I Know You're Out There, Somewhere

Svector was finishing his breakfast, which was odd since Serena had essentially just started. That girl was a big eater, it seemed.

“Ahh, love the meat here. Really, fantastic,” Serena smiled. The two of them were waiting for Liana, who was also doing her morning routine in her room. Svector was pretty anxious, but he was hopeful that this would lead to something.

Shortly after Serena finished eating her last piece of meat, Liana’s radiant self came into the bar, pretty satisfied.

“One glass of mead, along with my salad, please!” Liana said, ordering casually as she took a seat right next to Svector.

“Alcohol for breakfast?”

“It’s a part of my habits,” Liana responded. The order came quickly, and Liana began digging in quickly. “Nothing tastes better than a nice pint of mead in the morning.”

“Well, I never questioned my customer’s drinking habits until it got too out of hand. You seem to be fine,” Svector said. “Regardless, when do we get to meet the Governor?”

“Probably before my announcement ceremony,” Liana explained. “I’ll put in a good word for you guys, and we can talk before it.”

“That works,” Serena said. “Is it in front of the prison?”

“Yeah. I think one of my goals would be to at the very least make the place not an eyesore to look at, so, that will be my first announcement. Reworking the entire thing.”

“I’m no political expert, but I like the sound of that,” Svector said. “You have my support if so.”

“Thank you,” Liana said, finally finishing her breakfast. “Shall we depart then?”

“Definitely,” Svector nodded.

***

The crowd in front of the prison was quite large. Not only were there people scattered about, but animals as well. Some working as staff, some trying to understand what exactly was going on.

There was a makeshift stage, made out of blue wood, lit by the glowing flowers that functioned as stage lights. The smell of the place was covered with a soft, natural scent that permeated throughout the area.

Svector, Serena, and Liana stood backstage, waiting for their moment to arrive.

“Well,” Serena asked. “Where is he?”

“Probably corralling some animals,” Liana said. “He should show up soon.”

The two of them waited as they observed the crowd. The chatter of what would happen at the ceremony was going strong. However, shortly after, they saw a tall man in a suit approach them, looking at them.

“So, there are the people you wanted me to meet, Liana?”

“Yes, Custos. They want to ask you for a favor.”

The two of them looked at Svector and Serena, seemingly expecting both an introduction and a reasoning. Svector took the chance to speak up.

“Thank you so much for having us, Governor,” Svector said. “You are familiar with a little girl named Adelyn?”

“Ah, yes,” Custos said. “She and her group helped both of us out, recently.”

“Apparently, she went off to Pugna,” Svector explained. “You sent her there. I’m her guardian, Svector, and this lady is helping me. I was hoping you could help us with travel? I would like to meet with her again soon.”

“Hm,” Custos thought for a little bit. “Svector… I believe she did mention it when she spoke with Rumia. If it is truly so, then I may be able to assist you… though once the carriages come back.”

“Come back?” Svector asked. “When will that happen?”

“There was a minor incident on the road, it only delayed the travel by about a day. So, you should be ready to depart by tomorrow,” Custos explained. “I hope that is okay, she did help us a lot… so it is the least I can do.”

“Ugh,” Svector groaned, then began to breathe heavily. That response frustrated him. More and more delays was something that he did not want to deal with. All he wanted to do was get to Adelyn but another bump in the road blocked him. He just wished things could go smoothly for once.

Suddenly, the stress that came from Custos’ statement began to fade away. His mind once again became clearer. A black cloud swirled out of his mind, and with a glance he could see it flowing into Serena’s hand, before being tucked away into another vial.

“Thank you for all your help, Governor,” Serena said. “We appreciate you using your resources on us.”

“No need to thank me, I should thank your kid really,” Custos smiled a bit. “A very capable girl you have raised.”

“Really?” Svector said.

“Yes. After all, no normal girl fights two of the most powerful monsters in this land and survives. She must be really strong.”

Svector’s mind relaxed somewhat after that statement. She fought powerful monsters and lived, to the point where even the governor was impressed? That means she was probably doing fine out there.

This lingering doubt lasted in his mind for a long time, but it finally started to be put to rest. His girls were strong, and they could take whatever this world threw at them.

He felt stupid for doubting them, but he felt happy that they grew to be such a way. Maybe, he could take a moment to relax.

“Right, thank you for your assistance, governor,” Svector nodded. “Though… one more question. You did mention Rumia, she was my other girl. Do you know how she is doing?”

“The glowing girl?” Custos responded. “I am… less familiar with her position. But I believe she is fine. The capital is a very safe place, and she seems to be attending one of the most prestigious schools in the country. She should be fine.”

Svector nodded. The lockdown that Rumia was stuck in was concerning, but he supposed he could not do anything about it without Adelyn’s help at least.

“Once again, thank you, governor. I will meet with you tomorrow, then,” Svector nodded.

“While you’re here,” Liana said. “Might as well enjoy the festivities! I want my promotion to be special, so I brought lots of food and drink.”

“...Thanks to you too, Liana,” Svector smiled. “Perhaps I will for this one night.”

“We’ll listen to your speech,” Serena added, grabbing Svector’s hand. “Let’s go. Now you know exactly how strong your girls are.”

The two of them exited backstage, and into the crowd of people. The ceremony was about to begin, and the best courtesy they could do was watch.

Shortly afterwards, they saw Custos come onto the stage. His voice, which was softer when they were backstage, projected onto the crowd.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and animals! Your government is proud to bring forth good news to you!”

The crowd chattered. The prospect for good news was always something people were glad to hear.

“To the animals who have been getting sick and aggressive. To those who have been wary about getting attacked. We have figured out the root cause of the problem, a monster that has been corrupting the minds of the beasts. They have been contained, and neutralized. Things will become a lot easier from here on out.”

Custos said, before looking down.

“Lunasa, as a country, has always been based around cooperation, between the world and us. It is our goal to maintain this balance, and to give back to the world that has given us the blessing to live here.”

The prison stood tall behind Custos, as he looked back at it. The governor seemed to sigh, and seemed to take a moment to recollect his thoughts.

“With the resolution to this crisis. I seek to improve myself, and the relationship with this world even further. As the City of Nature, the binding connection between us humans, and the world that surrounds us, I feel like it is my duty to do better. That is why, I wish to introduce you all… to a friend. Maybe you have seen her around if you are a human, but if you are an animal, then you will definitely recognize her face. Please welcome, the Head of Environmental Relations… Liana!”

An applause erupted. Svector and Serena participated in it too, as the lady of white walked onto the stage with a curtsy.

“Thank you all so much for having me. I truly appreciate the warm welcome,” Liana said. “Custos is right, this city is the place where nature and people connect. And I am very happy to help represent every animal in the city to the best of my abilities. I think we can do something great together.”

Liana also looked back at the prison.

“Me and Custos have been talking, recently. About this massive thing right here. A common sentiment… across the city was that this prison was ugly. It sticks out like a sore thumb, and it ruins the beautiful luscious blue that would normally come across this city. That is why, both Custos and I agreed… it needed to change.”

A gasp came from the crowd. From Svector’s understanding, this prison had been there for quite the long time. It would be a shock to see it gone.

“However, obviously… we are not going to fully get rid of it. For security purposes, there are too many parts that are necessary. But, we are going to reform it. It will no longer just be a holding cell, a punishment to nature and people. It will be something much greater. The design, the structure… and the rehabilitation. Nature deserves to run its course, and we should work with it… not against it.” Liana’s speech continued. “If just please ask that you trust in me to do this, and we will be sure to deliver soon. But for now, let’s enjoy our beautiful city for what it is! Enjoy the meals we have prepared, and thank you all for coming!”

A final set of applause erupted from the crowd. Then scattering came about. People discussing with each other, animals running about looking for their own next meals, all around Svector and Serena.

“Hey,” Serena said, nudging Svector. “I think your girls are gonna be just fine.”

“Yeah… maybe they are.”