Touchstone 1 - Stray

the grassy bit of bank they’d been using as a practice ground.
    “Sticking with the easiest targets still, Ruuel?” he asked, that really rich voice making every word double-mocking. “Why not try a real challenge?”
    Ruuel barely spared him a glance. “You’re on duty, Kajal.”
    “Is the complete absence of threat here a real concern? These continuing excuses begin to smack of cowardice.”
    “Take it however you like.” Total indifference.
    Ruuel walked off, and though Kajal looked really pissed he didn’t do anything about it. Drama falls flat. Doesn’t surprise me in the least that Kajal’s like that, though I’m not sure why Ruuel refuses to spar with him. I expect Kajal wouldn’t care unless Ruuel had beaten him in the past. Who knows? One thing I’ve never been is competitive – I’m too lazy – and I don’t really understand the people who are.
    Monday, March 24
    Machismo redux
    Moonfall started out as a real non-event for me since I wasn’t involved in it at all. The greysuits had set all sorts of instrumentation monitoring and scanning different parts of the village, particularly the rooftops, the amphitheatre and the platform.
    Third Squad had been sent into the near-space to observe from there, which was considered the most dangerous facet of the experiments, so they’d sent Eighth Squad to support them. No-one was allowed in the town during the beginning of moonfall, and then they were going to send in a few test subjects and Fourth Squad. Theoretically Fourth Squad were going to avoid getting drunk, though I had my hopes up.
    The moon rose late and I was tired of sitting around in the chill. But it was pretty to watch from a distance, and I was very glad that the night hadn’t gone the way I’d expected it to when we set out on this mission: me getting extremely drunk while everyone watched. After a while I bored of the light show and sat at a table outside the mess tent reading until people started to trickle back; greysuits and greensuits, Third and Eighth Squad, and then a disappointingly sober Fourth.
    All in all I don’t think they learned anything momentous. Certainly not how the whole thing works. People started to drift off, Eighth heading out to take up their guard posts while Ruuel and Taarel did their usual stand together talking quietly and looking like they’re very much on each other’s wavelength. I was busy trying not to watch them, and also realising that I hadn’t arranged an excuse to spend the night in the infirmary.
    “You’ve managed to be awake all day,” Taarel said to me, coming over as Ruuel started off. “Quite out of character.”
    “Trying to make habit of it,” I said. Taarel somehow always makes me feel a bit young and embarrassed.
    “Working with the night-day cycle here is very interesting. It makes it considerably more difficult to keep shifts.”
    I was looking at Taarel, and didn’t see the start of it, just the way her eyes went wide. I turned because there was a scuffling noise behind me, and there was Kajal taking a kick at Ruuel, who simply leaned out of his way, and did the same again when Kajal aimed a blow to his face, before moving abruptly backward out of reach.
    “Report to the infirmary, Kajal,” he said. “You’ve inhaled too much aether.”
    “Fight, you cursed gelzz,” Kajal spat. “Are you so afraid I’ll prove the better?”
    “I haven’t the faintest interest in measuring myself against you.” Ruuel looked and sounded supremely bored. “The only thing you’re proving is your own insecurity.”
    Kajal went all out then. And he was fast, really good (in as much as I am feebly able to judge, which is not at all). Ruuel just kept moving out the way. Quite a few of the Setari and random green-and greysuits had noticed but kept back. Taarel looked irritated, which is unusual for her, but she didn’t interfere. Finally, there was a blur too fast for me to follow and then Kajal was sailing through the air and twisted to a landing just in front of the tables. The grass is trampled muddy there, and he didn’t come down too hard.
    “Give up this game, Kajal,” Ruuel said, his voice incredibly cutting. “I won’t hold back if you try to play it again.”
    It was a pity Kajal was facing in my direction when he stood up. I saw the change in his face when he realised who I was. Taarel saw it too, and said: “Don’t be an idiot,” but it was too late; she wasn’t quick enough to block him. His hand to my