The Clockwork Heart

by T Ariyanna

  No one so much as breathed in that moment. Kaitlyn watched in fear at Cy’s rage. Gil was taken aback, looking at Cy as though it was the first time he had seen him. Jayr was sweating profusely in Cy's grip, reaching towards his blade slowly. Cy caught the advance, and moved so fast that Kaitlyn couldn't even see what he had done. He was now holding Jayr with the opposite hand, twisting his arm to the side. His blade spun through the air, landing a few inches in front of Kaitlyn. It was buried up to the hilt into the hard ground, wobbling.

  Cy was smiling viciously at Jayr, his pointed teeth nearly grazing his skin. “That's right. I am a demon. That means I don't give a damn about anyone but myself, especially you!” Cy released Jayr's arm and raised his hand to strike.

  Vyekrin hissed on Kaitlyn’s shoulder and sprang. He turned into a dragon midair, crushing five trees before he had no more room to move. He snatched Cy, and threw him across the clearing. He flew into Gil, knocking both of them over. Cy was on his feet in an instant, growling at Vyekrin, but stopped short.

  Jayr was pinned underneath one of Vyekrin's large paws. His face was turning red with the struggle for air, his hands clawing at the ground for escape. He spotted Wayonn, now conscious, and begged him for help with his eyes. The scorpion looked away, too frightened to go up against Vyekrin and too ashamed to look at his master.

  Vyekrin drew his face within inches of Jayr's. The Draken froze when Vyekrin spoke. “You will do well to not speak of things of which you have no knowledge. If you do not agree with our choices, or the makeup of this group, then by all means, get out of this forest alive by yourself.”

  Vyekrin released Jayr and the boy rolled onto his side, gasping for breath. The dragon then looked to Cy, and they shared a long, meaningful glance. Cy was the first to look away, with a gleam in his eye that Kaitlyn thought could have been tears if Cy could cry in this body.

  Kaitlyn observed the exchange in confusion. Vyekrin had been with her all along. He knew all about Arion’s childhood. She had no idea how old he was, or what he had done when he wasn’t with her. Vyekrin had worked alongside Cy to protect her, so they would have enough in common. What could they have talked about when she had been asleep or unconscious?

  Cy rubbed his face with his hands, his claws creating a high-pitched whining to split the air. Gil grabbed his hands and yanked them away. The fear was gone from Gil, replaced by irritation.

  “Can we just get out of here already? And besides, I thought you promised me first go at the Draken?”

  “I said you'd have your chance. I didn't say you get first pick,” Cy grumbled, stepping away.

  “How are we supposed to get out? We don't even know where we are,” Kaitlyn said, wanting to distract them from the fight.

  “What if we use the dragons to go over the trees and look for the edge?” Gil bent backward dramatically, his hands on his hips. He twisted this way and that, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky through the treetops.

  Veykrin was the first to speak, his voice regal and solemn. “That will not work. This form of mine is too large to fit through the canopy, nor do I have the strength to level enough trees. The same goes for Wayonn. In our smaller forms, we might get out, but it would take quite a long time to climb the trees and there is no guarantee of a decent view once we reach the top. These woods are made for one creature, and one creature only…Kindling. Anything else, save for small animals, will perish in these woods.”

  “What are we supposed to do now?” Kaitlyn asked, wrapping her arms around her. Vyekrin shrunk himself slowly, detangled his limbs from the crushed trees. He climbed onto Kaitlyn’s lap, and she rested her hand on his back instinctively.

  “I don't know about you, but I sure ain't just rolling over and dying in here. I've got shit to do,” Cy grumbled.

  “You got any bright ideas?” Gil asked. He watched the Draken closely as he retrieved his sword, but Kaitlyn was more distracted by Gil. Where he normally looked careless and simple, the expression he wore now was much more mature, calculating.

  Jayr crouched to pry the sword from the ground, but halted suddenly. He sat still for a long moment before Gil took a step towards him.

  “Hey, hothead, I’m talking to you!” Gil said as he came within inches of Jayr’s back. With a grunt, he pushed Jayr with his foot. Jayr caught himself easily on the hilt of his blade. His grip was tight on the handle, and Gil backed away slowly.

  Kaitlyn watched in silence. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She dared a glance at Cy, but he seemed entirely uninterested, kicking at the ground and muttering to himself.

  What is this place doing to us? They’re all so hostile towards each other now. What could have happened while I was asleep? Kaitlyn’s attention wandered. Across from her, she thought she saw a pair of small blue eyes, but they faded before she could be certain they had even existed at all. A shiver ran down her spine and she hugged herself tightly. Suddenly, this place was no longer beautiful to her. It was deadly.

  Are we being toyed with? The thought flitted through her mind without her consent. A nasty feeling was settling in the pit of her stomach and she bit her tongue to chase away the nausea.

  “What about this?” Jayr said, diverting Kaitlyn’s attention away from her worrying thoughts. Turning to face them, Jayr held up his hands to show a bright pink ball of light nestled in the palm of his hand.

  He held the ball up and it danced in his hands, swaying in the wind. It dove toward the trees, but bounced back, waiting for him.

  Cy scrambled to bring the crystal ball from his pocket. The light inside matched the wisp that Jayr had found. Cy glared at the Draken over the crystal ball. “Where did you get that?”

  “It just showed up. Maybe it heard us. We weren't exactly being careful or quiet, you know.”

  “It's probably a trap. It's the only thing that makes sense. Either way, we don't have any better ideas. Best case scenario, it takes us to the Kindling and they kill us.”

  “Don't you mean 'worst case?'” Kaitlyn said slowly. She picked Vyekrin from her lap and coaxed him onto her shoulder. He curled up against her, wrapping his tail around her neck to anchor himself.

  “Nope. The only way out of here is to be a Kindling, or to be with a Kindling. We can follow this thing and come up with a plan along the way. When they try to attack us, we ambush them instead, then make them take us out of here.”

  Everyone was silent as Cy waited for praise. When none came, he grunted and kicked a rock at his feet.

  “It's not a very good plan,” Jayr started, playing with the pink wisp. “But it's still a plan. And the only one we've got. I say we do it.”

  Kaitlyn was relieved when Jayr's last sentence shut Cy up, grateful that they at least knew what they were doing.

  Gil was looking between Cy and Jayr, mortified. “Wait, are we actually going to try kidnapping a Kindling? Are you insane?”

  Kaitlyn put a hand on Gil's shoulder to calm him down. “It's just fairies and pixies, right? What could go wrong?” She was doing her best to calm them, but even she no longer believed her words.

  “Would you rather we leave you here?” Cy asked impatiently.

  “No…” Gil muttered, defeated. “But how far do you honestly expect us to get without our supplies? I tried to say something earlier, but you seemed to think arguing over Theresa was more important.”

  Kaitlyn’s eyes went wide as she spun around frantically. There was nothing in the small space other than themselves. They lost their only chance of survival when they had been forced into this forest.

  Jayr was letting loose a stream of words Kaitlyn couldn’t understand, and she was momentarily grateful. Cy on the other hand, was so still that it scared her more than their situation.

  “This is their game,” he whispered, and the small sound silenced the others. “They brought us in here to be the pieces. They’re playing with us.”

  His words sobered them all up, the tension scattering from the air. Kaitlyn put a hand to her chest, hop
ing to calm her heart. Jayr was watching the wisp circle around him slowly, and Gil was gripping his elbows hard enough to blanch his knuckles.

  Kaitlyn looked desperately between them. No matter how she looked at it, this was worse. She wanted them, any of them, to get angry, to scream or curse. She wanted to see any sort of reaction to dispel the fear that they had given up. Just as she was getting ready to yell at them herself, Gil broke the silence.

  “Anybody know what plants are edible in these woods?” Gil eyed a plump fruit with rough, purple skin that hung from a tree. He poked at it, unsure what to do. The others turned to him, then came to life as they surveyed the small area they had been dropped in.

  Jayr picked a few bright red berries from a bush. He inspected it closely, while Cy crept up behind him. Jayr lifted it above his head, ready to drop it in his mouth, but Cy smacked his hand and the berry went flying.

  “The hell are you doing?” Jayr snapped, rounding on Cy. “Do you want to fight again already? Let's go, demon.” Though he glared furiously at Cy, Jayr’s voice held no bite or threat.

  “Those berries are poisonous, as well as that tree fruit, Gil,” Cy said, glancing back at Gil. The Droll was just about to pierce the tough skin of the fruit with his teeth, but dropped it to the ground instead.

  “How do you know that? You can't even eat.” Jayr rounded on Cy, tossing the berries to the side. They splattered against a tree, and Jayr ignored the steam that rose from the bright orange goop.

  “Because Theresa taught me as well. I learned about all the creatures, including you. I learned how to survive. It's relatively bright in this area, especially compared to the rest of the woods. The safe fruit grows in the darkness. If we start following that wisp, it should take us deeper into the woods. We'll find something to eat as we go.”

  Cy passed Jayr, ignoring the stunned expression. The wisp was dancing and twirling at the edge of the light that broke through the trees. It did loops in the air, beckoning them. Cy approached and it dove into the shadows, nearly disappearing altogether.

  Kaitlyn was the first to follow Cy, Gil close on her heels. Jayr was hesitant, but took up the back of the line. Once they had plunged into the depths of the woods, it was impossible to see where they were going. They followed the dim pink light in the distance blindly. Gil quickly grabbed Kaitlyn’s hand. He was shaking in her grasp, and she gave him a comforting squeeze. Following suit, she reached ahead and entwined her fingers with Cy’s. His steps faltered when she grabbed him, but he clasped his fingers around her hand. She felt the metal lock into place.

  Gil yelped behind her, and Kaitlyn turned to investigate. Gil had a hand over his chest as he gasped for air. Jayr was as far behind as he could be, nearly lost in the dark. His hand was resting lightly on Gil's shoulder, and neither looked happy about it. Kaitlyn turned back to face forward, stifling her giggles.

  There was no way to tell how long they had been walking, or if they had even made any progress. No one even dared to ask about food again, the fright of the woods chasing away any hunger they had. After what felt like hours but could have been minutes, Jayr called to the front, “So how's that great plan coming, demon?”

  “Working on it,” Cy mumbled under his breath. He then stopped suddenly. The woods had only gotten darker, and Kaitlyn came closer to his light.

  “Cy, what's wro-” she started, but the knife at her throat made her stop. She heard the groans of Gil and Jayr behind them, and knew they were surrounded.

  “What about now?” Jayr asked, desperately and sarcastically.

  “If you've got any suggestions, I'm all ears,” Cy snapped back bitterly.

  Kaitlyn was snatched up by two sets of hands. She whimpered in pain as she was tied up, then pushed forward through the woods, the light of Cy's magic snuffed out.

  Cyllorian

  Cy growled as he felt a strange buzzing beneath his feet. The Kindling led him quickly through the woods. He could hear Kaitlyn and Gil yelping as they were rushed over the rough terrain. Cy was the only one of them that could see in the dark, though he wouldn’t consider himself lucky.

  The trees on either side of them were sprouting long thorns that oozed a sickeningly thick poison. The creatures that were clicking and squeaking watched them with hungry eyes. Worst of all were they Kindling that made it look as though the forest itself was dragging them to their tombs.

  They stopped suddenly, and the four of them crashed into each other. Cy was only barely able to keep them from tumbling to the ground until the Kindlings pulled them apart.

  A Kindling pricked himself on a nearby thorn, and the rest copied. Then, one by one, they pressed their bleeding fingers to small bulbs that had nestled in with the thorns. At the taste of the blood, the flowers bloomed and released large bursts of luminous pollen that floated in the air.

  “What are you doing here?” an old man asked as two dozen more Kindling emerged from the trees. Cy was forced onto his knees in a bowing position, and he glanced up warily. The sight of the man sent him into shock, and his mouth hung open, useless.

  The man was obviously older than should be possible, but he still had so much life within his eyes. They were pure brown with no whites to them, and dark green pupils that were barely noticeable. His long hair and beard were made of wrinkled, brown leaves, a crown of bright blue flowers sprouting from his head. His skin was rough and as red as the trees around them. He wore a robe of dull, dried flowers held together by crude stones instead of buttons. He looked more plant than human.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked again.

  Cy looked at him incredulously. He cleared his throat to answer the man, but stopped when he noticed the man's gaze shift. His eyes hardened, and Cy angled his head sneakily to catch what the man was looking at.

  Behind them was a girl that looked scarily similar to the man, though her hair was long and made of gorgeous ivy, with bright green eyes and yellow pupils. She was thin, and the bark that was her skin looked smooth, moss growing across her shoulders. Her dress was made of braided blades of grass, and it barely covered her She stared at the man defiantly, and he groaned.

  “Are you going to answer my question, demon?” the man spat, drawing Cy's attention again.

  Cy stared the Kindling down with more courage than he felt. “Oh, I’m sorry. Were you talking to me? Didn’t really seem like it.”

  A murmur spread through the crowd at his defiance, and he smirked. The old man’s eyes flashed, and Cy swallowed nervously. He already knew an unnatural creature like him was despised, and his bad attitude would only make it worse. Even still, he knew he had to push them.

  The man pressed his hand to a tree, and the ground below Cy rumbled. Weeds broke through the ground and began wrapping themselves around his legs, crushing the metal. His body instantly tried to heal itself, but it was too confined by the plants. The magic inside pushed back against their grip, and Cy locked his jaw against the suffocating feeling. The man didn’t need to ask his question again.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to ask your people? They’re the ones that dragged us into these woods in the first place,” Cy groaned. He sighed in relief as the vines loosened the smallest bit, though they didn’t release him.

  “It was not my people that brought you here, but that crazed woman, Theresa, with her impossible requests,” the man said. His gaze slipped to meet that of the Kindling girl behind them, and Cy smirked at the anticipated response.

  “If you know, then why did you ask?” Kaitlyn's soft voice sounded from Cy's side. She had crawled forward on her knees, and was pleading with her eyes. Her tone was polite, but Cy could hear the slightest bit of annoyance in her voice. He spared himself a brief second to wonder if he was being a bad influence on her.

  “You dare question me? Girl, do you have any idea with whom you are speaking?”

  “My guess is that you're one of the elusive Kindling that everyone's so afraid of,” Kaitlyn mused. “I don't know why. These three act like you're nothing b
ut killing machines, but if that were true, you would have already killed us. If you know everything, like you said, then you'd have no need for us. And if you don't care at all, there's no reason to keep us alive.”

  The Kindling stared at Kaitlyn with incredulity and fear. Cy’s face contorted, his metal scraping against itself noisily. Just once, he wished that she was more afraid. She ignored them, lifting her chin and staring down the Kindling.

  “You are quite the clever little thing, aren't you?” The Kindling king stepped forward and brushed his hand along Kaitlyn’s jawline. The rough bark of his hand cut into her skin, but she stayed perfectly still as the blood dripped onto the ground. She held her breath as the scratch healed, replaced by a thick layer of bark that mirrored that of the Kindling’s.

  “So interesting. I would have loved nothing more than to play with you just a bit longer,” the king crooned, stepping away from them. The bark continued to spread across her cheek, and her eye changed color slowly to a deep blue with a bright yellow pupil.

  “We did not come to play. We came for your aid,” Kaitlyn said in a commanding voice. It sent a chill throughout Cy’s body as he watched this Kaitlyn he didn’t know. Though she had shown surprising strength the past few weeks, this was entirely out of character for her. He worried that the spell of the woods was still affecting her.

  The king chuckled to himself, and it was the sound of leaves caught in a breeze. “I know of the boy you seek to retrieve, and of the Mage Theresa, who has sent you to us. What you ask is an impossible feat, yet you still dare to ask it. I’m sorry to say that your impressive display of bravery is all for not: we will not help you.” The king ended his statement with a dark tone and a click of his tongue. It sounded like a twig snapping, and it echoed in the still air.

  “Not that you can’t, but you won’t?” Kaitlyn asked, her anger burning through her demeanor. “Why not?”

  “The woman has caused a great amount of despair and destruction, and we cannot forgive this. Even the creature beside her is evidence enough of what little respect she has for the natural world. We cannot condone nor forgive her actions. But for the debt we owe her, we shall spare you. Be warned that if you dare to return, or if she foolishly sends any others to us, we will not hesitate to kill. As short as they are, I wish you good luck on what remains of your lives, demon and company.”