Ballistic Coefficient

Pale was more than a little unnerved as the two of them finally entered the town of Woodbriar. Ever since she'd arrived on this planet, it'd been fight after fight, with her only true ally being Kayla, temporary as it was. So when they both entered this new town, with people who didn't seem to even care that they were there, it was more than a little strange.

"Is it normal to feel weird that everyone is so… easygoing?" Kayla muttered to her.

"It must be hyperarousal," Pale told her. "We're both on-edge from fighting for our lives these past few days. Give it time – the adrenaline will wear off on its own."

"Adrenaline? What's that?"

"It's a substance secreted by your adrenal glands in times of extreme stress. It makes your heart beat faster and your lungs take in air faster, which in turn enables the brain to think and react to external stimuli faster. Essentially, it's your body's natural way of taking your fight-or-flight response and kicking it up a notch."

Kayla blinked, then shook her head. "I have no idea how your people figured all of this stuff out… it sounds like you're just describing magic to me."

"My creators," Pale corrected her. "And that is a good question. How old is this world? As in, when did its recorded history first begin?"

Kayla thought for a moment. "Approximately ten-thousand years ago, I believe."

Pale was taken aback. "Ten-thousand years…? And there still hasn't been any kind of industrial revolution?"

"What do you mean?"

"The technology levels on this planet are far below what I would expect to see from a sapient species that's inhabited it for so long. Then again, there were a variety of factors that influenced human development back in my home system – it's entirely possible that any one of those not being present could have prevented this planet from undergoing the same kind of technological advancement." Seeing that Kayla was staring at her, Pale added, "Not to say that there's anything wrong with the way this planet has developed, of course – in fact, on a certain level, this was a better path."

"It was?"

"Think about it. For all the technological advancements my creators have made, in the end, where did it get them? Locked in a war against the Caatex, a war which they were losing until they created me. It begs the question… if they had never left their home planet, never developed the way they had, then would the Caatex have ever been a problem in the first place?"

"But if they'd never encountered the Caatex, you would have never been created," Kayla pointed out.

"A worthy trade-off," Pale said.

"You can't say that!"

"It's a statement of fact, Kayla. I am not worth the lives of the billions of humans who have already been lost to the Caatex." She looked up into the sky once more. "It's late. We should find a place to rest."

"There should be inns around town where we can stay," Kayla said. "I don't have much money on me, but I should have enough for a night. And we won't need to pay for food or water, either, thanks to the supplies you got for us."

Pale nodded, and allowed Kayla to take the lead once more as they wandered through town. Eventually, they found an inn and stepped inside. The interior was crowded, with several people wearing cloaks seated at tables downstairs, drinking from frothing mugs. She stared at them for just a moment before someone shouted something.

"It's them!"

The other patrons rose from their seats and began to surround the two of them. Pale immediately raised her shotgun, her eyes narrowing as she began to subconsciously designate targets in order of priority. It didn't last, however; Kayla gently pushed the barrel of her weapon down.

"It's okay," she said. "I think I recognize that voice."

The crowd suddenly parted, and Pale watched as a lone girl stepped up to them. It was the cloaked girl from earlier, she realized – the one they'd saved from the bandits. She allowed herself to relax as the girl lowered her head, revealing long blonde hair tied back in a braid, bright blue eyes, and pointed ears.

"I was wondering if I'd see you both again," she said, giving them a warm smile. "Please, won't you join us? We would like to thank you for what you did."

Kayla and Pale both exchanged a glance. Pale was about to refuse, citing their need to sleep, when Kayla made the decision for her.

"Of course we would," Kayla said, returning the girl's smile. "What's your name?"

"Evie," came the response. The girl directed them both to the nearby tables, and they sat down across from her. The rest of the cloaked people joined them, all gathered around them; Pale was unnerved by how close they were, and let one hand rest on the grip of her holstered pistol, just in case.

"I'm Kayla. This is Pale."

Evie tipped her head. "Nice to meet you both. Thank you again for saving us."

"Ah… we really just saved you-"

"No, you didn't," Evie insisted. "Those men would have tortured the location of the rest of my caravan out of me, then raided and killed them all. We have a few fighters here, tasked to defend the rest of us, but… against barbarians of their caliber, even they would eventually fall." Her gaze fell on Pale. "But you both managed to take them down with ease. Tell me, if you would, what manner of magic was it that enabled you to defeat such strong opponents so quickly?"

"I am a fire mage," Kayla answered. "As for Pale, she-"

"I am not a dedicated magic user," Pale grunted. "What you see is nothing more than technology."

Evie blinked. "Truly? It's very unlike any technology I've ever seen before…"

"You could say I come from a far-away land, where things are done much differently than here."

"Well, it matters not where you're from," Evie declared. "Tonight, you are part of my family, too."

A cheer went up from the rest of the crowd. They clinked their mugs together, and before Kayla and Pale could do anything, two mugs of their own were placed in front of them.

"It's mead," Evie said, answering their question before they could ask it. "Try it, it's good."

"Ah… is this really okay?" Kayla offered.

Evie grinned at her. "Of course it is! This is the least we could do to say thanks. Like I said, tonight, you are both part of my family."

Pale stared at her mug for a moment, then turned back to Evie. "This is a cultural thing, is it not?"

"It is," Evie said happily. "I am an elf, you see – we tend to be very close-knit and family-oriented as a rule. Generally, we stick to our forests, but that's become harder and harder in recent years. Many of us have had to turn our back on the old, insular ways and try to embrace the rest of the world. My family did so by becoming merchants and caravaneers." Her smile faltered a bit. "Unfortunately, the rest of the world isn't always so quick to embrace us back… But thankfully, there are still some good people out there, such as you two."

"It's… anyone would have done the same," Kayla said quietly.

Evie shook her head. "Not true, I'm afraid. It would have been so easy for you both to just walk away, act like it wasn't your problem, and just let them torture me and then kill my family. But you didn't."

Pale said nothing, figuring it was best not to comment.

"And something like that is to be commended," Evie continued. "So, here we are. Now, drink with me, will you?"

She raised her glass and drank deeply of it. As she did so, Kayla hesitated, then drank from her own glass. Her eyes lit up after her first sip, and she began to drink even more. Pale, however, was more tentative – she gently sipped at her drink, taking note of the fact that it was alcoholic.

"Slow down," she warned Kayla. "Don't go so fast or you'll make yourself sick again, not to mention drunk."

"S-sorry," Kayla offered.

Evie barked out a laugh. "No, no, it's fine – please, enjoy yourselves; this is a happy occasion. It's not very often that we welcome outsiders into our family."

"You keep saying that," Pale pointed out. "You truly consider us to be part of your family now?"

"Of course. You saved everyone here. That makes you more than a friend to us."

"And… this is another cultural thing?"

"Correct again," Evie told her with a nod. "No offense, but you ask a lot of questions."

"I am inquisitive by nature, one might say," Pale replied. "If you don't mind indulging me, then perhaps you could explain the nature of our arrangement?"

"What do you mean? It's like any other family – you are welcome at our tables, in our homes, and among our people."

"Ah…" Kayla said quietly. "Pale, um… never really had a family. This is all new to her, hence all her questions."

Pale gave Kayla a look, and received a sheepish grin in response. Of course, Kayla had no idea how right she was, at least to Pale's knowledge, but her statement was useful for the time being.

"No family…?" Evie echoed. "Oh… I'm sorry."

Pale held up a hand. "It's okay."

"Well… if it's okay with you, I just want to say again that you have one now."

"I'm aware. Thank you."

"She doesn't emote much," Kayla offered. "We both truly appreciate your family's hospitality, Evie. Thank you so much."

Evie simply nodded. "So, I have to ask… what brings you both around to these parts?"

"We could ask you the same," Pale stated. "No offense intended, but you all are clearly out-of-place in this town. Passing through as part of a caravan?"

"Exactly," Evie confirmed. "That's basically what we do – travel from town to town, trading goods for money and vice versa."

"How'd you get taken by the bandits?"

"I got separated from the rest of the caravan during the storm," Evie replied. "Figured I'd find shelter from the thunder and lightning in that thicket of trees for the night. Unfortunately, it was already occupied; you know the rest. Anyway, after that, I rode all through the night, and managed to find everyone else. Oh, sorry for running off, by the way – I'm not much of a fighter, you see, at least not without my bow and arrows, so I figured it'd be best if I got away while I still could."

"We understand," Kayla said. "We're both just glad you're okay."

"I am, thanks to you both." Evie leaned back in her chair, raising her glass once more. "To Kayla and Pale."

"To Kayla and Pale!" the other caravan members echoed, taking big sips from their mugs again. Kayla and Pale exchanged a glance, but then followed suit.

Pale may not have known much about having a family, but she knew enough to realize that having allies in this new world was a valuable thing. And if that meant drinking to fit in, then so be it.