Chương 48: Reunion of the Peacekeepers of the Divine Hearth

"Gal, we should be close to the hangar." Meredith's voice pulled Galan back to reality.

"You can put me down."

"Oh, alright." He set her on her feet.

"And don't you dare say anything about this to anyone, Bloodsucker," she grumbled.

"Don't worry, this stays between us," he smiled. They approach the edge of a vast hangar, a symphony of organized industry under bright floodlights.

"Here we are," she said.

"What do you think?"

"Impressive. Looks just like the ones back home."

"I'm glad you like it," she smiled.

"Do you know what this new company is called?" she asked, her smile turning devious. Galan feigned a guess.

"Something about a calm river over stone...?"

"Did you guess, or was that your mindcast speaking?"

"Wait, I got it right?"

"Yeah," she chuckled.

"River Over Stone. I made it in your honor." Her eyes glistened slightly.

"Least you could do is thank me." Galan's own smile softened.

"Alright. Thanks a lot. For everything you did for me, not just this one." Meredith blushed.

"Awh, you're making it weird again," she grumbled, turning and walking toward the hangar entrance.

"Let's just head in." She's such a softy when she's tired, Galan thought with a grin, following her. The sharp smell of burnt iron and machine grease filled the air as they entered. Dwarven engineers shouted orders, directing massive cranes. Above, the skyfolk flew in defined paths, their movements coordinated by a familiar mental network. Galan couldn't resist testing the system.

With a flick of his mindcast, he sent a rookie ten-gu carrying a toolbox down the wrong path, much to the exasperation of a nearby supervisor. So they're still using my old system, Galan thought with a smirk. He scanned the hangar. Above him, flying mechanics used handheld torches to weld hull plates, while those on break relaxed on wing-friendly perches near the ground as attendants served them drinks and snacks.

His eyes then landed on a familiar figure: an old human mechanic, his face a roadmap of wrinkles, his arms corded with muscle.

"Hey, Pheidon!" Meredith called out in Greek.

"Look who I found stranded on this island!" The mechanic looked up, and a slow, tired smile spread across his lips. He wiped his hands on a rag and bowed.

"Good night, Captain Gal. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Pheidon, you're here too?" Galan asked.

"Still missing the good old days?" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Well... yes and no," the old man chuckled.

"This life is much more relaxing. I think I'd die of a heart attack if something big and scary were to jump out and try to eat us now." He sighed.

"And besides, it's the next generation's time to shine. They deserve the spotlight as much as we did."

"How are they getting along?" Galan asked.

"Pretty well, all things considered," Pheidon said with a proud grin.

"You two made some terrifyingly competent children—I'll give you that much. But since mine still grow a lot faster, they've been leading the charge on the day-to-day operations back home."

"Have you changed the gem couplers on that ship like I told you to?" Meredith asked, pointing.

"Yeah, uh, no. I'm still waiting for the new recruits to do their job," Pheidon sighed, gesturing to a group of confused-looking skyfolk near a grounded ship's open hull. There, three young fairies and a younger crow ten-gu were staring hopelessly at the schematic.

"Guess it'll take a while," Galan said, smirking.

"Just do it yourself," Meredith grumbled, shaking her head. Pheidon sighed.

"I was about to. But then Cap'n Gal here came along and made me forget what I was doing." He shrugged.

"Besides, it's my break time anyway." He pointed with a greasy thumb towards a designated resting area.

"We should move over there so we don't bother the other workers."

"Alright," Galan agreed. They then talked as they walked.

"So," the old mechanic asked Galan, his voice low.

"What made you come to this isolated country?" Galan grimaced, his gaze dropping to the concrete floor.

"I'll… tell the whole truth once we're in the air." He looked up, his expression guarded.

"But in short, I'm hunting ghosts." Pheidon's eyes softened with a sad, knowing look.

"I guess the real truth is too hard, huh?" Galan didn't answer, his gaze falling back to the floor. Beside him, Meredith copied the gesture, a silent acknowledgment of their shared, unspoken grief.

"Alright, Cap'n Gal," Pheidon said, his tone shifting back to business.

"I'll get Aletheia and Lusandra to check the Deliverer. We should be ready to fly in five minutes."

"Sounds great," Galan sighed, his voice heavy with a weariness that had nothing to do with the journey.

"In the meantime…" He whistled loudly.

"I need some chairs and drinks over here!" he shouted to a servant putto hovering near the ceiling. The mechanic then looked back at Galan.

"Hard?"

"Yeah."

"One mild, two hard, and make one of blood! Tell Aletheia and Lusandra I need them right now!" Pheidon shouted upward again before the putto left.

"Hey, Pheidon," Galan said.

"Yeah, Cap'n Gal?"

"How are the others?"

"Well, Filippo's working on a ship up there, Pan's hitting on women in the village, and your boys, Leon and Alexios, are still winning elite races," he explained, casually mentioning Galan's centaur children.

"The Bloody Twilight also sent their regards. Said your other kids are handling the Latin Council negotiations well." Guess those two loaded girls from the port were their doing, Galan thought.

"Wow," he said, chuckling.

"Do all my kids grow up so fast?"

"In all but looks, yeah," Pheidon grinned.

"But Meredith knows more about that than I do."

"We talked on the way here," Meredith added.

"He said Faelan was too young to run the fortress."

"And?"

"I reminded him of all the little adventures we had building his empire."

"Yup, that'll do it," Pheidon laughed.

"I'm still here, y'know," Galan said, unimpressed. The putto and his coworkers returned with their drinks and extra seats, setting up the space for the trio as they approached.

"Alright. Sit down, you two," offered Pheidon. But just as they were about to relax, the sound of thundering hooves echoed through the hangar. Two twin female centaurs barreled past the staff-only area, almost running over a janitor near its entrance.

"Hey, look where you're going!" the poor man shouted.

"Sorry..." the twins replied. They looked up, saw Galan, and their faces exploded in pure, unadulterated joy. They charged straight for him.

"Gal!" Galan stood up, bracing for impact. Oh no... They're still the same.

"Girls!"