Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Eight - The Assassin of the Sea

Techno

Techno was loathed to admit that he liked the company of Ranboo. The traveler accompanying him possessed quite a lot of qualities that Techno hated in everyone else. He was so painfully naive. Techno noted this trait several times. The first time it came up was when they first met, obviously. Ranboo had been traveling with a map, taking someone's word for the direction he needed to go in. Techno had to correct his course to ensure the boy didn't end up halfway across the continent from where he wanted to be. This point was further cemented when Ranboo tried touching a flower on the side of the road while they were resting. Techno pulled Ranboo's hand away before it touched the petal. Techno explained that despite the beauty of the flowers, they were extremely poisonous. One touch could send someone unconscious, and further exposure resulted in a fatality. Additionally, their conversations mostly consisted of Ranboo asking questions about the world- some with obvious answers- and Techno answering to the best of his ability.

That was another thing Techno didn't like. For as awkward and almost cowardly as Ranboo was, he seemed to have a genuine fear of silence. Ranboo would say almost anything to fill the silence, and Techno resorted to telling Ranboo all the stories he knew or could make up to keep him from talking Techno's ear off. At night, Ranboo would lay a little too close to Techno, claiming that he needed to hear someone's heartbeat. Ranboo's drake would curl up behind him, and Techno wondered why that wasn't enough. His question was answered when Steve informed him that drakes don't have heartbeats because they didn't have hearts. They had something called an Eye that existed in their chests that functioned like a heart, just without the beating. Techno was slightly fascinated, but he didn't let it show to Steve.

That thought brought Techno to another trait Ranboo possessed that Techno truly despised: Alex and Steve had taken an interest in him. It was more than their passing curiosity. No, this was beyond their fickle nature. Alex liked to treat Ranboo like he was a baby animal: small, helpless, and in need of protection or else he'll be eaten alive by far stronger animals. Steve started out merely curious about Ranboo's heritage and how divine punishment had not forsaken his soul. This quickly morphed to genuine interest. Steve liked seeing how Ranboo reacted to certain situations. More specifically, he wanted Ranboo to succeed in whatever circumstance he found himself in. While Steve would call Ranboo various terms meaning 'idiot', his voice was growing in fondness. They weren't at the point where they would choose Ranboo over Techno, though, and Techno wasn't sure they ever would. No matter how much they liked Ranboo, Techno was their champion and the only one of the two humans that could fight and win in a battle.

The real issue, however, is that Techno didn't mind Ranboo. In fact, if he was feeling a little too exhausted, he would go so far as to say he liked Ranboo. Techno wasn't a lonely man. He chose the solitude of his violation. He preferred not having to deal with naivety, physical closeness, lack of silences, and his gods fawning over another creature. He was fine if it was Ranboo. He still felt peeved, but the words 'go away' weren't even close to leaving his lips. Techno would tell Ranboo stories, and he wouldn't say a word if Ranboo got too close. There was something almost... cute about Ranboo's awkwardness, and the infamous Blade of the Antarctic Empire was not one to use the word 'cute' to describe anything.

Ranboo, for his part, seemed to like Techno, too. Ranboo had grown significantly less maladroit in his ability to speak as the hours passed. He no longer blushed at every mistake he made or stumbled over his words. He seemed to be growing accustomed to Techno's icy demeanor that wasn't ruthless so much as it was apathetic. Ranboo didn't know about Alex and Steve, but Techno was sure that the Twin Gods would grow on Ranboo if they were visible to all eyes.

It came to a point that Ranboo didn't hesitate to grab Techno's sleeve to get the elder's attention. They had lapsed into silence, something that Ranboo didn't seem to fear as much as the days went on. Techno let his eyes flicker over to Ranboo, a firm hold on Carl's reins. Ranboo pointed at something in the distance, "What is that?"