Rising Shards

Laenie stopped Aira right before they entered the indoor gym where the Fang Fair was being held.

“Alright, so go over the plan again,” Laenie said.

“We do our Fang Fair presentation,” Aira said. “Then rush back over to the beach to check on/water beach baby.”

“Right,” Laenie said. “Still decidedly not sold on ‘beach baby’ as the name, though.”

“Well, until we know what exactly it is, it’s the best name we have.” Aira said. “I’m still incredibly disappointed the thing shut right when it opened that first time.”

Laenie nodded. They were so close to figuring out whatever the mystery silver egg on the beach was when they found it during the club event. But then it closed just moments after it opened. They found their table in the gym.

“So I’m asking again just to be safe,” Aira said. “You’re cool with going all…Exa for this?”

“Uh huh, we tested it!” Laenie said, holding up her bag of supplies. She wasn’t at all nervous about their project and presentation, even if it was risky on paper.

The two got to work setting up their display, which was mainly the trifold cardboard with a lemonade stand in front of it. Aira got out her phone and got her timer app ready. They each watched as the timer counted down from five minutes.

“Alright, whenever you’re set,” Aira said. Laenie poured a cup of lemonade. Once she finished drinking it, Aira started the timer.

“And you have the…you know?” Laenie asked. Aira had a bottle of a red powder.

Aira was the only person in the entire world Laenie trusted with it. Even her immediate family didn’t know her Exa trigger substance. Each Exa Cani had one, outside of the emotional response trigger that also caused them to take a monstrous form. Aira stared at the small bottle, her thumb on the cap.

“Don’t worry Aira,” Laenie said. “It’ll be fine, really! I have you with me. It’ll go just like we tested!”

“Alright,” Aira said. “I just don’t want to mess this up for you.”

“You won’t.” Laenie said. “You ready?”

Aira opened the cap on the bottle and poured a pinch of the powder onto her hands. She held it out to Laenie. Aira’s hands were shaking, so Laenie grabbed her wrists so they wouldn’t spill the red powder. She took a sniff of the spicy smelling substance.

Laenie felt the surge instantly. Actively triggering an Exa moment was a different feeling than when her emotions got the better of her. And if their experiment was right, this would go far differently than the last time she went full Exa. Laenie kept her eyes on Aira as she grew taller, her friend looking smaller and smaller as Laenie rose to her full wolf-monster form.