part0036

I pulled out another bundle of preserved meat and placed it onto the pile of other food I had already started. When Daren had said he had given me a lot of food, I didn’t think he meant this much. Raikidan and I had eaten quite a bit while we traveled, and there was still enough to feed an army.

Someone rapped on my door.

The door opened and Ryoko strolled in with a smile. “Checking to see what you’re up to.”

I pulled out another bundle. “Just seeing what’s in here.”

She raised her eyebrow. “You don’t know what’s in your own bag?”

“I didn’t pack it.”

“Fair enough. Need help?”

“I don’t need help, but you’re more than welcome to.”

She smiled and sat down on the bed with me. Together we pulled out more food, full meals and single-wrapped meat alike. “Geez, how much is in here?”

“A lot, that’s all I can say. Daren didn’t want us to go hungry, but even I know this would be overkill. But that’s him for you.”

“The Inn keeper at the West Shaman Tribe. Nice guy.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t even go there.”

“Too old for you?”

I sighed and ignored her. Ryoko reached into the bag and pulled out another fur bag. She looked at me and I shrugged. She pulled out the contents and laid them across the bed.

I stopped what I was doing to pick up a few of the photographs she placed down and looked them over. “I’ve never seen these before…”

“Some of the people from this West Tribe you mentioned?” Ryoko asked.

I nodded. There were so many photographs. I had no idea there had been any type of camera around for most of them.

Ryoko laughed and held out a photograph. “Who is this guy with the chicken?”

“Nice tae meet ye, lass. Name’s Daren an’ this here be ma inn. She ain’t na five star hotel in some big ol’ city, but she’s got fine rooms an’ comes with three square meals a day.”

I chuckled. “That would be Daren.”

“He looks a little too happy to have the chicken in his hands.”

I shook my head, a smile on my lips. “That’s Daren for you. He is always happy and becomes happier when he gets gifts, like that chicken.”

Ryoko chuckled and picked up another photograph.

“That’s Shva’sika,” I said.

Ryoko looked at the photograph closer. “She’s really pretty.” I nodded and ate a few pieces of dried meat. She picked up another photograph of Shva’sika. I was also in it. “She was your teacher, yes?”

I nodded again. “I couldn’t ask for a better one. Del’karo taught me how to use fire the way I do, but Shva’sika taught me everything else. I owe them a lot.”

Ryoko smiled and shook her head. “Who would have thought?”

I furrowed my brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Remember when we always teased you that you’d end up being a shaman one day?”

“Oh c’mon, you have to remember. You were so good with controlling fire right off the bat that we teased you, and you hated it! We told you, you had to be a shaman, and you kept telling us we were wrong. Who’s wrong now?”

I laughed. “I’m not a full shaman. Just half.”

Ryoko threw her hands up. “Who cares if you’re a half shaman or a full shaman?”

“There is a difference, Ryoko. I don’t have all the skills a full shaman has. There is still so much for me to learn.”

“I still have to learn more about using fire and trying to tap into my opposite element if it’s possible. Not to mention I have almost no ability in communicating with spirits.”

She tilted her head. “Not communicating with spirits is a bad thing?”

“Communicating with spirits is what separates shamans from standard elementalists, though shamans do have a tendency to have a better innate control over their element than elementalists.”

“Oh, okay. But wait. I thought people went somewhere when they died.”

“They do, but they can come back for a short period of time when we need guidance or when they feel the need to give us a push in the right direction. Some also just like to talk. It’s not like they want to be dead. They want to feel like they’re part of the living.”

“So, are wandering spirits real?”

I nodded. “Yes, and hell is a real place, too. Wandering spirits refuse to move on, just as old tales claim. Mainly, they’re unavenged and angry, but others just want to keep living. They search for bodies that have just lost their host and try to live a new type of life or look for those who can tap into the spiritual plane and use their life force to have a physical form again.”

I ate some dried meat. “Hell is where people are sentenced to if they made a pact with Nazir or are just extremely horrible people. Restless spirits who cannot be convinced to cross over also end up in hell, as their refusal to move on slowly corrupts them. Because of their obvious corruption, they are deemed unworthy of peaceful rest and sentenced to an eternity of restlessness.”

Ryoko shivered. “Those sent to hell can’t come back, right?”

I shook my head. “No. They are imprisoned there.”

She nodded with relief. “That’s good. Makes wandering spirits a little less scary. Is it hard to communicate with the spirits?”

I nodded. “You have no idea. Between the mental training and physical training to handle the stress of going between the planes, it takes a lot out of a person. On top of that, you have to be willing to face any spirit that exists. There is no picking or choosing. The spirit who can give you the answers will come to you no matter your relation with them.”

“So, you could be forced to speak with someone you killed?”

I nodded. “That’s why I couldn’t do it. It’s why I’ll never be able to be a full shaman.”

“You feel regret again?” I looked at her and she crossed her arms. “Don’t be like that. We both know you felt regret at first, but Zarda tortured it out of you.”

I reclined on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, sighing. “Yes. I don’t regret killing in the moment, but after it’s all said and done, and the act has settled into my brain, I do.”

Ryoko smiled at me. “I know this may sound awful, but I’m glad. I like seeing you come back to the woman I once knew you to be.”

I shook my head. I hadn’t changed. And if I had, not to that person again. She was stupid and naïve. Sitting up, I decided to pile up the photographs one by one. I stopped when I picked up one particular photograph with me in it. I held it carefully as if I was afraid it would disappear, as if it had never truly existed.

“Oh, who’s the cutie?” Ryoko asked as she leaned over to take a closer look.

I didn’t respond. Ryoko snapped her fingers and my eyes fluttered. “What?”

She sighed. “Who is he?”

“Xye.” I handed the photograph over to her as if it no longer mattered to me.

“He a friend of yours?”

I snorted. “Hardly.”

“Oh, I forgot, you don’t have friends.”

“You’re my friend.”

Ryoko looked up at me with a furrowed brow. “You once told me you didn’t have friends. Friends lacked true trust.”

I looked down at my hands in my lap. “Friend means you have an attachment. You are my friend and my comrade. I am attached to you, and you have my trust.”

Ryoko smiled. “So, he is your friend.”

“No.” She gave me a stern look and I sighed. “Yes, he was my friend.”

I looked at her. “He’s dead.”

Her ears drooped. “Oh… I’m… I’m sorry.”

I piled up more photographs. “Don’t worry about it. It happens.”

“So…” She looked at me mischievously. I didn’t like it. “Were you just friends or more than that?”

I glared at her. “You know the answer to that.”

“I do?” She tilted her head to emphasize her fake innocence.

“Okay, okay.” She held up her hands in defeat. “Can’t blame me for trying.”

“I beg to differ.”

She looked at the photograph again, ignoring my stubbornness. “He is cute, though. His ears are a little odd. They’re not the full length of an elf or nu-human, but not short enough to be a regular human. Is he a halfling?”

“Don’t call him that!” I snapped.

Ryoko flinched. “What? What did I do wrong? We’re halflings too.”

I sighed. Of course she wouldn’t know. “Sorry. It’s just being outside these walls you learn things. Even though two millennia have passed since the War of End, halfling isn’t a good word out there. It’s used by those who still see those of mixed blood as abominations.”

“Oh…” Ryoko looked down at the photograph, her ears drooping. “I guess the story of Peacekeeper Ryoko is true, in that aspect at least. Sorry, I had no idea.”

“It’s okay. You wouldn’t have known since you never leave the city.”

Ryoko placed the photograph on top of the pile of photographs and clapped her hands together. “All right, what’s next?”

I shrugged and reached into my bag. “Looking through my treasure trove some more, I suppose.”

My brow furrowed when I touched a small bag containing a hard object. Pulling the bag out, I opened it. My eyes grew wide when the bag fell down, revealing a bright red gem the size of my palm.

Ryoko leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. “Wow. It’s so beautiful.”

“It’s called the red dragon’s eye. It’s extremely valuable, and powerful if used correctly.”

I reached into the bag and felt around. If this one was in here, then so was the other. I smiled when I located the leather bag. Pulling it out, I opened the bag, revealing a large green gem.

Ryoko’s eyes grew larger. “Another one?”

“There are three in total. This is the green dragon’s eye. It’s just as valuable and powerful as the red.”

“How did you get them?”

My throat tightened a little. “They… they were gifts.”

Ryoko’s expression softened. “Laz, what happened between the two of you?”

There was no point trying to fool her. She knew Xye had given at least one of these to me. I tied the bag tightly over the green gem. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She frowned. “It’s the same situation as Rylan, isn’t it?”

I sighed and cradled the red gem in my hands. “It was the most valuable thing he owned. I tried to refuse it, but he insisted I think it over.”

“Think what over?”

I looked at her. “He asked me to marry him.” She placed her hand over her mouth and looked at me sympathetically. “Elves don’t give rings like humans. They give their most valuable possession to show their commitment. I tried to tell him I wasn’t interested, but he wouldn’t listen. He was so infatuated with me. He would do anything for me. It’s what got him killed. I’m… I’m the reason he’s dead…”

“Laz…” She moved closer to me and embraced me in a tight hug. I didn’t fight it. A dark, suffocating feeling gripped my chest. But her hug made me feel a little better. “Let’s go do something fun.”

I tilted my head. “Like what?”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the edge of the bed as she moved. “Let’s go downstairs and clean the vehicles.”

I rolled my eyes. “You can’t stay away from those for more than one day, can you?”

She laughed. “Zane thinks I bleed oil.”

“You probably do at this point, but I should really get this all situated.”

Ryoko tugged harder. “Do it later! You have all the time in Lumareon. I want to do something with you for a change. Just the two of us.”

I smiled. “Okay, okay. I’ll go with you. It’s not like this food can go bad.”

She squealed and pulled me out of my room. She nearly ripped the basement door off its hinges when she opened it and flew down the stairs. I laughed at her excitement. She finally let go of my hand when we rounded the corner and crossed the invisible line that marked the garage.

I briefly looked at all the cars we owned before Ryoko tossed me a rag and container of wax. I nodded my thanks, and she walked over to her favorite car. It was a beautiful sapphire blue with white race stripes. It was sleek and sexy, and she made sure it went fast. Knowing her, I figured she had added more up-to-date modifications to it, but from an outside look, it appeared exactly the same as it had when I left. It still had the same hood scoop, tinted windows, and the same style spoiler. It wasn’t as modern looking as most of the other cars in the garage, but Ryoko was a fan of the classics. Of course, that wasn’t to say she didn’t have a few modern-looking vehicles hanging around.

Leaving her to her car, I searched for my motorcycle. If I was lucky, it would be in the same place I had left it, and it would have its tan cover over it. Finding it, I pulled the cover off and furrowed my brow. “Ryoko, where’s my bike?”

She looked up. “Isn’t she right there?”

“No, this is Rylan’s.”

She stood up and scratched her head. “I could have sworn I put her right there after I tuned her up after you left. No one touched her after.”

“What are you two looking for?” I looked up as Zane spoke. I hadn’t heard him come downstairs.

“My bike. Have you seen it?”

He smirked and flipped a light switch on the wall next to him. I turned around as a small overhead lamp turned on and illuminated a covered motorcycle tucked away in the back of the garage by itself. Tilting my head in curiosity, I slowly made my way over to it.

I grabbed the cover and pulled it off the motorcycle. “Zane, I think you need to have your brain checked. This isn’t my bike.”

I looked closely at the bike. The sleek style was similar to my motorcycle, which had been uniquely designed to fit my body shape, but the color was different, along with how low the rider needed to lean over to steer.

Feet thundered down the stairs, but I paid it no mind. Slowly I walked around the bike, allowing my index finger to trail along the body. She was mostly ruby red, with blended black portions and a black seat that allowed for two riders.

Zane walked over to me. “So, what do you think?”

“She’s beautiful, but I’m still lost. This isn’t my bike,” I said.

Zane chuckled. “Yes, it is.”

I thought this over while I rubbed my hand over the gas tank.

“We’ve been working on that thing for months,” Blaze called over. “Zane made it our main priority when we weren’t under a lot of heat with the military and Ryoko wasn’t around. You can thank us now.”

I looked at Zane. “Why?”

He folded his arms over his chest and smiled. “You always said she could be improved, so I figured I’d give you that just in case you decided to come back.”

I smiled. Zane was so thoughtful. He had no idea I was coming back, but used up what little free time he and the boys had to improve my motorcycle in ways I had only dreamed of.

Argus strolled over, leaned on the motorcycle, and gave her a quick look-over. “She’s still not finished, but she’s highly functional.”

“She looks finished to me.”

“We wanted to add more to the color and add more to some of the advanced features we installed, but you came back, so we had to finish up and move her back here before you noticed she was missing,” he explained.

I was curious about these advanced features Argus mentioned. I knew he wouldn’t tell me outright, so I placed both hands on the handlebars and swung my leg over the body of the motorcycle. I left the kickstand down and focused on getting comfortable, which wasn’t hard to do. They really had done a spectacular job with styling this to fit me comfortably, which was saying something, because I had thought she had been comfortable as it was.

Letting go of the handlebars, I ran my hand over the gas tank, looking for the keyhole. Suddenly a blue light flashed quickly, and a section of the tank flipped over to a digital reader. I stared at it, my interest in this upgrade intensifying. Ryoko, now curious herself, tossed her rag on the floor and made her way over.

I hovered my hand over the reader, and it responded to my touch. I looked up at Zane curiously. He smiled and nodded, so I placed my hand over the reader and watched it scan my hand.

“Rider accepted.”

I pulled my hand away as the screen flashed. The engine of the motorcycle roared to life, startling Ryoko. I laughed at her, and she glared at me but didn’t say anything. I placed my hands on the handlebars and twisted the throttle, the motorcycle roaring to life in response. Slowly I let it die down to a quiet purr.

“So?” Zane asked.

I smiled. “She sounds nice. Much better than before. I like the hand-scanning feature. That’s quite inventive. Is that the only new advanced feature you boys added?”

He chuckled. “Place two fingers on the scanner.”

I did as he instructed, and the reader responded by projecting a small blue beam vertically into the air. I pulled my hand away and watched the reader go to work. A small ball was projected from the beam. As I waited, the ball became bigger and more detailed. “A map?”

Zane nodded. “We figured it’d come in handy. You can use your hand to zoom it in and out, and to navigate anywhere you wish. Since you only recently brought back that new handheld map device with updated landmarks and such, we haven’t had a chance to update this one.”

“I’m working on getting a tracking feature to work in it, but I’m still getting the kinks figured out. Everything I’ve tried shuts the bike down,” Argus added. “I’ve installed one in Rylan’s favorite truck and it works well, but I can’t figure out what is causing the issue with the bike.”

I smiled. “You’ll figure it out.”

“It’s an interesting feature.” Raikidan pushed his way closer. “But wouldn’t that stick out a little too much and cause unwanted attention? That reader in general would attract attention, not to mention the addition to that floating map.”

Argus nodded. “Rylan voiced that same concern. Since this is new tech, and I don’t want to go through the current hassle of a patent just yet, I’ve worked on something that should keep this under wraps for longer. Eira, cut the engine, will you?”

“One-finger touch,” Zane whispered to me.

I did as instructed and the engine cut off. Argus walked off and disappeared around the corner. His quick footsteps sounded on the stairs as he made his way up. While he was gone, Raikidan moved closer and looked over my motorcycle. He appeared curious, and I didn’t blame him. Vehicles were still a new thing to him, especially motorcycles, since they never came into the shop for work.

“How do these things normally start?” he asked.

“Keys.” His brow rose in question and I sighed. “There’s normally a slot you insert the key in, which you then turn and that starts the engine, just like a car. I like this reader more, though. It makes it harder to steal, right, Zane?”

He nodded. “If you’re not registered into the computer, you can’t start it.”

“Who else is registered into it?”

“Just you and me. Rylan was, until testing ceased. Figured you didn’t want so many people being able to steal it on you.”

Due to the body style, only Ryoko would be able to effectively take it, but the boys would think to pull an immature joke. I smiled my thanks.

Ryoko stood over the front tire and leaned on my handlebars. “So, this is the secret project you guys were working on? Why didn’t you let me help?”

“Because you can’t keep a secret,” Rylan teased.

Zane, Rylan, and I gave her a stern look and she huffed.

“So, Zane, anything else I should know about this?” I asked.

“Well, there’s a defensive mode that is activated with the palm of the hand. And that’s all I can think of. Other adjustments Argus planned either haven’t worked, or he hasn’t revealed them to us. I’ll have you try out the defensive mode later.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

Everyone was quiet as we waited for Argus.

Finally, he came down the stairs and around the corner. He held a small, black, flat object in his hand. I held out my hand as he handed it over. I could tell by the weight that it was made of carbon fiber. “A helmet?”

Argus smiled. “Just put it on.”

Shrugging, I placed the object behind my head and pressed a flush button all helmets had on the underside. The object responded by expanding around the side and top of my head until it formed into the shape of a helmet. A dark visor slid down from the inside of the helmet, covering my eyes. The helmet was snug, but comfortable even with my hair still up in my hair clip.

As I sat on my bike, the visor came to life and reflected several types of readings, the way a communicator would. Then the visor glowed, and a beam of light scanned my eyes.

“Rider accepted.”

The motorcycle revved to life and purred as it idled. I grinned and then looked at Argus. “Impressive, even for you, smart-guy.”

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

I looked at the readings and struggled to figure out how the helmet worked. “I’m going to need an explanation of this piece of equipment.”

Argus nodded and went to explaining these new fancy and “bleeding-edge” features—Ryoko’s words. He’d installed a communication system, much like soldier helmets, but since he didn’t have the plans for one, he’d built it from scratch. He had created it using a new tech he designed, capable of detecting brain waves instead of verbal commands, allowing the user to merely think of the desired feature and the computer inside would do the rest.

He’d also added a map feature I found fascinating. Ryoko did, too, when she insisted on checking it out herself and then located the house in her “playtime.”

To hide it all, he’d modeled the visor after two-way mirrors.

Argus sat back on the seat as I took in all the newness. “So, what do you think?”

I ran my hands over the handlebars. “It’s all wonderful. Thank you.”

Zane patted me on the shoulder. “Why not give her a test run? There’s only so much we can test without your input.”

I nodded. “Yeah, but I want to see if we can do something. Argus, you said the truck can use the tracking feature for the map without issue, right?”

“Well, very few issues is more correct,” he said. “It’s still buggy.”

“What about this helmet?” I asked. “Does this have the tracking feature?”

“I’ve got it installed but not working yet. I’ve been a little more focused with getting the feature on the bike to work.”

“Could you rig it up so that someone can feed me tracking information?” I asked. “This feature sounds really handy, and I think it’ll be more useful for a helmet than the actual bike.”

He thought for a moment. “You know, I might be able to.”

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“A few minutes, maybe.”

I used the helmet to turn the motorcycle off before compacting it and handing it over to him. “Get to it.”

He nodded and ran off, with Rylan close behind to give him a hand if needed. Not long after, they were back and Argus was grinning.

I was impressed. “Really?”

“Yeah, it was actually a lot easier than I was expecting. Good call.”

I smiled. “Thanks. If the feed works well on this test run, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out how to get it to work independently.”

Argus nodded and Ryoko jumped up and down. “I’m going with you guys.”

Rylan held up the keys. “I’ll drive.”

“Shotgun!” she shouted.

Everyone then looked at Raikidan, who looked at us in confusion. “What?”

“You’re coming with us, right?” Ryoko asked.

I chuckled and patted the part of the seat behind me. “Jump on. You’re going to need to learn how to ride on one of these sooner or later, and I doubt you want Rylan teaching you.”

Ryoko giggled and Rylan rolled his eyes. Raikidan remained fairly expressionless, not understanding the tone and meaning of my joke, and climbed onto the motorcycle. Zane tossed him a helmet while Rylan and Ryoko ran to the truck. Putting mine back on, I started up the motorcycle again.

“You won’t be able to communicate with Rylan,” Argus said to me. “And you won’t be able to relay traffic conditions if you run into any problem areas, or get directions to him if you two get separated. You’re completely dependent on him.”

I nodded. “I’ll try to remember that.”

Argus nodded and then backed away, allowing me to pull out of my parking space quickly when Rylan’s truck roared to life. Raikidan, who had only been resting his hands lightly on my hips, grabbed a tighter hold and I chuckled quietly.

“Not funny,” he muttered.

“For you, maybe.”

The room became darker as we made our way from the lit center of the garage to the ramp entrance.

As we came closer to the end of the ramp, I forced my helmet to make frantic calculations and commands. Within seconds, the roof pulled away and we flew out of the mouth of the earth and down the street.

“So where are we going?” he asked.

“I don’t have a destination in mind. I’ll just cruise around to get the feel of these new changes.”

“What about your friends?”

I could hear Rylan’s truck engine and exhaust roaring behind us. “They’ll follow us for a bit. Once Rylan wants to try out the tracking feature, he’ll activate it in my helmet and we’ll go from there.”

“Anything I need to do?”

“Just remember to keep your balance, and when we make turns, big or small, you’ll need to lean with me, all right?”

I set a leisurely course through the city until my visor started to flash. I watched as the transparent map appeared. The map was a bit distracting while driving, and it took me a minute or two to actually get used to it. I’d have to let Argus know about that.

Two dots suddenly started to flash on the map and it didn’t take me long to note one was me and the other Rylan. They continued to flash as I drove, but began to change from a green color to a yellow as the road became a bit more congested and then red when we reached a traffic light. Neat feature.

When the light turned green, the traffic started moving again and a line appeared on my map. It started on my dot and traveled different streets.

“Looks like we’re going on a treasure hunt,” I said.

I shook my head. “Never mind. Just lean with me when I take some turns soon.”

I wove through the traffic and followed the route Rylan had laid out for me, and Raikidan managed to do as I asked. But I was also aware of how tight his grip was on me. “You okay?”

He was lying. I just knew it. I had a feeling he was scared, though I couldn’t understand why. This couldn’t be much different than flying… right?

I noticed a curved road ramp and decided to deviate from Rylan’s route. “We’re going to take the freeway.”

Banking a quick and sudden right, the two of us zipped up a long, curved ramp. Raikidan leaned perfectly with me as we took the tight turn.

“Well, you once asked what a freeway was, and I promised to show you at some point, so here it is,” I said when we pulled out on the long stretch of road high above the city.

Raikidan shifted around as he looked. “Not what I was imagining, though I honestly had no idea what to expect.”

I was having a hard time hearing him over the wind, but I thought I heard him right. “I’m not surprised you expected it would be something more. Based on the name, many would. Man, this wind is bad! Argus really needs to work on these helmets more.”

“Huh?” Raikidan asked. “I had a hard time hearing you.”

I laughed. “Exactly!”

I looked to my left when Rylan pulled the truck up next to us. The lift in his truck raised him too high for me to see him, but I could see Ryoko and she waved. She then spoke to Rylan and then looked back at me. I watched her point at something near the center of the dash of the truck and then shrugged. I couldn’t see what she was pointing at, but I figured it was the map Argus had installed and she was questioning why I had changed the course.

I shrugged in response and then kicked the motorcycle into a higher gear and sped off. I found myself grinning as I wove around the other cars. The motorcycle was handling exceptionally well for my speed, and I had one more gear I could go up to.

“Why are we going so fast?” Raikidan asked.

“Why not? I’m supposed to test this baby out, after all. Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

He snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Now I know he’s lying. His voice had a slightly raised pitch to it. And his grip—it tightened just enough in his response for me to notice. “It’s not much different than flying.”

“It’s nothing like flying.”

“Remove your helmet, then. Might feel like it then.”

“I’m not asking for a death wish.”

“Now I know you’re afraid.”

Raikidan’s grip tightened in annoyance, and then slowly, one arm released. He held a tight grip on me with his other hand, using me as a brace as he reached back and forced his helmet into its compact shape.

I waited a moment for the wind to fly past him for him to feel the full effect before I spoke again. “See?”

Raikidan secured his free arm around my waist again. “Still not like flying.”

“Well, it’s the closest thing you’ll get unless you sprouted wings right now and took off.”

“You once asked me what flying was like. And your comment now has me thinking humans don’t have the means for flight. Is that true?”

“Yes. Long ago they did, but then, during the War of End, those means of flying disappeared, along with the knowledge of how.”

“How often have you wondered what it was like to fly?”

I didn’t reply right away. “Every now and then.”

Raikidan loosened his grip around me again, and before I knew it, he reached up and forced my helmet into its compact form. The wind hit me with ferocity, startling me. It whipped my bangs and teased my clipped hair. I blinked to keep my eyes from drying out. I expected Raikidan to grab hold of me again, but I was proven wrong when he reached for my hair clip.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I said.

He leaned closer to me and spoke into my ear. His hot breath made me shiver slightly. “And why not?”

“Because my hair is long enough where it’ll whip you in the face, and I can guarantee you it won’t feel great.”

He chuckled. “I’ll take my chances.”

Something in his words made my cheeks flush. Then my hair became free of its restraint and whipped around wildly. Raikidan slipped his arm securely back around my waist. I wanted to know what he did with my hair clip and both helmets, but that wasn’t my main concern at the moment. What was my concern was his calm demeanor as he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Do you mind?”

“Remove your face from my person.”

“Why should I? It’s more comfortable than sitting up straight.

He finds me comfortable? My cheeks flushed again, which frustrated me. What was this dragon doing to me?

“I figured you’d be bonier,” Raikidan teased, “what with how little you eat.”

I kicked him. He grunted and tightened his grip, forcing his body closer to me. I grumbled unhappily.

We zipped past a large vehicle and I looked down at my speedometer. “Shit!”

“That was a military vehicle and I’m going over the allowed speed limit.”

“So, what do we do?”

“Well, I’m supposed to slow down and pull off to the side for them to talk to me and possibly even fine me, but…”

“But you’re not going to, are you?”

“Well, I kinda forgot to grab my identification card, so if I pull over, I’ll be in more trouble than for a simple speeding violation.”

“Identification card?”

“It’s a device that’s used to identify the people of the city. Everyone has one. Citizens born inside the city are made one on the day they’re born, and those who migrate here are given one upon citizenship. Temporary cards are even given to visitors. The cards have specific types of information on them with data regarding our identity and allowances in the city. If you’re cleared for certain high-risk jobs, temporary city leave, or have even cleared the proper driving courses that allow you to drive a vehicle, it’ll be on the card. It also shows what you’re not allowed to do. We’re actually supposed to carry them on us at all times, but most soldiers are pretty relaxed about it, so those who don’t do anything stupid tend to just leave them at home.”

“Do I get one of these cards?”

“We’re in the process of forging one for you now. It’s a harder process than you might think.”

“No, it sounds complicated to me.”

I looked on either side of me when two motorcycles pulled up next to me. The riders were clothed in military uniforms, and when I glanced in my mirror, I saw another one being let out of the back end of the military vehicle I had passed. He’d catch up quick, and then I’d be boxed in. It was no secret the military had better vehicles than civilians. They needed the power to keep us in line. But that didn’t mean we didn’t like to listen and do illegal upgrades.

The rider to my left motioned for me to slow down and I looked at the other rider and he did the same.

Raikidan chuckled in my ear. “Let’s see if this thing can out run them.”

“What, not afraid anymore?”

He snorted. “I told you, I was never scared.”

“Sure you weren’t.”

“Are you going to go faster, or are you going do what these guys are trying to tell you to do? Because they don’t seem to be very happy you’re ignoring them.”

I glanced at one of the soldiers and he told me to slow down again, but I just grinned and kicked my motorcycle into its highest gear and sped away. The soldiers sped up to keep pace with me, but my motorcycle’s enhancements were far better, and I was able to keep some good distance from them without pushing the motorcycle to the limit.

My heart started to race when each soldier’s motorcycle had an arm extend out of the side. Each arm wielded a gun, and it didn’t take a scientist to know they were loaded.

“They’re going to shoot at us.”

“What? What kind of lunatic force is this?”

I laughed. “The one Zarda commands.”

I ducked instinctively when a gun went off. I looked through my mirror and noticed a gun pointing toward the sky. Warning shot. I needed to think fast on what to do or we’d be dead.

That’s it! I threw my palm down on my scanner and waited impatiently as it read the command. The motorcycle started to make some strange clicking noises and I was taken by surprise when the bike began to morph. Raikidan and I both watched as a protective carbon fiber and glass shell formed over us and I nearly jumped when a bullet bounced off the glass portion.

I laughed. “I love my boys!”

“Looks like it works.”

I nodded. “Now that we’re protected, let’s get out of here.”

“What do you have planned?”

“To get off this freeway first,” I said as I activated the map on the scanner. “The closest exit ramp I find will be our escape, and I’ll try to lose them in the city.”

“Will that work?”

When I found an exit ramp, I cranked on the throttle to force the motorcycle to its max speed and flew down the freeway. I could see the military falling behind, unable to keep up with my speed, and I hoped this escape would be easy.

When we made it to the ramp, I slowed the motorcycle down and deactivated my map. I sent a prayer to the gods as this one curled under the freeway, hiding us from the military, and deactivated the defense shield. The soldiers had fallen so far behind us I doubted they saw us exit, but any cover would help.

I was hyperaware of everything as I drove through the city toward the house. We were lucky there were a lot of motorcycles out today, but that didn’t give us full cover.

“Here, take your helmet,” Raikidan said when we stopped at a red light. “It should help us.”

I took it gratefully, as well as my hair clip when he ended up handing that to me as well. It was a good idea he had come up with. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t thought of it myself. “We should be home soon.”

“Okay,” he replied.

Ten minutes passed, and I finally pulled down the dead-end street for the garage. My helmet made its calculations and the false road pulled back. I cut the engine and knocked down my kickstand when I found a good place to park and let out a sigh of relief as I removed my helmet. It turned into a giggle when Raikidan snickered, and before I knew it the two of us were rolling with laughter.

Raikidan leaned his head on my shoulder in his fit, but I didn’t do anything about it. I was too preoccupied with my failed attempts to calm myself down. When I finally managed to control myself, I looked back at him and smiled.

He grinned and we stared at each other for a moment before Raikidan pulled away and spoke. “Thanks.”

I tilted my head. “For what?”

“For including me on this. I thought it was strange you humans found enjoyment in driving these machines around, but I can see why. This was rather fun, and our run-in with those soldiers was rather exhilarating. I didn’t think you’d be capable of such risky choices.”

I chuckled and slipped off the motorcycle. “You obviously don’t know me, then.”

He watched me instead of replying, making me feel a bit strange. His stare was also rather intense. It was so intense I was sure it’d make women like Ryoko swoon. I didn’t get that about them. I didn’t understand how intense stares made a man more attractive. But, as I held his gaze, I started to wonder if I could see that. I could see how being the only person focused on with such intensity could make someone feel so… special.

A warm feeling began to well up in my body, and I could feel my cheeks warming up the longer he watched me. I felt awkward and rather self-conscious, and I didn’t like it. Don’t ever go back to that place, Eira.

I looked away and focused on my motorcycle. “It’s rude to stare, you know.”

Instead of replying, Raikidan climbed off my motorcycle, but his foot caught. I gasped and tried to help right him before he fell, but Raikidan grabbed me instinctively and we fell to the ground. I lay on top of him, momentarily stunned. When I finally regained my composure, I found myself staring into those sapphire pool eyes of his—our noses mere inches from each other. My heart thundered in my ears and my cheeks burned.

I quickly jumped to my feet and went back to looking over my motorcycle. It hadn’t fallen over, much to my relief, so it wouldn’t have obtained any damage from that, but I wasn’t sure if it received any from our little run-in with the military. It was best to go back to my check-over just to be sure. Nice excuse, Eira.

My gaze was ripped away and forced toward the basement when two pairs of feet stormed down the stairs. Both Zane and Argus ran into the garage soon after.

“Are you guys okay?” Argus asked. “Ryoko called us, saying you had a run-in with the military and then disappeared.”

I grinned. “Oh yeah, we’re fine. Thanks to that defensive mode you installed.”

Zane stared at me. “What did you do to need that?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t think it was a good idea to pull over for a speeding fine when I didn’t have my ID on me.”

He smacked his head. “That’s what I was forgetting.”

I chuckled. “You’ll be happy to know it works great, though you might want to check for damage just in case.” I pointed at Argus. “But your helmet needs work. It couldn’t block out wind on the freeway worth shit.”

“How bad was it?” Argus asked.

“There was a lot of heavy interpreting and guesswork involved,” Raikidan said.

Argus nodded. “Okay. I’ll work on that and see what I can do to fix it.”

Zane waved us to follow him as he headed for the stairs. “Let’s get you two upstairs and on the horn with Ryoko so she knows you both are safe. You may be able to convince her to pick us up some dinner.”