Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty — A Cry
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty — A Cry
“Spin, spin!” I said.Awen giggled and twirled around, her coat flaring out around her until she stopped and it whipped around, wrapping about her figure. “It’s comfortable,” she said. “A bit heavy, but not too bad.”Wilbur nodded, looking like the frog that caught the fly.Amaryllis bounced up and down a few times, getting used to the new weight of her jacket. “This isn’t bad work,” she said. “A few enchantments for weight and durability, and this will be decent armour.”Neither of my friends were as armoured as I’d like. They didn’t have helmets, for one, and their limbs were mostly unarmoured, but I couldn’t force everyone into full-plate just because I was a little worried, certainly not when my own armour didn’t cover everything. I wouldn’t be a hypocrite.Besides, full-plate made hugging awkward. It made the hugs less warm and less cuddly and a whole lot louder.“It’ll be a pain to change back into this all the time,” Amaryllis said.“Well, we usually know more or less when we’re going on an adventure,” I said. “I wear my armour all the time because... uh, I think it’s cool and comfy, but you could just wear yours when you think there’s going to be trouble.”Amaryllis nodded. It wasn’t that big a compromise to make.Wilbur thanked us for our patronage, and seemed more than happy when Amaryllis gave him a few golden coins for his work.“The armour is a good idea,” Bastion said as we stepped out of the armourer’s shop. It was a bit chilly outside. “In nearly every conceivable scenario, it’s best not to be hit at all, but that can require some skill and luck that isn’t always available. In those cases where you will be hit, having even a little armour is better than not.”I nodded along. That made sense. “Are we going back to the Beaver right away?” I asked.“Might as well,” Amaryllis said. “We don’t have much to do here, and the refueling shouldn’t take all that long. They should be on their way now, and I suppose at least one of us ought to be there.”“I think Clive and the Scallywags can take care of it,” I said.“Ah, I’d like to be there,” Awen said. “Some of the fuel bunkers are tricky to open, and I don’t want them spilling things on the workshop floor. The fuel stinks.”“Really?” I asked. I didn’t spend too much time next to the Beaver’s engine, or in the little workshop Awen used. “If there is a spill, let me know. I can probably clean it up for you.”Awen nodded easily at that. “It would still be a waste.”That was a fair point. We were paying for all the fuel, so we should be using it all.We took a different route back to the top, not to sightsee so much as because I kinda forgot which catwalk we’d used the last time. It did mean that we got to see more of the interior of Wallwatch.The edges of the hanging town all overlooked the forest and fields below, with a lot of shade cast by the wall itself making it cooler. The inner-sections of the city were a lot darker, with magic lamps casting flickering light across streets made of corrugated iron and boxy little homes tucked in tight against each other.It was still lively, though. Kids ran across the street, chasing after balls with strings tied to them in a sort of weird game. There were humans and harpy children, and a few sylphs too. We even crossed an adorable cervid foal stumbling after the others on four gangly legs.We found a stairwell leading all the way to the top of the city, a point above even the docks where a few airships were sitting next to their piers. The Beaver Cleaver wasn’t difficult to make out from the others. It was, in my humble opinion, the most colourful and friendliest ship in the whole lot.We didn’t do drab greys and browns like all of the other ships.“Our ship looks like it’s piloted by a jester,” Amaryllis mumbled.I laughed as I skipped ahead.We arrived at the Beaver just before the people for the refueling did. They were mostly young men whose job seemed to be dragging around a big, heavy looking tank set onto a cart with a hand-pump on the side and a long length of hose.Awen jumped to help them, pointing to the places on the deck that needed to be opened up, and directing the workers when it came time to finally pour the fuel into the Beaver’s reservoirs. It was, apparently, a fairly dangerous task. They had a mage on their team whose entire job was to make sure there were no sparks or fires around the gas, kind of like a reverse Amaryllis.It was neat at first, but I soon lost interest as they took turns pumping one squirtful of fuel after another into the tank.That’s probably why I was the first to see the crystalline figure hovering by the pier leading to the Beaver.One of the cry? They were a big, bright blue crystal, a little shorter than I was, but taller on account of how they floated a few centimetres off the ground. No face that I could see. Or organs, for that matter. Their body was like a many-faceted sapphire on one side, and smooth on the others. I could see right through them.Little zipping flashes of light snapped through their body, like lightning in a bottle. Magic? There had to be something giving them life.“Hello!” I said. I was pretty sure I was talking in the local language too, so they had to understand that. Neat!The hovering crystal slowed to a stop, and I felt a sort of shiver run across me. Had I just been scanned?They rang, like a windchime being tapped ever so lightly. “Greetings,” they said.“I love your voice,” I said. “It’s very pretty.”The being paused, then bobbed up and down. “Thank you, long-eared one.”If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.I giggled. That was a new nickname. “No problem! I’m Broccoli. Broccoli Bunch!”“Our name is difficult for the soft to speak,” they said with three quick rings.I climbed over the Beaver’s rail and sat down atop it so that there wasn’t anything between us except for a long drop. “What is it? I might not have the vocal chords to say it, but I can try my best.”“We are the Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole.”That was a mouthful. Each little bit of the name came with a humming tone, like little bells being tapped in some sort of sequence that flowed into the next. Like someone dropping a box of marbles onto a xylophone.“That’s a very pretty name,” I said.“We thank you. Your name is also... interesting, vegetable pile.”I snorted. Another new nickname. I think I liked ‘long-eared one’ better. “What does your name mean? I’ve never really spoken to any of you before.”“It is rare to find one that understands. We are a shard of Waterwatches, a cry that earned a name. We were split from their compassion, the third to have been split, and we are whole.”“Oh,” I said. I didn’t get it, not entirely, but I could kinda figure it out. “Cry don’t have babies?”“We do not. When we grow grand enough to have earned a name, we may take a small portion of ourselves and give it life.”That was so cool! “Neat!”The cry hovered there for a moment, and I had the impression it was looking at me, then at the ship behind me. “Our name is long to some of the soft ones. We have grown accustomed to earning honorary, though temporary, names.”I nodded. That made sense. “I’ll try to keep your name in mind then, Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole.” I coughed to clear my throat. That had come out as a bunch of really high notes that really tickled. “Did I pronounce that right?”The cry shifted from side to side. “It was a valiant attempt.”I laughed. “That’s a no!” I shrugged. “I can’t pitch my voice that high, sorry. So, what are you doing at the docks?”“We are seeking assistance in exchange for services rendered or precious materials given.”“You’re trying to hire someone?” I asked.The cry bobbed up and down again. Was that a natural gesture, or were they copying a human’s-or some other headed person’s-nod? “What kind of help are you looking for?”“We seek passage to the Lonely Island.”The Lonely Island. That rang a bell. “That’s to the north, right? Between here and Sylphfree?”The cry did its nod again. “We... have one that must be delivered to the island. It is a sensitive manner, but one we would pay dearly to see happen.”I considered it. I was pretty sure we were going to be passing that way anyway. “I could ask my friends. I don’t know what transporting a cry is like, but I do think it would be fun to have one aboard. We could become friends!”Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole.Dream: To grow grand and earn a name.Desired Quality: Someone who would mirror their compassion, and help them protect the unprotected.“We can fly already,” they said. “But the one we wish to protect cannot. We need assistance. And this matter is more delicate than it seems.”“More delicate how?” I asked.The crystalline being didn’t move for a moment, I had the impression they were hesitating, and when they replied, it was with softing tinkles and chimes. “We are not the kindest of people. Calm, yes, and we don’t seek what others have, but we can be as cruel as any soft one. We think this matter is one in which that cruelty shows. We have one that would be broken, their shards buried and cracked. We, personally, do not wish for this to happen. They don’t deserve it. Some cry would disagree.”They were protecting someone, someone that needed to be brought to the Lonely Island to be safe? It was a little strange, and I didn’t have the full picture, which didn’t help any. “Well, the Beaver here will be leaving in a few minutes, maybe in an hour or two at most. And we are heading that way. We’d need to talk with Amaryllis and some of the others about taking on a passenger or two, but I don’t think they’d mind all that much.”“We would be grateful,” they said while tipping our way in what I suspect was an imitation of a bow.I spun around on the railing and jumped to my feet. “Give me two seconds. I need to talk to my friends.”The cry agreed, and hovered there while I bounced over to Amaryllis. She was looking over a ledger of sorts, making little marks with the nib of a feather that I suspected was one of her own. “Having fun?” she asked without looking up.“Yeah! Never met a cry before, really. They’re nice, I think.”“They? Do they have genders?”“I have no idea,” I admitted. “But maybe we’ll have time to find out.”She looked up, eyes narrowing. “Broccoli.”“I didn’t say anything yet!” I defended myself.“I’m no idiot. What did you do?”“Nothing yet. Shard of Compassion is looking for transportation.”“We’re not a passenger ship,” Amaryllis said.I nodded. “I know. But they want to go to the Lonely Island.”“There’s nothing there,” she said.“So there’s no risk in dropping them off.”She huffed. “Did they want transportation back?”I shook my head. “Nope. Just there. They can fly, apparently. They want to carry something... or someone, to the Lonely island. I think it’s a smaller cry? But I’m not sure.”“Hmm,” Amaryllis said. “I know cry don’t eat, and they don’t sleep, so there’s no cost there.” She sighed. “Let me talk to them. We’ll see.”I, of course, hugged the stuffing out of her. “Awesome! This is going to be so cool!”
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Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-One — A Crysis
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-One — A Crysis
“So, what’s this about needing transportation?” Amaryllis asked. The words were a bit rude, but her tone was surprisingly business-like.Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole-and gosh, we really did need a nickname for them-bobbed up and down. “We seek passage to the Lonely Island, for ourselves and one other.”“I think we can do that,” I said. I couldn’t help the eager grin. This wasn’t a full-blown adventure, but it wasn’t too far from it!“Assuming you can pay, of course,” Amaryllis said.I pouted. Money stuff was boring, but I couldn’t fault Amaryllis. We had fuel to buy, a pantry to keep stocked, wages to pay and neat things to pick up along the way. Awen was doing most of our maintenance, but maybe we’d need specialized help at some point, which would also cost money.The cry shifted, and for the first time I noticed a little leather pouch tucked against its side. The flap on it opened all on its own, and a small device came floating out of it. It looked like a mini-typewriter that had been driven over by a semi-trailer. It was all squished and covered in little rods and levers, there was even a little crystal poking out of it.The cry held it up before them and Amaryllis looked at the device. “You know, I can’t understand them, right?”“Uh, they’re not saying anything,” I said. “What is that?”“It is a communication device, to call and receive items stored elsewhere.”Like Amaryllis’ banking ring!The device started to click and clack as the buttons and levers upon it were pressed in and turned in quick succession. I felt the barest flicker of something before a coin appeared, then another and another. Soon, some two dozen golden coins were floating around the device before, with a snap, then all stacked together into two golden rods.“We hope this is sufficient remuneration for the journey. We are prepared to give the same amount once again upon our arrival.”I translated that for Amaryllis, and she nodded. “For a trip that’ll only take two days, that’s a very good payment, which leaves me very suspicious. What sort of trouble are you bringing with you?”“Amaryllis, just because they’re generous doesn’t mean that they have any sort of ulterior motives,” I said.“We must admit to some ulterior motives,” the cry said.My mouth shut with a clack of teeth. Oh.“What is it?” I asked.“The one we wish to bring with us is young, a shard not yet made whole, and one that will never reach oneness. They are a shard of growth.”I translated that as best I could. “Do you know what that means?” I asked.Amaryllis shook her head. “It doesn’t mean anything to me,” she said.“Forgive us, we forget that not all know as much about us as we do. It is sufficient to know that this young shard represents what some would consider a danger in our society. They should have been broken, according to our laws, but we and some others do not see things that way. The simplest, and best, solution would be to merely move them to a new home. The Lonely Island is a place where we have brought other similar shards.”I didn’t understand entirely. The other cry they wanted to get was somehow dangerous, and had to be brought elsewhere for... their own protection? Or maybe it was to protect the rest of the cry? “Are they going to be trouble on the trip over?” I asked.The cry shifted from side to side. “They are young, and perhaps inquisitive, but troublesome they are not.”I looked at Amaryllis, then back to Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole. “Okay,” I said. “Are you going to bring them over? You can pay us after you’ve returned.”The cry started to bob, then aborted the gesture. “We... would appreciate some assistance. The little shard cannot yet fly of their own accord, and we are trying to avoid the notice of other cry within this city.”“You’re not exactly hard to notice,” Amaryllis said once I translated.“Forgive us, we may have miscommunicated. We, ourselves, are under no danger. It would be wrong, and distasteful, for another cry to attack a whole member of our society. It would simply not occur. We are under no danger. The shard is offered no such protections.”“I’ll go with you then,” I said.“Alone?” Amaryllis asked.I shrugged. “I guess?”She shook her head. “You idiot, you’re inviting trouble. I’ll get Bastion. Awen is still fixing things in the engine room and I’m too busy to be running around and carrying things. That’s grunt work.”“But I’m not too busy for that?” I asked.“No,” she said before walking off and heading towards Bastion, who was practicing at the rear of the ship.Soon enough, the sylph was joining us on the pier while Amaryllis took our gold and went down to stash it.“So,” Bastion said as he adjusted his belt. He didn’t have his full suit of armour on, just the padded jerkin he wore underneath and his big metal-shod boots with his pants tucked in. “I hear that I’m needed?”“Your assistance would be welcome, soft one,” our new cry buddy said.I translated again, and Bastion nodded. “It would be my pleasure,” he said before gesturing ahead. “Please, lead the way.”We started to follow the cry as they floated ahead of us. It seemed like the best speed they could manage wasn’t much faster than a brisk walk, which was fine; it gave me more time to think of a cool nickname.Their name as an acronym was... SWCTSOW. SaWaCTaSOW? No, that was too strange, and besides, who was I to decide on someone’s vowels. Maybe just Compassion then? Or Crystal. That was a real name. Well, so was their name, of course. Blue? On account of their colour?If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.Coming up with a good nickname was hard.“So, Miss Bunch,” Bastion said.“You know, you could just call me Broccoli,” I said. “Or Broc. We’re friends, no need to be all formal and such.”“Of course. It’s a difficult habit to break,” he said.I bumped his shoulder with mine. It was a little strange; Bastion was an adult, and a boy, but he was still a bunch shorter than me. “That’s okay. It’s never wrong to be polite. But not having to be as polite with friends is one of the fun things about having friends,” I said.“I suppose,” Bastion said. “By the way, I’m impressed that you speak cry. I know that Syphfree has had diplomats who could understand it before, but they required a very specific combination of skills to do so. More to be able to communicate back.”“Oh,” I said. “It’s a riftwalker thing, I think.”Bastion sighed. “Yes, of course it is.”“Wait, did I never tell you?” I... couldn’t remember telling him. I was an awful friend.“No, you didn’t. But I’m not entirely ignorant. If anything it gives credence to your having received a quest from the World.”“Oh, cool,” I said.“Do try to avoid spreading that around; it’s the sort of thing that’s best kept to oneself.”I nodded. I could totally keep a secret.Our nickname-less cry friend led us out of the docks and down a wide stairwell and onto what looked like it might be one of the city’s main roads. It was wider than the others we’d been on, and had a glass ceiling over parts of it, allowing natural light to brighten the place up.We kept walking-and in their case floating— for a while until we turned down a second staircase and found ourselves on a much narrower road.“We reserved a room at this inn,” they said as they floated into the courtyard of a small inn. A sign was bolted to one wall, a bit of rust leaking off of it staining the paint below. ‘The Walled Inn. Cheap Beds, Cheaper Meals.’“A quality establishment,” Bastion deadpanned.“We do not require food for sustenance, nor do we have much need for space,” the cry explained.I translated absently while looking around. It did look a little tacky and cheap. “Which room is yours?”The cry, instead of answering, hovered over to one door and pulled their little gadget out of their pouch again. Soon they summoned a key which unlocked the door. “We will need to cover the shard with cloth, to keep them hidden,” they said as they entered. “It is Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole. We have found some soft ones willing to carry us to our final destination.”I stepped in after them while Bastion took up a position next to the door.The interior of the room was a bit cramped. There was a bed tucked in the corner, with a night stand next to it. No windows on the walls, but one on the ceiling, strangely enough. It did illuminate the room, but I wasn’t sure if that was for the best. It was the dingiest, dirtiest inn room I’d ever seen. I was sure any of the innkeepers I’d befriended would have had a fit at seeing the peeling wallpaper and broken furniture.The cry took up a good portion of the room’s space, and it wasn’t until they shifted to the side that I saw our second passenger.They were a cry too, of course, but unlike the bigger, bulkier one I’d met, they were slim and jagged, their body curved around in a sort of half-moon shape. “Little shard, this is the soft one with which we will travel.”“Hello!” I said.The littler cry floated a bit closer, then started to tip over to one side, as if they were top heavy. “Hello,” they replied, their voice a high pitched chime. “I— we are a Shard of Mountaintopper’s Growth, Fourth Shard, and not Yet Whole.”“I’m Broccoli Bunch!” I said. “I guess I’m my mom and dad’s shard? Uh, is that how it works?”The shard made a tinkling sound, like crystal cups being shaken together. Laughter? “I don’t think it’s how it works for soft ones.”“It’s nice to meet you. Ah, it’s going to become hard to talk to both of you if you don’t have shorter names. No offence?”“We understand,” the larger cry said. “Soft one names are difficult for us as well. They are often meaningless. And when they do have meaning, such as your name, vegetable pile, it is often a meaning that puzzles more than enlightens.”I held back a giggle and nodded. “I get it. So do you have nicknames? I could call you Blue, and this cutie I could call... Moonie? Because you look like a moon!”The newly named Blue bobbed. “We accept this temporary name with the gravity it was given.”“Moon-Shaped is an acceptable name,” Moonie said.“Do cry do hugs?” I asked.“Broc,” Bastion barked, his voice tense. “I think we have trouble.”I spun and rushed to the door to look out. It didn’t take much looking to see what Bastion was talking about. A pair of cry, both about as big as Blue, though one was far more jagged and sharp-looking. They were hovering closer to us, a deep bell-toll sound coming from them that didn’t quite mean anything but still made me think of the hum of a wasp’s wings.“Shard of Waterwatches Compassion, Third Split and One Whole, we are aware that you are within this building. Surrender the broken,” One of them chimed.I reached out, grabbed Bastion, and yanked him in before snapping the door shut. “Okay! Time to leave, I think.”“I will confront them,” Blue said. “No harm will befall me. Escape with the Brok— with the Moon-Shaped one.”“Ah, right. Are there other doors around?”Bastion pointed to the window in the ceiling.“Well then,” I said. “Let’s make a big escape!”
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