08-31-2016, 02:43 AM
Whap!
And Caira WAS DOWN! As fast as a linebacker can tackle the QB, the girl had hit the dull gray metal with a sounding cascade and a helpless yelp that sounded more like a newborn kitten mewing. The throbbing began after she lifted her head up and felt the damage, one large bruise was forming on the side of her head, covered by her now mangled mass of sable hair. It hadn’t been those who had confronted them, or so she hoped, as she looked around. Zack was by her side in an instant. “Are you alright?”
“Ooof,” she said, a little late and grasping his extended hand and he lifted, “I’m fine what was-”
The knight cut her sentence short, sighting a smallish animal plastered against the deck. That was what hit her. It felt like a cannonball, it must’ve been flying and rammed right into her. It hadn’t even twitched in the time it had taken her to stand, so the compassionate woman knelt once more while her hands hovered over the creature. It had bright orange skin, and the frayed thin wings of a dragon.
“It isn’t breathing,” she said without waiting to see if its lungs raised, which perplexed Zack more than Gary, and Caira immediately cupped its head in the palm of her hand and blew a breath on its lips. Plugging its nose, she did it again.
Scales shimmered upwards and rushed down, the wind gusted while Caira tried to press on its chest to make it breathe, “Come on, come on,” Gary passively watched from above, his arms were crossed in a dissatisfied position. In Zack’s mind, the gears were churning. He was catching up by replaying the memory in his head. The Pokemon had swept too low, or was cast by a too powerful squall. Judging by its weight, size, and how fast it was going, Caira should’ve been down for the count, like the little Charizard.
“Girl,” Gary grunted gruffly, “It isn’t out of breath or choking, it took a hard conk to the head.”
The pessimist's persuasion did nothing to Caira’s momentum, “I’m not going to let it die because I stood in its way.”
Gary frowned, that was not his philosophy, this girl still had something to learn. “Sometimes that’s how it goes, and there’s nothing you can-”
Caira’s lips were met with the scald of hot fire, while the ends of her hair smoked. The reptilian lizard roared from its place on the ground, wings flapped helplessly, slapping against metal, while the knight scrunched her eyebrows and took a few steps back. Her fingers felt the blistering pain on her now immensely red lips and her expression wilted into one of pain. Gary was in no position to gloat and was surprised the little beast was alive.
“Char-Char!” it said in a small, high-dulcet voice. Then it’s gaze fixed on Caira. Its strange hands wrapped around her arm and she saw the trepidation in its eyes, but she did not misunderstand it for confusion. Her gaze fell on the direction the little monster had put her between, and she rose, juggling the pint-sized dragon in her hands.
Two more followed with enormous speed, and well, their size was quadruple that of what Caira could only assume to be a baby one. Her shoulders became rigid, and Zack rightfully drew his sword. Gary rolled his eyes and hopped off his sub, first assuring it was locked and would remain at its station. “Two of them,” Caira warned her companion, she however drew no sword, instead, magic gathered in her palms.
Their skin bore the color of flames, just as the young one hidden behind the Prime’s black attire. There was no hiding the orange, that was for sure. “They’re big,” Zack quipped back, his sword was ready, wisely, he waited till they announced themselves to be friend or foe.
“We can take them,” She said to Zack before announcing to the enemies, “Stand down!” Fire blazed in the sky and circled around them as the duo of dragons grew closer, seeing the Primes’ defensive stances and the decision made, the Pokemon dove without hesitation. The girl bared her teeth and a tornado exploded in the direction of the orange beasts. They were swept in and then flung out at a rate that would make Caira sick.
The Pokemon were thrown from the air, and took to a hasty retreat, growling in fumes of fire underneath their breath. Zack sheathed his man-sized sword, “Ummm, never mind then,” he said and looked at her with a peculiarity in his smile.
The Pokemon hidden below her hair was shuddering, and Zack had to pry it off her back, just to get it to settle cradled in her arms. She exchanged an embarrassed look before glancing at its scuffed head and trying to make sense of their attackers. Gary called, “Are you done yet? Time’s a wasting, and he doesn’t like to be bothered past dinnertime.”
“We’re coming,” Zack yelled and wondered whether Caira would have trouble getting down the ladder with the extra obstacle. It hung like a baby in her arms and would have no other way. “You got it?”
“Yeah,” she took a big breath and jumped about twenty feet, rolling with her fall so the momentum wouldn’t rush cripplingly to her ankles.
“That was quite a show,” Gary smirked despite his windblown hair, and took a gander at the Charizard, “You know, they don’t come in that size originally, something might be wrong with it, or it ate a mini-fruit.”
“Mini-fruit? Is that a thing?” Zack echoed and thought about himself at that size.
“Better watch what you eat lad, ladies don’t like their men shorter than ‘em,” he winked and then came closer to Caira and the Pokemon, “It’s called a Charizard, it’s a fire-type Pokemon, which basically translates into monsters. I never liked ‘em if ya can guess why, but they have their uses. This one seems to like ya, it got the wrong idea when you chose to protect it.”
“Wrong idea? Because I didn’t let those two kill it?” she shot back.
“I don’t like to disrupt the natural course of things if I can help it, that’s all. Now you’ve got dead-weight on your hands and we’ve lost time. Let’s get moving.” Caira’s jaw dropped, Gary didn’t seem to notice, since he began to lead the way and turned her back on her.
“It needed help, how could you think that denying it that right would be okay?” she challenged walking up next to him.
“Darwinism, survival of the fittest, this island is a jungle and those beasts are wild, you best watch where you step and who you cross. They are just animals, sometimes they fight, sometimes they hunt each other, and sometimes they die. That’s nature, miss Ayryn.” His logic was true, but merciless, “You don’t just pick one up and take one home with you, thinking that if you tame it, it will change its true nature.”
“This one seemed so scared, it must’ve eaten a... Mini-fruit and the others ganged up on it because it was smaller,” she deduced.
“Unfortunate, but no need to go out of your way,” Gary didn’t glance back.
“You’ve made your case clear, and I’m making mine, it’s coming with us because those two will be back. Maybe we’ll even find a fruit to change it back to normal size.” she offered, her eyes moved from Gary to Zack, who had bitten his lip at Gary’s distressingly ruthless outlook.
“Do as you will, and fate will teach you the consequences to every choice you make,” Gary announced.
“Death? It may seem like just one life but there are consequences to not saving it. There always are. Even just one life has value.” Her voice was firm, like someone who had learned this. Gary wasn’t the type to inquire more, but instead, he settled on the newfound knowledge like a female bird resting intently on her eggs.
“Oh believe me,” the aged man nodded, “I know.”
...
Cinnabar Island was a decent size and the trio had arrived on the opposite side from the more built-up areas of the knoll. The air felt soggy even just a half a mile into the jungle, it was tropical and stagnant, full of moisture and humidity that pushed Caira to tie her hair back. Zack and Gary didn’t seem to enjoy the heat either, but Gary despite his dense trench coat, seemed to be the most acclimatized to the weather. She blinked away the dripping sweat from her eyes and spared a glance down at the teeny Charizard; it was sound asleep and snugly stable in her arms. It weighed probably around forty pounds, and Caira was huffing a bit as she tried to carry it. The svelte girl was never buff or muscular, and the composition of her skeleton was not at all dense. For a girl at five feet, seven inches, the hybrid only weighed ninety four pounds. And now she was pregnant with a poke baby.
She didn’t regret it though, and Gary knew it from the fierceness in her eyes as she trudged through the overgrown climate. Meanwhile, Zack had his own baby to worry about, the buster sword on his back was a part of him, so the extra weight never bothered him, but it was harder to move and be nimble through the smaller crawlspaces in their invisible trail lead by Gary when it only bent veridically or horizontally. Gary’s stride ceased, letting the Primes dwindling behind him catch up, meanwhile he inspected the canopy above, the way Caira saw it, at least there was a thick cloak of cooling shade.
The ex-soldier and the knight knew better than to start talking before Gary did, for maybe he saw danger that neither detected in this foreign climate. Calls of all kinds came from every direction, birds, bugs, and snakes all seemed more intelligent than the normal, but nothing had leapt into their sight. Yet.
“They’re lying low, they’re curious but aren’t willing to cross us yet, if it keeps up, we’ll be there in no time. Clowney’s base is built on the other side of the mountain. Since he’s an astronomer, you can imagine he needs the height for the telescope.” their guide informed.
“Who’s they?”
“The Pokemon. You didn’t think there would be just a few of them, did you? Nah, this island is basically ruled by them. As you saw, some don’t like guests. Others rejoice, especially the predators.” Gary smirked at this, “Luckily I know my way around, so should I encounter any, I’ll know how to deal with them. They’re elemental creatures, Pokemon are.”
“What exactly are Pokemon?” Gary didn’t like to be interrupted when he was on a spiel, but Caira’s question was in a broader sense, fair.
“Like I said, they’re monsters from a lost world, like Primes, they were taken here against their will. Some even talk, and think for themselves, like humans or vice versa. Well, they isolated themselves to this island, though you will find them running around elsewhere, most are met with more hardship and prejudice beyond these waters and choose to remain here. Where’d you get that necklace?” Gary spied the single strand of black around her neck, the rest was tucked below the black fabric of her attire. While Zack wondered whether this was the time or place for meaningless personal questions.
Caira’s eyes slowly moved up the middle-aged man’s face. He was a stranger. But she was also in his debt, he could leave them stranded here without delivering them to their prize. Gary didn’t seem like the kind of man to go back on his word, but how could she know after less than twelve hours of knowing him? She decided on a vague middle ground, “That’s a story for another time.”
“I asked what, not how you got it,” a smile wrinkled on his face, “Your answer gives me answers, even if more questions come from it and you attempt to be elusive. I don’t miss much, C... Ayryn, even if my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.”
Zack was looking past the lines of her clothes, trying to see the outline of the suspected jewel. It sounded like Gary hit the girl in a place she didn’t want to talk about. Maybe he even knew it, too. Everyone had places like that, perhaps it was a family heirloom, all she had left from her mom, or – “In that case, it’s a black jewel.”
“Mind if I see it?” He beckoned. Black was supposed to be Gary’s least favorite color, now he liked her gem?
“Can we continue after?” A subtle nod confirmed her demand. Behind the stoic female’s face, he saw the struggle of decision until she finally unzipped her jumpsuit and pulled it out, never taking it from her neck.
“How long have you had it?” G dawg asked. Zack rolled his eyes, Gary liked jewelry better than Caira did, it seemed.
“A while. Why do you ask?” she asked defensively.
“Hmmm,” he savored the suspense of not answering, “Just curious. Do you like it? Why wear jewelry if you aren’t going to show it?”
A family heirloom. Zack stepped in, “Why do you keep probing her about it? What’s it matter to you if she doesn’t wear it your way, maybe she doesn’t want it to get chopped off or broken.”
“Calm down laddie, if you listen rather than act, you might find the real truth. So, Ayryn? What is it?” he salted her name with a greasy tone.
“Why do you bother asking if you know the answer, Gary?” she said with a frown.
“I myself have more than one reason, one being whether or not you find me trustworthy. I’m surprised you let me take you this far, I could be leading you to your doom, though, not that you haven’t contemplated that. Can I touch it?” Gary asked. Zack thought it had gone far enough, but Caira pulled the loop from over her head and handed it to him.
“Be careful,” She warned, and Gary read between the lines, “As for trustworthy, you’ll have to prove yourself.” Everyone enjoyed the underlying tone of sass in that one.
“It really is a beautiful thing, as well as dangerous. Shadows usually are, you know. You should take good care of this, for I see it now with the better light.”
Caira blinked, “Do you know its name?”
“I am afraid not. But I like the potential. Never before have I held one of these in my hands. You’d be a rich woman if you sold it, or sought to find more like it.” Gary offered.
“I think I’d like it back please,” Zack’s intrigued eyes snagged on Gary, if he did anything wrong...
“Sure, sure,” he said and handed it back at once, “I would like to know where you found it.”
Found it. Not received, not ‘got’ but found. Zack once again felt like an outsider. Three was company, and what if she didn’t need him after all? Still, he wanted to see this through. Gary knew more than he let on, or wanted to lead on, and that was the kind of elusive man the secondary was, so the Prime observed.
“What makes you think I found it? I could’ve created it with Omnillium, if it is as valuable as you say,” she said and then looked at Zack.
“Well, they are incredibly hard to forge with the mind, all the hidden designs embedded deep within the stone are hard to duplicate. Most people think that its the symmetry in the cut that makes the stone beautiful, but it isn’t, there are fine shimmering fragments that pop out at certain angles. That one’s got them.” Gary was well informed, it seemed.
Caira frowned, cornered. “I found it in the Endless Dunes. I have no intention of selling it. Sentimental value.”
“Of course there is,” he sniggered, “Have you seen the way it glitters at night?”
“Of course I have, it’s my necklace,” Caira was weary.
“Do its true colors ever scare you?” Gary asked, and then looked down at the beast resting in her arms. Perhaps that had been his point all along. For a glimpse, Caira bared her teeth out of malice. An intense expression, if they had been talking about jewelry.
“No more than that of a cowardly man’s.”
Their eyes narrowed in sync.
“Uhh... Not sure what that’s about, but we should be getting a move on, we want to arrive before dark, don’t we?” Zack broke the tension. Caira pulled her violet eyes away, Gary let his remain.
“You’re right,” she admitted and hid her pendant once more, looking at Zack, she saw the quiet observance of his face. She hoped behind the mask, was not pain she had caused.
The company of three, trudged along for some time before Gary neared a large boulder, in which he rolled it over simply. It was a prop, very believable, it looked heavier than he was and twice his size. Styrofoam was below the thick gray paint’s surface, visible only in the patch where the ground met the prop’s form. Next Gary punched in a code to a pin pad attached to the mountain, it was surrounded by earth and vine. He turned to smile to them as a giant sliding door, once blended into the side of an overgrown cliff, emerged from layers upon layers of green.
“Well, here we are. He’s waiting inside.”
The blood pumped in her veins with anticipation. Silver doors were closing behind her and the elevator ascended. Bewp. Bewp. Bewp. Their acceleration slowed. Neither of them said a word, though many ice-breaking quips strolled through Zack’s creative mind.
Click clack click. The gentle patter of their feet carried the three across a strange looking room that served as both a hallway and a science-y museum full of half-finished concoctions which smelled from chlorophyll to chocolate.
Gary did the honors of opening the closest door, they emerged inside, the room was an office, filled to the brim with skews of miscellaneous paper and messier in the form of silent artistic genius. Although Caira couldn’t see Clowney’s face, his silhouette was a shadow against the window full of bright magenta colors of the setting sun.
“Gary, so good to see you,” an unfamiliar yet soothing voice welcomed them in.
“Jad, good to see you again,” trench-coat met lab,“Jadeveon Clowney, Meet miss Ayryn... Oh, and Zack.” The astronomer’s hand extended.
And Caira WAS DOWN! As fast as a linebacker can tackle the QB, the girl had hit the dull gray metal with a sounding cascade and a helpless yelp that sounded more like a newborn kitten mewing. The throbbing began after she lifted her head up and felt the damage, one large bruise was forming on the side of her head, covered by her now mangled mass of sable hair. It hadn’t been those who had confronted them, or so she hoped, as she looked around. Zack was by her side in an instant. “Are you alright?”
“Ooof,” she said, a little late and grasping his extended hand and he lifted, “I’m fine what was-”
The knight cut her sentence short, sighting a smallish animal plastered against the deck. That was what hit her. It felt like a cannonball, it must’ve been flying and rammed right into her. It hadn’t even twitched in the time it had taken her to stand, so the compassionate woman knelt once more while her hands hovered over the creature. It had bright orange skin, and the frayed thin wings of a dragon.
“It isn’t breathing,” she said without waiting to see if its lungs raised, which perplexed Zack more than Gary, and Caira immediately cupped its head in the palm of her hand and blew a breath on its lips. Plugging its nose, she did it again.
Scales shimmered upwards and rushed down, the wind gusted while Caira tried to press on its chest to make it breathe, “Come on, come on,” Gary passively watched from above, his arms were crossed in a dissatisfied position. In Zack’s mind, the gears were churning. He was catching up by replaying the memory in his head. The Pokemon had swept too low, or was cast by a too powerful squall. Judging by its weight, size, and how fast it was going, Caira should’ve been down for the count, like the little Charizard.
“Girl,” Gary grunted gruffly, “It isn’t out of breath or choking, it took a hard conk to the head.”
The pessimist's persuasion did nothing to Caira’s momentum, “I’m not going to let it die because I stood in its way.”
Gary frowned, that was not his philosophy, this girl still had something to learn. “Sometimes that’s how it goes, and there’s nothing you can-”
Caira’s lips were met with the scald of hot fire, while the ends of her hair smoked. The reptilian lizard roared from its place on the ground, wings flapped helplessly, slapping against metal, while the knight scrunched her eyebrows and took a few steps back. Her fingers felt the blistering pain on her now immensely red lips and her expression wilted into one of pain. Gary was in no position to gloat and was surprised the little beast was alive.
“Char-Char!” it said in a small, high-dulcet voice. Then it’s gaze fixed on Caira. Its strange hands wrapped around her arm and she saw the trepidation in its eyes, but she did not misunderstand it for confusion. Her gaze fell on the direction the little monster had put her between, and she rose, juggling the pint-sized dragon in her hands.
Two more followed with enormous speed, and well, their size was quadruple that of what Caira could only assume to be a baby one. Her shoulders became rigid, and Zack rightfully drew his sword. Gary rolled his eyes and hopped off his sub, first assuring it was locked and would remain at its station. “Two of them,” Caira warned her companion, she however drew no sword, instead, magic gathered in her palms.
Their skin bore the color of flames, just as the young one hidden behind the Prime’s black attire. There was no hiding the orange, that was for sure. “They’re big,” Zack quipped back, his sword was ready, wisely, he waited till they announced themselves to be friend or foe.
“We can take them,” She said to Zack before announcing to the enemies, “Stand down!” Fire blazed in the sky and circled around them as the duo of dragons grew closer, seeing the Primes’ defensive stances and the decision made, the Pokemon dove without hesitation. The girl bared her teeth and a tornado exploded in the direction of the orange beasts. They were swept in and then flung out at a rate that would make Caira sick.
The Pokemon were thrown from the air, and took to a hasty retreat, growling in fumes of fire underneath their breath. Zack sheathed his man-sized sword, “Ummm, never mind then,” he said and looked at her with a peculiarity in his smile.
The Pokemon hidden below her hair was shuddering, and Zack had to pry it off her back, just to get it to settle cradled in her arms. She exchanged an embarrassed look before glancing at its scuffed head and trying to make sense of their attackers. Gary called, “Are you done yet? Time’s a wasting, and he doesn’t like to be bothered past dinnertime.”
“We’re coming,” Zack yelled and wondered whether Caira would have trouble getting down the ladder with the extra obstacle. It hung like a baby in her arms and would have no other way. “You got it?”
“Yeah,” she took a big breath and jumped about twenty feet, rolling with her fall so the momentum wouldn’t rush cripplingly to her ankles.
“That was quite a show,” Gary smirked despite his windblown hair, and took a gander at the Charizard, “You know, they don’t come in that size originally, something might be wrong with it, or it ate a mini-fruit.”
“Mini-fruit? Is that a thing?” Zack echoed and thought about himself at that size.
“Better watch what you eat lad, ladies don’t like their men shorter than ‘em,” he winked and then came closer to Caira and the Pokemon, “It’s called a Charizard, it’s a fire-type Pokemon, which basically translates into monsters. I never liked ‘em if ya can guess why, but they have their uses. This one seems to like ya, it got the wrong idea when you chose to protect it.”
“Wrong idea? Because I didn’t let those two kill it?” she shot back.
“I don’t like to disrupt the natural course of things if I can help it, that’s all. Now you’ve got dead-weight on your hands and we’ve lost time. Let’s get moving.” Caira’s jaw dropped, Gary didn’t seem to notice, since he began to lead the way and turned her back on her.
“It needed help, how could you think that denying it that right would be okay?” she challenged walking up next to him.
“Darwinism, survival of the fittest, this island is a jungle and those beasts are wild, you best watch where you step and who you cross. They are just animals, sometimes they fight, sometimes they hunt each other, and sometimes they die. That’s nature, miss Ayryn.” His logic was true, but merciless, “You don’t just pick one up and take one home with you, thinking that if you tame it, it will change its true nature.”
“This one seemed so scared, it must’ve eaten a... Mini-fruit and the others ganged up on it because it was smaller,” she deduced.
“Unfortunate, but no need to go out of your way,” Gary didn’t glance back.
“You’ve made your case clear, and I’m making mine, it’s coming with us because those two will be back. Maybe we’ll even find a fruit to change it back to normal size.” she offered, her eyes moved from Gary to Zack, who had bitten his lip at Gary’s distressingly ruthless outlook.
“Do as you will, and fate will teach you the consequences to every choice you make,” Gary announced.
“Death? It may seem like just one life but there are consequences to not saving it. There always are. Even just one life has value.” Her voice was firm, like someone who had learned this. Gary wasn’t the type to inquire more, but instead, he settled on the newfound knowledge like a female bird resting intently on her eggs.
“Oh believe me,” the aged man nodded, “I know.”
...
Cinnabar Island was a decent size and the trio had arrived on the opposite side from the more built-up areas of the knoll. The air felt soggy even just a half a mile into the jungle, it was tropical and stagnant, full of moisture and humidity that pushed Caira to tie her hair back. Zack and Gary didn’t seem to enjoy the heat either, but Gary despite his dense trench coat, seemed to be the most acclimatized to the weather. She blinked away the dripping sweat from her eyes and spared a glance down at the teeny Charizard; it was sound asleep and snugly stable in her arms. It weighed probably around forty pounds, and Caira was huffing a bit as she tried to carry it. The svelte girl was never buff or muscular, and the composition of her skeleton was not at all dense. For a girl at five feet, seven inches, the hybrid only weighed ninety four pounds. And now she was pregnant with a poke baby.
She didn’t regret it though, and Gary knew it from the fierceness in her eyes as she trudged through the overgrown climate. Meanwhile, Zack had his own baby to worry about, the buster sword on his back was a part of him, so the extra weight never bothered him, but it was harder to move and be nimble through the smaller crawlspaces in their invisible trail lead by Gary when it only bent veridically or horizontally. Gary’s stride ceased, letting the Primes dwindling behind him catch up, meanwhile he inspected the canopy above, the way Caira saw it, at least there was a thick cloak of cooling shade.
The ex-soldier and the knight knew better than to start talking before Gary did, for maybe he saw danger that neither detected in this foreign climate. Calls of all kinds came from every direction, birds, bugs, and snakes all seemed more intelligent than the normal, but nothing had leapt into their sight. Yet.
“They’re lying low, they’re curious but aren’t willing to cross us yet, if it keeps up, we’ll be there in no time. Clowney’s base is built on the other side of the mountain. Since he’s an astronomer, you can imagine he needs the height for the telescope.” their guide informed.
“Who’s they?”
“The Pokemon. You didn’t think there would be just a few of them, did you? Nah, this island is basically ruled by them. As you saw, some don’t like guests. Others rejoice, especially the predators.” Gary smirked at this, “Luckily I know my way around, so should I encounter any, I’ll know how to deal with them. They’re elemental creatures, Pokemon are.”
“What exactly are Pokemon?” Gary didn’t like to be interrupted when he was on a spiel, but Caira’s question was in a broader sense, fair.
“Like I said, they’re monsters from a lost world, like Primes, they were taken here against their will. Some even talk, and think for themselves, like humans or vice versa. Well, they isolated themselves to this island, though you will find them running around elsewhere, most are met with more hardship and prejudice beyond these waters and choose to remain here. Where’d you get that necklace?” Gary spied the single strand of black around her neck, the rest was tucked below the black fabric of her attire. While Zack wondered whether this was the time or place for meaningless personal questions.
Caira’s eyes slowly moved up the middle-aged man’s face. He was a stranger. But she was also in his debt, he could leave them stranded here without delivering them to their prize. Gary didn’t seem like the kind of man to go back on his word, but how could she know after less than twelve hours of knowing him? She decided on a vague middle ground, “That’s a story for another time.”
“I asked what, not how you got it,” a smile wrinkled on his face, “Your answer gives me answers, even if more questions come from it and you attempt to be elusive. I don’t miss much, C... Ayryn, even if my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.”
Zack was looking past the lines of her clothes, trying to see the outline of the suspected jewel. It sounded like Gary hit the girl in a place she didn’t want to talk about. Maybe he even knew it, too. Everyone had places like that, perhaps it was a family heirloom, all she had left from her mom, or – “In that case, it’s a black jewel.”
“Mind if I see it?” He beckoned. Black was supposed to be Gary’s least favorite color, now he liked her gem?
“Can we continue after?” A subtle nod confirmed her demand. Behind the stoic female’s face, he saw the struggle of decision until she finally unzipped her jumpsuit and pulled it out, never taking it from her neck.
“How long have you had it?” G dawg asked. Zack rolled his eyes, Gary liked jewelry better than Caira did, it seemed.
“A while. Why do you ask?” she asked defensively.
“Hmmm,” he savored the suspense of not answering, “Just curious. Do you like it? Why wear jewelry if you aren’t going to show it?”
A family heirloom. Zack stepped in, “Why do you keep probing her about it? What’s it matter to you if she doesn’t wear it your way, maybe she doesn’t want it to get chopped off or broken.”
“Calm down laddie, if you listen rather than act, you might find the real truth. So, Ayryn? What is it?” he salted her name with a greasy tone.
“Why do you bother asking if you know the answer, Gary?” she said with a frown.
“I myself have more than one reason, one being whether or not you find me trustworthy. I’m surprised you let me take you this far, I could be leading you to your doom, though, not that you haven’t contemplated that. Can I touch it?” Gary asked. Zack thought it had gone far enough, but Caira pulled the loop from over her head and handed it to him.
“Be careful,” She warned, and Gary read between the lines, “As for trustworthy, you’ll have to prove yourself.” Everyone enjoyed the underlying tone of sass in that one.
“It really is a beautiful thing, as well as dangerous. Shadows usually are, you know. You should take good care of this, for I see it now with the better light.”
Caira blinked, “Do you know its name?”
“I am afraid not. But I like the potential. Never before have I held one of these in my hands. You’d be a rich woman if you sold it, or sought to find more like it.” Gary offered.
“I think I’d like it back please,” Zack’s intrigued eyes snagged on Gary, if he did anything wrong...
“Sure, sure,” he said and handed it back at once, “I would like to know where you found it.”
Found it. Not received, not ‘got’ but found. Zack once again felt like an outsider. Three was company, and what if she didn’t need him after all? Still, he wanted to see this through. Gary knew more than he let on, or wanted to lead on, and that was the kind of elusive man the secondary was, so the Prime observed.
“What makes you think I found it? I could’ve created it with Omnillium, if it is as valuable as you say,” she said and then looked at Zack.
“Well, they are incredibly hard to forge with the mind, all the hidden designs embedded deep within the stone are hard to duplicate. Most people think that its the symmetry in the cut that makes the stone beautiful, but it isn’t, there are fine shimmering fragments that pop out at certain angles. That one’s got them.” Gary was well informed, it seemed.
Caira frowned, cornered. “I found it in the Endless Dunes. I have no intention of selling it. Sentimental value.”
“Of course there is,” he sniggered, “Have you seen the way it glitters at night?”
“Of course I have, it’s my necklace,” Caira was weary.
“Do its true colors ever scare you?” Gary asked, and then looked down at the beast resting in her arms. Perhaps that had been his point all along. For a glimpse, Caira bared her teeth out of malice. An intense expression, if they had been talking about jewelry.
“No more than that of a cowardly man’s.”
Their eyes narrowed in sync.
“Uhh... Not sure what that’s about, but we should be getting a move on, we want to arrive before dark, don’t we?” Zack broke the tension. Caira pulled her violet eyes away, Gary let his remain.
“You’re right,” she admitted and hid her pendant once more, looking at Zack, she saw the quiet observance of his face. She hoped behind the mask, was not pain she had caused.
The company of three, trudged along for some time before Gary neared a large boulder, in which he rolled it over simply. It was a prop, very believable, it looked heavier than he was and twice his size. Styrofoam was below the thick gray paint’s surface, visible only in the patch where the ground met the prop’s form. Next Gary punched in a code to a pin pad attached to the mountain, it was surrounded by earth and vine. He turned to smile to them as a giant sliding door, once blended into the side of an overgrown cliff, emerged from layers upon layers of green.
“Well, here we are. He’s waiting inside.”
The blood pumped in her veins with anticipation. Silver doors were closing behind her and the elevator ascended. Bewp. Bewp. Bewp. Their acceleration slowed. Neither of them said a word, though many ice-breaking quips strolled through Zack’s creative mind.
Click clack click. The gentle patter of their feet carried the three across a strange looking room that served as both a hallway and a science-y museum full of half-finished concoctions which smelled from chlorophyll to chocolate.
Gary did the honors of opening the closest door, they emerged inside, the room was an office, filled to the brim with skews of miscellaneous paper and messier in the form of silent artistic genius. Although Caira couldn’t see Clowney’s face, his silhouette was a shadow against the window full of bright magenta colors of the setting sun.
“Gary, so good to see you,” an unfamiliar yet soothing voice welcomed them in.
“Jad, good to see you again,” trench-coat met lab,“Jadeveon Clowney, Meet miss Ayryn... Oh, and Zack.” The astronomer’s hand extended.
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