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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 130: Company
🕑 Added 2024-10-23 17:01:30 +0000 UTCEdge was woken sometime later by Sasha’s hand on his shoulder.
“The rain is softer now, so we need to stand watch,” she whispered, so as not to wake the others. He nodded and stepped out of his tent. They walked over to the front of the cave, switched places with Jumo and Riller, and then sat down next to each other where they had a good view of the approach.
Edge hadn’t had a chance to speak with Sasha since their wild night together, other than a brief greeting the day before and some small talk while they hiked across the plains. He honestly wasn’t sure where they stood right now. How she felt about him or him about her. He liked Sasha, and thought she was incredibly attractive. But he honestly had no idea what he should do about it, or even what he wanted.
While relationships between tourists were common, there weren’t any families on Ord. At least not in the traditional sense. Puppet bodies were sterile, and children weren’t allowed to pilot them. Though romantic, sexual, and platonic relationships were just as prevalent as anywhere else, there generally wasn’t an expectation of commitment or settling down for the long-term, since anyone could die any day and return to their old lives.
Now that they were here for good, things would probably change over time. But it was still too early to know how that would play out. All Edge was certain of was that knew Sasha well enough that he wanted to be friends.
He realized that he was ok with whatever form that friendship took in the end. Ok with not knowing what would happen or how she felt about him. Although he had to admit that he was curious to find out.
No matter what the future held, there would be plenty of time to figure it out once they made it back to town. Edge didn’t want to ruin what they already had by making things awkward and pushing her away, so he decided to enjoy Sasha’s company and not overthink the matter right now.
They sat in silence for a while, before Sasha turned to him and said, “I never expected to find myself out here with my life on the line. Knowing that if I fucked up, my story would end inside a predator’s belly or on the tip of a jailbird’s blade. It’s strange and its frightening, but it’s exciting too.”
“I know what you mean,” Edge replied. “I used to fantasize about coming here all the time. Not just piloting a puppet, but being here for good. I never thought it would really happen. My old life was so trivial, and now everything is so urgent, intense, and new. I’m scared, but I wouldn’t go back if I could. Especially now that I have a core and can use the planet’s magic.”
After discussing the present, they moved onto the past, sharing a bit about their old lives before walking up on Ord. Sasha had lived on Eris, a planet whose economy was built around tourism. Not the puppet tourism that made Prison World famous across the galaxy, but the in-your-own-body kind that had been popular for centuries.
She had taken groups of off-worlders around to see the sights, and spent the offseason studying abroad. She had a background in biological sciences, with an emphasis on magical ecologies. That was why Sasha had wanted to come to Ord to begin with. To observe the most concentrated source of magical energy in the known galaxy, and get up close and personal with all the wonderous creatures it had given birth to.
While she spoke, Edge listened while considering the woman beside him. Sasha was bold and brave. Eager and a bit clumsy with her feelings. Kind, compassionate, and able to immerse herself in the joy of life. The kind of person he never would have met back on Earth.
As the rain pummeled the plains, they passed the time sharing stories and asking questions. Nothing too personal, just little details about their passions and preferences. Their likes and dislikes, hopes and fears.
They didn’t get any closer, but they didn’t withdraw either, maintaining a comfortable ambiguity that neither hunter felt pressed to resolve. Not long after, Trapper woke up on her own, and she and Violet took the third and final watch of the night. Edge went back to his tent and slipped between his bedroll. He slept remarkably well with the senior hunters on guard and woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed.
When he looked outside the cave, he saw that the storm had passed sometime during the night. The sun was shining bright, reflecting off the wet grass in dazzling pattern that shifted when the wind blew.
When everyone was up and about, Violet whipped them up another pot of porridge filled with fruit and nuts. After they ate their fill, Edge noticed that there was some left over, since they had kept on snacking while sharing tales around the campfire.
Blue tried to eat it, but Trapper wouldn’t let her since it would give the beast the runs—an outcome that no one wanted any part of. Instead, Violet used a skill to convert the remaining porridge into copper-class aether. A power that he hadn’t known she had.
It was interesting to watch. Violet didn’t have a reactor to ignite. Instead, her puppet body could convert magicytes into mana by burning its own reserves. A process that was far less efficient than what a core could achieve, which is why the uncored were limited to basic skills.
With a look of concentration, a thin layer of mana gathered in her hands. She bent down and touched the bottom of the pot, then the magic left her body transferred onto the food. The porridge started hissing and bubbling away, until only a half inch of bronzish energy remained. “Purified aether, copper-grade,” she explained.
Before it could dissipate, Jumo brought over an empty canister that was designed to store it. When he opened a valve and set it into the kettle, the aether flowed inside—ready to refill their lanterns and other low-grade magtech devices.
Violet’s refine aether let the crew stay in the field for an extended period without losing access to their devices. Another example of just how valuable it was to have a quartermaster along for the excursion. We need to find cores for her and Riller as soon as possible. It will make the team a lot stronger.
As everyone got ready to leave, Violet pulled Edge over to one side and handed him a bundle. “I have the repairs to your armor finished. I’m glad that you survived whatever did such a number on it. While I won’t pry into the details, I will remind you that I am extremely curious, and would appreciate it if you were willing to satisfy said curiosity one day.”
“Thanks, Violet. I owe you one. If you ever need a favor, all you need to do is ask. I promise that I’ll tell you that story before long, but now isn’t the right time.”
With that out of the way, the crew repacked the wagon and continued with their day. They were ready to hunt the giant lizard and make some Credits along the way.
