…TPWM 2.01 I have a… no? Later then? Okay…

January 27, 2019, 10:05 am.

As the flame’s last traces disappear and everyone’s eyes turn toward me, Beth holds up her hand. “Kid, can it wait?”

Crinkling my brow, I look around the command centre. Time is going pretty slowly. So I nod, biting the inside of my lip as Beth sighs, casting me a small smile.

“Okay, good. I need some rest. It’s been… a day,” Beth says, waving as she marches toward her room.

Roberts hums as Beth starts walking away, Josh following close behind. Roberts places his hand on my shoulder. “We can talk about it later. Unless you’d like to talk now?”

“No,” I say, my shoulders slumping as I watch Beth walk away. “It… it can wait.”

Wyonna buzzes in my head even as I answer. “It might need to! What is all this? Where did… Theglia?"

“If you’re sure,” Roberts says, only stepping away when I nod to him.

Even as he’s walking toward his own room, Rufka comes up to me, throwing her arm over my shoulder and leading me away. I glance back at the meeting room as Wyonna beeps in my ear. “You guys definitely need to give me time. It’s gonna take me hours to sort through this mess.”

“Sure,” I reply, taking one of Rufka’s hands as we slip into my room. “Take all the time you need.”

…TPWM 2.01 I have a… no? Later then? Okay…

January 27, 2019, 10:13 am.

The soft covers of my private room lay in a pile at the foot of my bed as I attempt to extract myself without waking Smoulder or Rufka.

Beth’s insistence to rest turned out to be a good idea. I hadn’t realized how tired I was. Not until we’d reached our room and I passed out with barely a peck on Rufka’s cheek. The remnants of the morning pass in a blur as we continue to enjoy more mandatory rest time. Wyonna’s still chomping through Theglia’s download and Beth hasn’t emerged from her room yet.

Nearly a day and a half of dilated time later, we’re finally gathered in the observation room of the CMCC (Citizen Mission Control Centre) again. And I’m chomping at the bit to get out. The lack of mana is driving me crazy.

Still, now that we’re assembled, Wyonna is ready to divest the relevant bits of Theglia’s gift. Her face dominates the central screen as she brings up a map of Akilo, several glowing red dots shining over the room. Wyonna waves a hand at the screen to her side as she says, “These little blips should be familiar to those who’ve been paying attention.”

“The Sanctuaries?” Rose asks, a robe similar to Josh’s around his shoulders,. But his is a deep blue that’s surprisingly striking with his orange and black striped fur.

“Yep. Those are the good news. Sorta. Really, they’re like the golden apple. Don’t take a bite unless you’ve got good teeth.” Wyonna accompanies her statement with a picture of a stick figure losing all its teeth.

Setting a plate on the table, Josh takes a seat next to Rose as he asks, “So they’re defended?”

“By Sentinels. Creator anti-theft measures.” Wyonna flashes a picture of a statue on the screen. It’s only as I see the ‘Alexis for scale’ that I realize the thing is at least ten stories tall.

“-won’t be enough to protect most of earth. A few Australias max.” Wyonna says in response to a question I missed.

“Better than we had,” Beth says, rapping her fingers on the table. “How tough are these sentinels?”

Wyonna shrugs her digital shoulders as she flicks the camera view to show the cracks splayed across the statue’s surface. “Tough enough to withstand everything Akilo could throw at them. They’re all standing.”

“Except the one in the dungeon,” Roberts points out, leaning forward while tapping his chin with steepled fingers. “Though I suspect it was under different rules.”

“Yep. Not sure what was going on there. Creator cities aren’t usually rezoned as dungeons.” Wyonna’s display flips to a view of one of the Sanctuaries from a hilltop. Not one I recognize. But the statue is visible in front of the silver spire at the centre of the Builder city.

With a smile, Wyonna turns her eyes to Beth then to me. “Anyway, you two might be able to take one down. There isn’t much that can stand against your devastating attacks.”

With a tap of her staff, Tipan draws our attention, her mohawk hanging to the side as she blows at it. A new style Wyonna suggested. “We can attempt it. Without Ivicka, we should be able to make a quick incursion.”

Turning to Genitha, Beth says, “Speaking of which, any word on the-“

Genitha raises her left eyebrows as she leans back in her chair, her feet on the table with all four of her arms behind her head. “No. My friend hasn’t responded yet. I intend to visit Aethire to find her.”

The skip-skap of a rolling ball draws my attention to the side where Demo is standing away from the table, rolling one of his grenades back and forth. He gives me a slanted smile, his toothpick flicking as he sets the grenade on his belt.

Then Rufka pulls me forward as she leans toward her mum. “You’re not going alone this time. We just got you back.”

“Kitten, I’ll be fine.”

“Yep. Cause we’re going with you.” Rufka crosses her arms while glaring at her mum, Smoulder hopping on the table next to her, adding her own glare to Rufka’s. Though I get the impression Smoulder’s just being supportive and has no idea why she’s glaring at Genitha.

A loud crack sounds through the room, Genitha’s chair slamming into the floor as she rolls forward, suddenly looming over Rufka and I. The only sound in the room is Smoulder rustling her fur as Genitha stares down at us. Then her face relaxes into a smile. One I’m familiar with. Rufka’s face is the same when she manages to get something by me. “Excellent kitten. I’d love to get to know your new thiani.”

With a groan, Rufka places her face in all four of her hands.

“Hmm. While you’re doing that, I think the rest of us should start sorting out the prisoners,” Beth says, pushing away from the table. “We’re gonna have a lot of work for you once you get back, kid. Don’t take too long.”

“We won’t,” I promise.

“I’ll make sure of it. Someone has to keep these earthbound in line,” Tipan says as she joins us, standing at my elbow.

Genitha raises a single eyebrow at Tipan, causing her to wilt slightly before shifting to me, extending her hand. I take it with some trepidation as she pulls me into a side-hug, leaving me looking down at where Smoulder is nuzzling against Rufka’s still table-side head.

“This’ll be a fun little adventure. Tell me, Alexis, has my daughter taught you how to play Astra’s Stride?”