by Andre Pisco
They were awakened by the birds chirping. Blue feathers, orange beaks, and waved their wings so fast that they could only be seen due to the mixture of colors. At least four and they had fun flying next to them. Max stretched out his arm, still with his glasses blurred, and waited for one of them to step on his finger. James, as usual, rejected the beauty of the moment and tried to push them away. The night before seemed to have been erased from his mind, a carelessness brought on by the nightly ephemerality. The shy sun was hiding behind some white clouds. A sound on his back caught their attention. It was Lucy at the door, stretching out, causing her clothes to rise and making it possible to see part of her flat belly. James' cheeks became pink and he turned his face forward. He remained motionless, wide awake, with eyes open, and cleared his throat.
"Ah... When I can look, you say..." He said, very shy, his voice not even like him.
"James, you're not a child anymore, you can see my belly, you won’t die,” Lucy replied, infusing some sarcasm in her response.
Max laughed, and in response, James pretended that he was going to hit him with a punch on his shoulder. Max shrank, covering his mouth with his hand, letting out only a few muffled laughs.
"You're right... I'm sorry!" James said, looking at her, turning red as he saw her smiling like an angel.
She warned them that she would wash her face but that she would come back in an instant. They were both alone again, accompanied by only a bird that had been left behind and by the sun that gradually gained the courage to appear.
"Well guess I wasn’t the only one…” Max said, teasing his cousin.
"I ... Ah. I don’t want anything to do with her. I just don’t know how to deal with a girl in the group! You know I've never had any girl friends" James said, showing himself embarrassed as he let those words slip out of his mouth.
"You’ll get the hang of it," Max told him. He had had a good relationship with his mother, but that was all. He also had no experience with girls.
She came back a few minutes later, and one by one, the rest came out. First Lucian, whose wolf had already mingled with his being, then Alec and, finally, Neil. Alec was the first to ask Max if he already knew anything about Ghost, but he got only a “No.” in return. It took another half hour for the man to wake up and come to the entrance to call Max. Dent told him that Ghost was awake, but that his body was still in recovery, which is why he would have difficulties in having a conversation with a normal rhythm.
"You can try it anyway. But I can’t guarantee that he will be able to perceive everything or give full answers. “The man said.
"I'll try!" Max replied. His eyes glittering, smiling at James, who beckoned him onward.
He left his friends and went into the house. They saw him walking down the hall until he disappeared into the room. The woman showed up from the other side of the house. She told them that she had prepared breakfast and that after a conversation with her husband they had decided to help them reach Relics faster. She inquired as to where Lucian's wolf was, telling him that a being of that species shouldn’t be left alone. There were hunters who could walk in that area and wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him and sell his skin for a few bucks on the black market.
"He will return. He always comes back. He likes to explore." Lucian said, thanking her for the concern.
"How?" James asked, intrigued, hoping there was something they had to give in return.
"Can you ride? You can use four of the horses to get there. They know how to get back on their own," she said, smiling. Her smile might not have all the teeth, but it caught everyone's attention. They looked at her as if she had just said a big lie and they couldn’t believe it. It sounded too good to be real, "You don’t need to be so surprised. It's the least we can do after you helped Ghost." She added, seeing no one utter a word.
"Thank you! You don’t know how useful this is for us... There is only one problem... I don’t know how to ride." Alec replied, "This is only the second time in my life that I’ve seen a horse and the other was when I was a child.”
"Me neither," Lucian said.
"Me neither. I have no idea!" James replied, "But if I'm not mistaken, Max had some classes of that. Must be enough to know how to walk with them."
Neil and Lucy said they knew and started a long discussion about how they would do it. James volunteered to go with Lucy, but Neil counter-attacked and said he should go with Max.
"Max will take Ghost," James said.
"He can’t even come with us!" Neil replied.
The discussion lengthened for a few minutes. Lucy got up from the table, apologizing, and saying she was going to take a quick shower. Alec had to intervene.
"It's over! You're not kids anymore. You know what's at stake! Whoever goes with whoever, what matters is that we get there. Are we clear?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course, you had to come in," James answered, grunting at the beginning and end of the sentence, and he too leaving the table.
"We're sorry about this," Alec said.
The lady laughed and only then did she answer him;
"Age isn't everything, kid. I see that there is still a lot to solve between you, and I advise you to do it before you get to Relics. Remember, it only takes a small gap to widen and the whole building collapses."
They thanked her for her advice and had breakfast alone. In the end, they asked for a place where they could store the leftovers to take on the trip and she handed them an old suitcase from her husband.
"He used to use it at work," she said, pointing to some bloodstains, "but these were other times. He hasn't used it since we ran away. It brings back too many memories."
The boys didn't respond. Time went by. The sun had risen to the altar and was now showing itself to all those who wanted to praise it. The horses had woken up and ran across the prairie, limitlessly, without worrying about anything but themselves. The birds, once annoying, now chirped a harmonious melody that stayed in their ears. Neil would sing it and Lucian would rock his head.
Several hours passed before there was a development. All the young people were at the table, in the sunshade, enjoying the magnificent view they had of the place that surrounded them when Max appeared with Ghost, helping him walk, having one hand on his hip. A huge scar stretched from his chest to his navel. It was still wounded and even though it was cooked, it looked like it was about to burst at any moment. The man appeared behind them, warning them that Ghost couldn't make efforts during the next few days, or the wound wouldn’t' have time to heal at all.
"Does that mean you can't go with us?" Max asked him, looking at him, like a dog about to be abandoned at the mercy of rain from which he couldn't hide.
Ghost didn't answer him. He looked at the man and waited for an answer.
" He better not go. We won't stop him if he wants to go, but he'll cause setbacks. His body needs to rest." The man said. He wasn't happy to say it, but he kept a serious voice.
"If he won't... I won't either. I'll stay with him and then I'll join you! When he gets better." Max said, raising his voice, expressing all his emotion without taking a single break. As soon as it was over, he took a deep breath, regaining his breath and avoided looking into their eyes.
"But Max..." James started...
"No, James. I've made my decision. He saved my life. I want to stay." Max said. He was no longer the shy boy from before. He had gained the courage to make his decisions and was not going to step aside, "We can't always stay together. Someday we'd have to go our separate ways." He added.
"You're right. I just didn't expect it to be at a time like this. It's your choice. We could use a healer, but we can survive without one. If these guys here know how to protect themselves." James said, his eyes hovering under Alec and Neil and having a smile in the corner of his lips.
Max laughed and thanked him. Ghost leaned against the wall and stretched his arm, touching Max's shoulder. The words didn't come out of his mouth, but Max realized that it was a "thank you" for the way
his lips moved.
" We better get going. We should be able to get there by dawn." Lucian said and straightened his hair, whose strands fell under his face.
"Lunch first. Then we'll get you some food and some items to take with you." The lady said, "Today its salmon. You're going to love it."
They ended up staying. She was right. Lunch was tasty. Neil and James, as usual, repeated. The rest ate everything on their plate until only the bones and some grains of rice were left- The sun shone in the corner of the painting, and the rest of the horizon was a mixture of blue and white brushstrokes. The green could be described as an act of madness of the painter, frustrated by not being able to reach the right color he poured the ink on the bottom of the painting. The farewell was brief. No one wanted to waste too much time; some for fear of repentance, others for thinking that every lost minute was wasted time. After all, they were close to the goal and it wasn't the time to get sloppy. The man offered Alec a suitcase. It contained three bottles of HP and three bottles of energy.
"I know it's not enough, but it's what I have now. It's getting harder and harder to access the hospital inventory without getting caught," he said, ending on a long sigh.
They all thanked him and walked up to the horses. Only James stayed behind to give his cousin a big hug. He squeezed it so tightly that Max's face turned red and he had to ask him to be calm or his bones would crumble.
"I'll be back," James said. He had not finished speaking yet and had already turned.
"I count on it." Max replied, "Good luck. I believe in you!"
James smiled and walked over to his colleagues. The final stretch of the adventure was about to begin and he wouldn’t be left behind. He promised himself that he would have the impact of two people. For him and his family. That the family would no longer be seen as cowards.
"Did you cry?" Neil asked as he approached, "Your eyes are red."
"No. Absolutely not! Do you think so? There was something in my eye as I descended the ravine. Come on, we got to go. Let's not waste time." James said, scratching his eye and hoping the groups would be made.
After a heated exchange of arguments between them, they decided that Lucy would take Alec, Neil would take Lucian and James would go alone.
"I don’t even know how to ride a horse," James said, complaining about the choice.
"Settle for that." Neil replied, "You learn fast... Unless the horse tosses you over his back and kicks you." He added, letting a grin smile appear in the corner of his mouth.
"You're very funny... I want to see if you're so funny in a 1vs1. Just because you're not the coward you used to be doesn't mean I'm afraid of you!" James answered him. The energy flowed through his arms and his hand shone once more, preparing him for the battle he so longed for.
"That's enough, boys. You have to stop being so sensitive. Let's go." Lucy said and climbed on one of the horses.
They were all majestic and imposing. A blond tuft in the back of their necks and feet longer than their entire bodies. Two chestnuts and a white chocolate color. Alec followed Lucy's footsteps and also rode the horse. The horse whinnied loudly, without moving, waiting for Lucy's orders.
"Hurry up." She told the rest whose feet were still treading the ground.
One by one they rode the horses. The strong sunlight overshadowed them. The sweat flowed through the washed bodies and moistened the old clothes. The horizon contained the answers to all their prayers. They embarked on their journey. They rode along the prairie, taking advantage of the gusts of wind that touched their faces and entangled their hair. They were going at high speed and holding each other tight. James, who was alone, clung to the horse's neck as if his life depended on it, and not even with the constant whining of the creature did he realize that he was exaggerating. He forced Lucy to stop him and explain to him that he was suffocating the animal and that the best thing to do would be to switch places with Alec.
"Yes. I think it's the best, no doubt." James confirmed.
"Are you sure?" Alec asked Lucy. He jumped from the horse's hide to the ground and landed without any problem.
"Yes, we're going to lose too much time if I don’t do it.” She replied, not very enthusiastic about the idea, as was Neil, who was staring at James fiercely.
"I’m watching you,” he told James as their eyes met.
Chapter XXII
They had ridden for hours when they paused. The sun was already tired, and gradually he would close his eyes and lie down for a long sleep. The dark blue took possession of the night and stretched for miles in all directions. The stars were rising as the night grew deeper, the only lights they had to guide themselves. They finally decided to take a short break. The goal was to feed themselves and give the horses the opportunity to rest and prepare for a few more hours of pure effort. Alec and Lucy fed them too.
Neil took advantage of the fact that there was a giant rock near them to unload his basic needs behind it. Everything went according to the outline of the plan they had made before leaving the couple's house. A few more hours and they'd be in Relics. After all, they had suffered, they were close to reaching the golden pot. The rainbow was coming to an end and all that was missing was a swing to get there. A few crickets were heard in the night-time pitch and crows scratched the ground in search of food. They picked up some remains of wood that they found on the ground and, thanks to Alec, they managed to have a fire. They gathered around it, sharing food and also human warmth. The bodies rubbed against each other and the smiles reflected the orange color of the fire.
"Thank you." Lucian said in the light of the flames, looking into each of the other’s eyes, "I never thanked you for having rescued me." His voice shook a little and he had difficulty bowing.
"We're a team," James replied promptly, "We don’t leave anyone behind."
"I think we can say we're all friends, right?" Alec intervened.
"Yes, that's it. We're... We're friends," Neil said. His mouth was full of food and the words were muffled.
"Um... we don’t need to go that far," James said. He touched the sandwich he had in his hand and licked his lips, "But... I'm glad I'm with you guys and not with our classmates," he finished.
"I think it's the best we'll get," Lucy said and laughed.
Her lovely laughter infected everyone, and they created a stream of laughter that lasted for a few minutes. They laughed without ceasing. Without fear of being heard, without fear of being caught. They laughed not to cry, and they laughed to release the pain they had accumulated until then. They laughed so hard that tears fell down their faces until their breaths gasped and Neil lay down on the floor. James sobbed and ended up drinking half a bottle of water while trying to speak at the same time, following advice from his aunt. Lucian was the first to leave the group. Every time he laughed, his ribs hurt, and he needed some time alone to take a deep breath and return to normal.
"Are you okay?" Alec asked in the distance.
"Yes. Yes. I laughed so hard I choked. Nothing much," he said, avoiding telling the truth. He wanted to be well so that they could count on him. He knew he couldn’t disappoint them. He had to make up somehow for everything they'd done for him.
They finished eating, packed everything up, gave the horses a drink, and set off on the way. Shortly after, they began the curve that gave access to the mountain. The path was in a circle, narrowing at each turn. In the beginning, it was possible to be in a horizontal row of four and shortly after it they couldn’t have two next to each other. The more they climbed, the more difficult it became to breathe. The air was heavy and had a strange smell, which they didn’t recognize. Their heads were light and their vision blurred. Eventually, they had to let the horses go and continue on foot.
Alec had to grab onto Neil's arm so he wouldn’t trip and fall off the mountain below. Small rocks tumbled down the canyon, the sound slipping down the path that had no end. Neil swallowed dry and, after thanking him, approached the wall, looking down one last time before holding on
to it as he could. His fat fingers were slipping, but it wasn't an impediment for him to press them firmly against the rocks. They scraped on them, wounding and bleeding, but he wouldn't let go. The others didn't have the same difficulty climbing up and just needed to do it calmly, stopping just to take a deep breath and motivate each other.
"We're almost there!" Alec said, leaning, hands on his knees. His breathing was panting and his clothes almost fleeing from his body due to the wind that was blowing there.
"Let's go!" James was screaming, "For Max!"
The strangling voices continued as they went around the last circle. The encouraging cries echoed throughout the mountain as they gradually reached flat ground. There were no more hills, no more bends, no more dangers of falling. Just a narrow path that led them to a black door surrounded by a gray wall. There was no other access to the city than that and even the roof of the city was protected by a fine defense fabric that allowed to see from the inside out, but not the other way around.
"Believe me. I've seen this twice. In the house of very rich people," James said, explaining that they might look harmless, but they would be chopped down if they tried to go beyond protection.
"Well, there's a knock on the door," Alec said, approaching it.
"Wait. What if it's a trap?" Lucy asked.
"I doubt it. If they had wanted to harm us, they could have done it on our way here. There is interest on their part. Maybe they know who we are." Alec concluded, leaving Lucy calmer.
"It's going to be okay," Lucian said, in a sincere, reassuring voice. He had an absurd calm and his colleagues didn’t know where it came from, "Come on."
He walked alone to the door and waited for the rest to come to him. Only then did he hit the bone in his hand, the one between his pinky and the index finger, on the door three times. All short and with little force. Nobody answered. The light rays of a drowsy sun had some difficulty in getting to that area. The clouds disappeared and to replace them a blue sky was repositioned high in the landscape. The color contrasted with the brown of the mountains.
