Chapter 6:

The great pillars

The Journey


The Flock had just arrived at one of the pillars sustaining the Sky, where everyone gathers food and resources. That said, everyone had to have lunch before the operations could be started.

As it was a special day, today Gray, Nico and Natta were having a lot of meat, or at least, they soon would, for the food was still being cooked.

In front of the brazier, as he prepared the food just like always, Gray could feel the nice smell of the carrots and marjoram being boiled. Now what was left for him was to put the meat in the water.

As he did so, he noticed that, besides the meat, there were some mushrooms. They were part of the donations they received during the funeral.

Usually, he didn’t really use mushrooms in his food, but he also didn’t want to waste them…

So maybe this might be an opportunity to talk with him, even if it's small.

“Hey Nico.”

When he said that, Nico seemed like he was surprised, like he had just been taken out of his own world back to ours.

“…What’s it?“ Nico asked softly.

“What do you think of having some mushrooms today for a change?”

When Nico saw the mushrooms in Gray’s hand, there was something which immediately caught his attention: they were red mushrooms, of the type he had always loved.

Seeing them gave him the lingering feeling of something weighing in his heart, for they remembered him a little of his mother, but even then, in his eyes you could see glowing excitement.

“Mushrooms?”

“Do you like them?”

“Uhum“ he nodded. “Especially the red ones.

“Ok then“ he said with a smile on his face.

Even if it wasn’t like everything was perfectly fine, to Gray, just being able to cheer up Nico a little bit already made him happy. It was a long path towards his objective, but slowly and surely, one day he would achieve it.

But, on the other hand, Natta still looked at them with pure scorn in her eyes. Just like always. It has gotten to a point where this attitude of hers was even making Nico think if maybe she did ever feel something besides hatred and disgust at all. That said, at least she didn’t do much to them since yesterday.

It wouldn’t take long and lunch was ready.

Just like always, as they ate, they all stayed silent, but today, Nico noticed something different from the normal.

Resigned, guilty and worrying, these were the types of looks Gray always had in his eyes. But today, no, maybe since yesterday, his eyes exhibited determination.

Nico wondered for what was such determination. Again, Gray looked different from before, yet, once again, he seemed the same.

When Nico realized, Gray was looking back at him.

At him, not at the ground, not at somewhere far distant, lost in his mind.

“What did you think of it?”

“A-ah …of what?“ Nico asked, a little surprised by the sudden question.

“Of the food. Is it good?”

“Y-yeah, it’s pretty good.”

“Good. Maybe I could try using these mushrooms again next time”

“So can you gather some here?“ asked Nico, looking towards the great crystals of the pillar beside them.

Hearing this, Gray turned his face to the pillar behind him and asked:

“What do you think of trying to go there together with me?”

“Seriously?“ said Nico, looking for confirmation with his eyes beaming with excitement.

“You’re a bit young to this, but it’s good to start soon.”

“Ye-“

“Good, now let’s see if you can be anything more than a useless parasite child.”

Looking at both of them from across the brazier, Natta interrupted Nico. As everyone went silent for a moment, as always, in her face, with her mouth slightly open with it’s extremities a little raised, she showed a thousand different emotions: contempt, hatred, and what to Nico seemed like a new addition: the slightly insane sense of satisfaction that comes from vengeance.

“Natta, shut up.”

When those words aggressively left Gray’s mouth, Natta seemed surprised and slightly shocked. That said, as soon as she saw the hesitant and guilty eyes and the clenched fist Gray had, she returned to normal. She knew how difficult it was for him to oppose her directly.

“As you wish, oh honorable father“ she said in a mockery manner while staring directly at Gray’s eyes for a moment.

As he saw all of this, Nico stayed silent, nervous. Whenever Natta said something, did something, he would fear it. He could never know what she would do, only that it would be bad.

And again, that was what he was feeling, for she was approaching him.

He wasn’t in her way, she would walk past behind him and that would be it. Nothing was going to happen. Right?

I don’t have to worr-

She looked at him, directly at his eyes.

At that moment, he turned his face away from her. Look straight forward, and everything will be alright. She wasn’t in his sight anymore.

But, touching the front of his neck was her hand.

“So disliked by everyone that the only one who will stand for you is him… it must be sad to be you“ he softly heard a voice coming from behind his right ear.

He stayed still, shocked, in fear, he didn’t feel like he could move at all, and as soon as he came back to his senses, she had already gone away.

Went away to where? He didn’t know. She didn’t have any friends as far as he knew, nor people who she talked to somewhat regularly. Since he first saw her, she always stayed there, together with Gray, always acting like she just did. Maybe she really didn’t have anything but her hatred.

And he? What did he have? A friend? A man who only cares for him because of gratitude to his father? Only that? Oh yeah, and a bunch of people who either couldn’t care less for him, look at him with disgust, or hate him. Truly wonderful isn’t it?

But…

But maybe…

Maybe it wasn’t so bad…

After all he also had the man from that day.

————————————————————

“The vanguard can start the climb!”

With those words, the climb of the pillar started as around 20 people, equipped with special climbing shoes and carrying long ropes, started climbing the giant crystals.

From the ground to the Sky, the pillar was around 400 meters high. It was a long and difficult climb, which was done only by the most able and experienced climbers.

But now that it had started, they on the ground could only wait, for such a climb would take a few days to complete.

“Nico!

As he looked to the great pillar, with it’s glowing bluish crystals, Nico heard a voice coming from his left. When he looked towards it, he could see Rocco.

“Hey Rocco.”

“Rocco? I think I’ve already heard that name… this face also seems familiar…“ murmured Gray.

“Hello Nico!”

Waving to him as he accompanied his son, Nico was approached by Rocco’s father, Gian.

But as Gian neared, something in him caught Gray’s attention, as his eyebrows raised and his nostrils widened, as if he was in shock. Though, no matter what was the reason for that, he quickly came back to his normal self.

On the other hand, Gian didn’t seem to be even slightly shocked at all, and instead just furrowed his eyebrows in confusion after seeing Gray’s weird reaction.

“Hi Gian.”

“Hello“ said Gray.

“You are…?”

“Gray. And you are Gian, right?”

Gian nodded and then turned himself to the pillar before commenting:

“Looking at the climbers? These people surely have dedication, don’t they?”

“It’s so hiiiiigh!!”

Looking towards the top, Rocco was almost jumping trying to see where the Sky and the pillar met.

“I’ve already asked it before, but which one of you will be the first to climb it??“ asked Gian.

“Me! I’ll see everything from the top!”

“Hmpf, I doubt you’re even half as good of a climber as me“ said Nico as he crossed his arms and directed his chin up.”

“What about the two of you try at the same time?”

“At the same time?“ Nico and Rocco asked in unison.”

“Me and Gray can help both of you to climb a little bit“ Gian answered, directing his gaze to Gray, asking for confirmation.

“Seems like a good idea to me“ he answered with a smile.

Just after he said this, in the corner of his eye, Gray could see Natta coming back alone to their brazier, where they would set up their tent later. In her hand, she carried a glass of beer.

He was a little worried, but also relieved. But anyways, he had other priorities at the moment, after all Natta wasn’t acting much different from the normal, there’s a long time that she has been a heavy drinker, specially when he wasn’t together with her, when she would drink alone.

And so, the four of them would frequently meet through the next few days.

————————————————————

“The third wave can start the climb!”

When it soon would be time for breakfast, one man shouted from a distance from the tent while hitting a pan, waking up people and slowly capturing their attention.

There had been three days since the vanguard started climbing, and now they had finally got to the top of the pillar. Along the way, they had set climbing points, from where ropes were firmly stuck on the rocks, helping the second wave to advance as they set up the equipment responsible for helping transport big and heavy objects from the top to the ground.

And now, when most of this work is already finished, the third wave was going to start their climb.

“Gray! Gray! Let's go!”

“...Uh? Oh, Nico, it’s you…“ having barely woken up, Gray said without much excitement.

“You said you were going to bring me on the climb, didn't you?!”

Gray blinked a few times, starting to stand up. With Nico beaming with so much excitement, there wasn’t much that he could do.

“Yeah yeah, I did. Just help me to prepare things first. Ok?“ Gray said in a slightly annoyed tone, waving the back of his hand to Nico.

“Ok!”

Having finished waking up Gray, now Nico searched for the necessary equipment and, after some time, saw it in the corner of the tent.

The only problem was: between him and the equipment, was Natta, who was lying on her bedroll, still sleeping, and there was no easy way that wasn’t extremely near her.

That said, as Gray properly woke up and went to make breakfast for the two of them, he had to let everything else ready, so, even if only approaching her already made him shake a little, he continued.

To her right, behind her bedroll, in the back of the circular tent, was his objective.

First, Nico decided to first move his left leg there and, as he stepped on the ground, he immediately moved his other foot. Now between the bedroll and the canvas of the tent, the only thing left for him to do was to take the equipment and bring it together with him.

And so, he extended his arm to take it, but something stopped him.

On the back of his hand, he could feel a warm feeling. It was Natta’s breath.

Not only that, but just after, he could hear her murmuring something. It was barely audible, but it seemed to be a name, one starting with a “C”.

At the moment this happened, anxiety took Nico. What would she do if he woke her up? Would she be mad?

No… No one would be so mad just for being accidentally woken up, right? He didn’t have to fear.

But what about someone who hates you? Would this person be mad? After all, I already bother her just by existing…

But I want to climb the pillar…

He started moving his hand again.

For him and Gray, he had to bring two steel stakes and some kind of protection to the head, besides a special belt that could be attached to the rope, but this last one was only for Gray.

They were all there, lying in the ground beside her, in front of him, and so, he took them.

Now, he turned to his back in order to get out of there. He had to transpassar her again, but he could do it.

One leg first, then the other one and-

And one of them ended up encountering the other.

He stumbled and lost his balance, but, by chance, managed to avoid falling, but he couldn’t avoid making a lot of noise. Thanks to that, behind him, he could hear Natta, with her eyes slightly open, murmuring talking with some imaginary person:

“Don’t wake me up… I don’t want to ever wake up…”

As soon as she said this, her eyes closed again. He had managed to do it.

He didn’t know why she was so sleepy, but he was thankful for that.

Leaving the tent, he could now see Gray. At his side were Rocco and Gian.

“Hey, why did you take so long?”

“Uh… because…”

Seeing the kind of answer he was getting, Gray sighed and then interrupted Nico.

“It doesn’t matter, just give me the equipment and put yours. Rocco and his dad are already ready.”

He did as ordered and put his equipment. Now, Gian and Gray would teach them how to climb the pillar.

“Well, first, both of you. Do you see the tip of this crystal over here?“ said Gian as he positioned himself to the side of a massive crystal around two meters long sticking from the pillar.“ First you need to be able to stick your stakes somewhere over it.

The two kids did as instructed, and after some attempts, managed to properly do the task.

“Ok, so, now, you jump and, holding the stakes firm in your hands, use them as a support so you can pull yourselves with your arms.”

He did as he said while the kids tried to follow suit. They had difficulties, but in the end, with both his and Gray’s help, managed to do it.

On the crystal, the surface was inclined downwards, making it difficult to stay balanced when over it. Because of that, Nico had some difficulty staying still, but with some time, managed to get the gist of it.

“Now the only thing remaining is to find stuff and bring it to the ground.”

And so, they continued climbing the pillar together, searching for food and other things along the way.

As they took time to start climbing, there wasn’t much for them to collect, but as long as they participated, they would receive at least a minimum of food by the Shepherd in accordance with Gray’s and Gian’s age, as Nico and Rocco were too young to receive anything, and they also had food stocked thanks to the donations, so starvation was an unlikely outcome.

As they climbed, they eventually were nearly 20 meters high. It wasn’t the highest they’ve ever been, for plenty of the hills they’ve gone to the top of were a lot higher than this, but it still was an impressive view. From there, as it was a direct, 90° fall, they seemed a lot higher than they actually were, and their sight seemed so vast and free that it looked like they were flying, or at least, as flying as you can be in this limited space between a giant roof and the ground.

“Hey Nico, don’t you think it’s awesome here?”

“Yes? Why the question?”

“Turn to your back and look at this.”

Nico did as Rocco said and turned to the same side his friend was looking. The sight was indeed amazing, but he had already seen it plenty of times.

“You know, you’ve already shown me the view at least four times“ Nico said, slightly annoyed.

“No no no no no. Come here, come here“ Said Rocco as he pulled Nico with his hand. “Now, look down.”

And so, Nico did as his friend said.

“Wo-woah! So high…”

Looking directly to the ground below them, it was the first time he could have a true notion of how high he was. Sensing the breeze passing through him, he felt like he could fall at any moment. The mere prospect of falling from such height scared him, but this sensation of being under risk enthralled, tempted him. It was something he had never experienced before.

“Isn’t this amazing?“ Rocco asked, still also looking towards the ground.

“…Yeah“ Nico answered without paying much attention, his mind occupied by the sensation of being at the edge of the crystal.

“But, you know, if being here is so amazing, imagine how it must be at the end of the world…“ as Rocco said this, he raised his head again, looking at the various hills and cliffs in the distance.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it, the end of the world.

“That’s why I asked, idiot,“ Rocco said giggling. “I wonder if we will ever see it… I really want to. Just imagine, somewhere where the Sky meets the ground, where the two of them are connected!”

As he said these words, Rocco slowly regained Nico’s attention. Somewhere where the Sky meets the ground…

“Dad once said that in our lives each one of us will see the end of the world at least twice…”

“Twice? Don’t you think this is too little? I want to see it a lot of times!”

“Do you? What will you do when you get there?“ Nico asked out of curiosity.

“…Hm… Nothing special I think“ Rocco answered with a pensive look.

“So what’s so special about going there if you aren’t going to do anything different from the normal?”

“Because I will know this world better!“ Rocco said, nearly jumping out of excitement.

Nico was slightly taken aback by the sudden reaction he got, but soon he resumed asking:

“But don’t you dislike what you still don’t know?”

“If knowing it is easy, then there’s no problem, right?“ Rocco answered with a smile of satisfaction in his face, as if he was proud of thinking like this.

“So you just dislike difficult things?”

“No! This would make me lazy, and I’m not lazy!“ Rocco said, turning himself to Nico, now seemingly annoyed. “If I really need to do something, then I’ll do it“ he finished, crossing his arms.

Seeing the reaction of his friend, Nico giggled a bit. Teasing him and seeing his mood change all the time was strangely entertaining.

“So what about trying to fall from here to know if it’s safe?”

“I’m not an idiot! I wouldn’t try this! Also, dad said that there’s no problem in bringing me here, so that means I’m safe.”

“Did your father try doing this so he can know it then?“ asked Nico, who had just noticed Gian looking at Rocco with worrying eyes, tensed up, like at any moment he would jump to take him out of the edge.

“No! Are you dumb?! If he fell he would be dead now!”

“How do you know falling would kill him?”

“I know it because it’s obvious!”

“So if you know what will happen if you fall, then there’s no problem with falling, right?”

“Aaaaaaaarg“ Rocco let out a yell of frustration.“ If I know something bad is going to happen if I do it, then I shouldn’t do it! The problem with things I don’t know is exactly that I don’t know if messing with them will make something bad happen!“ as he said all of this, Rocco turned his face opposite to Nico and closed his eyes, refusing to look at him.

Hearing this, Nico burst into laughter. The way Rocco was acting annoyed was simply hilarious to him.

“A-Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”

But suddenly, his laugh was interrupted by a scream.

As he looked again at Nico, he could see him moving his arms, without any direction at all, while trying to turn himself to his back to recover his balance as he started to fall.

But besides the scream, Nico also started to hear steps. They were heavy and fast, and the person responsible for them was a short man who desperately ran like his life depended on it.

But Rocco was already falling. Nico could see it. His feet weren't making contact with anything anymore, and his hands were desperately searching for something to hang on. In his face, you could see pure terror. Gian wouldn’t make it, there was no way he would manage to reach his son in time-

And at this very moment, Gian jumped.

He jumped into the air.

As he fell, he embraced his son. No matter the cost, he shouldn’t let him die. He should protect him, and wouldn’t ever let himself fail in doing that.

Embracing his son with one hand, with the other, Gian tried to grasp the rope attached to his belt, which the other extremity was firmly attached to the top of the pillar. He managed to slow down their fall, but he couldn’t stop it completely. As the rope slided through his hand, it started to bleed. He wouldn’t be able to do this.

And so, suddenly the two disappeared below him.

He heard the sound of something falling into the ground…

As he started to process just what happened in front of him, he heard someone shouting:

“We are on the crystal below you!”

————————————————————

As they descended to where Gian and Rocco were, Nico could see the backs of the two of them, who seemed to be looking at something.

When he and Gray finally got there, they noticed an unknown third, slightly overweight, man there.

Noticing their friend's arrival, Gian, with Rocco in front of him, but protected by his arms, turned his head to their direction, calling them:

“Hey, you two, come here“ he said, and as the two approached, continued. “Take a look at this.

Illuminated by all sides thanks to the light blue crystals, which gave it an almost ethereal look, there was a huge pile of meat.

“Oh, so you found something good? That’s some great news“ said Gray.”

“Yeah. This place is a little difficult to get to, so no one had taken this meat with them. That said, when we got here, this sir was here already“ Gian pointed to the third, unknown person.

“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Carlo“ the man said as he extended his arm to a handshake.”

“Hello, I’m Gray.”

As the two gave a handshake, Gian started speaking again:

“He helped us when we fell“ Gian showed his hand, which was covered with clothing, to Gray. “I’m very thankful for this.”

“Oh do not worry, I only did what I should.”

As they talked and complimented each other, Rocco was silent, looking to the ground, bracing himself. He seemed to be still scared of what just happened.

After some time of this, Carlo changed the direction of the conversation to something a little more productive:

“So, anyways, there’s some time I was here, trying to figure out how to take this“ he pointed to the pile of meat by his side“ out of here, until you all came here.

“Then I said we could help him, and he should just wait for you two to come here.”

“Oh we can surely help you.”

“Thanks. We can divide it between us then.”

“Sure.”

And so, they all put their hands to work.

First, Carlo took his shirt off, and they all put the meat on it, planning to use it to help them carry the meat. Then, they tied it’s extremities together and then tied it to a large stick.

Gray held one end of the stick and Carlo the other, and together they carried it to the edge of the crystal. Gian, Rocco and Nico, who had climbed up just before, then each one one of them threw one end of a rope to Gray and Carlo, who tied it on the stick.

Finally, with all this preparation, they started to move it across the pillar towards the nearest descending mechanism, with Gian and the kids pulling it, while Gray and Carlo pushed from below.

After some time, they finally got there. The mechanism was firmly stationed and attached to the pillar, supported on a huge crystal. It was huge and made of wood, and had a stone wheel, which was moved by a giant hand crank manned by three people and had a rope attached to it.

Guarding the mechanism, there was a man.

“Hello. Could you inform me about who’s the owner of this mechanism? Or is it one of the few ones for communal use administered by the Shepherd?”

“This one is Marco’s.”

Hearing this, both Gray and Gian hesitated for a moment, but soon Gian continued to talk.

“I’m Gian, and he’s Gray. We wish to use it. How much is the fee?”

“You both can’t use it.”

“Why?”

He was met with silence.

Gian and Gray looked towards one another, but the expression on their faces wasn’t the same at all. On one hand, Gray seemed a little frustrated, but in a way that made it look like he already expected this to happen. On the other hand, Gian at first seemed confused, but soon enough, he let out a gasp as if he had just realized something important and assumed a composed expression.

As the two of them didn’t know what to do now, Carlo approached and walked past them.

“Good sir, what if we pay you a fee of

⅕? Please. We have to transport this, we beg you.”

“…Ok“ he answered after hesitating for a moment.

“We thoroughly appreciate your decision“ Carlo quickly thanked with an amicable smile.

They all then started carrying everything to the mechanism, when one of the men operating it took notice of them and approached them.

“Can I help you?”

“Oh there’s no need to, we can do this. Do not worry about us.”

“Someone needs to watch you and receive the fee you know?“ said the guard, coming from behind them. “Now, where’s our ⅕?”

“⅕?“ the man helping them said, surprised. “Isn’t this too much?! The normal is already a lot and you’re charging them double?”

The guard let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, and then looked towards the man, looking annoyed.

“Victor, look at the man in front of you again.”

The man tilted his head in confusion and looked at a bewildered Gray.

“Aaah! He’s the guy my grandfather has a problem with, right? Yeah, we shouldn’t go easy on them!”

The guard sighed again and facepalmed.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.”

Gray, Gian, Nico, Rocco, Carlo, they all seemed confused and a little embarrassed watching this, and tried to ignore it, focusing on separating the meat for the fee and tying it again so they could put in the mechanism.

With this finished, the load was tied to the rope attached to the stone wheel and slowly Victor and the other two people handling the crank let it descend to the ground.

As this was being done, they all also started to go down towards the ground, so they could receive the “package”.

————————————————————

They had just finished unloading what they got from the pillar and what was distributed by the Shepherd, and now were all eating together at Nico’s tent, having met Natta drinking alone when they got there.

Before this Carlo had proposed to continue searching for things, but they all ended up not returning to the pillar, as Rocco wanted to be as far from the pillar as possible.

As they ate, Carlo, Gian and Gray talked a lot, and while he stood there, seated on the ground, Nico watched them.

The way Gray was acting, it was certainly different from before. More talkative and determined, to Nico, he seemed really different now.

Thinking about it, maybe now he enjoyed being with him.