[open]Delivery to the Commune, Continued.

[cielo]

Zallaurot grinned. "It's kind of in the name, yeah. So what's your story?"

[Zaxton Books]

"I was a rancher off of the Giza Plains when Mister Larchmonte here picked me out for my eyes."

[cielo]

"What's Giza like? I've lived in Baron months now, but never really gone outside the Commune or the immediate area."

[Zaxton Books]

"Giza's pretty flat. Think of an ocean of grass, an ocean on a calm day; gently rolling hills. A stand of tree here or there, but mostly grass... perfect for raising cattle."

He looked around. "... This looks like the dorms at the academy, only with out all the frilly molding and gold leaf..."

[cielo]

A shrug. "Frills are for dresses. Most of what we have here is functionality over prettiness by necessity."

[Zaxton Books]

"I wasn't complainin'. The Academy is a little to opulant for my taste. Sorta like the headmaster 'imself."

Sage folded his arms, leaning against the wall while he waited to find out where they were going next.

[cielo]

Zallaurot led them up the stairs and into his perpetually unlocked room.

It was much the same as Greta's, though his free space was scattered about with what most would call random junk, and was upon closer inspection still junk. Odds and ends the boy had found and returned for unknown reasons; he was using a nearly perfectly spherical river stone as a paper weight for a few documents on the desk. A long, stiff feather and assorted other items of interest littered it, along with a single pen.

The window was open, bringing in a cool breeze and the scent of fresh rain, thankfully blowing it the other way. Zallaurot crossed to the window and closed it most of the way anyway, not caring for a cross breeze to make his floor slippery.

The sheets and blankets of Zallaurot's bed were in disarray, and his top dresser drawer was open; there was a bit of gray showing, probably his START uniform.

"Not much to look at," the teenager said, and kicked a weathered bicycle horn over to his carving corner with a honk. "Most rooms are like this. I mean, nobody else really collects piles of crap, but I meant design-wise."

[Zaxton Books]

"If my momma ever saw my room like this back in the day, she'da had pa beat my ass so hard I couldn't sit for a week."

He looked about anyway. "Still, you got a room of your own, and that's more than I can say, 'board ship..."

[cielo]

"Yeah, I should probably clean it... don't have a lot of trouble finding things, but then I don't need a lot for anything."

A few seconds passed in silence. "Right, so, let's go clean up the meal. I'm still hungry, maybe we can grab some leftovers."

[Zaxton Books]

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Sage removed his hat, brushing his mane of wild, dark-brown hair back before he replaced it. "... What's the deal with you and Brenda?"

[cielo]

"Brenda? I'm sure I have no idea who you're talking about, sir," Zallaurot said as he lead the way to the kitchens.

[Zaxton Books]

"Or whatever her name was. The other Start kid."
The hunter shrugged. "I got a thing with names."

[cielo]

"Oh, you couldn't mean Greta? Yeah, we know each other pretty well. We've been through a chunk of rough road together so I trust her."

He didn't go on; that appeared to be about all Zallaurot felt like saying about her.

[Zaxton Books]

"Right."

Still, Sage was a Man's Man, and he didn't need to pry into Zal's personal life any more than he needed the situation spelled out, but, as he might have said, it weren't his problem and neither his place. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his canvas slacks, he followed Zal back outside, onto the Town's Square. It was shaping up to be a warm afternoon; a breeze was blowing in from the north-west, and it had set the tall grass around the outside of the area rustling. Over top of that, you could hear the rustling of the cedar, pine, and fur trees that mostly enclosed Helje. Louder, perhaps, were the crickets, enjoying the first of the heat. A Cicada, likely miles away, threw up its high siren of a whine, looking for a mate.

The breeze teased the edges of his duster somewhat, but his hat fit him well enough that he didn't feel the need to hold it down. The broad brim provided him cover enough for his eyes that he could see far in the sky without having to squint for the glare. An eagle was circling off in the distance.. North-west in the sky, sailing along with the wind, were low, grey, heavy-looking clouds. It was going to rain again... maybe not here, but it was likely. The clouds would be overhead in an hour or two.

He sniffed the air; over the cedar, he could smell the moisture. And, off in the distance... a pair of dots.

"Airships're a comin'. Looks like a transport and a cruiser."

[cielo]

Zallaurot shielded his eyes from the sun and looked. "So there are. Most airships still avoid Helje... any ideas on who it is?"