Rising Shards

Ovie looked out to the bright moon above. Well, it wasn’t really a moon, it was just a video of a moon on a big screen surrounding the outer walls of Station Spero. She leaned back on her hands, finding the artificial grass adequate. It still felt like grass.

She and the others had found one of the safe zones of Spero, and they all sat at the grassy field of a park within the save zone. There were other people scattered around the park, but they found an isolated spot from them.

“So what’s our next move?” Aira asked.

“A breather, ugh,” Narkissa said.

“You’re just lucky Aira included you when we got out of the ship.” Laenie said.

“I’m shocked Laenie is capable of sassing back,” Ovie said. “It’s a sign of how detestable you really are, Narkissa.”

“Shut up.” Narkissa said. “Can’t we all just sit and look at the fake stars for just a moment?”

When their ship landed, their close pursuer was revealed to be Kitty Kilander, who had brought a group of students with her. To get around her waiting at the ship’s exit, Aira teleported Ovie and the others away, and they ran until they found the park.

“We can’t stay here long,” Ovie said. “Kitty can probably track us.”

“Once I catch my breath.” Narkissa said. “It’s harder for me to breathe after you smashed my ribs, you know. You’re all just lucky I’m forgiving for a price.”

“And what price is that?” Ovie asked. “The nebulous favor? Have you decided what humiliating task you want me to do?”

Narkissa smirked. “It’s a secret. I’ll tell you later.”

“Insufferable as always.” Ovie said. “And to answer your question Orbis, next we—”

“This whole part was my idea, so let me explain,” Narkissa said. “I’m basically the leader now.”

“The hell you are.” Ovie said.

“Spero’s full of information,” Narkissa said, ignoring Ovie. “There’s a district you go to that’s just like, all secret telling.”

“How does that work?” Aira asked. “I have some distant relatives in the spy game so if it’s like that, I kind of get it. Though they were all spies for a fruit juice conglomerate.”

“It’s like a search engine,” Narkissa said. “You just say what you’re looking for into this computer, and it pairs you up with someone who can best give you the info.”

“That sounds…more legal than I was expecting.” Laenie said.

“And kind of like a dating app.” Aira said.

“Well, all the secret folks there have the real dirt, and if you ask for dangerous info, they kill you straight up.” Narkissa said.

Laenie looked pale, and Narkissa looked very happy at her reaction.

“But our mission shouldn’t be dangerous info, should it?” Aira asked.

“Depends,” Narkissa said. “The Sharai and Terina factions are heating up ‘round these parts lately. Someone might get a little testy.”

“Then we’ll send you in to ask first,” Ovie said.

“This catty infighting is getting, I dunno,” Aira said. “Stupid. Annoying.”

“Catty infighting is what Endorans do,” Narkissa said.

“Sure, but we’re this far, maybe we should have some kind of baseline understanding of each other?” Aira suggested.

“I agree,” Laenie said. “We could all stand to do something to trust each other a bit more.”

“Good luck trying to get Narkissa to be remotely trustworthy about anything,” Ovie said. “I’ve heard her family is already setting money aside for all the libel lawsuits that await her when she’s of age.”

“And good luck trying to get Ovie to have a decent hair style again.” Narkissa said. “I heard her hair’s so greasy now, rodents mistake it for a leftover pizza box and try to crawl up to get a taste, and that Ovie never even notices when they’re clambering about her thick skull.”

“Responding to us wanting less catty infighting with immediate catty infighting isn’t very cool.” Aira said.

“Then what the hell do you two think we should do now?” Ovie asked. “Do you want me to just shut up forever, is that it?”

“Shutting up sometimes would be nice.” Aira muttered.

“What was that?” Ovie growled.

“Sounded like catty infighting to me.” Narkissa said. “Pretty hypocritical, don’t you think, Ovie?”

“Alright enough, I refuse to agree with you on something,” Ovie said. “Orbis. Aadris. What can we do to have this baseline trust you’re talking about? Something preferably that would only take about five minutes before we get out of here so Kitty doesn’t catch up to us?”

“Everyone say your deepest, most painful secret.” Narkissa said.

“No.” Ovie said.

“Well, we could try something like that,” Aira said.

“What? No!” Ovie said. “Don’t take her side!”

“It doesn’t have to be a painful secret,” Aira said. “Just let’s all say something we haven’t told anyone else. Remember that time we did that icebreaker in class, Laenie?”

“Oh! Where we found out Rain’s royalty, right?” Laenie asked.

“Yeah!” Aira said. “Let’s do something like that!”

Ovie raised her eyebrows. “You want us to do an icebreaker to earn trust?”

“Uh huh, basically.” Aira said. “I’ll start. My oldest aunt’s cooking is terrible, but I don’t have the heart to tell her.”

Ovie found picking at the artificial grass more interesting than seeing anyone’s reactions to this dumb icebreaker idea. She decided she’d go last, mostly so Narkissa wouldn’t rip off whatever secret she’d tell, making up a similar one about her own life. It wouldn’t be the first time Narkissa copied her at Wildfire Hearts.

“I…kind of think my Exa form is cute,” Laenie said. “A little bit.”

“I do too!” Aira said.

Ovie tried to suppress a gag as Aira and Laenie sputtered at each other about what Aira said. She found whatever the two had between them annoying at best and embarrassingly hard to be near at worst. At Rising Shards, Ovie found it fun to find little ways to throw wedges between the two, trying to spark some rumors, little digs in person when she could. Her favorite was when Aira clearly had gotten romantic candy for Laenie. Aira didn’t even try to hide her handwriting on her secret admirer note, something that infuriated Ovie for two reasons. One, because why keep it a secret then just write like you always do? And two, because Laenie was stupid enough to not figure it out despite it being beyond obvious. So when neither was around, Ovie got her hands on the candy and threw it out in a place Aira was sure to see it.

Wonder what they’d think if I told them that little secret?

Now she was stuck working with the two, and while she hated to admit it, she’d rather be with them than with Narkissa alone. So maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to play along with this dumb icebreaker idea.

“I didn’t think Renderfold’s Tryst’s ending was as bad as people say online.” Narkissa said. “It was maybe the best use of ‘it was all a dream’ in any story, ever.”

“Alright, that’s not a secret,” Ovie said. “And that ending was an affront on the arts and all of humanity so how can you say you enjoyed that?”

“Uh, I think it’s a secret!” Narkissa said. "Look how badly you reacted just now. Sorry there isn’t a wall nearby for you to smash my face into. You’ll just have to channel your rage into something productive like a good girl instead of an angry dolphin.”

“Alright, simmer down there, Narkissa…” Aira said. “Narikssa…what’s your last name again?”

“I’m not telling you. I already told you a secret.” Narkissa said.

“Your last name’s not really a secret.” Laenie said. “Ovie, just say your secret already.”

Ovie already decided what secret she was gonna share, but she still groaned and made a scene because she couldn’t make it seem like any part of her wanted to do this.

“When I was younger, I watched that knight show.” Ovie said. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Um, I think that one needs clarification,” Aira said.

“What knight show was that?” Laenie asked.

“Nobody else had to explain theirs.” Ovie said.

“Nobody else told theirs all mysteriously.” Aira said.

Ovie sighed. “It’s called Queen’s Field of Knights. It was about these great heroes. The show was pretty low budget, so it only had the one field for most of the action scenes. I wanted to be like them, so I’d play on the Chirhart Grove fields with a toy bloodsaber.” 

She remembered how she’d run up and down, pretending she was like the heroes on the show, rescuing those in need. She brushed her hair out of her face. “And now I’m here.”