She didn’t take him threw the shops like he expected but behind and around them. She also didn’t take him through the front entrance. When he asked why she blinked at him like the question didn’t make sense.

  “It’s where the little ones do their learning.” She informed him like that answered everything. They entered a basement under some large metal doors. Dorner found himself wondering if he should have asked Loret to come with. He sucked in a breath though when he saw the reason you had to enter through the basement. The middle was open space that rose at least six stories banded around each floor was balconies that left the center a hexagon book cases and different types of machines either hung hovered or sat. He’d never seen so many curious things in one area.

  “Where did all of this come from?” He asked her.

  “The second fleet started it then persons that come and go add to it.” She told him. “And some things are from the first fleet.” She told him tugging him in the opposite direction of a misshapen metal husk that looked burnt melted and shattered. A bomb. The woman hunched until it was out of sight. He wondered what happened to the first fleet. “If a scribe person notices us, we’ll have to tell them a story or it’s chatter, chatter, chatter the whole time here.” She whispered. He raised his brows.

  “Is it bad to give stories?” He asked her. The woman’s eyes grew and shook her head fiercely.

  “Stories are how one avoids the mistakes that have already been made.” She stated. “But I can never remember which stories I have told and which I have just thought. So, I have to keep talking until they nod.” She grumbled. He smirked at the look of utter confusion on her face. He looked around again.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “This place is magnificent. Thank you for bringing me here.” He told her. She stopped and then stared at him. Dorner blinked. She seemed jolted then she shook her head.

  “What?” He asked her baffled. She shook her head again.

  “It’s silly. I’ve gotten so used to it being done that I notice it’s absence, but you have not been anywhere but between Mama Bennet’s place and the den.” She stated. Dorner couldn’t decipher what she was talking about just that she seemed contemplative.

  “The persons when I was small that I used to help kissed my cheek with their thank yous. They thought it was sweet that I did more things to get more attention, so they kept doing it.” She offered tilting her head and holding out her hands in a sort of I don’t know motion.

  He considered that.

  “But yours was more of an apology?” He asked. She blinked then her eyes lit as if realizing what he meant.

  “Oh no it was a thank you for more information to think on.” She corrected.

  More information to think on indeed. Dorner stepped forward and brushed his lips against her cheek. Then pulled back.

  When he did, she looked surprised.

  “Are you alright?” He asked.

  She stared at him then tilted her head looking him over.

  “I was right you four are curious.” She murmured. She tugged him over to a glass dome with a chair inside and explained that it’s a locater.

  “I like the speak button. All these symbols get so very confusing.” She grumbled. Then she popped back when he turned toward her.

  “I am going to find the Shimmer so I can show him the general store.” She called and in long hopping strides went to a window and climbed out of it. Dorner gaped.

  “Azie has that effect on everyone when they first meet her. She’s odd but a good girl.” A woman offered from a different pod. “I’m Algasta Mederina.” She introduced herself.

  “Dorner.” Dorner introduced nodding. He couldn’t pull his mind away from the fact she’d called Loret the shimmer. Then he wondered what she thought of him as.