Book I Chapter 2: The Idiot


The trip to Rhodes Island was shorter than expected. Granted, it was a relatively short distance from Daiji to Higashi. However, based on past experiences, Luke had expected the drive to drag on for at least six hours—five, perhaps, if the driver was an angry Siracusan. So the sight of Higashi, around the fourth hour, had thrown him for a loop. The city must have moved since the last time he'd visited. Perhaps there had been some truth to Exusiai's words after all…

Luke noticed a peculiar object jutting out from Higashi's diplomatic quarter. The mobile city's shadow made it difficult to make out its exact color and design, but the object was vaguely rectangular in shape. It steadily grew in size as the van approached the city.

It soon became apparent that the large structure was not a part of Higashi, but a separate entity entirely. Luke tapped Exusiai on the shoulder. "What?!" She squealed in surprise, dropping her phone.

He pointed toward the hulk protruding from the nomadic city. "What's that?"

Exusiai shot a tepid glare as though she couldn't believe he had disturbed her for such a simple question. "What are you talking about?" She asked. "That's Rhodes Island."

Luke's jaw dropped. He had never seen a vehicle so large—so ugly—as the hulking behemoth before him.

"That's Rhodes Island?" He cried in disbelief. Texas's ears twitched in discomfort. "It's huge! I thought it was part of the city."

"You've seen Higashi before, right?" Exusiai said, seemingly puzzled by his reaction. "It's easily a hundred times larger than the land ship."

Luke huffed playfully. "Yeah, but that's different! Higashi is a city. It needs to house hundreds of thousands of people. But Rhodes Island is a company," he stressed.

"And companies need to produce and distribute their products." Texas interrupted. "I don't see what the problem is."

"What could Rhodes Island possibly do with that much space?"

"You'll know soon enough," Texas replied. Luke felt his heart sink as they entered the land ship's looming shadow.

A boyish voice came through Texas's radio. "Unregistered Penguin Logistics vehicle, please identify yourselves."

Texas rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Shut up, Lappland. You know damn well who it is."

Luke leaned toward Exusiai. "That wasn't very friendly." He whispered.

"They have some history."

"You don't say?"

"Haaaa, Texas!" Lappland moaned. "I hope you had a smooth drive. How about it? Why don't we—"

"Just tell me where to park."

The speaker clicked her tongue. "Boring as always, aren't we? That's fine, you can't run forever…" Lappland giggled hysterically. "Park in Garage A, Zone 3. Amiya should be there." She hung the transceiver with an audible click. Texas groaned and leaned back in her seat.

Luke shivered. "She gave me bad vibes."

"You have no idea," Texas replied. It was the first time she spoke candidly. "She follows me wherever I go."

"Enough of that!" Exusiai pointed skywards. "I bet you haven't seen something like that before!" She said excitedly. Luke craned his head aside to get a better view of the window. Far above, a large, flat deck protruded from the land ship.

Luke watched with keen interest as a section of the overhead surface separated itself from the rest of the deck. It slowly descended along a pair of rails. Its movements were clunky but methodical.

Exusiai flopped back into her seat. "Things I don't miss about Rhodes: slow elevators, wait times, work." Texas idly drummed her fingers on the dashboard.

"I've never seen something so large move like that," Luke said, "It's actually kinda cool."

The elevator touched the ground, throwing up a cloud of dirt. Texas maneuvered the van into position. "Just a heads up," she said as the van traveled over a bump, "the chief executive's very young but competent. Don't underestimate her."

Luke nodded. "Got it."

A jolt ran through the vehicle as the elevator lurched into motion. Fascinated, Luke watched as it slowly lifted them up and away from the dusty ground. After a few minutes, it had returned to its original position, flush with the landship's outer deck. Ahead of the van, three figures stood before a monstrous, rectangular entryway.

One was a radiant Vulpo with long, flowing hair and prominent curves, but it was her friend that caught Luke's attention. A horned woman with faded periwinkle hair gathered in a ponytail. Some would call her plain and they may be right, but there was something to that plain, everyday girl look that reached out to him. He hoped she was nice.

The third person was an enigma. She was clutching a tablet against her chest. With long ears and a cute face, she was likely a Cautus. At first glance, she appeared to be a young girl, but her calm eyes and stalwart posture spoke of maturity beyond her years.

Texas parked the van next to the three strangers. "Come on, let's get this over with. I want to leave before Lappland finds me." The two members of Penguin Logistics greeted the young Cautus with a hug and a nod. Luke, however, needed to retrieve his baggage. Walking out from behind the van, he caught the trailing end of their conversation.

"…Texas, Exusiai. Dr. Kal'tsit and I appreciate your efforts."

Exusiai's halo brightened momentarily. "Aw shucks, Amiya. It was nothing."

Luke noticed Amiya's ears twitch as he approached. "Hello. You must be Lucius." Her long ears drooped as she bowed. "My name is Amiya, CEO of Rhodes Island. It's nice to meet you. Unfortunately, Dr. Kal'tsit is away at the moment, but she sends her regards. Welcome to Rhodes Island."

Luke gaped as his brain put two and two together. The old cat Septimus mentioned? She was probably Kal'tsit. As far as Amiya, though, Luke had expected someone his age, not a teenager. "Damn, Texas was right. You really are young." Amiya giggled behind her sleeve.

"It's surprising, isn't it? You wouldn't expect to see a young girl, such as myself, in control of a large company."

"Yeah, I—" An intrusive bang shot his sentence dead as a door on the opposite side of the garage flew open, striking the wall. The gathered operators turned their attention towards the ruckus. A white-haired Kuranta rushed through, her hurried footsteps echoing throughout the spacious room as she approached.

"Good morning! Officer Grani, at your service!" She said with a salute. "I apologize for being late. Earthspirit left me a message: She said I would find my new partner here." Grani cast a scrutinizing gaze over Luke. "Are you Mr. Lucius?" she asked, looking up at him.

If Luke towered over Texas and Exusiai, then he dwarfed Grani. Confused, Luke pointed at the Kuranta. "What's with this peppy… lost child?"

Grani leaned forward with a challenging smirk. "I may be small, but I bet I can run circles around you!"

"Hmm…" Luke rubbed his chin. "How old are you?" he asked Amiya.

The Cautus smiled. "Fifteen." She gently replied.

"And you?" He asked Grani.

"I'm twenty!"

Luke nodded wisely, as though he had arrived at a profound realization. He hovered a hand above Grani's head. "Of course you are!"

Grani shoved it away. "Hey, wait! Don't pat my head!" she cried. Luke's hand moved again, this time towards her ears. "Or my ears! And don't poke my face!"

Luke chuckled. Her reactions were adorable. "Sorry about that," he said with a bow. "It's nice to meet you, Grani. I'm Luke. I look forward to working with you."

Grani gave a sharp look, clearly doubting the sincerity of his apology. "Okay then. As your senior operator," she stressed, "Instructor Doberman and I will whip you into shape!" Grani finished with a nod. "Mhm! Call me S.O. Grani." Luke had to admit, she was rather cute—so much so that it was difficult to take her seriously.

Amiya raised a hand with an apologetic smile. "Actually, Grani, about that. At the moment, instructor Dobermann has her hands full with the reserve ops, so we have agreed to pass Luke's training on to Liskarm and Franka." She stepped back and gestured to the two women who had been standing quietly since Luke's arrival.

The plain-looking one cleared her throat. "Greetings. I am Liskarm, a mercenary in the employ of BSW." She jabbed a thumb towards her friend. The Vulpo waved. "This is my partner, Franka. As Amiya said, we will supervise your training during your orientation."

Luke tried his best to smile, but made a poor show of it. Franka chuckled softly. "No need to be shy. We're all friends here, right?" She gently nudged Liskarm with her elbow.

A slight blush dusted Liskarm's cheeks as her expression hardened. "I wish you would maintain a sense of professionalism, Franka."

Franka responded with an exaggerated expression of apology. "Oh dear, I do hope you could excuse her cold attitude, she's terribly shy," Franka said with a sly grin.

"Franka!"

"Just kidding!"

"No, not at all!" Luke said, eager to make a good impression on Liskarm. "I find her attitude rather refreshing." Without missing a beat, she shot Franka a subtle but triumphant look.

Amiya cleared her throat. "With that out of the way… Franka, Liskarm, please help Grani show Lucius around."

"Texas and Exusiai, you have the next few days off. The Emperor has requested your presence, so we will drop you off as we pass by Lungmen." The two nodded and went their separate ways. Luke waved as Exusiai left the garage. He sincerely hoped he would see them again.

"Oh, that's right." Amiya plucked a sleeved plastic card from her pocket. "This is your ID Card. It doubles as both a key and a digital wallet, so don't lose it. Logistics has assigned you to dormitory room B405. Do you have any questions?"

He shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Okay!" Amiya smiled. "Last thing. Please visit HR tomorrow by 12:00 to have your picture taken. Once again, we welcome you to Rhodes Island and we look forward to working with you! Unfortunately, I have other business to attend to, so this is where we part for now." Amiya excused herself with a bow.

Grani pranced up to him with a twinkle in her eyes. "Your room is right next to mine!" She exclaimed. Her tail wagged with excitement, "I can finally use the side door! This means we can have a dorm party! We need to buy food, snacks, and drinks—oh!" Grani said, interrupting herself, "We need to eat lunch! Where should we go?" The young Kuranta was trembling with excitement.

Luke looked down at his baggage. "I'd like to unpack before going anywhere."

"Mhm! Then follow me!" Grani spun on her heels and marched off. "To the dorms!"

"So full of energy, that one," Franka said, ushering him to follow. "Let's go. I'm excited to see what she has in store for us."

As they made their way to the dorms, Luke couldn't help but notice that Grani had a high-five or a fist bump for nearly everyone they passed. She even handed a piece of candy to a young girl while Luke puzzled over the presence of a child on the landship. He was amazed by her social skills- it seemed like everyone knew her name. "She's more puppy than pony," he chortled to himself as they approached an elevator.

"Pardon?"

Luke shouted in surprise. He wasn't expecting an answer. Liskarm was looking up at him, face set in a neutral expression. He had no idea when she had started walking beside him.

Her eyes widened imperceptibly, "Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to surprise you." Luke waved away her concern.

"Don't worry, it was a pleasant surprise."

"Ah." She said, abruptly ending the conversation.

Luke leaned on his toes nervously. He felt like they were two peas in a socially awkward pod and neither knew how to break out. He didn't think Liskarm was ignoring him. At least, he hoped she wasn't. It seemed that she simply didn't have anything to talk about. Wouldn't she walk by herself if she wanted to be left alone? Regardless, Luke couldn't let the conversation end there. It would leave a sour taste in his mouth. Eventually, he took the plunge. "Liskarm, was it?"

She looked up. "Yes."

"So… you like bread?" He asked while they waited for an elevator. Franka snickered as Luke chastised himself internally. You idiot! What kind of question is that?! Is that how you're going to make friends? By asking everyone if they like bread?!

Liskarm blinked owlishly, as though he'd said something completely incomprehensible. "Uh… it's alright, I suppose?" The elevator announced its arrival with a sharp ring. They stepped in.

Luke wanted to cry. His first day on Rhodes Island and he had already messed up. Figuring he had nothing to lose, Luke whispered a question he had been dying to ask: "Does Franka have four ears?"

Liskarm let a chuckle slip out, likely imagining her partner with two sets of fox ears. Catching herself, she flushed slightly and coughed to prevent a full laugh. "I—um… well, I never thought of it that way, but yes, I suppose she does."

She laughed! Somehow, Luke had done something right. He pressed the advantage. "By that logic, Texas, Amiya, and Dr. Kal'tsit would also have four ears. I suppose Grani does as well."

Liskarm grinned slightly. She gave a sideways glance at Grani's ears. "Yes, that is true."

"So when Franka wears earbuds, does she need two or four? And how does that work, really?" Still whispering, he rambled on. "Does she have two human earbuds and two fox earbuds; or does she have four human earbuds? Do fox earbuds even exist?"

Liskarm rubbed her chin. "I… don't think it'd make a difference… maybe?"

"I think it would. Because if she has four human earbuds, they would probably fall into her fox ears and get stuck."

She chuckled. "How about the Liberi? Birds don't have ears." She asked, fully engaged in the conversation.

"Actually," he said, adjusting his mask, "they do. Small holes on either side of their head. They aren't symmetrical either. One's higher up the head than the other."

Liskarm snorted. Blushing, she rushed to cover her mouth, but it was too late. Franka glanced back at her friend with a sly grin. Liskarm was cherry-faced. "What?" She snapped.

"Nothing…" Franka sang playfully.

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Grani leaped out of the elevator and threw up her arms, "And we're here!" She announced proudly, "Welcome to floor B4!" Franka and Luke clapped and cheered softly.

The floor plan was a simple rectangle. Doors lined both sides of the hall, with the elevator located in the middle, directly across from Luke's room.

"That's convenient," he said with a grin. "Can't get lost now."

Liskarm nodded. "Indeed. Moving in will be a lot easier."

"It's a lot…" Luke swiped his index finger along his room's metal door and rubbed it against his thumb. He pulled a face as the sticky, grimy substance clung to his fingers. "Dirtier than I expected."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Grani. She shrugged. "No matter how hard I cleaned, it just got dirty again. The inside should be clean, though. I heard cleaning drones the other day."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," he said, pulling out a handkerchief. He wiped his fingers, then withdrew his ID from his vest pocket. Unlike the other IDs he'd seen, his was missing a photo of its owner—a photo of him.

Realizing that he hadn't the foggiest idea of what to do, he looked back to his new friends for help. They simply waved.

He sighed. The door lacked a keyhole, and it definitely didn't have a visible handle. He was at a loss. All the sliding doors he had seen, up until that moment, had some sort of handle. Unsure of what to do, he halfheartedly tossed his ID card at the door, hoping it might just slide open on its own.

It didn't.

The card struck the metallic surface and fell to the floor. The hall was silent for a brief moment, then Franka and Grani burst into laughter.

"Luke, what was that?" Franka asked through tears. "I heard you were raised in a temple, but I didn't think it was this bad. Have you ever been to a city before?"

"Of course I have! I'm not a shut-in."

Grani sighed. "I guess you can't do anything without your senior operator." She smiled with a nod, "Mhm, can't be helped. Let me handle this!" She picked Luke's ID off the floor and pressed it against a black box embedded in the door frame. The scanner beeped for a second before buzzing angrily.

Undeterred, Grani flashed a knowing grin. "Sometimes you have to scan it multiple times," she said with a wink. "You can usually get by with one scan on the upper levels, but down here, you'd be lucky to get by with two!" She flipped the card over and pressed it against the scanner a second time. The scanner chirped in response, and the door slid open

Grani returned Luke's ID as he walked past her into the room. He looked over his shoulder. "What are you all waiting for?" he asked. "Come in!"

Luke set his suitcases on the floor with a huff. He took a cursory glance around his room. Unlike the wooden temple he was used to, this room was made entirely of metal.

Opposite the entrance was his new bed. It sat in a shallow rectangular recess built into the outer wall Above it, a large, rectangular window provided a panoramic view of the outside world. At the moment, it revealed a picturesque scene featuring Higashi's rolling hills and sprawling forests.

To his right was a modest walk-in closet; to his left, another door. Entering the closet, he was disappointed to find it completely empty: not even a single shelf.

Grani frowned. "Aw, that's boring. It looks just like mine."

"My room doesn't!" Franka said, glibly.

Grani shot her a halfhearted glare. "No one asked you!"

Chuckling, Luke walked to the center of the room. It was noticeably bare, lacking any furniture. He pointed to the door standing by the foot of his bed. "Hey, didn't you mention something about this side door…?" he asked.

Instantly, Grani perked up. "That's right! I've been dying to open the side door!" She scurried out of his room.

"Why didn't you try earlier?" Luke called out into the hall. Frantic shuffling echoed from her side of the wall.

"I couldn't!" she cried, her voice muffled, "Because there are two doors back to back, and I couldn't open yours!" There was a knock. "Scan your ID like I showed you!" Luke did as instructed. The door opened to reveal a visibly excited Grani. She awkwardly shuffled forward, clearly hiding something behind her back.

She tilted her visor forward with a wink, "Good morning my neighbor!"

Franka tugged on Liskarm's jacket. "Can we keep her?" Liskarm swatted her hand away.

"Franka, please, don't embarrass me."

"Too bad. She's already mine," Luke said with a smug grin. Franka pouted.

Luke craned his neck to the side in an attempt to see behind Grani's back. "Whatcha got there?"

She revealed a set of colorful pennant banners, balloons, and party hats. "Tadah!" Grani cheered, "Party time!"

Liskarm raised a brow. "How long have you had these?"

"Since I arrived!" Grani pranced around the room, distributing the hats.

"Uh…" the three women turned to Luke. He was awkwardly tossing the hat between his hands, "you know Grani, I really appreciate the sentiment and all, but I can't wear this."

"Why not?" Luke wordlessly pointed to his black halo. She mouthed a silent "Oh" as realization dawned on her. "Well… I suppose I could let you off the hook…" Luke rolled his eyes. Grani recollected the hats and set them on his bed with the rest of the decorations.

"Here, let me help you." Franka said, plucking one of the conical hats from his bed. Luke felt a sudden sense of dread grip his heart. She smiled as though to reassure him, but something in her expression left him terrified.

He took a step back. "Stay away."

"Hold still." Franka instructed sweetly. She roughly grabbed his head and pulled it down towards her.

"What the—" Luke was unable to finish his sentence. Franka forcefully shoved the pointed end of the cone through the center of his halo, wedging it inside the ring.

"Thanks." he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well, looks like I'll have to do some shopping. I can't unpack like this." Liskarm suddenly reached into her jacket. Rifling through her inner pockets, she pulled out a pen and a notebook. Franka cracked a grin and sidled up next to her.

"You're such an honor student," she teased.

Liskarm shook her head with a sigh. Ignoring her partner, she walked across the room and stood next to Luke. "What else are you missing?" she asked, clicking her pen.

"Aw, don't ignore me!" Franka said petulantly.

Luke was distracted by how close she was standing. He shook his head. "Oh. Uh… a towel." Liskarm wrote 'bath towel' with fine, neat handwriting. She looked up. "And a toothbrush and some toothpaste," he continued.

"Anything else?"

Luke closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. He hummed. "Ah… let me think… Soap, shampoo, conditioner, a shower caddie, and a sleeping mask. I think that's it for personal items…"

"Okay…" Liskarm drew a straight line. "Furniture?"

"A dresser and a mirror."

"That's it?" she asked, seemingly perplexed by his short list.

Luke shrugged. "I don't have a lot of money. Besides, I can always buy more later." He turned to Grani, "How about you?" She had hunched over as though she had been punched in the gut. Her equine ears flattened against her head.

"Lunch…" she groaned, leaning against Franka, "So hungry…" Her stomach gurgled. Franka clapped her hands together with a smile.

"I'm feeling quite hungry myself! Why don't we eat lunch first and then go shopping?"

"Alright." Liskarm returned her writing materials to her pocket. "I can work with that." She looked up at Luke from the corner of her eyes.

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Suddenly lively once again, Grani sprung into action. She marched up to Luke and poked his sternum. "As your S.O.," she proudly placed a hand over her chest, "I will be paying for your lunch." With an upturned nose and a proud expression, Grani looked every part the eager, newbie senior operator.

"No, I can pay for myself." Instantly, Grani deflated.

"Oh, okay…" she trudged in silence back towards her room. Luke and Franka exchanged knowing looks. She winked.

Luke hummed. "Actually, on second thought…" Grani's ears twitched as Luke grinned. She was so easy to understand. Grani wore her heart on her sleeve, something he found incredibly endearing. "I may not have enough money to both eat and shop…" She was in front of him within seconds. Luke thought her dazzling smile could light an entire city block and still have more to spare. Her ears stood straight up, and her tail wagged back and forth.

"Good thing I came prepared!" she exclaimed.

He bit his lips. Grani was a treasure. Glancing over at Franka and Liskarm, he could safely assume they agreed. Grani continued, punctuating each syllable with a poke to the chest. "What do you say?"

"Thank you, S.O. Grani."

"You're welcome, partner." For the second time, Grani tilted her visor forward with a wink. She darted off to her room. Luke gulped. Of everyone he had met that day, Grani was by far the most dangerous.

Franka skipped up to him. She threw an arm around his shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. "I've got a feeling that we're going to get along just fine."


Don't worry, Texas and Exusiai will be back. As always, please leave a review! It really helps