Process, Part 5 (CROSSProcess) by Hildred M. Billings

Author:Hildred M. Billings [Billings, Hildred M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barachou Press
Published: 2023-03-05T16:00:00+00:00

six

Sonall happened to be on his break from the stables when Kila dropped by unannounced. “Do you want to see Sulim off?” she asked him as he washed up in the industrial sink between stable and smithy. “They’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”

The cruiser depot was livelier than usual. Although this wasn’t Sonall’s first time around here, thanks to his side job in the smithy sending him to every corner of the fortress, it was his first while a handful of mercenaries departed for a mission. A small group gathered in the safe zone near the cruiser on the takeoff track. Sonall only recognized Hunter and Kleper at first, but soon Ari and Sulim came into view.

He hadn’t anticipated what she would look like in her newly minted mail. Sonall hadn’t helped craft it down in the smithy, but he had seen the order come in and the head blacksmith grunt at the added workload.

“Wow.” He didn’t know what else to say when Sulim spared him a minute. “You look so official.”

Maybe it was the pomp of the day, but he couldn’t recall ever seeing her smile so brightly. It’s like everything’s going right in her world. Sonall wondered what that was like. “This outfit is surprisingly not that heavy. Did you help make it?”

Her innocent question made him scratch her head. “No. I make horseshoes and shit like that right now.”

“When I get back, you better know how to make your own armor.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Sulim offered him the Cerilynian salute before turning around. For the first time in his life, he responded with the same gesture.

“What’s that about, huh?” Kila smacked him on the arm as soon as Sulim was distracted by something else. “You playing around on me?”

“Huh?”

She laughed. “Joking. I know she doesn’t like you like that.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Kila’s eyes lingered on him before she eventually turned away. They said goodbye to Eyne before backing up to the end of the safety zone. By then, most of the entourage had made their way there, since the cruiser was officially cleared for takeoff.

“Didn’t realize we were exclusive,” Sonall said to the woman next to him.

“Oh, I don’t think for two seconds I can pry you away from your favorite courtesan. Who was it? Lilah? I’ve seen her naked before. I think I’m hotter, but I’ll let it pass.”

Sonall was too jaded by that point to blush. “Maybe I’ll visit her tonight. You know, if you’re busy.”

Unexpected darkness clouded Kila’s eyes. “You should probably do that. I’m going to be busy, yeah.”

“Uh… sorry? I didn’t mean it.”

Her elbow brushed against him as the party entered the cruiser. Lights grew brighter. The roar of the engine would have been deafening if it weren’t for the plugs Sonall had brought for his ears. Hunter, who was the last to board, stood on the plank and waved both hands toward everyone looking in his direction. The rude gesture that followed made a few people laugh. Sonall had lost most of his amusement by that point.

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