“Who’s going to change it? You?” She gave him a sidelong glance.
Was this why she was here? To nudge and encourage the wild little gremlin?
“You can count on it!” He pumped one fist in the air as his other hand drifted to the Hi Haven bandana tied proudly around his neck.It was the same one he’d somehow earned the week before, despite failing nearly every training test.
“I can’t wait to see it,” she huffed a small laugh, though a hint of something—despair, maybe—slipped into her voice without her meaning to.
No matter how hard she tried to focus on her Mission here, she never felt fully grounded, like something was missing. A gnawing feeling between her ribs.
Taiga’s face shifted, his exuberance cooling as he studied her. “Are all sixteen-year-olds this grumpy? Is it an age thing? You don’t look like an old lady yet, but you’re not too far off.” He squinted at her, leaning in dramatically. “Wait. Is that a wrinkle?”
She froze mid-step, turning slowly toward him. It continued to surprise her that she could pass for someone that age. Wormhole travel must be good for the skin.
Fighting to keep the smile off her face, she watched as his cheeks tensed and he struggled to hold in laughter. “And do all fourteen-year-olds look like they’re constantly about to shit themselves, or is that just a Taiga thing?”
For a moment, they stood locked in silence, shoulders shaking, fighting the laughter bubbling up in their chests. Then Taiga coughed—just once—and the dam broke. Aimee’s laugh tumbled out to meet his, and together they stumbled forward, doubled over.
As they gulped at the air, grinning, Taiga wheezed, “Why are you so nice to me anyway? Everyone else around here is...well...”
She shrugged, collecting herself. “We’re both freaks. The village clown…and the girl nobody knows what to do with. Why else would they throw me into training with a bunch of kids barely able to make an elemental breeze? No offense.”
“But everyone loves you, Aimee.” Taiga puffed out his chest, but his brow furrowed in confusion. “You never cause trouble, and you already know all the techniques. The teachers had you running half the classes before the exams.”
“I dunno.” She glanced at the ground, kicking a stray rock. “I guess I’m just lonely. I like you guys; you’re good kids, but I don’t really belong anywhere yet. And I don’t know what the heck I’m supposed to be doing here.”
“I get that.” He swallowed hard, then brightened. “But tomorrow, we get our squads! We’ll both have a place then! They’ll have to accept us!”
“You’re probably right.” She reached out and tousled his spiky red hair. “You’re pretty smart for a kid.”
He swiped at her hand. “You’re not that much older!”
“I thought I was practically a wrinkly old lady, according to you!”
“Whatever, crone,” Taiga shot back as he turned toward the small building that housed his tiny tatami room. It amazed her that he’d been living on his own for so long, fending for himself.
“See you tomorrow,” she called after him. “I know you’ll be dreaming about getting onto Momoka’s team.”
“Yeah right!” he yelled, a blush creeping up the back of his neck before disappearing around the corner.
“Sure,” Aimee laughed quietly to herself, the sound barely carrying in the dry air. All the boys had crushes on Momoka, and the girl barely noticed.
Sighing, she glanced up at the Great Phoenix carved into the nearby cliffside, her sharp, pointed nose catching the faint breeze as dark blue eyes narrowed in thought.
“Just what the heck am I supposed to be doing here anyway, huh?” she asked the mythical bird.
It loomed over the settlement, wings spread wide as if ready to rise at any moment from the red-hued crags. Below it, Hi Haven’s central settlement sprawled out in a maze of sun-bleached stone buildings and wooden shacks, the streets winding like rivers through the parched earth.
Maybe Taiga’s right, she thought, though without much conviction.Maybe tomorrow will show me my path here.
She sighed, not feeling the least bit tired, and began walking at a leisurely pace through the quiet streets of the village.
I wonder if things will be any different this time.She’d been in similar roles before; different lives, different ages, but it was always the same. She was the outsider, trying to fit into a new life on a new world. Then came the struggle to save it, and on to the next. She’d done it hundreds of times.
Must be later than I thought. She pulled herself back to the present. The faint smell of dried herbs and spices wafted from closed vendor stalls, lingering in the air as she passed. The village, usually alive with the clang of blacksmiths and the chatter of merchants, now lay still under the weight of the rising moon.
She smirked, remembering how Taiga had practically drained Harato-Sensei’s wallet during dinner, ordering course after course with wild enthusiasm. It wasn’t until the restaurant began closing for the night that the poor man finally ushered them out, insisting they get some rest before meeting their new Squad Leader the next day.
I just hope it’s not Kora-Sensei. Aimee cringed at the thought.
