"You are not frightened, are you, Gaunt?"
"Of course not." Gaunt's eyes narrowed, and his lips curled slightly. "But I hate the light."
Drake, Lykopis, and Gaunt were on top of the ferris wheel. It was almost comical to see the heavy hitters, the big guns of Vanguard Europe, looking at the Munich sky on top of a carnival ride. Lykopis was breathing deeply, trying to take in the crisp evening air. Drake was looking down, spying the small forms of the tourists below them. Gaunt looked at the setting sun, wondering if he could speed the coming of night and shadows simply by sneering.
And yet they did not speak much. All three were too preoccupied with their own thoughts. Drake felt the seat swing slightly in the wind, and wondered what Jessica was doing at home. Was she even awake at this hour? And what was he going to do about the company? He had no idea Vanguard would take so much of his time.
It would take even less of your time if you didn't spend the weekend getting wasted with these people. But Drake quickly brushed aside those thoughts. He turned to the other two. Lykopis had her eyes mostly shut. "You're not going to be sick, are you?"
"No," she said flatly.
"You thinking of that ex you bumped into?"
Lykopis smiled faintly and nodded. "Mhhh-hhm. And other things. Mostly about the team." She looked embarassed for a moment. "I want you to understand, Marshall. I have no affections, no loyalties, no reason to stay close to anyone, except..."
"...Except?"
"...except I know it is important to all of you. And I know it is important now." Lykopis shrugged, as if trying to excuse her misbehavior. "In a hundred years, Drake, you will be dead. You ashes will be reduced to dust. So will Penny, and Icarus, and even Ozzy. But I will still be young." She leaned towards the handlebars. "But I would like to think I was part of something great again. I would like to make history again, instead of simply watching it. Does that seem self-centered of me?"
"Not at all." It was Gaunt that spoke those lines.
Drake turned towards the coach's other occupant. "So, Mr. Gaunt. Why does Paragon trust you so much?"
The Shadow Chancellor looked at Drake. Cool and calculating eyes surveyed the youth's hot and blazing glance. "You don't need to know."
"Shit, Gaunt!" Drake leaned forward, trying to fight the nausea in his stomach. "We've both nearly been killed in front of each other. I've had to trust you abilities and brains to help save the day. To save lives. Do you understand my position? To put that much faith in someone I don't know?"
Drake sat back and tried to calm his ill stomach. Gaunt shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Look, I can't just spill out all the secrets of my title. But...I have been a risk for you to take." The sun was sinking past the horizon, and Gaunt seemed stronger. At least he stopped sneering as the shadows began to appear. "If it's important -- I mean, real important -- I'll let you in. Don't ask me to tell you all my secrets. But if one of those secrets pose a risk to the team, you'll hear about it from me first."
Drake nodded. "Thanks. A lot."
Gaunt felt the shadows around the three and the end of his mouth twitched a little. It was almost a smile. "Not a problem. It's the same promise I made to Paragon."
Lykopis let out a loud hiccup. "Pardon me."
Drake just laughed. This was why Paragon had sent them all out. Not to blow their livers to smitherines. Drake had been given the chance to study a little human character. True, he understood little of the Amazon's past, and he understood even less of the Shadow Chancellor's, but somehow it had not matter. Both had set their pride aside for a brief second to assure Marshall of their loyalty. Perhaps Paragon was right. Perhaps this is why he was the field leader. He wasn't the fastest, the wisest, or the strongest of the team. But he had some sort of flame that they all flew too.
Perhaps in it's own way, thought Drake as the coach sank towards the ground, leadership is a power.
