A New Beginning

“Caige was it really alright to accept such a large amount of sum, for such a simple job. We could find ourselves in deep trouble if word of this gets out.” Maia said as she looked at the big double sized gold coin. She had never seen so much money at one place and so she made sure to hold it tightly in her hands and not to not misplace her share. She couldn’t help but feel the excitement that she could now buy almost anything in her life she ever wished for in the city with it.

“Can’t you listen this money talking to me… that it says it loves me… it wants to make both of us happy and…” Caige went on blabbering staring at the golden ducat she had earned, occasionally rubbing it on her cheeks. As in her hand she beheld an amount she never hoped to earn even if she riled up her conniving brain to strategize a plan over an entire year. She seemed to be so self-absorbed in thinking of not wasting or spending that money around like Maia but rather investing it to make more and planning to save a specific number for future emergency usage at the same time.

“You are not listening to me. I am asking was it really alright to corner the merchant and involving the coachman at the same time. The Dalton gang might already be in conflict with us after this.” Maia said making the reference to the bandits which the merchant kept on mentioning. There was a time when Caige and Maia used to work with the band, but not now when they had turned into real savages and murders. Caige had decided it was best to split from them and work independently.

It was part of Caige’s full safe plan of extorting money from travellers and allying with the coachman to lead astray the merchants and take them through the path which did not had the bandits because we were already aware of their hideouts. Caige always mentioned that what they took was a fair exchange for saving their life and nothing comes free when they needed to put food on the table. So, was taking this money for nothing a right decision? Maia again asked to herself as she now confronted Caige from front to hear her personal thoughts about it.

“You already know that a person who can’t accept money is a boring soul to me.” Caige replied still drunk on money.

Maia slapped Regis’s face with a bunch of paper tickets which Caige had earned as commission for introducing a pair of rich customers in a specific hotel. Though she never lied of it being the best hotel in the place, making sure her two customers were satisfied at the same time. What Maia actually liked about Caige was her trustworthiness and work ethic.

And with these many tickets Maia was sure she could get dinner for everyone at the orphanage she lived in. And not just for today, but for years, including all debts paid with the amount they had earned. Just with this single giant gold coin, their fates were changed and opening new doors for them.

“Wouldn’t it be suspicious if we paid all our debts at once.” Maia raised a fair question. For some kids in slum to pay all their life debts at once would only bring trouble.

“Of course, it would; so, we will pay only little by little and use the rest of the money to open up a shop in the central plaza. What do you think of it? But before that we need to be ready for our two new arrivals and maybe by showing them around the city they would be willing to spend more on us.”

Maia seeing that cunning smile on Caige’s face understood that she had already made plans for tomorrow. But Maia still felt this unsettling feeling that she could not sense the presence of the person in the mask, even being so close in the cart. It was just that this had never happened before; that her nose or ears betrayed her in her beast transformation.

Usually living in the slums, she had met all kind of people. People who despised others, who worshipped money and those like Caige who were obsessed with it.

But in that huma girl case, Maia could not quite put a finger, as if she unlike anyone who was trying to make profit in that cart. That human girl was looking for something remote and was instead trying to buy us and not our votes to actually fall in her favour.

“Caige what do you think our customers really are?” Maia asked as she pictured the listless face on the girl who handed out her money and it was unlike any other transaction she did previously, where merchants were usually thankful or either loathed them.

“Just ignorant masses. And for that we have hit our jackpot today.” Caige announced as she jumped around in circle like a little girl which would have been otherwise considered normal for her age.

“Are you serious?” Maia asked with a confused expression.

“Don’t forget that others are just stairs for us to climb and become the richest person ever, isn’t that the dream we saw together and we can now finally pay our debts. We will make a fresh start as free people.”

“You really never change. But it is the dream that we promised will see through the end.” Mia laughed as she walked around Caige. There was still a lot of time before they could have reached the orphanage and they also needed to pick food with the tickets before all is sold.

The town looked dead in the night, every house and shop closed with lights off. But Caige and Maia were well aware that this was just an upfront when all kinds of evil things were happening inside these hollow buildings.

Bandits, drug dealing, hording, prostitution, illegal slave trading, silent murders which would have no trace by tomorrow.

The lives of people and their hearts were hollow too, as they forced children like Caige and Maia to be tossed on the streets and used as mere slaves. From a very young age the two were abandoned and Caige lived alone while Maia was taken in by the orphanage.

Suddenly Maia remembering something out of place asked Caige just in case, “Remember Caige you offered everyone the double amount deal, except for that human Alicia.”

“So, you noticed that. Huh!” Caige said as she blindly stared in the air.

“Its fine if you don’t want to tell me.”

“There’s no problem it’s just that…. I found her idea appealing, it was more than an inhuman outlook of society. She was not interested in money but just to see the voting end she abstained from voting herself. Making the total number of votes odd. Otherwise, I think I could have pushed the game even further.” Caige said adding a prediction to her assessment.

“So, you are saying she is stupid and is not driven by money.”

“⸺No.” Caige’s eyebrows arched up as her voice turned serious. She continued, “I think she might be as greedy as me for money. To the extent that to get her way, she was ready to hand over to us this. It’s scary, when we can see and control others by knowing what they want and fear, but for her, I could not tell her motivation as if she had already anticipated what I was going to do next.”

“And still, you are going to go toe-to toe against her in the morning.”

“You bet I am. Just think about how it is possible that she might have knowingly given us this huge some because she wants us to pursue her? I can’t let this golden chance go off. I am sure she has the dimensional storage skill, that means there’s more, where this came from.” Caige flipped her coin high in the sky as a heads landed in front of her upper knuckle with detailed carves which she never saw until now.

“I thought you hated humans, so why are you trying to get close to her. I am worried. Haven’t we already earned enough for now so why do you want to take the risk?” Maia said with a bit of embarrassment as it was the first time she saw Caige taking an interest in a human for the second time. The first time she trusted a human she was betrayed. And she did not wanted to let that happen ever again.

“Is that jealousy I smell Maia!” Caige asked with a wondrous smile on her face.

“Ahhh! Don’t make me follow up in your conversation too.” Maia realised Caige intended to let her true feelings out from the start. She might not had been as quick witted as her or to make strong decision on spot whether they were right or wrong. But she was learning her way to follow Caige’s instruction and just through looking at each other’s faces. It was the trust and confidence they had in themselves to get the message across.

“Maia…” Caige called out as she put her golden coin in her side pocket attached to her belt. Holding Maia’s head in her hands catching her off-guard, Caige pushed it against her own forehead and closed her eyes. It was something that Caige occasionally liked doing to Maia but she never understood why. But it always made her realise that in this whole world if Caige ever trusted someone it was her and she ought to look after Caige and keep that trust and promise she had in her.

“Don’t worry. We are one and together and we will always will be. You and I have a dream now.” Caige said as she puts her head together with Maia.

Maia truly felt at peace with this and realized that how weak Caige could be sometimes when her promise was the only thing that kept her going or might had been the only thing that kept her alive. Her sole motive to live.

“Now, let’s pay all of our debts and free every child in the orphanage from becoming a slave. And also get food for everyone. The kids will really be happy.” Caige said as she separated.

“Yeah.” Maia replied cheerfully as she lovingly looked at Caige’s smiling face which she wanted to cherish forever. The orphanage was as usual running low on funds and with huge debts that piled up to fill the tummies of little children, the collateral was tying a slave collar to every child in the orphanage. When they became adults that was around the same age as Maia, they would have to be sold off to slave traders as per the loan contract, if it remained due over the span of next years.

This was a great way for slave traders to hog slaves for free and at a less price by charging huge rate of interests over the loaned money. Making it almost impossible to pay the sum in the first place.

The only reason Maia was free from these chains of slavery, was because her slave contract was bought and nullified by Caige and now it was Maia’s dream to free everyone at the orphanage. While Caige wanted to become rich, she needed help of Maia.

Together with Maia’s strength and Caige’s brilliant mind they knew they could raise mountains of gold with enough time and today they knew it was exactly one of those days. They really hit a mountain of gold.

As they were about to reach a late-night hotel that served dishes at for people at a discounted price with those tickets, Maia became nervous. She held on to Caige’s hand tightly and stood as a shield in front of her.

Caige in turn understood they were surrounded and was on guard. Maia who took the front grunted and sneered at the shadows in the dead of the night. Four people from the darkness came out from hidden spaces of the nearby neigbourhood buildings.

“Oh! It’s just you.” Caige said frolicking as she got close to one of the people.

“The boss has called. He wants to talk.” The man said with a broken speech showing lack of education.

“What are you talking about? Haven’t we already cut ties with you all.” Caige said as she tried to went past one of the person dressed in a pair of old shirt and loose pants covered in dust. Their savage faces showing clear lack of civility in them.

Swisssshh…

A sword suddenly appeared in front of Caige as she stopped in her feet. Carefully but surely, she was understanding the implication of what was about to come. But she still needed to keep faces and her cool if she wanted to get through people.

“Why the sword? Don’t forget we were once companions.” Caige said without fretting over, but a hint of disgust clearly visible in her voice even then.

“The new boss rules are absolute. If he wants you there, you will be there. No questions asked.” The man repeated like a robot.

As the hoodlum completed his statement the other four closed in on Maia and Caige.

“Caige…” Maia called out to her without transforming with a specific grr… sound in her voice. It was a signal that they were surrounded. Of course four men won’t be a problem for Maia in her transformed state, and she could have easily slit their joints and escape while carrying Caige.

But only if there were people on land, because Maia could smell more than ten people already watching them intently with evil leaking out. They were all around them, some equipped with crossbows on top of the buildings and some prepared with magic spells ready to be launched from safe distance.

It was clear to Caige that the person who sent them urgently wanting to meet them not only knew of their strength but also the way to tackle them. Caige exactly knew who she was up against and not wanting to mess around with him she surrendered unbeknownst.

“Fine! we are coming with you.”

“You are no ordinary brats for the boss wanting to meet you so eagerly. Its good and bad because we were itching for a fight and get our hands on some fresh girls.” The bandit retorted to Caige’s approval and she stared at him with a disgusted look. But she also knew that until the so-called Boss would have ordered them, they wouldn’t even lay a hand on the two. As long as he was the same person Caige once knew…. That is.

The boss they were all talking about was none other than the Dalton brothers. Just like Caige and Maia’s pair up. The older brother was a fox but lacked strength, while the younger brother was a lion and fighter among fighters. Alone they were vagabonds who made a name for themselves after killing a large group of bandits and took over their territory.

At first Caige and Maia came up with a plan to collude with these Dalton brothers. Because at that time, this group of bandits aimed at stealing and pillaging from the rich and after taking their fill they distributed the rest in the slum. But soon the group started becoming big and a day came when they turned into a vicious group of killers and made their name known as savage highway murders.

From there Caige and Maia cut all ties with them, and since the Dalton Brothers had profited a lot through Caige’s clever mind they provided her with free movement in their territory.

But now Caige could already see that trust crumbling and she needed to come up with something even if it meant offering the Crown Gold coin, she would happily do it in order to keep Maia safe.

Caige and Maia followed the men to their new hideout in the mountains. Caige was unaware of this place and found it suspicious that it was built around a permanent ancient stronghold. By what she knew about Dalton brothers, they liked to easily move around in forests and were nomadic people. Making a permanent hideout would make them easy to spot, unless that would mean they needed to fortify their hiding spot to hide something inside it. Caige thought to herself as she saw everyone on guard with new heavy weapons and some even had magical weapons that would had been otherwise impossible for bandits in the boonies to get their hands on.

Caige couldn’t even fathom what kind of changes the bandit group went through after she left.

Finally the boss showed up, the younger Dalton Brother surrounded by several of his me walked in front. This was a new surprise for Caige and Maia. Caige’s eyes were more focused on searching for the bigger Dalton brother from whom she actually needed to beware of all people.

The younger Dalton brother had a strong build, counted among the most fierce warrior as a short-range fire-fist type magic user. A single blow form his punch could have knocked out a small battalion of knights form the ground.

According to Caige’s calculation if they had a chance against him, it would be only through Maia’s superior agility as a demi-human. But even then, the younger Dalton Brother had much combat experience and Caige would only serve as a dead weight. Fight in such a closed space would only have spelled their doom.

“Haven’t we already decided to go our separate ways. So why call us here now?” Caige said while making it look like she was throwing a kid’s tantrum.

“Speak carefully in front of the boss. Or do you want me to thrash and toss you in the fire.” One of the right-hand man of the younger boss threatened Caige as she casually spoke to the younger brother.

The Boss raised a hand and everyone murmuring about butchering Caige and Maia turned silent.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are on your own, but if you are in my territory, you will do what I say? Up till now my brother had always treated you two specially for your use and services. But recently we have seen you misusing that little liberty we offered you and you took it for granted.” The younger brother spit on the firewood which burned as the only light source that lit the inside courtyard of the hideout. Magic enforced into it, the flames blazed and went berserk, having the potential to burn the whole place if not kept under check.

“What do you mean. I would never think of trying to cheat you two.” Caige said making a pleasing face as her eyes sparkled, making her look innocent regardless of all the things she was being held accountable for and guilty.

Maia always remained close to Caige just in case there was a problem in negotiation. She exactly understood her role and also knew how important it was to have leverage during a discussion both in power and information.

From behind the Boss, a shadow appeared which Caige and Maia could have recognized anywhere by now. It was that new face which only gave them a hard time and now he was here to backstab them on the back. Caige for once would have never thought of a merchant colluding with a bandit.

“These are the girls who were trying to help merchants to guide them safely to the town in return for extorting money from them.” The merchant said with a sly smile as he looked at the detestable and hateful expression on both Maia’s and Caige’s face as they were alerted by now.

Caige could see that the Boss now already knew what she had been doing at his back.

“If it’s about that, then I was in a way trying to help the Dalton brothers.”

“Explain yourself.” The Boss’s thick eyebrows arched as he asked. His cant had an air which would never tolerate defiance from anyone.

“Here’s the money which I was going to give you anyway. Just think about it if all the merchants coming to this town were either looted or killed then they would stop coming. In an extreme case knights would march straight to this forest. But by ensuring the survival of small fly merchants and pruning the wealthier ones, we can ensure that they keep coming.” Caige sounded confident with her explanation. It didn’t matter whether she made that stuff on spot or toyed with its credibility. As long as the other party was satisfied by her argument she wins. It was a tactic that would have always got her out of the most precarious situation.

“Hey filthy swine, how dare you call me a little fly. I will let you know I have been promised two Crown golds for delivering this information.” The merchant said erupting in joy.

Caige understood the meaning of that delighted expression on his face and cursed him.

The merchant had still more to say, “It would seem that we have a wealthy pair in this town who can throw gold coins around. They might be aristocrats with the way they carry themselves. Wouldn’t the Boss of such a giant bandit group would be interested in this kind of information.” The merchant rubbed his hands as if they were itching for more.

“That would be enough from you.” The Boss harshly looked at the merchant and his greediness.

“Don’t make things up which you haven’t seen.” Caige tried forming a protective statement to protect her two guests.

“If you think you are the only smart one here, then you should think again…”

“That would be for me to decide. You can go now.” The Boss looked at the merchant with a dreadful look and turned around.

“And my two Crown gold coins.” The merchant asked absent-mindedly.

“Hand it over…” The Boss said to Caige and Maia. The merchant was happy to hear his deal was in progress.

“We have nothing like that.” Caige replied with some reservations.

“I wouldn’t be so placid or say otherwise, when you see this…” The Boss’s eyes exuding a cold malice that caught Caige’s attention.

The Boss smirked and on a wooden cart that once used to be a fine ride now reduced to a wreckage was being pushed in by one of the bandits. The most notable part was the blood splattered all around the wooden planks and on top rested a person.

He did not move. The body looked old and pale, except for few drops of blood that flowed from the wound in his chest and trickled from his palm. He was cold and dead. Not because of the old age but a huge Seax sword was pierced right through his chest.

“What have you done, you bastards?” Maia cried out as she saw the same old man who so generously gave them a ride back to this village and was an honest member in the group with an equal profit share in the way they did things. She drew out her knives from her leg pockets in defense and transformed into her beast form. Maia let out a battle cry and charged ahead at full speed.

“Stop her now!” The bandits yelled as they rushed to stop Maia getting close to the cart or the Boss.

And like a shadow weaving in through the darkness of the grave walls of the building, Maia closed in on the wrecked carriage. The bandits collected in a round formation in hopes of attacking Maia at once. But to their surprise, Maia leaped so high and reached the backs of the bandit.

“Wha?!” Everyone present was struck dumbfounded. The black shadow skillfully stepped from left to right, and moving at an unbelievable speed difficult for a normal eye to perceive. Thrusting her knives, she dislodged the tip of her knives repeatedly into one of the bandit’s hand and left him immobile. The nearby bandits went to attack in a fluster, but sure enough, they were nothing more than an annoying obstacle to Maia.

The black shadow of Maia’s small body continued to weave in and out through the bandit’s defense and when she left like a gale several small cuts on the bandit’s body dripped with a continuous stream of blood. They slumped to the ground as Maia so efficiently left small cleavages at the most important joints in their arms and legs.

“W-What physical ability...” The bandits in the area swallowed their breaths in fearful awe as some of them started preparing magical attacks from far.

Maia who could smell magic particles circulation in her beast form, easily sidestepped and dodged the magical formation attacks that left devastating burn marks on the ground.

“There’s no way the likes of an animal could overpowe... What?!” The merchant who out of fear started screaming. His mouth fell open in shock as he witnessed what was unfolding before him.

Maia without missing up even the slightest chance to reach the carriage kept on running towards it. In this charge of her she had easily rendered ten bandits to ground and dodged several of their attacks. Finally she reached the carriage with only one hope that the old man could have been still alive. It was his carriage and him sleeping in it should not be something new.

Seeing the dead body Caige went numb, her face became expressionless as she remembered the old man’s wishes of living a happy life with his granddaughter in the countryside far away from this kind of brutality and violence. But now he was a victim to it himself. Caige couldn’t bring herself to move.

Maia who by now had lost all control, defeating most of the bandits and knocking them down reached the old man in hopes of finding him alive. But he was already dead and Maia broke down.

Flashing her knives she went to attack the Boss without thinking twice as the merchant tried to run away.

Maia came closer to the boss and jabbed at him quickly, but in that moment the Boss instinctively took out the Seax sword form the dead body without any reservation of the fountain of red that gushed out at the same time. The Boss entangled the tip of Maia’s knife thrust and parried it off cleanly with a single slash.

Maia who hadn’t given up yet maneuvering herself mid-air, kicking on the ground a second time turned to land another strike with her second knife, while the Boss’s sword was hanging back because of the recoil.

“Move you ugly beast.” Out of nowhere a strong kick caved in as it dissembled Maia’s inner structure and she groaned in pain flying and falling far away crashing into a tree.

“Hwahhhh…” Maia barely able to stand fiercely looked at the merchant and the Boss. A threatening voice called out to her…

“Think before what you do next, beast girl.” A familiar voice rang through Maia’s ears. She looked back and found the older Dalton brother with a huge scar on his face continuing down to the chest which wasn’t there before.

But more importantly Maia noticed that Caige was in his custody as he held a short knife at her neck. Caige’s arm might had been pinned to her back and so would be unable to move.

“You move and she dies.” The person who had taken Caige’s custody threatened Maia.

On just listening that Maia put back her knives predictably.

“Caige run away.” Maia called out as she looked around for escape routes. Alone she might had been able to, but with Caige in his custody, she wouldn’t have left.

Despite the chaos Caige remained silent, and when Maia looked at her face she had a heart-broken expression and she exactly knew why. It was because someone got killed because of their light-half-heartedness and weakness.

“So, they really do have Crown golds in cities. I would have never believed this merchant if I wouldn’t had been seeing them now.” The Boss slashed through the air for the second time and the blood it was enwrapped in now completely littered the ground.

His muscular features around his arm and muscles not to forget in a menacing way he kicked Maia out of his way easily despite her beast transformation. His strength reflecting his years of training and living under unfavourable condition and impulses of killing.

“Hah! Now you know who is the leader of this place! The Dalton brothers would smell out and kill every swine’s like you. And here I thought I could use you as a guard or sell you off to a slave trader when you had served your purpose. Beasts like you are better living inside forest and not in civilized houses like ours.”

The Merchant was highly prejudiced towards demi-humans and his statement brought hatred not only from Maia but also the demi-humans who were recruited in the group of bandits. He decided to stay shut, rather than torn to shreds. It was not difficult to find people like him around the city at the same time.

“…Grrr…” Maia still slumped to the ground scrambled to stand at her place as she directed her blood lust towards the merchant.

“You would like to know how the old man died. He kept on telling that he won’t reveal anything until I had to torture and threaten to disclose his granddaughter’s location in the previous town to these bandits where I booked his carriage. And now he couldn’t keep his mouth shut and every time kept blaming himself and asking for forgiveness from you two. What a waste, but now I will make his wish fulfilled when you two will be killed and he could ask forgiveness directly from you two.”

“You hound!” Maia screamed at the merchant as he wryly smiled.

“So, can I take my share now?” the merchant said, extending a pompous hand to receive the golden coins he dirtied his hands for.

As the Boss was about to hand out the two coins, he took one from Caige and the cart-driver. His hands paused in between.

“How about I keep this in exchange for sparing your life when we first met. And you can leave your item as to show your gratitude to us and leave with your life intact.” The Boss of the bandits laughed and now the joke was on him.

“What? You wouldn’t. I will…”

Swishhhhh….Ghakk….…

Another sword movement and the Seax passed through the intestines of the merchant as he fell on his knees. Blood spilled from his mouth and the light in his green-jaded eyes vanished.

“I can’t trust sly merchants like you who would betray us next by revealing our location to those honourable troublesome knights.” The Boss said holding the dead man’s head in his strong huge hands that spanned through his entire skull. Pulling out the sword, it left another dirty pool of blood on the dampen ground. A second life was gone today and it still brought a heavy feeling to Maia and Caige’s little hearts for watching such gruesome killing in front of them at such a young tender age.

Caige eyes drooped lower as she slowly fainted and lost consciousness in the tight grip of the elder Dalton brother’s grapple.

“Leave Caige, I have already put my weapons away.” Everyone watching started laughing on seeing Maia’s naivety for letting her guard down. Maia on the other handed honestly demanded of her friend’s releasing.

“If you want her back, then bring either the two richies here or a total of twenty thousand Crown gold coins by tomorrow and then take her with you.” The Boss said as he beckoned to his men to bury the two dead bodies like it was an everyday errand for them. The holes on the ground already prepared to be filled before actually having a dead body.

“That’s an absurd amount. We would never be able to pay you for our entire life.”

“That’s the loss you have incurred on us and the debts you owe for the orphanage you belong. If you are not going to pay, I suppose I will just have to sell you off to a rich slave trader we recently made contact with who is in search of young specimen like you.” The Boss declared as he walked away.

Maia looked and finding Caige strangled to a state of unconscious and being dragged away from her.

She was now left alone there. Her friend and truest companion was not by her side and she had no clue as to what to do.

Initially a thought raced through her mind as she tried to wake up. The pain still dormant inside her body it made it difficult for her to move. She might have suffered from an internal bleeding in the worst possible case. But now she was most worried about Caige and the orphanage and her ⸺ promise to Caige and their dream.

She ran back to the town in her beast form, irrespective whether she was able to catch a breath in between or not. She reached Caige’s place, her lungs as if about to burst, she cared not. Usually she would spend days with her in the orphanage but Caige herself used to live in a small hut like house which also served as their planning base.

Opening the wooden door with a spare key she had on her and rolling over the half mat on the ground and when dug a bit deeper into the ground. With Maia’s exceptional strength it was done within a gap of few minutes and a small safe was excavated from it.

With a special combination performing over the lock she opened the safe and several gold and silver coins fell on the floor. It was the emergency money which the two had been collecting from when they formed a team and from their first job.

For once it always seemed to be a dream-like amount. But with the new price on their names, this was just meager change as she threw away the box after emptying it in frustration. With all that money on the ground at most it would account to a one and half Crown Gold.

Tears leaked out from the side of Maia’s eyes realizing how helpless she felt without Caige. But this was one of the times when she needed to keep that trust in her and do something for her like she once did by saving her from slavery.

She remembered the plan that Caige concocted for the tomorrow’s tour of the new pair they recently helped. If she was able to get hold of them, then she might be able to free Caige.

She knew Caige would never approve of such a plan where using other’s solely for personal benefit and not for their dream was a taboo she shouldn’t be breaking.

But Maia had already made up her mind as she realized the sun was about to come out and the morning which might decide their fate would soon pass by. To save their lives and the children at orphanage she was ready to do everything in that limited time frame.

***

A small survey for readers : Since my chapters are lengthy, this time I decided to leave a line after each paragraph. So, which one is more easy on your eyes to read and should I leave a line after each paragraph like this or not. Or, whether the previous view was okay.

Do mention whether you are reading on phone or PC/laptop. I think majority of readers are on phone, but it would be best to have everyone's opinion heard.