"No." Sebbe said, staying at an even pace by my side. The ground had started to dry, and night was falling again. The sky shifting from its daytime dark blue to its night time blood red.
"No, what?" I asked, looking to my side, Sebbe had a hand on his bow.
Then he stopped. Listening into the darkness that was slowly falling upon the land.
"Something isn't right.." He whispered.
Sebbe's whole cheery demeanor changed just like that. He was serious, and if it wasn't for my intense gaze, I wouldn't have noticed his hand shaking while he grasped the bow and brung it over his shoulder for easier access.
The boy's pointed ears twitched, then a clunk of something falling up ahead was heard.
"We need to find another way, Quest." Sebbe said, his eyes blown wide.
"What-wait-" I started but before I could say more, Sebbe grabbed my wrist and started to drag me down another path. Considering we were walking in cracks in the ground that have been here for years, I wouldn't worry of anything caving. But if whatever that is up ahead is big, then it might just crumble.
How come I didn't see it up ahead... Did my sight not work for once?..
Am I losing my magic?...
Sebbe paused, catching his breath, letting my wrist go, and shooting his hand up to grab an arrow.
"No use." He said quickly and aligned the arrow with the bow.
"What do you mean! I don't see anything, or hear anything!" I whispered in the slightly shorter's ear.
He held the bow and arrow in one hand, the other hand going to the knot that held his bandana up, then slipping it free.
The dark blue bandana fell in his hand, then he tucked it into his pocket. The boys shoulder long pastel green hair hid what he wasn't showing me. As Sebbe looked at me a moment later, I noticed an extra set of eyes that were embedded in his forehead. They looked identical to Sebbe's two I knew he had originally, but these have dark red veins going to the iris. As if they were strained.
"What is.." I tried to start before Sebbe covered my mouth with his hand, muffling the words that only ended up into a trailed off whisper in the first place.
"I'll explain later.." Sebbe gave me a small smile then pressed my back against the wall, "Promise. Keep quiet." Sebbe quickly patted my cheek, then grabbed his bow correctly. What I was just noticing, was that Sebbe held his bow in the opposite hand.
Was he left handed?
I did as told, keeping quiet, but once Sebbe went around the corner and out of my original sight. I used my vision to follow his silhouette. To make sure he wasn't diving into his own death head first. Apparently, he could see something I couldn't.
Sebbe drew his bow up, aiming at something around another corner, and before I knew it, he let the arrow loose, sending it flying and hitting its target. Once the target was hit, I could see it.
It seemed to fade into my vision. Using my own ability to see father down the path, and my eyes shining like their own stars. I walked around to be at Sebbe's side, no longer having to use the other trick up my sleeve to see him.
My x-ray vision. I could see through things or inside of them.
I heard a scream of agony, non like a human. Like a beast. A monster bearing fangs, sharp claws, and, possibly, wings.
I turned to look at what Sebbe had shot at, and just when I was about to gasp while the beast ran towards us, Sebbe drew another arrow and shot. Right between to monsters multiple eyes.
It was hideous.. And Sebbe was miraculous..
The beast had seven eyes it seemed, four legs, no nose, but a mouth that could take our whole head in then bite it off. Not a fun thing to imagine. The ears looked similar to a bat's, besides the way they poked up. When the beast dropped, I drew in a breath, and turned to look at Sebbe who was already putting on the bandana. I grabbed his wrist before he could finish tying.
"You don't have to.. It's not like I don't like them. Don't hide them." I smiled gently, well, the best I could. My heart was still pounding a hundred miles per hour and wouldn't slow down. The beast had to'f had a shield or a magic that made it undetectable..
Maybe that's what threw it off. It thought Sebbe couldn't see him, but Sebbe could hear him. I couldn't even see its health bar.. That means; Sebbe probably couldn't either.
When Sebbe took off his bandana, showing his set of cat like, vein enticed eyes, he could see it. Sebbe can see beasts with abilities that make them undetectable..
How does he have two strong abilities such as these?..
I didn't know wether to give Sebbe a round of applause or congratulate him for not dying. Maybe both..
Sebbe froze, his hands stopping without motion and even the bow and arrows were without movement on Sebbe's back.
"Yeah, but I'm ashamed of it. I was called a freak of nature because I had them..." I stared into Sebbe's eyes, something seemed to break inside of him, letting the emotions loose, "Ya'see, I was supposed to be a twin.. But our kind usually can't have twins because one of the fetus ends up absorbing the other...Or they both die." My heart twinged. I didn't know how to feel. Should I feel bad?..
Was it good that at least he survived?..
"Hey, don't be ashamed. Okay, your twin didn't make it, but that is the way your planet's nature went by. It wasn't your fault, and to hell if you should be blaming yourself." I hugged Sebbe, making his bandana fall to the ground. "Don't be ashamed of what your brother gifted you with.. You can see creatures that are supposed to be invisible to the eye of any other beholder." I drew back and grabbed Sebbe's shoulders, "You're awesome!" I grinned happily, a strand of hair falling in front of my face before I blew it back with a gust of breath.
"Thank's,..Quest.." Sebbe whispered, his head hanging low. For a moment, I thought I had made it better, but once I got a good look at Sebbe's face, I saw that he had two cristle blue tears running down his cheeks on either side.
"Oh, don't cry!" I whispered, bringing Sebbe to my chest and hugging him tightly, "Please, don't cry! It's okay!" I tried to make things better.
Sebbe chuckled and started to slightly giggle before he hugged back, tightly.
"I was happy.." He whispered, "No one has ever told me it wasn't my fault before.." He pulled away to look me in the eyes.
His orange eyes, they seemed to illuminate even though he wasn't weilding his fire.
It was like...
It was like his happiness shone brighter through his eyes then through his smile..
"I'm sure Jessamy would have loved you.." Sebbe sniffled and patted my back before he let go.
I'm guessing that's his deceased brother's name..
"And I'm sure he's proud of you.." I said in a hushed tone, making sure the smaller male knew how I saw things.
The clinking of his bow and arrow's shifting was the only noise when we started back again. It got really cold, so I ended up making Sebbe wear my jacket. I don't care if he has a flame ability, it'll wear him out if he's constantly using it. Possibly make him delusional..
I don't know how other to put this besides....
He was beginning to be more than just a boy I didn't know a couple days ago.
❧There. There it was. Right in front of me.
It's blue, chipped, metallic surface running under my fingers like silk. I was at the drop ship. I was right beside the drop ship! And I wasn't dead!
"Are you hungry? I have a couple snacks in my bag, if you want, we could take a break and use a little time as a victory for not dying on the way." I grinned, taking my bag off my shoulder.
"Sure. Not much though, it's gonna take a while to get to Rioko." Sebbe sighed, sitting on a rock that sat next to a dying tree. Its leaves were gone and it was stripped of all color. It was like ones life in a dying photograph.
I unzipped my bag, grabbed a snack bar or two, and tossed one to Sebbe.
"Eat up, it's a full course meal for us these days." I have a laugh, grabbing a water bottle out for me and Sebbe to share.
"Here." I handed it to Sebbe. The water could no longer be cold, but it was slightly chilled due to how cold it was in the air.
"Thank you." Sebbe took the water, and took a couple gulps, some dribbling down his chin.
He must've been thirsty..
I'm a horrible guest maintainer. I didn't offer him water the whole time he was here..
Wait, why didn't he bring his own water?
If he was so dependent on himself, why didn't he bring the necessary supplies to keep himself alive?..
Was he chased out?..
That doesn't matter he's with me now. I'll take good care of him.
"Earth to Quest." Sebbe said, a hand on my shoulder, knocking me out of my dazed state.
"Oh, hm? Did you need something?" I asked quickly, blinking as if to make the thoughts go away.
"You just spaced out all of a sudden, you haven't even started to eat." Sebbe said, munching on his dried fruits bar.
"Oh, well, I actually probably shouldn't eat. I should get this thing up and going as soon as possible," I stood and went to the drop ship, it's blue and silver paint glistening like water in the moonlight that shone from above and through the patch of tree leaves, "I don't wanna be sick if I get this in the air faster than I think I can." I grinned, looking back to Sebbe, "But it's Quest Willion.. I'll have this thing up in the air with me and you both on it by sun up." I had smirked towards Sebbe who only lifted a brow at my cockiness.
Who was I trying to impress again?
❧ While I worked on the broke down drop ship in the nighttime, the moonlight dancing on my skin, and sparkling when sweat would drop and roll down my skin. My hands were black with some type of engine oil they used on earth, it was a little slimy and way to sticky. I ended up using a piece of my spare shirt as a cloth to get it off so I wouldn't waste mine and Sebbe's water.
When I finally heard another pop of the reactor in the middle, I knew the ship was ready to be tested.
"Alright, I need you to hop in and turn this in the ignition." I gave Sebbe a small key like USB drive.
"Before I left, I programmed this hologratonic key to fit into the ignition. It should adapt immediately. If it doesn't, I'll just reprogram it before we leave." I opened the door for Sebbe; who seemed to stare at me like I was an idiot.
"What do you mean? How did you even get this type of device? It's for the higher ups it'n it?" He asked, his accent layering on thick. I think this is what you would call; Country. Dunno, it has a weird twinge coating it.
Even though Sebbe is in another language for me, he still has an accent. It's hard to figure out without a detector. I'll work on that later. I'm sure I'll have plenty spare time for a while after I get the drop ship up and running.
"Who said the higher ups even have it? It's all me." I cockily smiled at Sebbe, ushering him into the drop ship. The drop ship wasn't very small. It had a small living quarters, and where it is to be piloted. Then the rear of it is basically a big carrier that latches on so they can bring things back and fourth. The carrier has already been taken from this one, but a drop ship doesn't need one to fly. Actually, this is an abandoned drop ship because they thought that it would be useless because it needed a little engineer work.
How pathetic..
I shut the hatch, and the side door, giving Sebbe a thumbs up to crank the ship.
It was pretty self explanatory, and he asked to do it before I even offered, so, I just let him have at it.
The ship roared, the sound of flames under it came to earshot quickly, startling me at the slightest.
A wide grin shown on my face while I made sure everything was in place, patting the top of the ship near its crystal clear window for good luck.
There isn't supposed to be any intermission..
Shouldn't be any asteroids.
I'm sure, and there shouldn't be any other person knowing that we are out here. Especially since I made and programmed that key to detect and exterminate all programs that could lead them—the higher ups, guards—to us. Precautionary measures. We should be undetectable. People's sonar scanners might detect us, and that is why we will be staying clear of any other ships for the time being. I opened the hatch and climbed into the seat next to Sebbe who had this huge smile on his face.
Gas. That was gonna end up being a problem. There were spare cans in the back that they didn't bother getting out. Those were gold to me in themselves, but to others it was just a "small necessary thing". Power. That was the biggest set back. If we didn't have enough power, we could be stranded. Although, I did look through its power source. It has a backup battery just in case, and everything else, well, we have a month and ten days at tops to get there.
"I can't believe.... This is awesome!" He grinned wildly, his eyes blew wide when I pressed the big red button in the middle of the dashboard that said "Launch".
"Quest, your seatbelt!" Sebbe shouted to remind me. Though, I didn't have a seatbelt. Reason one, I had wrapped my tail around the seat and locked it down at my side. My tail is stronger than steel but is as soft as any other skin of mine. Basically leather. In length; it's about as tall as I am.
"Don't need it." Not to mention, the seatbelt would break before my tail could.
Sebbe looked to my hips, seeing the grey that wrapped around my waist and the back of the seat.
"Okay, I guess that works!" He shouted over the roaring of the flames. Our hair fell back onto the headrest, while we looked up at the sky. The holocom dashboard showed the "Five, Four, Three, Two, One". Just before we launched. I looked over at Sebbe who had a expression of horror and excitement. But I guess I was never good at knowing someone's emotions.
Sebbe looked over at me, seeing my goofy grin that I gave him when he—at first—wasn't looking.
"What are you staring at, Willion?" He seemed to tease.
I laughed, "Nothing too important!" I shouted over the crackling and beeping and—
Lift off.
Sebbe shivered, and I watched his expression the whole way off the ground. Maybe it was because I was scared for us both, and if I looked away and at the stars—I might have puked. So I focused on something distracting. The way Sebbe's hair fell and shimmered in the moonlight, and the way his light pink skin looked so soft and warm. Just things to keep me distracted.
Was I so drawn to him because he had feminine features?..
But he didn't at the same time..
Sebbe laughed and before I knew it, things around us started to float against their will. And Sebbe's hair wasn't pulled taught against the force of gravity fighting gravity. My backpack I had tossed in the back, and Sebbe's arrows and bow were all floating behind our heads.
It was like, in that instant... Nothing in the world mattered as much as this moment.
And I loved it.
Sebbe looked at the stars, his eyes glistening and shimmering like non-other.
His hair floated past the side of his face, breaking me of my trance.
"Oh, crap!" I flinch, remembering there was things I needed to do that instant.
A button here.
Click.
And a lever there.
Pull.
The noise of a crack and a few pop's ring in my ears.
And the main booster's unlatched themselves from the side of the ship, no longer weighing us down. Usually they keep them, and fix them up when they need to, but it makes them slower. And either way it goes, we have the back booster engines.
Me and Sebbe will be just fine.
"Hey, Quest.." Sebbe whispered, his hands letting go of the seatbelt, and moving the hair from his face.
"Hm?" I asked, looking over to see him staring, amazed, but the stare held some form of.... Softness.
I gave Sebbe a small smile.
"Will you go with me to see my planet one day?.." he asked, surprising me.
His second set of eyes, were closed as if they didn't exist almost, or were content with the situation, and his bright orange ones, were focused solely on me.
I took a moment, looking back out the main window, seeing a holographic image in the top right corner of what it looked like behind the ship. A image of Fasnus.. It was getting smaller and smaller, and the sun was peeking out from behind it, just barely shining in the camera to create a rainbow reflection.
I looked ahead, just in my sight, there were three (what humans would call them) Milkyways. Or andromeda's. They were....Beautiful.
Goosebumps arose on my skin, then I looked over to Sebbe. He was looking where I was looking before. The andromeda's.
"Yes." I said, "I'll go with you. But promise me," I smiled, catching his attention, "you gotta teach me how to shoot a bow. The only weapon I know how to use is my tail and fist."
Sebbe smiled and nodded,—his dimples showing themselves—then unbuckling himself to reach over and hug me. And while he did that, I worked on what I needed.
I set up our meteor detector, and made sure to turn on the radar and radio. We could listen in on other ships that way if I can find a way to hack into their own holocom's, then I could get passed them without a problem. The chip in my neck allows me to do this. Without my own holocom I would be useless.
Years of studying. Constant studying to be who I am today. I will not let that go to waste.
"Hey, Quest.." Sebbe whispered, yawning in the process.
"Where do we sleep at?" He asked.
"Walk through the door behind us, and you should see a bed or two. Go ahead and catch some z's. And there's a shower back there too. I don't know how that would work, but uh, try not to flood the ship." I chuckled, patting Sebbe's head.
Considering we had no gravity because our airlock was gone, the water would float in little droplets. But we had an air filter, and that was all we needed in this moment. These moments.
"Mmm'kay.." he whispered, finding his way to the back carefully, not wanting to hurt himself, or damage, and press, something he wasn't supposed to.
❧Everything was working. I was surrounded by the stars above.. Sebbe was asleep again. I can listen in on the other drop ship's holocom's, listening to what happened on certain planets. As they did so, I gathered information. It's been a month. We are so close to Rioko..
But two days ago, I noticed we weren't going to make it in time. I haven't told Sebbe..
But, that doesn't mean I won't.
While I wrote down things onto a notepad, making sure I got all the information down on a planet called "Amone". The planet is covered in tree's there. There is more ice than water that covers the Amone, and it snows a lot. So much that the dirt beneath can't be seen. The snow's color is apparently a dark blue instead of a regular white or light blue. Most the people on this planet seem to be fused with an animal of a sort, but they have zero animal intentions. More so like they have animal abilities but not the instincts. At least some don't.
Sebbe groaned, finding his way through the door and to the front by me.
"Rough night? I heard you crying, but I didn't want to intrude.." I spoke.
"Ah,....yeah.. just some night terror's. That's all." Sebbe smiled and scratched the back of his neck. My tail held the holocom tablet I found around the back of the ship. Something they missed when they exited the ship most likely. I charaged it and hacked into the device before I would have to do so with the dashboard holocom at the front of the ship.
Sebbe covered his mouth and yawned, "When are we landing? It's been a month starting today, right? Man,...it feels like we just lifted off of Fasnus yesterday.."
I nodded, "Soon.. but it won't be Rioko. That will be our next stop. And not for me, I can barely get a wink of sleep, I'm constantly making sure we are going in the right direction, and hacking into the higher up's server's on their holocom's and into their ships navigation's to make sure we aren't going to run into them." The level of stress I was put through that month showed on the dark purple eye bags under my eyes, and in the way my face was even paler if that was possible.
Sebbe didn't seem fazed when I said we weren't stopping at Rioko first, which was a good sign.
"Oh, I can even see silver hairs.. you really are stressed." Sebbe plucked a hair from my head, showing me it while it glistened it's fine silver in the star-and-moonlight.
I flinched, gasping, and gripping the thin hairs on my scalp.
"Really!?" I exclaimed.
Was I really getting grey hairs at my age!?
"Quest! Calm down, all of your hair is white and silver!" Sebbe seemed to get a good laugh out of my panic, pointing at me while holding his stomach.
"Oh, hush.." I grumbled, putting my hands down in my lap and my head on the dashboards corner. I sighed, "The planet we are going to is called Amone. Have you heard of it?" I asked.
"No, I haven't... is it one in another solar system?" He questioned.
"Negative. It's in ours, just on the far west side. We only have a couple days of power left before we would have to stop at a station and let them give us a energy hook up and maybe some gas too. We're running low on that also. But energy would be the main thing to leave us adrift."
I sighed, my thumb and index finger was rubbing my temples.
Without power—energy—we wouldn't be able to see another drop ship, or space ship in general, and that can lead to everything going downhill.
"Well, don't stress. See here," I started, lifting my head up after I caught a glimpse of Sebbe's worried expression, "We should be there by the end of tomorrow.. Not long, Sebbe." I smiled over at him.
"What about your planet?... Rioko.." He mumbled, "What if Amone doesn't have energy?.."
I let out a breath, shrugging, "I'll figure out something. I made a promise and I don't break my promises." I put a hand on Sebbe's shoulder, a reassuring smile showing on my face.
Over this month, out of our rations we found in a box at the far end of the ship, the shower decontaminated water (that we were mostly drinking), and the snacks in my bag. We were gonna need more. We had maybe a week left in those in the first place.
"Alright. I can't believe I'm older than you and have zero clue what most of this is.. I mean, while we have been here, you've taught me to steer the ship.. That's about it." Sebbe frowned, looking down to his hands in his lap.
"Oi, don't get like that." I chuckled, giving him a smile, "We're gonna get there. And it's because I studied for longer than you've knows these things existed." I beamed, "I'm sure you have a lot you're good at. Like with your bow." I pointed to the bow that was strapped down by my bag in the corner of the steering quarters.
My eyes tried to fall shut but I didn't let them. I knew I was exerting myself, but I wasn't only doing this for myself. Sebbe was here too, and I promised him I would get him away from Fasnus and to his home planet one day.
And I don't plan on breaking any promises.
Any of them.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." He grinned, watching my tail swish.
"How did you get the markings on your tail?" He asked.
"Born with them.. You see, where it forks at the end. I can use it as a hand if I wanted. I can't type, but it's a good third arm at times." I chuckled, caressing the tail of mine that wrapped around the chair to hold my holocom tablet—which was tuned into a holocom of another drop ship and recording their data, downloading it into the chip in my neck in the process. Everything they said, was in a file in the holocom in my neck..
"That's weird.." he whispered, "Kinda like the flame symbol between my dual eyes?" Sebbe ran his pointer finger over the flame in between his eyes.
The symbol was something he also liked to keep covered to hide any hint's he may control flames—just in case. It was his presenting power. It was his first magic he ever knew.
It was something he knew he had under control.