The Tinkerer's Angel

Chapter 11

*Lux POV* 

I feel the weight of a jacket fall around my shoulders as Lynx walks away. I turn as I realize I've never seen her without this jacket obscuring her figure. All black, baggy canvas pants, that tapered down to just above her dark gray shoes on her left side but cut off above her knee on her right. Its dark but I think I see the same metallic glint between the end of her pant leg and her shoe. A tool belt sits around her waist. The tool belt had two main pockets in the front and a strap that wrapped around her right thigh which held her pistol holster. Tucked into her pants was a tight, black shirt, but what stood out was where the right side has a long sleeve reaching down past her palm, the left side sleeve ended at the start of her shoulder. I had seen her metallic hand in the tavern, but now I see it continues up her arm and under her shirt. I'm not sure where the metal ended on her torso but on the back of her neck, the skin looked harsh and ragged around the edges where metal met flesh. 

Before I could continue to take her in, she was through the door of the cabin. Koda perches on the top of the cabin, being the dutiful guard to his creator. I look up to the stars, deciding what the next course of action should be. I lift my fingers up to my hourglass earring. If the Aasimar were tipped off about my presence in Tethyr, there is a chance they also know about Cloudside Port. My body runs cold at the thought. I can't let them get anywhere near Elena. Too much has been taken from me, she will not be another.

I take stock of anything I can find on the boat deck and find a few barrels stocked away under a tarp on the starboard quarter. There was a barrel of fresh water, a quarter barrel of salted pork, and another quarter barrel of beans. 'It's not much but if Lynx and I rationed we could make it halfway to Cloudside Port.' I pause as I realize I'm including Lynx in my future. The gods have already taken almost everyone I have ever formed a connection with; it's not right for me to ask her to help me on my journey and she likely wouldn't want to come anyway. I was literally dropped into her lap and have been nothing but a burden. Someone as good as her probably has someone waiting for her to join them anyway. Before I could spiral about the stranger resting in the rear cabin. I ration off the barrels into days before we can make port again.

A few hours pass when I'm finish rationing and plotting where we are going to try to dock next and my sight begins to blur as I bite back a yawn. 'I need to sleep before I run us straight into a seabed.' I think as I look back at the stars, making sure we are traveling in the right direction still. Our pace is steady, and I don't see anything around us, 'Lynx can handle this for a few hours if I give her a basic run down on what to look for and do.' I walk up to the cabin and knock softly as Koda intensely watches me.

"Y-yes, come in." I hear Lynx's voice barely above a whisper as I enter. She is clenching what appears to be a sending stone between her metal and flesh hand. A confusing feeling stirs in the pit of my stomach, 'She really does have someone waiting for her.'

"Is everything okay?" I ask slowly making my way inside trying to take in the scene in front of me. Her face is streaked with tears reflecting the light from the stern port hole. Her skin is back to a deep blue with her hair an electric blue. She was just confronting me from my emotional turmoil only a few hours ago but now she sits suffering through her in pain alone.

I disconnect Dermare's lantern from my hip and place it outside the cabin door before letting the door close behind me. I had a feeling that Lynx doesn't want an audience to what is happening. I reach out through our connection, "Hey, Dermare keep watch for any evil and alert me if you detect something off." Dermare must really like Lynx and sense the tone in the room because she just responds with a simple, "Okay."

"Lynx?" I try again for a response as I walk toward the bed of the cabin.

"Yes, I'm f-fine, did you need help with something?" She tries to hide her emotions and wipes her face with the back of her hand.