Simplicity. It was Ty’s main philosophy on life. This was often put to the test, considering how Ty lived, but he rarely worried about such things with Kia by his side. She often boiled his philosophy down to, “You don’t like to think very much,” but the insult was always worth it after it was followed by a laugh sweeter than the morning air.
Those carefree moments were what Ty lived for, and this was one of those moments. The sun was beginning to set, giving the barren land a rich, orange glow. The only signs of life aside from the travelling threesome were two carrion birds soaring lazily overhead. After Aileen had awakened, she told her saviors everything she knew, which was next to nothing. Her honesty and trust in them made the three quick friends. Ty and Kia agreed to escort Aileen to Elzia and hopefully find out more in the process.
But now Ty and Aileen were locked in an intense battle of wit and strategy, while Kia stood off to the side, a spectator to their awesome match.
“Make your move,” Ty said, hoping to disrupt his opponent’s concentration.
“Is it the vulture on the left?”
“No, it’s the vulture on the right!” the lion-haired man burst out into maniacal laughter and threw his arms up in the air. “The twenty-questions champion remains victorious!”
Aileen put on an exaggerated pout. “You’re such a sore winner!”
Ty laughed victoriously and turned to Kia. “Why don’t you play with us?”
“Yeah, Kia. Play with us.” The two put on a pleading face and puppy-dog eyes.
Kia giggled at her companions’ antics. “Do you two want to lose that badly?” They continued their begging looks, but Kia ultimately prevailed. “I’ll pass for today.”
She turned her attention to the birds soaring above them. It was strange to see scavengers in this place at this time of day. Following the birds’ path, Kia was disturbed at what she found. She nudged Ty with her elbow and pointed him in the direction, making sure Aileen wouldn’t notice. Although his kind’s eyesight was not as sharp as Kia’s people’s, he had a keener sense of smell than she did, and he smelt blood. Cardin blood.
They looked at each other solemnly and nodded. There was no Resistance force in this area, which meant that there had to be another force strong enough to handle a group of Cardin. Ty and Kia didn’t know what to expect, but they were sure that they were going to find out soon.
