Fallen Angels (Dystopian Child Prodigy SciFi) (The Unmaker Series Book 2)

by Casey Herzog

  Chapter Ten

  The fire was crackling and my father had brought along some food. There was no need to hunt down some defenseless creature in the night when we weren’t even sure what living things inhabited the forest outside the community walls. There were sightings of things with wings circling the area, but nothing was approaching too closely.

  Most reports of what was seen happened after indulging in way too many drinks at a local watering hole. One drink could make you forget your name. I once had one sip and lost time for the next three days before getting a semblance of normalcy.

  “I know we’ve never done this before, daughter, but this has always been considered taboo. It’s unpredictable out here, and we cannot conduct ourselves without thinking about all the variables. We’ve all heard the stories and the looming shadow above tells me there is a slice of truth, if you’re willing to look for it.” I heard a strange squeal and looked above to see something circle like it was getting ready for the chance to pick at our bones.

  “I’ve brought everything I think we will need to get to the top of the mountain. We can’t use magic, and those who have tried have done themselves a disservice. The mountain prevents anybody from using outside influences other than their own unique skill set.”

  I tore into the meat with my teeth like some sort of Neanderthal, and there was nothing delicate about my approach. There was something freeing and liberating about getting in touch with our ancestor’s roots.

  “Your mother was quite an avid hiker, and she liked to stay out overnight from time to time. I think it was her bravery and stupidity all rolled into one that made her a package worth pursuing,” my father said before pausing to take a breath.

  “I don’t know about you, but I have been thinking about her more often these days. She would have made sure we never lost touch with one another. I’m sure wherever she’s at, she’s shaking her head in disbelief at how we’ve been blind to each other’s needs.”

  I wanted my father to be around and I wasn’t sure if it was too little too late. My mother was that buffer between us; without her around we had become strangers.

  Some have seen some amazing light shows, but it was only hearsay. It did fascinate some of us to believe we were not alone. I actually staked out the wall one night to get a glimpse of the sightings, but nothing materialized. I didn’t tell my father or my mother about sneaking out and doing this once a month because I had nothing to show for it.

  “I had no idea my mother was a camper. I imagine she got some dirty looks from the older generation. It’s a risky endeavor; only those with less than a sound mind would even attempt such a feat.”

  “My heart is pounding and we both need to meditate before we venture too far off the beaten path.”

  I didn’t want to bother him and I wasn’t looking for anything more than conversation. My father assumed the position, curling his legs beneath him. I followed him and watched his breathing to find the necessary exercise to slow my pulse from racing.

  “I sent out two of the drones to get the lay of the land, and they made it to the mountain before being interrupted by some sort of interference. I tried to get the signal back, but it was lost, which only confirms my suspicion there is more here than we realize.”

  Another, and another had joined the shadow above, until there were at least four of them watching our every move. The huge shadows stretching across the ground were courtesy of our fire illuminating them, but they were smaller than they appeared. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say they were young and impressionable.

  “You shouldn’t give them any opening because we don’t know how they will react. Keeping close to one another will help us to determine what kind of threat they are. I have made my assessment, and I believe them to the descendants of the ‘fire’. I see the proof staring us in the face.” I saw the fire streak across the sky in various colors. It should’ve been terrifying, but I was more interested in what the purpose behind the exercise was.

  “They are only babies. You can’t fault them for finding us curious to watch from above. I’m sure they will report their findings back to their parents. They might come with a bit more force than fire streaking across the sky.”

  They were young and they were just trying to find their way the best way they knew how. The rumors of the ‘fire’ being real were compounded by it having a family. It had never occurred to anyone before, but maybe everything it was doing was primarily an example of how a parent would look after a child.

  “I don’t mind their curiosity, but that’s as far as I want to take getting to know them. All these thoughts you have about them is nothing compared to how their parents will react when they make our acquaintance. I don’t want to listen to any kind of negativity.”

  His thinking was antiquated and trying to bring me down was only making me fight even harder for the rights of any living and breathing creature.

  “I would have a deep discussion with them, but I fear they would inadvertently kill me without even realizing what they were doing.” I casually looked up from time to time in quiet awe of their ability to take flight and bring the full power of nature with them.

  “I’m going to douse the fire with the darkness swallowing us up until morning. Keep an eye on our friends since there’s no telling what they are going to do. We may as well stand and ready ourselves for whatever battle comes upon us.”

  My father was giving me reason to trust his judgment. The basic behavior of human nature was one of his strong suits. Most creatures living and breathing had a certain way they needed to follow, and my father had studied evolution.

  “I would say they didn’t like our fire because they weren’t responsible for setting it. We’ve become a mild annoyance, and hopefully, we won’t be seeing them again. They have flown away, but what will bring them back is a scary thought indeed. We just need to remain vigilant, which will mean one of us sleeping and the other one standing guard. I’m more than happy to take first watch.” I wanted to prove to him that I could do it and there was no reason to leave me out of the loop.

  “You’ve shown some real initiative. This is something more than most kids can accomplish. I never told you about the story of the banished. Magic had a bad reputation and some took advantage of their power over others. They didn’t have the right kind of family structure to keep them grounded. They fed on peer pressure like it was a drug. I think I should have thought about that before I kept you at a distance.”

  This was a story I needed to know more about, but I wasn’t sure how much my father was ready to reveal.

  The creatures above had vanished leaving behind the moon to make it easier for us to see what we were doing.

  “You say that like it’s something to be ashamed of. I know there were people not very accepting of those with magic and they would watch them carefully for strange behavior. I can only assume punishment was given when it was deemed appropriate on a case by case basis.”

  I was digging in a little deeper and learning of the banished. I had this feeling it might give me more insight.

  “We promised never to speak of the subject again, but they aren’t here to make sure I keep my mouth shut. The kids really didn’t know what they were doing, and I didn’t blame them for acting out, but I was the minority. I tried to make them see reason, but I was outvoted. We sent them away, stripping them of their magic with their unavoidable screams. They suffered because of our inability to accept their faults. We didn’t take an active role in their development.”

  I remembered the vision Damien had given me of the flower and the mountain. It hurt him and sent his recovery back with his mind withdrawing in on itself. I couldn’t help to blame myself for his predicament.

  “I’ve seen you fight for what you believe in. I imagine they had a hard time preventing you from intervening. I wouldn’t expect anything different. I only wish you could’ve shown me some of the same when mother died. She was gone and I had nobody to turn to other than the influenc
e of magic. You probably thought I was old enough to secure my legacy, but I was still young and I really didn’t know the full scope of what I was getting myself into.” Having these heart-to-hearts had opened up the pathways of communication and allowed us to say what was on our mind.

  “You have to believe me. I never meant to hurt you, and it kills me every time I think about leaving you out in the cold.”

  It was what he wanted. He wanted me to be strong enough to be my own woman. I still remembered the many poignant messages he had given me throughout my life. They were ingrained into my psyche, and I would pull out each little nugget from time to time to live by.

  “I know you meant no harm, but you did pull away from me. We weren’t very close, but I thought after she was gone we would become best friends. It’s too bad that only recently we have come to some understanding about how each of us felt during those tumultuous times.”

  I was lying beside him on the ground, conserving body heat and listening for any sign of unexpected visitors. I didn’t think our friends would be back, but it was in the back of my mind. I couldn’t help to think how vulnerable we were and how fragile our bodies would be during an attack from the sky.

  “I’ve watched you very carefully. You’ve grown into a remarkable young woman. You still make mistakes, but we all find ourselves flat on our back and we always find a way to persevere. It’s a cycle, and one I don’t want you to repeat. We’ve all been where you are.”

  I found my independence, but it was given to me at a price I didn’t want to pay. My father had been under the impression that tough love was the only kind of love.

  “Let’s forget about that for the time being and get back to the banished.” I tried to change the subject and found his unwillingness to speak was followed by a very deep breathing.

  “I hope you’re sleeping and not just pretending to get out of talking to me about this. I’m not going to forget about this and neither should you. It might be a painful time in our people’s past, but we need to embrace it and make up for what has been done to others.” I could’ve easily been one of the banished, and I had acted out for no good reason other than to get my father’s attention.

  I was lucky the Elders didn’t see me since I tried to fly underneath their radar when associating with others like myself. It made it harder for them to navigate those waters. I got in touch with who I was without being held to the fire for my actions by my father.

  This journey had one purpose, but there was an unexpected side effect: letting me get to know my father on a friendly basis. He was my father, and the one thing I couldn’t change was my family. The blood running through his veins was running through my own, and that was something I was starting to embrace. I wanted his approval, no matter how high the bar was raised. I wouldn’t quit until I got it.

  I turned to see my shadow tiger sniffing the air like it suspected something was coming. It stood sentry with me until it was time to rouse my father to take his watch. I was tempted to discuss the banished once more, but we had all the time in the world. Opportunities are meant to grab when they appear, and I was wrong to think this one wasn’t going to come around again. My father was great at dodging an issue by throwing himself into his work and never coming up for air until he needed to eat.

  Chapter Eleven

  The air was getting a little harder to breathe, and I’d lost my footing a few times with my heart in my mouth. We were using these axes and climbing sticks for the more treacherous of the inclines. We had come to a point where it was a flat wall for almost 400 feet vertically straight up.

  “I would call on the power of magic, but I can’t and neither can you. Here, magic is forbidden and we can’t lift a finger without attracting a bad element. It is said there are those awaiting the arrival of power so they can consume it for their own.”

  I didn’t want to begin to think what that meant.

  “Let’s talk about the banished. I admit to being curious to learn more. I have an eye witness in you, and I’m not going to let this go,” I said as he turned to find me waiting for an answer.

  “The time of the banishment was dark, and there was a hold on the community like a knife up against its throat. I sometimes feel complicit for what happened because my voice was not strong enough to be heard, but I was one in a sea of doubt.” He took a deep breath and stabbed forth his axe as I watched completely in stunned silence as he traversed the flat wall.

  He was leaving me a safe passage, but it was a risk he had to take. “I don’t want you to think of anything other than your own safety. I would think that was second nature, but you sometimes surprise me. There is a light in all of this darkness since we have rediscovered our relationship, once damaged severely. You’re not the only one to blame; I could’ve made you aware of my feelings without acting out for no good reason.”

  I was not sure if this was the time or place to get into a debate, especially with him hanging by his fingertips and willing himself forward without turning back to see what kind of fall was waiting for him.

  “It was a good idea for the both of us to be here for each other. Talking to you takes my mind off of plummeting to my death. I also feel rewarded for this time to reconnect with you. There has always been a rift between us, even when your mother was around. She sometimes found herself protecting you from me. She didn’t want you to be a part of magic, and I thought it was cruel of her to keep you stunted. We both loved you, but we went about it in vastly different ways.”

  The wind was mild, but climbing in a vertically challenging atmosphere was made worse by even the slightest breeze.

  There were momentary gusts, which had him letting go of the axe and hanging precariously. I would have gladly changed places with him, but he was doing this in an effort to show me his fatherly respect.

  “I don’t want to put you on the spot, but maybe there’s more to the story than you have led me to believe. It doesn’t seem right to leave the next generation in the dark. It leaves us open to making the same mistakes of your generation. There is no acceptance without fear, and we both know the only way to conquer it is by facing it.”

  I was going to wait to start my climb until he made the summit so he could watch me and give me necessary guidance. It was a slow agonizing climb, and for the next 20 minutes, there was deathly silence of impending doom in the air. I saw something out of my peripheral vision, and I turned to see darkness there one second and gone the next.

  “I was hoping we could have retrieved the flower by using one of the drones, but I should’ve known technology was not going to make much of a difference in this regard. I found pieces of them this morning, and several of them were charred beyond recognition. I brought along some tools, but I need something to work with.”

  He stopped talking as his fingers were slipping. All I could do was stare open mouthed and hope that he could find a way to gain his grip. He had changed his tactic and instead of talking about the banished, he reverted to what was at hand. He breathed a sigh of relief, and I could see the color in his face shift from something you would see in a ghostly apparition.

  I had my axe in hand, and I pushed the blade into the very same hold he had left for me. I felt my feet come off the ground and I was using most of my upper body, which wasn’t easy with my obvious weight disadvantage.

  The holes I made widened the gap enough to get a foothold. I didn’t have to resort to relying on only the upper portion of my anatomy. However, it was still a perilous climb, and one I wouldn’t want to wish on my worst enemy. I felt like I was doing something extraordinary by taking a huge leap of faith for my friend Damien. It wasn’t even certain this was going to work, but I was willing to throw myself at a possible solution.

  “The banished were sent out beyond the walls without their magic to fend against whatever they might come across. It was believed by my generation they would somehow survive the trials awaiting them. They would face the obstacles and come back stronger for it. Had we known then what we kn
ow now, we would’ve done things differently.” I was listening to the story of the banished while keeping a watchful eye on my hand holds to prevent slipping into the ether.

  The wind was getting stronger and I was not what you would call a proficient climber. I wasn’t even much of a tomboy growing up, except for when it suited my purposes to make the boys look bad.

  “Everybody makes mistakes, father, and it’s what we do after we learn from them that makes the most difference. I’m afraid to ask what happened to the banished. Did you ever see them again, or were they lost forever as some kind of footnote in history?”

  I was getting closer, but I had to flatten myself against the wall when the wind was at its strongest. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear some hidden force was trying to prevent me from reaching where my father was waiting for me.

  There were black marks on the rock, and touching them were warm against my fingertips. They were fairly recent, and most likely came from the creatures we had seen in passing last night.

  It was obvious my father had avoided those hot spots, but it still left me with a curiosity to learn more. The next axe strike was off the mark; it was lucky I was still holding onto the other one. I leaned back, but letting go meant an untimely end to my life, which was something I was not interested in. I was just getting my life back, and I had no interest in letting the mountain get the best of me.

  “I know you can do this, daughter, because you have my DNA and your mother’s spirit combined into an unstoppable force. It’s the only reason you were influenced by the magic eyes and the darker arts. I should have prepared you, but I was still healing and unable to reach out without attracting the unnecessary attention of the Elders and the Guardians. I needed Jasper to think I was dead, but I never took into consideration how it was going to make you feel. Your whole world was crumbling down around you and I was to blame. You have no idea how much I regret leaving you to think I was dead, but I knew it was the only way to keep them off my tail.” He was seeing things through my eyes and feeling remorse for letting me down.