You Are Lost

((A series of short stories I'm attempting starring a toon I recently started over on Virtue.))

"Iire llie naa wanwa, llie nauva n' wanwa."
-Guildmaster Terethiel, On The Purpose Of The Tenets

When you are lost, you will not be lost.

****
“Llie naa wanwa, hini. Ereb. Ess llie nil akh'.”
“Istim en' For!”
-The Rangers' First Tenet

   Kirikilrinean Kimmalmaez stared at the Yellow Line train in Atlas Park. Her pointed ears, sticking out some six inches from her head at either side, were drooped as she stared at the scrolling marquis, unable to make any sense of it at all. She puffed a strand of her pink hair from her angled features, her gaze dropping to the line of people ambling on board. She watched them wave little square things in front of a little point of light.
   She felt someone bump her shoulder, drawing her gaze to a young human woman, clad in a skin tight suit of soft cloth that the out-of-her-depth elf had heard called “spandex.” The girl noticed her, giving a smile, her goggled eyes glancing up and down the elf's diminutive form.
   “New hero?”
   Kirikilrinean nodded her head, offering what she hopped was a less than terrified smile.
   “I am! I've got a little badge and everything...” She fumbled for the poorly laminated plastic square that hung from a plastic strap around her neck, holding it up. “See?”
   The goggled-girl leaned in, her brow scowling as she tried to read the black and white Temporary Hero badge. A grainy photo of a bewildered elf staring wide-eyed at the picture taker, somewhere off camera, her mane of hair a bit of a mess. She made an attempt to work her mouth around the name a few times, out loud, before she decided to do what the quotes in the middle of the jumble of letters suggested.
   “Well... uh... Kiki. It's nice to meet you. I'm ZeGoggles. Have you taken the trains before?”
   Kiki gave an emphatic shake of her head. “No, I haven't. I was told it was the best way to get around the Force Walls if you didn't have a car... I don't like cars.”
   ZeGoggles adjusted her namesake for a moment, watching Kiki and trying not to laugh. “Uh-huh. Right. So where are you trying to go?”
   “Steel Canyon.”
   “Well, you're at the right station. It's pretty simple actually, you just swipe your pass, get on, ride it around, then get off when you show up at the right place.”
   “How will I tell I'm at the right place? I.. I can't read the sign.”
   “...Oh. Well, the train will announce the destination when it rolls in. Or you can ask people.”
   “And what's a pass? I don't think I have a pass.”
   “...How long have you been in Paragon?”
   Kiki shuffled her feet, resting her hand on her black hilted, jewel encrusted sword. “A few days.”
   “Oh wow. Okay, well... Your hero card should get you to all the big districts, at least until you buy a bigger pass or your security level increases. You're... Oh wow, heh, you're a 1. Damn.”
   Kiki frowned at that, but bit her lip. She couldn't say with finality that she was probably seven or eight times this girl's age, nor that she could kick her ass into the next century, but she felt pretty confident of it.
   Snooty, but helpful. She is young, Kiki.
   “Yeah, I know.” Kiki said, both to the thought that weaved itself into her head and the girl's statement.
   “The barcode is what you need to swipe.”
   Kiki blinked, wrestling her thoughts back. “What's a barcode?” She'd only been here a few days, but despite her incessant urge to be independent, she'd learned that sometimes it was just easier to ask.
   ZeGoggles flipped her black ponytail over one shoulder as she looked at Kiki. “It's the little lines on your temporary card. Look, I've got to go, there's a fire, and I need to go Heroing.”
   “No, right, right... Thankyou for your help.” Kiki said to ZeGoggle's retreating back. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked to the others filtering passed around her. “You are lost, children. Alone. Name your first task.” Kiki whispered, starting towards the train as she stroked the hilt of her sword.
   Determine North. Her sword replied.