Rough Seas

10 - Visit

4 DAYS - MORNING

Tom was laying on his bed when Jordan and the Captain entered his room. It had been almost a day since Ianite had chatted with him, and in all honesty, he was feeling much better. Thinking back on it now, he was somewhat embarrassed that he had cried in front of Ianite. He had shown just how weak he was. If Dianite had been there, he would have definitely been scolded, or even mocked. He was supposed to be Dianite's champion, all tough and unfeeling.

All those thoughts vanished when the two of them stepped into his room, Jordan with a smile while the Captain just looked tired. Tom felt a pang of worry for her that he pushed down. He sat up, nodding at the two of them. What were they doing here? As if on cue, Jordan sat down at the desk and started talking.

"We were- Well, I was assigned to come keep you company until Ianite calls you again. Ka- Captain Capsize decided to tag along with me." Jordan said as the Captain sat on the end on his bed. Tom nodded slowly. Just like on the ship. Except, this time there was a pair of trained guards outside the doors as well. Tom bit his lip, looking between the Captain (Capsize, Capsize was better) and Jordan, not knowing exactly what to do. He was stuck, wanting the maintain the asshole façade but also wanting to get closer to the pair. If he couldn't be with them, why not apologize and at least be more friendly with them.

"I..." Tom started, swallowing nervously when he saw Capsize and Jordan glance over at him. "I'm sorry that I was... well, being an asshole the last couple of days. I was... I was worried about something that I found out I didn't need to be worried about, and that... It made me treat you badly. I know that's not an excuse, and I'm sorry." Tom looked down at his lap, feeling his heart beating quickly. Unbeknownst to him, Capsize and Jordan had glanced at each other after Tom finished talking, speechless. The two of them hadn't been expecting Tom to even mention the last days on the ship. They thought that he would have not spoken to them at all while he waited to be seen by Ianite again. Capsize, snapping out of it first, reached over and placed a hand on Tom's shoulder.

"It's alright, Tom." She said, watching as Tom looked over to her, a hopeful look on his face. "I forgive you." A small smile erupted on to Tom's face. Cute, Capsize thought.

"You... You really mean it?" Tom asked, biting his lip nervously. Capsize nodded, a smile emerging onto her face as well. "Thanks." Tom murmured, glancing up at Jordan to see if he agreed with Capsize. Jordan merely nodded, and Tom let out a sigh of relief. So, they weren't mad at him. Great. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. Eventually, Jordan spoke up.

"So, Tom," He started, Tom glancing back over to him, a questioning look on his face. "what's being Dianite's champion like? I can't imagine that it's much different from what I do when I'm not recovering from an injury." Tom thought for a moment, before replying.

"Well, normally I don't actually do all that much. I don't live in the capital, though it's somewhat close by. Most of the time I just help Dianite run things and help train new soldiers." Tom shrugged. Thankfully, once Dianite had started to trust Tom more as his champion, he had allowed Tom to continue living in Doveport, a city close by the capital, but far enough away that it took a good half of a day to get there. Luckily, with Dianite and his godly abilities, Tom was able to get from his home to Dianite's main temple in a matter of minutes. Jordan frowned, as Tom could almost see the gears shifting in his head.

"No offence, but how is that useful for your god? I mean, what if he needs to contact you with urgent news?" Jordan asked, cocking his head to the side, his face showing his confusion.

"Normally he teleports me, or teleports to me if he needs something." Tom said, shrugging slightly. "Truly, my job isn't that interesting." He saw Capsize looking at him with interest and he felt a slight flush beginning to crawl up his cheeks. Curse his weakness for pretty girls and boys.

"Tell me about Doveport. Is that where you grew up?" Capsize look at him curiously, and Tom swallowed and tried to calm himself down.

"I... No, that's not where I grew up. Although, I did spend most of my teenage years there, so in a way, yes? But also, not really?" Tom said, and, realizing that he sounded foolish, felt his cheeks heat up more. "It's a nice little town that actually isn't by a port at all. Most people are farmers or ranchers out there. It's well, obviously smaller than Ianarea, but it's got a couple thousand people." Tom sighed wistfully, a goofy smile growing on his face. "It's got rolling hills on one side and a lush forest on the other. A small lake is nearby as well, which is always crowded in the summer." Katherine smiled as Tom talked, a wistful look on his face. "Me and my sister used to swim there a lot, when we were younger. Now she's got a job and a husband, so she doesn't have as much time to take off."

"Do you miss it?" Jordan said quietly. Tom nodded, goofy smile being replaced with a frown. Katherine bit her lip, wanting to make Tom have that goofy smile again. He looked so good when he was smiling,

"Yeah, I guess I do. But it's alright, really." Tom said, seemingly trying to be happier about his circumstances.

"You mentioned that you had a sister; does anyone else in your family live nearby or in Doveprot?" Katherine watched as Tom bit his lip, eyes darting down to his lap. He sat for a few minutes, before Katherine opened her mouth to speak again. "It's really okay if-" She was cut off by the door opening and two more armoured guards entering.

"We're here to escort the Dianitee champion to Ianite's office." One of the two explained. Tom just nodded awkwardly, before standing and walking over to the two guards. He turned back to Jordan and Katherine.

"Thanks for the chat." He said, before turning and walking out with the guards. His stomach was doing flips and he felt somewhat nauseous. Had he made the right decision in letting Jordan and Capsize know more about his home?    

(uwu two chapters! the thing at the top is mostly to remind myself when the current chapter is happening cause I get confused sometimes :p)