The Clockwork Heart

by T Ariyanna

  The Droll traversing the paths and waters of Lorile stared at Cyllorian with suspicion, and he met each with a sneer. He unsheathed all of his talons for show, letting them glint in the dim lighting. A small group of younger Droll passed them by, walking as far away from him as they could. His smile was devilish with satisfaction.

  “Cyllorian, behave,” Kaitlyn scolded him. She batted at his hand, and he retracted his claws for her own safety. He stared at the ground, ignoring the whispers around him as best as he could.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched Kaitlyn sit on the ground beside him and close her eyes. Her mouth moved slowly, but there was no sound. She smiled often during her mumbling, growing careless. She began to speak the words aloud, and Cy easily recognized them as her favorite book from home.

  “You really do have that thing memorized, don't you?” he asked.

  Her head shot up, her cheeks bright red with embarrassment. She stared at him, momentarily stunned. He shot her a cocky smile, and she instantly turned away from him.

  “I’m nervous. Everything’s so different here, so much has happened so fast. It was the first thing I could think of from…before. Something to calm my nerves. Anything else would make me remember what’s going on, when I don’t want to,” she confessed. Guilt was clearly eating at her, and she picked at the hems of her shirt.

  “I thought you wanted to have your own adventure?” The bitterness came through his voice, and he cringed. He cursed at himself and turned away.

  “I did, but I never thought it would be like this. Everything was always so easy for the people in my books. It feels like I can’t do anything, like I don’t belong here. I wasn’t made for exploring, just for listening. . .” she trailed off, staring into space. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, reciting the book faster, but it was no longer calming her.

  Cy clenched his fists and pushed away from the building. Ignoring Kaitlyn's worried look, he paced around the building. Once out of her sight, he unsheathed his talons again, and dug them into his biceps. Pain shot throughout his arm, and he watched the magic within him turn red at the initial wound, then back to green. He pulled his talons from his arms slowly, and watched as the metal reformed into its proper place. He continued around the back of the Court building, digging his claws into the metal again, deeper this time.

  He rounded the building to the front, his talons still out. Gil was standing beside Kaitlyn, and the Droll's eyes instantly found Cy's. They flicked to his arms, to the slight holes still healing, and then to his talons. Cy sheathed them with a flick of the wrists, staring down the Droll.

  “What's the verdict?” he asked coarsely, stepping up to the Droll.

  Gil opened his mouth, but another Droll stepped out from the building, this one clearly male, and an authority figure as well. Instead of the slick wetsuits every other Droll was wearing, he wore a thin black shirt and long slacks. Tied around his neck with thin strings was an emblem of a horse with fins sprouting from the back of its head. With a calm, clipped voice, he answered Cy's question. “The Court has decided to evaluate your behavior before coming to a decision. You will be kept company by a member of the Court at all times, and after a week, we should have our answer.”

  “So do we have to stay with tough guy here, or are you gonna do the honors?” Cy jutted his thumb toward Gil, who fumed at the remark.

  The second Droll raised his hand, and Gil calmed obediently. “The task will be assigned to a few different members, so that we can get varying opinions on the matter, though we will not restrict who you can and cannot talk to. So long as the people of Lorile wish to speak to you, you may speak to them. But you may not ask for information that you do not need. We will intercede the first time you overstep your boundaries, but if you insist on crossing them, that will be your own mistake.”

  “Right. Makes perfect sense. So, what's first, Mr. Boss?”

  “My name is Kolry, if you would be so kind, Mr. Demon,” Kolry hissed. Gil busted into laughter, covering its mouth to avoid being rude. It seemed now that the role of responsibility had been handed over to Kolry, Gil was nothing more than an immature teenager.

  “So this guy ain't the only one with a sharp tongue, huh?”

  Kaitlyn stepped between Cy and Kolry, raising her hands. “How about we just start over, okay? We want you to trust us, but we have to trust you, too, just a little. I'm Kaitlyn, and I'm a human, so I don't really know what this is all about. All I know is that we need your help, and my friend promises to be on his best behavior. Right, Cyllorian?” Kaitlyn glared at him, daring him to oppose her. Her gaze was firm as she held his, and he sighed.

  “Yep. Cross my heart, and hope to get sucked into a tiny crystal ball for all eternity,” Cy said sarcastically, raising his hand as he drew an X on his chest. Kolry raised an eye at him, disbelief clear on his face. “I'm gonna guess you've never had that happen to you, have you? Believe me, it's worse than death.”

  “Fair enough. Your actions will speak for your intentions soon enough either way. Let's just begin with a tour, shall we? I'll tell you where you may and may not go.”

  “Sounds delightful. I was worried I'd have to go this whole time without getting to know that information.”

  “Cyllorian,” Kaitlyn hissed, jabbing him with her elbow. He bent away from her, worried she would hurt herself on his resilient metal. She seemed to take it as a sign that she had made her point, and raised her chin.

  Gil chuckled, then clapped Kolry on the shoulder. “Good luck with this one, Kolry. You're gonna need it.” Gil jogged off without another word.

  Kolry sighed and motioned for Kaitlyn and Cy to follow him. “I’ll make it clear now that I won’t stand for any disrespect from you two during your visit with us. You are nothing but guests here, and I expect you to be on your best behavior. Rules are what keep us in order, and I won’t stand for chaos. No matter what that Gil might tell you is acceptable, I assure you, it. Is. Not. Understand?”

  Kolry glanced back at them. Kaitlyn nodded her head dutifully, an angelic smile on her face. Cy studied his talons in a show of disinterest. “Whatever you say, Mr. Boss,” Cy said lightly.

  He looked up and caught the glare from Kolry, and feigned an offended expression. “Don’t you trust me? I’m just a sweet, innocent demon.” Cy smiled wide, displaying his pointed teeth.

  Kolry grunted, but turned to start the tour. Cy grinned mischievously at Kaitlyn, but she shot a glare at him as well. Defeated, Cy fell into step beside her, silent.

  Despite his resentment at the Droll, Cy found their architecture and design amazing. Buildings like this weren't possible on the surface, most of them being made from stalagmites jutted up from under the water. A few even hung from the ceiling, and Cy was impressed with how well the Droll could climb.

  “And this is where you'll be staying, though it is not the end of the tour. Guards will be stationed outside every exit of the building, though we have decided to respect your privacy inside of it. You'll be greeted every morning by your attendee for the day and…”

  Cy groaned as Kolry droned on and on, describing their life in observation in great detail. Kaitlyn was engrossed in Kolry’s lecture, though, and it peaked interest in Cy.

  “Though we can breathe and survive for extended periods of time underwater, it is not indefinite. Hence why most buildings have an above and below to them. We are most comfortable in the water, so the intense humidity found under this blistering mountain provides the perfect shelter for us. Quite hospitable, though I’ll admit that I had not seen our previous location.” Kolry waved his hands in the air as though he were depicting the most interesting story. For the life of him, Cy couldn’t make sense of the story, but the Droll was having a blast.

  “We Droll used to be more agreeable with other races in the world, but the war we fought and inevitably lost left a deep wound in our culture and our hearts, though there isn’t a Droll left alive that was witness to the tragedies.
Our world has not been the same for quite a while now.”

  Kolry paused in his speech as they passed a statue of a small army, equipped with intricate crossbows and spears taller than the soldiers. He tilted his head toward it, and Kaitlyn copied the move. A silver plaque in the ground glistened, but Cy couldn’t read the names etched into it. Kolry didn’t pick up his monologue again until they were yards away from the statue.

  “In this era, we entertain ourselves with mundane rituals that keep us from the outside world. Many Droll are skilled in hunting, and prey that is not needed is shipped to other parts of the world, as well as our unique clothing materials, jewelry, crystal statues, and even weapons. Travelers from nomad tribes loyal to us come often to pick up the goods and sell them throughout Lontorra, and then bring equivalent wares and currency back to us. It may not be an exciting lifestyle that we live, nor an extravagant one, but it is safe and peaceful. Something the Droll before us desperately gave their lives for.”

  “What about the Draken? Don’t they live on the mountain as well?” Kaitlyn asked, her voice full of wonder. Her worry and hopelessness had been driven away by her curiosity.

  Kolry stopped his walking. His voice became subtly distraught, but spoke with the indignation of an instructor, “From the day Droll arrived at this mountain seeking refuge, the Draken have been kind and welcoming. It was difficult at first for us to trust them, and for some that hate still courses through their veins. We owe them much, and it is a great disappointment that we are not on better terms with them currently. The Drakens would like to speak and renegotiate our peace treaty, but the court won’t have it. We may not be strong, but the council are convinced the Draken haven’t the numbers to force us out, so they do not fear retaliation.”

  Kolry shook himself, and his tone turned to one of exhilaration. He abandoned talk of their neighbors in favor of their dietary habits. Cy rolled his eyes and groaned, staring mindlessly at the buildings they passed.

  He wanted to explore, to run throughout and cause some innocent mayhem. He leaned to the side to whisper to Kaitlyn, but when he glanced over, she was gone.

  “Hey, Mr. Boss?”

  “What did I tell you about interrupting me? This is important information that you must commit to memory. And if I hear you call me that one more time, Cyllorian, I swear I'll…”

  “Yeah, yeah, that's all real interesting, Mr. Boss. But Kaitlyn's not here, and she's the one that’s going to care about this, not me.”

  Kolry whirled around, his usual calm expression twisted in outrage. “Gone? How can the young lady just be gone?”

  Cy shrugged.

  Kolry huffed at him, then spun in circles looking for Kaitlyn. “She must’ve taken a wrong turn, or was distracted by something that we passed. She can't be too far off. Surely we'll find her.”

  Cy leaned against the closest building, shoving his hands into his pockets. He watched Kolry scramble about in his search, a smug grin plastered to his face. “And you thought I was the one you had to worry about. How's that discrimination working for you, now, Mr. Boss?”

  Kolry glared at Cy, but didn't say a word. He called out her name, gaining himself a few odd glances from Droll that walked by. Kolry questioned each as they passed, but none could help, until he found one that he clung to like a life line. Cy tilted his head, trying to get a glimpse of the person, and groaned.

  Kolry had Gil by the arm, dragging the young Droll back towards Cy. Kolry nearly threw Gil at the demon, and he sidestepped out of the way. Gil stumbled into the building, glaring at Cy.

  “Looks like you've lost something there, Kolry. Where'd she go?”

  “That's what I'm trying to figure out! Gil, you stay with Cyllorian while I retrace the tour to find her. You search everywhere else. She could have wandered off, or gotten lost. Hurry, they cannot go unsupervised!” Kolry ran off back the way they came without giving Gil another option. Gil moved to chase after Kolry, but stopped.

  “Bye bye, Mr. Boss!” Cy called after Kolry, waving his hand in a large arc over his head. He heard the Droll yell something unintelligible back, and laughed.

  Cy cringed away as Gil turned to him. Gil's eyes were narrow and filled with pure suspicion. “You don't really seem to care,” Gil said, watching Cy closely.

  Cy's face twitched, wanting nothing more than to punch Gil square in the face. He clenched his fist, then thought of Kaitlyn.

  “Who said I didn't?” he asked simply. Gil's eyes narrowed further, and Cy wasn't sure if the Droll could even still see him.

  “Do you wanna know where she is?”

  Cy's eyes widened and he jumped from the wall. Grabbing Gil's arm automatically, he demanded, “You know where she is?”

  Gil smiled slowly and patted Cy on the shoulder. With two fingers, Gil pried Cy's metal hand away and dropped it. Embarrassed, Cy stepped back.

  “If you know, we better go get her. Who knows how much trouble she'll be in if Mr. Boss finds her first. Which way?”

  Gil's smile was smug, and it made Cy's insides twist up. What the hell is this guy's angle?

  The Droll turned away from Cy, towards the outskirts of Lorile. “Some of the others around here were talking about a weird looking blonde girl walking around by herself. I guess she found our greatest secret, from what I heard.”

  Greatest secret? Shit, now we're really in trouble.

  Gil walked with confidence, head high and shoulders back. Cy noticed that Gil got a few looks from other young Droll they passed. Upon closer inspection, Cy found that he couldn't tell any of their genders.

  “All right, I give. What are you? Guy, girl, mythical flying unicorn? I don't care if it's rude or whatever, but Kaitlyn's not here to yell at me. So there, I asked.”

  “Yes, you asked. Doesn't mean I have to answer. And I’m pretty sure a flying unicorn is just called a Pegasus,” Gil retorted.

  “Oh, come on, just answer me! I know it pisses you off when I call you guy or anything, and I'm sure you've figured out I'm just doing it to get under your skin! I'll make you a deal. You tell me what you are, or what you want to be, and I'll follow it, okay? It's seriously too confusing to figure out, and I've got enough on my plate as is.”

  “Are you saying you'll be nice to me?”

  “Yeah, whatever. Don't get sappy on me, though. I don't do sappy. It's just a lot of work being this bitter, you know.”

  Gil glanced back at him. Cy avoided his gaze. He didn’t even know why it bothered him so much, but not knowing was just so annoying. Gil stopped walking and burst into laughter. “Man, you are one weird demon, I'll give you that. Sure, deal. I'll tell you, and you be nice. I'm neither.”

  “Wait, you're what?!”

  “Neither. I'm not male, and I'm not female.”

  “I'm sorry, how old are you? Have your mommy and daddy not had the talk with you yet? You can't be neither.”

  “Droll can. Until we reach a certain age, we're genderless. We have until we're seventeen to find ourselves. At that time, we get a gender, can change our names if we want, and find a mate. I'm only sixteen, but honestly, I'm leaning more towards male. I've definitely got the body to impress the ladies. So, you can call me a guy until I change my mind.”

  “Uh, huh. And how does all that work? I mean, in real life.”

  “There are a lot of sea creatures that change their gender over the course of their lives. We work like that, sort of. Instead of changing gender halfway through, we don't have one until maturity.”

  “Word of advice, puberty is gonna suck if it all happens at once. And if it's anything like humans, let me tell you, it gets messy.”

  Gil shifted away from Cy with a disgusted look. “How would you know that?”

  “I had front row seats. You know the kid we're trying to bring back? I was in his head before I had this body, since he was thirteen. So many emotions and tantrums, but at least he didn't have to worry about acne too much. Boy, that kid was a handful.”

  Cy hung his head and let his arms
go limp as he followed Gil.

  At the long silence, Gil added quietly. “You can drop the tough guy act with me. I don't give a damn that you're a demon. I've never been outside the walls of the caves, so I don't really know what a demon is supposed to be. All I can tell is that you're lashing out.”

  “What the hell would make you think that? You don’t know me. I could be an ass just because I want to, and you wouldn’t know the difference,”

  “You’re not like this around Kaitlyn, which means she doesn’t like it and you don’t want to upset her. And your friend that you’re trying to get back? She refuses to look at me when he’s mentioned, but you don’t. But what I bet you don’t notice is that your magic glows brighter when you talk about him, and I’m guessing that’s the equivalent of your pulse racing. That’s his magic, isn’t it? And the purple wisp-like magic, the one that was inside your heart, that’s yours. His magic protected it, kept the water from drowning your soul.”

  “You seem to know a lot about magic for someone who’s never left home,” Cy said suspiciously.

  Gil was silent a moment before responding. “There used to be a Mage that would visit once a month. She would teach us about the outside world so we weren’t completely left in the dark. I haven’t seen her in years, though.”

  “Sounds familiar,” Cy grumbled, but he gained no response on the subject.

  “So, about that kid you’re looking for. He must be really important, even though you act like you don’t care.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cy growled.

  “Everytime he’s mentioned, you go stiff. And not because you’re sad he’s dead. You look angry, almost like you hated him.”

  “What the hell is that? You don’t get anything, do you? And he’s not dead until we give up.” Cy chose his words carefully.

  “There it is. That love-hate relationship. But you can drop the act with me.”

  “What act?”

  “The tough guy act. Don’t’ worry. I didn’t figure it out because it’s so obvious. You’re doing a pretty good job of hiding it, really. I know what’s going on because I know what signs to look for.”