Technomancer: Birth of a Goddess

Chapter 118 – Goodbye

The next morning, Emily wakes up an hour before her departure. She slides out from under Juliana, leaving the peacefully sleeping girl alone before climbing into the shower. She stands under the warm stream of water, letting the calming flow wash away her doubts about the coming goodbyes.

After a few minutes, she leaves the shower, drying herself off before equipping herself with armour and weapons, this time without her robes, with her new scarf wrapped tightly around her neck instead. She steps out of the bathroom to find Juliana sitting on the end of her bed, fully dressed and staring at her with a wistful smile.

“Is it time?” she asks quietly.

Emily walks over and pulls her into a hug, nodding her head as Juliana’s arms wrap around her waist.

“Yes. We should go,” she says, holding their embrace for a few moments before pulling back and offering Juliana her hand.

She pulls the girl onto her feet and leads her to the door. Taking one last glance around the almost empty room behind her, ignoring the case the Mandragos sent her with, Emily steps out into the corridor. They quickly head for the transportation circle at the end of the hall, taking a short jump to arrive at the exit hallway leading to the station.

They run into Ivor before they make it out of The Dome, and he joins them without a word as they leave. In the station, they find Enzo and Dante, who both quietly nod in acknowledgement when the others enter.

Nobody speaks as they stand together on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive with an air of morbid anticipation. It’s not until the train slides into the station a few minutes later that the twins arrive, running into the hall and frantically looking for the others.

“Thank Goddess,” Hester mutters with a sigh of relief, casting a disappointed glare towards her brother. “I thought we might have missed her because of your stupid sleeping habits.”

Emily laughs at their entrance, releasing the unseen tension that held the group's silence.

“You’re certainly cutting it close. Am I not worth losing your beauty sleep over?” she asks Tom with a teasing tone.

“Of course you are!” Tom jumps to defend himself. “But that doesn’t mean I’m any better at getting up in the morning.”

Emily chuckles, turning and leading everyone onto the train. They settle down in a private booth and fall back into silence as the heavy machine carries them though the city to the wall. No one speaks much during the ride with everyone waiting for Emily to initiate the conversation, which she never does.

The train arrives at the docks a few minutes before eight, and Emily leads her friends off. The moment she steps onto the platform, Emily immediately spots Anton waiting for her. He notices her as well, sharing a nod of acknowledgement before heading towards her across the busy platform. Emily turns her attention to her friends as he approaches, taking a deep breath and finally speaking to them.

“I guess this is goodbye,” she says, watching the complicated expressions on her friends' faces. “I’ve never really had many friends before, but I’m glad you guys are on that short list. If it wasn’t for you… Well, it’s thanks to you that I’ve enjoyed my time in The Covenant. Thank you!”

Emily’s friends all start with surprise, caught off guard by her sudden sincerity. Dante recovers first, stepping forward and pulling Emily into a firm hug.

“It’s been an honour to fight with you,” he says before forcefully patting her back and pulling away, flashing her a wild grin. “I’ll miss blowing things up with you.”

“Me too,” Emily says with a matching grin. “Also, your fire’s gotten hotter since I met you. Focus more on your mana manipulation. I don’t think it’s your mental image that’s holding you back right now.”

“Okay,” he says, stepping back into the group with an appreciative nod. “Thanks, Emily.”

Enzo steps forward next and offers Emily his hand. She shakes it firmly as he speaks.

“It’s been an honour to see your magic first-hand. I look forward to hearing about your future achievements,” he says, drawing an eye roll from Emily.

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“You’re so oddly rigid at times,” Emily says with a chuckle, patting the back of his hand. “It’s good. I think it suits you better. You should focus more on your mental image. If you’re going to specialise in restraining and controlling, you should specialise your image of earth first.”

Enzo nods thoughtfully, giving Emily a small bow as he steps back and thanks her for her advice. Tom steps forward next, pulling Emily into a hug with tears forming in his eyes.

“I’ll miss you,” he says quietly before pulling away and putting on a foolish grin. “Got any magical advice for me?”

“Haha. Learn to shut up,” she replies with a teasing grin. “In all seriousness though, if you can work out how to present as a bit less of an idiot, I think a leadership role would suit you. You’re good at reading the room, I think you’d manage people well.”

Tom nods, a thoughtful yet slightly disappointed look crossing his face as he steps back.

“Leadership is a talent, Tom. I mean it,” Emily says quickly, noticing his mixed feelings. “It’s not one I have either. You’re the one who kept everyone’s morale up in The Glade. Don’t underestimate yourself.”

Tom’s shoulders relax a little as he flashes Emily a warm smile.

“Thanks.”

Hester steps forward next, meeting Emily in a hug.

“I’ll miss you,” she says as she squeezes Emily before whispering into her ear. “I meant it by the way. Even if you become a fugitive, you’re welcome in our home.”

Emily pulls back and smiles.

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you. I never would have made it this far this quickly if you hadn’t taken me to The Glade.”

“You made the most of that experience on your own, I can’t take much credit. Stay curious, Hester, and question everything. I believe it’s an important trait for a mage. Oh, also give runes a closer study. I think you’d be good at spell creation.”

Hester nods and steps back, giving Ivor access to Emily. He steps forward with tears rolling down his cheeks, clutching the book Emily gifted him on Alchemy to his chest with one hand while offering the other.

“Come here, big guy,” Emily says, rolling her eyes and using his hand to pull him into a hug. “I’ll miss you.”

She pulls away, releasing the tall man from her grip and smiling at him with tears in her own eyes as she switches to sign language.

“I hope the book serves you well. Please look after J for me.”

Ivor nods, a firm resolution set on his face.

“Good luck,” he signs before stepping back.

Emily finally turns to Juliana, her heart aching as she looks at the tearful girl who steps forward with purpose. No words are needed as they meet in a tight embrace, burying their faces into each other’s shoulders one last time. They remain locked together for a short while before Juliana pulls back and lifts a hand to gently stroke Emily’s cheek.

“I’ll never forget you, Emi,” she whispers, biting her lip and trying to keep her pain from her voice.

“Nor I you,” Emily says, lifting a hand to hold Juliana’s against her face. “Goodbye, Jules. Thank you for loving me.”

Emily steps back, Juliana’s hand following her for a moment before slipping away as she turns and walks towards Anton, who’s waiting patiently for her to finish her goodbyes. He tactfully chooses not to say anything as Emily walks straight past him, turning on his heels to quickly follow her.

As they disappear into the crowd, Emily wipes the tears from her cheeks and casts a final gaze over her shoulder at her friends. She waves goodbye before turning back to the front, the image of Juliana weeping into Ivor’s shoulder burned into her mind.

It’s not until they reach the far wall, covered in passages to different hangars, that Emily finally pauses and addresses Anton.

“Where’s Calypso?” she asks quietly, making eye contact with him, her cold gaze sending a shiver down his spine.

“Hangar eighteen,” he says pointing towards one of the small doorways a short distance away.

Emily nods, her gaze warming a little as she flashes him a weak smile before turning and walking over to the indicated path. She steps into the narrow metal corridor with Anton close behind, leaving the bustling station.

“You don’t seem like you plan on coming back,” Anton says cautiously after a few minutes, as they reach a stairwell sinking into the wall.

“I don’t know what I plan on doing,” Emily admits as tears form in her eyes again. “I might come back, and I might not. I decided it best to give my… final goodbyes. In case I don’t.”

Anton nods in understanding, giving her a supportive pat on the shoulder and not pushing any further, giving the girl time to process her emotions. They continue down the stairs in silence, the sound of their feet hitting metal their only company in the narrow chute. It doesn’t take long for them to reach the end of the passageway, and it levels out as it opens up into a large, open hangar.

Sitting in the centre, exactly as she remembers it, is Calypso. Emily’s eyes run over the smooth metal panelling, lingering on every dent and scratch that only add to the beauty of the craft as methods to fix them quickly run through her mind regardless.

Anton walks past her as she pauses to take in the ship, gesturing for her to follow. Emily pulls her focus away, noticing a young-looking boy, probably fourteen or fifteen, frantically circling the ship with a clipboard in hand. The moment the boy notices Anton, he runs over to meet them excitedly, his choppy blonde hair bouncing with each step.

“Everything is in working order!” the boy announces proudly as he stops in front of the pair, failing to hide his curious glances towards Emily and her gear.

“Good job,” Anton responds, pointing to Emily. “This is Emily. She’ll be joining us for our trip to Eimdon. Treat her with respect, she’s a guest. Emily, this here is Podrick. We picked him up over in Folkard on our last major trade run. His dad runs one of the shipyards up there and wanted him to get some hands-on experience maintaining a working trade vessel.”

“Hello, Emily!” Podrick chirps, offering her a quivering hand. “Welcome aboard.”

Emily raises a brow, reaching out and clasping his hand, holding it steady as she slowly shakes it.

“Hello, Podrick,” she says calmly, without a hint of emotion on her face. “Have you been enjoying your time on Calypso?”

“Yes! It’s been very interesting. She’s a wonderful ship.”

“Indeed she is,” Anton says with pride, stepping forward. “Now let’s board her. It’s time to leave.”

Emily follows, walking beside him without missing a beat, and Podrick lags behind a step, hurrying to catch up and walk on Anton’s other side. They approach the lowered steps onto the ship and climb up, entering the side of the hull.

“You’ll be staying in the same room as last time,” Anton says to Emily as he shuts the hatch behind them. “Can you remember the way?”

Before Emily can answer, Podrick eagerly offers his services.

“I can show you if you want.”

“That’s alright,” Emily declines, stepping past him towards the crew’s quarters. “I can remember the way perfectly fine. I’ll join you guys on the bridge after dropping off my bag.”

She quickly makes her way through the ship, the pathways as fresh in her mind as if she had explored them yesterday. Heading up the stairs to the crew’s quarters, she heads straight for the far end, opening the door to the room she used last time and slipping in.

She shuts the door behind her and tosses her bag onto the bed before reaching into a pouch on her belt. She pulls out a small metal box with a few air runes carved into it and a pin sticking out of the top. She holds it against the wall beside the door and uses a light touch of metal and fire to fuse it in place.

¯¯¯¯¯

[Screamer’s Surprise]

[Rank:] E

[Description:] An artefact made from a screamer’s voice box to warn the user of a break-in.

[Effect:] When the pin is removed, releases a sonic attack to stun intruders and alert the user.

_____

I pity the bastard that sets this thing off without protection.

Taking a thin wire from her belt, Emily ties it between the pin and a scrap piece of metal before she slips out of the door. She closes it until only a gap narrow enough for her arms is left, and places the metal scrap against the inside face of the door, fusing it in place as well.

Satisfied with her makeshift defences, Emily makes her way to the bridge. She hears a loud screeching whistle outside and feels the ship shifting beneath her as she leisurely strolls through the narrow corridors, taking a long route to waste some time as the crew prepares to depart. She walks past a few storage rooms, peeking in to see stacked crates and barrels held down by fabric straps, and she even pokes her head into a crawlspace on the way past, hearing shuffling within and spotting a pair of legs crammed between two pipes deep inside.

By the time she steps into the bridge, Calypso is already sliding forwards and up, leaving the dock’s mountings with graceful ease.

“Hey, kid. It’s good to see you again,” Angela says, spinning in her chair to face Emily.

“Hey, Angela,” Emily responds with a subdued smile. “It’s been a while.”

“Sure has,” Angela responds, raising a curious brow as she looks Emily up and down. “You expecting a fight? That looks like some quality gear.”

“Nah, not unless you really annoy me. And thanks. I made it all myself.”

Angela whistles in an impressed tone before spinning back to check on the ship’s surroundings through the periscope.

“So cool!” Podrick squeaks, drawing Emily’s attention to him, standing beside Anton’s chair.

“Clockmaker turned weapon smith, ey?” Anton remarks with a grin, not looking away from his control panel. “Is that why they sent you to the capital?”

“Something similar,” Emily says dismissively, approaching the wide glass window spanning the front of the room.

She gives Tony a polite nod as she passes him, receiving a light smile in response. She stands in the window, admiring the view of the stretching plains from above for a few minutes before turning back again.

“Wanna see the city one last time?” Angela asks, spinning the periscope to face her.

“Yes please.”

Emily leans into the viewing lens, finding it already set to a rear view. She takes in the sprawling city of metal and steam, her gaze drifting from the high wall and the pillars of smoke to the large Dome near the centre, a pang of sadness squeezing her chest.

A tear rolls down her cheek as she pulls away, lifting the scarf around her neck to take a shaky breath, breathing in the painfully familiar floral scent before she turns to leave the bridge.

Goodbye.