After a couple of miles of heading north, Aidan saw them, sitting with their legs crossed at the edge of the woods. Aidan approached from the front so as not to startle them. It was a good move, for he saw Isaac’s grip on the hilt of his dagger relax once he was able to recognize the intruder as friend and not foe.
“Welcome to the edge of Lowsunn,” Eugene said. Aidan continued moving forward without a word, making sure he didn’t go beyond where the two men stood. Isaac smiled and slapped his friend on the back. He knew what Aidan wanted. To see the outside once more.
But the shielding continued to make the view hazy and fogged. No matter how hard he squinted, Aidan couldn’t make out what was beyond the rolling hills and unfiltered moonlight. With this being the edge of the forest, it was already a brand new world that lay just ahead, and yet it was a familiar one at the same time. He couldn’t believe the sudden pang that shot through his heart at the hazy sight. He was homesick.
Since he had entered Lowsunn, Aidan had refused to go back to the shield’s edge for fear he would try to burn it down. And he would have been right. Outside the village’s confinement was his true home, and it was right there, just a few measly steps away.
“Are you ready for this adventure?” Isaac asked. Aidan nodded and Eugene pointed to a spot in the shielding.
“Listen closely. This is going to be very hard to identify on your way back, but there’s no way I can make a marking of any kind. This tree right here,” he slapped a hand on the tree. “If you look very closely, you can see that some of its branches hang a few inches lower than the others around it. Horizontal to this tree is the opening. A precise line. I’ve already tested the height against Isaac. If you crawl, his back will be two inches lower than the top, and his arms, placed straight under his shoulders, will only be three inches from the sides. Anything goes beyond those parameters and you’ll be found out. You won’t receive any warning either. So please be careful.”
“That tree’s going to be hard to find,” Aidan said. “Won’t Lowsunn look hazy to us once we’re out?”
“That’s why it will take you a while. Maybe even an hour or so to guarantee you have the right one. I wouldn’t spend too much time down below.”
“We’ve received word,” Isaac said, turning to his friend. “The mission selections will be announced at dawn, and everyone will be leaving at noon.”
“They’re not wasting any time,” he replied. “And neither will we.”
“Remember this outing is to gather intel,” Eugene admonished. “No fighting. No talking to others unless it’s absolutely necessary. If anyone discovers you were out, the Elders are going to want to know why.”
“Understood,” Isaac said, patting his dagger, and tucking his Lowsunn uniform shirt into his pants. “Ready?”
“Yep,” Aidan said, lining up his body with the tree. He dropped to his knees and began crawling on all fours, making sure he kept his limbs tight. Once his upper half was beyond the shield, the veil over his eyes lifted. The world opened up in majestic grandeur. It was spacious, it was free, and it was full of life. Thousands of fireflies hovered in the air, blinking with all colors of the rainbow. Shooting stars clashed against each other like a war was being waged in the heavens, and the hills were teeming with sleeping creatures Aidan had never witnessed before. The child in him was salivating at the playground before him. He had dwelled on the horror for so long that he had long forgotten the wonder of it all.
What didn’t catch his attention was the fifty-foot drop that lay mere inches in front of him.
“Isaac, hold on, there’s a –” But Isaac didn’t hear him in time. He began crawling through the hole in the shield, bumping into Aidan’s legs hard enough to send him flying. As soon as Aidan was sure his legs were free of the shield, he summoned a lava cushion to break his fall. Isaac turned his dagger into a pole and rode it down to the ground.
“You think Eugene would have warned us about that drop,” Aidan replied, dismissing the lava.
“The topography might have changed,” Isaac said, but he wasn’t looking at Aidan. His eyes were transfixed on the landscape before him. Dots of blues, reds, yellows and greens blinked at him like flash lights. The rolling hills were tranquil and still but the beasts that rested upon them were mystical. Herds of all different shapes and sizes. Lambs with the bodies of lions. Boars with the bodies of leopards. Small rabbits with the wings of large bats grazed in the moonlight, and through it all, the sound of laughter and cheerful music rode the winds into their hungry ears. On the horizon, they could see traces of smoke and a large bright light. Isaac smacked Aidan on the back playfully.
“That has to be Otalli,” he said, sprinting forward. Aidan grabbed the back of his lapel.
“Hold on there,” he whispered. “Don’t you see the beasts?”
“They’re sleeping. As long as we remain quiet, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure? Have you learned nothing from our training session? What if they’re really eyes for a predator, using beasts for their surveillance? What if those beasts are far more dangerous than they appear? What if we attract the attention of some bandits?”
“Do you know what you are, Aidan? You’re scared. You hide it well enough, but I see right through you. How can you not look out over there and see the same thing I do? That this is a land of opportunity and wonder!”
“Wonder doesn’t come until morning,” Aidan muttered. “But since this is your first time out, I’ll let you show me how it’s done.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Does to me. You’re saying that all I’ve told you about the outside doesn’t warrant caution, so go right on ahead. I’ll be your backup.”
“You sure you’re not going to whistle or something and get me killed?”
“It’s tempting, but no.”
“Because Leah would be quite angry with you if you got a friend killed.”
“Can we not talk about her right now?”
“Hey, Aidan,” Isaac asked. He waited for him to answer. Aidan shut his eyes, gave out a heavy sigh, and then took the bait.
“What is it?”
“You get those butterflies yet?” Aidan reached out to grab him but he was already sprinting away. Aidan clenched his jaw and then half-yelled, half-whispered into the air.
“I don’t get butterflies!”
“Liar,” Isaac whisper-yelled back. Aidan shook his head and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Isaac avoided the sleeping beasts at first, but then he really began testing the waters, hurdling over their bodies one after the other. He looked back only once to ensure that Aidan was following suit. He was, but he was also making sure his liquid fire was at the ready. His hands grew hot and became as red as a blacksmith’s unfinished blade. All it would take was one mistake for Isaac to wake the herd.
But nothing happened. And it was all so strange. As the wind whipped through their hair and snapped at their clothes, he allowed himself to take in his surroundings even more. His nose picked up that fact that several roasts were being seared in the town nearby, and it wasn’t the kind created from one’s imagination. It was all-natural, and this made him salivate. The music was also getting louder and the laughter more jovial. How was this all possible? Did Lowsunn keep a tight leash in Otalli as well? Was it also shielded in some manner?
Once they hit the final hill, they both stopped to take in the sights. Their eyes lit up once they saw the town. The homes were more like dollhouses than cabins, painted with bright, vibrant colors and decorated with reflective materials and pieces of candy. They were set up in a half-moon formation with the opening facing towards them and Lowsunn. In the middle was a grand bonfire with a merry band dancing around it as they played their violins, flutes and handheld harps. The crowd around them were absorbed in the music more than the players were as they waltzed away in couples, laughing to the point of tears and hugging each other so tightly that Aidan began wondering if they all knew eac
h other.
“I don’t think there’s a shield,” Isaac said, examining the twenty houses from end to end. “At least not one that blocks out a stranger from seeing in.”
“It’s strange that it’s so open,” Aidan observed. “And even weirder that they would be so happy considering that people have died here recently.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Isaac pointed to the right. “Let’s enter from the side so as not to bring attention to ourselves.”
“Agreed.” They took the long way around, passing several more beasts as they went, except this time, they both traveled with great caution. The music had not died down in intensity, but Aidan was already feeling like they were being watched, as if the beasts were glaring at them through their eyelids, or the moon itself had transformed into one great big eye. He felt exposed, and part of him longed for the safety of Lowsunn’s borders, but he dared not run back now. Come tomorrow afternoon, he would be venturing even further into the unknown.
“This way,” Isaac said as they emerged from behind the flashy house on one end. He tapped one of the gumdrops that was lined down its side. “You think these are real?”
“They’re real alright,” Aidan said. “The question is if you want to see what happens when you eat one.”
“Well, what do you eat out here?”
“The natural stuff. What you know comes from nature. Everything else could be a trap.”
“And how do you do that considering that even the grass could have been fabricated at this point?”
“It’s hard to tell the difference between real and fake considering no one’s willing to label it, but you have to try your best all the same. Usually the beasts will steer clear of the strange accommodations but even that’s not a guarantee.”
“It sounds like life on the outside is one big game of chance.”
“You work with what you have been born with,” Aidan replied, stepping out onto what felt like a stage. The tile underneath him was a mix of hard glass and cooled caramel, but he paid no attention to the strange cracks and minor squishes he felt beneath his feet. He kept his focus on the people. The music didn’t cease and the people kept dancing, but he still felt like it was a trap. What wasn’t a trap on the outside? As long as there were people nearby, and especially those with seals, he felt uneasy.
Isaac followed him anxiously, keeping his step right behind Aidan and probably causing more attention to come their way than not. Still, Aidan kept walking until he was past the dancing crowd and well into one of the houses so he could catch his breath.
None of the couples had averted their gazes from each other. Not a single one.
“Do you know this place?” Isaac asked, closing the sugar cookie door behind him.
“No, but I’ll be able to think better in here.” They had walked into a tavern and a small one at that. The barkeep was lazily dozing off on a stool behind a massive oak counter that was so wide there was no way he would be able to just hand a drink to a customer on the other end. A number of chairs made for children and tables fit for one person were in abundance and candied pictures were framed side-by-side across the walls. The air was stale and gritty. Every time Aidan breathed he was taken aback by the combination of sweetness and sugar molecules that graced his tongue. He heard talking coming from upstairs, and that’s when he noticed a narrow stairway to his right, barely out of view as the surface of the steps had been covered in broken boards and debris. A light, classical tune played above their heads. Isaac placed a hand to his dagger.
“This place creeps me out.”
“You creep me out. Don’t stand so close,” Aidan snapped. Isaac took a step back. Aidan walked forward slowly, examining the room, the floorboards underneath them creaking and kicking up more sugar. A bout of laughter sounded off up above.
“You here for the bounty?” the barkeep muttered, seemingly in his sleep. Aidan looked back at Isaac, but the swordsman just shrugged his shoulders.
“Depends,” Aidan answered. “We’ve heard that there have been a number of murders around here. Know anything about that?”
“You here to investigate?” the sleeping man said, his lips barely moving as his fatty chin continued to slump into his chest. His eyes were shut so tight it was as if he had none.
“We lost a friend,” Aidan lied, and the barkeep began snoring. “We want to know why he died, and who killed him.”
“Why don’t you…ask upstairs,” he muttered, going back to his snoring. A fist pounded on the face of a table up above.
“It could be a trap,” Isaac said, but Aidan had already gone over those mental calisthenics in his head.
“Even if it is, we won’t know until we try.” Aidan stepped over the debris on the stairs and climbed up quietly, trying to match each step with a round of laughter to drown out his approach. Once he reached the top, his eyes peered out over the bannister. Bailey was at the other end of the massive room, sitting at a thin rectangular table with three others. She looked right into Aidan’s eyes as if she had known he was there the entire time and waved for him to come join her. The two boys climbed the rest of the way in confusion and Bailey sat back in her thin wooden chair and placed both feet on the wobbly table. With a smug look on her face, her lips parted.
“Welcome to the Movement.”
Chapter 14 – Omega
“How scared were you,Tallawah?” Bailey asked, ripping a piece off the chocolate pillar behind her and popping it into her mouth. It looked like it was made out of wood, but if it were, she wouldn’t have been able to rip out a chunk of it like that.
“What’s going on here?” Aidan demanded. The woman sitting next to Bailey got up from her seat and went to retrieve two chairs from the unorganized pile at the side. She had a hardened face that expressed no surprise at suddenly having two more people in the room. Bailey crossed her arms and closed her eyes.
“We wanted to explain what you’re about to get yourself into.” The woman with the hardened face put the two chairs at the table near Bailey as the other two men nodded. “Before we get into the details, allow me to introduce the rest of the Movement’s leadership. This here is Jin...” The heavily armored soldier sitting at the table nodded as he was introduced. “And Makana, and Elroy.” The thin man in the dusty, hole-filled clothes nodded slightly when Bailey announced the last name. “I wanted you both to meet them in case anything happens to me tomorrow.”
“Expecting a slaughter?” Aidan replied, sitting down in unison with Isaac.
“No less,” Bailey smiled. “But it’s to be expected.”
“You sound pretty relaxed for someone who’s about to lose a great deal of people.”
“I’m not happy about that,” she said, removing the grin. “But I am thrilled to see this all coming out of the shadows and into the light. The Elders aren’t playing around. According to the reports we gleaned from Morrigan’s mind, they have placed 90% of the Movement’s members and only 10% of the average Lowsunn villagers on tomorrow’s mission list. This is no coincidence.”
“Gleaned?”
“Elroy here is a mind reader,” she said, waving a hand to her left. “He might not be speaking much today and I hope you’ll excuse him. He hasn’t found a way to completely filter his abilities yet and it tends to take its toll.”
“Where’s Morrigan now?” Isaac asked. Elroy’s ears perked up.
“Still in Lowsunn. Elroy usually spends his nights here in Otalli but we snuck him in to retrieve the information. It was risky, but we figured that it was necessary. We made the right call.”
“If the Elders are sending the Movement members to die then they know who you all are.”
“They’re not going to outright kill us. They have a reputation to maintain, but considering that many of our members habitually work on their skills, it wouldn’t be hard to convince others that they were simply sending their best outside. By the way, I’m sorry to have sent you out here with such little information, but we couldn’t tell you the whole t
ruth of what was going on – that we were having a meeting out here. We needed to ensure that if you got caught they wouldn’t be able to extract any vital information out of you. Eugene set it up so that it appeared as if you acted on your own.”
“Basically I was tricked,” Aidan said, crossing his arms. “He knew that I was going to face Ainsley – probably even said exactly the right things so that I would – and he knew that I would try to preserve myself by coming out here.”
“I’m sorry,” Bailey said. “You’re not the type to just follow orders. Even if he had said the instructions were from me, you wouldn’t have obeyed him.”
“Why do you need me here so badly? Where’s everyone else?”
“Sleeping soundly. You’re the latest member of our resistance so you’re the one with the least knowledge. Makana and Jin both handle their own circle of members inside Lowsunn. Elroy handles any members here in Otalli and vets new ones. Altogether, we maintain the whole. Although no one group is fully knowledgeable about what goes on behind the scenes, it keeps us all accountable. The only reason we’re all here tonight is to go over the teams the Elders have selected and discuss their composition. Their strengths and weaknesses and how to best combat the enemies or situations they’ll be facing. Much of what we decide will be given to our respective group in the morning before announcements.”
“And what of this mysterious murderer?”
“That was a lie. I’m sorry. We needed to give you a target that you would deem enough of a threat to investigate, but not so much that you would be afraid of going outside to check it out. A delicate balance was required.”
The Works of Julius St. Clair - 2017 Edition (Includes 3 full novels and more) Page 46
