Rise, and Come

Chapter Eight

They prepared to leave. Alden was amused at Talia's attempts to figure out his armor. Finally he smiled at her and took it. "I'll put it on myself, but I would appreciate some help with certain ties, they are a little hard to reach."

She sighed and put on her own few bits of clothing. He kissed the top of her head and helped her wrap up with some leather he'd dug out of his bag. It wasn't armor, but would slow down any weapons that might reach her before he did. "There, a little better." 

She turned in a circle slowly, and laughed, "Well, I wouldn't win any fashion contests."

He only smiled and set to making a lanyard for the small dagger he had given her. "I'll take you shopping once we get out."

She stuck out her wrist for him to measure, and studied his face, "Promise?"

He showed her how to loop the lanyard around her wrist, then the proper grip on the dagger, and nodded, "Promise. I'll show you all of Eorza if you like."

Impulsively she kissed his cheek, "Thank you," and went to get his "bottomless" pack.

He pulled out several small vials and handed them to her, along with a small satchel. "What are these for?"

"Potions. You're not trained as a healer, but we'll be able to move faster if you  can pull one of these when I need it. See? You pull the top and point it at me, it'll give me the boost I need. Saves me having to stop and do one myself. And hold on to that dagger, in case anything gets too close."

She nodded and arranged the vials in her bag.

A few moments later, they stood before the one wall. "This is where I came in?" he asked. She nodded, and then a thought struck her, "Won't they know? I'm not familiar with your world, but in mine that red light up there means a camera."

He gaped at her, "What is - what do you mean?"

She cocked her head at him, "For surveillance, sometimes for recording sounds and images"

"That thing was recording?!"

"Possibly"

He blinked at her, and then started to laugh. "We - they -oh, Gods, someone was watching?"

Her eyes went round, "Oooooh, ca-rap. Yes, indeed. There probably was. How else did they know to send food for both of us?  I sure hope it doesn't end up on whatever version of the internet you people have"

He covered his face, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I would have at least TRIED to be more discreet had I known"

She shrugged. "I came right back at you. I don't regret it. I just hope no one else sees it! All that was rather personal."

He ruffled the top of her head, and chuckled, "You are an odd one. Let's find the opening."

He closed his eyes briefly, and did a search to find the edge of the door. He could probably bash it down, but even with Saria's boost, he was rather rusty, and wanted to save his energy for any foes they might encounter. His fingers skittered over the wall, and there was a brief flash of light. Talia gasped and stabbed something. Alden opened his eyes, and saw she had stuck the tip of the dagger into a crevice that was not there before. She grinned, "It's like an elevator door, it won't close if it senses a hand. When it flashed there was the outline for just a second, and I put this in."

He grinned, "Excellent! But what's an elevator?" 

She paused, "Um, a lift?" He nodded, "Fine, then. Here, let me work my knife in there, I should be able to trace the door"

She ducked under his arm, and he went to work, tracing the door frame, eyes half lidded, he murmured words Saria had taught him long ago, and slowly, slowly, the door was revealed.