Tiki laid in Anta’s bed, reluctant to break free from the soft white sheets. The man had been kind enough to let her use his bed during her stay there. It was a basic hospital bed that he had originally brought to his tower with the intention of using his workshop as a clinic, but it hadn’t seen many visitors in recent decades, making it mainly Anta’s sleeping quarters.

Anta enjoyed having company. He was in the middle of cooking breakfast for her on the floor above, as he had done every day since the beginning of her stay there. Five days had already passed. Anta found himself wishing that it would take Prota a little longer to make it down the tower, so that he could spend some more time with Tiki. He was almost sad to think that, after he battles Prota and gets him to give up on his mission, the woman would return home with him. 

Anta could hear the gears around his tower turning. He knew it was a sign that Prota would be there soon.

Tiki could smell the breakfast Anta had made. She pushed the curtain aside, walked across the room, and made herself comfortable at the small round table, the one that she found herself at when she was first teleported to his workshop. Remembering that Prota would probably be here at the core of the tower soon, she found herself getting nervous. She thought about the violent battle that was to come. She hugged her own arms as though cold.

Suddenly, she felt a comforting touch in the center of her shoulder blades that took her out of her worried daze. She looked over and saw Anta there, putting her breakfast plate down on the little round table. 

“Thank you,” she said. As he stood up straight to leave, she lifted up her chin and tugged delicately at his braided hair to pull him towards her.

He leaned in and kissed her softly.

“Be careful out there,” she whispered, with deep concern in her voice.

“I will,” he said. 

Another loud clunk sounded as the giant gears shifted around them.

“He’s here,” Anta said. He turned from Tiki and walked toward the stairs, grabbing his sword on the way out.