Triton Prism

CHAPTER FOUR: EDGAR

A few days later the five crushers were again on a train, but this was public transport full of ordinary people. They were all in their white travelling cloaks, as customary. Though this wasn't a mission, it was a visit. Douglas thought of it more as reconnaissance. He sat quietly brooding and the others let him be.

Lysander was a strict elemental who insisted his crushers undergo personal training and carry out missions. He didn't take too kindly to Douglas's meltdown after he returned from their group mission. Those hitmen weren't going after someone innocent, but Reburn. If we'd moved to stop them afterwards he may have been killed or weakened by now. The idea that they'd unintentionally aided the killer of their sibling was horrendous. At least now he had the satisfaction of knowing their activities were focused on Titania; currently they were en route to see Edgar in his marble city.

"I've never met anyone Mark 5 before!" Kanra spoke up excitedly "Except for Lysander, of course."

"Doesn't he look like a monster?" Yura asked. "I heard he looks like a monster."

"He's lived for like, hundreds of years without aging. And I don't think he's ever going to age." Zao commented.

Douglas had expected to be ignored due to his attitude lately, but Shari drifted over. Holding the railing as the train swayed on its tracks.

"Don't worry Doug, Edgar's been alive for so long that he's bound to know something useful."

"Let's hope so. Otherwise this trip was a waste of time." He crossed his arms.

"If we could stand up to those three hitmen I'm sure we can all take one Reburn."

"Sure, only problem is he's the leader of a whole gang of Triton clan members. Besides that Gloria woman with the Kurei escaped, the surveillance drones went down before we could find her."

"Okay, okay Mr Cynical." Shari turned away from him with a sigh.

"I'm not focused on crusher stuff, since I don't actually like being a crusher." Zao spoke up. "I like to think about the stuff I'll do after my early retirement."

"Oh yeah?" Kanra arched an eyebrow "What's that?"

"Freedom. Going away, travelling, that sort of stuff. Leaving Haphestus and seeing other planets, older ones. That's what I want most of all." Zao leaned forward and clenched his hands, legs bouncing.

"I like being a crusher." Kanra answered. "I don't want to do anything else. I want to be strong."

"Well I..." Yura twiddled her thumbs and looked down "I'd like to have a family one day."

Douglas looked away from them. He didn't know what he wanted from life and it didn't matter, his primary goal was avenging Elise. As for Shari, she was the first one to notice and point out a luxury car driving by in the city. She stopped to drool over jewelry through glass-fronts. Uncomplicated tastes, but an eye for both luxury and beauty. Douglas could easily see Shari as someone who'd want to have a lot of money in her later life.

Fifteen minutes after they rushed to the windows as Edgar's city came into view. It was the first time any of them had made the commute. Douglas turned in his seat and saw impressive walls bordering it like the whole thing was an enormous defensive fortress. Those great big walls were made out of marble.

"It's a cool power we share." Zao breathed. "Usually I only see marble inside banks and stuff, but to see so much of it."

"Wait till you see inside." A grandmotherly passenger smiled with her purse on her lap.

"Think you'll ever be strong enough to build your own city, Zao?" Kanra joked.

"Not if I lived a hundred years..."