Hello people, and welcome back to Story Day!! I’m a bit short on time at the moment, so this is going to be one of those pop in, post story, pop out kind of posts. 😉 Enjoy!
Recap
Lasha has herself a new apprentice to take on her mission – a girl named Calah Yob whom Lasha is determined to stay detached from.
The Caretaker – Part 1.5
“Where to now?” Calah asked, rubbing her badge.
“The files. We need to find out where we’re going and who we’re hunting.”
“So… we’re looking for people, then?”
Lasha nodded, keeping her eyes on the bustling hallway ahead of her. “The Children of the Forbidden. They need to be brought back here and informed of their ancestor’s promises and their duties.”
Calah’s brow crinkled, her olive-toned skin folding into smooth mounds. “What duties? I remember reading about the Forbidden and their promise, but I don’t remember anything about any duties.”
Lasha picked up the pace, keeping herself from saying anything too harsh. “Then the Academy has gone downhill since I graduated. Their duty is to fulfill that promise. Understand?”
“Yes… ma’am?”
“Commander.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Instantly a wall seemed to go up between them, thick with layers of distance and unfamiliarity. Lasha did her best to ignore it – if Calah was to work with her, she’d have to deal with being treated as a subordinate, not an equal.
And Lasha would have to treat her as such.
Base’s library was not just a room of facts and records – it was one of the busiest places on the meteor. Not only were there various Leapers throughout the passages, sorting through the ceiling-high shelves of digital files, but librarians and their pages bustling back and forth, a few tables boasting two or three face-to-face meetings, and the soft murmur of voices sounding from the programmers in the back.
“I love this place,” Calah whispered as they entered. “Especially Illy. Once she helped–”
Lasha halted her apprentice’s rant with a raised hand as they reached the Services desk. A woman with short-cropped white hair sat behind it, peering over her glasses at Lasha.
“Commander Aldric,” she said, mouth twitching. “It’s been a while since you’ve graced this room.”
Lasha kept herself from glancing to the corner, where she knew a cozy and definitely out-of-place beanbag chair slumped against the wall. “I’m just here for information, Xia,” she said, staring the woman down.
“Oh?” Xia put a folder on the stack of books – actual books, not files, Lasha noticed – and cocked an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“The genealogy files. I need the one on the Forbidden, and the most recent information on Portal Stones.”
Curiosity flickered in Xia’s eyes. “On a mission, are we?”
Lasha felt her mouth tighten. “A classified one.”
“Point taken.” Xia turned to a doorway behind her. “Illiana, find some files on Portal Stones no older than two months, will you?”
A girl emerged from the doorway, kicking a random piece of paper on the floor behind a chair to her left. Her brown hair obviously had a mind of its own, as the askew clips that no longer contained the mass attested to. Purple glasses fit the girl’s face perfectly as she beamed at Calah. “Hey, Thwapling!” she said, then glanced at Lasha and let her smile drop off her face. “You got a mentor?”
Calah nodded, sneaking her own glance at Lasha. “Yep. Have you been assigned yet?”
A smile lit up Illiana’s face again. “Yeah! I get to stay in the library, and–” she stopped short as her eyes caught the frown on Xia’s face. Lasha felt like frowning herself – with such chatterboxes, the InterWorld would have been destroyed by the time she left the library.
Without another word, Illiana darted off around a corner, winking apologetically at Calah as she went.
“Thwapling?” Lasha asked, arching her eyebrow at her apprentice.
Calah shrugged. “It’s a creature in Aerwiar. Illy’s from there, and apparently I remind her of one. She says there’s a lot going on at home right now.”
“Huh.” What a weird kid. “C’mon, Thwapling. We need to get you outfitted for this mission.”
Calah’s dark eyes sparkled as she snapped a salute and followed Lasha out of the library.
Wrap Up
Aaaand this is where things slow down. Prepare for a couple snippets of boringness. XD Anyway, give me your thoughts!! Too slow? Are the characters distinguishable? Anything out-of-place? Give me all. B-)
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth! 😀
~Joelle
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