Mountain of The Suns • Book 2

Chapter 36

I was completely in awe by the hot springs. I didn't actually expect them to have here nor have them feel this luxurious. I had been freezing cold for the few days we had spent here and this was the first time in days I had actually felt warm. The springs were absolutely massive and had probably a few dozen individual baths and one big shared one on the girls side of things.

I was up to my neck and my head was cranked back and laid out on the rock behind me. A few others were also in here but we all had a top and a bottom that covered up our private bits. I would have felt pretty uncomfortable otherwise. I could have fallen asleep with how relaxed I was but the sound of foot steps and someone getting into a hot spring next to me caught my attention.

"Interesting couple of days you've been having." Akira said as she sat down next to me.

"Yeah, you could say that again." I said chuckling back at her. "This is the most relaxed I've been in a while."

"You've had a wild couple of months. We've all been worried about you." She said honestly slipping fully into the hot spring.

"My life for the last year had been nothing but crazy impulsive moments, it's nothing new for me since you've met me." I said with a shaky laugh.

"You haven't wanted to just take a break from it all?" She asked me as she moved her arms around in the water.

"I don't think that's really been an option. Going back to the world down there isn't really possible when my family is the one spear heading this operation. If I leave then I'm on my own." I said with a heavy sigh.

"I get it." She said nodding her head and I saw her relax into the hot spring.

"Plus I can't leave you all hanging... not knowing what's coming." I said wiping my face with my warm hands.

"I mean that's your choice." She said with a shrug.

"Maybe but I got you all into this trouble it's my job to get you out of it." I said resting my elbows on the edge of the spring.

"No one sees it that way. I mean don't get me wrong it's pretty cool fighting next to you but I would have cracked under pressure in your place by now." She said and I could tell she seemed honest.

"That is a fairly familiar feeling." I said with a chuckle. "I feel good about this... things are slowly making more sense."

"You think this is going to put a stop to this?" She asked me.

"I'll be honest... probably not a full stop. I think this is going to solve the brunt of our problem. I hope." I said wiping my sweaty face.

"We've got a good team here. Todays fighting was some of the best I've seen in ages." She said and she was right about that. Classes here were no joke, these people trained.

"Yeah that was something." I said with a laugh.

"I'm surprised they haven't moved you to the Elite yet. They might as well." She said.

"I missed the test. I ran off to investigate Bishamon the last day before the finals." I said and I was upset about that but there was only so much I could control.

"That's right." She said remembering all those months ago. "I don't think anyone graduated up this time around anyways. I thought you and Ollie would be shoe ins the next go around."

"Maybe next time. I won't dwell on it." I said shaking my head. "About Ollie though... what's going on with you too?"

"You noticed that too?" She asked sounding partially annoyed.

"You know?" I asked her hesitantly.

"I've known for the last 3 years. Goro hardly lets me forget about it." She said shaking her head.