asked, her hands thrown up in the air. “Didn’t you hear me the first time? Move!”
He moved aside. “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen a—” He racked his brain, realizing that he had no idea what species the girl was.
The girl ignored him. She held an electronic pad in her right hand, where she scribbled something with a long stylus.
“What are you doing?” asked Xalen.
“What’s it to you?” she answered, so quickly that Xalen was certain that was a rehearsed, go-to answer.
“I’m just curious, that’s all. I’m new here.”
The girl dropped what she was doing and turned to him, a frown on her face. “Stop talking to me. Don’t you see that I’m busy? Sensei Barteau will have my head if I don’t finish this by tonight.”
“Can’t be that hard,” said Xalen, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries. “All you’re doing is copying what it says in that plaque.”
She rolled her eyes, but refrained from saying another word.
“You must have a library around here somewhere,” added Xalen. “If you have to write a report on this…” He took another look at the plaque. “Alioth Musashi, then you should just go there and get some books to finish your report.”
The girl continued scribbling on her pad. “You would have me read a book?” She chuckled. “That would be a first.”
“You don’t have to read all of it. All you have to do is grab a few books and skim over the details. Then simply put in a few of your own ideas.” The words blurted out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about it. “I could help you, if you want.”
She stopped scribbling. “You? Help me? Why? You do know who I am right? My name is Nandi. I’m a Mordered. Did Lastrius put you up to this?” Her eyes grew wide and she stomped toward him, metal arm flailing from side to side. “Because I swear. I will kick both your—”
“Lastrius? Who is that?”
“Fine then. You seem totally useless in battle, which means that you’re probably smart.” She smirked to herself.
Xalen ignored the insult for two reasons. One, he needed friends and had none. This was not the time to get picky. Two, she was right, besides what he’d taught himself from battle scrolls, he had no training whatsoever when it came to fighting. But books he did know.
Wordlessly, he followed her through a labyrinth of corridors and out to the yard, the same yard he had come through earlier. Dozens of stares followed them as they walked. He had a feeling that many of them were not directed at him, but at the girl beside him.
“Keep up,” she said, descending a flight of stairs. They emerged in an underground tunnel. Their loud footsteps echoed off the concrete floor.
There were two open doors at the end of the tunnel. Inside, Xalen, caught a glimpse of countless of bookshelves aligned in uneven rows.
“You guys sure keep your library well hidden,” he said.
They walked into the library, his mouth slackened. At first he had thought that the room was going to be small, but it was gigantic, with countless staircases and elevators that descended deeper underground. There were hundreds of students seating in the cushioned chairs, reading from electronic pads, books, and scrolls.
“I know,” said the Mordered “They could use this to store ammunition and weapons.” She sighed. “But instead they wasted it on useless books.”
“Ummm…,” said Xalen. This girl was something else. “That’s not exactly what I was thinking about.”
“Shhhh…” A wrinkled, hunched woman with glasses brought her finger to her lips. “This is a library!” Her voice carried through the large room. “Keep your volume down!”
“Shessh,” said Nandi. “Sorry, Madam Overreaction.”
The elderly librarian frowned, not that Nandi seemed to care. She took Xalen’s hand and pulled him toward an elevator. Her skin was ridiculously smooth. His insides turned icy. He wasn’t exactly sure why. Maybe it had to do with the
He moved aside. “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen a—” He racked his brain, realizing that he had no idea what species the girl was.
The girl ignored him. She held an electronic pad in her right hand, where she scribbled something with a long stylus.
“What are you doing?” asked Xalen.
“What’s it to you?” she answered, so quickly that Xalen was certain that was a rehearsed, go-to answer.
“I’m just curious, that’s all. I’m new here.”
The girl dropped what she was doing and turned to him, a frown on her face. “Stop talking to me. Don’t you see that I’m busy? Sensei Barteau will have my head if I don’t finish this by tonight.”
“Can’t be that hard,” said Xalen, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries. “All you’re doing is copying what it says in that plaque.”
She rolled her eyes, but refrained from saying another word.
“You must have a library around here somewhere,” added Xalen. “If you have to write a report on this…” He took another look at the plaque. “Alioth Musashi, then you should just go there and get some books to finish your report.”
The girl continued scribbling on her pad. “You would have me read a book?” She chuckled. “That would be a first.”
“You don’t have to read all of it. All you have to do is grab a few books and skim over the details. Then simply put in a few of your own ideas.” The words blurted out of his mouth before he had a chance to think about it. “I could help you, if you want.”
She stopped scribbling. “You? Help me? Why? You do know who I am right? My name is Nandi. I’m a Mordered. Did Lastrius put you up to this?” Her eyes grew wide and she stomped toward him, metal arm flailing from side to side. “Because I swear. I will kick both your—”
“Lastrius? Who is that?”
“Fine then. You seem totally useless in battle, which means that you’re probably smart.” She smirked to herself.
Xalen ignored the insult for two reasons. One, he needed friends and had none. This was not the time to get picky. Two, she was right, besides what he’d taught himself from battle scrolls, he had no training whatsoever when it came to fighting. But books he did know.
Wordlessly, he followed her through a labyrinth of corridors and out to the yard, the same yard he had come through earlier. Dozens of stares followed them as they walked. He had a feeling that many of them were not directed at him, but at the girl beside him.
“Keep up,” she said, descending a flight of stairs. They emerged in an underground tunnel. Their loud footsteps echoed off the concrete floor.
There were two open doors at the end of the tunnel. Inside, Xalen, caught a glimpse of countless of bookshelves aligned in uneven rows.
“You guys sure keep your library well hidden,” he said.
They walked into the library, his mouth slackened. At first he had thought that the room was going to be small, but it was gigantic, with countless staircases and elevators that descended deeper underground. There were hundreds of students seating in the cushioned chairs, reading from electronic pads, books, and scrolls.
“I know,” said the Mordered “They could use this to store ammunition and weapons.” She sighed. “But instead they wasted it on useless books.”
“Ummm…,” said Xalen. This girl was something else. “That’s not exactly what I was thinking about.”
“Shhhh…” A wrinkled, hunched woman with glasses brought her finger to her lips. “This is a library!” Her voice carried through the large room. “Keep your volume down!”
“Shessh,” said Nandi. “Sorry, Madam Overreaction.”
The elderly librarian frowned, not that Nandi seemed to care. She took Xalen’s hand and pulled him toward an elevator. Her skin was ridiculously smooth. His insides turned icy. He wasn’t exactly sure why. Maybe it had to do with the
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