As the Sun Rises in the East

Elysia sat by Saphira’s bedside, as she had since they escaped from the laboratory of horrors beneath the ruins of Vyock Castle and driven into the welcoming city of Glokvel. They had driven for a full day, moving through the crags of the mountains, knowing the Twisted might still be around, the boys exhausted from a week of captivity,  Elysia drained from days of torture and the release of massive amounts of Void energy, and poor broken Saphira slipping in and out of consciousness as her body dealt with her prosthetics being ripped off. The operation to remove the last of the metallic prosthesis from her body had been a success. A hard one, as the surgeons had to remove multiple pieces of metal, wire and sorcite powered circuitry from Saphira’s body, as well as the control chip hidden behind the remains of her right eye. It also cost them plenty, not only to heal Saphira but to deal with everyone else’s wounds. Still, it felt worth it as Saphira's eye fluttered open, most of her face still covered in bandages.

“Hey…” Saphira said weakly.

“Hey,” Elysia said back.

“Where are we?” Saphira asked.

“Glokvel. It’s like an anti-Vyock. No phellax here. Or spooky death castles,” Elysia said with a brief laugh.

“Are you okay? The Void energy was…I don’t even know how to describe what you did,” Saphira said.

“I don’t know. I only know after I make sure you’re okay I’m sleeping for a month.” They both laughed, understanding the feeling.

“Elysia, I…”

“I know. And you’ll never have to say it.”

They both looked at each other, no further words needed.

“They’ll be okay,” Kraelin said, looking through the window. Jake was leaning against the opposite wall in the hall while Alex flipped berries to Stick in the air.

“Of course they will be. They’re our girls,” Jake said.

“Thank you for not including me with the girls,” Alex said nonchalantly.

“Come on, you two. Let’s get to the inn,” Kraelin said. “Elysia knows where it is. She can catch up.”

They walked out of the hospital and through the town. Cars which looked like fantasy machines drove down streets which could have come from Rockwell if he enjoyed steam punk aesthetic. People walked the sidewalks, families saying hello to each other. A man lit another man’s pipe with a spark of flame from his fingertips, tipping his hat as though everything was normal. And it was. It felt like…

“Home,” Jake said.

“You’re thinking the same thing?” Alex asked.

“Yeah. I mean, so long as you are too. You’re the one with the bigger problem.”

Alex looked down at his female body. He examined his hands as he walked, touched his breasts, felt the long hair as it swished past his face.

“Eh. Could be worse in the short term, I guess,” Alex finally said. “I could have ended up looking like you.”

“What, jacked and cool?” Jake asked.

“I was talking more in the face region. You know, all the unfortunateness,” Alex said. Jake punched him in the arm. “Ow! You can’t hit a girl!”

“I thought you said you weren’t a girl!” Jake scolded.

“I am when it’s convenient for not getting punched by jackasses!” Alex shot back.

They bickered back and forth, their playful banter echoing through the calm streets, and all Kraelin could do was laugh.

*

Alex sat on the roof of the inn, as he often did, staring at the stars. He was facing directly east, a fact which pleased him greatly. “We’re heading out tomorrow, dad,” Alex said to the pocket watch which hung from his shirt. The new chain had been a gift from Kraelin a few days prior.

“I have something for you,” Kraelin had said after cornering Alex in his room at the inn. He looked uncharacteristically nervous as he handed the silver chain to Alex. “I think we’ve all learned recently how precious it is to keep our fathers close. So, I saw this and…thought of you.”

“Wow. God, thanks,” Alex had said, attaching the watch to his shirt. “What did you get everyone else?”

“This was for you. As a thank you. I think you saved my life. All of ours, if you think about it. It…look, opening up is hard for me, so…”

Alex hugged Kraelin, smiling. “Thanks, bro. But I didn’t save your life. You were the one who opened the door.”

“No, you did,” Kraelin said. “I’d never had anyone put it to me as plainly as you had. It made me realize something. I didn’t want to be a warrior. I never have. I wanted to be a protector. And right then, everything…fell into place.”

“Kraelin…God, I’m gonna get choked up here,” Alex said.

“Sorry. Again, I’m not good at…”Kraelin trailed off, shaking his head before walking away. Pausing at the door, he turned around. “If Ekodyne is your home now…I’ll take care of you. We all will. We’ll be your…”

“Hey, Jake and I are the ones doing you guys the favor here by saving your world, remember? Besides, you’re paying me back by helping me get my real body back. So don’t worry about…you know. Gratitude and stuff. We’re taking care of each other,” Alex said.

He leaned back against the roof, thinking about the moment with Kraelin, holding the watch tight. “Yeah, I’m taking care of them, dad. I hope you’d be proud of how I’ve done so far. I mean, it’s been crap in a lot of ways. I’m constantly chased by monsters, my life is in danger daily and I still have to sit to pee. But…it’s a good life, I think, dad.” Alex said. He turned his head and saw Stick romping after some lit up bugs. “What do you think, weirdo?”

“I think so,” Jake said. Alex looked up, surprised to see everyone else joining him on the roof, even the still bandaged Saphira, wobbling a bit as she walked, still getting used to missing an arm and only having one eye.

“I told them you’d be up here,” Saphira said.

“Mind if we sit?” Elysia asked with a smile.

“There’s enough roof for everyone,” Alex said, gesturing to his sides. They all flopped down beside him, looking up and east, the night sky sparkling overhead.

“Its only going to get harder from here,” Elysia said.

“I recently ripped my arm and eye off and killed my fake dad,” Saphira said.

“Hey, I’ve had several periods by now. We’re all suffering,” Alex complained.

“I get those too, moron!” Saphira shot back.

“We’re going to make it, you know. We’re going to find the Eastern Treasure. We’re going to destroy all the Twisted. And we’re going to change the world.” Elysia looked to her four companions, all of them thinking the same thoughts.

“For our friends,” Jake said.

“For our family,” Alex said.

“For our honor,” Kraelin said.

“For ourselves,” Saphira said.

“For everyone,” Elysia said.

They all laid there, feeling it, knowing they were going to change the world. “First star to the right, and straight on til morning,” Alex said. “My dad read me Peter Pan when I was little. One of the few real memories I still have of him. One of the things I held onto.” He laughed slightly. “Maybe all this is destiny.”

“Sure feels like it, doesn’t it buddy?” Jake said.

They stayed there until the sun began to rise, talking about nothing but saying everything. They had earned this respite. But with the sun came the resumption of their journey. They had barely started in the grand scheme of things. And as they drove off from the town, their old truck bumping through rolling green hills, the five headed with renewed hope towards the east.