The Clockwork Heart

by T Ariyanna

  “I can fix that,” he said, walking to Theresa's closet. There he found a small pair of black hiking boots. Using his magic, he changed their color to dark blue with white trim. He handed them to Kaitlyn, and she sat on the floor to change.

  “So where did Theresa go? You never answered,” she said as she struggled with the laces on the boots.

  Cy shoved the crystal ball into his pocket. Though he knew he didn't need to cover himself, it felt wrong not to. He had thrown on a simple black long sleeved shirt, and black pants with more pockets than he thought he would ever need.

  Cy watched awkwardly as Kaitlyn gave up lacing the tall boots perfectly and simply wrapped the laces around her legs. She tied them into a large knot in the front with a huff. “She said she had to go gather some comrades, people that can help us get the kid back. She had to meet with some of them, and we get the rest.”

  “We?” Kaitlyn asked. Cy froze as she stared up at him, avoiding her gaze. Unsure of how to answer, Cy held his hand out for her to grab. Kaitlyn hesitated at first, but allowed him to help her up.

  After a moment of silence, Cy confessed, “Theresa said it would be best to drop you off back at the village and I go alone. I told her you didn't want to. If I was wrong, I…”

  “You weren't wrong,” Kaitlyn said abruptly. She squared her shoulders and stared him down in determination. “You didn't think you were going to get all the adventure, did you?”

  She smiled at him, but there was something else in her eyes. She looked as though she would cry again, but she blinked and it was gone.

  “Not at all. Let's get ready to go. The sooner we leave, the better.”

  They spent the next few hours gathering their supplies. They stayed together, mostly because Kaitlyn couldn't navigate the castle on her own. After much speculation, they decided to pack enough for a month, agreeing to get more rations when they needed them.

  Standing just outside the grand front doors, Kaitlyn asked, “Where to first?”

  Cy shifted his pack so that it rested between his shoulder blades. His metal body didn't give under the pressure of the pack, but the bag wasn't giving any either. The weight didn't bother him, but supplies were bulging the material and made the pack uncomfortable to carry.

  Cy dug into his pocket and retrieved the crystal ball. He shook it and waited impatiently for the white smoke to settle. He held it up between them, and Kaitlyn stared at it in awe.

  “That's where we're going? A mountain?”

  “I guess so. And not just any mountain. Mount Draken. That'll be fun.”

  “Why's that?”

  “You don't know what Draken are, do you?”

  “Uh, uh,” Kaitlyn said, shaking her head.

  “Didn't think so. Well, who am I to ruin the surprise?”

  Kaitlyn glared at him, but he refused to meet her gaze. “So how do we get there?” she asked irritably.

  “I guess we just start with walking.” Cy made his way towards the woods, his bag pounding against his back with each step. He paused to adjust it again, and noticed that there were no footsteps behind him. He glanced back at Kaitlyn, who hadn't moved a muscle away from the castle.

  “Are you coming?” he asked impatiently.

  Kaitlyn shook her head slowly, her face twisting up. “Do we really have to go through the woods?”

  “Do you see any other way to leave?”

  “Can't you just use magic to teleport us? Arion could,” she grumbled. She walked to Cy's side slowly, dragging her feet.

  “Yeah, well, I'm not Arion. That's the whole point of this, remember?”

  Kaitlyn dropped her head and grabbed onto the back of Cy's sleeve. “Let's just get it over with. You lead, though.”

  Cy couldn't think of a single thing to say, so he simply nodded. Walking slowly so he wouldn't lose Kaitlyn, they marched into the woods.

  “You got us lost, didn't you, Cy?” Kaitlyn glared at him, but he avoided looking at her.

  “I told you, we're not lost. We're just taking the scenic route.”

  “That means we're lost. Cy!” Kaitlyn whined, falling back against a tree. She slid along it to sit on the ground, groaning. “Can we at least take a rest? We've been walking for hours!”

  “It hasn't been that long. You're exaggerating. You're just not used to this kind of stuff. I'm not tired.”

  “You don't get tired. I'm human, remember? Not a demon in a mechanical body!”

  “Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry,” he muttered. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the tree trunk. Her sleeves had been rolled up to her elbows. Her face was beaded with sweat and her cheeks were flushed.

  Cy slung the bag from his shoulders and pulled out a canteen of water. He handed it to her and she took it, drinking greedily.

  “Calm down there, that's gotta last a while. We've only been at this a couple hours,” Cy reminded her. She lowered the canteen and stared at him with sad eyes. She swallowed one last time, closed the canteen, and wiped her mouth. She handed the canteen back to Cy, disappointed, and he returned it to his bag.

  He held his hand out to help her up. She grabbed it reluctantly, though she didn't stand. She sat there for a moment just holding his hand, until he gave her a tug. She groaned in protest and pulled away. Cy opened his mouth to urge her on, but a sound from behind made him stop.

  He turned around to face the growling, and was met with a pair of bright green eyes in the darkness before him. He heard Kaitlyn scramble to her feet behind him, whimpering. Cy raised his hands as a light gray wolf stalked out from the brush.

  Its muzzle was pulled back into a snarl, showing a full row of sharp, stained teeth. The green eyes watched Cy hungrily, and its ears pricked at every sound Cy made. It growled long and low, moving around Cy.

  Cy backed away from it slowly, hands still raised. When he got close to Kaitlyn, gripping the tree for her life, he reached out to her. The wolf lunged for his hand, and Cy jumped back. The wolf put itself between Cy and Kaitlyn, glancing back at the girl. Cy watched the wolf carefully, trying to find a way to get around it. Kaitlyn was staring at Cy, desperation clear in her eyes. Cy didn't need any more confirmation of the fear that had been instilled in her by the rogue wolves when she had come looking for Arion.

  “Cy,” she squeaked. She raised her hand towards him, but jerked it away from the wolf.

  Cy stomped towards the wolf. “You need to back off, mutt!” he yelled.

  The wolf lunged, tackling him to the ground. Cy wrapped his hands in a vice around the wolf's muzzle as it snapped for his throat. He threw the wolf onto its head, stunning it. He climbed on top of the wolf, pinning it down. It squirmed under him and managed to roll on its back. It waved its paws in the air, scratching Cy's arms.

  Cy saw a large spot of black fur on the wolf's chest, and his astonishment made his grip loosen. The wolf pushed him off and jumped on top of Cy. The wolf reared back, mouth gaping, and Cy threw his hands up.

  “Tuft, wait!” he shrieked, and the wolf halted in mid-attack. He cocked its head, and stared at Cy, his nose twitching madly.

  “You smell like Arion. Why do you smell like Arion?” he asked, shoving his nose in the crook of Cy's neck.

  “It's a long story. I'm Cyllorian, I was living inside of Arion's head for a while. He made me this body. And this is Kaitlyn. We're friends. I'm not trying to hurt her.”

  “Friends?” Tuft asked, narrowing his eyes. He looked up at Kaitlyn, who nodded vigorously. He glanced back down at Cy, and climbed off of him. “I've been watching the house for a few days. My pack reported seeing her come into the woods with a group of humans. We saw the humans leave, but not her. I got worried. Where's Arion?”

  “Theresa didn't tell you? I was sure she would.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Cy looked away, unable to speak.

  “Kraven killed him,” Kaitlyn said in a small voice. “Kraven’s dead now as well.”

  “Arion's dead?” Tuft burst, looking from one of them to t
he other. Kaitlyn’s eyes were cast down, and Cy was looking at Kaitlyn in shock. He hadn’t the courage to say those words himself, knowing that reality would crash down on him if he did.

  Tuft dropped his head and walked over to Kaitlyn. He rubbed his head against her hand, ignoring her petrified state. She shut her eyes, but her hand automatically moved to rub the wolf's ears. Her legs started to shake, and Cy was ready to pull Tuft away for scaring her, but he didn't need to. Kaitlyn dropped to the ground on her knees, hugging the wolf around his neck. She buried her face in his fur, and he placed a paw on her leg.

  Cy looked away, giving Kaitlyn her privacy as she cried into Tuft's neck. She finally pulled away, rubbing her eyes. “Thank you.”

  Tuft nodded once, then turned to Cy as Kaitlyn gathered herself.

  “What are you doing out here?” he asked, his voice devoid of his usual joking nature.

  “We're on our way to the different colonies in Lontorra, hoping that one of them will have a way to get Arion back.”

  “Back from the dead? Is that even possible?”

  “It better be,” Cy said simply, a hint of a threat in his voice.

  They sat for a moment, each lost within themselves. Kaitlyn was the first to speak, her voice still thick with tears. “We got a little lost. Can you help us get out of here?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “I can lead you to the outside world, but that is where my help must end. I cannot leave the woods, not as an Alpha. Not to mention that I can't exactly leave my pups for Hylot to care for on her own. She'd have my pelt as a rug if I did.”

  Tuft burst into laughter, his seriousness washed away. He caught his breath, then gave a short howl. He stared into the darkness. Four smalls pups came running from the trees, bumping into and bowling over each other. They rolled in the grass until they ran into Tuft and stared up at him obediently. One was the spitting image of Hylot, with perfect caramel fur, though the ears and tail were tipped gray. One was a muddled brown with light gray around the eyes and paws. The other two looked like two halves of a whole. The first was fully gray with its chest Hylot's caramel, and the second was the reverse caramel with a gray chest.

  “They're so adorable,” Kaitlyn whispered, a huge smile plastered on her face.

  “You think so? Take 'em!” Tuft barked out a laugh, then addressed his pups.

  “To attention, little ones. We're going for a walk.” The twins yipped in excitement, their tails wagging too fast for the eyes to see.

  “I'm glad that you two at least are excited, Baera and Biero,” he said, nodding to the twins each in turn. The mostly gray one, Baera, yipped in satisfaction. Biero held his head high.

  The other two fell on their backs and whined. The brown pup nipped at the other's tail, and they began chasing each other. “Olligrin, stop chasing your sister! Jayda, watch where you're running. You're going to hit something again!” Tuft called after the two, but they didn't listen.

  They weren't paying attention, and ran into Kaitlyn's legs. Olligrin ran to hide behind Tuft, while Jayda looked up at Kaitlyn with a mix of fear and curiosity.

  “Hi there, cutie,” Kaitlyn said as she bent to pick up the pup. It nipped at her fingers, yipping at her, but she ignored the pup’s attacks. She scooped Jayda up and cradled her in her arms. Kaitlyn ran her fingers through Jayda's fur on her chest, and the pup relaxed. Kaitlyn began scratching her stomach, and the pup kicked out in joy.

  It wasn't long before all of the pups were swarmed at Kaitlyn's feet, begging for attention. She squatted down to their level, trying to keep them all sated, but she didn't have enough hands. They tackled her to the ground, rubbing their heads against her sides, tickling her, and licking her face. She rolled on the ground, laughing under them.

  “Olligrin, Jayda, Baera and Biero! All of you, get back here!” Tuft barked out, his voice filled with authority. The pups all stopped slowly, and turned toward their father. He raised his muzzle at them, daring them to disobey. They shared a few glances, then walked back to Tuft with their tails between their legs, whimpering.

  Tuft let out a sigh, and licked their cheeks lovingly. Tuft began giving out orders, “Alright pups, in formation. Like we practiced. Jayda you're leading today. Baera, Biero, next in line. Olli is in front of me. Straight line now, pay attention to your leader. Biero, leave your sister's tail alone!” Tuft soon devolved into nipping at each pup, doing everything he could to keep them under control.

  He threw his head back and howled, and the pups joined in. With their attention now gathered, he addressed them sternly, “Now, you can either all behave, or you can go back to your mother. Who wants to be the one to wake her up and tell her you were bad? Any takers?”

  All of the pups stared at the ground. They spared glances for each other, but none made a sound. “Good. Back in formation!”

  The pups lined themselves up perfectly, their heads held high and shoulders regal as they marched. They passed by Cy and Kaitlyn as they led the way out of the woods. Tuft gave them a smirk as he came to them.

  “Are you coming or what?” he asked, smugness seeping from his words.

  Cy and Kaitlyn shared a glance, then took up the rear, marching in time with the pups’ tiny footsteps.

  “This is where we part ways, Cyllorian. We can't leave the woods. There is much here we have to take care of, but I'll be awaiting the day I can be of more assistance to you.”

  “Since when did you get all formal?” Cy asked, scanning the woods around them. Through the cracks in the trees, he could see Arion's old home. From here, it looked as though it had been untouched. Cy assumed the town would’ve burnt it down out of fear, and seeing it still standing filled him with curiosity.

  “I am an Alpha, after all. I need to start acting my age. My immaturity could cost me in the end. I need to be more cautious.” Tuft paused, and a sullen expression fell over him. His voice remained strong, but his stance was strained. “Besides, Arion is my human, bound to me much like Theresa and Goyik are bound. I am loyal to him beyond reason. I only wish I could do more. I didn't realize at the time, but I did Goyik a favor by taking the title of Alpha from him. Now he is free to see to Theresa's wishes without regret.”

  “It's alright, Tuft. We know you want to help, but you have to stay here with your pups. We can handle it from here, thank you.” Kaitlyn scratched behind the wolf's ears. Though the action seemed effortless, Cy could see that her hand shook slightly.

  She's braver than Theresa gave her credit for, he thought proudly. He gave a small smile as he watched her.

  The pups began to shift anxiously at Tuft's side. The walk through the woods had taken nearly all day to accompany their speed, and it had worn them out. As soon as they had stopped, they had collapsed against their father. After just a few minutes of rest, they were full of energy yet again, and longed to move. It seemed the only thing that kept them by their father's side was their fear of the new area of the woods.

  Tuft bowed his head to Kaitlyn. “You can always call on me when you need it. I am at your service, in Arion's name.”

  Kaitlyn curtseyed in return, and the wolf smiled sadly.

  Kaitlyn opened her mouth to question him, but he had already turned to herd his pups. He got them lined up with little difficulty, and set them off into the woods towards their home.

  “Bring him back! For me,” Tuft called. He paused a few feet away to look back at Cy.

  The demon nodded to the wolf. “I'll bring him back for all of us,” he said simply. Tuft stared at Cy for a long moment, before flashing a sad smile. He turned on his heels, the weight of an Alpha placed onto his shoulders yet again. With short orders and little patience, he corralled his pups back into the trees.

  Since they had stopped walking, the trek of the day seemed to be weighing on Kaitlyn. Cy waved his arm in front of him, towards the house. “Ladies first?” he offered, slightly uncomfortable with the phrase.

  She smiled tiredly at him and stepped gingerly over the brush, fallen branches
, and tangled roots keeping them from a peaceful rest.

  They stepped through the back door of the house, and Cy was left breathless by the interior. Nothing had been touched since the day they’d left. Even Kraven's blood stains in the floorboards remained, and Cy cringed. He rummaged through the kitchen cupboards for any food that hadn’t spoiled.

  When he was successful in his search, he looked for Kaitlyn, but she wasn't in the kitchen. He wandered into the living room, though he hadn't noticed her leave his side.

  She was curled up in Arion's huge arm chair in the living room. Her canteen was lying on the floor, the cap off and a small puddle of water around it. Cy picked it up and put it away into her bag. He questioned how anyone could fall asleep so quickly, but accepted that exhaustion had taken ahold of her. He walked silently as he retrieved a blanket from Arion's room, then tucked Kaitlyn in. She gripped the blanket immediately, pulling it over her head to shield her eyes from the setting sun.

  There was barely a sliver left of light, and it lit the air around Cy a deep violet. He watched the sun as it was snuffed out by the horizon. The clouds shown with a beautiful violet, and Cy touched his cheek beneath his eye, reminded of his own essence. He turned to look out of the other window. Stars shown brightly, lighting up the night sky just as the sun had.

  It’s the same sky, but they're so different. They have their own intentions, their own meanings. Cy looked back to the twilight, nearly swallowed up by the spreading darkness. It sure doesn't last long. Maybe that's the point. Twilight proves that just because something ends, doesn't mean it's a bad thing. But even then, it never lasts for long. So when is it going to go wrong, if this is supposed to be the good part?

  Cy sat on the floor across from Kaitlyn, watching over her. She slept soundly, unlike Arion, who had always tossed throughout the whole night. Kaitlyn barely moved. Cy was tempted to check her breathing, but didn’t want to risk waking her for nothing. She muttered a few times, but it was unintelligible.