Dead King's Sword (Old Draft)

46. Pegasus Unlimited

Zeren

***

My father was nervous about sending me to the academies close to home. One day he would tell me he didn't want me to apply there because of racism-teachers not giving black students equal attention. The next day, he mentioned a lack of teaching resources in the school.

Two of my younger sisters went to Edwin, a public elementary school thirty minutes away, and they got on fine, but my father was in a peculiar state of distress these days.

Sometimes, if none of us called out to him, he would leave with his pants' zipper down or shirt unbuttoned. Something was bothering him. Maybe he felt guilty that Mitzy had almost killed me, so he was keeping me close to home, safe.

But nowhere was safe; there were rumours of war everywhere. People were stockpiling food and supplies in their basements. A wall was being erected around our city. People went about their daily lives, but they knew war might break out at any moment.

While I waited to find out what school I would be sent to, I got a job at a moving company; Pegasus Unlimited. Now I was stuck in the front seat of a metal container, next to a girl who could communicate with animals. She was small, pretty with tan skin and curly brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Like me, she wore a boring grey uniform; the cap's peak pulled low to cast shadows over her violet eyes. Outside the glass window that stretched before us, four pegasi unfurled their wings and, beating them regularly, pulled us through an azure sky filled with a few clouds.

"Would have been faster with a teleportation circle," I muttered.

Bri said, "We would need a really powerful magician to transfer everything. You know anyone with a size ten core?" She watched the side of my face with an annoying smirk and spoke with a false high pitch, "You don't? Neither do I. Besides, teleportation can be jerky, and we can't risk damaging the merchandise."

I followed our progress on a glass tablet that held the map; we were nearing the mansion of some elite businessman who wanted his products the same day.

Bri said, "Try not to break anything this time."

"I only dropped that one box because you snuck up on me."

"In our job, you have to be prepared for anything." Her eyes sparkled. She paused, staring at a brown stallion prematurely lowering its elevation. She pressed her index to her forehead and said, "Nugget, you get back up here."

Another pause, then she said, "I don't care if you are hungry. I'm hungry too, and none of us eat till the job is done. Boss's orders."

The stallion rejoined the group; his jaw was tense, and teeth bared when it looked over its shoulder to snarl at Bri. Bri showed him her middle finger. Nugget faced the front, but his tail twitched angrily. There was a tap on the plastic window behind me. It opened, and Mike poked his head inside. He was one of the movers; tall, broad-shouldered with cropped black hair and grey eyes, size three core. "Anyone got a bottle? I needed to piss like an hour ago."

"We'll be there in ten minutes; just hold it," I said, checking the map.

"You think those rich hussies will let us use their fancy bathrooms or go behind one of their exotic trees? No. I need a bottle, and I need it now."

"Use yours."

"I gave mine to Matthieu."

I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

Mike point at the metal bottle at my foot. "I'll take that. Thank you."

"My water is in that."

"I swear if no one gives me something to pee in soon, I'll explode and ruin our merchandise."