white and black marble of the monument and studied its scenes of death and pain, all under the dark protective angel on its top. It was beautiful. She could have stayed and looked at it all day, but there was one more adventure she wanted to have before Kai found her.
She had just finished pillaging three clothing stores and was on her way to the fourth when Kai caught up with her. He stared wide-eyed as he counted the many bags hanging off her arms. Doubling forward with his arms over his stomach, he roared in laughter. She offered him another cheeky smile and a shrug of the shoulders in explanation. When his laughing did not cease, she tapped her foot and glared, waiting for him to finish.
Finally, he managed to pull himself upright and steadied his breathing. “Do you have enough or do you need to keep shopping? I mean you could probably manage to fit one more bag on you somewhere; maybe you could carry it in your teeth.”
She looked over her bags and realized he was right; her shopping was getting out of control. It felt like she had a whole lifetime of shopping to catch up for, and she wanted to do it all at once.
“No, I am finished,” she concluded with a sigh.
“I’m glad to hear that. I would offer to help you carry some of those bags. But since last time I offered you basically ripped my head off, I will politely decline to help this time.”
She trudged behind him, attempting to balance her fifteen bags stuffed full with new spoils. It seemed to be a lot longer walk to the airport for Sollara. Perhaps it was because she had to stop three times to shift her bags. Each time she stopped she noticed Kai struggling to force back his smile. His delight in her predicament fueled her stubbornness and gave her strength to continue on.
They passed many vehicles, none of which scared her. She was getting accustomed to the things of the Surface: big buildings, electricity, cars; but she knew there was so much more she had yet to see.
They finally arrived at the airport, and Kai motioned some of the porters to help her with the bags. She was happy he wasn't carrying any and also happy to finally be able to stand up straight. She stretched out her back and gawked out the terminal’s large windows at the steel birds parked before her.
“I read about planes in an old magazine that we had in the library. But seeing them in person is completely different. It’s hard to understand that we’ll be inside one of those and then go up in the air.”
He smiled at her child-like wonder; it made him reevaluate his disregard for such things.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait.” She squealed and clapped her hands in glee.
“Well, you don’t have to,” Kai said as he directed her toward the men with the bags. They followed and were waved past the lines of people waiting for flights to a private corridor; it led to the back of the building and outside.
“Here is your personal jet, ma’am.” The gentlemen carrying the bags placed her items on a cart in front of it.
“Personal jet? As in, just for us?” Her mouth dropped open as she got caught up in the wonder of the moment.
Kai laughed and shook his head while he watched her.
“However did you manage to pay for that? Last time I checked you only brought a pair of shorts. Were you hiding gold in your pockets?”
“While you were shopping in Durango, I called the people we are staying with. I had their jet sent here and readied for our departure today,” he said casually.
She looked at him and then the jet, then back at him, turning one last time to the jet. Face beaming, she started to run and disappeared as quickly as she could up the stairs and into the steel beast.
It was outfitted with beige leather and had private recliner seats and a big overstuffed couch. Black screens were on every chairback, much like the ones that she had seen in the airport but without green writing all over them.
“Is that a television?” Sollara asked in
She had just finished pillaging three clothing stores and was on her way to the fourth when Kai caught up with her. He stared wide-eyed as he counted the many bags hanging off her arms. Doubling forward with his arms over his stomach, he roared in laughter. She offered him another cheeky smile and a shrug of the shoulders in explanation. When his laughing did not cease, she tapped her foot and glared, waiting for him to finish.
Finally, he managed to pull himself upright and steadied his breathing. “Do you have enough or do you need to keep shopping? I mean you could probably manage to fit one more bag on you somewhere; maybe you could carry it in your teeth.”
She looked over her bags and realized he was right; her shopping was getting out of control. It felt like she had a whole lifetime of shopping to catch up for, and she wanted to do it all at once.
“No, I am finished,” she concluded with a sigh.
“I’m glad to hear that. I would offer to help you carry some of those bags. But since last time I offered you basically ripped my head off, I will politely decline to help this time.”
She trudged behind him, attempting to balance her fifteen bags stuffed full with new spoils. It seemed to be a lot longer walk to the airport for Sollara. Perhaps it was because she had to stop three times to shift her bags. Each time she stopped she noticed Kai struggling to force back his smile. His delight in her predicament fueled her stubbornness and gave her strength to continue on.
They passed many vehicles, none of which scared her. She was getting accustomed to the things of the Surface: big buildings, electricity, cars; but she knew there was so much more she had yet to see.
They finally arrived at the airport, and Kai motioned some of the porters to help her with the bags. She was happy he wasn't carrying any and also happy to finally be able to stand up straight. She stretched out her back and gawked out the terminal’s large windows at the steel birds parked before her.
“I read about planes in an old magazine that we had in the library. But seeing them in person is completely different. It’s hard to understand that we’ll be inside one of those and then go up in the air.”
He smiled at her child-like wonder; it made him reevaluate his disregard for such things.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait.” She squealed and clapped her hands in glee.
“Well, you don’t have to,” Kai said as he directed her toward the men with the bags. They followed and were waved past the lines of people waiting for flights to a private corridor; it led to the back of the building and outside.
“Here is your personal jet, ma’am.” The gentlemen carrying the bags placed her items on a cart in front of it.
“Personal jet? As in, just for us?” Her mouth dropped open as she got caught up in the wonder of the moment.
Kai laughed and shook his head while he watched her.
“However did you manage to pay for that? Last time I checked you only brought a pair of shorts. Were you hiding gold in your pockets?”
“While you were shopping in Durango, I called the people we are staying with. I had their jet sent here and readied for our departure today,” he said casually.
She looked at him and then the jet, then back at him, turning one last time to the jet. Face beaming, she started to run and disappeared as quickly as she could up the stairs and into the steel beast.
It was outfitted with beige leather and had private recliner seats and a big overstuffed couch. Black screens were on every chairback, much like the ones that she had seen in the airport but without green writing all over them.
“Is that a television?” Sollara asked in
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