Two Halves: chapter 39

Lets go chapter 39.

The green mark on the horizon had gain clarity during the night. It was now maybe a mile away and you could pick out individual trees against the horizon. They were different from the conifers of the rest of mountain range; instead these had large broad leaves that turned to the sun. Now that it was morning the kites were pulled back to the ship, and Nicolas could see the Jeori lamps more clearly. Each was a nearly perfectly round orb of crystal inside a woven basket; engineers were collapsing the large kites in order to prepare for the next night’s launch.

 

There was a high point of deck just above the command deck that doubled as a crow’s nest. A bored looking man sat in a small station raised about twenty feet off the ground on a long pole, and Tochi was leaning against this pile. Nicolas climbed slowly up the ladder attached to the side of the raised deck to join Tochi.

 

He held a long spyglass in his hands and was gazing at the oasis. Then he noticed Nicolas and closed the small telescope and looked at Nicolas, a small red ring stood out on his left eye where he had been pressing the spyglass.

 

“Hey, it’s crazy. I’ve never seen this for real; only heard stories from my grandpa.” He got up and brushed himself off. “You want to see?” he said as offered Nicolas the spyglass. Nicolas took it and extended the small devise, through it he could see the greenery much more clearly. The trees were small and squat, but their leaves reached up towards the sky on long stalks. Each leaf looked like a lily pad reaching up towards the sky.  Beyond the trees he could just see the large circle of the spring itself. Water bubbled up from deep within the mountains and came out to the wide basin to form the Devil’s Reprieve. Nicolas handed back the spyglass and lowered himself back onto the deck and went into the bowels of the sleep to try and escape the heat of the coming day.

 

Twelve hours later the sun was starting to get high in the sky, and the Devil’s Reprieve was coming up beside the transport. The crab was walking around the shore, and the pumps had been extended again to draw water into the tanks. After they passed the Devil’s Reprieve water would become nonexistent on the other side of the Devil’s Spring, and if they ran out of water for the engines it could be disastrous. With each step of the legs they would crush one of two of the squat trees underfoot. When the sharp legs pierced them Nicolas could see what lay inside. They oozed a green viscous liquid and the leaves rapidly shriveled once the trunks were damaged. They were leaving a small path of destruction behind them.

 

 

As they were leaving the Devil’s Reprieve Nicolas got one last looks into the depths of the pool. The largest herd of Krignal he had seen was swimming along in the clear water. Instead of their bone plates weighing them down they seemed strangely buoyant, allowing them to float atop the surface effortlessly. A few of the large males would dive into the water returning with large fronds of kelp like plant. Krignal would congregate around the floating vegetation and eat from it. The machine retracted the pipes as they came away from the waterhole.

 

 With every step the engine made groups of birds would scatter from the plants. They would fly up around the ship before resettling on different lily pad leaves. Their long tails stretched out behind the males, and their color greatly contrasted the females. Every so often one would stick up his crest and shake his tail to begin a mating ritual. The birds with the largest tail would have the small females congregate around him. A few grouping that had already pared off were building nests from the scraps of frond left behind by the Krignal. One of the males would swoop down and steal a snippet of plant and bring it to the center of one of the lily plants. When they were wet they wouldn’t work well as building supplies, but after they dried, as a few already had, they grew hard like plaster.

 

They left behind the spring and quickly exited the lily forest. After only a few hundred feet all moisture would leave the landscape, and it returned to the rocky deadness that dominated everything but directly adjacent to the water source.

 

Jen had to be the controller several more times as they exited the Devil’s Spring. Their altitude continued to climb over as they passed over the Pekili. Every time they came to a particularly treacherous crag of pass Jen would strap back into the machine and take control of the ship in order to steer it safely.

 

They had passed several villages nestled in the clefts of the mountaintops. Every time they came to one, men would unload crates of food into the settlement, and bring back large sacks of salts and precious gems. The heaviest thing, that took several men to push a single box, was the stack of ingots. Unfortunately the valley with the waterfall was rich in Jeori crystal, but nearly devoid of everything else. They had to import huge amounts of metal to cover the upkeep of the underwater station and the repair of the transport. Out of each encampment smoke would billow from large forges.

 

A few of the towns though were deserted; building ripped apart by what looked bullet fire. Entire building would be just bricks and ash. One night Nicolas and Jen discussed the horrors that occurred. Nicolas had a vague idea of what happened, but nothing prepared him for what actually happened. Salex would open a dimensional portal at every town once a year in order to collect a payment in ores and stones. Many a rich bureaucrat would love to have a ring made from one of the rare stones from Earth-2. If a town refused Salex would first threaten, then destroy them, and if a town worked up the courage to oppose the Salex collection teams they would incinerate the town on the spot.

 

Life on the machine wasn’t exciting. Everyday it was the same mountains would pass by and the engineers would do the same tasks. One day when Tochi was on night watch duty he allowed Nicolas to join him. On a clear night the crow’s nest could be converted into a glider that soared up with the lantern kites. It was invigorating being hundreds of above the ground, able to see over every mountaintop around them. Their journey was reaching an end, and from their vantage point high above the transport they could see the lights of Gen city glowing on the horizon. Nicolas was glad to reach it, he was glad to return home.

 

The next day at about midday the suns were high in the sky and casting a nasty glare over the entire ship. They could see Gen clearly and were approaching it fast. The lights of the city shone out from under the enormous cleft it was carved from. The rock formation that the city was nestled in was a freak of nature. A cave the size that was unparallel by anything in the range. The multilayered city was built around the center street leading to the back of the cave. The only thing not under the protective cover of the ledge was the harbor. Several other metal crabs were sitting in front of the cave being unloaded into the warehouses. Nicolas was surprised to see so many, when he had last been here he had never heard of the metal monstrosities. Now they seemed fairly common here. Though after fifteen years at cloud top and a further ten in Earth-1 it was no wonder there was progress.

 

Before they relied on magic for everything, after the Blaze War Salex began to allow citizen to buy from them. Salex considered it an investment to develop steam-powered machines for use in a world without electricity. If Salex gave them the means to increase their industrial production they could easily take larger taxes and receive more goods. Feeding the animal with one hand while threatening it with the other, it was the role Salex had always played.

 

They disembarked from the transport for a goodbye to Jen and Tochi, and even the captain had come out to see them off. Nicolas had never learned the captain’s name during the entire journey, and was only realizing it now. The short man waved to them happily as they left.

 

They left via the cargo bay, around them workers were unloading huge craters of Jeori crystal. Before Gen had been lit by torches hung from every building, now each corner had a lamp with an orb of Jeori attached to the end. Along the center walkway, which was filled with hundreds of stalls. Behind each was a man or women offering different foods and goods. A over zealous fish vendor walked up to them offering cans of spindlefeet meat and cuts of a strange gray fish.

 

They reached the end of the central walk. Behind the stalls on either side were permanent buildings carved from the stone, and at every few houses there were stairs and large lifts in order to bring animals to the upper levels. Every so often there would be a man ridding a Zana, unlike their plain runner cousins these were slightly shorter. Their legs were slimmer and more agile, where as their wings were larger in order to allow them to glide short distances.

 

They made their way up the staircases past the individual levels. As they came up farther towards the roof of the cavern the building improved in quality. Some of them had small gardens in front of their houses. Without the suns light plant life was impossible, instead they had a spongy growth of lichen covering the dirt. They finally made their way up to the back of the cave where high gates blocked the way to the house. It was palace for the clan lords. It was the house of the Flamels, Nicolas’s home. An old man was standing next to the gates and watched them as they come up the drive. He squinted for a moment as he looked at Nicolas, his wrinkled face contouring into a mask of confusion. Then his face finally burst into realization, and he began to hobble over to Nicolas. 

 

“Young master! Young master! Is it really you?” He slowed as he approached Nicolas and leaned on his cane. The old man was breathing hard as he reached Nicolas, and the old man gazed up into his face. Then reached into his pocket and brought out a large pair of spectacles. He looked up into Nicolas eyes for a long moment before letting a joyous cackle. “It is you! Milady will be so pleased you are here Gregory! Who is this you are with? No matter, no matter, you can introduce them once we get inside. We were so worried when we got you letter saying you were going to the other side. Lady Abigail always assured us that you were ok, but we all thought it was to good to be true.” The old man dissolved into coughing from talking for to long, and beckoned for them to follow him into the main house.

 

“It is good to see you to Viccor. I thought you would have retired by now. I hope mother is treating you well.” As they walked up the drive to the main house they passed the several large Gili mushrooms. They towered over them and the cap extended small white tendrils towards the ground. The main house was carved from the very back of the cavern. It was attached the wall and buildings had been carved out of stalactites across the yard. The door to the main house was set into the wall, and the windows stuck out of the flat surface of the back wall.

 

“Gregory?” hissed Zeckle into his ear.

 

“It’s not as if they are going to call me Nicolas. Now keep your mouth shut; I have no idea how I am going to break it to mother that I’ve found our clan guardian.” Nicolas whispered back. If Viccor had heard he gave no indication and he threw open the double doors into the entrance hall. On either side of the large open room were wide flights of stairs framing a slowly gurgling fountain. The roof was rubbed smooth by countless artisans hired by the family. Though the entire room had something wrong with it, the floor was cracks in places; the fountain had small chips in it that were yet to be repaired. After the Blaze War their family had been taxed heavily because they and by extension the city of Gen were seen as main agitators during the war. A good deal of the soldiers trained and deployed from Cloudtop came from Gen and the surrounding countryside. During Nicolas’s young age he had seen the upkeep slowly go. They used to have several maids and butlers, and private cooks, but Nicolas had slowly watched them go.

 

In the end they only had a maid, a chef, and their butler Viccor. They walked up the stairs together and Nicolas surveyed the damage done to the to the house. Even though the house had crumbling plaster and broken hinges it was spotlessly clean. Viccor always prided himself on a clean household.

 

“Milady! Milady! You won’t believe whom I have here! You need to come here and see this,” yelled Viccor in his wheezing voice. Viccor hobbled into the sitting room, several old leather sofas sat on top of an aged rug. In the far side a fire crackled merrily in the grate. Even though it could get scorching outside the cave, this deep into the rock it could get remarkably cold “Sit, sit. I will go get Milady, and tea! You all need tea, and biscuits to.” He scurried out of the room on his cane leaving them alone.

 

“After we speak with your mother we will ask her if she knows where the local resistance is. She was a supporter of the army during the Blaze War so she should at least know where to start.” Bestalel was examining a pillow on the couch; it’s seams were slowly coming apart and strings stuck out at odd angles. He sat down on the couch and they waited there for a few minutes. Viccor came back holding a large tray with a fragile tea set. He poured them all and glass and offered them each a small platter of delicate cookies.

 

“Milady is just freshening up. She will be here in a moment.” Viccor stood in a stance waiting for any more orders. “Young master would you like anything else?” asked Viccor.

 

“No, thank you Viccor. Please, until my mother gets here will you tell us what happened since I’ve been gone? I mean in terms of the resistance, and where is Abigail?”

 

“Oh, young master I am not sure I should be discussing that.”

 

“Please Viccor, I need to know.”

 

“That’s why you’re here isn’t it. Oh, I knew it was going to be something about the resistance. Ever since you could understand what was going on around you, you always idolized the stories of your father. Who fought valiantly in the Blaze War. You wanted to become him, and when you showed signs of being a magus we knew you would. No matter what your mother says against what you have done, know this. She is proud of you. She is proud of you for fighting for what you believe in.” Viccor finished with his ancient finger pointing at Nicolas.

 

“That’s enough Viccor, I’ll take it from here.” Nicolas’s mother walked into the room with a flourish. If had been Nicolas alone she would have worn the simple house dress, but because she knew company was here she had changed into one the billowing dresses befitting of a Clan Lord’s wife. She smiled when she saw Nicolas and strolled over to him, and hugged him tightly. “My boy it has been so long. How have you been?”

 

“Good mother. I’m sorry, but this isn’t a social visit and I won’t be able to stay long.” Nicolas’s mother’s face hardened at this, but on for the briefest of moments. Then her face returned to the smile, but the atmosphere in the room changed.

 

“I can not help you. I lost your father to that cause, and I am not losing you. It’s hopeless, they outnumber us a hundred to one.” She stood defiantly before him, but Nicolas did not crumble.

 

“That’s now true. They didn’t outnumber us a hundred to one then, more like three to one. This time we have people working on the other side too, and I don’t think Salex is nearly as prepared for war as they were.” Nicolas’s mother turner to Zeckle in a flourish and redirected her stare at her.

 

“Who are you? You’re way to young have fought in the Blaze War.”

 

“Really. You don’t recognize me? Come on Justine, it’s me, Zeckle. Surely you recognize your own guardian.” Justine looked at her with puzzlement. “I found your son in Earth-1 because I still believe in our cause! We can with this Justine, and even if you don’t tell us where the local resistance is we will still find them.”

 

“Really now? You’re the great clan guardian of the Flamel clan. I suppose that man over there is the king of Cloudtop! I don’t believe it. Zeckle was a hundred time stronger than yo�"“ Zeckle let her aura flare for a moment; Justine stumbled backwards onto the couch behind her. Zeckle’s power died down after she had pushed Justine back, who was now breathing hard where she sat. “Ok. I believe you. It’s good to see you Zeckle… It’s been a long time.”

 

“Now tell us where the resistance is,” Zeckle said, standing up. Viccor had rushed to Justine’s side and was holding her hand as she regained her breath.

 

“There is no resistance. They were all killed two years ago. They tried to raid the Salex collection squad. The firefight went on for nearly two days, and they held Salex back. After Salex had withdrawn there were only a few resistance still alive. The city rejoiced for three days, until a new force was sent to kill us all. The only thing that saved us was the High Father. He and his monks came down and convinced them to stop; they brought a few of the soldiers that were sent with them. I don’t know how he did it, but Salex didn’t destroy the city that day.” throughout the speech Bestalel tensed up and stood up slightly straighter. Nicolas would not have notice it before, but now that they had been together for so long he was starting to pick up on the slight changes in his face and posture that showed his mood.

 

“It’s true. When the High Father and his monks met Salex left the portal there. He offered them riches and compensation for the losses. He had brought three crates of gold ingots as proof of the riches he had. They had only ever taxed the High Father before, because the government did not allow them to desecrate religious grounds. Though with him willingly offering goods they were allowed to take it,” Bestalel said this and took another sip of his tea as if nothing had happened. The tensing had disappeared moments after he started, and there were no longer any signs of his distress.

 

“Well then, I suppose we will not get any help from anyone around here. I’m sorry mother but we need to be leaving to go see the High Father soon. One more thing before we go, where is Abigail?” Nicolas asked this casually, but his emotions were running into overdrive inside him. It was all he could do not the have his hands shake. That resistance would have been made up of young idealists, people who had never seen the Blaze War. The people he had grown up with before he left for the Academy, his friends.

“We haven’t heard from her for a while, but last time her letter came it was from her fathers estate on Cloudtop.” Justine stood up and walked out of the room. Viccor said a quick apology before following her out of the room.

Author's Note

Goodbye Tochi... I'll miss you :(

Reviews

[James Watts]

Not bad. Seemed rushed in a few spots but was an interesting read. A few typos here and there but nothing you will not get on the final edit.

[Faye]

Well i can honestly say that your not one of those writers that takes something out of the dictionary and put it in the wrong context.

[Liza]

interesting and insightful, good build up and shifting of perceptions.

[Lucy Joan]

Your story is going great. Keep writing!

[Huggy Bear]

Extraordinary:)

[Norma M Sutton]

Beautifully descriptive.

[Nishmas]

The sea...such a beautiful place. I honestly think you should get published and paid to write this. This a very interesting story and you wrote just the right amount of detail, letting the reader get lost in a world that you have created.

[Nicaushio Yamaki]

splended

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

This was a great chapter. It was cool how you found beauty in such a place.
It gave a nice conflict of emotion.