"Do you have any idea how much of a paperwork nightmare you caused?! Losing a sido-noko not twenty miles from Strohl? The damn thing came back on its own! Trespassing into conserved land without the proper channels being notified?! Endangering a civilian–probably more times than you're going to admit to me–that's going to be a great one to explain!"
Ava stood just outside the door, but every word Coordinator Cooper screamed came through crystal clear. It was the day after they arrived back in Strohl, and though everyone received the best medical attention their benefits could manage–Chrissy made a note to complain about hers–the hole Cooper was tearing them would warrant further surgeries.
"And to top it off, Doctor Karlsen came forth and said you threatened him. Threatened him, Chrissy? His business is his business, and it's certainly not for anyone of your standing to lecture him! Much less threaten him! Icing on the cake! That's what it is! The nail in the coffin to close each and every one of your careers! There's nothing more that can be said!"
His lecture continued for the next ten minutes.
During this, Ava had time to think about the return trip. She and Ashton exchanged no words for the entire duration. Despite being less than twenty steps away, she made an effort to avoid him entirely. Even now, clutching her Resonant Ecology Almanac, his words echoed in her head.
"My son won't suffer as they did."
The glass window in the door smashed open. A paperweight no bigger than a fist crashed through and clattered on the marble floor of the DLF hallway. When Ava peered in, she saw Chrissy, Nathaniel, and Travlack all sitting perfectly straight in their chairs. The moment Cooper spotted Ava through the newly made porthole, he straightened his tie and sat back down.
"Ah, Miss Sinclair. Would you like to join us?"
She reached for the handle.
Locked.
Careful not to cut herself on the glass, she reached through and unlocked the door. It was then she pushed the door open and walked in. Each member of her escort gave a nod to her presence before Cooper cleared his throat.
"Miss Sinclair! I want to apologize on behalf of The DLF. To be completely honest with you, these were the last options we had to accommodate your prize while other business needed to be attended to! Their incompetence in no way reflects the capabilities of the DLF or their prestigious sub-guilds such as the RRET!"
Cooper was on his hands and knees spouting jargon about rules and regulations. While Ava's ring hand was being smothered, she peered over to see how her escorts were recovering.
Nathaniel had a fresh pair of glasses and a freshly pressed shirt. He tied his hair into a small tail–a special occasion indeed. Whenever Cooper would refer to him, his eyes would pop open to feign his alertness. But gradually they would droop again as he gave in to fatigue.
Chrissy sported a crop-top displaying her new stomach bandages. Much to her dismay, it did not provoke any sort of sympathy when Cooper brought up a troubled track record in great detail. Every fault she had, every mistake she made, or any call not up to code was attributed to recklessness and a lack of values for her work. Neville hid himself from Cooper's ire by using Chrissy as a shield. He clung to her pack with his ears flat against his head.
The only thing different about Travlack was his arm. Fully healed, it had been. These must have been the benefits Chrissy kept making comments over. He stared at Cooper the entire time and flinched only slightly when his condemning finger would hover over Travlack.
"And that's why you shouldn't let this mishap bear any weight when it comes to funding the RRET! We've already put together a more capable squad to keep you safe! Even better, you can pick them yourself! Just say the word and it'll be done!"
Ava smiled.
"Well, Coordinator–"
"Please," he caressed her hand, "Call me Cooper."
"Cooper. I would be willing to overlook these incidents if I may take you up on your offer. I know exactly who I want to choose to accompany me to the next region."
"It will be done! I'll even pull from the front line and add an additional escort for your personal safety! They'll be at your beck and call!"
"I thank you for the offer. As for my team?"
Ava motioned over to Nathaniel, Chrissy, and Travlack. Cooper followed her hand only to see a handful of disappointment.
"Are they in the other room or…?"
After doing a double take, he picked himself off the floor and dropped into his chair. He looked between them one more time. Then once again. He went to speak, stopped, and opted to once again look at all of them, his fingers folded into a bridge.
"Did they threaten you, Miss Sinclair?"
An exasperated hand made it clear she chose them. Without a word, Cooper walked over to his ornate cabinet. He pulled a single glass and a bottle of alcohol. After pouring himself a shot, he took another.
After looking around the room one more time, he took one more. After sinking back in his chair and running his fingers through a bald spot he took another. He looked at Ava and then back to them. Once more, back to Ava. And finally, back to them.
"Cooper?"
Ava tapped her foot. She would set the pressure upon Cooper like springhounds in a hunt. He reached for the intercom button on his desk and looked to Ava once more for reassurance. After a firm nod, he held the button and spoke:
"Alert my assistant to bring only the one with the sword. What? I don't care. Get her up here."
From the corner of her eye, Ava saw Chrissy's eyes widen.
"Miss Sinclair, if you are truly adamant about…them…being your escorts then that will be your decision. However, I will be adding one more to your party."
Footsteps drew nearer to the door. A woman with a flamberge attached to her back walked over the glass and closed the door behind herself. The woman in the door stopped just shy of Ava, kicking their boots into a sharp salute that sent glass at the side of her foot flying.
"Inspector Valyn Coxa at your service, ma'am. I believe this is the first time we've been formally introduced."
"Her and her squad informed me of your presence at the incident that occurred at Marlowe's post," Cooper stated, "Said your escort did all they could to keep you safe."
Ava smiled at them.
"That, and…let me see…here it is!"
Cooper straightened a piece of paper and put on his reading glasses. He read aloud the line as he traced it with his finger.
"Accompanied by a mouthy ranger of sour disposition. Despite sustaining numerous injuries, claimed to not need assistance in a scuffle she was clearly losing until we arrived."
"Oh really?"
Chrissy jumped from her seat and snatched the paper from the desk. Everyone watched her pace across the room as she read the laundry list of performance evaluations from Valyn's report.
"Doesn't work well with others…lacks control of flying companion…mediocre combat skill…inadequate to lead…let's emotions get the best of–I do no such thing! This is slander!"
She threw the paper in the air.
"Neville! Duli!"
He refused to move from her back. Confused, she gave the command again. Then again. She picked up the paper and repeated the command, even holding it in front of his face. Neville did not dare to move from his spot. His eyes were locked onto Valyn, who simply stared back at him. Without averting her eyes, Valyn retrieved the transcribed log and placed it face up on Cooper's desk.
"Miss Sinclair, for the next leg of your journey the Department of Lost and Found has assigned me to be your personal escort. I answer to only you and your needs, with your safety being my highest priority."
This was the first time Ava got a proper look at her. Despite being shorter than Ava, her presence made her take a step back. The sword she carried on her back was just as tall–or taller–than the wielder before her. The blood red hair contrasted her sand colored skin. Like Chrissy, Valyn too had a pattern of dots unique to her face. The design of these pitch black speckles ran from her forehead to the base of her neck, matching the length of her hair. When Ava reached to shake her hand, Valyn extended her own with no warmness or coldness.
Their hands met.
Then it was done.
"Inspector Valyn was amongst some of the best in her graduating class," said Cooper, "Surpassed only by her squadmate William–"
A coughing fit overtook him, causing his reading glasses to fly off and land at Valyn's boots. Without ever taking her eyes off of Cooper, she picked them up and handed them back to him. He flinched when she drew near, but she only ever made slow movements.
"I'm sure I'm here on my own talents, Coordinator," stated Valyn.
"Right you are," he smiled, attempting to compose himself, "She hails from the next region you will be traversing: the western desert."
Everyone but Valyn and Cooper raised an eyebrow. It was everyone's understanding that Ava, being the prize winner, would choose to traverse the world in whatever order she liked. Upon voicing this concern, Valyn's voice pierced through the chatter.
"It was in The Department's best interest. The western desert is my home. That being the case, they deem me the most capable to promise your safety. I apologize for any convenience this causes you."
Ava had no words. No emotion from Valyn's voice gave her any inclination on how to respond but in the affirmative. Satisfied with everyone's answer, Cooper dismissed them. After he took another drink.
"Goodness."
The day of departure had come. The airship crew were running their final checks, running frantically up and below deck. From her view on the observation deck, Ava spied four people hauling large chests toward her airship. Soren, who stood beside her, took out a telescope and peered to the masses below.
"It's them," he said, "Do you want me to accompany you down?"
"Why not. It'll give you a chance to meet Inspector Valyn."
"I thought you only had the Igosi–Travlack, right?"
"Just a compromise arranged by Cooper," she sighed, "Straight from The Department."
Together they took the lift down to the base of the skydock. The light of the sun reflected every curve of Valyn's flamberge. Perfectly polished, Ava could glimpse her own eyes when it shined at her. Eyeing her with contempt was Chrissy, who, as far as Ava understood, had no reason to be so cross. If these reports were true, it was Chrissy who owed her life to Valyn. Unlike her, Chrissy stood hunched with her hands in her pockets. This only magnified the difference in their posture, despite being nearly a foot taller.
Nathaniel and Travlack brought up the rear. Both occupied themselves with the sights of the skydock, completely clueless to Chrissy's ire. Or perhaps, ignoring it altogether. Behind them a face Ava did not recognize packed a trunk of her own. Nathaniel seemed to know her, as his demeanor immediately brightened upon seeing her.
"Nathaniel? Who is this?" she asked.
Before he could respond, a hand jutted out from in front of him and shook Ava's.
"Amber Vastera! Sorry, we couldn't talk before you left! The DLF wouldn't let me through. I'm the senior transcriber assigned to your journey! Nathaniel's told me all about everyone in his logs!"
From her bag she pulled a stack of pocket vinyl disks and waved them around. Nathaniel frantically attempted to grab them, but Amber kept them just out of reach by moving around him.
"Why did you bring those! Archive them!"
"I just thought we could go through them on the way there! All of us! I still have to get interviews, interpretations, and the like. It's a trip around the world, Nathan! How could I not?"
Another juke from Amber made Nathaniel stumble. Without missing a beat, Travlack used his newly mended arm to stabilize him. Amber stashed the stack of written discs and pulled out a fresh one. As if reloading a firearm, she popped the transcriber open and stuffed it in, closing it with a snap. After a breath, it started to spin.
"So, Miss Sinclair," Amber sauntered, "You've just been led on a tour by none other than Head Rover Nathaniel Bosh. What are you most excited about as we prepare to head to the scorching desert?"
"I don't know, but…"
Ava took a look at her escort. Everyone but Valyn, eyes wide, waiting on an answer.
One breath.
One raised chin.
One whispered affirmation.
And one answer.
"...we're going to find out. Shall we depart?"