The night before the group sets out to do what must be done, a suggestion from Eupha spurs everyone to take a moment and rest before they lose the chance to. Shenanigans happen, as they tend to in a hot spring.
Will wanted to enjoy this night for all it was worth, despite the weight of Louis’s imminent demise in his heart. He’d raise the spear and pierce the man’s heart—just as he resolved to do the moment Strohl nominated him for the job.
Maybe those thoughts drove Eupha to get them all a good night’s bath before their assassination. Will couldn’t say he minded the rest, anyhow.
The inn’s hot spring, encased by a ring of rocks and secluded beneath a suspicious pathway, betrayed its warmth as soon as Will walked out, clothes stored away and exchanged for a towel until he lowered himself inside.
He worried it might be too deep—he never learned to swim (or even float), but the shallow depth and misleading blanket of steam left him crouching, water drawn up to his shoulders with no risk of drowning.
Well, at least for him…
“And, here,” Heismay said as he perched himself on the edge of the springs, feet touching the surface until he slipped in and used his arms to anchor himself against the edge of the spring. “That’ll do fine. Ah, springs like this are heaven for worn bones like mine.”
“Even the steam’s enough to send your body into shock, with this city’s chill,” Strohl said as he stepped out of the men’s changing room, the separation between it and the bath being a mere curtain. Eupha, Junah, Hulkenberg and Gallica went to the woman’s side of the bath, leaving the two groups divided.
Will didn’t want to admit it, but he felt uneasy. He knew he hadn’t always been with Gallica on his shoulders. His memories told him otherwise, but still, something felt off without her.
He sighed and sunk into the water a tad more. The others would look out for her, he knew. Nothing could go wrong in such a short span of time.
Other than Louis somehow discovering their plans. Other than Fidelio and Basilio realizing their ruse. Other than Neuras getting hurt or kidnapped. Other than a lot of things, really.
Other than…
Too much for Will to carry on his shoulders. Worries didn’t stop Louis, though, so Will let them melt into the thick steam, dissolve and leave only traces of bitter fears behind, so palpable they swelled about his tense figure before he let it all go.
“Is something the matter?”
Of course Strohl noticed the young man’s concern. Will opened his eyes and smiled—not just for his friends, but for himself too.
He thought to say ‘Everything’s fine.’ Then he thought better.
“I’m…a little worried, that’s all,” Will said. “But more than that, everything in me’s waiting for tomorrow night.”
“I know how you feel,” Strohl breathed, words mixed with a sigh to air his anxieties out. “No, actually—I understand, somewhat. But you bear the greatest brunt of this mission. You’ll be the one we’re all counting on. I can’t imagine the weight that bears on your shoulder, and I shouldn’t pretend I can.”
“I’m sure he understands the sentiment,” Heismay said, dropping himself into the water with a splash when he located a suitable rock at the edge to perch on. A small wave hit Strohl’s face, which he wiped off as fast as possible. Will laughed.
“As long as the way up doesn’t have any sandworms we need to travel through, I can always count on your back-up,” Will said, getting the predictable reaction of a red face out of Strohl.
“I’d happily travel through the arses of a million sandworms if it means saving you,” he said. “I’m sure many people make use of this spring, it’s only normal to not want to get sick off drunken bathwater before our plan.”
Will glanced around, as if more people would materialize at Strohl’s words.
“Best be careful about what we say, then,” Heismay stressed to Strohl, whose face took on such a deep shade of crimson Will couldn’t decipher whether it came about due to the heat, the conversation, or some nefarious third thing.
“Right. Sorry.” Strohl sunk deeper into the water, letting out a content sigh, bright speckles of breath intermixed with the sighs left behind. “This truly is something magnificent. I wondered whether it’d be a true hot spring or something only hot when contrasted with bitter cold, but I could stay here a while.”
“Well said.” Heismay nodded in agreement. “Hot baths do wonder for your muscles and circulation.”
He paused, stretching his arms and fanning his wings. “Hm, I wonder if they’ve added any medicinal ingredients into this spring. Some can improve your skin health, others help keep you invigorated for when you leave the water. The right combination of salts and regular bathing may yet add some years to one’s lifespan.”
Strohl smiled. “You truly sound your age right now, you know?”
“…You’ll understand one day.”
The two lapsed into silence. The warmth of the pool brought them all to calm—nothing could disturb this moment.
Nothing at—
“Wait,” Strohl said, heart stopped. “Where’s Will?”
“Isn’t this grand?”
Junah lowered herself into the spring with such haste, a stray wave nearly took Gallica with it before she grabbed onto the bath’s ledge and saved herself.
“Hey, be careful, will you?” Gallica yelled. She flew away from the pool and waited for the others to enter the water before she got close again, arms crossed.
“Oh, sorry,” Junah said. She brushed her hair out of the way, revealing fair, thin shoulders and smooth skin underneath her usual clothes. Her figure would earn gasps and awe from anyone lucky enough to see it, though Hulkenberg did her best to disguise hers as she stepped into the spring. Yet the blush on her face gave her away—Junah giggled, and Hulkenberg turned away.
“Did I miss something important?” Eupha entered the bathing area last, nervous as she discarded her towel and stole a spot in-between the other two women. Junah gasped, hands on Eupha’s shoulder in an instant.
“Your skin’s so smooth!” She laughed and brushed her hands against Eupha before she let go. “Tell me your secrets!”
“My—” Eupha’s eyes widened. “My…I don’t understand. At home, we used a similar pool like this one and made our own soaps to clean ourselves. Is there something special about that?”
Junah pouted. “Of course there is, you’re gorgeous! Love, once we have a moment, you’ll need to tell me your care routine in detail. Letting your skin go dry would be a crime against the world!”
As the two talked, Hulkenberg turned away. Junah frowned and swam around Eupha, cornering Hulkenberg.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Junah said as she put her hands on Hulkenberg’s shoulders and ran a finger along it. “No need to be embarrassed. Tomorrow night, I’ll buy the nicest soaps this city has to offer, and I’ll show you how I wash my skin.”
“You—!?” Those words activated Hulkenberg’s kill switch. “I—you hardly need to—I mean, I wouldn’t…maybe…”
“Don’t be shy, let’s do it! It’ll be fun!”
“Well…I suppose. It’d be nice—after everything.”
Gallica sat on the edge of the pool. Her feet hovered over the steam, yet she seemed disinclined to approach the water. “We can’t get too distracted,” she said. “It’s nice to think about what may come after, but tomorrow’s coming no matter what.”
“We know,” Junah said. “We’d never forget so easily.”
“…I know,” Gallica said, face scrunched up into frustration that went nowhere except towards her heart. “Maybe it’s just something I needed to tell myself.”
“…Are you worried about Will?”
Eupha looked to Gallica, waiting for an answer. Though—she already knew. Of course she knew.
Gallica pulled her legs up, hugging them close. She didn’t answer.
Not that she needed to.
Eupha went to Gallica, making sure not to splash her again. “I’ll be with you two on the journey ahead. With all the strength I can muster, I won’t let any of us be hurt.”
Gallica poked her head up, hesitance painted over her. “I know Will’s protected by the royal magic. But if the spear can get around it? It’s hard to shake the worry that something unexpected might happen. It won’t—I’ll make sure it won’t.”
“…But, still…”
Hulkenberg shifted, shaking away the embarrassment earlier for her usual nerves of steel. “None of us can know the future,” she said, “we can only try our hardest for the one we want. We need to believe our efforts will be enough to rid the world of Louis and save His Highness.”
Gallica’s gaze hardened. She pulled herself back into a sitting position, and nodded. “I’ll believe. No matter what happens, I’ll always believe. It’s because of the prince and everyone who stands beside him that I have a home to return to.”
“One day,” Junah said, “I’d like to see your home.”
Hulkenberg and Eupha nodded in agreement. Though Gallica tried to steer away from reckless promises of a future left uncertain…for once, she’d let herself drift into the daydream, her worries becoming another wisp among the fragments of smoke. These waters carried so much.
So much pain. Too many burdens.
“You know,” Hulkenberg said, tearing the silence away. “I wonder what salts they put in these waters. Some bath compositions are perfect after a day of training. Anything that heals the muscles after a strenuous exercise is a must if you’re given the opportunity to appreciate it.”
“That sounds like something Heismay would say,” Junah said and laughed. For a moment, the atmosphere between the four women relaxed.
But only for a moment—yelling from the other side of the bath shattered that in an instant.
“ Will ! Breathe, boy, breathe!” Heismay yelled. Hulkenberg’s eyes widened and she jumped out of the bath. Digging her heels in the ground, she ran and vaulted over the wall of rocks, landing on the men’s side before the other girls blinked.
More screaming and panic followed. “Hulkenberg!? You’re not—please, at least come with a towel—” Strohl stuttered and paused, “or not at all, if you could!”
“No time! Get out of the way, I know what I must do!”
“Hey, wait! Don’t touch—”
As more screaming reached the girl’s side, the three exchanged glances.
“We’ll be all right, won’t we?” Junah asked, now filled with much more doubt than before.
Gallica shut her eyes and groaned. “ Please , don’t get me started.”