Chapter 31 - Partners
The exit rolled away, Giu and Tea both taking in the light of day. And the several bears that stood waiting for them. Given their encounter with the paladins, the only exit available to them had been the one in Ling-Li. Fortunately, Tea had the foresight to warn the Dragons they were coming. 
“How bad is it?” Giu asked as they were heading towards their base.
“Tulla’s still under siege,” one of the bears said. “The paladins are dug in, but most civilians have fled to the nearby villages.” 
“Even Ling-Li’s getting its fair share of new faces,” another added, gesturing around them.
Though there were still the usual sights of colorfully dressed bears and their giant dual-horned beasts, Giu also spotted the occasional felines huddled under the lanterns. They all seemed to congregate in groups, the bears regarding them with the same caution he remembered getting the first day he’d arrived. In fact, a few still glanced his way, though most seemed to ignore them. The Dragons influence, no doubt.
“Are they allowed to be here?” Giu asked. “I got the impression newcomers weren’t really welcome.”
“So long as they bring value, they can stay,” one of the bears said.
“Weakness never survives in this city,” added another. It made Giu more nostalgic than anything.
He’d heard similar sentiments back in Cottomie.
The concession of bears eventually led them to the Dragon’s base, Giu taking in the scent of candles and incense. The Holy Dragon was quick to greet them both, much to Giu’s surprise. Tea, he’d expected to welcome without hesitation. He was more confused than anything when the dark brown bear wrapped an arm around his neck.
“Good to see ya’ again, stone pooch,” he said. “I heard you had a run-in with m’boy again. Keep this up, and you’re gonna have a blood feud.”
Giu squirmed, unsure how to respond. Both to the idea of a blood feud with Redge and the Holy Dragon’s sudden familiarity. Stone pooch? Is that what they call me? He looked to Tea, who was quick to flee after escaping the Holy Dragon’s clutches.
“We won’t be here long,” the pixie said. “Just got some stuff to sort out, and we’ll be on our way.”
“Nonsense.” He finally let Giu go. “Stay as long as you want, you two. I’ll even tell Redge to come say hi. Give you some exercise.”
Both Tea and Giu recoiled, which the Holy Dragon responded with a gruff laugh.
“Just joking, you two,” he said. “Feel free to rest up. We can talk shop another day.”
Tea smiled, giving the bear a grateful nod. He offered a final parting wave, and then he was leaving them to settle in.
Given Tea carried everything in their item space and Giu’s only possession was his silver pound pouch, there wasn’t much in the way of unpacking for the two to do. In fact, the room itself had already been prepped for them, the small den holding a polished dresser and a freshly made bed waiting to be slept upon. Giu laid back against it, testing its softness.
The mattress was hard as a rock.
“Crap.”
Tea landed beside him.
“Eh, I’ve slept on worse.”
He groaned. Sleeping on the floor was an option, though he knew doing so would be frowned upon by their hosts. At the very least, the pillows seemed fluffy enough.
“Y’know, this is probably the twelfth or so time I’ve been chased out of town,” Tea said. “Third time because of some war. Weird habit, huh?”
He snorted. “That your idea of a joke?”
“Dunno.” The pixie rolled over. “Did it work?’
He groaned again. At least someone could keep their spirits high.
Between the revelations of his past, the stuff with Immy, and the Villa/Syndicate war happening a few villages away, he had more than a few reasons to be concerned about how things were going. Thanks to his memory return, he did have a better idea of where Immy might have gone. Even so, the thought of going there and not finding her. Or worse. He didn’t want to imagine it, but the headless image kept coming back to his mind. If it became real…
Tea nudged him.
“Don’t look so serious, Gi,” they said. “Don’t forget, you’ve always got a pixie partner you can lean on.”
They flashed a smile, which did make him feel slightly less unnerved. He had yet to broach the subject of where he thought Immy was, but hearing the pixie say that put him more at ease. Or maybe that was just having them there with him.
“Hey, Tea.”
“Hmm?”
He tried to find the right words. He didn’t know where the search for Immy would take them. And he didn’t know how dangerous trying to find her again would be. She did sacrifice herself to a masked group, after all. And there was the war outside to deal with. Giu swallowed.
“I just want you to know that I’m really glad I met you,” he said. “And that there’s no one else I’d rather be here with.” 
The words brought an immediate warmth to his face, though he tried to hide it. He could feel the eyes of the pixie boring into his side. He couldn’t meet them without turning even more red.
“Gi. Is that true?” Tea asked.
He winced. Don’t make me say it again? Geez. He finally looked to the pixie, which did make his face turn several shades brighter. They had a paw on his hand.
“Maybe it’s the same for me,” the pixie said. “Wish I’d met you earlier, even.”
He didn’t respond, the canine suddenly aware of how close the pixie was. 
“You’re still a dummy, though,” Tea said.
Those words instantly broke his trance, Giu finding the pixie snickering beside him. The annoying pain. He relaxed, the canine smiling back. How could he forget? Tea was always Tea no matter what. 
“And you’re still an annoying pixie,” he responded. “Really annoying.”
“Least I’m not the one with two brain cells.”
“Right. You’ve only got one.”
The pixie groaned, Giu flashing a grin.
As the two went back and forth, the embarrassment gradually fell away. Before long, Tea had found a place against his chest, still hurling insults even despite how close they were. Despite the fact they were both falling asleep. 
The debate of who was the dumber ultimately ended up as an unresolved conversation. By the time he was drifting away, Giu almost forgot about the mattress entirely.