Part I
"Is there a reason we have to travel during the day? If it gets any hotter, I'm going to melt."
"Humans don't melt, Kira."
"This one might."
"Over saturation might cause an effect not unlike melting, but --"
"Shut up, Llygl."
The two were walking a few paces behind the rest of the party. The caravan leader, though hardly immune to heat, was determined to travel during daylight. Daylight, on Hast, was all the more intense for the three suns. Though only one of them was the primary heat source, the other two didn't help any.
"Come on!" Oslo bellowed from the head of the caravan. "Dusk is only an hour away, and we must make it to the next town."
Kira wiped sweat from her brow and squinted. "But
why
?" She grumbled.
"I'm sure he has his reasons. He's not known for being illogical,"
"Neither are you," Kira pointed out, glowering at her companion.
"Quite true, it's not in my nature."
"It is in your nature to be irritating."
"Actually --"
"Shut up, Llygl."
Oslo glanced back. The caravan was moving slowly because of the heat, but everyone except for two lingering parties picked up their pace at his urging. The last two were an unusual pair. The short, slim dark haired girl, pretty, but willful, and her companion, a Ykuse. The Ykusee were typically tall and extremely strong. While highly intelligent, their devotion to logic and mathematics made them infuriating to deal with, and impossible to get into a relationship with. Not only that, Oslo mused to himself, but their women were decidedly unattractive. What made the males appealing as body guards and companions were the same qualities that made the females unappealing. ... To Oslo, anyway.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, and despite Oslo's concern that they be caught in the desert after dusk they made it to a rather large town on the outskirts of Erstet, (one of the largest cities on Hast), with enough time to settle in and get a bit of dinner before nightfall.
Llygl yawned, catlike, and gazed into the fire. They'd set up camp within the walls of town, but only just. The caravan party was able to keep to itself, yet still benefit from the protection of the large, guarded wall.
"I don't see why it's such a big deal," Kira was grumbling.
"Perhaps he's afraid of the dark. It's not an unusual phobia among your kind."
"You say that as though me an' Oslo grew up together or something. The only similarity between him and me is genetic."
"Yes.. I know," Llygl looked puzzled at the suggestion that he would think otherwise. Kira glowered.
After a brooding silence, she suddenly smiled at him. Llygl had learned quite early on that a smile from Kira meant absolutely nothing good, and so, he regarded her warily.
"Llygl?"
"Kira."
"I have a really good idea."
"That seems unlikely."
"You haven't even heard it."
"I probably don't want to."
"That isn't very logical, is it? It could be a really brilliant idea, you know." She grinned toothily at him in the semi-darkness.
"Alright." He sighed.