The following morning, everyone heads to Jozou’s room for practice. Tammy and Catala sing and play the violin in one corner. Avi and Jozou practice dance routine A on the side, with Kizhan watching and offering harsh criticism for every misstep. Ghzan, Helger, and Pandin play their flutes in another corner. The room is a flurry of excitement, laughter, and noise.

Since Tammy is here, nobody is particularly scared of Avi anymore. She’s still a violent murderer, but everyone knows she’s shackled by the boy’s expectations. Everyone makes sure to take pot shots at her, but none are more fierce with their words than Kizhan.

“Wrong foot placement.”

“No, it’s ball-ball-heel, not ball-heel-ball, are you even paying attention?”

“Try to not make your eyes look like a dead fish. You need to smile more!”

“No! Not a smile like that! You look like you’re about to slit my throat… or break my knee.”

Despite the harsh words and constant criticism, Avi keeps going. She’s sweating, panting, but doesn’t quit. After a while of this, however, she glances to Tammy, who’s just started strumming another round on his violin. He’s too focused on the music sheet and isn’t paying attention to her. Avi sighs, then stands up straight.

She walks closer to Kizhan, with Jozou and the three musicians watching her intently. Catala watches too, but keeps her singing voice measured.

Kizhan grips the sides of her chair and clenches her teeth, but doesn’t look away.

Avi stands over her, groans slightly, and forces herself to speak. Internally, it’s like pulling nails, but she has to say it. “I’m sorry. For breaking your knee.”

Kizhan’s wide eyes don’t blink. “Okay,” she says carefully. “It hurt a lot, disrupted our lives, and I don’t forgive you.”

Avi nods, then bows her head. “You don’t need to forgive me. Or, rather, you just need to hear it… I dunno, nevermind.” She turns and heads back to the little dance area. She glances over again to make sure Tammy didn’t notice, and sure enough, he’s still in his own little world.

She goes back to practice and Kizhan just pushes her even harder going forward. “I wonder why I felt the need to do that. Apologizing doesn’t really benefit me if Tammy isn’t around to see how mature I am. Hmm. Maybe… maybe I want to be the kind of person Tammy can love, even when he’s not around to see it? Or maybe it was just a passing desire with no true meaning, who knows why I do half the things I do?” She gives up and shrugs, prompting Kizhan to yell at her for the unnecessary shoulder twitch.

After a few hours of practice, Tammy and Catala head back up to the dining hall for their next performance, and the band takes a break so Avi can watch her husband. It’s not out of kindness, but terror over what Avi could do when Tammy isn’t holding her leash.

The two perform wonderfully again, and everyone considers it an even better performance than yesterday.

Two further nights go by, it’s the last night of the voyage. The sun has gone down, and Avi is on stage, performing with Jozou’s band while Tammy sits between Kizhan and Catala.

Tammy keeps glancing over to Sir Kracken. He can’t see it, but he knows the serum is in his bloodstream. He’ll be dead soon.

“Samuel?” Catala says softly, putting a hand on his arm.

On stage, Avi sees this and stumbles, but Jozou quickly covers for her.

“Y-yes?” Tammy forces a smile.

“Is something wrong?”

He looks at her for a moment. “Uh… Yeah, something is wrong.”

“Can I help?” She offers a kind, mature smile.

“Not… really.”

“Can I offer an ear and at least listen to your woes?”

Tammy closes his eyes, takes a slow, deep breath, then looks up at her. “I need to talk to Sir Kracken.”

Her face tightens slightly, sensing the seriousness in his voice. She nods, then offers him a hand. They hold hands, causing Avi to trip and faceplant on the stage. Laughter rings through the dining hall and Avi quickly leaps into a handstand, playing it off as part of routine C.

Tammy and Catala head over to Sir Kracken’s table. “Master,” she says respectfully. Only barely louder than the music, she waits for him to respond.

“Yes?” Sir Kracken, with a smile, takes his eyes from the stage and looks at the two.

Catala pat’s Tammy’s back and encourages him forward.

“I have something… to tell you.”

He raises an eyebrow, then gets up and the three move to a new table for privacy. “About?”

“You…” Tammy fiddles with his hands and can’t maintain eye contact with either. “May or may not remember that I’m a psychic.”

Sir Kracken nods, “I remember your wife declaring it in front of everyone.”

“Y-yes. Well, it’s true. I am a psychic, and sometimes… I see things. I can’t control it, but often I have these… sort of visions of the future. And they’re never wrong.”

Sir Kracken and Catala glance to each other, then back to Tammy. “What did you see, Samuel?”

“Umm…” He gulps hard, then steels himself to make eye contact as he lies through his pearly white teeth. “Are you going to be in any, uh, battles soon? A lot of these visions don’t make sense, but I saw explosions, and shouting, and chaos.”

“I’ve received a commission from the empire. I’m coming out of retirement and will be leading a fleet for pirate suppression duties. I’ll most likely fight in battles.”

Tammy exhales all the air from his lungs, “oh…” He feels Catala’s hand on his shoulder, shaking. “I guess, since it’s from the gurant, you can’t refuse?”

“I cannot,” his voice is solid, stern. He gets the general gist of what Tammy is about to say.

“Well,” he shifts his gaze between the two, “I’m sorry, sir. You’ve been really kind to me, and I appreciate you allowing me to perform on stage for the first time, and lending me such a great singer, but… I saw your death.”

Catala’s face tightens, but Sir Kracken’s doesn’t move. “I see.”

“I-I-I, uh, don’t know exactly when it’ll be, sorry. Based on what I felt in the vision, it could be three or four, maybe five weeks. Six weeks at the most.”

“These visions are never wrong?”

Tammy nods, his face crinkling, and he’s on the verge of tears. “I’ve found that even if I try to avoid these visions, it can be the act of trying to change the future that results in the future turning out the way I foresaw. I don’t think it’s possible to change the future.” He takes a long, shaky breath, “so, uh. Yeah, I just really wanted to let you know. I mean, I thought you’d deserve to know in order to get your affairs in order first.” He bows his head, “I’m sorry, sir.”

Catala glances up to her master, her thoughts mostly a flood of what’s going to happen to her since Sir Kracken is unnaturally soft handed for a slave owner. But she does feel genuine loyalty to him and his family.

Sir Kracken pats Tammy’s shoulder and smiles, “you have nothing to apologize for. Thank you for telling me, young man. I’ve been a soldier for years, and I survived longer than most. I’ve always settled any possible regrets before embarking on campaign. Though, admittedly, knowing my end is coming for certain… There are various things I need to sort out.” He glances to Catala and can read her usually-stoic face, “we’ll talk later.”

Catala nods slowly.

“But with that,” he thinks for a second, then stands, pushing his seat under the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I certainly shouldn’t be spending my last weeks in a place like this, should I?”

Tammy nods, but can’t look him in the eyes.

The boy’s psychic abilities give him a small insight into the thoughts and feelings of those around him, though he can’t yet read minds. Based on these abilities, Tammy knows that neither suspect him of having a hand in Sir Kracken’s death. They genuinely believe he’s a good-natured young boy who loves music, and is a somewhat bumbling assassin with a crazy partner.

It’s a good thing that avoiding eye contact naturally fits with the lie he’s telling.

“Well,” Sir Kracken says with high spirits, “I should be off then. Mr. Barabba, I do believe this is the last time we’ll speak. It’s regretful I couldn’t see you perform in the orchestra later this year, but thank you for the performances I could attend. Your violin is beautiful. Catala, you were a fine partner for him.”

Tammy exhales sharply, “thank you, sir.” That’s the worst punch in the stomach he’s ever received.

Sir Kracken leaves, and it’s just him and Catala.

She quickly pulls him in for a hug, which he reciprocates.

Avi slips and falls on her face again. A few in the audience point to Tammy and Catala, and Kizhan heckles the girl, mocking her for losing her husband. All of Avi’s movements turn sluggish and weak, she slips constantly, and the audience can’t get enough. Jozou, in a panic, plays into the comedy act idea and trips his partner a few times, or pushes her down. Avi stumbles around like she’s drunk, and everyone loves it.

“I’m sorry,” Catala’s voice breaks as she whispers to Tammy, her cheek resting on the top of his head.

“F-for what?”

“It was… disheartening to learn you were an assassin, and that you’ve killed people.” Tammy hugs her tighter as, at this point, he’s only directly killed one person before, and it’s still a bitter memory. “I had my own idea of who you were, and that knowledge… changed my perception of you. But seeing how broken up you are… You only met my master a few days ago, yet you’re so attached that a vision of his death is affecting you this much? I was wrong. You’re a kind, sweet boy. I get the feeling that you’re only an assassin due to circumstance.”

“…” Every word he hears is agony. “How would she feel if she knew I’m the one that killed him? Or, rather, ordered Avi to do it? How would she feel if she knew I’ve been lying through my teeth this whole time? Avi may be able to kill without remorse, but I’m no better. I’m an assassin that tricks others into thinking I’m a good person, but I don’t even have the stomach to look them in the eye as I condemn them to death. I’m so weak that I can’t even pull the trigger myself.”

Suddenly, Tammy and Catala feel pressure on their shoulders, and the two are forcibly split. Avi now stands between them, her arms outstretched, gripping Catala’s shoulder hard. Her breathing is labored, her face expressionless, her bloodshot eyes wide open.

“That’s… enough of that.” She says, calmly.

The audience loves it. More than a few believe that Avi isn’t even an assassin and all of this was just an extended performance.

“A-Avi?”

She slowly twists her neck to look at him and forces a toothy smile. “Let’s. Go. Back. To. Our. Room.”

Catala opens her mouth, and Avi snaps her neck towards her.

“I promise you,” her strained voice sounds like a guttural growl, “I will rip your ribcage out of your chest. Do not talk to us.” She quickly grabs Tammy in a bearhug, then walks off, leaving Catala in her seat.

The following day, around noon, the ship finally docks at the port on the other side of the sea and everyone is let off. Tammy and Avi have their broad hats, their violin cases, and their satchel of luggage. They leave from the top deck and have to travel down a long ramp towards the port. At the bottom stands Catala.

Avi groans, but Tammy swings his hand out and slaps her abs. “I’m saying goodbye.”

“Do as you wish,” she says through a clenched smile.

Tammy rushes down the ramp and stops before her, and he gives her a smile. “It was really fun playing with you.”

She nods, “it is regrettable I won’t find another musician as skilled as yourself.”

“We plan on staying in the port for a few days to make money for Kizhan’s band, if you want to play again.”

She shakes her head, “we have to leave soon. My master has a long list of tasks he needs to complete before he takes up his commission and sets sail.”

“Ah.”

“Do you… think your tribe will allow you to join the Planetary Governor’s orchestra?”

“I-I think I could convince them. Can you make it?”

Her brow tightens with focus and determination, “I will.”

Tammy smiles, his small limbs shaking. “Then this isn’t goodbye at all! Just farewell for now.” He puts out a hand, “I’ll see you there.”

Catala is hesitant for a second, and glance up at Avi. The girl clicks her teeth and shakes her head rapidly back and forth. Disregarding the danger, Catala pulls the boy in for a hug. “Be safe, Se-“ she catches herself, “Samuel. I look forward to seeing you again.”

“Yeah, me too, Catala. And once you’re free, I hope you find Sedric.”

Tammy pulls away before Avi can stomp her way over. With a nod, the two part ways.

Avi makes sure to wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him in close. It’s awkward to walk that way, but Tammy will just have to deal with it for a while.

Working with her to mix his violin and her tapdancing goes a long way to sooth her heart, and it’s not long before they sound great together.