A Farewell

I awoke the next day to the loud sound of machinery just outside Fesha and I's room. The sound of buzzing and scrapping metal rang in the air, muffled only by the door. I got out of bed to see Fesha had also just awoke to the loud sounds outside. We exited our quarters together to find the source of the irritable waves. We walked onto the roof, Dente and Serrum were no where to be seen, but the sounds were still ongoing. As we walked further from our room and closer to the workbench, the sound had gotten louder. Finally, we peered around the corner wall that the workbench was rested against. There we had seen what looked something like a garage door where Serrum and Dente stood, backs turned to us. Dente stood by idly as Serrum was working on the creation in front of them. 

Before them was a large, neatly woven basket that was big enough to fit possibly all of us in. The explosion engine was propped up vertically at the center of the basket. There was also a large piece of cloth that was hung up on the side wall. Rather than one piece of cloth, it looked like a variety of cloths were sewn together to make it that size. Serrum stood in the basket, modifying the engine with whatever tools she was using. The engine had changed its shape since last I saw it. Serrum had added a lever and an assortment of metal rings and pipes that stuck out from the top of the engine. There was also a funnel sticking out from one of its inlets.

Though the handy work of Serrum was as loud as it was, Dente managed to hear us approaching and greeted us.

"Ah morning thee two." Dente said eagerly as sparks flew behind him, Serrum head deep in her tinkering.

Fesha and I still half asleep, forgot to respond, and instead greeted Dente with a confused stare. Though our response was a bit vague, he knew what wanted to know.

"This is the creation we've talked about. Our way to the uppers!" He said excitedly.

My face brightened on instinct. I examined the basket from afar, taking in its size. Surely Fesha and I could hitch a ride too, saving us the trouble of a long journey. However, Dente noticed my changed expression immediately.

"Ahh, apologies. I'm afraid we only planned for Serrum and I to fit." He said regretfully.

Instantly I became confused. "What do you mean, there's enough room for all of us, no?" I finally spoke.

"Well hast thou considered the weight? We won't be able to lift off with all of us in there." He said while pointing back at the basket.

Suddenly, I felt completely stupid for not thinking that, so I kept my mouth shut. I looked at Fesha, who seemed to take the news a lot better than I have.

"When do ye plan to leaveth?" Fesha asked calmly.

Dente spoke. "If Serrum keeps working at her pace now, I'd say tonight."

After that, Fesha and I watched Serrum work as Dente would occasionally hand her tools. Serrum was razor focused and had not said a word to us once the whole morning. Eventually, I got bored and decided to leave them to it. Fesha thought the same and left with me. Fesha went off on her own into another building attached to the roof that her and Dente have been using as the kitchen. I decided to take this opportunity to do something that I have been wanting to do since our battle yesterday. I grabbed my spear from my room and sneaked off into one of the buildings, exploring until I found a room large enough to practice in. I knew I couldn't keep depending on that man to save me every time, so I decided to learn to fight on my own. Without any technique or formal training, I swung the spear for hours in a single fluid motion, teaching myself some stabbing and overhead attacks. It was strange, the feeling of swinging a blade and plunging it forward felt familiar to me, not to this body, but to me. I swung the spear around for hours, feeling like I had made no progress in a battle sense, but I at least got use to the oddly shaped handle. Soon, I got hungry and decided to go back.

I got back to the roof to find Fesha, Dente, and Serrum all standing talking as they ate. The thing Serrum had been working on was now out of the garage, sitting by the edge of the roof, but was sideways with the engine still attached to it. The strange cloth I saw hanging in the garage earlier was now laying next to the giant basket. Four long and thin ropes were wrapped in the cloth with the other ends connected firmly to the corners of the basket. There was also a small bag by Serrum's feet. I walked over and they greeted me.

"Where hast thou been?" Fesha asked a little worried.

If they found out I was practicing, they would definitely find it strange after the skill I had shown them a day before, so I told a lie. "I was exploring." I said briefly.

They seemed to have bought it and Fesha gave me my lunch. We had small talk around the basket before finally, Dente became a little more sentimental.

"Take this." Dente said handing Fesha his dragon tooth necklace. "As long as I stay near Serrum, I'm sure it'll still return my memories. Thou both need it as much as we do." He said.

Serrum spoke. "It's been fun, but I'm sure we'll see each other again once ye catch up." She laughed. "Feel free to take anything from here, we ain't coming back."

With that, Dente grabbed an end of the cloth and waved it open. Serrum turned the engine on, releasing a steady stream of small explosions toward the cloth. Serrum turned a knob which quickened the explosion rate until it was nearly a stead stream of fire. The fire of the engine opened the cloth up fully until the basket began lifting off the ground along with the cloth. She grabbed the bag from the ground, and poured the black powdery contents into the funnel that she had added to the engine. Finally, the basket was right side up, the cloth freely flowing in the air, revealing Serrum and Dente's precious creation. A hot air balloon.

Serrum and Dente jump into the basket and turned to face us.

"Apologies, if we could've found a stronger engine, perhaps we could've taken thee." he said loudly over the engine.

"No worries, you two be safe." I said back.

Then, Dente and Serrum waved us off and began nudging the hot air balloon off the roof from within the basket. Finally, it had fallen off, steadily falling until it began to rise in the air.

"Hah! I thought for sure we were going to die!" Dente yelled, Serrum elbowing him. The hot air balloon curved its way up into the free air, narrowly missing the edge of the layer above. Then, as they crossed the threshold of the next floor, they vanished from our sight.