Chapter 3 – Part 2
Two toes poked through her black pumps, red nail polish on her toes. She kicks a pebble out of sight as they walk down the little villa, paved with brick roads and concrete homes. Lights were roped from the ceramic tiles roofing the tiny villas.
Ritsu strolled along side Ashton, blond hair held back into a single pony tail that jetted back, contrasting against his dark jeans and faded shirt. A slight sense of intimidation coursed through her, even though it’s been a month since she’d met him, she had never gotten to know him.
She was under the discipline of Kina, strictly. Her legs especially ached walking in the pumps, tingles running through her nerves, even her shoulders were heavy, all this made military boot camp seem like a glorified joke. She ran into Ashton only when she was from the training halls to the main CrysTech building.
“How’s training going?” Ashton cues another conversation piece he’d been interested in knowing, just how was she dealing with everything, as most her age don’t get initiated into being an AlluReli.
She shrugs, still attempting to smoothly as possible walk, kicking herself for her dreaded pumps. “Kina’s wonderful, but its tiring…but I imagine that the real thing will be much more so.”
“Ya…Be careful…When you’re out there, well, there is no do overs. Are you sure you want to do this?” He asks.
She glances over to him, one of her eyes slanted with a glare. “You don’t think I can handle it?”
He throws his arms in the air, shaking them, then he pauses thinking about it. “No no. Its just, I didn’t have a choice.” Another pause breaks in between till he finally says in a low voice. “But you do.”
“And this was my choice.” She leans in nudging him. “So you’ll have to deal with me a lot longer than you’d like.”
He smiles back, shy, intimidated by her beauty. The way she’d stare at him with blue eyes, a warm touch with her looks alone, even her steps were graceful, from training rags to the form fitting dress, she always shined, as the skies due, either blazing with heated glory or glowing with the stars at night.
He almost stuttered. “Let me show you something.” The words grace from a stutter to a confident tone. Around them they were now alone reaching a barricade to the street where beyond it was flattened woods. It all came to a narrow point, with the lights masquerading around them.
“You know, everyone of these lamp posts is a power detector now. Anytime an Allureli or Sioux lets their power pour forth without authorization these will warn the authorities.”
Ritsu says. “You don’t talk about anything else besides work?”
“I do.” He retorts leaning in closer to her, his arms wrapping around her waist. “Just watch.” As he speaks he closes his eyes, his arms tenderly around her waist. Her looks are puzzled till the lights around them begin to glow, the sound of energy fusing in and out of them in a low melody.
She smiled. Its been a few months since she’d really had anyone be close to her and it surprised her how much she missed that notion, considering one of her closest friends was Reiki and he was hardly emotionally available.
Ritsu leaned in close to Ashton, her head resting on his chest, seemingly his heart beating rhythmically along with the dimming light show. His grip tightened around her, straightening her body against his. She closed her eyes and a faint image of Reiki flashed before her mind.
