The Realm Protectors

Chapter 15 - Ciana

These couches are comfy. It's nice and bright in here. There's a beautiful kitchen. We all have our own rooms. Think positive, think positive, think positive.

"Hey, Ci." Enya's voice makes me jump. I unwrap my arms from around my legs and turn around in the window seat so I'm facing her.

"Hi, Enya." I tuck a string of hair behind my ear. "What's up?"

She sits down next to me. "I came to see how you're handling all this." She waves her hand around the room. Faris, Carter, and Nile are in the kitchen, looking through the cupboards and refrigerator for food. Nikolina and Avani are in hushed conversation on the couch, and Lyra is walking around waving her crystals, muttering in her other language.

"I don't know, honestly." I mumble. "Everything feels off-balance right now."

"You're probably in shock right now." Enya sighs. "The whole lot of us are."

"I've seen death before." I tell her. "My great grandma died a few months ago. This feels different though."

"That's because she probably died peacefully, right? Surrounded by loved ones? This is different."

"This is murder." I bite my lip, leaning my head against the window behind me. "I knew her for two weeks, Enya."

"I knew her for years," She sighs. "I can't decide which is worse."

"And now we're expected to be like them? To make decisions and govern people? I can't even decide what to have for breakfast."

Enya laughs a little, more of a chuckle, but it warms my heart anyway to hear something other than the screams in my head. "Me neither, Ci. But we'll get through it. After all, we're partners in this, right? Grand Arch and Right Arch?" She holds out her pinky. I lift my hand and wrap my pinky around hers like a pinky promise.

"Partners," I smile. "What are we gonna do for the press conference later?"

Enya huffs out a breath. "To be completely honest, I don't know. I was mostly going to pull it out of my tox."

"Your what?" I turn to her.

"My tox," She says again. "You know, your butt?"

"Oh," I laugh. "That's what they call it here?"

Enya smirks. "Yeah. What do they call it in the Otherworld?"

"Mostly butt. Some people say ass."

"Isn't an ass a donkey?"

"Yes,"

"So you teach children to say butt when they're learning their animals?" Enya giggles.

"No," I smirk. "They call it a donkey." We both laugh again.

"Anyways, I was just gonna say something about who we are, what Professor Grantwood told us, and stuff like that. Maybe talk about our quest."

"Quest?" I ask her.

"Before the High Arches can be coronaugrated, they have to go on a quest to prove their power and teamwork." She explains. "I think ours should be to find our Grandshield."

"Oh yeah, what was his name again?"

"Tucker Brooks," Nile responds. He and the other two boys walk over and sit on the couch near us.

"I wonder if he's Capitalian or if he's from one of the other countries." Enya hums.

"He's from Mork." Nikolina says. She and Avani turn to our conversation. "But he went to Asavanra."

"How do you know?" Avani asks her.

"Tucker Brooks is a bit of a legendary figure in Mork." Nik explains. "Not for good reasons, either."