Valencia took off from the Tianlong and oriented for the fie's gigantic, white ship. From this distance it seemed like some kind of moon. Callum didn't have to do much beyond exist for a simple flight like this, which let his thoughts roam free. He resisted the urge to look back at Tianlong. Toward Mikan. Had he done the right thing by leaving her there? His instincts had told him to stop her but his brain hadn't been able to come up with a single logical reason why. It was her choice and, honestly, he couldn't even argue that it was a bad one. The kind of power Mikan stood to gain was reason enough. Logically. His gut told him something else.
'You shouldn't have left her there. That man is a predator.'
That was Valencia's thought. Callum wished he could think through this one on his own. His idle thought wounded Valencia and she retreated from him slightly. Callum rested his forehead on the control stick in front of him. He wished he had somebody to talk to about how to manage thoughts with somebody he was in a relationship with. Callum clamped down on that line of thought before it could stray into territory that might hurt Valencia. Instead he tried to think about what he would say to the Princess when they met and wondered what an alliance between her and Wu might look like.
The swooped down into one of the entry ports of Shimayasumota and followed the blinking azure lights to the hangar. Valencia set down in their designated area and Taka followed suit, showing deftness with her mech that spoke to experience. Unless it was Myna that was doing the landing. Callum detached from Angra Mainyu, coming back into his own body, and swam for the surface. He and Valencia exited and met Taka and Myna at the foot of her mech. Russell trailed after them silently, apparently still sulking. "This ship is gigantic," Taka said. "I'd heard the rumors but I can't believe they made something so huge."
Callum nodded. "I suppose it is pretty impressive." Taka looked at him like he was insane. Callum ignored it. He had something else to say to her and he wasn't looking forward to it. "Taka, we are about to meet the Princess. I think you should try to be… polite. The fie all really respect her." Taka rolled her eyes but didn't snipe back at him. He took it for a good sign.
The five of them met Princess Tsyirinsaku, Bel and Yemoramato near the middle of the hangar. They were alone, so the mechanics that were constantly tinkering with the mechs in the bay must have been cleared out. Tsyirinsaku looked as severely beautiful as ever in dark clothes that hugged her body closely. Yemoramato was wearing shorts that were about as short as they possibly could be and a cropped top. Callum hoped it didn't trigger a snide comment from Taka. It was Bel his eyes kept returning to, though. She was wearing a simple pale pink dress and white sandals but she was mesmerizingly beautiful as always. He was very aware of Valencia beside him but he couldn't seem to stop staring at the fie woman.
"Where is Mikan?" Yemoramato asked immediately. She glowered at first Taka and then Callum. The look Tsyirinsaku shot her suggested that she had preempted the Princess and it was not appreciated.
"She decided to stay on Tianlong a little longer for…personal reasons," Callum said. He thought that was the best way to put it.
"A little longer? She is coming back?" Yemoramato demanded. Callum thought it was strange how frantic she seemed, considering she resented training them so much.
"Yes." Callum hesitated for a moment and then nodded firmly. "Yes, I am certain she will come back." Even though Wu had some kind of bizarre hold on women, Callum couldn't believe Mikan would abandon her family for him. 'Then again, you never even considered she would have sex with him.' Callum shook away the thought. He might not completely understand Mikan but he did have faith in her.
Yemoramato opened her mouth to say something further but Tsyirinsaku held out an arm in front of her. "Enough." Yemoramato sneered but she didn't speak. "That's fine," she said, addressing Callum now. "Who is the woman that piloted her mech?"
"That's Taka," he glanced at her and it suddenly occurred to him that she might not want to be identified as Wu's daughter. "We met her aboard Tianlong and she volunteered to join us."
"Is that so?" Tsyirinsaku studied Taka. Callum was a bit impressed that she didn't shy away from that molten yellow and violet gaze. "Why?" Her voice was as cold as the void of space.
Taka shuffled her feet, revealing that she was feeling the pressure. "I was wasting away aboard that ship," she said. "I wanted to see what I could become. I want a chance to put my skills to the test."
Yemoramato snorted in evident disbelief but Tsyirinsaku merely nodded. "Very well. You can join Yemoramato's force with the rest of the humans. She's been having trouble filling it out anyway."
Taka blanched and Yemoramato hissed, "Another human?"
Tsyirinsaku ignored them both. "You've done well, Callum, Valencia. Wu has requested a personal meeting with me to discuss terms of an alliance. That is more than I dared hope for." She paused and then asked, "What did you think of him? I had trouble understanding him when we exchanged messages previously. He seemed to be a buffoon and yet it sometimes seemed he was very shrewd."
"He's both," Valencia said. "I think he is an arrogant fool when it comes to personal relations but very calculating when it comes to politics and power. You should be careful with him."
Tsyirinsaku looked at her and Valencia scooted closer to Callum and grabbed his arm. "Thank you for the advice." Callum could not tell if she was being sincere. Tsyirinsaku waited a moment, probably to see if anyone else had something to say. Callum almost told her to be careful with him but that would have been silly. Taka shuffled her feet again but kept silent. Loyalty to her father or something else? When it was clear nobody else had anything to say, the Princess gestured at Bel. "Belmavidelko has offered to give you a ride home. Enjoy the rest of your day. I will have orders for you in the morning." She nodded once and then spun on her heel to talk away without letting them react. Yemoramato chased after her.
Bel watched them go with a look of amusement on her face. Then she turned back to the humans. She stepped up to Taka and grabbed her hand. Taka's eyes widened with surprise. "Welcome to the Shimayasumota, Taka!" she said brightly. "I'm always happy to see another pretty face. Don't worry too much about Yemoramato. She has a sore tooth but she's a sweetheart deep down." Callum blinked. He had yet to see much evidence of sweetness from Yemoramato. "I'll send you my information so please feel free to ask if you need anything at all. Call me Bel, by the way!"
"...thanks," Taka said, tugging her hand free with a look of distaste. 'Wow, if Bel can't charm her than nobody can.'
"Come on!" Bel said brightly, seemingly undisturbed by Taka.
As they moved to follow her, Russell caught Callum by his pant-leg. "I'm going to stay with Angra Mainyu tonight."
Callum looked down at him. He was often annoyed by Russell's exuberance but he didn't like this muted Russell either. It was unnatural. "If that's what you want." Russell nodded and headed back toward the mech. The rest of them followed Bel to her car.
Taka instantly took a seat in the back, as did Valencia. Though he felt a little guilty about it with Valencia right there, Callum decided to sit up front. "So how was it?" Bel asked as they pulled away.
"Interesting," Callum said, diplomatically.
Bel giggled. "Didn't like him, did you? I didn't think you would."
"You met him?"
"I did. The first time Tsyiri tried to make an alliance with him. He's pretty funny. Even in our formal meeting, he was clearly trying to seduce every woman he set his eyes on." Callum squirmed. He wanted to ask but he also didn't. Bel glanced over at him and grinned, obviously guessing what he was thinking. "I can see why so many women like him. He has a way about him.." Taka made a loud noise of disgust which only seemed to amuse Bel further. "...but he's not really my type." Callum exhaled in relief. "Did you learn anything from him?" Bel asked. "About your power?"
"A little bit. I think I know what to focus on now." Callum crossed his arms and considered what to say next. Taka and Valencia already knew and he trusted Bel completely. "Mikan, I think, is 'learning' a lot more from him than I was able to."
"I see," Bel said. She didn't say anything further but Callum got the sense she understood what he meant. She gave no clue what she thought about it, though.
A few moments later, they swooped into the garage of the apartment building where the human pilots stayed. When they came to a stop, Valencia twisted around and spoke to Taka. "Are you alright staying with Valencia tonight? You surprised us so we don't have accommodations for you yet. We should be able to get it fixed tomorrow."
Taka seemed surprised. Callum was unsure what about. "Yeah…sure." Bel raised an eyebrow but didn't pursue the curious response. Valencia and Taka got out and moved behind to unload the luggage. Callum waited for a moment.
He glanced over at Bel, drinking in her exposed thighs and shoulders. He'd somehow forgotten just how beautiful she was. "Can I come over tonight?" he asked softly.
Bel smiled cheekily. "Oh? That isn't going to bother Valencia?" Callum's heart jumped into his throat. 'She noticed?!' Bel giggled. "Don't worry. It's not me you have to worry about. But you can't come over tonight." She sighed regretfully. "I tried every which way to wriggle out of my responsibilities tonight but…" She sighed again. "Jella has been asking about you every day."
"I'll visit her tomorrow," Callum said.
"Good." She grinned. "And I'll see what I can do about making some time tomorrow, too." She leaned over and whispered, "My toys can't match the real thing." Callum flushed. Bel pushed him playfully. "Go on. I bet Valencia is starting to get antsy."
Callum got out of the car and moved to help the girls get the luggage. Valencia opened her mouth when he came close but then closed it, looking flustered. Bel didn't help the tension when she blew him a kiss before driving away. Taka glared at him suspiciously and Valencia went red in the face, though she didn't say anything. Callum felt guilty but also irritated. He hadn't hidden anything from Valencia. She knew what she was getting into.
It was a silent walk and elevator ride to their rooms. Callum walked them to Valencia's room and, after a moment of hesitation, bent down and kissed Valencia on the lips. "Good night," he whispered, caressing her cheek.
Her eyes opened wide and she blushed deeply. "Good night!" she squeaked. Taka watched the whole thing through narrowed eyes. 'Let her think what she wants.' Callum didn't owe her an explanation. She was probably going to be a pain in the ass once she figured out he was having sex with two women but what could he do? Pick one? And, what, shatter Valencia into a million pieces?
Callum returned to his room and put away his things. There was still food in his kitchen so he fixed himself a light meal. Even though it was "evening" on the Shimayasumota, he hadn't been awake long enough to feel very tired. 'Maybe I should just go over to Bel's now.' In truth, he missed Jella almost as much as he missed Bel. He decided to wait until tomorrow just in case Valencia or Taka needed him tonight and settled into to watch a few videos before trying to sleep. 'I hope I haven't forgotten all the fie I learned…'
About an hour later, his door buzzed. Callum got up, expecting one of the girls. When he opened the door, though, it was Shargi. His heart buoyed. He'd missed her, too, and had wondered if she would really come back. His elation crashed instantly once he got a good look at her, though. Her right eye was swollen and there was a fresh bruise on her left cheek. Her right knee was also scraped and bleeding. Callum took her gently but firmly and pulled her into his apartment. "What happened to you, Shargi?!"
Shargi touched her eye and said, "Oh, no! Is it noticeable? Stupid Shargi! Shargi should have gone home to fix it. She was too excited to see Master. Stupid Shargi!"
"Forget that! What happened?"
"Nothing for Master to worry about! It was Shargi's fault." She tried to get around him back to the door but he stepped in front of her. "Shargi will go and fix it."
"Tell me what happened," Callum said sternly.
"Master…"
"Don't call me that. And I am not letting you go until you tell me what happened."
Shargi seemed as uncomfortable as he'd ever seen her. She stared down at her bare toes. "It was Shargi's fault. She was too excited to see Mas...Sir. Shargi was with another Master who was not finished with her yet and she tried to leave. He was right to be angry with Shargi."
"He hit you?" Shargi nodded reluctantly. Callum seethed inside. He wished he could go and visit the brute that did this to her but he knew Shargi would never divulge who it was unless he pushed her harder than he was willing to. 'I will have to talk to Bel.' For now, he could at least help her. Callum grasped her hand and tugged her toward the bathroom. "Come on." Shargi came without complaint.
Callum searched through the cabinet on the wall. Shargi had explained to him that many of the things inside were for first aid. Of course, he couldn't read any of it and he hadn't had any kind of medications available to him on Ragrun. He pulled out a tube of cream and held it out toward her. "Is this for bruises?"
Shargi shook her head. "It's for cuts. To stop the bacterias."
"I see." Callum knelt down and squeezed out a little of the white cream. He rubbed it into the scrapes on her knee.
Shargi tried to push him away, though weakly. "Master doesn't have to…"
Callum ignored her. He returned to the cabinet and grabbed a bandage. He remembered that. It took him a moment to figure out how to open the package but once he had it open, it was pretty clear how to apply it. He placed it over the scrapes and returned to his search. Shargi was staring at him in distress. Callum wished she would just help. 'Ah! That's right.' He pulled out a small, malleable, gel compress. He carefully arranged it around her eye. "Is that right?" he asked.
"The tab…" Shargi said faintly.
"Right." He pulled a small tab and the compress went from white to dark blue. When he touched it, it was very cold. "Is that alright?"
"It is fine," Shargi said. "It will help with the swelling. But Master shouldn't be wasting his things on Shargi."
Callum sighed and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. 'Don't get angry with her.' "It's not a waste, Shargi. You're as valuable as I am." Shargi didn't reply but the way she refused to meet his eyes meant she didn't agree. She just didn't want to argue with him. Callum had been hesitant and worried about broaching this topic with her but seeing her like this…her reaction to being beaten. It sickened him. "Shargi, you have to value yourself more than this. You should accept any person laying their hands on you."
Shargi stared at the countertop. "Not all Masters are as kind as Callum."
"Then you shouldn't serve them," Callum said. "I don't understand why the Princess allows this to go on. I'm going to talk to her."
"No!" Shargi snapped her head up. Her voice was so vehement that it shocked Callum. He couldn't remember her ever having such a tone. "Master mustn't! What if the Princess takes them away from Shargi?"
"That's what she should do. They shouldn't be allowed to treat you that way."
She looked horrified. "How will Shargi live without them? Shargi has nothing else! She is only good for one thing!"
"That's not true!" Callum shouted. He surprised himself with the volume of his voice, even though it was in response to her screaming and instantly lowered it. "I'm not sure what all you've been through in your life Shargi or how your first master convinced you that you weren't worth anything. But it couldn't be further from the truth. You are kind and thoughtful and hardworking. And you aren't stupid. I've seen you working with Jella. You don't say much but I can see in your eyes that you like learning."
"No. No." Shargi backed away from him. "Shargi is stupid. Shargi is useless. Shargi is good for only one thing. You can't take that away from her!" The fact that she addressed him as 'you' told him how much stress she was feeling.
"No. You're wrong. Your former master and anyone else who ever told you that is wrong," Callum followed her, slowly, only matching her steps so the gap between them didn't widen.
"No. No. No. Shargi is…Shargi is!" She was breathing rapidly now and her mismatched eyes were darting from side to side as if searching for an escape. 'Is what I am saying really so horrible to her? Is this why the fie continue to let her be abused like this?' It didn't matter. It was wrong and Callum wasn't going to let it go on any longer. He stepped forward rapidly and grasped her wrist. She tried to tug away from him but he didn't let her go. "You can't! You can't take away from Shargi. She only has this. Only this!"
"You're wrong. I'm going to prove it to you." Shargi tried to tug away from him one more time and then her face just crumpled. She started sobbing so hard it seemed almost painful. Callum thought she was trying to say something but it was so unintelligible that his translator couldn't pick it up. Some gut instinct made him pull her close, hugging her tightly. "I'm not going to abandon you, Shargi. I promise. I will never, ever let you be alone, no matter what."
She cried for a long time after that. Callum held her until she ran out of tears and a little while longer after that. When he pulled back to look at her, her eye was almost swollen shut. 'Is crying bad for a bruised eye?' She seemed completely drained. Callum scooped her up in his arms. She barely protested, which told Callum how tired she had to be. He carried her to his room and tucked her into his bed. She tried to resist, talking about cooking him dinner but he stared her down until she stopped. "Get some rest, Shargi. I'll be here where you wake up." He sat on the bed next to her, above the covers.
Shargi watched him with her unbruised eye and slowly, shyly moved her hand a little closer to his. Callum got the message and took her hand in his. It was warm–Shargi's body temperature always seemed to be higher than his. She had soft, smooth skin and long fingers. Shargi eventually drifted to sleep but Callum stayed awake. He hadn't been tired before and now he had to figure out exactly what he was going to do about this.