Soul Chains

Chapter 56: The Beginning of the End

"There's no need to bring any luggage," Reine says the next morning as she walks into the living room, tying her hair up in a long ponytail to go with her dark purple tank-top and tan jean shorts with a thin dark brown belt that has dark grey studs on it and her tan wedges that have dark purple straps that tie into ribbons at the ankles, "we're most likely wearing all we'll need."

"Good," Ciana says from next to me as she gives Reine a small smile, her hand on her hip as she stands there in a white, half-sleeve, button-up shirt that's tied off at her waist to form a crop top and has the buttons open at the top to reveal her pink bikini top, which matches her khaki shorts, tan ankle-high boots, and her floppy tan beach hat with pink trim, and she has a thin white looped belt and a thin black looped belt that criss-cross at her waist, "I was hoping not to lose any luggage."

Ciana brushes some hair behind her ear and I notice the small braid she put in her hair that frames her face and hangs down with the rest of her hair and I smile. I look down at my white button up shirt that's unbuttoned the entire way and my pair of dark red board shorts that have two thick white stripes on the sides that run diagonally and my white and red checkerboard vans, hoping my outfit is acceptable as I examine it.

"We look like we're going on a beach vacation," Ayette sighs as she comes out of one of the bedrooms with Dimitri following behind her.

"And?" I raise a brow as I look between her and Dimitri; Ayette wearing a bright blue bikini top with a white top that's identical to Ciana's and a pair of black jean shorts with white flip flops and a blue floppy beach hat with a white band around it, and Dimitri wearing a black button-up that's open the entire way with his dog tags, signature arm bands and watch, and a pair of khaki board shorts with black vans that have white stripes running along the sides.

"And I love it," Ayette sighs happily, "I could use the warmth."

"You'll get it," Aislinn says as she enters the living room in a white sundress with short sleeves and that has a hood on the back of it and strings hanging down in the front with a pair of black over the knee wedge boots.

"Aislinn's right," Zen nods with his hands in the pockets of his white board shorts, which match his medium blue v-neck, white beanie, and white flip flops, "Zanu reaches temperatures of over a hundred degrees at times."

"Hallelujah," Ayette sighs happily, shuddering excitedly at the thought of warmth.

"Come on," Reine says, "Mikasa, Tien, and Nathan are waiting outside."

We head over to the exit of the house and Reine slides open the front door, revealing Nathan, Mikasa, and Tien. Nathan is sitting on nearby stairs with his hands in the pockets of his white gym shorts, which go with his dark red t-shirt and dark red converse. Mikasa turns to look at us and she smiles as she stands there in her pale violet and white sundress and pale violet flats, her hand pressing down on her pale violet floppy hat as the wind lightly blows and her dress swishes around at her knees.

"Let's go," Tien sighs as he stands a few feet across from the house, his hands in his dark grey shorts, his medium green and dark grey checkered vans crunching along the ground as he shifts around, the wind blowing the strings of his medium green short-sleeved hoodie.

Reine mails her letter to Renee before we leave for Zanu, and then our journey begins.

***

We end up walking a whole four hours just to arrive because Aislinn could only take us to the border of Spring because the "conditions weren't proper" for her to take us to Zanu.

"Are we there yet?" Ayette groans as we walk along dark grey stone tiles in a medium sized town full of cars, bicyclists, street vendors, and performance artists.