Sunlight broke through the round porthole of our cabin, a warm shaft cutting across tangled sheets and bodies. I woke with the groggy heaviness of someone who'd fought too many battles in one day.
On one side, Lira was curled against me, her golden hair sticking to my shoulder, her breathing steady but shallow. On the other, Mae's petite frame sprawled against my arm as though she belonged there.
I carefully sat up and reached for my trousers. The rustle of cloth stirred Lira awake. She blinked blearily, then her eyes widened as she noticed Mae pressed against me. Crimson flushed across her face.
"I… guess things got a little wild last night," she murmured, hugging the blanket to herself. Her fierce, commanding persona was gone, replaced with flustered vulnerability.
I smirked faintly. "Didn't expect you to let her in."
Lira groaned. "Truth is… I already knew she wanted you. She told me back when she overheard us on that first morning. At first, I thought it was just teasing. But she wouldn't drop it."
"So all that bickering the past few days…"
"Testing her," Lira corrected firmly. She straightened a little, eyes sharp even through her blush. "If she was serious, she had to accept me as matriarch. And she did. I wasn't jealous, I was making sure she knew her place." She puffed her chest with mock pride. "I am the tribal matriarch, after all."
I chuckled. "So she played you as much as you tested her."
Before Lira could retort, Mae stirred with a kitten-like stretch. She blinked behind crooked spectacles, then leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
"Morning, Master," she purred.
I raised an eyebrow. "Still calling me that, even after last night?"
"Of course." Mae smiled slyly. "If I call you Max, it's business: programming lessons, serious matters. For everything else, Master fits perfectly."
Lira groaned and flopped back into the sheets, pulling the blanket over her head. "Just kill me."
Mae smirked, her eyes glittering. "Embarrassed, Matriarch?"
I wisely said nothing as the two resumed their dance of barbs and pride.
When we arrived in the mess hall, the Valkyries were already gathered around a long table, sharing breakfast. The five women looked up as we entered, and immediately their eyes sharpened, amused smiles spreading across their faces.
"Well, well," Captain Serana said, her commanding human voice laced with mirth. "Our guests had themselves a night."
Kaelen, the wolfkin warrior, bared a fang in a lupine grin. "I could smell it from the corridor. Bold of you, Max."
Alenya, the scout, leaned her elbows on the table, her sharp human eyes twinkling. "Or maybe just efficient. Two birds, one bed."
Veyra, the demon mage, let out a soft laugh, her crimson eyes glowing faintly. "Didn't think you had it in you. Looks deceive."
Miri, the catkin pilot, swished her tail and gave me a knowing smile. "Explains the noise."
Lira turned scarlet as the teasing piled on, burying her face in her hands. Mae, of course, joined in gleefully. "You should have seen her...so territorial! Declared herself matriarch all over again."
The Valkyries roared with laughter, while Lira groaned into her palms. I sat beside her, sipping coffee to hide my grin, while Mae preened across the table.
Eventually, conversation drifted toward the battle itself.
"Max," Serana began, leaning forward with her arms folded, "I've seen my fair share of mana users, but the way you overloaded our cannon… that was something else."
Kaelen slammed a fist against the table. "One shot and those pirate bastards scattered like ash. Hah! I'll remember that for a long time."
Veyra nodded thoughtfully. "It was controlled destruction. Dangerous, but effective. Overloading a ship's weapon could have blown us apart, yet you managed it cleanly."
"It's not something we can replicate often," Serana added, though her eyes gleamed with approval. "Still—damn fine shot."
Serana twirled her spoon in her empty bowl, clearly disappointed. "Effective, yes. But I wanted to loot their ship, not sweep it into splinters."
Alenya snorted. "Leave it to you to mourn missed salvage."
That earned another round of chuckles, the atmosphere warm despite the grim topic.
Halfway through the meal, Mae turned her attention to Miri, the catkin. "By the way, can I shadow you later while you pilot?"
Miri's ears perked. "Shadow me? Why?"
Mae grinned, pushing her glasses up. "Because I want to learn how piloting works. If I understand the inputs and decisions, I can design a golem to assist; or maybe even handle navigation."
Kaelen barked out a laugh. "A golem pilot? That's insane."
"Not insane," Mae corrected smoothly. "Efficient. Imagine, no fatigue, perfect reflexes, instant adjustments to wind currents. Not replacing you, Miri," she added quickly. "But a partnership. A pilot with a golem co-pilot."
Miri's tail flicked warily. "So I'd be sharing the helm with a doll?"
"A doll with programming," Mae said, eyes alight. "Think of it: reduced workload, increased safety. No more accidents from exhaustion. You'd still give the orders, the golem just executes flawlessly."
Serana stroked her chin, considering. "If it worked, it could change skyfaring entirely."
Lira arched a brow. "If it worked. I've seen Mae's projects go up in smoke before."
Mae huffed. "That was one time. And those wards were outdated. It'll be fun!"
Lira groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Last time she said 'fun,' the Academy had to rebuild an entire lab wing."
The Valkyries laughed again, enjoying the back-and-forth. I leaned back, sipping coffee, strangely at peace despite the chaos of the conversation.
As breakfast wound down, Serana rose, stretching with fluid grace. "We'll stay sharp. Pirates won't be our only trouble on these skies. Eyes open, blades ready."
The others nodded firmly, slipping back into professional mode.
Mae, however, tugged at my sleeve as we stood. "Don't let me forget, Master; we need to go shopping when we dock. Books, components, circuits, tools, and of course…" Her eyes glittered. "Better bourbon."
Lira groaned dramatically. "More shopping. Perfect."