“When you arrive, if you can’t find them after some searching, just speak to military personnel and they’ll be able to guide you to your friends. If you fear getting lost on your way to Quadrant Two, there are many public maps placed on the main roads to guide you.” He then pointed to a spot in Quadrant Three. “And, I’d highly recommend you check out this area during your stay.”
My brow rose. What was he up to? “Why’s that?”
The general smirked. “It’s a popular shopping district, and a pretty woman like yourself should treat herself every once in a while to the finer things in life.”
Great, one of those guys. I forced a smiled. “Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll have to think about it—if time permits, of course.”
General Zo smiled. “Of course. Please enjoy your stay in Dalatrend, and if you see any suspicious activity, please let military personnel know. Our goal is to keep everyone safe.”
More like control them. “Thank you, General. You and your compatriots have a wonderful day.”
The general moved aside, smacking Amon in the back of the head as he let Raikidan and me pass. When we were out of earshot, I let out a deep sigh of relief. “That wasn’t as easy as expected.”
“Was that paperwork requirement real?” Raikidan asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Before I left, if anyone planned to stay longer than a week, they had to sign paperwork indicating their length of stay. If they stayed beyond what was agreed, then there’d be some sort of consequence. The most notable was forced residency. Shamans, druids, and gypsies were always exempt from this.”
Raikidan held up a hand. “Wait, back up, people were forced to stay here if they visited too long?”
I nodded. “Told you Zarda was a tyrant. He gets away with it, too, due to his power, compared to a lot of other cities. Of course, many of those people join the resistance if they can’t get proper transfer paperwork approved, so it doesn’t work out as well for Zarda as he thinks it does.”
“It doesn’t make sense to me how it works at all, but if it does, then it does.” He became distracted when we approached the plantation fields. They spread for miles, bordering the entire city, acting as a type of buffer zone between the inner and outer walls protecting the city. If anyone managed to get through either wall, it wasn’t likely they’d make it to the next without being caught here.
As we walked, Raikidan took interest in the people working the fields, and some of them took interest in us. They looked malnourished and overworked. Some looked like they hadn’t slept for several days. I found it easy to ignore them, but Raikidan was another story.
“Ignore them,” I whispered. “We don’t want to attract unwanted attention.”
“They look like regular humans. Are they slaves?”
I nodded. “Yes. You’ll find they work the jobs nu-humans don’t, such as manual labor.”
“You act like it doesn’t bother you.”
“Trust me, it does, but there’s nothing either of us can do about it. This is how it is right now. You’ll get used to it pretty fast. Soon you’ll barely know they’re around.”
He frowned. “If you say so…”
“But if you don’t stop paying attention to them, they’re going to get curious and then get into trouble for not working. Trust me, you really don’t want them to get into trouble.”
He sighed. “All right.”
We walked in silence after that, for the last few miles to the inner wall. The soldiers let us through without a word, and Raikidan looked around curiously as we entered the city. It was busy and noisy, and smelled terrible. Vehicles roared, people shouted, and dogs barked. It was everything I didn’t miss about the city.
“This is Quadrant One,” I told him. “It’s the poorest of the four quadrants.”
“Where will we be mostly?”
“If everything goes as planned, we’ll be staying in Quadrant Three.”
Raikidan nodded. “What’s the plan now?”
“I’m going to bring us to a business that also happens to be in Quadrant Three. The owner, Zane, is one of us. He doesn’t get directly involved with skirmishes or infiltration, so if anyone is still around, it’ll be him. It’s a few hours’ walk, but if we catch a caravan we might be able to hitch a ride.”
Raikidan accepted this. A few hours’ walk was short compared to the trek it took to get here.
Hours passed before Raikidan and I made it to the street of our destination. We’d managed to snag a ride from a few West Tribe shamans for a portion of the way, but that had only gotten us so far into Quadrant Two. They were all happy to see me, and irritated by the news of Maka’shi’s orders when I relayed them. They refused to accept her words and offered certain kinds of help that wouldn’t put them in direct conflict of the pact. They had my utmost gratitude for their kindness, and I offered my help when they needed it for shaman-related matters.
The street I led Raikidan down had no people roaming about. If I didn’t know of the mechanic shop at the end of the dead-end street, I may have thought I’d taken a wrong turn. The shop came into view. It looked exactly the same as when I had left. At least you stayed consistent after all these years, Zane.
The thought of seeing him again sent a flutter of odd emotions through me. Happiness? No… Excitement? Probably.
Two people sat on some crates between the front door and one of the car doors. They appeared to be in a casual conversation, and as we drew closer, I was able to get a good look at their features.
The man was tall, tan, and handsome. He had short white hair and a matching goatee. His eyes were two different colors, the right dark blue and the left golden. He wore a tight red men’s tank, ripped denim pants, black leather fingerless gloves, and standard sneakers. A lip ring pierced the center of his lip and was attached to an earring on his upper right ear by a chain, along with both ears having been gauged to the size of the diameter of a pencil. Large metal shackles hung from his wrists and neck, although the one around his neck was mostly obscured by a black-and-white plaid scarf that was wrapped around his neck like a bandana.
The woman next to him was a little shorter than me. She had long, straight brown hair, golden eyes, and sun-kissed skin. Her ears, while positioned in the same location, were not of a nu-human but that of a wolf, with two silver earrings pierced halfway up the left ear. She wore a bikini top that could barely hold her large breasts, and matching short denim shorts. Thick metal and leather goggles wrapped over her head, and leather fingerless gloves covered her hands. Her feet were covered by large black combat boots, and two silver studs pierced the top of her left eyebrow while two other studs pierced the bottom.
My pace picked up, though not into a run, and I couldn’t stop myself from calling out to them. “Ryoko, Rylan!”
My voice echoed against the buildings surrounding us and the two people looked around.
“I thought I just heard Laz’s voice,” Ryoko said, her ears twitching.
Rylan nodded. “Me too…”
The two then noticed Raikidan and me. They squinted and then stood up.
Rylan took a few steps forward. “Are you two lost? We don’t get many shamans here.”
I laughed, realizing they’d been unable to recognize me with my cloak up.
Ryoko’s ears twitched and her back straightened. “Laz?”
I pulled down my hood, revealing my face, and her eyes widened, tears welling up in her eyes. “It is you!”
She sprinted over to me, the sight of her heavy chest making me uncomfortable. I didn’t know how she dealt with that day to day. She crashed into me, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing so tight it hurt to breath.
“Ry…oko… I need… to… breathe…” I managed.
She sobbed into my neck, her grip unrelenting. “You’re here. You’re really here.”
Rylan finally made it to us, placing a hand on the back of her neck and then his other on the back of mine. He then rested his forehead on my head. “You
’re not a ghost here to tease us, right?”
“I will… be… if Ryoko… doesn’t… let… up.”
He chuckled and then went about wrestling Ryoko off me. She didn’t make it easy due to her strength rivaling the two of us combined, but eventually I managed to talk some sense into her. She calmed down and wiped her eyes, muttering about being thankful for waterproof makeup.
“Let’s get you inside,” Rylan said. “Just in case a patrol comes by. We can discuss everything.” He then noticed Raikidan standing nearby watching this scene unfold. “And you can tell us about him.”
I twisted my body, successfully popping it back into place after Ryoko’s “assault,” and nodded. “Good idea.”
Rylan opened the metal door when we reached the shop and ushered us in. The building looked like most car shops; large bays to work on new and old vehicles, an office that was supposed to be where files were organized and stored, but I knew Zane, and that room was sure to be anything but organized.
Tall shelving units lined the back half of the building, stocked with parts and miscellaneous tools that didn’t fit in their toolboxes, and organized the way Zane liked it. It’s the only thing that’s ever organized here, if you asked me.
The door closed behind us with a bang.
“Zane, get out here!” Ryoko shouted. “We got some visitors!”
A rattling noise and thud, followed by low cursing, were heard. Rylan and I snickered. A tall, tan, toned man who appeared to be in his forties walked around a truck. He wore a gray mechanic’s jumpsuit with black boots and a red bandana that covered his shaved head. His long red mustache and matching goatee contrasted with his blue eyes. “What in Lumaraeon are you yelling about, Ryoko? It’s too late to be having random—by Satria!” He rubbed his eyes. “I’m not seeing things, right?”
I smiled and waved. “Hey, Uncle.”
He ran over to me and embraced me in a large bear hug. “You’re back. The gods gave you back to me…”
I slipped my hand out of my cloak and rubbed his back to soothe him. “I’m here.”
A tan and muscular man, appearing to be in his early thirties, came around a heavily stocked shelf. He had slicked-back brown hair, and a thin brown mustache with a matching soul patch and goatee. He wore basic denim pants, several loose belts, standard sneakers, as well as an open, blue, button-up shirt that exposed the two silver piercings on his nipples. Two beaded necklaces with crystals hung from his neck, and a silver ball-studded loop labret pierced the center of his lower lip.
“Hey, Zane, what’s—” His green eyes widened. “Eira?”
I smiled. “Hey, Argus.”
He turned and shouted into the shop. “Blaze, get out here!”
Someone put down some tools and jogged around the stocked shelf Argus had appeared from. A young man, slightly shorter than Argus, and appearing to be in his late twenties, joined Argus. He had tan, toned skin, and medium-length black hair. A red bandana was wrapped around his head and was covered by a black hat. A white-and-black, short-sleeved jacket covered his upper body, while black pants, a leather belt with a large belt buckle, and sneakers covered his lower. The jacket was unzipped, revealing the tight red shirt underneath, and a set of dog tags hung from his neck. A black fingerless glove was worn on his left hand, and three beaded bracelets on his right.
He hadn’t noticed me yet. “What’s up?”
Argus pointed and Blaze’s gaze followed, his crimson red eyes widening with surprise. “This isn’t a trick… right?”
I lifted my hand and flipped him my middle finger. The room boomed with laugher as Argus, Ryoko, and Rylan found amusement in the gesture and Blaze held up his hands. “I mean, if you want to, I’m not going to say no to a hot chick like you.”
I shook my head. “You haven’t changed.”
Zane let go, now able to take in the whole scene. “You expect anything less from him?”
“No, not really.”
My uncle chuckled as he patted me on the shoulder. “It’s been a long time. I’m really surprised you’re back. You insisted your absence would be permanent.”
Argus approached. “Seda kept insisting you’d return, but most of us didn’t believe it.”
Ryoko snorted as she crossed her arms. “Of course those of us with a brain listened since she can see the future and all.”
Rylan shrugged. “But that didn’t mean we knew when. It could have been years from now, after the rebellion ended.”
I leaned on the main workbench in the shop. “Yeah, well, I’m here, so get used to it.”
Zane laughed. “Sounds like her, that’s for sure.”
Blaze pointed to Raikidan. “Yeah, but who is he?”
Everyone turned to look at Raikidan, and it was Rylan who spoke. “Shit, I forgot about him.”
“Guys, it’s cool,” I said. “This is Raikidan. We had a chance meeting, and after some discussion he convinced me to come back. He’s going to be useful to us. Raikidan, these are some of the main group of people you’ll be associating with. Zane, Rylan, Ryoko, Argus, and Blaze.”
Raikidan pulled down his hood and nodded in greeting, taking in the situation like he always did. The guys nodded in return and Ryoko waved, an interested smile on her lips. There was no denying she was checking him out. Oh, Ryoko, you never change.
I looked at everyone else. “I’ll explain more in a moment, but are there any extra clothes we can swap out of? It’d be great to get out of these clothes.”
Zane’s brow furrowed. “No, I don’t think—”
Ryoko snapped her fingers. “Yes, we do! Arnia stopped by a few hours ago with some new tech. Let me go get it.”
She ran off into the office, leaving me a bit perplexed. What did new tech have to do with clothing?
Moments later she came back with two strips of latex and handed one to me. I pressed my lips together. “Um…”
“It’s a new cloth the military developed. Arnia says all you have to do is think of what you want to wear, and it’ll become it, mimicking the color and texture exactly as it should. We haven’t tried it yet ourselves, but she says it does a great job.”
I shrugged. No harm giving it a shot. I entered the office and closed the door behind me, taking a quick look around. It was small and as messy as I expected, with books and papers strewn everywhere. The blinds were already drawn, so I didn’t have to bother taking the time to mess with those. Placing the latex down on a pile of books, I quickly shed myself of the cloak and unstrapped my daggers. I made quick work of the scraps of cloth that clung to my body next, but was careful not to damage them. I was going to need them in the future.
Removing the material from my hair, I grabbed the latex and held it in one hand. I wasn’t really sure how it worked, so I closed my eyes and pictured something in my head. It was a simple outfit, one I enjoyed wearing often before I had left. After I thought of every piece of the outfit, the latex distorted in my hand. I opened my eyes and watched as it took form over my body.
Before I knew it, I was fully clothed in denim pants with rips in the knees, standard sneakers, a purple long shirt with an open front and three vertical fasteners at the chest to keep it closed, and long elastic gloves with a single middle finger at the end of the shirt’s long white sleeves. I had a sleeveless variant of this shirt for the summer that I had a preference for over this one, but it was early enough in the spring season where it was best to wear this style of shirt.
The clothing process was quick, couldn’t have been more than a minute. I slowly turned and couldn’t believe this clothing was once latex. I could feel the proper textures on all the different materials, and the only thing that gave away its true identity was the fact the clothes were lighter than their natural counterparts.
I grabbed two of my daggers and strapped them to my arms, and then grabbed the last two daggers and secured them to my legs. Looking into the nearby computer screen, I looked myself over. It was a nice look for me, as it didn’t cause any conflict with m
y exotic colored hair or odd eyes. My eyes were unique because of the golden ring. Only one other nu-human after me had ever had this ring around the pupils, and my hair was such a unique color, no one I’d met had anything close. Sometimes I wished I had the red hair I had been designed to have, but DNA and mutations were funny like that.
Content with how I looked, I tossed my shaman disguise into my bag and left the bag on the floor. Raikidan would need it to store his disguise. Opening the office door, I walked out.
Ryoko sat on a workbench and let out a low whistle. “Nice scar. How’d you get it?”
“Long story.” I was grateful she hadn’t mentioned my attire. Being fashion inclined, unlike me, she tended to do that from time to time.
I looked to Raikidan and tossed my thumb toward the office. “Your turn. And no, you’re not getting any help from me.”
He looked me up and down and then passed me. “I don’t think you could help.”
I kicked him in the ass and sauntered over to Ryoko. She snickered and then winked at Raikidan. “I’ll help if you need it.”
He stared at her, not understanding what she was hinting at, and then closed himself into the office. Her brow twisted with confusion, but it quickly changed to excitement when I sat on the workbench with her.
She latched onto my arm. “Can you say ‘eye candy’ much? My gods. Like, seriously, were did you find a guy like that?”
Ryoko fanned herself and I laughed. She was something else. “It’s a long, complicated story.”
She didn’t need to know about my near-death experience.
She pouted. “Fine, be that way.” Ryoko looked me over. “You want me to re-pierce your lip? Looks like you haven’t had that in for some time.”
I ran my tongue across the inside of my lip as I thought for a second. I did miss having it. “Sure, why not?”
Ryoko smiled and dashed away to the back side of the shop. I wouldn’t doubt she was going to the closet. They stored all sorts of miscellaneous things in there. Why there was a piercing kit in a place like this, I couldn’t say, but I had always known them to have it.
Destiny (Experimental Heart Book 1) Page 17