An excited and foreign thought niggled at Centra's mind. She shifted on her bed as she tried to persist in her morning meditation. The slit in her green and black skort fell open along her right thigh as she tried to ignore the thought. After all, going to school after summer vacation reaaaallllly wasn't as exciting as her little brother thought it was.
But it would be nice to see DJ. It'd been an excruciatingly long three weeks of spring break away from her boyfriend of seven years.
Maybe it was okay to cut her morning meditation short this time. Listening in on her little brother Corson's conversation would still count as practice, right?
Centra straightened her legs and pulled on her knee-high black boots.
She stood up and smiled as she picked up a photo on her dresser. It was a picture of her and DJ. Centra's eyes were brown and her skin was black. She was wearing a dark green shirt with golden swirls on it. The swirls were of a classic Laserath design. Her shirt had one long sleeve that reached her left hand. It had separate openings for her fingers and thumb.
DJ always looked so handsome with his buzz cut and his black over the ear headphones. He was wonderfully tall at 6-foot-1. He was wearing a dark gold colored T-shirt with dark green designs similar to Centra's and a pair of dark blue jeans. DJ's skin was tan. His warm brown eyes were always smiling. He always wore his pair of black and gold high top sneakers. Centra had given them to DJ on his seventeenth birthday.
Centra placed the photo next to her collection of glass figurines – some were from DJ and others were from her friends and family. Centra picked up a simple golden bicep cuff. It glinted in the pink tinged light as she slipped it on her sleeveless right arm.
The strength of her brother's thoughts and emotions were increasing. Was Corson really thinking about school?
Corson said, "Now that I'm in the Legend Slayer program I'll learn how to fight Legends!" He thought, 'So that selfish bastard isn't the only one people have to rely on. So that people have someone to protect them. Someone who truly wants to protect them un-like Kyrie.'
Centra sighed as she moved her chin length black curls into place behind her ear. Kyrie was a stranger that a lot of people talked about as being a hero or monster. Kyrie'd saved many people. It felt wrong to blame someone who'd saved so many for failing to save everyone but her little brother was different when it came to Kyrie. Corson blamed Kyrie for not saving Avalon the fallen home of Corson's new friends.
Corson said, "I won't let there be a tragedy, like Kyrie did."
Their mom's irritation prickled at Centra's mind as her mom said, "Corson! You know nothing about the situation Avalon was in."
Corson snapped, "I've watched the videos. He practically stayed to one side until all of the Legend Slayers were dead. Then he was on the dragon and it was dead. If he could do that, he could've killed it before it killed everyone. He's no hero. All he cares about is the next fight."
Centra sat on the edge of her bed. The video. There was something weird about that video. Kyrie was a close quarters combatant. So, he should've been able to do something. But he hadn't. Perhaps there was some truth to Char's claims that Kyrie was a monster.
Char was a blogger for the Chars a group that opposed the killing of Legends.
Corson often read Char's blog even though he didn't agree with letting Legends live. Legends had claimed so much of the world and slaughtered humans as they did so. Corson read Char's blog because he didn't trust the LegendSlayer Guild's official news channels. And that video – well the Legend Slayers were definitely keeping secrets.
Centra got up.
"Corson, I'm not going to have this argument with you again," their mother said in an exasperated tone. She thought, 'He's just too young. He's only ever heard of Kyrie as being a hero – their hero.'
Corson slammed a hand on the table. His irritation scratched at Centra's mind. 'Why can't she understand?' Corson said, "I'm going to do better than him. I'm going to help defend Laserath and its Legend Slayers."
Centra turned the cold metal door handle. Their condominium was mostly wood with wood-based furnishings like most of Laserath's buildings.
"And how do you plan to do that if you don't make it to your first day of school on time?" their father asked as Centra walked past their family photos to the kitchen doorway.
Corson jumped up, he grabbed his wooden plate, and spun towards the sink. 'We can't be late. Today's the day I become a Legend Slayer apprentice!'
"Centra we're going to be late!" Corson shouted as his wooden dishes clattered in the sink.
Centra rolled her eyes as she entered the room, "I'm right behind you dufus." He was always so energetic. In a few months, he'd realize nothing had changed. After all, it was just another school year.
"Centra, don't call your brother names," came her mother's exasperated response. 'Why do they push my buttons like this?'
Centra looked at Corson and shrugged; it was a sibling thing. Plus, Corson knew she was there for him from their late-night talks. Besides, even the best of siblings occasionally look like they don't get along when their parents are around.
"I know, but sometimes he's just such a little bother." Centra gave her mom a hug before she turned to leave. "Let's go, Corson. We still have to pick up Jasper."
Centra and Corson grabbed their combat equipment. Their last days of peace had come, and they would be gone before either of them realized what had happened.