A New Beginning

Chapter 51

Tessa's POV:

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon exploring the new city, which was a nice change. I was glad for the awnings overhead that shielded us from the direct sunlight. Even without the sun hitting us, it was warm.

The few parks we visited were very different, and we didn't stray far from Taureen and Aeria. Everything was strange, and we weren't sure what kind of wild animals were around. There could easily be venomous snakes as well.

I gave a quiet whistle as I nudged Taureen's cheek. He pulled a water bottle out of his pocket and unfolded the lid so it made a tiny bowl on the end. I greedily drank more of the cool water. Once I was done, he offered it to Mom as well, and she took a few sips.

"We still haven't reached the hottest part of the day," Taureen observed as he passed Aeria the water bottle for Dad and Dirk.

"They aren't used to this climate," she replied, "and I don't want to take any chances with them overheating."

"I was thinking the same thing. I'll call for a shuttle, although I want to stop in the shop across the road for a moment."

The air inside the store was much cooler, although the fruit lining the shelves caught my immediate attention. My mouth watered as I tried to figure out which one would taste the best. There were lots I hadn't seen before.

"It's been a long time since I had shia fruit," Mom said longingly. "I know we originally agreed that the children had to wait until they had handlers before tasting it, but since they are both certain they are remaining with the Kymari, I'm sure we can break that rule."

With a faint smile, Taureen walked over and picked up several of the blue and pale pink colored fruits. The name rang a bell, although I wasn't sure why Mom wanted it so badly. Taureen picked out a few other things I hadn't tasted yet. Aeria also selected some fruit before going to the counter and paying for everything.

The tempting fruit was put into bags, and we went back outside. The heat seemed worse after the reprieve, which was odd considering how much time we usually spent sunbathing and under heat lamps. The dry air was making me constantly thirsty.

A shuttle landed beside us, and I was relieved to see it was ours. Even a long, boring ride home was better than this unyielding, dry heat. We got in and sat down as the shuttle began our lengthy flight home.

Taureen opened up the bag he was carrying and pulled out four small paper plates. As wrappers crinkled, a hard crystal was dropped on each one with light thud. He passed two to Aeria and put the other two on the seat beside him.

"Go here," he said, tapping the seat.

Mom and I both dropped down with wing assist. I sniffed one of the objects in confusion, although Mom promptly picked hers up and began chewing on it. The snapping, cracking, and crunching noises made me stare at her with wide eyes.

Tentatively, I sniffed mine again. It smelled cold... and fruity. With a glance at Mom, I tentatively licked it. It was some sort of frozen fruit juice. I picked it up before trying to cautiously bite a piece off.

Only a few flakes of ice came free, but they tasted good, and – more importantly – they were cold. I could feel the chill radiating through the scales on my hand, although it didn't overly bother me.

With my next bite, I dug my teeth in harder, determined to break a piece off. With a snap, a section gave way beneath my sharp teeth, and I began chewing it. The frozen juice felt unpleasant against my teeth, although the cold fragments and sweet taste were worth it.

Dirk was also chewing his icy treat, still trying to get used to the shattering feeling of it breaking into pieces. Mom and Dad had already halfway finished theirs.