☀️ Arselia and Akonia

If anything, Gion can now get where he needs to go and attend the meeting.

He took the money, but didn't put the diaries in his inventory...............................

- Hello! How are you doing here? Are you bored?
- Well... It's not very fun. Rafik brought me a book yesterday, and I've already read it six or seven times out of boredom. Twice I read it aloud to my cellmates. Maybe soon I'll want to tackle that Zimivian tome, what was it called... "War and Peace," yeah. And before that, I had only read three books in my life - an alphabet book, the second one, and a blue one!
"It shows," Gion thought.
"I know what you're thinking, you jerk, you're the same," Beata thought.
- Then I have another entertainment for you. Here, take this, - Gion solemnly hands over the diary.
- And what is this for?
- It's a personal diary. You'll not only read, but also write.
- Hmm, I would write... - Beata narrowed her eyes mockingly, looking at her companion.
- Diaries are for writing about life, - Gion replied with a mocking reproach, - about everything that happened to you. It allows you to look at the situation from the outside, to relive the experience, to understand what happened...
- Are you hanging out with that brainiac too much?
- No, I just heard about it, - Gion shrugged.
- Well, okay, I'll try! But do I really need to write down everything?..
- Everything you think is important, - Gion winked. - Like what you told me yesterday, about the stalker, about the setup... I suspected, but I didn't know you had been through so much. You had no one to share it with, I don't know why you didn't share it with me, but that's your business. Now you can share it with the diary and not keep it to yourself. By the way, I took one for myself too, I'll try to keep one.
Beata smiled understandingly. Of course, she's going to make compromising material about herself, what a fool. But confirming her version... That would be good.
- And here, - Gion handed over "Okhladin," - just in case, if your... condition worsens. Please take care of yourself. You know you can't overheat.
- Okay, mommy, - Beata replied mockingly, but with sincere gratitude. - By the way, take these "Rules," I don't want to see them anymore. I can recite them by heart!
Beata returns the "Expedition Rules."
- Oh, by the way, about books! After the first reading session, Enio, my new friend, said that it was terrible nonsense and boring, and she only endures it because she really has nothing else to do. She advised me to find some book written by a dark Lunarian... I'll remember now... "Lustful Kumarian Maid," yeah! She says it's a great book, about polishing copies and all that.
- Lustful. Kumarian. Maid, - Gion raised his eyebrow skeptically. - Hmm, I don't want to know... Okay, I'll ask around, if I don't forget. By the way, do you want the latest news?
- Well, yes, tell me!
- We found the maniac. It turned out to be Viktor Loss. The one who met us at the port, remember?
- Oh, the one who undressed you? - Beata giggled.
- Shut up, - Gion blushed, - yes, him. And he's possessed by a demon! Almost all of us went to try to kill him.
- And you weren't taken? Why?
- Well... We found out what he is. We figured out a tactic. According to the tactic, I'm only good as cannon fodder. To approach him and die, so that he spends an extra turn on me. Ayko decided it wasn't worth it.
- She made the right decision, - Beata grinned unpleasantly, - she is, of course, a pleasant and respectable person, but if, because of her, even one hair falls from your head, I will gouge out her eye and put it on her ass and say that's what happened.
Gion blushed slightly.
- And we also have reinforcements, - he changed the subject. - Well, I don't know for sure yet, but at least an ally. The High Priestess sent some foreign priestess, Ayano or something like that. A very competent lady, she understands perfectly what she's dealing with. I hope she will help us.
- Yes, I hope so. And I also hope that that long-eared bitch, what's her name? Kelianthra? That Viktor will tear off her ears, because they are too long, she hears a bell, but doesn't know where it is, she comes up with some nonsense and accuses me of something.
- Well, or at least she'll get permanent makeup under her eyes, - Gion chuckled.
Beata laughed with him.
- Oh, by the way! Can you ask the guard to give me my things? As your trusted person. Because they're just wasting away. I have money, stones there. My crossbow, too, it needs to be inspected, lubricated, it wouldn't hurt to enchant it... Just leave the clothes, of course, I have no complexes, but they'll immediately put me back in jail for violating public order.
- Okay, I'll talk to them and see what I can do, - Gion smiled.
He hesitated for a moment, clearly not knowing what to say.
- So, what's up? - Beata urged him impatiently.
- For the last couple of days, I've been without you... And with that maniac on the loose... I was thinking... What if something happens... To me or to you... I... well... I want you to know... Hmm, you know, I, and you, and we've been together for so long, and... Well, there's so much between us... M... I... I don't know how to say it, but, well... - with every word, he blushed more and more.
- Just say it - you're madly in love with me, - Beata blurted out.
Gion jumped.
- I, well... How did you know?
- There's nothing to know, honestly. It's impossible to say such things directly, I know it from my own experience. You want to say it, but you're embarrassed, you don't know how it will turn out, so you tell all sorts of nonsense, just so that your loved one pays attention. Did you think that's why I'm always teasing you and saying nonsense about your beautiful ass? No, well, it's not nonsense, your ass is great, but you get it? - she blushed slightly and smiled shyly.
- I understand, - Gion replied gently, touching her hand through the bars of the grate.

The couple talked for a while longer, after which Gion went to ask the guard to give him all of Beata's things, except for her clothes and boots. And the "Okhladin" and the diary, of course.