Tearha: Keep Walking

Chapter Two: Flight

Jacques stood on the second floor platform of the sky port overseeing the lobby. Though the port was large, only about ten dozen of so people moved through it, half of whom were workers and employees, leaving the place echoing the footsteps of those who were there. She raised to her toes when she saw Josh walked through the silver door of aeronium, a gas that turned into a solid when electrically charged.

The man had a long brown coat on over his previous dressing, and a belt filled with pouches and packs. A, arm length multi-purpose hammer, with a crowbar grip and an axe attachment, hung from his waist.

Waving from her perch, she unabashedly shouted, "Josh! Over here!" Drawing the attention of not just the Guide, but everyone on the ground floor. Even after the man had seen her, she continued to call and wave enthusiastically. "Hey! Josh! Come on up, it's–!" She felt a burning stare at the back of her head.

Nervously, she turned back to catch Luce glaring at her from the counter, a rifle bag slung over her shoulder, their backpacks on the ground next to her.

With a playful grin to her partner, Jacques turned back silently to watch Josh head up the escalator and caught him eyeing her own polearm bag. She went to the end of the moving staircase to greet him.

"Hey you!" She jumped excitedly like a child going to their grandparents' place for the weekend.

Josh simply gave a meek wave of a greeting. "Where's Luce?"

"She's buying the tickets." She pointed back towards the sleek black marble counter where Luce fumed angrily at the man working there.

Josh added, "I thought I told you to wait for me?" He proceeded to walk towards the counter, Jacques following at his side.

With her best impression, Jacques said, "Luce was all, 'Oh, how hard could it be to get a glider?'"

He sighed as they approached the counter. The man working there looked up, recognized Josh, and immediately greeted, "Ah, Mister Stalewaver, good to see you again."

"Julian," Josh greeted. "We need to cross the border."

Politely, Julian replied, "Of course, Mister Stalewaver."

"Hey!" Luce exclaimed, stomping her foot. "What gives? You said you don't have gliders for crossing the border!"

"No, young lady, I said there are no commercial flights for crossing the border. Mister Stalewaver here is a V.I.P."

"V.I.P? I've never heard of such bullshit!"

"And that's why you're not on it."

She reached for her weapon bag and threatened, "Why you, I ought to shove this rifle up your–!"

Jacques cleared her throat loudly. "Language."

Luce turned to her and snapped, "What are you? My wi–!" She paused, her mouth hanging. Luce forced them closed and spun away from them with a huff, grabbed her bag off the ground, and walked towards the departure gate.

Jacques smiled at the man, "Sorry about that, Jule. My partner's a little hot headed."

"That's quite alright sir."

"It's ma'am, by the way."

"Oh! My apologies. Now, what can I get for you, ma'am?"

Luce had left her card on the table. Jacques picked it up and held it to the cash register's scanner, showing the value. "We have twenty eight thousand and sixteen kilq, and fifty five kuilt. What kind of glider can we get?"

Josh added, "Make it a custom. And don't skim any off the top." From his coat pocket, he pulled out a bundle of notes and threw it to Julian, who caught it with a smile. "I've got a thousand for you, right there."