Let’s Not [Obliterate]
Chapter 191: Something to Give

First Day 11:26, Engine Carriage, Corridor

With a little twitch of her antennae, Omi opened the corridor connection and gestured toward the others to follow. “Your rooms will be in carriage number one, one of the four bed carriages on the train. It’s where I live too.”

They exited the locomotive and entered a little connecting compartment, stepping over little segments that could slide against another whenever the train would traverse curves. The walls were made of folded, thick, red fabric, and a door led them straight into carriage one, which consisted of mostly a long hallway with doors to the right and windows to the left.

Omi pointed toward the fourth room. “I live in there, with Fentanyle. My girlfriends are one room closer, and these first two rooms are still unoccupied, like Ulber mentioned. So why don’t you just move in here? Wait — where is your luggage?”

All her companions’ eyes went to Theora, who reached out to Dema’s breast pocket and pulled out a sad little scrap of her interdimensional travelling attire. Theora had wanted to wear something different so she’d… ‘shrunk it down’ gently so it wouldn’t get in the way during the trip. 

“It’s all in here,” Theora explained, dragging the attire out with a soft tearing noise to reveal more folds. Experimentally, she pushed a finger in and dragged out one of Dema’s shirts. “See? It stores all we have.” 

Omi looked at the shirt with envious eyes, then leaned in to peek at the scrap more closely. “You have a self-repairing piece of clothing?”

“Yes,” Theora said. “Forgot where I got it from, I’ve had it for ages. It becomes bigger the more you tear it apart.”

“My, it’s like an infinite lunch box.”

Theora smiled. “Would you like a bite?”

Omi managed to decline, though it appeared to take her some effort.

The rest of the tour didn’t end up taking very long. Omi showed them their rooms, which were small and would require them to cuddle, and she showed them the diner in carriage three which they’d get a better look at later at lunch. Lastly, they arrived at carriage five to sit down in one of the communal areas each bed carriage had; little compartments at the ends that were shielded off the main corridor by a thin wall, with couches cramped around a small table.

The door of a room further ahead stood slightly open, but Dema didn’t mind when she started talking very loudly about how much she liked this place. Theora put Treeka on the table at the center of the hangout area. Dema threw herself onto the longer side of the couch and then crawled into Theora’s lap, where she received some gentle headpats.

“So how are the others liking it?” Omi asked after making herself comfortable, her feet dangling over the armrest. Her wings were crumpled up beneath her; she absentmindedly fidgeted with the tip of one of them, her thumb drawing small circles over the fabric.

“It’s cool,” Bell admitted, sounding somewhat shy. “A lot to take in, but I’m trying. At home I have access to a few Skills to sort through information — [Identify] and [Appraise] — but they don’t work here… so I feel slightly on the backfoot.”

“Aw!” Omi let out and reached out to pat Bell’s head. Theora felt her activate a barrier just in time to protect Omi’s delicate fingers.

“So what now?” Dema asked. “You said something about lunch… is that gonna be soon? Getting kinda hungry…”

“In an hour or so, yes,” Omi replied. “I mean, we could go there early, or maybe you want to rest in your rooms a bit. But I figured we could also just hang out here until then?”

“Yeah! There was actually something I was gonna get Bun Bun’s opinion on… So since we have time…” Dema pulled on Theora’s sleeve and looked up with dangerously cute eyes. “You were spacing out earlier, but I still wanna hear your thoughts. Who should we use it on?”

“Use what on?”

“My second [Immortality] slot! I got done-in big time while sparring with Bell. Gave me enough experience.”

Bell blushed a little and looked away.

Meanwhile, Theora let her gaze wander over her companions. “Shouldn’t we be using it on Bell or Treeka?”

“Well,” Treeka started, “that’s what Dema initially suggested, but I don’t know. Both Bell and I are very resilient and don’t die of old age the way many other people do. So… we were thinking of using it on someone who might be less prone to withstand time.”

Theora suddenly thought of Lostina and Serim. However, both of them were currently tucked away and not in any immediate danger. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. It would take quite a while for either of them to return. 

Treeka cleared her throat. “But while I’m alright with not getting a slot of [Immortality], it does, uhm.” She took a breath. “It does come with the understanding that Theora will protect us. Bell and me, I mean. That you won’t give up on us.”

“Of course not,” Theora said outright. “I won’t.”

Treeka let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” 

“That…” Bell said, still looking a little flushed, “that settles it, then. We’ll just see if we can find a person who needs it, and give it to them. Any restrictions?”

“Must be someone who’s at least gonna be able to regenerate themselves fairly well,” Dema mused. “Doesn’t need to be on your level or Treeka’s, but being ‘immortal’ doesn’t do that much on its own. Though, at least in our home world, it’s gonna be possible to help someone stay alive with magical devices and—”

“Hello, dear passengers!” a gruff voice suddenly rang from tinny speakers built into the corners of the ceiling. “A small heads-up from the engine room that the Campanella is about to depart. Next stop: Aluvia. We’ll likely arrive there in about three days. Please take care!”

Within seconds, a deep thrumming emanated from the walls. A few moments later, the train, ever so slowly, set into motion.

Kalonk, kalonk. The rhythmic clanking of the wheels over the tracks began sluggish, but picked up as their surroundings started drifting past them. The forest lay gloomy under a thick wall of clouds, fog approaching the corners of the window. Then, with a sudden rock, the carriage inclined. They were going up. Up, up, and up. There seemed to be no limit to the slope they were ascending, nor to the strength of the engine as it seemed to effortlessly pull all carriages up into the sky. 

The train broke through the clouds and was greeted with a deep, bright blue under an afternoon sun. It was only now that the slope ebbed off. The train took a slight curve, showing the tracks behind them, laid over the clouds as it found its course.

“That was quite something, wasn’t it?” a tiny, weak voice said from around the corner, heavy with breaths. A moment later a middle aged woman turned around the corner with a smile — with silver hair and graceful creases on her face. With her, puffs of dense smoke crept along the ceiling that looked suspiciously like… miniature thunder clouds?

As soon as she arrived, Omi shot up. “Rita! Shouldn’t you be in bed?” She scooted aside to offer Rita a seat, then squeezed herself closer against Bell, who grimaced as she activated more shielding.

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine,” Rita said. She was walking with a cane, which she placed down to lean against the armrest as she sunk into the spot Omi had tapped with her hand. “Seeing skies like that always makes me want to socialise a little, and I’ve been hearing muffled voices.”

“What are those?” Treeka asked with a wary voice as she eyed the ceiling. The clouds had now moved fully into the compartment, as if they were following Rita around.

“Ah, yes, don’t worry about that,” Rita said with a warm tone. “Those are just a bad omen.” She let out a soft sigh as she made herself comfortable. “So you are our new passengers, then? I thought I’d say hello.”

“Hello!” Dema said. “You’re also a passenger? How’s it going?”

“Ah, it’s going decent. Can’t help but feel tired.”

“You kinda say that all the time,” Omi mumbled. “I was going to come visit yesterday but Kaylay said I can’t because you’re asleep.”

Another sigh escaped Rita. “And I keep telling her I’m fine with being woken by visitors. She does mean well.”

Dema got up from Theora’s lap. “Who’s Kaylay?”

“That would be the knight charged with ensuring my safe passage,” Rita said with a smile. She was wearing some sort of night gown and had her hands folded in her lap. “But she got it into her head that I also need to be coddled. And… well, protected, I suppose.”

Omi pulled a grimace. “I know what that’s like,” she muttered. “Gosh, I wish being taken care of wasn’t so oppressive.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t have to be,” Rita answered. “Have you ever talked to Fen about this?”

“Of course!” Omi squeaked. “Just… she thinks her worries are more important. Oh well, whatever.”

“I’m sorry.” Rita offered a hand, and Omi approached with her head to receive pats. “I’m a bit luckier on that front, I suppose. I don’t mind being fussed over a little, truth be told. Even if it may lead to inconveniences. And it does make me sleep better, knowing I’m in the care of a knight who would do anything for me.”

“Yeah!” Dema said with an enthusiastic nod. “Exactly.”

Theora tried, and immediately failed, not to blush.

“Well, it’s about time,” Rita started, slowly getting up. “I’m going to head to lunch. Anyone care to join me?”

“Oh yeah, I didn’t eat all day!” Dema said, in what could only be described as a little bit of a lie.

A lie that made Theora laugh. “I gave you a snack from the attire half an hour ago…”

“I’ll pass,” Omi said. “They don’t serve fabric anyway, I’m going to go to my room to prepare food.”

“I—” Treeka croaked out suddenly, “I’m not eating either. I could join you?”

“Yeah!”

“I’ll take you,” Theora said and got up, Treeka in her arms. She cast a glance at Dema. “See you in the diner?”

“Sure!” Dema smiled so much it gave Theora butterflies in her belly. She seemed to be incredibly happy about all of this.

“Alright then,” Rita said, fully leaning on her cane. “I’m excited. New passengers always mean a bout of change.”