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The engine room was quiet save for the steady hum of the engines and the squeaking of bolts and wheels as Griffin adjusted the various components that made up the Athena's engine. The skyship had been stationary for the past few days, in a world Griffin was familiar with. He'd been too preoccupied with Guinevere's situation to properly plan out where he was going next and, if needed this, world had plenty of scrap metal and other supplies for repairs.
A dull object nudged Griffin's shoulder. He looked up from fidgeting with the boiler to look at the screen that was now in his face, the robotic arm it was attached to extending up to tracks in the ceiling.
Griffin it's been three hours. You gotta take a break.
"Really?" Griffin looked up at the clock that sat above the door to the engine room. It confirmed what Jay had said. "Oh shit yeah." The engineer stretched, his spread wings almost filling the room. He pulled his goggles off his eyes and began heading towards the galley, one hand trailing along the warm metal walls of the Athena.
"What would I do without you Jay?"
Probably executive-dysfunction yourself into a coma. The screen had followed Griffin along the tracks, which continued out of the engine room and into the rest of the ship. Laughing at his boyfriend's comment, Griffin opened the largest of the cupboards in the galley and contemplated his options.
"Three hours... that means it's been..." He did the maths in his head. "Almost six hours since we last heard from Gwen. You think she's okay?"
She said she was trying to get into the royal library. Maybe she found something good there.
"Or maybe she's in trouble." Just as Griffin said this, the communicator that hung off his belt, the communicator that could only talk to Guinevere, buzzed. He all but tore it off to read the message lit up on the small screen.
Guinevere: Back. I found something interesting.
A small light on the device indicated that Griffin's friend was still typing, so he leant back against the wall, reading the message out loud for Jay. After a moment, the next message appeared.
Guinevere: I think I found one of Ariadne's feathers. I can't be certain but the colours match up. It doesn't really tell me much, other than they don't clean the library but it's... comforting I guess. To have a piece of her.
"Ha." Griffin laughed to himself. "That might actually be one of the last of my feathers left in that place. The palace I mean."
What are you going to say back? Jay asked, and Griffin shrugged.
"I don't know. 'You're right, that is one of Ariadne's feathers. How do I know? Because I'm actually the Princess Ariadne and I've been keeping it from you this whole time.' I don't know if she'd even believe me."
I think you should tell her. Sooner rather than later. She has to suspect there's something you aren't telling her, even if she doesn't think it's this.
Griffin sighed. "You're right. You always are." He picked up the communicator from where it had been discarded in his contemplation.
Griffin: How long do you have?
I should tell you something.
The reply came quickly.
Guinevere: I'm not expected anywhere for another few hours. What's up?
Taking a deep breath, Griffin tried not to overthink what he wrote.
Griffin: That's one of Ariadne's feathers.
I'm almost certain.
The library was one of the last places she was in the palace.
Second last actually.Guinevere: How do you know that?
Griffin: The last place she was before she fled to the outer city was her bedroom.
She gathered her stuff, things she'd need, things to sell, and a necklace given to her by a childhood friend.Guinevere: What?
Griffin: A dagaz rune.
The friend said it stood for Daedalus, but Ariadne knew she just wanted to give the princess something and that necklace was the closest thing she had on hand.
Griffin pulled the necklace off his neck and studied it as he waited for Guinevere to reply. He couldn't even imagine what she must have been thinking.
Guinevere: There's something you haven't been telling me isn't there.
Griffin: You've tracked where Ariadne went up to the warehouse.
You haven't figured it out past there.
And you probably wouldn't have been able to.
It's hard to track someone who's left the universe altogether.
I'm sorry for leaving you Gwen.
I would have brought you with me if I knew you wanted to.