Mahingga

Chapter 2. The Party

Ako stepped up from the Leytrain platform in the middle of the city. The Dagatan nation consisted of nine separate islands, and this one, Mahingga, was the capital. Here in the city, the Leytrains ran underground, beneath the streets. Spiraling towers jutted out around him, all but disappearing into the dark blue sky. The sun was about to touch down against the mountains to the west.

Through their connection with the ground, the buildings worked as conduits to allow access to Leypower even several stories up. The streets, made of volcanic stones, curved this way and that, imitating the natural pattern in the ground that had existed before, back when their ancestors had been making homes out of bamboo.

Huge Leylamps stood as glowing balls atop poles at every curve, lighting the streets with a soft, green glow. People bustled about. There was one man with sand-colored hair and pale skin, but he was scrubbing bird poop off a bench beneath a decorative tree.

Ako snorted and made his way to the Punogo Tower, owned by Kaib's father. Ako had gone home after school to change into his suit, which was a bit more lightweight than the school robes. The shirt of the suit was a light green color, made from the thin fibers of pineapple leaves. The front of the shirt was decorated with intricate leaf patterns in a deep "U" shape. There was a lace near the top of the shirt between the collarbones that he left undone, and a short collar that stuck up all around the neck. The sleeves ended halfway down his forearm.

Aside from his inherited wealth and genius intellect, if there was one thing Ako was known for, it was his impeccable fashion. He caught several glances from passerby just as he walked the short distance to Punogo Tower. The tower itself always amazed him—it looked like two snakes were coiling around each other as they stretched towards the sky. Even the windows were shaped like scales, and the glass sparkled with iridescent colors.

The door swung inward as Ako flashed his Palam at the scanner. When he entered the building, he saw a teenaged boy passed out on the floor, a cup of spilled coconut wine lying next to him. The party had just started and someone was already out.

Ako's lip curled up as he walked past. It was typical for them to have coconut wine at these kinds of parties, but Ako never touched the stuff—his father forbade it. He didn't think it smelled very good anyway. Even from the bottom floor, Ako could hear the music coming from upstairs in deep, rhythmic sounds.

The richly decorated carpet was cushy beneath Ako's slippers as he made his way to the elevator. Just as he got there, the door opened up, and a boy and a girl rushed past him, giggling as they went. Ako stepped inside the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. The elevator glided up gently. One of its walls was glass, exposed to the outside, and Ako looked out at the city as he rose higher. Leylights were winking into life throughout all the other buildings. It would be dark soon...and Ako would have to return home. His father didn't like him being out too long, but Ako couldn't pass up making an appearance.

The elevator stopped at the roof and the door opened, admitting Ako to the sky loft. Here at the top, the building was illuminated by a swathe of white and yellow Leylights. Lush, cushiony couches and chairs were set up all across the roof, which was shaped like two o's that were mashing into each other. Each o was half-covered by a vaulted, glass ceiling that arched overhead like half of a snake's mouth. The floors were white and sparkling, and there were teenagers everywhere. One of the o's was entirely used as a dancefloor, while the other, where he'd just exited the elevator, was for lounging.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Ako was greeted by several other guests. He reveled in their adoring attention for a moment before he found his way over to Kaib, who was sitting at a ring of couches on a raised platform.