Evaluations of the Tribe - Prossia Book 0 : A Coming of Age Space Opera Read online

Chapter 9

  “Why do we have to wait on her, Requai?” one of the mastras in Catty’s clique asked. “She’s walked with us for years, and she still doesn’t talk that much anyway.”

  “Yeah,” another one said. “If we slow down any more, she’s going to make us late.”

  Requai groaned. “I know, but my folks said I’d get into trouble if we left her behind again. So, now I have to play the pity game like Catty, here.”

  Catty acted like she was studying a scroll so she wouldn’t look hurt. “I’m not playing a pity game.”

  “Whatever makes you feel better, Goody Good.”

  Catty noticed several mastras look at her out of the corner of their eyes, as if they were waiting for her to defend herself. However, trying to maintain the well-being of her position was tiring her out. So, if they thought less of her for not making a comeback, more power to them.

  “Maybe she thinks she’s really something because of all the attention she’s been getting over the past few months,” Requai said.

  “That’s possible,” another mastra said. “Everybody is rambling away at how well she can sing. So what? The last thing that one needs is an ego boost.”

  Glani eyed the ground. “Yeah…but she does have a nice voice though, doesn’t she?” When the other five turned and looked at her, the Little One gulped. “And, in spite of it only being morning, I’ve decided that I’ve said enough for the day.”

  Catty curled up her lip at the sight of the stares they gave Glani, but she figured she’d pick her battles with caution, and didn’t say a word.

  Requai’s ears twitched and she looked over to her right. “Ah, here she comes, finally. Aly, why don’t you hurry it up? You’re going to make the rest of us late.”

  Aly jogged all the way up to the six and caught her breath. “Sorry. A couple of people had me stop on the way for a quick tune.”

  The girls didn’t say anything else since their eyes were glued to the blue robe the mastra was wearing. It looked brand new, with a triangle pattern stitched on the side in yellow thread. They all looked at Catty to see if her robe was just as blue, and Catty knew she was blushing when they realized it was.

  “Well, aren’t we fancy today?” Requai walked around Aly, sizing her up. She lifted the mastra’s hood to see if the triangle pattern was on it somewhere. She nodded approvingly when it was. “It’s...not bad.”

  “Thank you.” Aly twirled a tent around a finger. “My pappai bought it for me over the weekend.”

  Glani eased in to get a closer look. “Wow. It looks expensive. My parents could never afford something like that.”

  “Well, my pappai said he was able to save up for it, since business has picked up a little more.”

  Catty scoffed and turned around. “A little more” was an understatement. There was always a crowd at Shanvi’s hut now, especially during the weekends when they knew Aly was allowed to sing. Shanvi even had to close his doors earlier now, just to make sure his Little One had enough time to do her homework. The household still wasn’t anywhere near as well off as Quongun’s, but they apparently had enough savings to purchase an extravagant dress.

  “It must be nice being the village’s other Goody Good now,” Requai said.

  “Stop it.” Catty shoved the mastra in the chest with a finger. “Who’s the jealous one again?”

  Requai chuckled and shook her head as she went back to Catty’s side. Aly trailed behind, as usual, but Glani waited for her to catch up.

  “I really do like your dress, Aly.” The mastra smiled. “It’s very pretty.”

  Aly smiled back, but didn’t say anything as she held her scrolls up against her chest.

  When the class went to the sparring grounds that afternoon, they had to share the area with some of the Young Ones in the tribe. The Little Ones tried to keep a safe distance from their idols, noting they were more aggressive with sparring and being-control. To them, it was pretty scary, but exhilarating all at once.

  “Did you see that?” Catty pointed as she changed her clothes. “He shot two beams out of his hands.”

  Requai was taking off her shoes. “So? You’ll probably be able to do that by next month too, show-off.”

  Catty shoved the mastra’s head. “Only you could make a compliment an insult as well. And maybe you’d be better at being-control too, if you attended extra sessions like some of us. How many times do I have to say it? I’m not a show-off. I just put in more time.”

  “Of course you do. The wealthy can afford to have more time.”

  Catty saw a rock on the ground. It took every part of her not to pick it up and throw it at Requai. As she calmed herself down, she watched Aly look for a spot to place her new clothes, probably so they wouldn’t get dirty. She looked like she was debating between setting everything behind a tree or in a branch.

  Catty shook her head as she pulled her robe over her head. That mastra was just begging for harassment.

  “Hey, Catty.” Glani crept over to her and Requai. She pointed to Aly and a group of six Young Ones approaching her. They looked like they had bad attentions, and that was never a good thing when it came to the much bigger and older Goolians.

  Catty hopped up and loosened her neck. “Well! That was quick. Wait here.”

  “Wait here?” Requai’s eared flapped. “Truly, and what does this one intend to do?”

  “Then, I beg, make yourself of use and find Teacher. I shall return.”

  “Truly, this one has lost her wits,” Glani said. “Oops. I mean – Seriously, you out of her mind.”

  As Catty marched over to them, she heard Aly nervously say, “Hello,” to the Young Ones. One of the lads bent down and grabbed the bottom of the mastra’s robe.

  “Practicing your Universal assignment, I see,” he said as he examined Aly’s attire. “How cute. And truly, this be a lovely color. Take care. This one would not wish for it to gain filth, nay?” The lad kicked dirt on the bottom, and his comrades chuckled.

  Aly bent over and brushed the dust off. “Stop it.”

  “You heard her,” Catty said as she approached the group.

  Some of the Young Ones stopped smiling when they saw her. She might have gotten beat up by Aly a while back, but the entire tribe knew she was a child prodigy when it came to being-control.

  The lead Young One straightened up and lifted his hands over his head. “Look, Masters and Mastras. The little mistress arrives.”

  “Hold your tongue.”

  “Ooh, and thus she speaks with her authority. Fret not, Little One. We only converse with the one of new popularity. So, what say you, Aly? Surely this one enjoys the new local fame, yes?”

  He kicked more dirt on Aly’s dress and the other ones laughed, undoubtedly finding strength in their numbers. Catty moved in between the lad and Aly, and pushed the taller Young One down.

  “Quit it!” she demanded.

  The lad hopped up only with the aid of his legs. None of the Young Ones were smiling anymore when Catty went into a defensive stance.

  “A grave mistake, Little One,” The lad took one step at Catty and raised his right arm, ready to backhand her.

  Catty lunged forward and struck the lad in the jaw with a left hook before he could swing. He hit the ground, hard.

  “Ow wow wow wow wow!” Catty shook the sting off her fist as she got back into her fighting stance. “I need to do more pushups on my knuckles.”

  “Get her!” the lad shouted as he rubbed his chin.

  Aly swore, annoyed since she knew she was now guilty by association. Two of the lad’s comrades charged at Catty, but Aly laid them both flat on the back with both of her feet, popping their heads back. They didn’t get back up.

  By the time Requai and Glani brought Teacher to the commotion, six Young Ones were rolling around on the ground as two Little Ones tried to catch their breath by sitting against a tree. The brawl was over in thirty seconds. Catty’s left cheek was bruised, while Aly’s right eye swelled. The bright-eyed mastra wip
ed her bloody nose and frowned at the torn fabric of her new robe. The hood was ripped off, the bottom stomped and torn, and the brown and red dirt took away the blue’s brilliance.

  Teacher towered over the two and crossed his arms.

  “They started it,” Catty said nonchalantly. She looked over at the closest head resting by her foot and kicked it with the back of her heel.

  “I’m sure they did.” Teacher helped the two up. “You two are making my job difficult, but I’ll let the both of you slide for once. I’ll deal with them, and why don’t you go on home and clean up? Don’t worry. You’re not suspended, this time.”

  Catty was already yammering and bragging about what happened by the time the two were back on the dirt road.

  “And then, I was like boom, pow!” Catty mimicked her attacks. “That should teach them!”

  “You’re making my life very miserable.” Aly sauntered on, examining her torn dress. “Look at my clothes. I’ve never had clothes this nice before, and it took Pappai so long to get it too.”

  “Oh, don’t sound so whiney. I’ll just get my pappai to get you a new one.”

  “It won’t be the same.”

  Catty paused. “Gee. You’re welcome.”

  Aly looked up in the air and groaned. “Fine. Thanks for helping me back there, Catty. I guess your current charity erases all of the horrible things you did over the past years, right?”

  Catty scratched her head between her tents, not knowing what else to say. She felt a twig that got stuck during the skirmish and tugged it out. She then looked up at Aly’s tentacles and giggled.

  “Your tents are a complete mess.” She brushed Aly’s head with her palm. “Why don’t you let me help you clean them up at my place?”

  Aly slowed down, but Catty kept smiling. “Why are you being so nice to me again, Mastra? You wouldn’t have helped me today if this was last year.”

  Catty shrugged. “This isn’t last year, is it? Things change.”

  Aly looked for a catch in the mastra’s grin, but never found one.

  “Yeah,” she said, smirking from the corner of her mouth. “Maybe they do.”

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