A burst of happiness flooded Bianca's thoughts, and Galen was overjoyed as well; they immediately recognized the owner of that rhyming voice.
<I can recognize these amateurish yet compassionate lines everywhere; it is our automaton disciple, is it?>
<Indeed, Galen ... So Lanstein was her name again. Wait for a second ... isn't she part of the Spearheads? They could->
Taking the rhythmic invitation, Bianca shouted back up to the metallic voice, pure bliss inwoven into her words:
"One moment, please, Lanstein. We are coming."
"Salutations master. Don't take too much of your sweet time, or the rations will all have been distributed until you show up ... I kept one ration in the backside of the cart for you only, but psst."
Denton looked, head tilted full of smugness, over to Bianca. Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment; she knew what her brother was currently thinking.
"Who is that automaton calling you 'master'? Any interesting facts you would like to confess to me?"
"Oh shush, bro. It is nothing like that. I just sorta ... you will see, she will ask me about it. More importantly ...", she pointed at a stain of dirt on Denton's shoulder he brushed away hastily, "I think Lanstein and the Spearheads might be able to help us with our current issue. So make yourself presentable; we are going out."
As Bianca made some final adjustments to her loincloth, brushing out a nasty fold, Galen's gears started running at high speed, spitting out countless tactics. On how to convince Bianca's friend, whose existence she somehow repressed for unknown reasons, to help them into the castle of Unity. The headquarters of the Triumvirate leading their country.
<...And as the Spearheads are after all independently working for the country, shouldn't they be able to escort us to the palace?>
With a mental paw, Bianca gave her symbiote a loving pat shushing him. She was so thankful for his tendency to overload her thoughts with countless ideas, but sometimes there were just a tiny bit too many to comprehend in less than 10 seconds total. Hearing him now purring inside her head enjoying the attention provided, Bianca finally readied an answer for his ears only:
<As good as all these ideas sound, we will first have to go up and speak to the spearheads. I haven't interacted with them for ... a year or more and am honestly surprised Lan still remembers me ... ok not that surprising if I think about it. After all, it was me, who gave her the ability to become an even better field medic blessing her water body with my healing powers. But let us go upstairs first and bond a bit before arranging her with requests like a beggar, won't we?>
A mental nod of her partner and Bianca returned her attention to Denton, who was now waiting at the ladder reaching upwards to the simplistic wooden hatch in the ceiling, eager to go outside. He seemingly mainly remembered the Spearhead's food and medication cart, which they tend to hand out to the poorest of Leaston whenever they returned from a mission back home.
These weeks in the second half of the year were always seen as a highlight. A real highlight, especially for those desiring to taste something fancy for once.
In the slums, the Spearheads got recognized as samaritans with jewelled hearts. The weeks of them being around were a chance for the poor to gather together and experience a bit of city life. At least one week in the year. These 'parties' were maybe the only times the siblings willingly interacted with the other people living in this poor neighbourhood for a prolonged time.
Bianca chuckled slightly, seeing strings of drool running alongside the Albino's long tongue, which was now constantly moisturizing his maw. With it feeling every longing tooth imagining how it would feel like to finally let them sink into a piece of tasty meat again. Then she heard her tummy grumbling as well and decided it would be for the best to follow the call of gluttony outside.
The early afternoon sunlight was blinding and warming when the siblings finally stuck their heads through the opening in the ground. Bianca was first to leave the ladder, stretching her limbs and taking in the heat, sighing audibly. Being a cold-blooded lizardkin, she tended to forget how activating living under sunlight felt like studying day in and day out in a windowless hole in the ground, rarely leaving the place. But now her gears started turning, and her mind cleared up, and she felt herself getting warmer.
I really should go more outside, on a small walk ... but not in the slums. When we are out of here, I will catch up on all that lost sunlight; I promise you that body. I am sure Denton is enj - Denton!?
She looked over to her brother, who was enjoying the sun himself as well, feeling the warmth on his ivory scales. It hit her like a truck seeing that her brother once more decided to ditch the hooded cape that should protect his albinistic body from the dangerous sunlight. Anger rose in her, knowing very well that he counted on her healing up his damaged tissue at the end of the day:
"You know, Den, one day I might decide to neglect you the healing as punishment for your carelessness. Get your hood, now!"
Denton's red eyes looked back at her and without blinking, once he cracked a dangerous smile:
"And let the sun direct my life with a burning fist? I am a slave to no one, not even my mortal enemy. And besides ... I know I can trust you to support this decision. I will retaliate the favour later however you like. Deal?"
"... Deal!"
Bianca couldn't be mad at her brother, not at all. Unlike a certain other albino, Denton never had shown any weaknesses when facing the sun, net even before she underwent symbiosis with Galen. Each day he tried to face the sun staying under it until the moment the rays started harming him. He would whimper at night over the agony, but at daytime, he brushed it off as the pain would mean nothing. With her becoming a cleric a few years ago, Denton grew bolder and challenged the sun as much as possible, only retreating when he felt his skin under the scales burning and bubbling in agony. A neat side-effect of that daily training was that Denton developed a high pain tolerance against the sun and formed a steadfast character.
Bianca honestly admired him deeply for that foolish bravery wishing she would be even remotely as incorruptible.
"Now, sis. Wanna get us a tasty ration for dinner? Your ... disciple is already winking you over. I will tag along with you. I am honestly curious who the second automaton is. ... Last time a different Spearhead accompanied Lanstein if I remember correctly.", Bianca heard him audibly gulping, "The new one does look cute wearing that metal dress, don't you think?"
"You are right; she does look cute. But at the same time so redoubtable; and important. Who is she?"
