Eyes of Glass

Among us in real life

"Well, yeah." I said with a nervous laugh. "Run that by me again ?"

"We're getting off."

Seemingly oblivious to the bombshell she had just dropped, the girl turned and pressed the 'stop' button, resulting in a cherry ding as the screen at the front of the bus lit up with the words 'bus stopping'. Her hand grabbed my wrist as the bus groaned to a stop, and I was pulled off the bus. "Alright." She said. "We better head to my apartment. Theres alot we need to talk about." 

"Jeeze." I muttered, "Take me out to dinner first." She rolled her eyes, starting down the road lined by massive apartment complexes. Eventually, we were standing outside a door with her fiddling with her keys as she fumbled the door open. She stepped inside, leaving me staring at the doorframe, considering how fast she was and if I could run away and catch the next bus. Before I could start sprinting, though, she had turned, and those seaglass eyes drew me in. I knew so little about her, and if I had to sit through an aquward conversation to get her number, I would.

***

The apartment was simple, though well-furnished. The walls were white, and she opened a window as we entered the lounge. She had a pale brown couch with green cusions and a green crocet blanket folded neatly in the corner. There were plants everywhere, on windowsills, on stools, and the wooden coffee table between the couch and the tv. The girl ushered me towards the couch, and told me to sit. A few minutes later, she had brought in a jug of water with lemon slices and two glasses which she places carefully on the table between us. Her body launguage was tense, clearly worried as she sat in the chair across from me. "Okay." She said. "So you can see me."

"Yes." I replied. "Is that an issue ?"

She inhaled. "Can you see this, then ?" The girl shifted in her chair and pulled a dagger from a conceiled sheath. The blade was long, the size of her forearm, and shimmered an odd translucent-gold colour. The length of the metal had been etched with some kind of anchient runes, maybe a forgotton language ? "Well. Yes. If you're meaning the massive weapon you pulled on me. I could take you to court over that."

Her nostrils flared as she forced out a long exhale. "We have a bigger problem than I thought. Lets start at the beginning. I'm Amani, and I'm an Altranor. In the old tounge, it means 'warrior of glass', after our glass-like weapons." She gestured to the dagger, now laying on the table. "Not all of our people are Altranor, there are the Eldrians, (the elders), the Ilaldators (the commonors), and the Eliplums, the gentry or royalty of our folk."

Needless to say, I was gobsmacked. I'd gotten to the point where I was so lost I could feel my cheeks in my face and I was barley paying attention. "Right. Uh- so what are you ?"

"I'm an Altranor, as I said. We protect the world from the Philodens, the mutant race seeking to take over Earth." I blinked. Slowly. I was sitting in a girls apartment, being told about this world which had been hidden from me my entire life. I guess I'd seen weird stuff before, but I'd always thought it was a side effect of my medication. "Altranors aren't born as warriors. We train everyday of our lives to be selected for the trials, and even then the Eldrains have to deem us worthy. It is at the ceremony we are gifted with greater speed and strength than humans. "

"Riiiiiight. So you passed some exam and now you have super speed ? Where do I sign up ?" 

Amani cast me a cold look. "You do not. You have not trained. You would most certinaly die in the trials."

My eyes widened. "You could die ?"

"Yes. It is an honour to fight for our people. And yours I suppose. Although, that brings me to our next topic. What are you ?"