Betta has been travelling east for the better part of two weeks now. Ayepex’s words have proven true, Skymen can travel during the day because most people don’t bother to look up. He has been able to travel at will, without worry since leaving the Great Forge. It also helps that his path has led him across some of the most sparsely populated regions of the kingdom.
Since the area is so barren from landmarks, he has difficulty with his progress. Surely Zyno is having better luck moving from landmark to landmark without the feeling lost. His desire to restore his people to their former place of honor has pushed him on these last days.
It’s a feeling that is shared amongst the entire Sky-people. Living on the island off the mainland is not fulfilling to any of them. It’s a disgraceful exile that has haunted them for these past few generations. Their ancient origins stem from a desire to be able to quickly move supplies and information throughout the kingdom. The magic that created them was approved from one of the early kings of legend. It was so long ago that the name of the king is unknown. The position of the Grand Avian was created to serve the King and Queen and coordinate the Sky-network that made ruling the entire kingdom easier.
These thoughts weigh heavy on Betta as he continues east.
Having not seen a landmark for days, Betta has grown desperate to make sure he is on the right track. Nondescript rolls of grassy hills after grassy hills has been his sight for days. As he flies, he rises to just beneath the clouds for a better vantage point. Using his eagle-like vision upon the horizon, he still sees no landmarks to give him a hint of direction.
He looks down to the ground, for miles there isn’t much of anything living. A few small animals here or there. Something does catch his eye a few miles ahead, a boy sitting on the side of the road. He looks to around the boy for miles in every direction, there is no one else.
Against his better judgment, he decides to fly down to speak to the boy. Perhaps he can give him some information.
Skymen have the ability to fold their wings around their waist to hide them under their tops. This doesn’t completely conceal them as a regular person, they still have their large eyes, backwards bent knees, and extreme height to give them away. But in desperation, he hopes this teenage boy won’t pay too much attention to him. Eventhough he can do this position; it is very restrictive and uncomfortable. He knows he needs to keep the conversation brief so that he will not put too much tension on his folded wings.
Betta flies down a few hundred feet away from the boy and prepares his appearance. It takes a moment for him to fold his wings around his chest, he must be careful in doing it. He cannot afford to be grounded this far into his journey. It would surely be a death sentence for him. Once he is finished folding his wings he walks up the road towards the boy.
“Greetings, can you help me? I seem to be lost.” Betta says as he approaches.
The boy turns to him. Betta looks him over, just an average looking teenage boy sitting in the dirt on the edge of an ancient roadbed. Nothing about him is out of order. Smaller frame, short black hair with dark purple eyes and a very dark tan from days of being in the suns.
The boy glances back at Betta but seems to be uninterested with him.
“You’re not lost, you’re just in the middle of nowhere.”
“Yes, but I want to get somewhere, and I don’t know how to get there.”
“Me too, I’m looking to go somewhere as well.”
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to the King. Do you know which way I need to go?”
“I have a map but it’s useless until we find out where we are, once we do then I can point you to the Capital.”
“How do you know the King is in the Capital?”
“I don’t kid, I’m just trying to help. If the King isn’t in the Capital, then where is he?”
“I don’t know, I was asking you.”
Betta senses the boy isn’t interested in speaking with him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know much about the activities of the crown these days.”
“I didn’t expect a Skyman to know details on the King anyway.”
“You knew? You hardly looked at me.”
Betta has a moment of fear, even with just the boy for miles in any direction, he had hoped to keep his identity hidden, but the boy saw right through his disguise.
“I saw you flying before you came down. Don’t worry, the nearest person is about two days from us. You will be long gone by the time I could get to them. Plus, no one will believe me any way. Skymen don’t visit the mainland.”
“Thank you, I’m just passing through. I am known as Betta.”
“Jackson.”
“What are you really doing here, Jackson?”
“I was waiting for a Skyman to ask me directions.”
“No really…”
“That’s what I’m here for, we are in the middle of nowhere and I can’t tell you a direction until you tell me where you are going.”
Betta pauses for a moment. He doesn’t know if he can trust this kid or not, but he needs to know if he is on the right path. He doesn’t think it’s wise to tell him where he is going.
“I would rather not say, I had hoped to keep my identity a secret when I landed. I am lost and wanted directions. Since you know what I am, I don’t think it’s wise to tell you where I want to go.”
“Well then, it seems we have an issue of trust. What can I do to earn your trust?”
“I don’t think that’s…”
“You’re problem is you are trying to navigate the land with a thousand year old map. The world doesn’t look like that anymore.”
“How do you know that?”
“You’re a Skyman, you have old things.”
“I guess.”
“Look, Tree City is that way.” Jackson says pointing towards the east. “You will fly three days at the speed you’ve been going before you see a landmark. It will be the Horseshoe Lake, to the south of it is the road that heads east all the way to the old palace by the dried up sea. You will fly for at least eight days before the top of the trees are visible. You need to get there in under two weeks.”
“How do you know where I am going?”
“I’m a magician… Just kidding, your flight path has brought you from the old forge, you are going east. The most logical place would be Tree City unless you were terribly lost.”
“Okay, but why do I need to get there in under two weeks?”
“Did I say need to? I meant you would. You have nothing to worry about, the rest of your trip will be uneventful, there’s no danger for you. The northern regions of the kingdom isn’t a very dangerous place. Now if you had gone to Pensa, that would have been a different story.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your friend, he is safe for now but danger lurks around the corner. He really should not have gone alone on that journey. Everything you hope to build could be destroyed if he were to get captured on his trip.”
Betta is stunned, how does this boy know about their plans or Zyno’s journey? What danger could he be in?
“How do you know any of this?”
“Please Skyman, I’ve been waiting on you to point you in the right direction, there’s more information that you need to hear but it’s too early for it. You will hear it when it is time.”
“Who are you?”
“Wrong question my young Skyman friend.”
“What are you?”
“That’s a very good question, and you’re not ready for the answer.
Betta is anxious, he wasn’t prepared for this revelation.
“Skyman, you need to fly. The sooner you get to the Trees, the sooner you can return to the Forge.”
“What?”
“Fly, Skyman, fly!” the boy yells.
Betta spreads his wings and leaps into the air. As he ascends, he hears the boy yell something, all he was able to make out was the word fast. He doesn’t look back, he is too spooked. The boy is clearly something more, he just doesn’t know what.
Either way, he resolves to make it to the City in the Trees in under two weeks. Betta flies to a higher altitude than he usually travels. He flies into the clouds for cover but not too far as to not be able to see the ground.
As he swiftly travels east, his thoughts turn toward his friend Zyno, and what trouble he could be getting into on his way to Pensa.
Relics of the Old Age 