. Frost began to form around the surface of the key, and the sound of water cautiously dripping from the brazier of the lanterns began to fill the room.

“If I may, can I ask what you are doing here?”

Tetsuo spun to his right and was greeted by his own shocked expression, reflected on a silver helmet. He immediately recognized the suit of armor as the one that had felled Veera in the street.

“...” Tetsuo would have stammered an answer, but the cold felt as though it had frozen his voice.

“Come with me.”

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Her private quarters were surprisingly cozy. The stone walls were warm to the touch, and the various animal pelts decorating the ground were soft and comfortable to stand on. Tetsuo was seated at a small table with two wooden chairs, clenching and unclenching his fingers while waiting for her to return. While Alon had told him plenty of chilling warnings regarding Lunette, she was still a stranger to him. He figured he should also avoid mentioning Alon and any potential association he had with him. If she considered them anything more than co-workers, a life of crime would be preferable to whatever agony she’d put him through as a knight of Alvania.

A short kick at the door startled him from his thought as he leapt from his seat to answer it. Lunette, still in full armor, stood at the entrance of the quarters, her hands full with a tea pot and small tin cups on a wooden tray. Tetsuo frantically held open the door, as she marched to the table, setting the tray down.

Words echoed from within her helmet. “Feel free to pour yourself a cup. I will be a moment.” She strode towards a small door located to the side of the room and disappeared into another room. Tetsuo sat down and poured tea into a cup, careful not to let a single drop fall. He filled the cup halfway and weighed what remained within the kettle. The sound of metal clamoring from the other room resonated through the air. Nervously, Tetsuo examined his cup from all sides, trying to gauge if he had poured too much tea for himself. The other room grew silent. Tetsuo quickly filled the other cup, and tried to set it in the most aesthetically pleasing position on the other side of the table. As he made some final adjustments the door creaked open, startling him back into his own seat.

Lunette emerged from the room having replaced her armor with a simpler leather garb. Her silver hair was braided neatly into a bun on the back of her head. Oddly, she continued to wear silver gauntlets, although they no longer reached across the length of her forearm, and seemed to bear a more slender fitted shape with an ornamental pattern decorating the back of her hands. She took a seat at the table, the light tracing her angled features, emphasizing the stern icy expression she maintained.

“I p-poured you a glass.” Tetsuo’s voice twitched as he waited to see how she’d react.

“Ah. Thank you.” She slowly reached for the glass with both hands and brought it to her face taking a long drawn out sip before setting the cup down again. She slowly closed her eyes and drew out a long breath. Tetsuo stared down at his feet and waited for her to break the eternal silence to sentence him to imprisonment.

“Congratulations.”

“Huh?” Tetsuo sharply turned to look at her. She passively watched the fire flicker as she continued.

“Your test. Congratulations on the mission. My father tells me you did well.”

Tetsuo paused as he reflected on what he experienced during the mission. “Did I? I nearly got everyone killed.”

“If you’re referring to what Eleanor had scolded you for, do bear in mind she’s sensitive in regards to matters involving Ficium. These tools in Alvania exist as an extension of herself and her family's legacy.”

“Still, if Veera hadn’t have been there-”

“My father wanted to be there,” Lunette interrupted. “Tell me, what do you believe we look for most in our ranks?”

Tetsuo took a moment to ponder it over. “Reliability?”

“Now tell me, what’s more reliable? An ally you can turn your back to, or a coward who flees when presented with adversity?” Tetsuo swayed the tea within his cup as he mulled over the question as Lunette continued. “Strength will come with time and talent will fade, but character… that’s all you. Erm, so to speak.”

Tetsuo felt a pang of guilt. “I hate to say, but I’m only doing this to find a way back home to my wife. This isn’t about honor, or reliability, but just a means to an end. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

“Then why didn’t you take the key?” Tetsuo froze mid sip, slowly turning his eyes to look at her. She wore a confident smile as she looked right at him. “After hearing the prisoners' pleas and their interests that aligned with yours, if what you say is true, you would have freed them.”

Tetsuo set down his cup on the table and tightened his fists. “I just…” He paused as he rubbed the ring on his finger. “I think my wife wouldn’t want me to get home by turning on the people who’ve taken me in. I’ve made frie- allies, and she’d be pissed if I betrayed them just to see her sooner. I’m really not all that. She is. And I don’t want to disappoint her. That’s all.”

For a brief moment it seemed like Lunette pouted before regaining her stony composure. “Is a marriage not a binding vow? Is love not the desire to seek out the one who completes you? For you to speak as though you act for her and her alone, is to say that she exists not within you. And so I must ask, if you act on her ideals only for her sake, have you truly welcomed her into your heart?”

“Of course I have!”

“Then it appears you’ve contradicted yourself. Why did you choose to leave the key?”

“I…” Tetsuo stammered. “I want to do things the right way. And I want to help people. Because that’s what she would have done. And because I want to be someone she can be proud of.”

“Very well. That’s satisfactory… for now.”

Lunette smiled to herself before returning to her tea. The embers of the fire glowed as the flames died down, yet Tetsuo felt an absent warmth return to his chest. To some extent, he still felt this was still ultimately for her. Even so, he understood what Lunette was getting at. Until now, everything he had done was for Bianca and that was that. He’d grown comfortable acting for her rather than thinking about what he wanted for himself. He knew he still wanted to see her again. However, he also began to wonder what else he could do along the way. For the people who have treated him so kindly, maybe it was okay to spend some of that time giving back. Helping others. At the very least he knew it would make for an interesting story once he did finally get to see her again.