Eclipse: the Beginning

“He sure can sleep.”

“Someone rouse the babe before I kick him,” Celestial growled.

“Don’t do that! That’s an awful way to wake up.”

“Well, you both seem to have stirred the boy,” the Wingie murmured.

“About time ….”

Samuel scrunched his eyebrows together as the voices pulled him from his slumber. Had he overslept? Opening his eyes, the morning sunlight shone brightly through the doorway. He had to shield his eyes. This was not the overcast England he grew up with.

“Sorry … was there a New Moon last night?” They all stared at him with different levels of confusion. “I … guess there was. I always sleep heavily on those nights. My apologies.”

“Whatever you’re sputtering, I don’t care.” Celestial was standing outside with a hand on her hip, waiting for direction. “Where are we headed, alien?”

“His name is Samuel Watson,” Saraii uncovered her mouth to retort. Her face looked very serious. She was taking this harder than the one offended. “Please call him that. While we’re on the subject, why not introduce yourself to him? You never did.”

The Light remained unmoved. It was clear that she was irritated. If only they did not have to be forced into doing this, Samuel’s conscious might clear about the whole arrangement. She was committing treason against her king. Saraii was giving up a life’s quest. It seemed unfair that they had to follow such strict fate.

“I am Celestial of Light.”

“Celestial?” Samuel gaped after the delayed reply. “What a lovely name ….” His awe faded as her expression soured further at his comment.

“All right! Now that we know each other,” Saraii jumped up from the ground with excitement at the possibilities ahead, “I’m sure Samuel Watson will be more than comfortable picking a destination.”

“Um … Well …” the young man stammered, “Can’t I take this bit by bit?”

“Of course,” the Wingie smiled from her place beside the cold fireplace. “It is your decision whether you go quick or slow, far or near. You will be their guidance, and they will be your guards.”

The teenager could not recall of a time he was more on the spot, aside from having a gun pointed in his face. He did not understand the layout of the country yet, so he held no specifics for the others to act on. Staring out the door at the blue sky, Samuel marveled that he had never seen a blue that pure back home. He lifted a limp arm, pointing straight ahead of him.

“That way,” he said.

“’That way’? That’s all you have to give us?” Celestial gawked in protest. “You are dim.”

“Let’s go then,” Saraii said, smiling. “Ready when you are, Samuel Watson.”

The soldier growled at the approval. Samuel smiled though. He sensed he would like Saraii. The Wind extended a hand to the teenager. Grasping it, the trio started out the door. Saraii carried a large bag over her shoulder. Celestial shouldered a sack of her own. Samuel took the space between them, looking tiny and fragile. He paused a few paces from the threshold, making the two halt. He turned on his heels, and ran back to the Wingie. Falling to his knees, he embraced her.

“Thank you, Grandmother Wingie,” he said in a small voice. The old woman patted his shoulders as he wept. “I’ll never forget your kindness. I hope we meet again.”

“As do I, my child,” she answered with a smile.

Suddenly, she gasped. Her clouded eyes cleared. Colors that had dulled over the years and images that had become less crisp appeared like new to her. She saw the crying lad with sharp vision for the first time. She felt twenty years younger. What was she sensing from him?

“As do I ….”

“Until then, please take care of yourself,” Samuel said as he stood, wiping his tearing eyes with his sleeve. A hopeful smile grew on his face as he thought of seeing the Wingie again. It was something he looked forward to.

“I shall.” Tears welled up in her sea-green eyes after he released their embrace. As the three walked away, she grasped her chest as her tears fell. “He came from the sky. Could he …?” She gawked after them. “Oh, Lord Zion, your return is close at hand. I will pray with hope knowing you will be restored.”

“This happens when you give vague directions!” Celestial snarled at the youth. The trio had followed Samuel’s directions to the T. They were straightforward and had come to a specific location … just not somewhere they wanted to be. “You led us straight to the capital! Why didn’t you warn us, Wind?”

“I’ve never been to the capital, so I didn’t know either.” Saraii and Samuel stood like students that had burned the day’s lesson plans by accident. The Light soldier was terrifying when stressed, “It’ll be night soon, so we shouldn’t move on just yet.”

“I know that! I’m not an empty-headed boulder like the two of you! We should seek lodging!” With that said, she stormed into the city.

“I suppose we should follow her, eh, Miss Saraii?”

“Yes,” the Wind replied, hanging her head in shame. Samuel empathized with her guilt. Celestial’s words cut like her blade. He patted the large shoulder, making her black gaze turn his way.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Miss Saraii. It wasn’t your fault. Let’s catch up, all right?”

Saraii gaped at the youth from beneath her hood. His goodness still stunned her. She had not known someone outside family that had shown such unwavering kindness. As happy as this made her, a sting in Saraii’s chest held back her positivity. She sensed it would not last long. Good things never did.

“Let’s,” the Wind said as she wore her typical smile, telling the world nothing was wrong.

Just before the Sun sank beneath the horizon, Saraii found an inn that was not full or overpriced. Celestial paid for the night stay, but she was explicit to her two traveling companions that they were leaving at dawn. They did not make a fuss.

“What should we do about food?” Saraii asked when the soldier stopped seething. “Should we try to get more provisions tonight? We didn’t buy anything today.”

Celestial turned her head in Saraii’s direction. Silence fell as the two Aurorans stared at one another. After they left the capital, they might be days or even weeks away from the next town where Samuel led them to. With his lack of details, they would need to stay on top of their inventory.

“We can’t leave the alien … Nomad on his own yet.” The soldier turned her head toward the doorway. “Keep your eyes on him.”

The streets were well lit by lanterns, dangling from drooping trees. Samuel found the buildings curious. They were hollowed out of massive trees, lying on their sides. The wood shimmered in the firelight as if coated in a lacquer of some kind. He wondered where they had gotten the idea. There were plenty of stores still open at that hour, seen by the lanterns hanging near their doors still lit. Celestial picked one where Saraii bargained with the shopkeeper. With the provisions purchased, even Samuel helped carry a bag on the way back to the inn.

“What have we here?” a strange voice called out.

“Huh?” Samuel looked over his shoulder to see four men approaching. They wore a thin reflective material on their bodies, tied on with what looked similar to buckskin straps over their slim clothes and skin. Each held a pole with etchings on them. The teen’s stomach clench with anxiety.

“I’ve never seen a woman in all white before,” one of them said in a flirtatious tone. “What lies beneath the hood, I wonder?”

“We have business elsewhere, soldier,” Celestial’s replied curtly, continuing her pace. “You should return to your post.”

Saraii stared over her shoulder. A grim look lingered in her eye. This was terrible. The Wind soldiers had targeted Celestial, and there was no way they were letting her go. The Light had a way of attracting attention with her lack of color.

Celestial continued forward. She had little patience right now. She was part of a quiet rebellion, and now she was walking around outside after dark. The Light did not want to get involved with the viceroy. The soldiers did not stop following, though. When one reached for her shoulder, she went for her hilt.

“Leave her alone,” Saraii spoke up, knocking the hand away. Celestial and Samuel blinked at the action. The Wind dropped her bag of supplies and turned around to stare at the soldiers. Each of them gaped in awe at her large built. Saraii was taller than the soldiers, and her shoulders were as wide as a man’s. “I believe a native Wind would be more to the viceroy’s liking, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You’re a beggar to offer yourself to the viceroy,” said the tallest of them. He walked up to toss Saraii’s hood back to see her face. When she did not back down, he groped her large chest with a rough squeeze. She flinched, but held in the urge to cry out or resist. “They are real,” he blinked with surprise. “You’ll do. He might want to call on you often with those breasts.”

“What? Miss Saraii?” Samuel questioned as the soldiers escorted their companion away. “Where are you going? We promised we wouldn’t stay long, remember?”

Saraii paused. The Wind had not thought this through. She had just reacted. Not wanting to worry Samuel, she waved with a smile. Samuel Watson was too kind to cry anymore.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Samuel Watson.”

“Saraii!”

Celestial grabbed the youth around the waist as he tried to run after them. She picked up the abandoned bag, watching them leave. What was going on here? She had watched the Wind let those soldiers touch her without resisting, despite her displeasure with it. Saraii knew something they did not, and the Light hated ignorance, especially her own.

“What are you doing? Miss Saraii needs our help!”

“We need information first, whelp,” she grunted back. “We’ll ask the innkeeper when we get back. Now still your tongue before I split it.”

Samuel stared after Saraii, frowning at his helplessness. He refused to move after Celestial released him. The soldier glared at the defiance. She tossed him over her shoulder, carrying him back to the inn. She glanced toward him as he sniffled.

“What now?”

“She did that for you, Miss Celestial. Aren’t you grateful in the slightest?”

“I’ll be grateful when I know what she did,” the soldier replied in a cold voice.

Samuel looked at her white-haired head. He blinked away his tears as he realized how serious she was. No matter what Saraii was about to do, she had protected the soldier’s identity. The Light must be somewhat grateful. He silenced for the rest of the trip back.