Rem's voice still rang in the circle of light as her words cut through the silence. "What the hell do you mean by planet? Are we in space? Did my scumbag of a father throw me on a spaceship and toss me across the stars? Do you mind explaining that to me in a little more detail, Amaia?"
Amaia shifted her gaze away, her steel-grey eyes sliding off to the side as if the question itself pressed an unknown weight on her. Her lips tightened.
Rem's glare sharpened, her teeth clenching. "Amaia, don't look away from me like that. You should know my temper well—if my father Ishtar is the one who made you."
Amaia exhaled, her posture stiffening before she let out a resigned sigh. Her voice came quiet but firm. "That is correct, my lady. Your father deemed that your future lies in the stars. While you were asleep, he poured the last and most powerful resources of humanity into creating the Arc, a spacefaring vessel capable of interstellar travel. His exact words were: 'I need to send this daughter of mine to the other side of the galaxy before I die, or she may just whip my corpse when she wakes up.' Before the plague claimed his life, he launched the Arc into the void of sapce without a destination. I have piloted it for thousands of years. When we found this habited planet, rich with traces of humanity, the Arc's protocols triggered and awakened you."
The echo of Amaia's words faded into the darkness.
Rem's jaw worked through her next words carefully, her lips twisting into a sneer. Her teeth ground together audibly as she glared at Amaia, fury sparking in her red eyes. "My father Ishtar was right I would definitely whip his corpse. And I'd research a way to drag him back from the dead just so he could watch me do it." Rem's fists clenched at her sides. "That cheap old bastard threw me across the galaxy. What kind of father does that? Tell me, Amaia."
Amaia's steel grey eyes softened, her voice carrying a careful edge. "A father who cares."
Rem let out a sharp huff, her chest rising with rage. She jabbed her finger towards Amaia for a second time. "You're not contagious, are you Amaia? You didn't catch a case of stupid from my father, did you? Because that sounds like something only he would say."
Amaia blinked, then lowered her gaze briefly as her armored frame hummed faintly. "Running a self-diagnostic," she said to Rem calmly. "My internal magi-core reports all systems normal, my lady."
Rem narrowed her eyes, glaring at her. "I knew it. You are definitely made by my father you can't escape his tendency to say ridiculous things. It's a good thing I take after my mother in this aspect." Rem waved her hand dismissively, her blond hair shifting against her back in waves. "Enough distractions. Did you say this planet has dragons, elves, and dwarves? That sounds like something out of a storybook. But if both magic and technology are present here, it must link back to humanity somehow. That is something we need to investigate."
Rem tilted her head suddenly, her expression sharpening with a new focus. "But before that… did you pack up my father's corpse before we left Amaia?"
Amaia's body stiffened, her eyes hardening as her tone turned serious. "My lady, please forgive your humble servant. Your father specifically sent you away in the Arc before he died, so you could not whip his corpse. Those were his exact words at the time. He urged the androids constructing the Arc to hurry in case the seal on your sleeping chamber broke or in case you broke it yourself and came after him. He was very adamant that we depart quickly."
Rem clicked her tongue against her teeth, the sharp sound echoing through the darkness. She shot a sideways glance at Amaia, her lips curling into a smile. "That lucky bastard probably knew I would whip him, even dead. He has escaped me." Rem lifted her chin, her eyes glowing with sharp resolve. "Well, someday I will just have to create a magical bridge to the afterlife and haul his ghost butt back here to answer for this."
Rem's shoulders eased as she gave a sharp shake of her head. "But now that my immediate plans have been so unceremoniously canceled, back to the matter at hand. This strange new world. They have elves so tell me Amaia, are they led by a powerful queen? Or maybe there are far more seductive female dark elves waiting for us below. That seems like a good place to start making contact. After all, you should be able to travel incognito, being a magical construct. As for me…" Rem raised a eyebrow, her tone lightening with sudden mischief. "Well, I can use the most common trope available in this situation. I'm a tourist. A foreigner. No one ever questions a woman with strange looks and deep pockets spending large sums of money. This will be my cover."
Amaia studied Rem carefully, the light catching across the red plates of her armor. Then she spoke with a deliberate calmness. "My lady, I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Rem tilted her head, her expression flat, her voice annoyed. "Guess."
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