Fly or Fall

Chapter Four

The Kuth stood on top of a cliff, surrounded by woodland. From the tower Andy was in he could see the ocean in the west. Waves crushed against the beach at the bottom of the cliff. The sun had set and the sky had grown dark. Stars twinkled and he sighed as he stared up at familiar constellations. He looked for Aquila, connecting the dots in his mind as his eyes moved from the brightest star, Altair, to its nearest bright neighbor Tarazed, until an eagle formed. There was peace in staring at the stars and he'd hold onto that.

He knew a lot about the stars and planets. He'd spent his childhood reading every astronomy book he could get his hands on. On his tenth birthday his aunt had gotten him a telescope and he'd spend night after night looking up at constellations. The Aquila was his favorite. He was glad; however foreign this world was, at least he had the stars. There made him feel small yet enormous. Infinite in his mortality. There made him feel comfort in existing. If that even made sense.

"There you are," someone spoke and he brought his gaze from the stars to his sister.

"There I am?" he furrowed his brows. "You're the one who ran off."

Anna shrugged. "Can you blame me?" she came closer, standing next to him on the balcony. Her gaze rose up to the waxing crescent moon. It was the same size as earth's moon but the color was off, instead of a silver luminosity this moon glowed a misty green. "This is... crazy. You know that. Right?"

"Of course," he said and turned his head to the east. Just above the horizon another moon rose. It was almost full and a radiant pale blue. It was larger than earth's moon, about twice its size. "But it's kind of impossible not to believe when the evidence is everywhere."

Anna frowned. "You believe what Nyx said?" she asked.

He turned back to her. Their ebony dark eyes met and he saw the doubt and fear in her gaze. She was afraid. He was too. "Do we have a choice?" he asked holding up his right hand, showing his tattoo. She frowned even deeper as she looked at it.

She pinched her lips together and shook her head. "It looks like we're caught up in this whether we like it or not."

"And aunt Layla?"

"We'll get her back," it wasn't Anna who answered. The twins turned to find Sage. She looked better, all her cuts and bruises had healed. Andy was curious to know how that worked but he had enough new information for a day. "I can't pretend to know what the two of you are going through. You probably feel like your whole world has been turned upside down. You're worried about your aunt, I get that, but trust the captain. We'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

"And in the mean time?" Anna asked. Andy could tell they were thinking the same thing. Could they go back home?

"I'm sorry, but you can't go back to earth." She glanced at their hands. "The captain thinks you're safer here. The Wythynians might try to get the amulet again and seeing as it's chosen to attach itself to you, it's better if you stay."

Andy could see in his sister's eyes she was fighting with herself to object. She didn't want to stay here, not in this foreign world. He didn't either. But neither of them said a word.

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Fifteen minutes after Sage had left, she returned telling them their carriage was ready. Anna wasn't quite sure what she expected to find once they reached the entrance. A horse drawn carriage, maybe. The kind she'd always beg her aunt to take her on when she was seven and they visited the fair. The "carriage" was nothing like a carriage, not the ones she'd seen. To begin with, it wasn't horse drawn. Anna could definitely hear the soft rumblings of an engine.