Rise

Alana

I was relieved when I saw the storage house in the distance. It looks abandoned. All of the windows busted except one on the very top. The roof is has sunken in, threatening to bring the whole house down. It makes me nervous to step inside even after staying in this house for the past five days. Jason rushes past me, quickly making his way in the house. I take my time, slowly trudging up the creaky wooden stairs. When I enter through the door frame, the house looks hollow, ripped from any insolation or wood. My feet pad against the concrete floor, chasing after the sounds of two pairs of boots. I shuffle to the far back of the house, down a flight of stairs too what looks like a giant metal door. I open it slowly, walking down the hall stopping at one of the doors. Pushing until the faint glow of twinkling lights illuminates a smaller room connected from the hall.

We've have moved up and down the country for the past week. We just made one with a lord who sees over all the trade deals in Canus. I never bothered to pay attention to the nonsensical deals with people I never bothered to learn about in my study sessions. I was never one for politics, that was my sisters forte. Thinking about Melanie makes my heart hurt with sadness, I haven't seen her in a month. I can only imagine her having to deal with our brother alone.

A small beeping sound rings in my ears. Nora lets go of my hand and digs into her pant pocket. She pulls out her beeper, checking it quickly.

"I just got a message from Harper Kennedy. They need us down in Liora by tomorrow. If we leave now we can catch them in Terram before they leave the west gate." She says, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Isn't Nari in Terram? Working with that greenie princess and Clara?" Ruby speaks, gathering her things from the temporary beds we made on the basement floor. Kai stands as well, grabbing his already packed things.

"Yes, now it was a distress signal so pick of only what you think you can carry and we need to leave." Nora turns to me and hands me my packed bag. I take it and sling it on quickly. Jason gathers his things and stands by my side.

The way we just pick up everything and leave in a matter of minutes forms a pit at the bottom of my stomach. Besides the base, that rickety little basement has been the longest I've stayed in a place for one time. It almost hurt to leave... Almost.

"Since we are so close to Terram it shouldn't take long to get to the gate. An hour at least" Jason states, looking up at the sky.

"When did Harper say she needed us?"

"She didn't say much. Need backup, Terram west gate, sundown."

"Do you think we'll make it in time?" Jason asks.

"We're gonna have to. I don't think that we could make it with just one greenie leading the way." Ruby sneers at Jason, lacing her hand with Kai's. The gesture makes me want to slam my head against the wall. The two have been inseparable the past two weeks, their faces never more than five inches apart. I and Jason do our best not to make a fuss of their infidelity and just push on.

"Says the burner who has no place here," I add. Before Ruby gets another chance to make a side comment, Nora interrupts.

"That enough from the both of you. I don't want to hear anything unless you are dying or feel like we're being followed. It would make this next hour go a lot faster." She huffs and treks forward a few feet ahead of the path. Jason nudges me, holding out his hand for a high-five. I gladly give it to him with a small chuckle.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, not daring to go against Nora's wishes for peace. Though Kai was a war general, he wasn't used to having a path that wasn't saved for him. So whenever he trips I can hear a little puff from Jason, who tried his best to not to laugh at the noble.