Kira's gaze was drawn inexorably to it. The stone that made up its structure seemed to absorb the light. Tall spires stabbed the sky's underbelly at its center, the strong walls of its defenses seemingly impenetrable.
In almost all ways, it was the Citadel's opposite. Imposing. Austere. This place seemed to care nothing of beauty, devoted only to one purpose—protecting those who resided within.
Kira turned her attention from the fortress, gazing at those around her.
It seemed only a handful of the initiates had made it to the top. Of those were the two boys Kira had seen at the bottom, a handful she didn't recognize and Joule.
"She was last," the friendly-looking boy observed to his peers.
The arrogant boy didn’t bother to keep his voice down."What do you expect from someone who keeps company with humans."
Kira grinned as Blue and Raider fell silent. She tilted her head, not able to keep herself from chuckling. Aw, they wanted to play mind games. How cute. And utterly pointless.
"This is familiar," Blue muttered.
Raider agreed, rising from his reclining position. "I'm too old to be playing an underdog."
When he finally straightened to his full height, it was like a mask had slammed down. His expression was cold and unforgiving. Cocky, one might say. A silent fuck you to all the naysayers.
"But you're so good at it," Kira couldn't help but tease.
"Shut it, granny. You're too old for this too," Raider snapped. Under his breath, he muttered, "And you suck at being the underdog. If you pick a fight because you're bored, I'm not going to have your back."
Kira smirked. "I thought I was the commanding officer of this little shit show. You'd leave me hanging? What happened to loyalty?"
Raider's expression soured as Kira's smile widened. He hadn't thought through his little power play earlier. It was now backfiring on him. He really should have known better. Kira had never been the type to let others take advantage. That hadn't changed much in the intervening years.
"Anyone think that climb was a little harder than it should have been?" Blue asked.
Joule joined them. "Roake is known for its illusions. The test was meant to strain our willpower while exhausting our bodies. The stairs were made of reiki stone, the properties of which drain ourkiand sap our strength."
Raider's forehead furrowed as he thought. Admittedly, it looked painful. Raider was more suited to action than thinking. "What if you don't haveki?"
"Everyone haski—even humans such as yourself," the arrogant boy from below approached, his expression cold and reserved. "It exists in all things. Humans haven’t sufficiently evolved to perceive or manipulate it."
"Good to know," Raider said, eyeing the newcomer with interest. "Who are you?"
The boy—for that's how Kira thought of him, despite evidence he wasn't much younger than her—ignored the human, focusing on Joule. "Affinity?"
Joule jumped, scrambling to attention. Kira watched with interest. There was nothing obvious to point to the boy's greater status beyond the fact he carried himself with poise and an icy reserve. Still, Joule treated him with respect, as if the boy had the right to the information he'd demanded.
"Shield, Earth class," Joule said.
A muscle in the boy’s jaw ticked. "Support."
Joule's expression wavered the faintest bit before he caught himself, his back straightening as if a greater height would protect himself from the dismissal implicit in the other Tuann's words.
Kira didn't quite understand what about Joule's response relegated him to a lower tier in the Tuann's eyes, but she did know the arrogant boy's words were shortsighted. They told her all she needed to know about his experience. He lacked a fundamental understanding of tactics or strategy.
Support might be less sexy or prestigious than infantry or other combat roles, yet it was no less important. An army didn't move without those in the support roles this boy had so casually dismissed. A soldier couldn't fire a weapon without bullets or fight on an empty stomach.
Her hoverboard would never have made it through a battle without the mechanics and engineers who performed regular maintenance on it.
Support got few accolades, yet a military force wouldn't make it far without them. Every role was vital. Dismiss it at your peril.
The boy faced Kira, a demand already in the arch of his eyebrow. She arched hers right back, her lips twitching as she waited, interested to see what his next move would be.
"We talked about this," Raider said in a sing-song voice. "No picking fights."
