Tisis

Coming home (N)

"How interesting...", Eva comments after I sever the communication channel.
"What do you mean?"
"You just called ahead to let them know that we are coming."
"So?"
"Well...why would you do that?"
"So...they know we are coming?"
"So you won't end up catching them having sex?"
"What?! W-what in the world gave you that idea?! A-and why would I even care?! A-and why would they even..."

Eva shakes her head and replies, "Well, Julia is a pretty girl and ...and Sirus is a man in his best years. So much rather than asking 'Why would they even', I would like to ask: Why wouldn't they? Unless...you think there's a reason why they'd abstain? A...different obligation possibly?"
"Look, I'm tired of this subtext game, so if you want to ask something, spit it out already."

Eva sighs and asks, "Sirus turned Gloria down. He turned me down. And he picked a fight with Robert, when he didn't want him to leave the colony. All in order to get back to you. Also, I've noticed that ring you are wearing. So yes, I do have a question...are the two of you...together?"
"...more or less, I guess."
"...more or less, huh? And...the ring?"
"It is...a promise to come back. I promised I'd return it to him."
"It seems that Asmodean customs are quite different from ours...where I come from, 'a ring around a finger' means..."
"I am aware, actually. He...proposed to me."
"He did, huh?"
"I didn't accept though."

Eva gives me a peculiar look and finally asks, "...you don't want him?"
"It's...complicated. I just...I just don't know if I'm ready for this."
"Well, you'd best make up your mind soon. Because as it stands, I just might steal him from you."
"Is that so...?"
"All's fair in love and war. Look, I know you're a good person....better than most humans I've got to meet since...that day. But try as you might...with you, he has no future. Same goes for Julia."

I give her a bitter smile and reply, "None of us has a future out here, Eva. This is Tisis...not a world where I'd want to raise children on."
"It is less than ideal, yes. But there are things we can choose and things we cannot. Maybe you have accepted that you have no future in this world, but I have not."
"And you 'choose' to have this future with Sirus of all people?"
"Strong, kind and with the rough charm of a survivor. In a hostile world like this, I could think of noone better."
"A question, if I may...you did not know that Sirus was alive until we arrived at the colony. But from what I know, you have not 'gotten with' anyone else in the meantime. Why is that?"

Eva leans back in her seat and closes her eyes, as if in deep thought.

Eventually she says, "I guess there never was the right time. You know, before all this, everyone kept saying how lucky I was, that 'the son of the Elder'...that's Robert, in case you didn't know, chose me to be the mother of his children. And...that just didn't change after the revolution. Everyone 'knew' that I was with Robert, so even if there had been someone else I was interested in...well, I think you get the idea."

I remember my own situation and how all of my suitors were only interested in who my father was, rather than me and nod.

I don't think she even knows, how close to home her story sits with me.

I let out a long sigh and reply, "Look, Eva...I cannot tell you what to do, but I'd appreciate it, if you could...lay off of Sirus. Okay?"
"No."
"No?"
"No. I want that man, and I will see to it that he wants me."
"You've got some nerve to say that to my face, you know that?"
"You don't get anywhere, if you keep beating around the bush, Nym."

And with that final statement, the conversation dies and we continue our way towards the horizon in silence.

In my head however, my thoughts are racing.

Did she really mean all those things she just said?
Does she really intend to take Sirus away from me?
Or did she say just say that, to entice me to a reaction?

What kind of game are you playing, Eva?

After a few hours of flight, the coast finally comes into sight and Eva presses her nose flat on the windshield, while the dogs in the back are getting increasingly anxious about being locked up for such a long time.

About ten minutes later, we have arrived at the coast and I make the shuttle hover close to the ground.

"Why are we landing here? Have we arrived?"
"We're not landing, we're unloading," I reply and get up to let the dogs out.

It takes no three seconds for the dogs to disappear from the shuttle and run across the beach after I opened the back hatch of the shuttle.

After making sure that they did not 'unload' themselves inside of the shuttle, I return to the piloting seat and fire up the engines again, returning the shuttle to the air.

After a short while of flying across the land at cruise speed, Eva asks, "So...what's the plan?"
"The plan?"
"Yes well...we kinda ticked off Robert. Like big time. He'll come and he'll be angry."
"It'll take him months to get here with the colony. Do you really think he'll keep being angry for this long?"
"You clearly don't know Robert. He...is not one to take 'no' for an answer. And what we've done...well, that's been one big 'No', right into his face."
"...so he'll come to hunt us down, huh?"
"That's very likely, yes. He...hates the Asmodei with a passion."
"Yeah, that goes without saying...well, we could run away. Go somewhere, where he cannot find us. Tisis is a big place with plenty of places to hide. But..."
"But...? That does sound like a good plan, doesn't it?"
"But that won't solve the problem. He'll still hate us...you could never return home. Neither could Julia. No, we cannot run away. We need to make a stand. Defend ourselves. Make him accept our 'No'."

Eva utters a hearty laugh and replies, "Know what, I think I like you after all!"

After about another hour, the rock formation comes into sight and I pull up the microphone for a bit of a prank call.

"Ground tower dog den, this is NYM42, requesting permission to land."
Julia's voice echoes throughout the speakers, completely unfazed, "This is dog den ground control. Permission to land has been granted. Welcome home."

"You guys practiced this, didn't you?"
"Nope, but I have to admit that she's pretty good."

I spot a circular ring made of rocks on the ground and Julia comes running out of one of the caves, waving her hands, Sirus following at a significantly slower pace.

After we touch down and the capsule opens, we are already surrounded by the dogs, who sniff at us curiously.

Eva is very reluctant to even get out of the capsule, apparently very afraid of the dogs and their admittedly very large teeth, but after watching the lot of us with big eyes for a little while, she finally climbs out and asks, "How...how did you manage to tame this many?"

Only now Sirus looks up to the capsule and asks, "Eva? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me...um...hi, Sirus. Oh and...sorry about the last time. I...don't think I ever had the chance to apologize properly."

Like an entirely different person...I guess the game has begun.
Very well then, you want to play? Force my hand?
Alright, if it is a fight you want, you can have one.
But I will not fight with your weapons.
I'll use my own.

I face Sirus, while my thoughts are running extra laps.

"Alright, Sirus, we kinda pissed off your old friend Robert, who apparently has gone completely bonkers and is now acting as the dictator of the colony. We should have a few months to prepare for his arrival. And Sirus...I'm just about sure, that 'words' will not resolve this particular issue, if you know what I mean."

Sirus first gives me a bit of a surprised look, but then nods and says, "I see. Alright, we have the advantage of the terrain, but he has the manpower and the weapons...if it comes to an open conflict, we lose before we begin."
"We also have air superiority," I state, pointing at the dogs.
"No, we don't. Nym, we cannot pull them into our mess."

Just then, Ray descends from the heavens, lands right next to Sirus, who doesn't even twitch, whereas Eva jumps back in terror.

Oh, the possibilities of teasing her...too bad that we need to prepare for the war that is to come.