Everything had round edges and was made of a dark, shiny metal that glistened when light touched it.
Kyris was promptly taken to the medbay where little robots began working to repair his wounds. She’d never seen anything like it before and she stood there, mesmerized, even when the others had left the room.
As the ship’s medical AI did its work, Song stayed by his side, her hands clutching his as if afraid that if she let go, he would slip away.
She didn’t know how long she was in the room. Time didn’t seem to matter anymore.
A soft sound at the door caught her attention and, when she lifted her head, she realized Piper was standing there.
The rainbow-haired woman gave her a sad smile as her gaze drifted over to Kyris.
“Do you want me to get you something to drink?” she asked, her voice low as she entered the room to stand by her side.
Song shook her head. “No, I’m ok.” She offered the woman a soft smile but she could feel it didn’t reach her eyes.
“His brothers, Crex and Yce…they say he’ll be okay now that he’s in the medbay.” Piper offered another reassuring smile as she rested her hand on her shoulder. “Yce did mention that we had to get him back to the Restitution’s base, though. Apparently, there is special medicine he needs there that will help his blood clot and his wings heal.”
A sigh shuddered through her and Song nodded.
“Are you sure we can trust this equipment, though? This is an enemy ship…” She trailed off. “How did you guys get an enemy ship anyway?”
Piper let out a short laugh, her eyes glassing over as she stared into space. “Ah, that’s a fucking story to tell. I’ll sit you down and we can talk about it when everything cools down and you’re settled in.”
She focused on Song once more. “But yes, we can trust these bots. They’ve healed many of us already.” She smiled. “AI isn’t evil. Living, breathing things are.” She sobered at that, obviously thinking about something that happened before, and the two fell in silence.
As Song watched the bots work, she drew comfort from the sounds of the bots working.
They were working. That meant he was still alive. He was still hanging in there.
Staring at his face, it seemed so unreal. If she just focused on his face and didn’t let her gaze stray, then she could pretend that the rest of him wasn’t suffering from injuries that looked so severe she wasn’t sure he wouldn’t stop breathing at any moment.
“You must think this is strange,” she said suddenly. “Me sitting here, waiting like…like I’m attached to him or something.” She let out a sad, short laugh.
“You must be thinking I am mad to care so much about someone so different from our species. He is an alien, after all…you must think I’m crazy.”
When Piper didn’t respond and Song lifted her gaze to the woman’s, she was surprised to see understanding in her eyes.
“I don’t think you’re mad.” Piper smiled. “I know exactly what you’re feeling right now and if you care about him as much as I care about my Crex, I know you’ll be staying by his side for as long as it takes him to wake up.”
Song’s eyes widened as she tried to process what the woman just said.
“Crex? You and Crex are…”
Piper beamed at her and nodded. “You’re not the only one, Song. Diana and Yce, too.”
As Song’s eyes widened into little pools, Piper chuckled.
“We all understand, Song.” Piper patted her back before turning to leave. “Every single one of us does.”
The wind ruffled his wings as he sat underneath the ensa tree.
The sun was going down slowly and he watched it move.
Had he really been sitting here for so long? When he’d come, the sun had just been making its way into the sky.
As Kyris looked up, the call he’d heard before seemed to whisper along the vines of the ensa tree and down to his ears.
Come up, it said. Come to me. Fly again.
He wanted to.
He wanted to soar among the heavens again.
So why didn’t he go?
What was keeping him here, at the root of the tree, unable to move?
There was something he was forgetting.
Someone.
He had the feeling someone was waiting for him on Muk…but he couldn’t remember who.
As the wind whistled in the ensa tree, he closed his eyes and listened to the tune.
He would wait a little longer then he would go.
35
It was three days before she left his side for a few moments to stretch her legs.
As she entered what looked to be the communal area, she felt slightly awkward when she walked in to find all four of the ship’s other passengers sitting around a dark, round table having some sort of discussion.
“Song!” It was Diana who saw her first and she was on her feet in a jiffy. “Come, sit here.”
Without waiting for a word, she guided Song over to the table and planted her right beside Piper while she sat on her other side.
Song sat without protest.
There was a numb feeling within her, almost as if something within her was dead.
Kyris’ condition hadn’t changed much, at least, not outwardly. Some of his wounds and bruising seemed to be healing but he was still unconscious.
She’d stayed by his side eating only when one of the women brought her food and only leaving to use the lavatory within the medbay.
She’d even slept by his side, curling up beside him on the gurney at night. That was the best time. When she was asleep.
She could feel his warmth and it was just as if he was awake and had his wings covering them both.
“You’ve come just at the right time.” Diana smiled.
Song smiled back weakly and waited for Diana to continue.
“Yce has found both Evren and Athena…well, he’s found Xul and Kyro. He couldn’t really track Evren and Athena…something about having to create
