011 Those Who Watch the Sky - 11
11 – Children Left
Under the Sky 2
Perhaps Cliff
wanted to focus on the journey at hand or did not believe the tale of his and
Clover’s escape bore much reason to be told as he remained silent as he led the
now group of six across the crags born of the Foreigner city’s unusual descent.
Melody having perched upon the saddle Cliff had donned upon his equine half
drew forth jealousy and discontent out of Link and Squawk though Link tried to
tough it out as Elliot uttered not one complaint about staying awake. In fact,
staying awake seemed inconsequential as rest was plentiful to be had upon the
journey they set out upon.
Though some five
hundred years past the devastation left by the Foreigners and the insistence of
the Cardinal Church that mankind not forge nations assured that it would be
days long past before the group would again find civilization. In this time
Clover demonstrated the ability to summon water through magic allowing the
group to not fear thirst as well as cleanse themselves of the horrors that had
befell them and resulted in their current course. Food on the other hand was a
greater challenge as the freshly formed crags gave way to the desolate wastes
that was typical of the space between human habitations. Fortunately Cliff’s
experience and Melody’s instincts mitigated the worst fears of starvation and
Link and Elliot were quick to learn putting their sword to use to fill their
bellies.
The journey itself
though was not enough to keep the younger members of the group sated however as
the question of what happened to their home still haunted them. Clover though
with all of her patience and might tried to keep their needs for answers at bay
as Cliff insisted it was for the best. Playing at her role as an educator
Clover attempted to keep them distracted with academics and it was soon
revealed that Melody had perhaps more literally learned the contexts of the
books that Link snuck out to her than any other in the group. All that saved
Link, Elliot, and Squawk from humility was Melody’s preference for keeping
things simple. Still it was not enough and the children yearned for answers.
One morning many
days from where the town of Cross once graced the face of Icarus, Link’s
patience grew thin and she took up step beside Cliff fidgeting with her hair
with her free hand, her other holding the strap of her scabbard so that the
weapon within stayed against her shoulder.
“Hey Cliff? Don’t
you think it’s been more than enough days since we asked?”
“Asked what little
lady?”
Cliff did not look
at Link as he asked the question and considering she barely stood too above the
shoulders of the centaur’s forelegs it seemed as though he was deliberately
avoiding the question. Pouting Link upped her pace and spun around to walk
backwards in front of the Centaur.
“The whole deal
with the machine sentries. I know father never would have repaired them if he
knew they were going to attack the people of Cross.”
A heavy sighed
blew forth just before Cliff turned his eyes to the sky and the distant
Foreigner city that drifted with the clouds. Looking away did not save him from
Link’s fussy gaze however and he knew he would have to address her. The prospect
did not please him however and he sighed again before clicking his tongue.
“Tell me little
lady, your memory has always been spectacular, has it not?”
“Well, I’d say so.
There really isn’t anything I can’t remember if I put my mind to it.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Perfectly, like I
remember the question I just asked you.”
“Not particularly
impressive.”
“No, but
relevant.”
“Is it now…?”
“You might as well
give up Link. Cliff has been steadfast in his silence for some time.”
Elliot offered
Link a smile from further back and though she turned her pout onto him it did
not last as there was little doubt that he was not well. He had grown pale over
the last few days and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of an exhaustion
that did not match the group’s efforts to cross the face of Icarus. For all of
Link’s efforts he did not speak of what it was that ailed him and complained
not in the slightest. He instead pushed on without a complaint doing his part
as best he could. Still, Link did not feel right leaving him alone and made
sure to keep a constant eye on him save when she slept. Watching him suffer
with a smile on his face though left a pit in her stomach that she could not
ignore and as concern found its way into her features his smile simply became
softer and kinder. Not wanting to face that smile any longer Link spun around
and resumed walking forward as she tried to put on a haughty air.
“I’ll try if I
want to Elliot. I’m not one to give up after all.”
“No Link, you’re
not and I don’t expect you start.”
Spying a glance
back in Elliot’s direction Link could not hide her concern and the smile he
offered told her he saw her checking on him. Turning her eyes back forward and
trying to stop herself fretting and to avoid appearing as such she placed her
hands on the back of her head as she walked.
“You heard that
right Cliff? I’m not giving up.”
Again Cliff sighed
though this time he was the one to look back at Elliot. His expression was more
annoyed than anything Link’s pout had hinted at yet Elliot offered him just as
kind of a smile. With another sigh Elliot again put his eyes forward.
“Then tell me a
story young lady.”
“A story?”
Link turned a
curious gaze onto Cliff but the old centaur kept his eyes forward. Watching him
Link waited for his answer which took longer to come than she liked.
“Hmm… A story.”
“What a kind of
story?”
“All things
considered, how about a walk down memory lane? How about that fateful day ten
years past now…?”
“That fateful
day…”
Memories drifting
to the fore of her thoughts Link took her eyes off of Cliff and looked up to
the sky. It was blue as any other day and no different from that day the old
centaur spoke of. The gentle bobbing of each step had near rocked her to sleep as
she clung to her mother’s back riding piggyback. The wind rustling through the
trees was soothing and bird song rang out as celebration of the sanctity of the
wood. That sanctity however was marred by the massive wall and the segment that
served as its gate. It did not belong yet her father was unsurprised by it and
had spoken with a man beyond through use of the call box that stood a short
distance from it. They spoke at end for a while and when at last they stopped
they waited in silence until Cliff arrived with five-year-old Elliot upon his back.
Her mind taken by
the nostalgia a smile pulled at Link’s lips.
“I remember it
pretty well Cliff. The wonder of seeing a new town populated with people I had
never met before and the way they fawned over my father’s skills as an engineer
and all around genius craftsman. It didn’t take long for him to become a valued
member of the community, but he preferred his isolation and built our house out
by an exposed part of the plant. Of course he made sure it was fully functional
as soon as our new home was ready to move into and continued to prove his worth
to the townsfolk. The hours I spent in the plant with him learning and training
day in and day out. Sister was an angel sent by the Goddesses and Icarus, then
Elliot and Melody…”
Link trailed off
as her smile trembled and tears began to form in her eyes. Cliff looked down at
her as she grew quiet and grew contemplative himself. Reaching to the packs
between his human and equine halves he gently massaged a particular sack and
closed his eyes for a moment. Pulling his hand away he turned his own attention
to the sky.
“We expected you
to become every bit as valued as your father little lady. Perhaps even more so…
but perhaps not nearly as much as we desired you to value us and abandon your
dreams of returning to the road from whence you came…”
“It’s kind of too
late for that now isn’t though?”
“Young Link! You
mustn’t speak ill of the dead!”
“Oops! Sorry
Sister, and everyone…”
As she apologized
to Clover and then the departed townsfolk of Cross, Link again took the strap
of her scabbard in hand and held her free hand up in one handed prayer before
her face with a bow. Lowering her hand she looked up with a sad smile of her
own at the distant Foreigner city that had taken her home of the last decade away.
“I bet they never
imagined that they would be wiped out by the Foreigners while they sat down for
dinner…”
“At the very least
I know I didn’t. Though it was even more unsettling being attacked by those
idiotic machines! We should have never activated the blasted things.”
“That wasn’t your
decision to make Squawk. It was Mayor Cross, Clover, and mine to make and we
did. When we bought them from that salvager though we never imagined they would
one day finish us off. However…”
“However?”
The question again
drew Link’s attention to Cliff and there was obvious guilt in his eyes that he
tried to hide by looking away.
“Cliff…?”
“Mayor Cross knew,
and in turn so did I.”
“Father?”
With the mention
of his father’s involvement in the aggression of the machine sentries Elliot
found himself no longer able to withhold his questions.
“Father knew? I
don’t understand… If he knew then why?”
Taking a deep
breath Cliff sighed again, the melancholy of the motion weighing heavily on
him.
“Elliot, my dear
boy… Have you ever asked the little lady why her family headed by so skilled a
man as Hazel was wandering the wilderness? Have you never asked her why they
were alone? Did it never occur to you that there is a reason outsiders are
normally treated with such care? Have you ever wondered why your father ordered
you to become her friend?”
Tightening his
grip on the head of his scabbard Elliot hung his head and forced himself to
keep smiling.
“It wasn’t my
place Cliff… and I needed a friend so desperately as my brothers made my life a
living hell until Link arrived that it didn’t matter. She gave me purpose and
to this day still does.”
“It’s dangerous to
only live for another Elliot.”
“Link is my
everything Cliff.”
“My word you idiot!
This isn’t the time for your mushy nonsense! We were well on our way to finding
out why we were attacked by those machine sentries.”
“It was because of
father…”
“What…⁈”
The whole group
was forced to stop as Link did as she uttered those words. Her emotional shift
was obvious and impossible not to notice as her shoulders slumped and her head
hung with a dreadful weight. The group’s sudden stop further caught the
attention of Melody who descended from the sky and immediately noticed Link’s
despondent posture.
“Link? Is
something wrong? Does your stomach hurt?”
“No Melody, it’s
my heart that aches.”
“Huh⁈ That’s not good. Um, what do we do?”
“That’s not what
she means Melody.”
There was no
comfort in Elliot’s words as he addressed the anxiously dancing harpy and she
froze. Watching him seeking answers Melody received none as Elliot placed a
hand on Link’s shoulder.
“Do you want to
talk about it Link?”
“… Father warned
him. He told him if he took us in that our presence could bring disaster…”
“Well it most certainly
did!”
“Silence young
Squawk. She does not speak of the Foreigner city.”
“Then what is she
talking about Sister⁈”
“Sycamore.”
“And what is
Link’s family name supposed to tell me⁈”
Once again Cliff
sighed, but here was a hint of pity and sympathy this time. Turning his eyes
onto the nāti he clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Hazel Sycamore is
one of the Sowers of Chaos. He stood with the Lady Quartzmote and her
companions against the fall of Lucir. He is a hunted man no matter where he
goes for any knowledge he has on the whereabouts of Quartzmote and her
companions. Should he be found, nothing but hell would await those who
sheltered him.”
Copyright © 2019 Joshua D Tarwater
Comments
Post a Comment