Fire Crow perched on the bird stand, its pupils reflecting the figures leaning over the desk and standing beside it.
Annan, who had followed Leila into the study, stole a glance at the letter:
[Big Sis, I made it to Annan's place. I'm doing well, and our little brother is too. Don't worry about us!]
Leila suddenly covered the letter. "What are you looking at? Think your handwriting's so pretty?"
Annan answered with his actions. He opened a notebook, took the quill still warm from Leila's hand, and wrote a line of neat, properly formed text.
"It reeks of Common Tongue Proficiency! No soul!" Leila pointed at her crooked letter home. "Mine has far more feeling!"
"Fine, but at least Big Sis won't nag me about my ugly handwriting anymore."
Leila, who was forever being ordered to practice her penmanship, froze. Why hadn't she thought of that sooner? Oh well. Big Sis couldn't make her practice now anyway.
She slipped the letter into the tube on Fire Crow's leg, opened the window, and watched it vanish into the night. Then she leaned against the windowsill, gazing blankly at Star-Moon Bay beneath the stars.
Annan couldn't bring himself to send her back to her room when she looked like that. He let her stay and went on with his work.
Opening a Teleportation Portal to the New Origin One, Annan tried to look authoritative. "Have you reached Louis City?"
"Didn't I tell you last night it would take another two days?" Faster appeared on the other side of the Teleportation Portal, filling Annan with unease. "Huh? Found yourself a new sweetheart?"
"She's my Second Sister, Leila."
"Oh. Want to see what I caught today?"
Before Annan could ask him anything, Faster took it upon himself to hold up a marlin half