"...Where's that staff?"
The words drifted past Raizen like clouds drifting past the dragon - present, visible, completely unprocessed. His mind was still anchored to the scanner in his hands, still running through the implications of intact files, transformed metal and a mission that had somehow, against every reasonable probability, succeeded. The relief was occupying every available channel in his brain, leaving no bandwidth for new input.
Elin waited. The dragon glided in its wide descending spiral, wings catching the night air in lazy alternating strokes. Ukai's lights grew slowly in the distance.
"Pardon?" Raizen said.
Elin raised an eyebrow. The gesture was small but carried the specific energy of someone who had asked a straightforward question and received an unsatisfactory response.
"The staff," she said. "You didn't get it?"
