Indigo (NaNoWriMo13)

Chapter 7 - Reunion of Light and Feather - Part I

Picture of Zoe by FallenMidnightAngel (she's amazing <3)

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Chapter 7 - Reunion of Light and Feather - Part I

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Athira peered out the window of the monorail as it sped through the city along its track, high above the ground.

The sun was slipping under the horizon, taking its glow with it. The city was responding, slowly but surely with lights that flickered into existence in windows and the lamps that lit the streets as lives continued on despite the coming night. The monorail continued on, softly rocking back and forth in relative silence.

Athira sank further back into the overly-plush seat and stared at the one in front of her. Talon would have flown circles around this thing.

Raph sat beside her. He’d changed out of his training gear before they left into jeans and a jacket striped with various shades of red. On the surface, he looked like any other guy. Normal, relaxed. But if she examined his face carefully, the almost-hidden lines told her that he wasn’t exactly the same Raph she’d left so many years ago.

His focus was with the document on the screen in front of him, generated from the bracelet on his wrist. He chewed his lip as he tapped away at the keyboard, another holographic combination of orange and yellow colour that she’d seen before in many forms of technology.

Athira glanced over, trying to catch of a glimpse of it. 

                 ‘...Indigo tracked Reader and the Owl to a warehouse on Yilith street via Shift's communicator which he had managed to attach to the Owl's person. The actions as follows...’

A report about the night Reader took her amulet and she’d accidentally reunited with Raph. She stopped reading and glared at the window again as if she could crack the glass with her gaze. 

Exactly when had she become so careless? Allowing herself to be not just followed, but tracked across the city and not even realise the fact. Did she rely on Talon that much to keep the stupid side of herself from showing itself in her decisions as well as the wrathful part? She was no longer sure. 

Alone for two days and already you've almost killed someone. I'm so proud.

Athira squeezed her eyes shut. Shut up. You don't understand me at all. I wasn't--

The voice lolled around the inside of her head, examining her thoughts, twisting around them to flick parts away. I think we both know that's not true. Why not keep the amulet off, hmm? Look what you’re capable of. 

Don't make me come in there. I swear--

Temper, temper, said the voice. 

Athira clenched her hands. I put you back where you belong not even a day ago. I can do it again.

And yet I'm already out. Isn’t it lovely?

It seemed content to have the last word, fading into the background once more and Athira wasn’t keen to reply before Talon was back at her side.

She’d never admitted it to herself for, but without Talon to soothe the wrathful part of herself, the side that wanted nothing but to watch the world of Thols and all its contents burn, she didn’t want to enter her mindscape, not even to track down Reader and end it all.

She wasn’t scared of the dark, nor the ghastly excuses for humans that walked the land. She was terrified of that thing inside her no one but Talon could control.