The Fortress in the Clouds

IT WAS UTOPIA.

Children and adults alike danced, music flooding the air. Their clothing, especially the dresses of women and girls, swept across the floor when they moved, the lace gliding effortlessly across the stone but never sweeping up dust.

The dresses and outfits they wore were very similar to what Naomi was familiar of back in her own town but the dwellers of the fortress were dressed in much more vibrant colors. While Naomi’s town usually dresses in blues of the storm that bordered gray, green that seemed like a dying forest, or red of tomatoes that were too ripe, the highlanders had outfits that contrasted greatly.

Their red was the beginnings of a new fire, flickering in the light and dancing with the wind. Their blue was the bright of the sky or the vibrant azure of butterfly wings that soared and took flight. Their green was a lush forest that thrived with life, moss that grew on stones soaked in morning dew or leaves of trees during the peak of summer.

Their colors were much livelier and so were their people.

Music was enjoyed with everyone and Naomi did not recognize any major difference in social status. Everyone seemed equally as powerful here, all wealthy, all rich, all known. Even the baker wore gold as earrings and her smile lit of sunshine.

“Everyone is so...” Naomi trailed off, unable to find a proper word to describe it. She then decided that less was more. ”Happy.”

“It is but a norm here for us in the fortress, lowlander. What is there to be unhappy about?” Argus wrinkled his nose in slight confusion and disgust, spitting out the word ‘unhappy’ as though it was a vile poison in his mouth. Uneasiness laced his tone when he said it, completely oblivious to the saying here in the highlands.

“Everything and anything. The world is dying. All dying but at different rates. We are all dying.”

“Does that not mean that we should be happy instead? We are all dying, which means that our time here in this world is limited so why not make use of it to the fullest potential?”

Naomi pursed her lips. She did not want to admit that Argus was right and his argument was as valid as it came. Instead, she allowed herself to smile, chuckling with a nod before shyly looking up at Argus.

“Such a poetic answer.”

Argus grinned.

“Come on, I will show you the best spots around town and introduce you to some people.” Argus nodded his head towards the inside of the fortress, waving a little to encourage Naomi to follow him.

She immediately nodded, taking a step closer towards Argus. Then, a memory crossed her mind as she paused, frowning.

“Wait, where is Rayner?”

The wolf had gone missing. It was no longer standing patiently behind the duo, crouched and waiting for further movement. Instead, there was nothing but dancing villagers and crates full of flowers that bloomed in an effervescence of colors.

“Rayner?” Argus asked. “Oh. Right. If you wish for him to follow, I guess.” He then turned around to face the rest of the villagers, waving erratically as he cupped a hand around his mouth to amplify the volume of his voice. “Rayner! Come on! Let’s go!”

“Coming!”

From the crowd, a long figure emerged. The boy that appeared was much paler than Argus was. His skin was frost, like the first snow of winter or the white of Christmas. He had a smile that was quirky and delighted, bounding across the courtyard with a skip in his step. This boy was no more than Naomi’s age, perhaps a year or two younger. Yet, his hair was a silver that caught the light of the sun and reflected it brilliantly. Silver strands were mixed with a dusty gray that resembled storm clouds right before the shower.

Naomi could not help herself but gasp loudly when she realized the bright green of his eyes. They may be green like Argus’s but these irises were flecked with neon yellow instead of the gold that surrounded Argus’s. Its green was also much brighter, shining harshly with the danger of an animal. There were also cuts surrounding his body, some faded and old while others looked to be fresh.

She had not even realized that the whole courtyard full of people were staring at her until Argus shook her shoulder. Her bag had fallen to the ground in a loud thud but the noise was silence in her ears.

Rayner, the wolf that had tackled her to the ground on the forest floor, was now a fifteen-year-old boy that stood before her with a smile on his face and playfulness lighting his eyes.