Prologue 14 (Part 3) Journey To School (2) and Small Talk (1).

Kazu Nini smiled as the Stegolephant climbed a hill with ease and they reached a highway.

She noticed the gleaming black road here was at least made of a hundred different alloys – HybridAsphaltTrack - Tar that accommodated the wight of various transportation means and considered the possible dangers of weight and velocity, a mile above it was HybridAeroTrack looking like a suspended fat transparent slab of canopy that stayed there from the LevitationMagnets that were stacked into pillars which were half the half-mile wide bridge.

3 miles above that was a Hybrid Alloy Aero Track which like its predecessor was also suspended and thicker by at least 500 meters. This also had an addition of LevitationMagnets which had been arranged in stationary fields that not only acted as boundaries, lanes and tracks, but had the space above and beyond for those rich enough to afford airbuses or parachutes and the like.

She took hard notice of this because in the next year she might not see these roads again as the Stegolephant braced itself to jump in and she put her legs into the plastic boots that were in the seat of the car and the plastic gloves that were on the roof this was after she had locked the rubber straps across her chest.

Feeling its jump, she knew they were on the highway by the time it landed and her stomach lurched.

"Whoooo." Mako Nini's cherry smile broke through her thoughts and gave her something else to focus on. When she opened her eyes, she saw Kazu Nini stating at her wide eyed. "Don't worry, every time you come back, I can send money for rides like this, all the time."

Because of the sudden movement, Kazu Nini had wanted to barf and tell her no but seeing her smile like that was such a contrast to the memory she just viewed and she shouted back, "Whooooo," until she began laughing and Mako Nini's loud joy covered hers.

They paused on the road after about an hour and 40 minutes. "Why are Trolls usually given jobs that are menial?" across the road, she saw some, at least 9 feet tall that were working on a building and taking directions from a Gnome. Where they had as skin and towered due to their height and muscular mass, the Goblin was green and stout. Where they were usually bare chested and had very human features on their face, the goblin had a helmet on with a pencil hanging of its large and pointed ears, with creases on its face and jagged teeth, like broken glass. Their blunt nails and deep rumbles of agreeing speech juxtaposed the Goblin's long sharp claws and it's high pitched own.

"Never underestimate them; they have far more than their frightening strength and healing capabilities," a pair of Trolls guarded this gate, leading to a parking lot that was fairly filled, where another troll directed them to a place where their Epic Beast could have some food That Mako Nini generously paid for in her good mood. "It is their mindset that has to develop, if they want to change the view of the public eye about them, though. Plus, by the time they can invest in their mind, most of them see no better than working for someone else to make money."

"Does that not leave them with a bad name?"

"Yes, but on the bright side, they are known for their labor and have no issue with survival, if their employer is kind."

"I guess a name is better than none."

"In terms of surviving for livelihood, yes, but I have watched some of them being paid in food, clothes, caps or even less, it is horrible." She frowned as they stepped into the air-conditioned building.

"You mean, after all this time- we are in the year, 10,458! None have thought to change their lifestyle and structure?"

"When you want a labor force, they are called upon. But I think the government takes advantage of that to further their own agenda."

She walked first into the building to see the place that had small walls to separate each table so that every table felt secluded and private, save for the glass window that went around the single floor building, until it reached the area that had their kitchen or their restrooms.

They almost sat in the center and pressed a bell on their table.

"I need a meal for someone leaving Jhoklon, the Humble Dystopian Dust Land to another, in search of dream and aspirations." Her puppy eyes stunned the waitress and Kazu Nini buried her head into the menu leaflet to hide from embarrassment.

"Sure." The lady had Leopard spots from her temple that was covered in brown hair and her fangs flashed when she spoke. She was sporting a crop top and shorts that stopped at her knees before her obviously curved shins. The waitress walked away, showcasing wings and her feet had hooves. Kazu Nini was not all too surprised at the Chimera as her embarrassment was still vivid on her face.

Kazu Nini was going to punch the woman across lightly but she had not yet recovered from what she had seen earlier in the journey so she only rolled her eyes.

"You don't look pumped going into College, Chilkt has a lot of fun spots apart from the college."

"Maybe it is the change of environment." Kazu Nini was not going to bring up what she saw so she blamed it on unfamiliarity. "Besides, Chilkt can't compare to Jhoklon, you know that."

"Why do you say that?"

"It doesn't have you in it." Kazu Nini became solemn and she teared up. "I love you and you are special." Her face whimpered but she reigned it back in with a long sniff and a dragging pull of her expression. "I did not know you lived that kind of life."

Her Aunt's happy mask broke and she became serious. "That is the best direct comment you have given me and I am honored to accept it. I hope you learn important things from the story that is my life." Her aunt was going to talk but she couldn't find any more words. And the silence dragged on as Kazu wiped away tears. "We were talking about Trolls and how they were being used."

She did not answer.

"Hah, I know what would garner your attention."

Kazu waited.

"Cultivation, tell me what you know."

Kazu Nini rolled her eyes and looked away as their food came, and when she saw that the older lady did not touch her food yet, she began answering. "There are Trilogies which have 3 stages of 10 levels each."

"Namely," she took a sip and when Kazu Nini wanted to grab her own food she tapped the back of her hand with the flat of her own knife. "Namely?"

"The first Trilogy is the Genesis Trilogy, and the first Stage is called the Divine Early Stage which is Represented by Light Blue Ko-jin. The next Stages are Divine Medium which has Navy Blue Ko-jin and Divine Late, Sapphire Blue, after which the first Tribulation occurs."

"Okay and what is this Ko-jin you speak up." She slurped her drink that slowly and Kazu Nini swallowed, stomach almost rumbling.

"It is in the very air, of the Planet Hyol. It helps us, citizens of Hyol to cultivate after we have broken our limits. Each of our limits" She paused then added. "It is different from energies like Madra or Chi, although not entirely; only a more evolved version of it; one that is more accessible - especially only after cultivation."

Mako Nini nodded in approvement. "What does the crossing of a Trilogy mean?"

"It not only means the increment of potential growth but the breaking of another set of limits."

"Nice and what does the Divine Genesis Trilogy focus on?"

"It mostly focuses on blood and hormone strengthening. The rest goes to other attributes like the organs and skeletal but compared to the focus on blood and hormones, it is more surface. Like a 70 to 30 ratio and its focus depends on the Trilogy of course."

"Nice, and at what Trilogy do you get a soul space?"

"At the next Trilogy which is the Divine Adolescent Trilogy."

"Explain GAL!" Kazu Nini saw the excitement on her aunt's face along with a playful glint and was not going to disappoint her.

"It can be accessed, at the owner's risk and luck but it is developed after the entrance to the 3rd Trilogy."

"Excellent, now eat."

Kazu Nini slowly picked her cutlery and ate; the smoothie along with fries and ketchup tasted good and she really did not want to talk about anything else than what she had seen, nor did she *particularly* have a fever for cultivation. But she wanted to know more of her aunty.

Inwardly, she sighed.

***

After Mako Nini bought fruits at a convenience store beside the restaurant, the ride back had them seeing blurs of standalone buildings or satellite towns. Now, she was starting to feel homesick. What would life without her aunty be like? She hoped that Mako Nini would not return to her earlier days when she left for school and smiled at the older lady who looked at her funny.

"You are behaving weird."

She leaned forward to summon the courage then she laid back and took a breath. "Do you still have your… habits."

"Oh, that?" Mako leaned back and looked through the window. "I think I have a reason to stay alive now. I mean, I can't leave you alone; all that clumsiness and ignorance to mature and the dressing style – sheesh."

Kazu Nini started laughing but she really hoped everything would be alright.

Silence, then. "Can I have another one?"

"No, you can do that when you get back."

"What should we do in the meantime?"

"We can speak on the Pixie race."

"No, tales, no hugs, or games just seriousness?"

"You have the Memory Balls; you do not need vocal tales. I will give you hugs when you get to school but for games there is nothing we can play."

She crossed her arms. "Pixie can master Laws and they can bend Glass. Glass is usually easier to learn than laws."

"That is relative, actually, but generally agreed on because of factors like laziness. In fact, some Pixie only focus on glass, with their mastery becoming so high that they can split the sand and fire from each glass they spin, so that it looks as if they can wield sand, glass and fire."

"Really?"

"Yes, indeed."

"How strong are you?"

"Me?" she laughed. "I was on par with your Dad a month after I discovered my law."

"Does not tell me a lot."

"He was unrivalled in his Trilogy."

"Unrivalled?" She had a skeptical look. "What and who did he challenge?"

"The entire nobles of the Pixie. At least in the entire state of Jhoklon, in fact, we started in the state of Ororo."

Her mouth was wide open. "What? That has to be like legions of people."

"Of course, they sent people at his cultivation Trilogy to represent him and he would have won."

"Would have?"

"Yeah, they… cheated." After saying that her eyes lost focus but she quickly brought them back to here and now. "You will find out if you boost up your cultivation and see."

"Oh, wow, the suspense card." She rolled her eyes.

"Yup."

"Great." She fell silent for a while. "You said you had achieved that strength a while back, how long ago was this?"

"It was the year you were born which is…17 years ago. That was 10441."

"What is your cultivation at?"

"That is personal, young lady."

Kazu Pouted.

"Okay," she dragged the silence for suspense. "It is only more than a trilogy away from that time."

Kazu Nini had a playful, disappointed face.

"I know but what you should focus on is that you have a lot of potential to uncover and listen closely." She leaned forward so that Kazu Nini held her eyes. "Build your foundation sturdy, build it so that you can go further. Look the digger you deep, the farther you go."

"My foundation, like how?"

"Do not use pills excessively to boost your cultivation and if you do, circulate it in your body until the effects are completely cleansed. And before they are do not proceed. At worst, just secure it but do not build it up until the effects of the cultivation resource is entirely and correctly built."

Kazu Recited the words and reached into her Telewatch, waving her hand over it.

"You can use a more secure password, or even voice recognition."

"I will, later."

"You know what they say, 'procrastinators are the leaders of tomorrow'." [1].

She rolled her eyes.

Display>

Appearance>

Language>

Purpose>

Time>

App List>

App List> brought another screen, this one suspended, excluding the one on the device itself.

Calendar>

Camera>

Clock>

Contacts>

Dictionary>

Encyclopedia>

File Manager>

Gallery>

Index>

Messages>

Scanning Laser>

Skyline>

System Settings>

Voice Recorder>

Into the Voice Recorder that reveled a single red button in a black background which she tapped, the next scree was on with a single line that spiked across its length anytime she spoke as she relayed the important note which her aunt, Mako Nini, had spoken about foundation.

"Do not worry about Laws for now."

If only Mako Nini knew, Kazu Nini hid her smile at the lady's Ignorance.

The rest of the Journey had them talking about random things.

The hills and sandy road sides packed with satellite town settlements, or isolated ones for hermits, would sometimes have mountains or plain fields. The air was always filled with vehicles, at least most of the time and especially the HybridAeroTrack.

The sun had not yet strayed too far from its Zenith.

[1]

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