Fabled Promise

Tick tock the sound of the clock, a rhythm and cadence well known,
When altered and changed, with time re-arranged;
A journey begins of your own.

~

TICK, TICK, TICK…TICK!

The sound echoed with familiarity in her ears, but the cadence was more of a stranger.

Geist, a furry flash of white, ran the length of her body as she stirred feeling his feet tip tap along. Fluttering open, with gentle toe bean pats on her lips, her violet eyes sensitive to the light pouring in through the window met the emerald stare of her companion. He was relentless, circling on Elorah’s chest purring wildly, almost demanding she rise.

“Geist!” She mouthed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Are you hungry or something?”

He chirped fervently, continuing in circles on her chest until he paused and made biscuits over her heart. The biscuits needed to be made in that exact spot.

“Ok-ok, if not food then – what is it Sir?”

She reached down and placed her hand where Geist had insisted. Not only could she hear a difference, but she could feel it as well, an ache from deep within. Standing up from the bed, she made her way to the brass mirror on her wall. With a single glance Elorah could see the exhaustion in her gaze. The frailty of her body. She again placed a hand atop her ticking heart knowing that something wasn’t right.

Behind her, Geist knocked one of her grandfathers’ old journals to the floor.

Thump!

The dust speckled the morning light as the parchment within the book tumbled to a specific entry and name. Elorah, picking up the journal gave into her curiosity and read what had been written.

Grenvar 6th – Passing the torch.

Today was my last day teaching my apprentice some of the finite details of the Clockwork Hearts. He is quick to learn, curious and unyielding and I have high hopes for his future as a Clockwork Wizard. I think I have prepared him for what is to come although one can never be sure – but my time is limited and I did what I could. Alaric will carry it forward – Elorah will bring it home!

Thinking to herself about the details of the entry with the smell of the parchment pages lingering, she closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. What could he have meant?

“Bring what home?”

The white blouse she buttoned was stark in contrast to her olive skin and black hair that glistened like an oil slick. A tight leather tunic, buckled at the waist, emphasized her hourglass figure. One by one she slipped on her bracers, pants and boots. A purple satin scarf with golden embellishment was tied tightly at her waist. This was the first item she had ever bought, after recovery, and finally able to collect a wage to bring home.

“I knew that Grandfather was training an apprentice in the village” she paused “But I thought Alaric was nothing more than a bumbling gopher to fetch spare parts!” Making sure the shirt collar was folded properly and pushing the sleeves up past the elbow, Elorah turned looking to Geist who was sitting at her feet.

“What do you think – shall we take a morning walk?” Bending down she gave his soft long fur a pat, leading to a scritch behind the ears. Clawing at the satchel hanging from the hook on the wall impatiently, consistent mews escaped his lips.

“Ok-ok, we’re going!” Tossing the bag over her head and leaving the warm bed calling her name behind, they made their way through the hall towards the entryway.

Opening the front door, the cool fall wind kissed Elorah’s cheeks briskly as Geist scaled her body scrambling for the warmth of a shoulder, curtained with hair. The Medical Apothecary wasn’t too far from here and she could grab a warm cuppa on the return home; it didn’t make sense to turn back for a coat. She picked up the pace, although moving slower than usual.

Winded, pausing to catch her breath, a warm hand landed firmly on her shoulder.

“Elorah!” Verity exclaimed, “You’re up earlier than usual. We both know mornings are not your forte.”

Always elegant regardless of the moment; she could wear a paper sack and somehow manage to steal away even the breath of the wind. Twirling frosty white hair between her nimble fingers, reaching in to gently pat Geist she grazed Elorah’s cheek with a smile.

“Did this little villain wake you for his sustenance?” she cooed at the cat earning his favor.

“Alas I wish it were so simple my friend” she exhaled, “There is something wrong with my cadence” motioning to her heart.

Worry quickly replaced Verity’s smile and she grabbed Elorah’s wrist.

“Let’s get a move on then Sunshine!” she quickly moved in the direction of Alaric’s, unable to calm herself, concerned for a friend.

The jangle of the patient bell rang loudly as Verity pushed in the door, ushering Elorah ahead of her.

“Alaric! Alaric Bellweather!” she yelled into the depth of the space.

There was a lack of response followed immediately by the sound of something shattering against the floor. Golden eyes behind bottle bottom glasses peered out from behind the curtain shielding the front of the space from the back. With a shocked and slightly perturbed expression on his face, Alaric spoke.

“You tryna’ give a man a heart attack?” He questioned, emerging fully and walking over to the girls hurriedly. “Sorry, a bit insensitive of me wasn’t it? What brings ya both by so early in the marn on a Freyvar?” Adjusting his robe, pushing up the thick glasses up his face with his middle finger, he continued “It’s certainly unlike you to be up before 9!”

Elorah responded, an urgency in her voice.

“My cadence, the ticking, it’s different – it’s off.” She struggled to find the correct words.

A chirp followed, seconding her statement.

“It woke me up and Geist has been a bit incessant about me rushing over here to have you take a look”.

Verity interrupted swiftly.

“This is serious! A cadence shift can’t be good; it can’t be good at all. Urgency my man – have some” she demanded pushing Elorah in his direction and gesturing for him to use his stethoscope.

Snapping back at her, Elorah growled “Would you pipe down! It’s 7 am and the man has just started his work for the day. I swear, it’s like you’ve downed a pound and a half of sugar, bouncing off the walls like Geist after he has relieved himself. Now hush!” She placed her finger firmly to Verity’s lips with a stern look.

He took a step forward towards her.

“I am sure that is not the case, Grandfather Crenshaw never mentioned anything about rhythm or cadence changes in the Clockwork Hearts.” He said with confidence.

Alaric lifted the scope and placed it just inside her blouse “Please take a deep breath my dear” he said calmly, uncertainty on his face after only a moment.

She was less than half his age and he saw her like a daughter due to his tutelage under Grandfather Crenshaw. He had spoken so highly of Elorah, so proud of her growth and future possibilities. Listening intently, Alaric’s eyes widened and the pace of his breathing increased. He took a step and a half back, pulling the scope away from her chest and turning to retreat quickly behind the curtain.

Mere seconds later, he returned frazzled, flipping through pages of a journal.

“May I?” he asked, already placing the scope back to her chest before receiving an answer.

He listened again, mumbling under his breath. He penned down some equations and pondered deeply as he calculated in his mind. Pacing back and forth across the room, the girls followed him with their eyes.

Of course it was Verity who broke the silence.

“Well… get on with it then! What’s the verdict? Everything is fine right, it’s gotta be fine… RIGHT!? She blurted out with fervor.

Alaric’s concentration broke, snapped back to reality by the desperation in her voice, turning to look at the girls. His expression was grim and the liveliness that had once carried him through the room as if he were floating was no more, he crumbled into the chair behind him.

“Elorah, your clockwork heart is failing.” He spoke despairingly. “I re-ran the numbers thrice and sadly the results are the same every single time.”

Rubbing aggressively at his temples, with both hands he continued. 

“Using your grandfather’s calculations, you have one month give or take a day before complete catastrophic failure. Your clockwork heart will stop!”

He sat back in disbelief.

A single tear raced down her cheek as Verity reached for Elorah and pulled her in close. Geist wrapped his tail to curl around the back of her neck for some semblance of comfort – almost as if he could understand the words being spoken.

Met with a blank stare that was hauntingly empty, Verity turned to Alaric.

“Alright what’s next!” she said “What does it say in there about fixing it? It can’t be that hard! There must be a way!” a supplicating look in her eyes.

He simply shook his head in turn.

“There is nothing in my notes or that we covered in practice that relates to heart cadence or rhythm change. On top of that I am certain there is nothing about complete failure of a clockwork heart. I’m stumped!”

Then, hurriedly he re-opened the journal flipping through the pages, remembering one of the final things that Grandfather Crenshaw had shared with him.

“Wait!” he blurted out believing there may be a clue in his last entry

Elorah was still staring blankly into the void, empty and frozen in time. Geist again pawed at her face trying to break through the hopelessness as Verity grabbed her chin between her thumb and index finger, pulling her focus.

“Snap out of it! This is important so you need to focus up alright!” she urged as she tucked the dark tendrils of hair behind Elorah’s ear.

“Spill, what’s it say?” Verity pressed, turning back to Alaric with eagerness in her eyes.

For Elorah, the room had faded away the moment she learned of the possibility of failure. Now she could only hear the faint muffles of voices swirling around her like ghosts. The rumble of Geist’s’ purrs were almost like a form of hypnosis, it only left room for her to hear the TICK, TICK, TICK … TICK of her terminal core. She had traded her Wild Heart for Clockwork, believing that it was for eternity. But promises of forever are often mere fables.