I've had someone point out how annoying and whiny Luke is, and I'm glad they did because I'm not changing a single thing. He's supposed to be irritating and whiny. Luke is a very flawed person. He was raised in a sheltered environment by a pretty irresponsible guardian. He won't be immature forever, as like all people, Luke will grow as a person too.

My usual editor is busy with real-life work, so I've recruited a couple of friends as new editors, Hellastic being one of them. We have agreed to edit each other's work.

Book I Chapter 9: An Angel and a Vouivre Walk into a Bar

A car behind the RV honked sharply. Luke wrung his hands nervously as Texas ground her teeth. He had never seen the stoic Lupo's anger, and he wasn't looking forward to seeing it. Moments later, his concerns proved valid when a cold window met his face. The piercing caterwaul of screeching tires filled the RV as Texas hurled the vehicle into a sharp right turn, plastering him against the window.

She glared fiercely as a car thundered past them. "Asshole," she hissed.

Luke pushed himself off the window and noticed a bright yellow arrow outside that read Drive-Thru. "There's no way we're going to fit," he said, pointing to the drive-thru lane.

"Or the parking lot," Texas added with a prolonged sigh. "I suggest we send someone in. I'll drive around the block while we wait."

Exusiai flopped against her seat with a huff. "Not it. I got the groceries. Someone else should go."

Luke shrugged. He wouldn't pass up a chance to look at the menu. "I'll go."

Grani was before him in an instant with a deep frown carved on her face. The pint-sized officer jabbed a finger into his chest defiantly. "Oh no, you aren't. You are not leaving the RV: not with that injury," she commanded, punctuating each stressed syllable with another jab.

Luke rolled an eye. "Oh, come on, the swelling's died down and Sora's arts helped with the pain. What's the worst that could happen?" He was a responsible adult—he could look after himself.

Most of the time.

Grani folded her arms beneath her chest. "You aren't going anywhere and that's final." It seemed that she was still shaken by his confrontation with the LGD. He couldn't blame her.

Is this what it's like to have a mom? Luke plucked Grani's finger from its perch on his chest and flicked it aside."Look Grani, I—" A sharp clap interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

It was Franka.

Their eyes met before Franka winked subtly. Gently pushing Grani aside, Franka stepped before her with a shimmering smile. "What if someone went with him?" she offered. "After all, it'll be easier for two people to carry the food, right? And they'll make sure he's safe."

Grani seemed racked with hesitation. She inhaled sharply through her teeth, tilting her head to one side. "I—I don't know…" she stuttered. "I suppose that makes sense… but I still—"

"Why don't you accompany him, Liskarm!" Franka suggested, interrupting her. Luke shifted his attention to the Vouivre sitting quietly by the kitchenette.

Liskarm glared fiercely as though offended by the mere suggestion. "Excuse me? And why would I do such a thing?"

"Aw don't be a sourpuss, Liskarm," Franka said, waving her arm dismissively. "It'll be fun!"

Liskarm sighed.

"Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on him…" Franka turned to Grani with a bright smile. "Isn't that right?"

There was something behind her smile almost like she had an ulterior motive, but Luke couldn't put his finger on it.

Grani nodded stiffly. "It would be helpful, yes."

Looks like someone's upset. Luke thought to himself. He couldn't blame her. He would be upset if a whimsical person like Franka bowled him over, but what could he do? Franka was hard to stop once she got rolling.

Liskarm pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply as though expelling what little energy remained from her body. She slouched in her seat. "Ugh… the idea isn't without its merits," she muttered.

"I'm willing to go if you'd rather stay," Grani offered hopefully.

Liskarm shook her head. "No. It's fine." She rose from her chair and trudged towards the front of the RV. The reluctant operator grabbed Luke's hood as she passed, dragging him to his feet. "Come on."

Luke felt his jacket's sleeves digging into his armpits. "Oy, hey!" he shouted, trying to get Liskarm to stop.

She shuffled on, ignoring him. "With all due respect, I think you're too easy on him, Grani. He needs to be kept on a short leash. Who knows what this fool would do if left unattended."

"I'm not a dog," Luke replied, finally wrenching his jacket free from her hand.

Liskarm huffed. "Could have fooled me."

Texas glanced up as they passed. "Call us when you're ready."

Luke nodded. "Got it."

Without another word, Texas opened the door, allowing Luke and Liskarm to step out of the RV and into the parking lot. The door snapped shut and Texas drove off soon after.

Luke looked around the parking lot. It was mostly empty, something he was grateful for. He'd rather be found dead than spotted climbing out of Sora's gaudy monstrosity of an RV. He caught Liskarm glaring up at him from the corner of his eyes.

"What?" he growled. Luke wasn't stupid. It was obvious she had a bone to pick with him. As for why: he had no idea. Perhaps it was over something more fundamental: more about his personality than his actions. Luke shuddered at the thought of it. If she didn't like him as a person, then he was in for a long ride through the Yanese countryside.

He kicked a rock across the asphalt as he started towards the restaurant. "Place is pretty empty. I guess we lucked out." He mentally patted himself on the back. It wasn't the worst conversation starter, better than "Do you like bread" at least.

Liskarm trailed behind him. "Yes, or perhaps someone possessed the foresight to plan lunch before the afternoon rush," she replied tersely. "But go ahead: think of it as luck."

"For fucks sake." He had to admit, that probably wasn't the best thing to say, but in his defense, she was being unnecessarily hostile.

Liskarm clicked her tongue. He didn't need to see her face to know she was displeased. "Hmph, a simpleminded response for a simpleminded person."

Luke clenched his fists, nails digging into the palms of his hands. He stopped suddenly in his tracks, catching Liskarm off guard. He sighed as the tension slowly drained from his body. She was asking for it. "Look, can you at least try to be civil?" he hissed while looking ahead. He was already upset, heavens knows what he'd do if he saw her face. "I've had a long day, and it's barely noon. Let's just order the food and be done with this, okay?"

"…Alright."

The two crossed the parking lot in silence. For his part, Luke had no desire to converse with his teammate, and he suspected that it was the same for her. He pushed the glass door open and walked into the restaurant, holding said door open for Liskarm.

She blinked, apparently taken aback. "Oh, um…" she muttered softly. "Thank you."

"Whatever." Luke let the door swing close behind them. As expected, business inside the restaurant was slow. A couple of patrons sat eating at various tables scattered around the dining area. Thankfully, there wasn't a line in front of the registers.

Luke approached the counter and was a scant three paces away when he was struck by a horrifying realization. "Oh, shit," he said, backpedaling and taking three large steps away from the counter

Liskarm shook her head, clearly put off by his sudden realization. "What now?"

"We didn't take any orders."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Fool."

Fool? Fool?! "Hey, you were there too!" he cried adamantly. "If I'm a fool for forgetting, then you're a fool for neglecting to remind me."

"Shut up, you're making a scene." Liskarm glared as she fished a notebook out from her jacket. "Call them. Now."

Luke clicked his tongue. "Excuse me, Princess. I'm doing it." He pulled out his phone and dialed Grani's number.

She answered before he could even breathe. "Orders?" She asked, her voice shimmering with amusement.

Luke sighed. He could feel the irritation drain from his body. Grani was like a breath of fresh air—a godsend. "Yeah…"

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he lied. No use getting her tangled up in his feud with Liskarm. "Just, can't believe I forgot."

She chuckled. "Happens to the best of us. Well, I'll take two double cheeseburgers meals with fries! Make them large!"

A small grin crept onto his face as Liskarm forced down a gag. Her steadfast dedication to all things food was always amusing for him. "How about the others?" he asked.

"Uh… hold on." The call fell silent. A short moment later, Exusiai's cheerful voice answered.

"Grani's in a good mood," she said.

"Yeah, food does that for her. It never fails to make her smile."

"Huh, is that right?" she muttered to herself. "Well anyways, I'll take 10 nuggets with a side order of apple pie!"

Luke could make out Texas's voice in the background. "Why… don't even… real apples."

"It's good for a quick fix!"

Luke shook his head. He supposed it made sense: Instant pie was better than no pie. "And for Texas?"

"Double Cheeseburger, hold the pickles, extra onions, and cheese." Exusiai and Sora replied in tandem.

"Jinx!" the angel cried victoriously.

"Ugh. Exusiai, last time you said it was my turn to order for Texas!"

What is she? Luke thought of Texas. A harem protagonist? He spared Liskarm a cautious glance, checking if she had taken note of Texas's order. She merely nodded.

Luke continued. "Sora?"

The idol hummed over the phone. "I think I'll have a salad."

"Are you sure?" Exusiai asked, her voice dripping with temptation. Luke could hear the amusement in her voice. "When was the last time you had a burger?"

Sora seemed to hesitate. It was hard to tell over the phone. "A month. Maybe more…?"

"No, I think it's been longer than that…"

Luke resisted the urge to sigh. He could practically see his fellow Sankta maliciously rubbing Sora's shoulders while whispering sweet temptations into her ear.

"One burger can't be that bad. Besides, when was the last time you went on tour? You should treat yourself…"

"But the calories…" Sora protested weakly.

"Don't worry. It's only one meal, right?"

Hesitating, Sora shook her head. "I guess… one small burger wouldn't hurt?"

"Hey," Exusiai chided. "If you're going to treat yourself, you might as well go all in. I mean, when's the next time you're going to eat fast food?"

Sora's voice started in a whisper but quickly rose to a shout. "Yeah… Yeah! You know what—you're right! I'll take a three-by-three, and make it large!"

Luke and Liskarm shared a look. For the first time in a while, they seemed to agree on something. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Sora hummed with conviction. "Positive. Whether it's as a team member or in studying, I'll always give it my all!"

"Okay… could you pass the phone to Franka?" Luke asked.

"No need, you're on Speaker."

Luke groaned. "Why is it that whenever I'm with you people, I'm always on speakerphone." Something about being on speakerphone was extremely nerve-wracking. Almost as though they were pressuring him to make a mistake.

Franka's melodic voice did little to comfort him. "Liskarm knows. I'll just have my usual."

Luke eyed Liskarm cautiously as she made urgent motions with her hand. What? What the hell do you want? Use your words!

"If that's it, then I'll call you when we're ready." Liskarm pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"See ya!" Grani chirped before hanging up the phone.

Luke returned his phone to his jacket and turned towards Liskarm. "What was that all about?" he demanded.

She glared up at him with disbelief. "Drinks, you fool."

"Oh shit."

Luke stepped into the RV, carrying four bags: two in each hand. "Two doubles with large fries!" he cried, holding up one of the larger paper bags.

Grani's hand shot into the air, waving excitedly. "Oh! Me!"

Luke excused himself as he maneuvered his way toward the counter where Grani was seated. He handed the bag to his partner with a smirk. "I know it's yours," he said while placing his meal next to her. "No one else would eat a three-course meal for lunch."

Liskarm placed a large drink on the counter while Grani unpacked her food. "Here you are." She turned to Sora who was standing by the entrance to the driver's cab. "Sora, I have yours."

Exusiai eyed Grani's sizable meal with wonder. "That's a lot of food. You gonna eat all that?"

"Yep!" Grani unwrapped one of her burgers and, with a deep breath, smelt her food. "I'm going to need all the energy I can get if I'm going to protect everyone!" She proceeded to bite into the burger, chewing with a large smile.

Exusiai laughed, slapping Luke's back affably. "You were right, Luke! Food does make her happy. It's almost like Lungmen didn't happen at all."

"Right?" he replied as he handed her a paper bag. "It's kinda cute. She's like a toddler going through a growth spurt. Except for the only way this toddler's growing is sideways."Luke said while motioning with his hands.

Grani poked a fry in his direction. "Fuddup," she mumbled through a mouth full of food.

Franka chuckled. "Grani, dear, eat or speak, not both." Grani tucked back into her food without a second word.

Luke rolled an eye at his partner's glutinous display. Of course, she chose to eat. "Looks like she's given up on communicating." He raised the remaining bag in his hand. "Who ordered the horribly mutilated cheeseburger?" he shouted, knowing full well who the owner was.

Liskarm shook her head while Franka giggled behind her hand.

Texas sighed. "I suppose that would be mine." She reached back, silently gesturing for her food. Luke squeezed past Liskarm and Sora and placed the bag squarely in Texas's waiting hand.

"Thanks," she said with a ghost of a smile.

Luke returned it with one of his own. "No problem."

With all the food handed out, it was finally his turn to eat. Luke shimmied his way through the narrow entrance for the third time. He sat next to Grani who was halfway through her first burger. "Woah, slow down there, Speedy. This is a low-speed zone. The food isn't going anywhere."

Grani laughed. "It'll get cold if I take too long!"

Luke shrugged as he unwrapped his burger. "Fair. Just be careful not to choke."

"I won't!"

Hungry from the exhausting ordeal he called his morning, Luke demolished his burger in record time. He gathered his trash and walked around the counter and into the kitchenette. There, he tossed the paper bag into the waste bin and washed his hands. He looked up and watched the Lungmen scenery zip by the kitchen window. It was a concrete jungle with a canopy of glass. It all felt so cramped. Perhaps he was a bit biased because of his life in the mountains, but the labyrinthine network of intersecting roads was mind-numbing. Life in the temple was simple and calming. He shivered suddenly as he dried his hands. And free of Officer Ch'en and the LGD.

He glanced over his shoulder to check on Grani. It was only a matter of time before her luck ran out, and for her to start choking. Fortunately, she was merrily eating away without a care in the world. With nothing better to do and not wanting to bother anyone else, Luke decided to bust open his rollaboard and find something to occupy himself with.

He left the kitchenette and mosied over to the storage closet sandwiched between the bathroom and the bedroom. Luke partially unzipped his suitcase and stuck his hand through the small opening. After a few minutes of fumbling around, he finally managed to pull out one of his current books. Satisfied, he returned to the kitchenette and sat on a sofa opposite of the counter where Grani was still eating.

Luke was thankful he made the last-minute decision to pack a few books before he left his dorm that morning. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to retrieve them and was forced to endure the sleep-invoking drive to Lungmen without them. However, the RV was not a delivery van and granted him free access to his suitcase. "Thank goodness for that," He thought while watching Grani wolf down another cheeseburger.

If he struggled to remain sane for the (comparatively) short drive to Lungmen, Luke couldn't imagine what several days of boredom would do to him.

As a shut-in, Luke had spent most of his days in his room, leaving only to eat or to relieve himself. It hadn't been all bad; Septimus had purchased a vast collection of books and forced him to take up literature as a hobby. At first, Luke had resisted all attempts to get him to read, but as time crawled on he found himself enjoying t

Reading—for such a simple action to expand his understanding of the world—was nothing short of a miracle. With the flip of a page, he could marvel at the mighty walls of Londinium, or frolic through the rolling hills of Kazimierz without leaving the confines of his room.

Luke enjoyed reading despite his frequent complaints, and he was fascinated with his current book. Who knew Ursus had such a rich and detailed cultural history? A satisfied groan pulled him from the tales of Ursine valor.

Grani was patting her stomach as she leaned back in her chair.

"Where does it all go?" Sora asked with wonder from her seat by the diver's cabin.

"Nowhere!" Franka smiled mischievously. "Little Grani's figure is surprisingly full." She waltzed up to Grani and buried a finger into her flank, eliciting a surprised squeal from the operator.

"Franka!" Liskarm shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you: keep your hands to yourself."

"Aw, don't be jealous…"

Liskarm leveled a heated glare at her partner. "Franka…"

The Vulpo raised her arms in mock surrender. She backed away from Grani with an unapologetic look on her face "Alright."

"So," Luke started, trying to guide the conversation away from his clashing teammates. He racked his brain for something to say, but couldn't think of anything. Damn it. Why isn't there a book on how to talk to people? Then, a memory from a few hours prior thundered into his head. "Where are we going?" he asked, recalling their conversation with Emperor.

Texas sighed. "Were you listening at all?"

Luke flushed. Mission failed. We'll get'em next time. "Uh… I mean, I wasn't not listening?"

She shook her head as she guided the RV around a corner. "Well, for those who weren't listening."

Grani shot Luke a pointed look.

Luke merely shrugged. Sorry, I had more important things to do.

"The first concert will be in the Imperial Capital. It's a major event scheduled to coordinate with the anniversary of the Imperial Family, so expect heavy foot traffic." Texas said with a huff. "After that, we'll travel to Ursus where Sora will perform in Chernobog and Deity Grypherburg. Then we'll return to Lungmen for a final concert."

Luke blinked owlishly. The tour was shorter than expected. "That's it?"

Sora nodded "Yep!"

"Any relevant information we should be aware of?" He looked behind him, opening the conversation to the rest of the RV. Maybe, just maybe, someone had something to talk about.

Texas's simple answer dashed any hope. "No."

"Kay… uh…" Luke wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Couldn't they see he was trying to keep the ball rolling? The least they could do was meet him halfway and help avoid an awkward silence. His gaze wandered towards the window. Staring out, Luke realized the RV was standing still. They were at the end of a long line of vehicles that snaked its way towards the Lungmen gates. Damnit, not another line. It seemed as though there was a queue for everything in Lungmen—something he couldn't wrap his head around. There was no way so many people could be headed to the same place at the same time. What kind of coincidence was that?

"So, what's with the line?" He watched Texas take a long sip from her soda in silence. He couldn't help but feel slightly irritated by the action. She's doing this on purpose.

After what felt like minutes, Texas finally replaced her drink in its cup holder. "It's for outbound traffic—for vehicles leaving Lungmen."

A horrible sense of dread overcame him like a stone thrown into a river. Beautiful sapphire hair flashed before his eyes. "Please don't tell me there's another inspection."

Texas shook her head. "No. You should be fine."

A breath of relief left his chest. "Great, the last thing I need to see is that dastard of an officer again."

"Should have just removed the mask," Texas said, inching the RV forward.

Grani, having finished her meal, got up from the counter in the kitchenette and sat next to Luke. "She's got a good point," she said. "Why didn't you take off the mask? Seems like a lot of hassle could have been avoided."

Luke cursed mentally. Shit. He racked his brain for some kind—any kind of answer. Something that would explain my hesitation. Something they wouldn't question.

"It's a cultural tradition," he lied smoothly. "My people believe that exposing one's face is a sign of weakness. We only share our appearance with those who we are deeply intimate with."

Franka nodded slowly as though mulling over his explanation. "Interesting, I've never heard of such a culture."

Luke began to sweat bullets. Double shit. He rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. "Uh… yeah, I'm not surprised. It's a… uh… Higashian thing." He glanced nervously out the window, searching for an escape from the difficult situation. For the first time in his life, Luke was relieved to be stuck in a queue. "Oh, hey! We're almost there!"

He had missed the Lungmen gates on his first visit, on account of Ch'en's invasive inspection, but now he had a perfect view of the towering spectacle. It was a marvel of steel, rising from the concrete jungle while pipes and cables crisscrossed overhead. It was a true marvel of engineering. The gate, while not spectacular in and of itself, was unique in its own way. The metallic fixture doubled as both a door and a boarding ramp. At least, it appeared to. For all he knew, there could be a second gate hidden somewhere in the wall.

"We can finally get the hell out of here. A second visit would be a lifetime too early." Luke finished with a grumble.

"I mean, we'll be back in a week or so. Which means another inspection," Grani said, reminding him of his impending doom.

"Don't remind me."

A sudden jolt pulled Luke from his novel. He looked up to see Texas looking back at them. "We should stop here for the night," she said.

Luke sighed with relief and pressed his forehead against a window. I hate deserts. They were stupid hot during the day and stupid cold at night, and that didn't even account for the sprawling monotony that was sand.

He gazed out at the landscape bathed in the setting sun. "Great, more sand," he muttered sarcastically. "If I knew this was what was waiting for me, I would have stayed in the mountains."

"It's not sand," Liskarm corrected from her table as she rose to her feet. "It's an igneous substrate formed over—"

"Oh my god! Who the hell cares?!" Luke cried, smacking the window with an open palm. "Geez, when Franka called you 'Honor Student' she really meant it, huh? All that matters is that it's boring and there's a fuck ton of it."

Grani slapped his wrist. "Hey…" she warned.

Luke flipped Liskarm the bird. "She started it!"

Grani grabbed the offending hand and forced it to his side with a disappointed frown. She looked up at him with a doleful expression. "Just try to get along, okay?"

A maelstrom of guilt enveloped him. Not for his spat with Liskarm, no—he couldn't care less for his tormentor, but for upsetting Grani? It felt like he had kicked a puppy. Luke bit his lip in an attempt to retain his righteous indignation. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was without her signature visor—she looked less like an officer and more like the young woman she was. "No, I—"

Her soft ears dropped low against her head. Large amethyst eyes bore holes through his heart, glimmering with unshed tears. "Please?"

Luke felt his resolve crumble beneath the crushing force of Grani's expression. "Ugh, fine."

Grani, still hiding his hand, squeezed it gently with an appreciative smile. "Thanks."

Luke felt heat rise to his face. He tore his hand from Grani's grasp and turned away, looking out at the setting sun. "S'no problem," he muttered.

"Oh my, what's this?" Franka teased with a drop of mischievousness in her voice. "Are you embarrassed? That's so adorable!"

The warmth reached the tip of his ears. "Am not!" he cried.

Exusiai stepped into the center of the RV, standing between them. "Alright, alright, let's not fight," she said with a close-eyed smile. "Let's have some fun in the dunes!"

Luke deflated with a tense sigh, forcing his anger out with his breath. "You know what? Sure. What do you have in mind?"

Without batting an eye, Exusiai exclaimed, "Shooting!"

"What?" Luke asked, blindsided by her sudden and unexpected response. However, he found himself on his feet before he could blink.

Whirling him around, Exusiai pushed him toward the front of the RV. "I'll show you! Texas, get the equipment ready!"

She nodded with a slight grin, no doubt looking forward to some light exercise after hours on the road. "Alright." She left the cab, walking past them and deeper into the RV.

"Wait, Exusiai!" Luke shouted as she practically threw him out of the RV. "I don't know how to shoot!" he said, stumbling in the sand.

Grani hopped out and over the stairs with her pike in hand, landing next to him. "Then I'll teach you!"

Exusiai, still holding his shoulders, poked her head around his wings. "And I'll help!"

"I'm down" Luke gently pushed against his fellow Angel, careful not to hurt her. "Just don't blame me for any injuries."

They smiled. "Great!"

"Hey, guys!" Turning around, Luke spotted Sora leaning out of a now-open window. "We're going to start preparing the beds, 'kay?"

"Alright!" Exusiai hollered back.

Luke bounced on the balls of his feet with anticipation. He was looking forward to some action. They had spent far too long sitting and twiddling their thumbs, and he was beginning to feel antsy. If only they had an Officer Ch'en-shaped target…

"Luke?" Grani called out to him.

Luke glanced down at his partner. "Yeah?"

She shook her head with a fond smile. "You're always getting lost in that head of yours."

"Sorry, just thinking about stuff," Luke said, feeling sheepish for getting caught in his thoughts again. "What did you say?"

Grani held out her rifle. "I was saying you could borrow my rifle," she chuckled. "Since you don't have a firearm."

"Seriously?" he asked, flattered that Grani trusted him with her precious weapon. "Thanks!" He took the firearm in his hands, testing its weight with a couple of bounces.

She nodded, causing her ears to flop forwards. "Mhm!"

Luke ran his hands over the rifle's sturdy material. Conclusion: Grani is an Angel. He thought, nodding to himself.

Texas reappeared atop the stairs leading into the RV, holding a drawstring bag. She tossed it in Exusiai's direction. "Here," she said before walking down the stairs.

Catching the bag, Exusiai's smile widened. "Thanks, Texas."

"No problem. Just don't get yourselves killed."

"No promises!" She about-faced and took an exaggerated step forward, jogging away from the RV at a moderate pace.

Luke watched her move farther and farther from where he, Grani, and Texas were standing. After about 30 paces, Exusiai stopped and opened the bag, dumping its contents out onto the sand. She plopped herself down beside it and began assembling some sort of stand.

Luke leaned towards Texas and asked, "What's she doing?"

"Building a target."

Sure enough, Exusiai stepped away from the stand, revealing a large cutout of a person. She hollered with a wave. "Okay! I'm ready!"

Luke flipped the rifle in his hands, inspecting it eagerly. "So, Grani, how do I do this?" he asked, fascinated by her weapon's craftsmanship.

Grani shrugged. "It's simple really," she said, aiming an imaginary rifle. "Point and shoot."

"Okay…" He held the weapon at eye level, tucking the butt of the rifle snugly between his arm and shoulder. He glanced up towards her. "Like this?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah! Just watch out for the reco—"

His wings and halo flickered like a dying light as he pulled the trigger. He heard Texas shouting, but it was drowned out by a sharp crack. Luke flinched at the sound, raising Grani's rifle at the last moment. His sudden motion launched the round into the air. It tumbled uncontrollably towards Exusiai who had ducked as though anticipating the oncoming projectile. It sailed over her halo, disappearing into the setting sun. He had experienced gunfire in movies, but this was completely different.

"I'm okay!" she shouted with a thumbs up and disheveled hair.

Grani pried the rifle from his hands. "Luke! You're going to kill someone!" She cried, severely distressed.

Luke raised a hand in protest. "You said point and shoot!" he shouted.

Texas shook her head with a sigh. "Not when someone's standing in front of you."

He felt immense embarrassment. "Oh," he muttered guiltily.

"Oh, I know!" Exusiai suddenly cried. "I'll be right back!" She cleared the distance between them and the target in seconds, disappearing into the RV.

Luke turned to face Grani who was looking up at himself "What?"

She sighed. "Nothing. It's just—you're the only person I know who would be so clumsy with a gun."

"Hey, I take offense to that." Luke thumped his chest with pride. "Who needs a gun when I can punch a hole through a sheet of metal?"

Grani snorted. "Good luck getting your first out of that hole without killing yourself."

Exusiai returned carrying a black, box-like firearm about the size of a pistol. "Here, try this!"

Luke raised a brow. "Why is it so small?"

"Who cares! Just give it a whirl!"

Luke shrugged and took the weapon in his hands. It had a decent weight to it, but nothing he couldn't handle. He held the gun out in front of him, as instructed, and pulled the trigger. A hail of bullets tore through the air, bisecting the target and throwing up a storm of dust and sand.

Luke paled. "No, definitely not." He quickly returned the gun to Exusiai. "I'll probably kill myself long before I nail the enemy—It's too unrefined. Might as well drop a bomb while I'm at it."

"Hey you three, wrap it up!" Luke looked over his shoulders, Franka was leaning against the door frame with an amused look on her face. "We have an early start tomorrow morning!"

Exusiai's face fell. "Aww… I didn't even get to shoot…"

Texas clapped her on the shoulder. "There's always tomorrow."

Exusiai perked up with a grin. "That's right! The faster I sleep, the faster tomorrow will come!" She began to disassemble the target. "Last one in's a rotten apple!"

Luke, Grani, and Texas, who were much closer to the RV, simply walked in, leaving behind a jeering Exusiai.

Luke sat on the topmost step and removed his shoes, clearing them of sand.

Franka, who was conversing with Liskarm, turned to address them. "Liskarm and I will take the back room as usual."

"I can sleep on the couch, I don't really care," Luke said while brushing the sand off his feet. Desperate footsteps caught his attention. Looking up, he saw Exusiai sprinting for the RV. He ducked as she jumped over him, landing right behind him.

"Holy hell, Exusiai, you could've killed me!"

If she heard him, she made no visible sign, as she continued the conversation as though she had been there the whole time. "Then Texas, Sora, and Grani will sleep on the bunk beds. Luke and I will sleep in the main room."

Grani stepped forward. "Wait, why can't you sleep in the remaining bunk? There's four of them?"

The two Sankta wordlessly pointed to their halos. Grani mouthed a silent "Oh."

Exusiai continued. "Any bunk preferences?"

Luke stood with a smirk. He placed a hand atop Grani's head, much to get chagrin. "Let Grani sleep in one of the bottom bunks, she rolls like a boat at sea."

Grani shook her head free of his hand and glared up at him. "I'm not that bad."

Unconvinced, Luke shrugged. "Just a suggestion, sort it out amongst yourselves. I just wanna sleep. This day cannot end any faster for me."

"Do you need the shower?" Franka asked.

"I'll take one in the morning." When everyone's asleep. Luke dragged his rollaboard over to the sofa towards the front of the RV. "Sleep's more important."

He pulled out his copy of Reconquista: the Religious Conflicts of Iberia and tucked himself in for a nice read before bed.

The next morning, Luke awoke at the crack of dawn. Better wash up before anyone wakes up. Careful not to wake Exusiai, he flipped off the sofa and crept into the bathroom, grabbing a change of clothes from his rollaboard beside the sofa.

After his shower, Luke stood before the small mirror, inspecting his reflection as he brushed his teeth. Could be worse. He thought to himself. His pupil-less eyes swept across his visage. I may be missing a nose, but at least I've got style! He pulled at his perpetually messy pearl-white hair. Luke hated how it never cooperated with him, but what could he do? Growing it out was out of the question—Long hair looked like hell to maintain. Not to mention that it would look terrible with his black wings and halo.

Satisfied, Luke rinsed his mouth and washed his face before folding his sleeping mask and stuffing it into his pajama pocket. He fixed his usual mask in place and stepped out of the bathroom.

He was startled by the gentle rhythm of a mixing spoon. Luke looked around the kitchenette and spotted Texas fixing herself a cup of coffee. "Oh. It's you. Hey."

Texas offered a groggy nod in response and walked towards a cushioned chair. She gracefully sat down without spilling a single drop of coffee. Setting her drink aside, Texas grabbed a remote and pointed toward the space before her. A TV swung down with a mechanical whir. Once in place, the screen flashed on, displaying the morning news.

Luke leaned against the counter to get a better view of the screen.

"This just in, another—" He couldn't hear the rest of the report as a dull thud echoed behind him, interrupting the broadcast. He turned to see Exusiai laying facedown on the floor off to his side, apparently having rolled out of her sofa. Regardless, her face plant hadn't dampened her mood, as she sprung to her feet and pranced into the kitchenette.

"Morning!" she greeted with a casual salute.

"Morning." Luke and Texas mumbled.

Exusiai reached into the fridge and poured herself a glass of apple juice. She stood beside Luke, sipping from her cup and watching the TV. "Whazzat?" she asked, leaning forward against the counter to get a better view. "Did someone's cat go missing?"

"No, mass murder, actually," Texas corrected between sips of coffee. "Five members of a girl band were found dead… each of them brutally dismembered with their remains burned in a pit."

Exusiai slowly lowered her cup, placing it on the counter. Any amusement had drained from her face, leaving behind a grim frown unbefitting her usual demeanor. She silently glared out at the space before her.

The severity of the news shocked Luke awake. "I'm sorry, where is this happening?"

Texas threw a lazy look over her shoulder. "The Capital."