The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Forty-Four - Ordered: Bad Mornings

Winter woke up before everybody else. Before the sun could even creep up over the mountain in the horizon. Her light purple eyes scanned the area around her once before she made any moves to start packing her things up. She still felt a little full from last night. She had more venison than she usually has, but that was because Celesta had a spice that she brought along with her. Winter hadn't much experience with spices except for one that made her mouth burn a little, but this was much more pleasant and it made the food taste so much better than anything else she had before. She would have to ask her what it was.

While she collected her things she heard a yawn come from where Celesta had decided to sleep. The queen slept in a hammock that had various symbols inscribed on it. Her sleep wear was also peculiar. She wore a rather loose long sleeve tunic that had been cut short and leggings that had been cut before half up her thigh. She turned to see the queen sitting up and stretching. Winter only shook her head as she disapproved of such vulnerable clothing. Why change out of what you were already wearing, to only change back? It made no sense to her.

"I almost heard a thought from you." moaned the queen in the middle of a very satisfying stretch. "I guess you do think." Winter turned away from Celesta. She wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing a reaction from her. Nor hear one. 

Celesta shrugged her shoulders and scanned camp with her eyes. It was a bit of a mess. It didn't matter though, she could just get it done with in a minute or two if she was pushed to it. Celesta decided to lie back down and try to go to sleep again until one of her other movement detection spells went off.

Not too long after, Seilana woke up. Seilana had the habit of sleeping in the buff. Not for any sort of perverse reason, but because if she would change unexpectedly in her sleep she would either come close to strangling herself in her own clothes, or tangle herself up badly. She decided after too many times of both instances to just sleep naked, besides, it wasn't like she had any genitals anyways.

Forgetting where she was Seilana had woken up, rolled to her side and started doing some stretches with her eyes closed. It was a routine, at this point, and her muscles acted without her mind being fully awake. Winter turned around to see what the various groans, moans, and shuffling was about and was met with the nude form of another girl. She immediately turned back around to what she was doing, red as a berry. Celesta woke up annoyed as she had just barely fell asleep. She turned and saw Seilana stretching and laying her whole body for everyone to see. Celesta couldn't turn her eyes away, no matter how hard she tried. She had always wondered what a summoned human looked like naked, but she didn't know if this was the right time to be gazing at naked people. Even if she had seen plenty of naked bodies before now.

Nobody had the courage to tell Seilana anything.

Just before she started her body weight exercises she opened her eyes. That was when she realized her mistake. She immediately grabbed some undergarments and put them on. She looked around camp to see if anyone was watching. She saw Winter packing up her things. Thank goodness, she thought. She then turned to see Celesta staring at her. Seilana turned redder than an apple and froze. She didn't even breathe. Celesta then started to blush, but only a little. Seilana then broke the silence.

"Both of you had seen me, then?" squeeked Seilana.

"It was a good view if that makes up for it." said Celesta. "Definitely a better form than most other's I've seen."

"I'd had rather you not seen it." she said weakly

"I knew that summons didn't have genitals, but I didn't know it would look like that. It was definitely educational."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"Did you want me to get naked? I have no problem being naked in front of others." She gave Seilana a wink before she got out of her hammock and started taking her clothes off. Winter turned to see if she really was going to strip and immediately regretted it. She nearly screamed from embarrassment. Seilana stiffened up like a board and held her eyes shut.

"Could you just stop? You're being so gross!" yelled Winter.

.....

They were back on the road again, but Winter decided to walk behind the wagon. She need to be away from everybody. She had started feeling claustrophobic in the little wagon, and the walking made her feel better. Before too many hours passed Voleria hovered over to her.

"Why do you hate your name?"

"What?" It was probably the last thing she expected to hear from a mass of bugs crawling over each other to look like a weird twitchy human puppet.

"Just very...curious." buzzed Voleria. "I don't know much about the weight of names. I don't care about them, but you are the first one I've seen that didn't like their real name. Why?"

"My parents gave it to me. The only thing they gave to me, other than my life. I've never knew them, but I hear that they gave me up right after I was born. Like I was trash. That's how I see my name. It's a trash name. It wasn't until recently that I've started calling myself 'Winter' but I feel like it's better."

Voleria had never heard so many words come out of her. It always thought that maybe she was broken somehow. But that story wasn't so sad. It was left alone after it hatched as well. From the first day of existence it was fully capable of living on its own. Was it different for people?

"I don't know what to say other than I was by myself when I was hatched. So I guess we are the same."

Winter turned towards Voleria. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't help but feel a little saddened that she was just compared to a bug, by a bug. She just wanted to go home.

In the wagon, unbeknownst to Winter, sat Celesta who could feel the sadness emanate from Winter. It was a deep sadness that permeated every fiber of her being. She wondered what it was about. She wanted to build up some sort of friendship with Winter. At least a friendship. Maybe helping her work through this would be the way.