Chapter Text
For the next couple of days, Runaan and Tinker had their hands full with Rayla and Callum, Tinker with Callum’s lessons and Runaan with training Rayla. Rayla was already a very capable combatant, but Runaan had her go through maneuvers just to be safe; it was also a good way for him to get back in shape and get used to fighting again.
It had been a couple more days of gathering supplies, training and teaching Callum basic Sun magic that Tinker finally felt sure that Rayla and the human prince were able to head back on the road. They were having a final dinner, cooked by Tinker, of course.
Everyone was sat around the relatively small kitchen table and passing around dishes so everyone could get a portion.
“I’m not used to having more than two people at a time over,” Tinker said, passing Callum a bowl of fried veggies. “Much less having a baby dragon to worry about.”
“It’s ok. This kind of reminds me of eating with my mom and aunt when I was really little,” Callum said.
“Wait, I thought you were a prince.” Runaan said.
“I am, kind of. My mother married the king, so I was his stepson. Soren used to call me ‘Step-Prince.’”
“Soren?”
“That guy you shot in the shoulder,” Rayla said. “Big ego, decent fighter, his sister’s a Dark Mage,” Rayla said.
“Don’t tell me they’re both related to Lord Virus or whatever his name was?” Tinker said.
“Lord Viren? Yeah, they’re his kids.” Callum answered. “Soren was my sword fighting instructor, and Claudia was the one who gave me the Sky Primal Stone… that I broke.”
“I’d ask how humans got a Primal Stone, but I don’t really feel like giving myself an ulcer,” Tinker said, popping another bite of food in his mouth.
“We’re going to want to get up early tomorrow,” Runaan said. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”
“What do you mean ‘we?’” Tinker asked.
Runaan paused for a moment; he thought Tinker knew what he meant. “I mean I’m going with them?” he responded. “I thought me and Rayla training together made that pretty clear. I’m going with them to get Zym back to the Queen.”
“The hell you are,” Tinker said in a tone that made even Zym sit still. Callum nervously glanced across the table at Rayla, only to see her violet eyes just as wide as his.
Runaan raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you want me to go?”
“Did you forget what happened the last time you left home? Humans came to escort me across the Border, you were in prison, a magic piece of fabric was threatening to tear your arm off and you were damn near starved to death. You’re not going with them, you still need more time to recover.”
“It’s been several weeks, love, I think I’m ok.”
“You may be fine right now, but you’re not ready to go out and face potential danger again.”
The two continued to bicker back and forth like this for a while, Rayla, Callum and Zym watching and not interfering. Every time Callum glanced over at Rayla, she just gave him a look that told him not to butt in.
“Well how are they going to get to the Dragon Queen? Rayla doesn’t know much of what’s beyond Moonshadow territory, and Callum will be lost without her,” Runaan said.
“I’ve got tons of maps, I can draw up a path for them, highlight safe areas and mark dangerous ones,” Tinker responded. “You’re not going with them, and that’s final.”
Runaan glanced at Rayla, who shook her head, and sighed. They both knew this was a battle Runaan couldn’t win; when Tinker was dead-set on something concerning the health and well being of a loved one, he wouldn’t budge. He was like a thick-rooted tree: uncompromising.
“All right. I’ll stay home,” the former assassin said.
Tinker relaxed and the look in his eyes softened. “Thank you,” he said softly.
~~~~~~~
“Are they going to be okay after we leave?” Callum asked. He and Rayla were outside the back of the workshop playing monkey in the middle with Zym, tossing a small rock to each other.
“Yeah, why?” Rayla asked, tossing the rock back to the human prince.
“It seemed like a pretty intense fight is all.”
“Nah, they fight like that a lot. It’s weird, I know, but it only happens because they care about each other.”
“Think your parents ever had fights like that?” Callum asked, tossing the rock back.
“I wouldn’t really know. What about your parents?”
“Once that I know of, and it was kind of… posthumously.”
The rock tossing had stopped and the two looked at each other with a sympathetic, relatable look. It wasn’t until Zym jumped up onto Callum looking for his rock that broke the silence, as Rayla burst out laughing when the little dragon knocked Callum to the ground.
~~~~~~~
Tinker and Runaan were watching the two from a window in the workshop. Both of them were grinning and Runaan was resting his chin in between Tinker’s horns again.
“You think they’ll be okay?” Runaan asked.
Tinker held his partner’s left hand and gave it a small kiss. “They’ll be okay. Callum’s no master, but he does have potential. And Rayla will be there to cover his ass if he needs it. And he’ll need it.”
Runaan chuckled. “I know we agreed I wouldn’t be going with them, but I couldn’t help but notice you were drawing up new designs the other day.”
“I stand by what I said earlier, honey. Take some more time to recover.”
“But we’ll be following them once I’m fit to travel again?”
“Oh, definitely. Human or not, I don’t want Rayla alone with a boy for very long, no matter how righteous this mission is.”
Runaan chuckled. “I figured as much.”
Tinker stood up, wrapped his arms around his partner and gave him a loving kiss. “Let’s head upstairs.”
Runaan took a quick glance out the window. “You sure?”
“Very,” Tinker said. “You were gone for a month and a half, now you’ve gotta start making up for lost time.”
Runaan smiled and gave Tinker a kiss in response. “Of course, love.”