Kanushin (Starweaver's Tapestry #1)

Chapter 18: Renegade

The doorway to Terric's Treasures was dented and dingy, an echo of the building that it occupied. A low haze of smog covered the dirt roads of Elontra outside, giving the copper of the ground a sickly green hue. Zaius watched as a mother and son entered a nearby home with shuttered windows and a crumbling roof. The city of Elontra was one that he had heard about from nearly everyone he met in his time working for Areshia, but he never thought the day would come that he would be standing in its center. Elontra itself reminded him a bit of the Embankments back on Tovarro and the sleepy little town he was raised in on Trantokar. In that sense, Elontra offered an odd sense of comfort.

"How big is Elontra exactly?" He asked Kirrik, making a wide circle with his finger.

Kirrik turned his head in thought. "Elontra itself? Honestly, it's hard to tell. What you're seeing around you are the buildings of the main square, maybe some homes too. That alone isn't much, but there's endless miles of tunnel that stretch outward to different bases, factories and the like. Think of it like a giant web."

"So are we the spider or the flies?" Diah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I refuse to be the one that's hunted," Imi responded. She sat on top of a large crate nearby and seemed lost in thought about something else.

"I've been both," Kirrik added. "Either way, it all comes down to outsmarting the other one."

Kirrik waved the group forward as he pushed the door to the bar open. A hard stench of sweat, alcohol and a hint of spoiled food assaulted Zaius' nose as he entered. It was a little under half-full, with most of the patrons sitting on the far end of the room. The wooden tables were worn down and lopsided from years of mistreatment. A lone Kunar sat in the corner closest to them, his back toward the door.

"That must be the contact," Zaius whispered to the others, careful to avoid being heard by any unwanted parties.

Kirrik looked around the room briefly, then sat at the closest table. He beckoned the others over with a quick, almost unnoticeable, flick of the wrist. His head pressed down lower as the others joined him, hands outstretched across the table. He gave a sideways glance in the Kunar's direction.

"There is no way Bugu would have sent us to meet with a Reclaiment," Kirrik expressed, his face squished in disbelief. "You know as well as I do that the Kunar are known for their loyalty to the Regime. If we go and talk to that one, word will spread and we'll be swarmed by more in a heartbeat. I don't know about you, but I want to get out of Elontra as quickly as we can."

"What's wrong? Don't like being home with dad and sis?" Imi joked.

Kirrik looked down at the table, running his fingers along a name carved into the wood. A glint of sadness flashed in his warm brown eyes and disappeared as quickly as it came. "You know we have work to do."

Zaius watched as Imi silently placed a hand on Kirrik's shoulder in an unusual show of compassion. Maybe there was something there after all, despite Kirrik's objection on the topic. He noticed Diah staring at the Kunar from his peripheral vision. She seemed to be contemplating their next course of action in her mind. Everyone seemed to be wrapped up in their own thoughts and it gave Zaius a bit of concern. The Kunar, from what he heard, were not the kind of species to mess around or let things go lightly. There would definitely be a battle ahead, and the lack of focus could cost them.

"I say we make contact," Diah said, breaking a long silence. "If there are Kunar around the city, they've most likely already seen us. They've probably been keeping watch on us since we left Bugu's."

"You saying that you think the others are in danger?" Kirrik asked.

"I don't think any of us currently are," Diah clarified. "If we were, the Kunar would be breaking through the windows and tearing down the doors right now. They were impatient enough to pick a fight with us on the Nova, so I would think they would do the same here, right?"

"I agree," Zaius said in support. "The Kunar don't seem like the type to wait. If they saw us as a threat, I'd think they would take care of us pretty quickly. They don't seem like the type to play games."

Kirrik sighed and shrugged, the flaps of his jacket jingling with the movement. Imi wrapped her arm around his shoulder and gave him a sly smile. She wiped a fake tear from under her eye.

"Look, Honey, the kids are growing up so fast."

Zaius let the jest slide, now aware that sarcastic quips seemed to be the way that Imi expressed herself. He found it a bit odd but, then again, each of them had their hangups. His eyes darted toward Diah, who he expected to be fuming as she had at nearly everything that came out of Imi's mouth. Instead, she had a slight grin.

"Don't you have some gears to oil?" She shot back. The two stared at each other, waiting to see who would break first. Surprisingly, it was Imi.

"Alright, enough fun," Kirrik grumbled. He pointed at Diah and Zaius. "You two decide on what you want to do. I'm not making that call. Instead, I'm going to check with the bartender here and see what info he has. He's... another old friend."

Zaius turned to the bar behind Kirrik and caught sight of the Ixr cleaning glasses on the other side. He was notably older with leathery maroon skin and two dark horns that slicked back and around his head.

'An old Terric and an old Ixr,' Zaius thought. 'Kirrik's definitely got some unique friends.'

Kirrik stood and slowly made his way to the bar, fumbling with the cuff of his jacket as he did. He seemed nervous, maybe even a bit unsure. The sadness briefly flickered across his eyes once again as he looked back. Zaius wondered what put him in such a bad mental space.

Imi slid over to Kirrik's unoccupied seat. Her hands drummed against the wood of the table like tiny hammers pounding away an imperfection. The neon green of her eyes seemed to glow brighter. Zaius tried to see what name Kirrik was tracing, but Imi noticed and moved her hand over it.

"Kirrik said it's your call, so make the choice," Imi said in an attempt to distract him.

"I'll go over there," Diah stated. "It's me they want, so maybe he can tell us why. Worst case, I play right into their hands and you rescue me, right?"

She tousled Zaius' hair and he gave her a warm smile in return. Her hand felt nice on his head, her fingers weaved between his locs. There was a bright fire in her eyes as she looked at him, the very same that he felt in his heart every time he looked back at her. What started as a small flicker had turned into a roaring flame, one that burned even heavier since their kisses on the ship. He wanted nothing more than to pull her back into his arms and to feel her pressed against him. His hand reached up and tucked a sliver of her hair behind her pointed ear. He rubbed the edge lightly, noting her shiver.

"I don't think you need rescuing," He replied. "But in the event you do, I'll be there."

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