Chapter 5 - To the Boats

  Our best estimates suggest approximately ten to thirty million outsiders enter Iye annually, but the average outsider population hovers at a consistent four million. Is it by design, or have luck and fate simply willed the ignorant to death? - General Emmanuel, Varuun in Iye dated TUR 4826.

  Aliso got Lucki.

  Yes, the first leg of their journey — a trek through Inner Iye (whatever that was) remained uneventful, aside from a scouted enemy patrol they managed to avoid. But in this case, it was in the more literal sense…

  Aliso — split from Misha, as they had the young girl placed in a different Caravan with only females — sat in packed caravan, completely enraptured in conversation with a young boy sitting across from him in the cart.

  His new friend was burdened with shaggy, brown bedhead, yet the curves and bends fell naturally in an odd sense of imperfect perfection. Across his face ran a river of freckles, crossing Mount Nose and the valley of high cheekbones, ending near his tiny ears. He wore a constant grin — emerald eyes burning mischievously as he spoke.

  "And that is how I ended up with you lot." He surmised.

  “Wow.” Art replied, devoid of both the encyclopedic knowledge and vocabulary his foil possessed. "By the way, what happened to your team?" The boy’s grin fell back, slowly sliding off his face as his eyes shone back to memories of the past.

  "No idea. After Worna was killed, we were sent off in different directions." He shrugged. "No use dwelling on it now. Hey, I’m just lucky to be alive!" he exclaimed, a wide grin cracking his features.

  "Aren't we all." Aliso agreed.

  Their cart was pulled by a couple of Chull, packed completely from wall to wall with bodies, former slaves now turned refugees.

  Their cart was packed, former slaves turned refugees sat huddled together, bundled asleep in pairs or small groups covered in large, drab blankets. On the journey’s precipice, the cart was filled wall-to-wall with nervous energy — which only undid the large group, as nervousness (called upon) weariness, and weariness turned to sleepiness as the overbearing silence wrapping them all lulled them to sleep.

  It wasn’t until the cart hit a particularly large bump in the road that Aliso awoke — staring at the boy across from him, who himself sat wide awake, gazing at the linen roof, which filtered the crystalline light into a hazy gray.

  "Don't you wonder how it all works?" The boy opposite whispered softly, almost trancelike.

  Aliso was caught off guard by the comment. He looked around, unsure who the question was addressed to. When all that he found was a sea of stone-faced statues, he found himself compelled to answer.

  "What? The sky, or whatever it is?" Aliso asked, his own voice a whisper. Truth be told, Aliso had seen little of the curious ceiling during his time in Iye. Most of the time, he was kept in a cell, and when they were out, it was often to carry those very cells atop their heads, so there wasn't much chance to analyze it.

  The boy shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Nah, everything.” Packed as they were, there wasn't a lot of room for large arm gestures, so instead, the green-eyed boy dramatically rolled his head as an all-encompassing gesture. "All've it. All've it all. Life. All've it." He shrugged, embarrassment flashing across his face as he realized he was voicing his intrusive thoughts. "Sorry."

  Aliso shook his head thoughtfully. "Sometimes." He admitted. "Usually though, life's too busy kicking my butt for me to notice.” His new acquaintance barked out a genuine laugh, then hurriedly covered his mouth. "Ain't that the truth. Name's Lucki, by the by." Lucki nodded his head, substitute for a handshake. "Aliso," Aliso nodded back.

  Before long, the two had settled into a comfortable conversation, exchanging guarded hints about their lives before entering Iye.

  Aliso had met many a skilled liar throughout his travels, especially after travelling, and had learnt to recognize the telltale signs of a rehearsed lie. Lucki responded a hair too quick, not a stutter in his voice as he recalled travelling from Li’Aifurharrel. Nor a hint of sadness in his eyes as he spoke of the bandits that separated him from his family. None of the fear of having been left behind, unable to escape and forced to hide in a tree; a hidden entrance to Iye, unbeknownst to him.

  Obvious lies. Not that it bothered Aliso, who happily accepted the fibs like a piping hot meal. After all, he too hid the... more interesting events in his life.

  “Been here long?” Lucki asked.

  Aliso shrugged. “No idea. Lost track after the third day — I think it was the third day? What ‘bout you?”

  Lucki nodded sympathetically. Without sun and moon, or constant cycles of light and darkness, it was almost impossible to track the passage of time in Iye. Lucki had managed to keep himself straight by continuously counting the seconds he had been awake — or so he said.

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  “Few years, maybe three or so. Used to run with this guy, Warna, who took me in after I fell down here.”

  “What happened?”

  Luck shrugged. “Got caught in a bad trap and killed.” His emerald eyes hollowed as he gazed into the past.

  Aliso could piece together what happened after that, given where they were and where they had just come from. “Was it Porthus or their ilk?”

  Lucki raised an eyebrow before he understood what Aliso meant. “No, someone else. Had a grudge, only with Warna. Didn’t care about the rest of us, sold us off because it made him a profit.” Lucki shrugged. “Don’t matter now. He’s dead, and I’m not.”

  Their trip through Inner Iye had been quiet, nary a sound out of place. It has been altogether, entirely peaceful.

  Too peaceful, the concerned Alex mused, as their caravan finally came to the end of their journey through District 2, finally reaching the small beach, where six massive “boats” were stowed away — ready for escape.

  The Less trouble you find now, the more trouble you’ll find later.

  His father’s old saying was ingrained into his body, both figuratively and literally, as it was often quoted during his sparring lessons, weaponized in his father’s hand. He used it as a motivator, to illustrate to Alex the consequences of slacking off. Unfortunately, it only served to leave Alex permanently unsettled by peace and quiet.

  MaRae walked over beside him, eyebrows arched high as she gazed upon their mighty fleet. “This? Sorry, these? These are the majestic monuments meant to whisk us to freedom?” She turned to him, fuming. “Are you out of your mind?”

  During their travel, Alex had assured the group of refugees (and MaRae) that they were to be a fleet of boats waiting, upon which they all would escape into ‘District 4’.

  “Those ain’t no boat. My mother would be insulted.” Aliso scoffed as he gazed upon the ‘fleet’ of ‘boats’ Alex led them. “Scratch that — My mother would never even see these ‘boats’, the docking officials at Ortakis would never allow it!”

  Lucki laughed as he too, jumped off the Caravan, stretching as he landed. “Didn’t realize you were such a big boat-head.”

  Aliso sniffed indignantly. “I’m not, but we need some level of decorum around here. Can you honestly call that, that… that thing a boat?”

  Lucki chuckled, standing beside Aliso as they gazed upon the ‘fleet’ of ‘boats’ Alex led them.

  ‘Boat’ was an incredibly loose use of the term, and it would be more apt to describe the maritime vessels as massive rectangular wooden rafts, lacking both a sail and oars needed for nautical movement. Instead, three short walls surrounded the raft, leaving an opening at the front. There was no roof, no bow, no bridge, no keel, no mast. Nothing.

  Just a massive, open-top raft, shaped like a box.

  Actually, not nothing. Aliso realized as his sharp eyes caught the small holes carved into the corners.

  “Are… are they trying to drown us?” Aliso asked in confusion. Looking around, he saw the same mask of confusion covering the rest of the refugees.

  Before Lucki could respond, Alex's voice called orders out from up ahead.

  "Get on!" He bellowed. "I don't have time to explain, nor should I have to. You either trust me or you stay. The choice is yours." With that, he turned his back on them, signaling for one of his companions to join them.

  "You goin'?" Misha asked, popping up beside Aliso out of nowhere.

  "Misha!" Aliso exclaimed, giving her a quick hug. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

  He and Misha had been separated back at the camp. Some woman had walked up and taken Misha away, muttering something about not throwing a sheep to a pack of wolves. So Aliso went with the rest of the men and headed to one of the carts. He looked over to his shaggy friend. "Sorry. Lucki, this is Misha. Vice versa." He looked between them awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.

  Luckily for him, his sandy-haired friend took the initiative himself, stepping forward to kneel, then took Misha’s hand in his own and gently pressed his lips upon the back of her hand. "My Lady!" He exclaimed. "Oh, how I've missed you so. It's been too long!"

  Confused, Aliso looked to Misha for clarification but found the puzzlement mirrored. She ripped her hand away, wiping where Lucki had kissed it. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

  Lucki looked up at her, a giant grin cracking across his face. "Thought it'd be funny."

  Misha looked down at him, confusion turning to anger. "Why?"

  He shrugged in response. "Dunno. Just wanted to make a lasting first impression."

  She looked at him, incredulously, before a small laugh cracked on her face. "Well, that's definitely a first impression." She looked over at Aliso. "So, you goin?" repeating her original question.

  Aliso looked back over to the boats, shaking his head as he began to march forward. "Ain't got much of a choice, do we. Come ‘on. Worst case scenario and the blasted craft fails, at least I can swim us back to safety.”

  "MaRae, come over here!" Alex yelled, scanning the Barric Belt for any threats or obstacles.

  Everyone has considered it a small stroke of luck that the Crystal Matrix hadn’t fallen. While darkness would have helped mask their escape, the added visibility made traversing the Barric Belt significantly less dangerous. Under the veil of shadows, there would have been little they could do to avoid roaming school of creatures or the hundreds of whirlpools scattered across the belt.

  MaRae walked over to him. He nodded to her. "Call 'em."

  MaRae rolled her eyes, then whistled a few times. “Just so you know, I still think you’re insane.”

  “I know.”

  For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, out from the distance, Aliso could see a few shapes moving towards them. Blubbersharks.

  Two hours passed, and the caravan was now well on their way through the Barric Belt. Aliso sat with Lucki and Misha onboard the raft. Aliso had to admit; the plan was working — for now.

  Six blubber sharks were attached to the raft, and while Aliso had no idea how they were being controlled, the beasts did seem strong enough to drag the raft around. The two holes — which Aliso worried would drown them — were manned by two magus, who used water spells to keep the craft moving forward.

  “I’ma learn that stuff one day, whenever I get the chance.” Lucki declared as he followed Aliso’s gaze to the two occupied magus. Standing by the holes, they stuck a hand through it — which somehow kept propelling the raft forward.

  “You can learn it?” Aliso asked, curious.

  “Depends,” Misha interjected. “Not everyone, but some can. I c-”

  The crystalline lights went out without a warning, plunging Iye into midnight darkness.

  "LIGHTS UP!" a voice roared out.

  Fireballs blasted skyward, bathing Iye in a temporary red and yellow glow. Chaos began to unfold, screams of alarm ringing out all around as the craft began to bounce up and down, waves beginning to form out of nowhere.

  "What happened?" Aliso asked, focused on staying steady as newly formed waves began crashing into the raft.

  "CRYSTALS DROPPING!"

  That was the last sound Aliso heard before a large stone smashed into his head, dropping him like a rotten egg as he slipped into unconsciousness.