Chapter 124: Whispers In The Night
As Ty soared upwards, the small fairy, struggling to keep pace, latched onto his pant leg. "I can't go this fast!" she cried out, her voice tinged with panic. "I only fly fast one direction but not high in the air or this fast!!"
Ty, realizing her predicament, responded quickly. "Oh, sorry, well hang on then, I guess," he said, adjusting his speed slightly to accommodate his tiny companion. He kept his focus forward, trailing Mattison through the sky. Aware that he wasn't entirely sure of the way back, Ty made sure not to lose sight of Mattison, understanding the importance of staying on course.
After a continuous flight of around fifteen minutes, Ty and Mattison finally touched down on solid ground. They landed right outside the front door. Mattison transformed back into his human form amidst a swirling cloud of black feathers, stretching his limbs as he regained his normal shape.
Ty landed beside him, just a few seconds later. The blue fairy, having clung to Ty's pant leg throughout the flight, tumbled to the ground, visibly disoriented. "If I could barf, I would. Please, never go that fast again," she complained, still trying to regain her bearings.
Curious, Ty asked her, "If you can't keep up with me, how did you even track me all the way to Mattison's coordinates?"
The fairy, not in the mood to divulge her methods, responded cryptically, "I don't feel like telling you right now." She then huffed slightly, showing her annoyance, and zipped around the building, presumably heading towards Nana's room.
Ty watched the fairy zip away, murmuring to himself, "Huh, well, she sure is upset." Turning to Mattison, he suggested, "Let's go ahead and head on in."
Mattison, looking somewhat downcast, simply nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's probably for the best," he replied, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.
As they walked into the Medical Housing, Ty found himself deep in thought. "I wonder if he drinks his problems away like people back on Earth do? I never really thought about it," he pondered, considering the possible similarities between humans and beings in this world.
Upon entering, they noticed the same woman at the table as before, now with bandages covering her cheek and possibly more injuries hidden from view. She seemed to be trembling slightly. As soon as she saw them, she shot up from her seat and gave a slight bow. "Welcome, General Mattison!" she greeted, her voice steady despite her apparent nervousness.
Mattison's response to the woman was brief and dismissive. "Sit down," he said curtly, paying no heed to her greeting. He then proceeded down the hall, his demeanor suggesting he had other things on his mind. Ty, following closely behind, asked, "Do you know where their room is at?"
To this, Mattison simply replied, "No," and without further explanation, he entered a random room and abruptly slammed the door behind him. This left Ty standing in the hallway, puzzled by Mattison's odd behavior and abrupt departure.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ty shrugged his skeletal shoulders, deciding not to dwell on the general's actions. He turned his attention to finding Nana's room. Walking down the hall, he reached the door he presumed to be hers and pushed the handle open.
In the softly illuminated room, Nana, barely awake, was absorbed in her book until she noticed Ty. Next to her, Lady Amaris was sprawled on the couch, snoring in a surprisingly loud manner. Ty, observing the scene, couldn't help but think with a hint of amusement, "She could give Todd a run for his money."
His chuckle was short-lived as Nana, noticing his presence, closed her book with a snap. "What took you so long getting back?" she asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.
As they exchanged words, the small fairy cautiously emerged from Nana's hair. She looked at Ty with a pleading expression, her small hands clasped together. Her gestures were clear, silently begging Ty not to mention that he had discovered her spying on him.
Ty responded with a slight laugh, an attempt to ease the tension in the room. "Sorry, a lot of things happened that we need to discuss, but we might need to wait until I find out where Todd is," he said, his tone suggesting a mix of concern and curiosity.
Nana quickly interjected, "He is actually in the room across the hall. Even though they have been putting him to work, he still has a lot of injuries, so he's been staying here getting medicine and care, like myself… though I don't know how well, as I haven't seen him in about two days. They do keep him busy."
The weariness from the day's events began to weigh heavily on Ty. He acknowledged this, saying, "A goal for tomorrow to discuss some plans and really just getting on the same page will do good." As he spoke, he moved around the room, his movements reflecting his fatigue.
Approaching the bed, Ty made a light-hearted comment, "I'll only take about half the bed's space if that's fine with you." His words were an attempt to be considerate of the space in the room.
Nana, responding with a slight blush, said, "Of course." She then let out a yawn, revealing her own tiredness. "I was just waiting for you to come back anyway, to make sure you didn't get yourself hurt or in any unneeded trouble."
Ty, settling into the bed, couldn't help but chuckle appreciatively. "This bed sure is comfy though. Lady Amaris really hooked it up for you," he commented, making himself comfortable. He then turned over, and soon the green flames in his eyes dimmed, a sign that he was drifting off to sleep. The subtle warmth from his hidden black flames also receded as he fell into a peaceful slumber.
Nana, still awake, observed him with a mix of amusement and concern. "Wow, you sure pass out quickly, huh?" she remarked softly, watching him sleep.
Curiosity piqued, she gently placed a hand on his bony shoulder.
That's when she noticed the missing index finger on his skeletal hand. A flash of confusion crossed her face, but she decided to set aside her questions for the moment. "For tomorrow," she murmured, deciding to discuss it when the time was right.