Cairo

Chapter 9: Crack in the Glass

The ride to the Government headquarters was silent at best. Even the air was stiff, though every now and then it'd suddenly drop in temperature enough that Cairo and Cane were shivering in the back seat despite the ridiculous heat outside. Every now and then Aidan would hum a tune that came on the radio, though Cairo expected it was some code as Aidan wasn't much of a music lover, not to mention the songs all had something to do with death. 

After an attack on the main government building during the Government's first years, the building was moved to somewhere more desolated. It was hard to find by any normal means, with roads that split all of five ways, long miles of sparse farms that were prosperous enough to afford the cost of high class irrigation from secret underground water reserves around the land. No one came around here often, and Cairo suspected even the farmers had no idea they were only a few miles away from the Government headquarters. There were so many false buildings hidden around Cairo that most people stopped in their pursuit. To ordinary terrorists, it was too hard to differentiate a fake from the real thing. Every now and then, there were still reports of a building being blown up. A new one would be constructed within days, and the process would start all over again. 

Despite pretences and rumors spread around, the Government spent little money on itself. The few flowers and trees that were able to grow around the building weren't because of overpaid irrigation, but from water Kleptos. They were able to do wonders even when there was no water present. Cairo always liked water Kleptos-they were calming, relaxing, and he found that their owners tended to be the same.

Coaltrice had walked them to one of the few waiting rooms that laid scattered around the building. This one was one of two deeper waiting rooms in the building. She extended out her arm as everyone filled in.

There was a heavily used couch (the grey material turning into such a light shaded white with use that it was hard to identify the original color) under a curtained window that let in only minimal if any sunlight. The only real source of light was a flickering light that hung from the ceiling. Aidan walked over to the couch, patting the arm. 

"You'll stay here while Cairo gets his Kleptos licensed and rated. I'll be watching you, in case you try to run off somewhere. That's fine, isn't it?" 

Even though the question was directed at Cairo, he knew he had no say in the matter. He could easily so no to Aidan, but Coaltrice was another story-she was his boss, and by being his boss, it was her word that went over everyone else's. Cairo shrugged as he was led out by Colatirce. 

Aidan glanced at Cane who was now laying with his arms covering his face on the couch that was too big for him (his legs dangling off the arm and cushion of the couch). Cane lay quietly without a sound, listening to Aidan settle himself into a squeaky chair. He wondered if the chair would hold, but when he heard it squeak again when Aidan moved to get comfortable, he figured it probably would. Then the quiet hum of the air conditioner lulled him to sleep.

.

Cairo had only been to the rating room once before in his life; it was when he obtained Aerie. For the longest while, he was the only Fire Mage who possessed no Kleptos. Back then, he had no interest in having them, as they were only used as a convenience, and Cairo was the kind of person who liked to do things the hardest why, with his own strength. Things like Kleptos went against how he chose to live his life. Everything had changed the day he met Aerie, but even though he had to adapt to living life differently, he wouldn't ever forsake meeting her. 

Coaltrice stopped in front of a steel-bolted door. It had about ten different locks on it that had different patterns you had to move them in order to unlock them, a lock for an actual key, and a number pad bolted on the wall next to the door for a combination. Cairo thought it was over the top to have this many securities just to get into a rating room, but he understood a bit more now that he had an S-level Kleptos of his own. Coaltrice had told him before that there were so many precautions so that in the case a Kleptos were to go berserk, no one would be able to get into the room, and the Kleptos would have to be way above S-level to get out.