Chromeheart

by Alia Hess

  The lights behind them eventually faded from view and they slowed to a jog. After a while, they reached a small ranch town Gentlewave called Battlebury. There wasn’t an inn, but Corvin bribed the owner of the town’s bar to let them spend the night in the business’ vacant loft. Once he flashed several thick aluminum rectangles stamped with 500T, she didn’t seem too worried about them drinking her inventory.

  Sasha dropped his pack on the wood-planked floor and sighed. We’re not dead.

  Dusty, her face pinched, climbed onto a narrow bed against the wall and pulled her sleeping bag around her. Before he could squeeze onto the mattress next to her, Corvin assaulted him with a bear hug.

  “Sasha, you’re amazing, you know that? You and Gentlewave saved us all.”

  Sasha hugged him back. Corvin’s complexion was pallid, save for a bright pink flush on his cheeks from running. His eyes still held fright, but his mouth was pulled into a wide grin.

  “Well, sort of my fault highwaymen heard us. Had to rescue Dusty and I make too much noise.”

  Corvin shook his head. “You had to do what you had to do. And I’m glad Dusty is okay. You’re a great escort.” He hugged Sasha again.

  “Er, thanks.” He gestured to the drone. “But Irina here did all the work. And Gentlewave too. We would be dead for sure without him.”

  “Yes, you’re right!”

  Gentlewave leaned against the wall near the loft’s window, arms folded and face tired. He smiled weakly at Sasha. Corvin turned to Gentlewave and threw his arms around him. Gentlewave stiffened, then patted Corvin on the back.

  “Thank you, Gentlewave!”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Dewbell hugged Gentlewave as well, which made his smile grow. He kissed her forehead. “We’re heading to Cadestown next.” She beamed and clasped her hands together.

  “Good. Nice safe town, yeah?” Sasha climbed onto the bed with Dusty. There was barely room for the two of them, but right now, he preferred it that way. He slid his arms around her warm torso. She pushed closer to him and gave him a kiss.

  “You okay?”

  “I hate bridges.” She pressed her forehead to his, sporting a scowl.

  “I know. Me too now.”

  After a bit of nuzzling and an agreement that “Dusty Island” wouldn’t contain any bridges, Sasha sat up. The others had bedded down as well, but it was hard to believe anyone would easily fall asleep tonight. He whispered anyway. “Going to lay on floor now. No room for me to sleep, and I don’t want to elbow your nose in the night.”

  “I don’t want to sleep alone. I’ll sleep down there with you.” She pulled off the sleeping bag. “Here, zip this to yours.”

  Sasha combined their sleeping bags, and Dusty joined him on the floor. All of them in this little attic in their sleeping bags, moonlight splayed over the paneled wood ceiling, reminded him of childhood sleepovers—nights spent eating too much ice cream and watching movies he wasn’t old enough to see.

  “Want to hear joke?”

  Dusty snorted. “You mean you’ve been holding out on me? I figured you used them all up in the first week we met.”

  “No. I got good one. Real dirty. Um…” He frowned. “Shit. I don’t know how to tell in American.”

  Dusty laughed.

  “That was not joke, baby.”

  “Ya tebya lyublyu,” she whispered.

  Sasha cocked an eyebrow. “You trying to start something with me right now? Don’t be tease. There are too many people in here.”

  “I was only saying, ‘I love you.’ Not everything has to be dirty, Sasha.”

  “Says you.” He nuzzled closer to her softness, satisfied to stay that way forever. “Ya tebya lyublyu.”

  He awoke in goosebumps, lying on the cold floor. Dusty snored contentedly, the entire sleeping bag wrapped around her. Instead of wrestling it away, he stood and yawned, rubbing his arms. Blankets sat near the door—he just had to find them in the dark. Sasha crept across the squeaky floor, eyes adjusting, and retrieved a blanket. Dewbell lay on a bed, her blonde hair peeking above her sleeping bag; Corvin slept on the floor nearby. Gentlewave’s sleeping bag was empty.

  The Islander sat on a box near the window, holding a ceramic mug. Grey, early morning light painted him with soft shadows.

  Sasha wrapped himself in the blanket and sat on a box opposite him. “You wake up early.”

  “I didn’t sleep much last night.”

  “Yeah, that shit with highwaymen was scary, huh?”

  “I’ve never had anything like that happen before. Never with Lucky. There were times we had to protect people from things, but we never led them straight into danger like I did.” Gentlewave took a sip from his mug.

  Sasha pulled his mouth to one side, then shrugged. “Well, we are safe anyway. Nobody hurt. I think you are good escort.”

  Gentlewave huffed.

  “And hey, we can still use drone to look at land ahead if you want, like I say before. Should be able to see everything.”

  “That may be a good idea, I suppose. I want all of us safe on Nis.”

  “Yeah, me too. Don’t know if me and Dusty going to live there, but visit for sure… You worried about going to there? Haven’t been there in long time, right?”

  “Trav was pretty reassuring that things are different now, but I still have my reservations. I miss my home though, and with Elder Redcloud gone, I don’t think I’ll have the same problems I had in the past.” Gentlewave took another sip of his drink, leaning against the wall. “Do you know about Islanders’ naming quests?”

  “Uh, yeah. Sort of. You go to Mainland with sacred mushrooms, right? Then you eat mushrooms, have vision, and go home? Then the Elder give you name.”

  “Right. That’s the Nisian quest.” Gentlewave took another ceramic mug from his belongings, then picked up a tea kettle nearby. He poured the contents into the mug and handed it to Sasha. “The other islands have different ones. Nisians aren’t really supposed to talk about the vision they receive, but they all do. Most people have visions of home—ocean waves, seashells, fish, birds—that sort of thing. So their names end up reflecting that. Want to know my vision?”

  Sasha sipped the hot bitter tea and nodded.

  Gentlewave stroked one of his long black braids, his hard face growing wistful. “A great beast. Some ferocious thing. I think it was a vision of something from The South. I’ve never heard of anyone having a vision like that. I was so excited to tell Elder Redcloud and get a name to reflect that.”

  “But your name is Gentlewave.”

  Lines stacked up Gentlewave’s forehead. “Yes. My name should have related to my vision. Instead, Redcloud decided to give me a name that he thought reflected my sexual orientation. Alluding that because I’m gay, I must be weak and feminine and gentle.” He scowled and shook his head. “I was so disgusted that I left and never returned.”

  Steam swirled from Sasha’s tea as he drew his mouth tight. He stared into the cup. “Redcloud sounds like real douchebag.”

  Gentlewave laughed.

  “So you don’t like your name. Why not use nickname? You could give yourself any tough monster name you want. Trav is nickname. So is Sasha. And Dusty.”

  “I’ve come to accept my name for what it is. I can be tough. I can be gentle too. Depends on who I’m dealing with.”

  “Dewbell going to live with you when we get to Nis?”

  “No. We agreed on separate houses. She’s tired of living with someone else. This will be good for her. Dewbell never liked Hammerlink and has too many bad memories there. Her life’s been rough, but she tries not to show it.”

  “I think all you guys have rough life. Deserve to be happy. You think you can find nice man on Nis, or it will be hard to do?”

  Gentlewave’s mouth curled into a smile. “I don’t think it will be as easy as Hammerlink, but Trav told me he’s got a cousin I might hit it off with.”

  “Hey, that’s great. I been thinking lot about my ornery girl over t
here.” He turned his head; Dusty was still snoring. His smile faded a bit. “Do you think—”

  Corvin yawned. “Morning.” He sat up, his normally perfect hair a rumpled mess. “You guys having poignant, life-pondering conversations without me?”

  “Something like that,” Gentlewave replied.

  Corvin stood. He looked at Dewbell with a smile, then pulled up a box. “Mind if I sit here, or am I butting in?”

  “I think Sasha wanted to—”

  “No. It’s okay.” Sasha frowned. “Nevermind.”

  Gentlewave retrieved another ceramic mug. Corvin rubbed his arms, looking around. “Cold in here.” He pawed through his backpack. “I have a better shirt in here somewhere. Been wearing this one for, like, three days. You believe that?”

  He removed his shirt. Circular pink burn scars covered his chest and shoulders, punctuated here and there with ropy white slashes. Sasha’s mouth dropped open. Corvin followed his gaze, bottom lip pulling up. “Sorry.” He retrieved a new shirt and donned it. “I forget they’re even there.”

  Sasha shook his head. “I’m sorry. Wasn’t trying to stare. I’d show you mine, but I already did… Highwaymen do that to you?”

  “Among other things.” He smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeves, then gave Sasha a false grin. “At least they left my pretty face alone, huh?”

  Sasha shared a frown with Gentlewave, stomach heavy. “I’m sorry, Corvin.”

  Corvin shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. “So, Sasha, about those shoes you want… I was thinking, since I don’t have tools to make them from scratch, we could buy a pair and modify them. I was also thinking we need shoes like those when we get to Nis.” He gestured to Gentlewave’s rope sandals. “I want the whole Islander experience. The clothes. The house. Fishing. It’s going to be great!”

  Audio File 34|November 26, 2172|Length: 00:46

  Taking long time to walk to Cadestown, but we are almost there. I have too much time to think about stuff. I keep thinking about Dusty and our future. I’m worried nothing going to make her happy. She loves me, but when I ask her to tell me more about her dream future, she gets mad. Tells me to forget it and says… says “whore” don’t get normal, happy life. [sigh] I don’t know how to help. I am big screw-up. I think the way things is going is not good enough. She need better. But maybe I’m over-thinking.

  So, me and Corvin are friends now. Hang out a lot. Seems weird to say, but he has been good guy. And I keep thinking about all his scars. I guess I feel bad for him now that I know him better. All of us are better friends now, since we been traveling so long.

  Audio File 36|December 09, 2172|Length: 00:42

  We got to Cadestown today. It is not as big as Hammerlink, but really crowded. Dewbell is happy to be in her birth city. I tell her thoughts I been having about Dusty and she get real mad and smacked me on the arm. Told me not to say nothing to her or I am going to mess everything up. Said I am idiot. I don’t know anymore… Is Dusty happy with me? Is it enough? Dewbell say yes, and Dusty say yes, but I don’t get that feeling. I don’t know if she really need something better, or I just feel like I am not enough right now. Spending too much time on road and not having future plan—that I know she want—is driving me crazy. Maybe I should just tell her what I been thinking…

  18 ~ Buttons, Beads, Rings, and Things ~

  The sky, bright blue and cloudless, held Sasha’s attention as he sat at a rest stop picnic table with a hot-pink puffy coat pulled around him. Dusty insisted he looked like a wad of Corvin’s gum in the thing, but he was warm—and besides, pink was his favorite color. Silver studs embellished the toes of his new blue boots, and Corvin liked to remind him how hard it was to get the dye to show on leather. They were certainly a far cry from what they had looked like when he bought them in Cadestown.

  Dusty sat opposite Sasha, carving her name into the table with a knife. Gentlewave leaned against a ramshackle brick building fixing one of his unravelled braids. Corvin and Dewbell were likely necking in the nearby trees.

  Burr, the next point on their trip, lay a week to the northwest. Sasha had tried emailing Irina several times, but the only address he had for her—hosted by the Priyut servers—wasn’t working. He hadn’t received any emails from Priyut in many months. Maybe they’d switched servers—or his account had been blocked.

  Sunlight shimmered on Dusty’s shorn head as she scraped a “Y” into the table and set down her knife. She looked at him and smiled.

  Do it now. Tell her.

  Sasha removed his coat and wiped sweat from his brow.

  “‘Bout time you took that thing off. Besides, I can warm you up if you get cold.” She winked.

  Sasha bit his lip. “Dusty… I been thinking lot about what you want for happy life—”

  She rolled her eyes. “Please drop this. I don’t want to talk about my ‘perfect life’ anymore. I don’t know what will make me happy. We can talk about it once we get to Nis. We’ll see how we like the island and if it’s no good, we can build a house somewhere else.”

  “Well, I think I figured out what you need, though.” I hope. “Had to look up translation because I didn’t know American word, but… I think you want stability, yeah? Security. Want to be safe and always have good place to be. Not have to worry about stuff. I don’t think guarding job going to give you that.”

  “I’m never going to be normal like those people in Hammerlink. Even with the money and a new house. So why even try? Escorting people is a good job. It’s better than trading.”

  “But I know you don’t like it too much. It’s scary sometimes. You don’t need to do it just because you think ‘somebody like you’ got to have that job. You are worth lot more than you think, baby. And so we are not normal. Who cares? You think we would have awesome friends like Dewbell and Gentlewave and Corvin if we were normal? They aren’t normal too. But that don’t mean we can’t have happy life. And I think house is good start. We can live wherever you want and build nice home. And no more escort jobs unless that is really what you want to do.”

  Dusty folded her arms and looked away.

  “Also, I have idea. I know that, um…” His heart thudded so hard he was afraid the implant wouldn’t be enough to keep him from passing out.

  “Yeah?”

  “I know that we been together for only, like, eight months—and two months of that I was asleep in hospital—but, maybe, not right now, but some time in future, we could—um—we could—” Sasha pulled in a breath. “Dusty, you want to marry me?”

  Her eyes grew wide and suddenly teemed with tears. She put her hands over her mouth, face contorting.

  “I am crazy guy and would marry you tomorrow, but Dewbell made me promise to wait like, six months from now, and is probably good idea. I know it don’t change things that happen to you in past. My love not going to fix you. But maybe you feel more safe and happy if I am your husband and with you forever? Not just the weird Russian you travel around with?”

  She stood from the table and threw her arms around Sasha, bawling.

  “Uh, is this yes?”

  “Yes.” Her voice quavered. “Did you get me a ring?”

  He laughed. “Yeah. ‘Course.” He fished his Cadestown market purchase from his jean pocket and opened the drawstring bag. The gold band inside, fitted with a small clear stone the merchant insisted was “not glass,” grew sweaty in his hand as Dusty cried harder.

  Dewbell, Gentlewave, and Corvin stood beside the brick building. Dewbell pulled her mouth up in an irritated smile. She cocked an eyebrow and held up six fingers. Sasha nodded.

  Dusty pulled back, looking up at him with wet cheeks. “Well, are you going to do it right, or what?”

  “What you mean?”

  Her gaze went to their friends, then back to him. “Get down on your knee! Everyone is watching.”

  “Oh. Right.” He tried to calm his quickened breath as he took Dusty’s hand and knelt in the grass. “Dusty, will you marry me?”

  “
Yes.”

  Sasha slipped the ring on her finger with a shaking hand. Applause erupted from the treeline, and she kissed Sasha hard. He grinned. “At first, I only had this idea to make you happy, but more I thought about it, more I wanted you to be my wife. I’m so happy you say yes. I love you so much.”

  Her plump lips pulled into a simper. “I love you too.”

  “You know what this mean, though, right? Your last name going to be Roborovskiy. Better learn how to say it.”

  Dusty nodded. “Better than Daughter. At least I’ll have a real last name now.”

  Sasha put his hand to the back of Dusty’s head and pressed his mouth to hers. After a bit more kissing than was probably appropriate with onlookers, Sasha pulled back and grinned. Corvin ran up and clasped his hands together. “Dusty, I’ve never made a wedding dress. Will you let me make yours? Please?”

  She laughed. “Okay.”

  “Congratulations, kids!” Corvin threw his arms around them. “This is so exciting!”

  Gentlewave smiled, arms folded. Dewbell signed and he said, “Dewbell says you two are made for each other, but don’t be reckless about this. Marriage is commitment and hard work, and she wants you to wait and do this right. Six months, Sasha.”

  “I promise again, baby. Don’t want to mess anything up.”

  Dewbell smiled and gave Sasha a squeeze. She kissed his cheek, hugged Dusty, and signed.

  Gentlewave said, “She says she doesn’t want Corvin to have all the fun and wants to help plan things too. By the way, I don’t know if you’re going to do it on Nis, but most Islanders have no idea what a wedding is, so you’re going to have a hard time getting things for it there. You’ll probably also have a lot of curious villagers who will want to come to the ceremony.”

  “That is okay with me.”

  Corvin slung an arm around Dewbell. “We’ll take care of decorations, don’t worry.”

  Sasha cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, but Corvin, you make some painting with blood and rotting pig heads for our wedding and I’m going to kill you.”