Amity

Chapter 34: True-Amian

The sun shone overhead as Michael and Keiko sat under a sycamore tree outside of the academy walls. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the clean, crisp air. He much rather preferred sitting with the beauty of nature than sitting inside of a building, not able to feel the sun's warmth or the cool breeze of a mid-summer's day. He leaned against the tree bark and pulled out his leather-bound bible.

"Michael?" Keiko's voice said from the other side of the book. "Why do you not like our friends?"

"What are you talking about?" He lowered the book. "I've told you before, they are your friends, not mine."

"I know. But they aren't bad people," she said, looking at the green grass, "or, at least, I don't think they are. I think that if you get a chance to get to know them, you'll like them."

He could feel the annoyance boiling in his stomach, but he willed himself to stay calm. Remember who is talking to you. She doesn't know any better. "Look, I know you feel that they are good people, and I know that your empathy got us this far, but I can't trust them."

Keiko lowered her head, then pulled her book from under her arm and began reading. "I hope you get to trust them soon."

Michael said nothing.

"Pardon me?" a light voice asked from behind Michael's book. Annoyed, he looked up from his book, seeing a young man in an emerald green tunic. To the untrained eye, he would've been considered a beautiful woman, with his navy-blue eyes, curly, blond hair, and a delicate, feminine face. A red, teardrop-shaped jewel was latched onto his forehead. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Scowling, Michael dug his nose back into the book. "Sure."

"Thank you," the boy said, sliding a thin book from his sash before sitting beside Keiko. Michael could almost feel Keiko's delight emanating off of her. He just hoped that she didn't drag him into the conversation.

"Hi! What's your name?" she asked him.

"I am Kisécawchuck. You may call me Kisé, if you'd like," Kisé answered.

"I'm Keiko. And his name is Michael," she said, gesturing to Michael. He only grunted as he kept his eyes on his book.

Just pay them no heed, and you won't get roped into it.

"I see," Kisé said. "Would you happen to be human-born, by any chance?"

"Human-born?" Keiko repeated, mimicking Michael's thoughts.

"Oh, yes. You did not know?" Kisé asked. "Reiax Academy is a mostly human-born school."

That got Michael's attention. With a sigh, he closed his book. Dammit. I let them drag me into it anyway.

"What exactly is a human-born?" Michael asked.

"Simple. Human-born are Amians who were raised on Earth. Because of this, they have adopted the lifestyles of regular humans. The opposite of this is Amian-born, which is what I am."

"Can you give me an example of the differences?"

Kisé shook his head. "I am afraid that I cannot. For you see, I do not know how the human-born lifestyle is. That is why I am here, to study the ways of human-born Amians."

"Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm not an Amian, so you-"

"You are not?" Kisé interrupted, looking awe-stricken. At once, his surprise vanished from his face in an attempt to regain his composure. "I apologize. I did not mean to cut you off."