I sat in the darkness of the cavern that contained me. Pitch black. There was comfort in the darkness; a solitude rarely found in the world. There was also a bleakness. It was barren. Lonely. It let me dwell on my failures in peace.
In my youth, I loved the light of day. Running among my friends and family brought delight to my heart. Those fond memories kept me sane. Now when I saw the light, there was a harshness to it. The light brought by the guards was accompanied by pain and suffering, unending torment in a language which I now could piece together.
It wasn't until recently that the splash of light from the cauldrons brought a spark of joy – hope. The light brought by the Factotum, Raina, was soft and thoughtful, gentle like the ocean breeze. I liked that light.
I thought about our conversations from a few days ago. Was it days? I couldn't tell. I measured time in the comings and goings of my small companion – my friend. I wondered how she could be so compassionate, so caring, toward someone who had contributed to the destruction of her peoples' town. Could she not see that if I had been a better man – a better father – this wouldn't have happened? How could she not blame me?
You are good.
Her words warmed my heart.
Trust me. Trust me, Steele.
How could I not? After all this time, how could I blatantly ignore the words of this marvelous woman? I smiled to myself and leaned against the wall, the cold chains heavy on my arms. I tilted my head to adjust the collar around my neck. The chains rattled with a dull clanking sound.
She did not see my guilt. She did not think me guilty. This thought was a new phenomenon for me. Where I was from, all was tied to who you were. Your successes and failures as well as the deeds done by those who you were related to. I could recall dozens of families still struggling to free themselves of some action done by their grandparents' generations before their existence. Needless to say, the same could be said for your children.
There were many times where I wondered what I had gone wrong, and every time I struggled to find an answer. Perhaps I was too close, too blind, to my own son. Perhaps it was an act of rebellion from him which had no reflection on me. It was a dangerous thought, especially for me. It went against my entire culture and everything I knew. Still, the thought was appealing – each individual being autonomous and their faults falling on them.
Even if this were true, he was still my son. I should've known. I should've done something more.
I looked around the darkness surrounding me.
Well, I thought to myself. Perhaps this is all I can do. Perhaps that "something more" has yet to present itself.
My attention was suddenly caught by the sound of the Lock whirring into action. It was faint, but I had heard it enough to distinguish it from the other sounds in the Turret. My heart pounded as I listened to the sound getting louder and louder.
Could it be her?
I hoped so.
I felt myself smile as I sat up and kept my eyes focused on the ledge. I stilled my breath as the Lock came to a halt and the door creaked open.
No…
I felt my heart sink and features harden before I even could see their faces. It was the guards. They carried their torches high as they approached the cauldrons of oil and set them ablaze. My curiosity peaked when I saw more than just my two tormenters enter the chamber. There were a few new faces among the crowd that entered my prison. There was one, however, who I recognized immediately.
He was there when I was brought to this foul place. There was something in his eyes as they narrowed and glowered at me. It was unwise, but I returned the look.
"Orion!" His demanding tone reverberated off of the walls. "Wake up!"
The cauldrons of light illuminated my eyes, casting dark shadows along the bridge of my nose and along my brow. I stared at the collection of them all huddled around. He began speaking again, slowly and overexaggerated in a mocking and demeaning tone. Nothing like when Raina helped me with my words.
"Do. You. Un-der-stand. Me?"
This was one of the first who had tormented me – belittled me. The moment I arrived, he had always been present even if he didn't come by every day like some of the others. I barely managed to stifle the growl. I wanted to unleash to send them all scattering. Instead, I simply stared. Thanks to Raina, I now understood nearly all of their words.
"Ser Anfroy, I do not believe he understands our tongue," mentioned one of the guards holding an additional torch in their hands.
"Ser Gervis!" Ser Anfroy, the menace to my life, called to one of the guards. He stepped forward and I knew this one instantly to be one of the guards who threw Raina off of the ledge. I possessed a special loathing for this guard, but maintained my silence.
"Yes, Ser Anfroy?" he asked. I strained my ears to hear their faint voices.
"You said the Factotum was spending an unusually long amount of time with the Orion. You said you thought she was teaching it to speak. Are you certain or mistaken in your assumptions?" demanded Ser Anfroy.
"It… well… it was, Ser, an assumption of mine. Perhaps I was mistaken," said Gervis.
"Well," snorted Ser Anfroy. "No matter. It still may be of use. Orion! Can. You. Fight?"
I stared at Ser Anfroy, still holding my tongue, until I earned a hearty scowl. It brought me immeasurable pleasure to see that wretch frustrated.
"Yoo'cur brevendoraye v'eyen knixie." I let the words curl from my lips. It was an old phrase spoken to enemies and one I hadn't spoken except once before in my youth. It meant, "Your frustration delights me." The guards spat at the dirt and left, muttering to themselves about it being a waste of time speaking with a mindless Orion.
As they left and the Lock activated, taking them away, I couldn't help but think about the guard's question. Could I fight? Certainly, I could fight. Did I enjoy it? I used to when I was a younger man. Why would they ask me this?
My mind twisted as I thought about the horrid possibilities this could be used for. Did they intend to use me for entertainment? Fight for my freedom? Did they intend to use my strategic mind? No. They said fight. Fight what?
I let my mind stew over this for some time until, at some point, I heard the Lock reactivate. I tensed and listened to the clattering of chain until it came to an abrupt stop. I paused and listened, keeping my breath as still as possible. My ears were not what they once were.
It was only a few seconds later when the metallic door flew open with a horrendous clattering sound. It was so startling it brought some of the hair on my arm standing on end. I braced myself to see the guards, but was relieved and confused to see Raina.
What was more concerning was that she was panting, breathing so heavily even I could pick up each individual breath. She practically threw herself down the stairs and ran all the way across the ledge toward me.
It was then that I realized something I hadn't before.
She wasn't just breathing heavily. She was crying.
Her small features were stained with tear streaks down either side of her cheeks. Filled with concern and my insides dropping with worry, I lifted my left hand to the ledge and extended my fingers to show support.
"My friend… you are crying? Why cry? You are hurting?" I said as softly as I could. Raina did not answer immediately and instead ran between my fingers and threw her arms around my thumb, nestling herself in the crook. I dared not move. I dared not breathe. All I could do was listen to her cry until she had calmed her breath.
"Steele," I heard her say as she looked up in my eyes. "I need your help. Please."
~~~~~^*^*^*^~~~~~
It was the end of another good and long day. Steele was in a very conversational mood today, and his words and sentences were getting better daily. It was almost impossible to believe that at one point he didn't understand our language. It was also almost impossible to believe that I had been terrified to be alone with him.
All of this time later, I had grown so close to the giant so many others had feared - who I feared - needlessly. It wasn't to say there weren't some who we should fear, but Steele was not one of them.
So, as I stood cooking my evening meal over the stove, I let my mind reflect on our conversations. Some of them were about his son and my daughter. Others consisted of him talking more about his home. Turns out our culture and the Orion's culture were vastly different.
Families were all connected to one another and a fault of one reflected on the entire family for generations, for one. Another difference, which was unfathomable to me, was that women could study the old scripts and debate with the elders. They held positions of power beyond that of guards and captains of ships.
The more he spoke and explained, the more intrigued I became. Part of me almost wanted to see this world across the water that he spoke of. Then again, did I? Did I truly want to go to some place full of beings so much larger than myself who may or may not see me as a sentient and autonomous being?
I had other things to worry about at the moment because finally – finally – I had saved enough sheqels to bring my daughter to the city with me. I had written to the family at the inn in Creewood, the small town where we were living before, and everything was prepared. All I needed to do was go out and spend a few days to retrieve her.
I would have to arrange something with Steele, but I was certain he would understand. I even held the inkling of hope that I could bring Terrilyn, my daughter, to meet Steele.
I was only a couple of bites into my meal when I heard it.
Bells.
Not the bells of the faith.
Not the bells of celebration.
Warning. They were meant as a warning.
I hurried and stood, peaking out my window. There were others who had my same idea and were peering out of their windows and doors. There was a rider galloping down the way shouting over and over, stopping every few streets. Finally, they were close enough for me to hear.
Instantly, my stomach dropped as their words rang out across the streets.
"Be advised and stay in your homes! Shelter in place! Orion spotted along the Spireling Timberland in Creewood. Orion spotted along the Spireling Timberland in Creewood! Be advised and stay in your homes! Shelter in place!"
I couldn't breathe. I fell to my knees, hand clutching my chest. An Orion? Another Orion? Spotted near Creewood? What was going on? What was happening? My heart wouldn't stop pounding. I felt the relentless throbbing consuming my senses.
What was going to happen to the people in Creewood – to my daughter?
My throat constricted and my breath came in rapid gasps. My mind instantly jumped to the terror brought on by Steele's son, Mithos. What did happen to his son? Steele didn't seem to know. Was he arrested? Did he return to his home? Had he returned? What if this was another Orion with more sinister intentions?
I sat there, collapsed on my knees, in absolute shambles. I couldn't breathe. My mind was thinking faster than I could register individual concepts which threatened my sanity. All the while, my heart relentlessly pounded against my chest.
All I knew was the mortifying fact that I could do absolutely nothing.
I could do nothing for the people of the city which I had grown so fond of.
I could do nothing to help the people in Creewood.
I could do nothing to help my own daughter.
A new thought struck down all others.
I could do nothing; but Steele could.
Abandoning my room and all sanity left to me, I hurried down the stairs and began running as fast as I could to The Turret.
I couldn't remember the last time I had run so fast and not lost my breath. Had working as the Factotum changed me so much? Now was not the time to wonder such things. I crossed over the threshold and leapt onto the Lock, throwing the lever into place and plunging into darkness. My stomach dropped before hitting the top of my throat as the wooden platform lunged and plummeted into the darkness.
I barely threw the lever in time to stop the Lock before I threw myself toward the door. The metal clanged against the cavern. The oil was lit? Why was the oil lit? I didn't have time to wonder.
Instead, I raced down the stairs, not realizing until now the cold tear tracks lining my face. I didn't care. Seeing Steele, his violet eyes brimming with concern, broke me into a round of sobs I had not let myself feel in so long.
"My friend… you are crying? Why cry? You are hurting?" Steele asked softly, his voice smooth like a summer rain. It was involuntary, truly, when I ran into his hand to seek the giant's comforting embrace; even if it was just from his hand.
I tried to get the words out, but each breath was constricted and shattered the words before they could form. Embarrassment was immediately overturned by determination. I needed to do something. I had to do something. I looked up into Steele's eyes.
"Steele, I need your help. Please."