9 Raidan (Aliana's POV)

Crunch. This morning we arrived at a town, Cresta was in tears at finally spotting civilization . Unfortunately those tears wouldn't be happy ones for long since I could see Morna's eyes light up with more mischief. After that the three of them disappeared off somewhere and I may has well have cried.

A week of traveling with this lot, my goodness, the tolerance and mental energy required...I shake my head, crunching into my slightly sour apple. My dark hair is an inch or two above my shoulder so not long enough to be too troublesome but the bangs are running into my eyes. Time to hack them off, or, I could get a trim...nah, too much of a pain and a waste of money.

I clomp along, just one of the crowd. Shopkeepers advertising their stalls, animals being brought here and there. As my eyes wander aimlessly, seeing everything yet nothing truly, my gaze is met with a pair of obsidian eyes. Not black, no , there's a special kind of shine to them, a little...off? The pair of obsidian orbs meet my chocolate ones. Their owner is a man behind the glass of a little bookstore, well sculpted jaw and cheekbones, a rather noble and regal bearing.

I blink and a moment later my strides have carried me away. I place thoughts of him to the back of my mind, people like that aren't usually found in small towns in the middle of nowhere but oh well, it's none of my business.

As I'm making my way down the path, the glint of something shiny catches my eye. Metal. It's a mechanic's shop! Of course it happens to be the most run down dingy little shop int the area but still, I never would have expected to have run into one in a place like this!

I open the door and slip inside.

"Well, hello there!"

My head snaps up. I've been to one other mechanic shop, manned by a crabby old man not too different from my master except he didn't know nearly half of what the old man did. This my first time being greeted by such a young and sprightly voice. As I catch sight of the owner of the voice I am shocked, not just by her age and cheerful expression, but that she is a woman, the first female mechanic besides myself I've ever seen.

"Um...hi."

"Can I help you with anything?"

"Not particularly...well actually, do you have a spare light weight roller chain? I need to modify my staff."

...

An hour later Meera, the girl, and I are chatting like age old friends.

"OMG, I never would have expected to meet someone I could relate with in this tiny place!"

"Me too, I've never even met a female mechanic before."

"Really? It's true we are rarer but there are at least several more who are part of the mechanic's society."

"...Mechanic's society?"

"Yeah, don't tell me you've never heard of it." She looks at me with expectations then her expression falls as she realizes I have no clue what she's talking about.

"You...how did you get into technology?"

"I had a master..."

She clicks her tongue, "a loner? From my experience loners are a bunch of fakes skilled only in talking big."

"My master isn't like that!"

She looks at me doubtfully. "Well if you say so..."

"He isn't!"

"Well, your knowledge isn't half bad so I guess he's not too shabby."

"So...there's a society, an actual place where mechanics aren't looked down upon?" I ask, nervous, suppressing excitement.

"Totally! Mechanics aren't as appreciated on this continent but Irima -"

"Hold on a second, you're from Irima?! Like, all the way across the sea?!"

"U-huh and..."

She goes on to describe the continent Irima and how, due to the low capacity for magic among its people, they've turned to technology. She even brags that now any technology from there could rival magic from Lyra, my home and the continent we are currently in.

Eventually, noticing the growing darkness it's time for me to leave.

"So...can I come here tomorrow?" I ask. Even if we have to spend another day here, I need to know more.

"No...we're actually only staying here permanently and we'll be off again tomorrow..."

Dejection overwhelms me.

"But wait! Take this card." It's a silver metallic chip. "Come to Irima and you can use it to find me."

"How?"

"Just show it to the officials"

I glance at her inquisitively but am met with only a smile and no answers. I exit the shop, feeling a mild combination of excitement and frustration. I begin to slowly mull over everything that has happened, Irima, as soon as this is over I'm going to Irima. I finally have a destination, a place! A place to belong...

A scream startles me and my head snaps up. Was that...a cry for help? I sprint towards the commotion-it's a rampaging bull dragging along its cart.

I run towards it, ready to smash the cart. Then I see the little girl clutching the cart for dear life. I snap my staff out and use it to propel myself onto the bull. With a quick stroke I sever the ropes attaching it to the cart, then I turn, just in time to ram into a wall-

...

I'm alive. The bull is dead, lying in a pool of its own blood. And in front of me, carrying a sword blazing with purple fire is-the obsidian eyed guy from earlier, eyeing me with a very peculiar light.

"You're the staff wielder?"