Rising Shards

We helped Laenie to her feet and walked back the way we came. An awkward energy hung over us, from me making Laenie so mad to Laenie kinda nearly severely injuring us. And the whole Ovie and Jeans thing for me, and probably that for Oka too.

“Where’d the others go?” Laenie asked.

“Well, you knocked Ovie into the horizon and Aira went after her,” Oka said. “Aira also teleported Chellsi and Mikeila-Keila somewhere.”

“Ah,” Laenie said. “I’m so embarrassed, but at least they didn’t catch all of it. Did you...handle me alright?”

“Yeah, you wiped the floor with all of us for a bit, but we figured it out,” I said. “Serves us right, I guess.”

“A bit,” Laenie said. “But I’m cooling off now, at least. Was I that vicious this time?”

“Dude, you ate a bloodsaber when you were in Exa mode,” I said. “If I wasn’t so scared, I’d say that was like the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I think I can still taste it,” Laenie said.

We headed back into town. By the time we got there, the trolley was boarding already. Cavalier and Biggs were in the center of town, talking to Aira, Chellsi, Mikeila-Keila, and Ovie.

Cavalier was taking down notes from Ovie, who sounded upset.

“First, she tackled my friend!” Ovie said. “Second, she tied her up which I’m pretty sure is super illegal. And third, I’m not sure why you’re not out there with tranq guns or something, but there’s an Exa Cani out there that knocked me into space!”

“It was just a game!” Aira said. “And Ovie stole stuff from Laenie, so I’m not the one you should be after! That’s why she went all Exa. And you’re welcome for the rescue, by the way. Mid-air teleporting isn’t easy.”

“Now, it sounds like a game of roughhousing that went a little south,” Cavalier said. “Biggs and I know that all too well. Seen it a million times here.”

“Something about the fresh air,” Biggs said. “Makes ‘em buggy.”

Aira waved to us as we joined the group.

“There she is!” Ovie said. “The Exa Cani! She was a full-on giant monster!”

“That tends to be what Exa Cani are,” Cavalier said. “They just love to roughhouse in these fields…”

“This looks like just a little girl to me, chief,” Biggs said.

“Aren’t you going to arrest her or something?” Ovie asked.

“It wasn’t Laenie’s fault,” I said. “If you arrest anyone it should probably be me.”

“Yes, arrest Zeta!” Ovie said. “I’ll accept that.”

“Nah, I don’t think any particular part of that list of potential arrestees will be necessary,” Cavalier said. “Everyone here seems to be in fine spirits and dandy well-being.”

“I’d say dandy spirits and fine well-being,” Biggs said.

“Ahh, what do you know?” Cavalier said. “You girls just get back on the trolley. I’m letting this one slide.”

“Fine, we’re going,” Ovie said, beckoning her minions to follow. She leaned in close to me and whispered as she passed by, “I bet you never even figured out where I hid all that plant garbage. Shoulda just...broke them, or something, I don't know...”

I didn’t say anything as Ovie trailed off. Laenie sat down on the trolley, holding her bag close to her with her head low. Lillia glared at me, and this time I knew she was really glaring. She probably heard everything just now. Even Aira looked disappointed in us, which really hurt. The whole way back we had to listen to Ovie whine about having to come back to Iho Vinai the day after, and I felt daggers in my heart reminding me how much I hurt Laenie. Ovie was obviously complicit too, but I wasn’t Ovie so I wasn’t gonna saddle myself with that kind of guilt.

I couldn’t sleep when we were back in our rooms. I could hear Oka tossing and turning in her bed.

“Do you think we could sneak back?” Oka asked. “Or that Diast could get us tickets?”

“They’d figure out pretty quickly what we did I think, or they’d think we just want to see the farm,” I said. “And then we’d still have to find all the stuff Ovie hid.”

I looked at the blue ticket on my nightstand.

“Besides,” I said. “I’m going to LE tomorrow to see Stella.”

“Oh,” Oka said. “Maybe I can figure out something.”

“Wait,” I said, sitting up suddenly. “I have an idea.”

“You do?” Oka asked.

"Calling it a long shot is an understatement but it's all I got!" I said as I darted out of our room. 

I ran to the end of the hallway. It was only a bit past lights out, so I hoped they were still awake as I knocked on the door. A groggy Mikeila-Keila opened the door.

“Huh?” She asked.

“Hey, is Ovie there?” I asked.

“Why?” Mikeila-Keila asked.

“I want to make a trade with her,” I said, holding up my blue ticket.