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The offer startled me. “Out there?” I glanced out the window. I’d gotten used to the vastness of the city and sky, but from inside. To leave the safety of his apartment brought a panicked flutter.
“Yes, out there. It occurs to me you’ve been caged since your arrival. It’s time you explored.”
“Yes!” Without thinking, I threw myself at him, overcome by joy and wanting to express it like I’d seen others do in the informative videos.
He stiffened as my body hit his. “What are you doing?”
“Hugging you. A gesture to show thanks and appreciation.” What I didn’t say was that I’d learned hugging could sometimes lead to intercourse.
Not this time.
He set me aside. “Get changed.”
“Into what?”
“Anything white. But not too revealing. And bring a sweater or jacket in case you find it chilly.”
My long white tunic went over billowy pants, and with that, I layered on a blanket with sleeves. I emerged, and he cocked a brow. “Interesting choice.” He glanced at my feet. “You’ll need shoes.”
He vetoed the white boots and the ones perched on what he termed stilts. We settled on something called a short boot that stopped at my ankle. He remained in his deep burgundy armor, which I understood now indicated he had the highest rank.The only people above him were the Cabal, which, while spoken of in history and laws, didn’t come with names, descriptions or images. They were a secretive group who’d been running most viable landmasses since the Cataclysm.
We exited the apartment, but rather than take stairs up to the roof, we took the elevator down and emerged from the building onto a sidewalk. The wide boulevard allowed only foot traffic or those riding nonmotorized cycles.
Seeing me eye the people pedaling them, the commander said, “I can get you a bike if you want.”
“Is it hard to learn how to ride?”
“No.”
“Then yes.” I wanted to try everything this world had to offer.
Walking by the commander’s side, I endured many curious gazes, but no one spoke to us, although all did get out of the way. Those in shades of red usually stopped and saluted until we passed.
“You are important.”
“Yes.” He wasn’t in one of his more talkative moods. Perhaps because we weren’t alone.
That didn’t stop me. “Did you start out important?”
He glanced at me. “No. To achieve a higher rank, a person must acquit themselves well.”
“And how does an Enforcer acquit himself?”
“By keeping troublemakers in check.”
“There are some cities that don’t use the color caste system.” A fact I’d learned in my studies.
“There are, and before you ask, they’re not great places to live unless you’re one of the elite. There is no guarantee of food, no shelter for all. And violence is rampant. Especially against females.”
“So the color system protects us?”
“It provides a structure that, while not perfect, ensures no one goes hungry. Everyone has clothing and a bed.”
“However, only those on the surface are allowed happiness.” My pointed reminder got lost in an exclamation as we turned the corner of a big building, and a splash of color met my gaze. “What’s that?”
“Hot Springs Park.”
The vegetation within proved stunning, with vivid blooms and fragrant greenery, but my true wonder was at the animals pacing within enclosures. In my life, I’d only ever encountered the cave rats and bugs, the spiders being the hairiest of them all.
