A New Beginning: Passing The Torch

Chapter 55

Tessa's POV:

As we entered Taureen's home, I eagerly went to greet Mom, Dad, and Dirk – although I kept a careful eye on Soranto. He wasn't going to be sneaking away on me this morning...

Soranto wasn't wearing his armor. As far as I could tell, he was pretending this was a normal day where he left me with Taureen. The thought of him leaving for the day didn't bother me too much – nothing like the thought of him leaving me here for the night did. The chance to see where he worked was too tempting to pass up though.

It was probably going to create another new trend in our schedule, although I could let him sneak out successfully next time. Maybe. It depended on how interesting his job was.

Soranto finished talking with Taureen and began quietly walking towards the door. Aeria watched in amusement as I aborted my landing on the end table and took off after him. Just before he reached the door, I landed on his shoulder pad and trilled innocently at him. I perked my ear tufts up and tilted my head cutely, trying to charm him into letting me come.

Taureen appeared in the hallway behind us. "Do you have everything you need?"

"I packed the normal supplies as a precaution. Well, Tessa, you are going to be in for a surprise today..."

I stood up straighter and chirped happily. This was quite promising; everyone was taking this right in stride without a comment. Even Soranto wasn't trying to make me change my mind.

"Call if you run into any issues, although it will probably be easier to contact Aeria today if you need to meet with someone."

Soranto nodded. "I will, although I don't think I will have any trouble."

It was almost strange to leave Taureen's house and not see any of the guards waiting along the sidewalk for us. A small shuttle dropped down onto the street beside us, and we got inside.

It quickly sped off into the air and brought us to our destination. The building seemed plain enough, although I could see a lot of strange machines in the parking lot beside it.

As we went inside, several Kymari did double-takes when they spotted me. I briefly wondered what life would be like if our scales were camouflaged browns or greys instead of such bright colors. It would probably make a lot of things much easier.

"Your little friend decided to tag along today?" a woman asked.

"Seems that way. It could become a frequent occurrence."

"I can't see anyone here complaining about a bond animal's presence."

"They would just be wasting their breath if they tried."

She chuckled and waved him towards one of the doorways. "Get going. There is a shuttle waiting for you outside in bay five. Take whatever supplies you think you might need."

He went through the door indicated and easily navigated the series of doors and hallways. This place was a complete labyrinth. I had never been in a building this confusing before – not even when we visited Aeria's parents. If Soranto hadn't been walking along without a hint of confusion, I would have been much more worried.

One of the doors finally led us to a room full of equipment. Soranto picked up a large duffle bag from beside the wall before walking up and down the rows as he selected bits and pieces. Some things, like scanners, I could identify. Many of the small pieces were likely replacement parts or other tools.

The bag was mostly full by the time we left the room. After more hallways and junctions, we exited the building.

"Huh," Soranto murmured. "A private express shuttle. They must really want that spaceship fixed."