“I’d like that too,” Celeste replied and led Twill, Petr, and the kids off into the night.
Kala and Skye gathered their belongings. He rooted through the kitchen for food to bring with them, while she hunted about for useful items like twine and anything else she could find. She had just finished strapping her swords to her back and slinging her bow and quiver when Skye emerged similarly ready to go.
“I don’t suppose you know a way out of the city that isn’t through the gate? It’s most assuredly closed at this time,” Kala asked.
“I do indeed,” Skye replied, happy to be helpful for a change. “Follow me.”
Before they could leave, Kala grabbed him and looked into his eyes pleadingly. “I’m sorry you had to see that side of me. Do you think I’m a monster?”
“You’re not a monster. You’re the most beautiful weapon I’ve ever seen.”
“I don’t want to be a weapon. I just want to be a girl,” she choked.
“You’re both, and you’re the best of both,” he replied and held her in an embrace. “Now, are you going to let me lead us out of here?”
She nodded weakly and held his hand as they walked past the guards’ bodies and out of the alley. He led them to a grate in a quiet side street and pointed to it.
“Oh, no. I don’t remember the way the monks took,” Kala said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I know the way out the seaward side of the city, as long as you have enough torches for me to hunt around a bit.”
“I do,” she responded.
“Good, then help me lift this damn grate.”
They wandered around the sewers for a long while until Skye found the broken gate that let them escape the city. It was still dark, and they fumbled their way over the rocks along the coast, having extinguished their torches before exiting the tunnels into view of the guards on the city walls. They had made their way around the city and past the fields by the time the sun rose in earnest. They were both dead tired.
“I think we should find a spot to stop and light a fire – then we can rest. I have a feeling that the airships that the Church summons only come under cover of darkness; otherwise, we’d have seen one before.
Skye nodded. “This is your world out here. I defer to you.”
Kala found a hollow that they could rest in with stone at their backs and a fire in front of them. She got a smokeless fire going, but they still took turns on watch while the other slept. By afternoon, Kala judged that they were rested enough to travel, and she wanted daylight to find the place that the airship had landed in the ruins. They headed out.
Entering the edge of the ruins, Skye remarked, “I’ve been this way once before when I jumped off the ship.”
“It sounds like you have stories of your own to tell.”
“That I have, but I’ll save them for when you don’t need to concentrate so hard on keeping us alive.”
“You noticed that, did you?”
“You get a cute little crease in your forehead when you concentrate.”
“Shut up,” she laughed and guided them to the circle of cenotaphs.
“This place is creepy as hell,” Skye noted.
“Tell me about it.” She stalked about the stone circle thinking. “Okay – I have theories,” she started.
“We’re standing on the belly of a questionably-dead spider, and you have theories?”
“You thought it looked like that too?”
“More like it feels that way. This place unnerves me,” he replied.
“Okay, back to my theories.” She gestured southward. “I think that the Priestess’s airship headed south, which makes sense if she wanted to make her way west again eventually. I also think that she used some properties of the stones lying around here to call the airship.” Kala bent down to touch one of the stones, but besides its curious lack of moss, it seemed like just a regular stone. “I think the placement of the stones might also serve to give the ship rough directions. See how there are more cenotaphs on the west side of the dais than the east side?” She gestured to the spider legs.
“I’ll take your word for it. I can’t tell west from east.”
“Really? And you’re the map guy?” she asked, shocked.
“Maps are easy. West is left, and east is right.”
“Well, I think we should take our chances and go right then.”
“East over the ocean?” he asked.
“Yup.”
“I’m always up for dying in your arms.”
“Aren’t you confidence-inspiring!”
“How do we call our ride?”
“Let’s roll this stone over to that far cenotaph,” she instructed.
“That’s random. Is that so we get some exercise while you figure out how we actually call an airship?”
“It’s all I have to work with at the moment,” she replied.
Skye shrugged and helped her roll a stone over to the cenotaph she’d chosen. Then they waited. Once it got well and dark, Kala could see a ship descending. She nudged Skye. “Our ride is here.” He struggled to spot it and wound up taking her word for it.
The ship touched down, and its door slid open.
“How’s that for service?” Kala asked.
“Not bad.”
They entered the airship and noted that all of the compartments lay open and empty. There was more space than they had had in the past, but it was still fairly tight. They closed the door behind them, but the ship refused to leave. They open and closed the door a few more times, but they were clearly missing something.
“I think we have to roll that stone away from the cenotaph for it to release the ship,” Kala guessed.
“That means one of us will be outside the ship when we try it. I’m not so sure I like the idea of that.”
“Got any better ideas?”
“I suppose not. Hold the door open for me, just in case,” he said and walked over to the round stone that they’d moved. He had to brace himself against the cenotaph to roll it away. He grunted, and it rolled it several rotations away. He sprinted back to the door of the airship, but needn’t have worried as it rose exceedingly slowly. They closed the door a final time and were pleased to see that several panels slid aside to reveal windows.
“We’re flying in style now!” Skye declared as they drifted upward. “I guess the fact that I can smell the ocean means we’re heading east as planned?”
“We’ll know at first light,” Kala responded and pulled him down to the floor to snuggle into him.
Several days later, they were still huddling together cold and hungry and still flying over the ocean. Kala’s teeth were chattering, and Skye was starting to turn blue. She joked about her ‘blue sky,’ but he was so preoccupied with trying to generate body heat that he didn’t catch her joke. He got up to move about.
“Does the water look like it’s getting closer?” he asked, looking out a window.
Kala walked over and replaced him at the window. “It sort of does,” she replied.
A gust of wind caught the airship and spun it slowly. An island swung into view. As they neared it, Skye could make out a volcano spewing lava into the air.
“That doesn’t look good,” he concluded.
Forest
Forest’s small party continued their trek south. Oriel was too injured to walk, so room was made for him in the cart by everyone’s carrying what they could. They took turns pulling the cart in pairs, and advanced slowly, ever nervous that the forces that had destroyed their village would overtake them.
After many days’ walk, their supplies were almost exhausted. This lightened the weight of the cart and seemed to please most people, but it worried Forest that they would need to find a new home soon, or they would starve. Oriel recovered enough to walk, but not yet enough to help pull the cart or hunt. His wife, Allie, fawned over him, and this at least distracted her from her fear of the woods.
After almost a complete moon of walking, the forest
thinned and gave way to fields. They emerged from the trees and scents that they hadn’t smelled in ages wafted to them. Allie collapsed to the ground crying for joy, and Oriel knelt to hold her. Cera limped forward, her footwear in rough shape after so long a trek.
In the distance lay a town that was tenfold the size of their tiny village. Farmers working in the fields eyed them suspiciously. Most of Forest’s party stared at the scene dumbly – their first contact with people they hadn’t grown up with it. It didn’t feel quite real to them and they struggled to rethink their place in the world. Forest patiently gave them the time to come to terms with their new reality, sharing a knowing look with Kala’s grandfather.
“What are we waiting for?” little Abdi asked, uncomprehendingly, and it seemed to pull everyone out of their thoughts and back to their present circumstance.
Fayre recovered quickest and pointed to the town. “That’s where we should go,” she concluded unnecessarily but giving the signal that they should compose themselves and head to the town to present themselves to its officials. They resumed walking toward the town. They felt the shame at their sorry state and struggled to hold their heads high under the unwelcoming stares of the people working in the fields.
They made it halfway from the forest to the town when they were spotted by a guard, who moved to intercept them. “Follow me,” he commanded them. They complied willingly. Their weary pace slowed the guard, but he added charitably, “At least you’re in better shape than most of the refugees.” They certainly didn’t feel in good shape and felt sorry for whoever else he was referring to.
The guard led them to a makeshift settlement outside the city walls that had sprung up to accommodate people fleeing the violence in the north. A pall of despair hung over the camp. It was crowded and few people had proper shelter. The inhabitants looked up at the new arrivals with morbid curiosity. Children ran barefoot through the muddy pathways that wound between the spaces claimed by various refugees. Cera began to cry for pity.
The guard cleared his throat to get their attention and guided them to a table, at which an official sat waiting. The official thanked the guard and waved him away.
“You are not from here, I gather,” he said.
“That’s correct,” Fayre responded, speaking for their party.
“Just checking,” the man said to himself. He opened a ledger that lay on the table in front of him. “Okay, what do we have here?” he said to himself, looking them over. “Three men, four women, two children – condition ‘fair’,” he concluded.
Forest bristled, and Lily squeezed her shoulder.
The official made some quick notes and closed the ledger. “This camp is for refugees from the north. You are not to leave its confines or enter the town without my express permission. Is that clear?”
Fayre nodded. “Crystal.”
“We don’t have much to spare, but townspeople will bring food out to the camp from time to time. You’ll figure it out. Everybody does,” he concluded. “Any questions?”
“What are you doing to ready the city’s defenses?” Forest piped up.
The official just stared at her like she had two heads.
Fayre explained, “We’re fleeing forces pushing southward. I imagine that’s the story for most people here.”
The man nodded.
“When those forces eventually make it here, what’s your plan?”
“Not my department,” he replied. “Now, if there are no more questions, I’d suggest you find yourself a place somewhere.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of the camp. “It grows more crowded by the day.” They were clearly dismissed, so they turned and headed into the camp.
The guard was correct that most of the people in the camp were in desperate condition. Most were dirty, emaciated, and looking wholly dispirited. Many simply lay on the ground, preserving what little strength remained in them. Fayre led their party through the camp until they found an empty spot large enough to accommodate them. People eyed their cart hungrily, despite no food remaining in it. Calix tightened his grip on it as he wheeled it along.
“This place is so sad,” Lily thought out loud.
“These people are alive,” Fayre countered. “Remember that.”
They began arranging themselves in their new home. Now that logistics became the focus again, Fayre deferred to Forest. “What can I do?” she asked. Forest had her help construct a firepit and sent Will and Kala’s grandfather back to the woods to collect firewood.
Sketchy characters sauntered by to check out the new arrivals. Calix puffed out his chest, and one of them chuckled but moved on. Allie grabbed Oriel by the arm. “I don’t like it here,” she told him.
“It’s okay – it’s only temporary,” he replied and put an arm around her.
Forest cringed, thinking that he was right, but not in a good way. Eventually, Soren’s forces would find them here, and they’d have to flee anew.
Once organized, they sat huddled by their fire and wondered what would become of them.
Forest spent all her time hunting and foraging in the woods. Luckily for her party, very few of the other refugees had any skill or comfort in the woods, and she found that they hadn’t been entirely cleared of game and other edibles as she feared they might have been. The other refugees in the camp seemed to content themselves with the meager staples provided by the townsfolk or braved the guards patrolling the fields to steal what they could under the cover of darkness. This strained the already tense relations with the townsfolk.
Soon enough, Oriel was well enough to join Forest hunting, and together they were able to provide enough game for their party to supplement what the townsfolk provided. When Forest brought down a deer, Lily and Calix moved through the camp, providing meat to the people who looked to be in the sorriest condition. More often than not, it was the children, and it broke Lily’s heart.
Calix guarded their spot in the camp against its more unsavory tenants and kept a constant watch over the treeline, clinging to the faint hope that his father had not perished with the village. People did emerge from time to time, but never his father – until the day he did. Calix spotted a ragtag group emerge from the trees, and something about them caught his eye. They were led by a burly redhead with a thin man at his side who carried a small child. Calix abandoned his post and made his way toward them. Something about the man holding the child made him speed up. As he got closer, the man began to resemble his father more and more, and Calix threw pride to the wind and sprinted for him. He stopped in front of him and couldn’t quite believe that he stood before his father, Emrys.
“You’re alive,” was all he could manage to say and embraced his father fiercely.
“Don’t crush the child,” Emrys said but held his son equally tightly.
The remainder of their party emerged from the woods. There were perhaps thirty people from their village and another twenty that had the look of warriors from the north. Calix looked nervously at them.
His father released Calix from their embrace and noticed his son’s unease. “It’s okay, they’re with us. We wouldn’t be alive were it not for them,” he said.
Calix turned to the redheaded leader. “I’m in your debt, then.”
“My pleasure,” the man replied. “I’m Jarom,” and offered his hand.
Calix took it. “Calix,” he replied. “Let me show you the way to our little plot.”
“Is Forest with you?” Jarom asked anxiously.
“Yes. You could say that we wouldn’t be alive were it not for her,” Calix replied.
“Good girl,” Jarom replied, smiling wide. “Is her sister with her?”
Calix raised an eyebrow suspiciously, suddenly protective of his friends. “Yes, Lily is with us – why?”
“It’s just good to have family together,” he replied, clasping Calix’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t you say?” he said, looking to Emrys.
Calix relaxed but remained wary. “Let me show you the way,” he said. He took the y
oung girl from his father’s arms.
“Lead on,” Jarom replied good-naturedly and turned to have a word with his kin.
Calix led them to the official at the check-in table. The man looked even more nonplussed than usual with this large influx, but as Jarom laid his axe on the table, he swallowed hard and remained silent. He took his census and waved them on under Calix’s direction.
Calix escorted Emrys and Jarom’s party to their camp. Everyone happened to be present – even Forest and Oriel were back from their most recent hunt. Calix walked up with his father in tow. There was a moment of shocked silence, then a flurry of tears and hugs.
“How?” Fayre asked Emrys.
“This gentleman here,” Emrys replied, calling Jarom over.
“You overstate our role,” he deflected, but he only had eyes for Forest.
Her eyes went wide at the sight of her uncle, and her heart leaped, but she looked over at her sister nervously. Jarom picked up on her signal and nodded to her.
“Hardly,” Emrys continued. “Jarom and his people fought to cover our retreat from the village, then kept us alive on the way here.”
“Happy to help,” Jarom replied humbly, then begged his leave to organize his people.
Forest took her sister by the arm. “We need to talk,” she told her.
“Sure,” Lily replied, waiting.
“Not here. Come with me,” Forest said cryptically.
Cera looked up, concerned.
“We won’t be long,” Forest assured her, and Cera nodded her assent.
Forest led Lily to where Jarom was setting up camp. Nara spotted Forest and jumped to her feet. Jarom shot her a stern glance, and she restrained herself.
“Do you have a moment?” Forest asked Jarom.
“For you, I have all the time in the world,” he replied.
“Sit down, Lily,” Forest ordered her sister gently but firmly.
Lily sat down, confused, and Forest and Jarom joined her. Nara hovered.
“Lily…” Forest began. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. I’d like you to meet your uncle,” she said, gesturing to an expectant Jarom.
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