And the wind did pick up until it was whipping around them. Chloe tied her shawl around her ears to keep her sanity. The gale cut out their conversation since the words seemed to be swallowed up as soon as they were uttered. Instead, Chloe kept herself going with the hope that had taken root inside of her head. The longer we’re on the road together, she plotted, the more chance I have of making him understand that he loves me. She couldn’t reconcile the risk he’d taken to be with her as the result of mere friendship.
Their ride took them through several desolate and forlorn remnants of civilization ravaged by the past wars. Many of the remaining farm buildings were abandoned, and some had bullet holes in their walls. These structures were most likely left to ruin after the war of reorganization that had decimated the population before an uneasy truce had been declared. However, nothing impressed Chloe as much as riding through a former city that had dared to defy the Drakonin during the Rift War, which had eventually led to the Reorganization.
The city was nearly completely blackened. The charred structural remnants of buildings stood like carbonized skeletons in the sun. The horses’ hooves crushed the charcoal with a crunching sound as they rode through the desolation. All this has been caused by dragon fire! Chloe shuddered at the thought. Thousands of people lived here. No…tens of thousands. It was the greatest evidence she’d ever witnessed of the power of the Cloud Lords. After traversing the tragic site, she now completely understood why the civil war had taken place, and even found that she could empathize with both sides. The Drakonin possessed unimaginable power, and those who wanted to live were perfectly reasonable to accept submission to avoid such a fate. At the same time, she understood Jarod’s rebellious streak when he’d spat in the face of the coatl. No people, powerful or not, should be forced to serve another. These were thoughts that had hardly traversed her spirit while growing up in Dragon’s Faith. That was how successfully the town had integrated the Dictates into the daily way of life, and how completely the Commission had managed to quash dissent. Away from the fold, she found that her spirit had been cut free from the anchor of the New Faith.
While she ruminated on how the past might impact her future, Wayne continued to lead the way. Wayne had explained his plan while he was saddling up their horses prior to leaving Dragon’s Faith. He intended to ride all the way to the mountains, which formed the natural boundary with the land under the dominion of the Night Flyers, known as the Central Mountain Governorship. They couldn’t pass into this territory since it would cause a diplomatic incident if they were caught. Since the truce after the reorganization, there had been almost no contact between the two governorships. Wayne wanted to skirt along the base of the mountains, following the boundary until they came to the southern territory known as Mexi-Cali. The advantage to this plan was that the territory had an uneasy truce with the Pacific territory, yet it was still under the rule of their own Cloud Lords, the Drakonin.
Considering there was no other option, it wasn’t such a bad plan. After all, Chloe knew the Dictates set down by the Drakonin and could thus easily blend into the culture of Mexi-Cali. Wayne had even come up with a backstory. She was to tell them that her own border village had been punished by the Drakonin. When she returned and discovered that everyone and everything she knew had been burned off the map, she saw no reason not to flee south. Lack of communication between the two hostile governorships would keep her secret safe.
With the setting sun, the light took on a golden hue. Yet, the wind was bringing heavy, dark clouds from both east and west. Wayne had forged the way through a large field of overgrown weeds, and now an abandoned farmhouse lay up ahead.
“The horses have had enough,” he shouted over the wind, “If there’s a well, we’ll hole up here for the night.”
Not only was there a well, but the barn behind the house was still sturdy enough to provide shelter for their mounts. They took care of the horses first. Despite the wind, the animals’ backs were covered from sweat from the long ride. Fortunately, they’d gone at a pace which hadn’t endangered the horses. While Wayne fetched water from the well with an old wooden bucket, Chloe removed the saddles and harnesses. They’d given the horses enough oats on the trail to keep them moving, but now she prepared two feedbags. After they’d been watered, the hungry horses munched contentedly upon their share of oats. Wayne and Chloe were too exhausted to bother talking while they carried out these tasks.
Once the horses had been taken care of, they had a chance to explore the farmhouse that would be their home for one evening. Surprisingly, it hadn’t been completely pillaged. It appeared to have been ransacked only once or twice, and there were even a few framed paintings, depicting cowboys and mountains. Much of the original furniture remained, but the mattresses and the cushions in the sofa had been chewed to bits by mice or rats. Chloe found an old broom, which she used to sweep the mouse droppings from the living room floor. Finally, they unfurled their bed rolls.
Wayne carried some dry wood and kindling to the fireplace and got to work setting a fire. Once the logs had been engulfed in orange flame, an orange glow lit the dingy room. The sound of the logs popping, and the warmth exuded from the fire aroused a sensation of comfort in Chloe’s heart. She couldn’t help feeling that she and Wayne would manage to get far away. Perhaps, they would find a farm somewhere in the south where they could live out their days. She imagined many future nights in front of a fire with Wayne at her side. But even as she daydreamed, the memory of Lillian’s visit interfered with her perfect vision. She had to know where Wayne stood.
“Lillian came to see me in jail. She said that you’re betrothed to her. How come you never told me?”
The question made Wayne squirm uncomfortably. He frowned and said, “Marrying Lillian is the best hope for the future.”
It was a strange answer. Lillian was beautiful, and Wayne undoubtedly had feelings for her. But it certainly wasn’t an admission of love. Did she dare hold out hope?
“So, you see her as a good match?” Chloe probed.
“Of course,” Wayne said defensively, “she’s the Mayor’s daughter.”
His tone took Chloe aback. He seemed resolute and reticent at the same time.
Without prompting, Wayne added, “I don’t believe in the New Faith or the Dictates. Our generation will lead someday. We need to break free from the yoke of the Cloud Lords. If I want to make a change…a real change for our people, I need to be in a position to do so.”
“And why couldn’t you marry someone else and effectuate change?” Chloe asked. “Someone you love?”
“Who says I don’t love Lillian?” Wayne asked.
Again, his answer was stern and cold. Chloe couldn’t help feeling confused. Was he really willing to marry Lillian only as a stepping stone to achieving his goals? She relished the fact that his help with her escape had rendered his social climbing impossible. Now there’s no way for Lillian to have him. The dream of living on a farm down south seemed soon to be a reality.
“But you can’t go back and marry her. You’ll be punished for treason.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” he reassured her. “I’ll tell them you used your powers to get my gun and then forced me to accompany you.”
“Nobody will ever believe you,” Chloe said.
Wayne laughed. “You have no idea what the townsfolk are willing to believe. In the space of twenty-four hours, you went from being the meek daughter of a preacher to being a demon incarnate. You should’ve heard the crazy rumors that were circulating about your hidden ‘powers’.”
She felt conflicted by Wayne’s help with her escape. She was happy that he’d likely be able to escape prosecution. But it also made her feel empty to know that his actions weren’t guided by passion. He’d calculated the risk he was willing to take to save a friend. In ordinary circumstances, she’d have found his courage remarkable, but tonight, she would’ve given anything to learn he’d acted from his heart instead. She kneaded the edge of her
sleeping bags between her hands, staring desolately into the crackling fire.
“Try to get some sleep,” Wayne said, rolling over in his sleeping bag. “We need to travel on at the crack of dawn.”
But Chloe lay awake in the darkness. How could she sleep knowing that Wayne would never be hers? He would go back to Lillian, and she would never see him again. And worse, he would face severe punishment for helping her. If they didn’t catch Wayne in her company, it would be easier for him to claim he was forced to help. So wouldn’t it make more sense to split with him now? Not only would it keep him safe, she also felt that her heart couldn’t take spending any more time with him. To be so close, and yet so far. What point is there in waiting for him, Chloe thought, if he has already decided that he loves Lillian. Why do I love him so much? But even when the thought crossed her mind, she knew the answer. He had always been there for her. Even now, when he had so much to lose, he was willing to help her. If this was how Wayne showed loyalty to a friend, it made her even more jealous that she would never be his true love. All this time, she’d seen Wayne as her one chance at having a foundation to build a happy life upon. Now that the foundation had evaporated, she saw little reason to torture herself with futile dreams. He had made his choice clear, and it caused an aching pain in her chest. With each passing hour, she gathered her resolve to break off on her own.
Outside the ruined farmhouse, the sound of the wind had grown in intensity completely drowning out Wayne’s soft snoring. This noise covered Chloe’s movement as she rolled up her bedding and packed a sack full of food. She took one last look at Wayne and wished that she could kiss him. Then she stepped out of the doorframe into the whirling wind that sent her hair flying and her dress flapping. The horses were a bit spooked by the storm, but she managed to get a bridle and saddle onto the smaller of the two. Once she strapped the bedroll and sack to the back of the saddle, she mounted her horse and spurred it onward. Wayne’s plan was still the best course of action. Sure, he would know which direction she was traveling, but by the time he awoke, she would be so far ahead of him that he wouldn’t bother trying to catch up. At least, that’s what she hoped.
Traveling became difficult as the clouds swirled above, blocking the moon. This windstorm was far more intense than any other she’d ever witnessed. And oddly, it was as if two rival storm clouds were approaching one another. It was unusual for the wind to blow in this direction, and at least one of the storm clouds seemed to be coming from the territory of the Night Flyers. The wind was so strong that she had to huddle low as her horse trotted slowly through the night. Finally, they came to a swampy area with a small river passing through it. Thirsty, Chloe got off the horse to get some water. At that moment, a bolt of lightning shot from one cloud toward the other. Spooked, the horse bolted, and Chloe tried to chase after it. However, the mushy swamp ground kept her from running fast enough, and her horse quickly disappeared into the dark night. Great, she thought, now what am I going to do?
Obviously, she was never going to find her horse. So she resolved to travel onward through the swamp by foot. As she followed the river, the storm clouds above seemed to be in a battle with one another. The night sky became illuminated with enormous bolts of lightning shooting from one cloud to the other cloud, high in the atmosphere. She worried about getting hit by lightning. But since none of the bolts were traveling toward Earth, she tried to push that fear aside. With all the electrical energy expended above, occasionally a shower of rain fell for a minute or two. Finally, she came to an old trestle bridge that she could use to traverse the river. It was quite dilapidated, and the train tracks had been ripped up long ago. It must’ve fallen into disuse even before troubled times.
Despite its rickety condition, Chloe knew that this was the only way forward. The river below had white-water rapids, and she was afraid to try swimming. Fortunately, the strange lightning storm above provided enough light for her to watch her foot placement as she moved across the trestle bridge. It had never been made to be traversed by foot, and there was quite a bit of distance between each railroad tie. Moreover, the steel was slick from the rain, and the dirty mossy surface lent itself to sliding into the river below with every footstep. Nonetheless, she still managed to creep across the bridge, all the while, shivering from the cold wind. She paused for a moment and looked up into the sky at the unheard-of lightning storm. The flashes of light were so brilliant that it was not easy to stare directly at the static discharges. Yet, she saw curious images among the flashes of light. The clouds were so low now that she could swear she saw castles upon each one of them. And the lightning seemed to be emanating from enormous towers capped by reflective spheres.
Even more astounding, she saw figures flying through the night. Shadows of dragons and what appeared to be giant bats. The dragons were the lords which ruled her territory. The New Faith proclaimed them to be gods capable of shifting between the forms of man and dragon. Yes, these forms had sometimes been seen on moonlit nights. And it was considered a good omen when that happened. However, she had never seen the other forms. These were undoubtedly the Night Flyers. So little was known about these demons. According to the New Faith, they were vampiric monsters who were the dreaded enemy of her people’s own masters. There were rumors of skirmishes between the two races that had been seen by farmers on similar moonlit, windy nights. But she’d never seen, nor heard of any event as cataclysmic as this. She remembered the principal tenet of the New Faith which declared that ‘Only Those on High Will Rule’. But more than one race of beings dwelled above. What did this battle mean? That only one race of Cloud Lords could rule over humanity below?
There were far more of the giant bat shadows in the sky than the dragons. But the dragons seemed to have an edge. Bursts of flames would shoot from their mouths. Even though their bodies were smaller, the Night Flyers were remarkably agile and typically managed to avoid the flame. But Chloe was certain she saw several of them get incinerated, leaving nothing but clouds of ash dissipating in the sky.
Despite their size and ability to shoot flames, the dragons seemed to have more difficulty staying in the sky. Perhaps breathing fire depleted their energy because after a certain amount of time in the sky, the dragons would eventually fly back toward the cloud from whence they came.
While the battle raged in the distance, Chloe noticed two dragons chasing one of the bat shadows. Courageously, after dodging a crossfire of flames, the bat creature flew directly back toward one of the dragons and clung to its enormous head. It appeared as if this Dragon was taking devastating blows as the Night Flyer flailed against its head, causing the Dragon to lose altitude, flapping wildly. However, its dragon companion flew back, and with great talons, picked the bat creature off of the first dragon’s head. But its grasp proved tenuous, and the bat-shaped figure fell toward earth.
7
CHLOE HURRIED ACROSS the marshland toward where she believed the figure had fallen. It was hard going, sloshing across the soggy peat, covered with scraggly bushes. The trees seemed to be ancient. They had a grey, scaly bark, broken limbs and were covered in moss that trailed down from the branches like enormous cobwebs. Yet despite appearing half-dead, most of the branches still had a smattering of leaves.
There were so many dead branches and sticks on the ground that Chloe nearly tripped and fell several times. Finally, through the trunks of the trees, she saw a large lake with moonlight reflecting off of it. As she approached, the water also reflected the final few blasts of lighting of the battle above. The two cloud realms in the sky diverged, floating back toward whence they came. She stared up into the sky and could see distant shadows of bats and dragons flying back toward their respective clouds. The battle had been indecisive, at least that’s how she interpreted the events above.
She was so intent upon reaching the lake where she might get a clearer view that she almost fell into a small depression and had to grab onto a tree trunk to keep her balance. At her feet was a small pit, filled with broken b
ranches. And within the pit, a nude man lay splayed across the branches, pierced through numerous parts of his body.
Remarkably, there was almost no blood coming from his wounds, and yet it appeared as if no one could ever survive such a plight. He had clearly fallen from above, but Chloe couldn’t help asking herself, Wasn’t he a bat? If so, not anymore.
It wasn’t his nudity that shocked her so much as his pale skin, his beautiful physique and his perfect features. He had shoulder length hair and a belt around his waist with a small sack attached. Oddly, with the exception of the stubble on his chin, he seemed to lack any body hair, but this only accentuated the perfection of his muscular and lithe form. Despite his pitiable state, there was something powerful and proud about this being who had fallen from the sky. Chloe felt touched by the aura of this tortured figure—a perfect synthesis of beauty, agony and ecstasy. Then she remembered the illustration of Michelangelo’s Pietà in the book Sandra had given her. She had found her own Pietà.
As she hovered at the edge of the depression debating whether to examine the dead man, she heard the beating of wings. And from the corner of her eye, she spotted two enormous shadows approaching fast. These serpentine forms were coming straight toward her, and sensing danger, she fled without further hesitation.
Stumbling through the dark marshy wood, she aimed to find a darker place where the trees and bushes grew close together. It wasn’t easy dodging past drooping branches and hopping over tree limbs, but she rushed toward an area which appeared more heavily wooded.
Once there, Chloe fell to her knees panting. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it would burst from her ribcage. She heard the flapping of wings as two shadows passed overhead. She cowered against a tree trunk and tried to refrain from breathing loudly, all the while attempting to regain her composure.
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