---[ POV: Flynn ]---

Building a prosthetic arm from scratch had not been an easy task but Flynn was satisfied with his final result.

He observed the finished product with a prideful grin. All that was left to do was to close the casing and test it to see if it interfaced with its connector properly.

Athena had helped to create the blueprints and adapt the design according to the young man's instructions, but despite her advanced knowledge and the heavy degree of alteration made to one of the standard Empire prosthetic blueprints they had used as a basis for the whole project, transforming the resulting plans into a real product had been harder than Flynn had anticipated. Not because the custom product designed by Athena was too complex, but on the contrary, because it had been greatly simplified.

One of the main difficulties came from the fact that the intended recipient, Gwenvar, was not equipped with a neural stack. Since most implants that needed to receive voluntary nervous signals to work properly were normally linked to their host stack, which served as a matrix to transmit prompts from the brain to the implant, Flynn had to bypass this limitation by also assembling a connector.

This connector was designed as a permanent implant that would have to be attached at the extremity of Gwenvar's arm and fused with her flesh. This connector would link with her remaining nerves to receive nervous input, but also, in a more crude way, with her tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Both the nervous impulses and the physical stimuli she would create by moving would be registered by the connector and translated into motion instructions easily transmitted to the cybernetic arm itself. The arm would simply need to be connected to the connector.

Flynn had built the connector and the arm as separate entities rather than as one single cyber-ware so that it would be easy to remove the arm for reparation, customization, or simply to replace it.

The second limitation Flynn had faced was that he had to create a connector simple enough that it could be implanted using only the corvette's rudimentary medical bay. Given the incredible physical condition of Gwenvar, Flynn was not too afraid of complications, but since she had no lymphites to help her assimilate the implant, he could not afford to be too invasive with the procedure.

He only had a couple of doses of medical lymphites left and he preferred to preserve them. Of course, he would use one if the situation took a turn for the worse, but he was hoping he would not have to.

Because of those two limiting factors, another full week had passed since he had started to work on this project more seriously.

The outside light entering from the lowered ramp of the cargo bay had some trouble finding its way all the way to the engineering bay but at least the fresh and brisk air of the mountain was able to reach the young man and reinvigorate his senses dulled by the hours he had just passed soldering circuits and assembling the tiny component of the cybernetic prosthetic and its connector.

Flynn sighed in relief, removed the magnifying headset he had been wearing, and unlinked JAX and his stack from the set of mechanical arms of the engineering station which he had been using to do most of the works requiring more precision and finesse than human fingers could produce. The arms of the machine retracted in the ceiling above the workbench and Flynn smiled as he recalled the reaction of Amaryllis the first time she had seen it; she had thought it was a living creature or spirit and tried to speak with it, calling it the metal maker-spider. Flynn had had some fun for a time, making the arms move and react to the princess' words until he could not contain himself and had to explain to her it was a simple tool he controlled.

The young girl had been mad at him for the rest of the night on that day, and Gwenvar too, by pure solidarity, but Flynn could tell the woman had found it as funny as him.

Flynn got up from the working station and walked outside, passing by Athena and Amaryllis who were sitting in the cargo bay in a small corner they had arranged in a hangout and relaxing spot. They spent their afternoons there together after Herman's morning lessons. The young princess spent her time either meditating or listening to holographic documentaries.

Flynn had shown her one of the holoprojectors a couple of days back and she had since been spending almost all of her free time watching everything she could with utmost fascination. The fact that most of the recordings available were in Imperion - a language she could not understand - and about scientific subjects unlikely to appeal to a teen girl, had not doused her enthusiasm one bit.

The young princess had asked Athena to traduce them for her, but soon also had to ask for explanations since the knowledge exposed in those recordings was completely alien to this world. The AI was happy to oblige but Flynn had warned her not to reveal too much about anything sensitive such as military technologies.

He knew, by now, the princess did not represent a danger, but he still preferred to err on the side of caution for as long as possible, or at least until he knew why those people had come for him and what to expect from the world outside those mountains.

The young lieutenant greeted the two girls as he passed by and got down the ramp, looking for the princess' Warden.

Gwenvar was normally training outside, except when Herman was around, at which point she adopted her meanest and angriest face, transformed into a guard dog, and got glued to the heels of the princess like a fly to a dung pile. When the old wizard was not here, she could be found outside training from dawn to dusk. Flynn found it a bit excessive and had questioned her about it, to which she had simply answered that she needed to be ready for when next she would have to defend her Ward. Even Amaryllis was kind of surprised. She had poked fun at Gwenvar about this change of habits, saying it was unsettling to discover she was indeed able to get out of bed before noon.

The wind that whistled softly in the canyon was tempered by the warmth of a fading spring and a fast-approaching summer.

In this world, the fifth week of the month known as Brightflow, the second month of spring, was just finishing.

Flynn had learned from Amaryllis that the people of the Inheritor Realms - the name given to the nations that arose after the fall of the Empire of Kaldor - used a simplified naming convention for their calendar because the previous cultural disparities on this matter had caused a lot of trouble and confusion.

Like on Earth, each of the four seasons was divided into three months. Each of those months was composed of exactly 30 days - five weeks of 6 days - and roughly corresponded to one lunar cycle from the largest of their three moons, known as Selorn.

Each season was associated with one of the four elemental essences because, apparently, the eponym essence was stronger and more abundant during the season named after it. The months of each season were simply referenced by a word associated with the season element - wind for the air of winter, flow for the water of spring, light for the fire of summer, and stone for the earth of autumn -, with the addition of either the dim, bright or fading prefix - in that order - to differentiate them. Now being Brightflow was thus the equivalent of April if one compared to the standardized calendar of the Empire.

This simplified month system did not match the solar year, however, so 14 intercalary days were inserted between the months, most of the time as special holidays, to keep the calendar synchronized with the solar year; one between each month, and two more at the end and beginning of a year.

It was now the 30th and last day of Brightflow (April). According to this new knowledge, this meant Flynn had crashed on the 23rd day of Dimflow (March), more than a month ago.

Flynn walked around the corvette, searching for Gwenvar, but there was no trace of the woman anywhere.

What the hell? She wouldn't leave the princess alone, even if I'm there. Or at least, not without telling me to keep an eye - no, both eyes - on her while she's gone. Unless, maybe, she went to do something she knew I would object to. Oh God, don't tell me she went to confront Herman. That old man has more than one trick up his sleeves and I'm sure he won't go down without a fight if Gwenvar attacks him. That, but he also has two companions with him; that young woman and that other person in red robes. I haven't told Gwenvar or the Princess to avoid any unnecessary panic, but I'm sure those two strangers are able to defend themselves as well.

Flynn called for Gwenvar but, having no answer, he quickly returned inside.

"Princess' you wouldn't happen to know where your Warden is?"

Amaryllis' expressive eyes could not hide her discomfort.

"I don't know," she said uncomfortably.

Flynn didn't need to use any special means to see that she was either lying or hiding some part of the truth.

"Princess," said Flynn with a serious tone, "if you know something, you need to tell me. You know just like me that she's not seeing eye to eye with Herman. If she went for him, that could spell trouble for all of us. He is a mage. I don't know how mages compare to fighters on this planet but that could be dangerous for Gwen. That, and if Herman is the one to win, he might then decide to take revenge on..."

"I'm sorry, Lord Flynn," said the young girl with a guilty expression, "but I can't say anything. I'm not even sure where she went myself. She just told me she needed some time alone. Don't worry, she certainly won't go after Herman, that I am sure. I strictly forbade her to do so and Gwenvar has never disobeyed me, ever."

"I am still worried. Do you know when she'll be back?"

"No, she didn't say. But knowing Gwen, probably tomorrow morning."

"Not that safe to spend the night outside..."

"I trust Gwen," said the princess with a reassuring tone. "She's able to take care of herself."

Flynn nodded, unconvinced, and returned toward the engineering bay, but as he did, he opened a communication channel with Athena through his stack and only transmitted written messages to keep the discussion secret from Amaryllis.

[Athena, I am still worried something might go down. Can you pretend you're still here with the princess by projecting yourself through the holoprojector and then go out to see where Gwenvar went?]

[Sure,] responded the AI, [but why not just leave her be for tonight? She seemed a bit preoccupied earlier when she came to inform the princess, but nothing that had me worried. I think she just needs time alone. I don't fully understand humans' reasoning yet, but isn't it normal. I feel like that sometimes...]

[You do?]

[Why wouldn't I?]

[Well... because you're an AI?]

[Yeah. A 'true' one. A sentient one. I have as much emotions as anyone else, you dork!]

[Right. Sorry. I'm not used to that.]

[Better get used to it and quick, my adolescent crisis is just around the corner.]

[God no! Please don't. I'm not trained for that shit.]

[Too late.]

[Fuck! But seriously, could you go, as I asked?]

[More worried about that woman than about me I see! Men's hearts are so fickle!] she embedded a video of herself making a dramatically desperate pose. [Maybe she tripped on a rock or got lost? What will we ever do?! Hey, wanna come with me to save her again? If once was not enough, why not twice or thrice?]

[Hey, I'm serious here, stop joking!]

[That's called theater and drama. The people that venerated me were quite fond of it, you uncultured swine.]

Flynn could hear the laugh of Athena in the cargo bay, crystalline and falsely refined, but she astutely masked it as a reaction to something the princess had just told her. Flynn knew that, as an AI, she was perfectly able to repress that laugh and that she had expressed it out loud for his sole and express enjoyment. It annoyed him and prompted an irritated answer.

[No one venerated you. Stop cackling like an old witch and get out of here already!]

[Sure, mister Grump, I am on it]

There was another laugh that made the young man frown but he abstained from answering, knowing it was exactly what Athena wanted. Arguing with her usually only served to give her more ammunition to have fun at his expense.

That damn little pest! She's already in her teenage crisis. It's not coming, it's already there!

The conversation between the two girls continued in the cargo bay but Flynn could see the signature of Athena's drone flying away on his radar.

The rest of the evening was uneventful but Flynn remained preoccupied.

Athena had first scouted the place where Herman had built his camp but found no one else there other than the old man and his companions.

Afterward, she had started to scout the region, searching for traces of the Gwenvar.

It wasn't before late after sundown that she finally found something, and told Flynn not to worry; Gwenvar had apparently found a far away recess in the mountain, a couple of kilometers away from the corvettes, and was simply spending her time there, sitting on a rock formation and observing the tapestry of stars only broken by the round shape of Selorn, large and full. The woman showed no sign of wanting to return for the night or to cause trouble with Herman so, at around midnight, Flynn had finally decided to close the cargo bay ramp so that he could go lay down without having to keep an eye on the princess.

What the hell is this woman doing? Leaving the princess alone like that after how she acted for the last two weeks? And Amaryllis didn't seem that surprised either. Is that something that happened before, something she got used to her Warden doing? I can understand wanting some alone time but why go so far just to watch the stars? The night sky's as soothing here than there. And the air's as fresh. And the princess' closer!

Flynn removed the armor and got to bed.

Well, I can always ask her later. Although, I doubt she'll want to answer someone she doesn't know that much. If she went away like that it's that she wanted to be alone. If she doesn't even want the princess around, there's no way she's speaking to me...

Athena had decided to stay outside for the night, just in case something happened, which somewhat put Flynn's mind at ease. At least, if there was any danger, he would be informed immediately.

This whole situation annoyed Flynn more than it should have without him knowing why, and the fact that it annoyed him so much only amplified the feeling even more.

What do I care? Why do I care? If something happens, that's on her! Not like there are goblins and shriekers up here! But then again, if she gets hurt or dies, I'll be stuck with the princess. Not that I don't like her, she's a nice girl and all, but I already have my hands full with Athena and figuring this world out; I can't take care of two teen girls alone. Especially given the Princess' current situation.

He tried to forget about it and think about something else, something that would help him find sleep, but it took some time for him to finally be able to close his eyes.