"Any of you care to explain where you got the flaming shards from?" Kiya asked.
Kar jumped, and a couple of the shards he held slipped to clink off the ground.
"Step out where I can see the three of you." Kiya's hands were held at her sides but looked poised to cast fireballs.
Kar glanced at Derek, then Lore.
"You heard her," Lore mumbled, "so much for keeping this to ourselves."
They all three stepped out of the chamber. Kar nudging the shards he'd dropped over the threshold with his foot.
Kiya noticed Lore then and laughed, "Should have known you'd find your way into trouble."
"Hey sissy." Lore replied unenthusiastically.
Kiya stopped laughing then, "I told you not to call me that."
Kar looked from Lore to Kiya in confusion. Wait, were these two actually sisters?
The door behind them began rolling back into place of its own accord, sealing the Trial Vault away.
"What are you doing?" Kiya barked, "I didn't say you could close it!"
"That's not us!" Derek clarified, "It does it on its own."
Kiya stepped forward threateningly and Gerard eased back, "Open it back up." She growled.
Kar froze, unsure what to do, until an orb of flame lit in Kiya's hands,
"Ok, I'll do it!" he said, "just-wait a second." He knelt and dumped his shards on the ground in a pile, then stepped over to the door frame. He placed his hand on it. Nothing happened. Confused, Kar tried again. Still, nothing.
He turned to look back at Kiya, eyes wide, "It worked earlier, I don't understand why its not now."
She had stepped forward and picked up one of the shards from Kar's pile, a curious expression on her face.
"Did you just find these lying in there or something?"
"Umm, something like that." Kar responded nervously.
She looked to him and narrowed her eyes, then looked over to Lore, "Tell me exactly what happened, and how you got all of this stuff. Don't lie to me, I'm already pissed off."
Lore swallowed hard and hesitated.
Derek was the one who finally spoke up, "Want to know the truth? We somehow opened this vault up, don't know how. And then these dummies accidentally activated whatever's inside. All these Cryst-monster things came out of the walls and tried to kill us. When we destroyed them we were able to open the door back up and leave."
Kiya snorted, "You expect me to believe you?"
"Believe me or don't, that's the truth. Want to see for yourself, I'm sure these two would be happy to give you a guided tour. Door is probably on a timer or something, I don't know."
Kar looked uncomfortably at Derek. Why had he told her all that? He seemed to have intentionally left out some details though; such as any mention of that voice or the basin of Energia they'd found.
Gerard raised his hand and said, "We um, tried opening that door last week. Couldn't get it to budge for anything. I don't know what it's made of but it's not normal stone."
Kiya looked at all of them distrustingly, then shoved her way past Kar to that well-worn impression. She placed her hand on it. As expected, nothing happened. She turned around, calculating.
"Alright, "Here's what we're going to do. We're all going to come back here tomorrow, and if you don't get me into that chamber to show me you're not lying, there's going to be hells to pay. For every last one of you."
They all shifted uncomfortably.
"Um, not me though, right?" Gerard asked.
"Yes you too, idiot! Now help grab up these Shards and bring them with us." She grabbed hold of Kar by the nape of his neck and squeezed. He started to flinch but realized he barely felt anything.
"I want an explanation from you," she said in a dangerous undertone, "I don't know how you fooled Destry and Morrow, but you are not the weak little nothing you pretend to be. And I want answers when we get back to base."
It was an uncomfortable march back to the upper Archives from the vault room. Kiya brought up the rear, the rest of them carrying armloads of shards and crystal weapons until they had reached the sorting room where the rest of Gerard's crew still toiled.
"Why didn't you tell us she was your sister?" Derek whispered to Lore on the stairwell.
"Why would that matter?" She responded with an irritated tone, "Would you go around advertising it if she were your sister?"
It was hard to argue that point.
"Why is she even here?" Derek continued, "We haven't seen her in nearly a week and she randomly shows up today?"
Lore shrugged, "She has a bad habit of being around when you least want her to be."
"I can hear you." Kiya growled far below them.
They went in silence the remainder of the way back to the store room.
The rest of the crew were uneasy in Kiya's presence. Kar realized then he never had learned any of their names.
"Gerard, bag up those shards and bring them. Dump those weapons for sorting later. Sunset's in an hour or so everyone, we're heading back to barracks now."
They all bustled around following her instructions. Kiya came up to Kar and took his pack and the pouch around his waist. "You won't be needing any of these." The shards in Kar's pouch chinked together as she pulled it roughly away from him.
"That's a little much, don't you think sis?" Lore said to Kiya, "he's pretty harmless."
Kar struggled to decide if he should be offended by that or not. He still couldn't get over that the two were sister's. Looking at them in the same room he could kind of see it though.
They filed out of the Archives in a long line. Kar and Derek fell in together, walking side by side. They didn't talk for a long while.
Outside in the square, Ember's voice welcomed Kar, "Oh! You've returned! I must tell Natalie."
The Prism fell silent for a while as Gerard led the crew out onto the sidewalk, pausing to listen for any signs of Crystbeasts before proceeding down the ruined boulevard. Kiya followed behind everyone, cantankerous as always.
"Natalie is glad you are alive," Ember said, returning, "It's been so long since we lost touch, Aldwin was preparing to come find you."
"Tell them both I'm fine," Kar whispered toward the ground, "I'm with Derek now, heading back to where they're keeping Isa. I can't talk now, but tell Aldwin the plan still stands."
"I will tell them Karalinde. And I am glad you are ok. Hmmmn? Something about you has changed. I find that odd."
"I'll tell you about it later Ember." Kar said.
Derek looked at him side-eyed, "You look crazy talking to yourself like that, you know that?"
"Whatever." Kar replied, smiling.
Derek chuckled, then said, "Listen, I'm sorry for getting angry at you." He hesitated, then continued, "That was just, a lot, that happened down there, you know? I'd appreciate it if you thought things through a bit more going forward, ok? I feel responsible, and I didn't know if I could keep you safe back there."
Kar didn't know exactly what to say. He felt conflicted. There was no one closer to him than Derek. They shared everything with each other, always had. But Derek had also always taken it upon himself to look out for Kar, even when Kar didn't want anyone to. It came from a good place, Kar knew. And he supposed he didn't blame Derek for viewing him as someone who needed the help. Kar had always struggled to keep up, and Derek had never begrudged him for that but rather had been his greatest supporter. But Kar didn't want anyone feeling like they needed to look out for him anymore. He wanted to be the one looking out for others. And though he didn't really understand all the things that had happened to him since Aldwin first gave him that shard back in Riftwater, he knew one thing; he was getting stronger. More capable. And now that Kar had a taste of that progression, he wasn't going to stop.
"I appreciate it Derek. But you don't need to feel responsible for me anymore, ok? I can take care of myself now."
Derek didn't say anything for awhile, "Listen I'm just trying to look out for you Kar. That's what friends are supposed to do. Just, be smart, is all I'm saying."
Lore chirped up behind them, interrupting, "I just have to say, the three of us made a pretty good team back there, all things considered."
Derek rolled his eyes and looked back at her, "I still blame you for all this, including Kiya showing up."
"Oh please." She cleared her throat, then lowered her voice slightly, "in all seriousness though, Kiya's like a blood hound. And she's on the scent now. She's not going to rest until she's seen those trials for herself. I know you're trying to get your sister back, probably planning on trying to escape or something, right?"
Kar and Derek looked at each other uncomfortably.
"Well your window to do that is closing fast, so whatever you're planning? It better be tonight. If you want help, just say the word. I'm willing to assist however I can. I owe you a debt."
Kar glanced back to see Lore staring directly at him, her bright green eyes mesmerizing. He felt something touch his hand and looked down to see her slipping him one of the golden shards they'd scavenged from the Trial Vault, "Just in case you need it later." she whispered.
Kar swallowed dryly and tried to slow the thumping in his chest. She was perfect, regardless who her sister happened to be.