The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 15

Crazy works better for us.

Char mulled Rath's words over in his head during the team's flight home the next day. He and Rath had a history of being troublemakers, following faithfully in their father's footsteps. Maybe 'crazy' wasn't the best word for them. 'Impulsive' was probably a better representation. If they felt like taking off for a few days, then that's what they did. Rules and regulations were more like guidelines to them. Char couldn't count the number of times their mother had scolded their father when they eventually returned, usually with mild injuries and wild stories. Their father would flash her his famous smile and sweep her into a kiss, and she'd smile and say something about how she should have known better than to marry a hooligan like him.

Everybody said she was a saint for putting up with him all those years.

"Wonder if she's baking something?" Rath asked as they exited the barracks to the city. The mountain had been hollowed out thousands of years ago, and spread out before them were streets busy with people going to and fro from the hundreds of stone houses and shops. High up above and out of sight, a special moss grew across the ceiling, shining light almost as brilliant as natural sunlight down on the hustle and bustle. Flower boxes perched on window ledges here or there, colorful blooms breaking up their gray backdrop. The residents were colorful, too, with eyes and hair in shades never seen among humans, wearing bold dresses and bright shirts and pants in every color imaginable. Char and Rath were in the minority with their dull black attire.

"It's almost lunchtime. She's probably cooking, not baking," Char replied.

"Ah, real food that tastes good!" Rath exclaimed happily. "Why is it so hard to find a good cook in the army?"

"I don't know. You'd think they could at least hire someone for the barracks. It's not like you need military training to cook."

The streets seemed busier than usual. Char ran through the days in his head, trying to think why that might be. It was...Friday, wasn't it? That was it. People on their lunch breaks, doing whatever shopping they needed for the weekend, the younger crowd getting their party supplies ready. Weekends seemed to be one of two things: quiet family affairs or wild parties.

"Hey, Char, Rath, haven't seen you two around in a while!"

"Coming to the party?"

"You know who's gonna be there."

Rath grinned and gave cheerful, short responses to the people who greeted them as they went. A group of giggling girls in front of a dress shop batted their eyelashes at him, and he flashed them a smile, very much like their father's. Char chuckled and shook his head as one girl practically swooned.

"Do you even know any of those girls?" he asked.

Rath shrugged. "I think I've seen them around. The one with pink hair seems familiar. Maybe I danced with her at the last party we crashed."

"Is that all you did with her?" Char asked suggestively.

"Who can say?" Rath replied with a roguish grin. "It's been a while since we've been to a wild party. What do you say we go out tonight?"

"Kelnor hasn't given us the night off."

"Which has never stopped us before. Come on, you need to loosen up. A night on the town is just what you need."

Char was about to argue the point when a thought hit him. A crazy thought. One that had no business of working.

"What is it?" Rath asked, studying Char's face.

"Think Srot could talk Kara into coming?" Char asked, a sly grin coming to his lips.

Rath smirked and clapped him on the shoulder. "Now you're thinking crazy. Hey, Misa!"