Chosen by the Sky

Chapter 2 - The Mysterious Non-Steve

"I'm not sure about this!" My eyes followed the Red Leader as he paced back and forth, hands clutched to his head. "What if something bad happens? You'll be all alone! Maybe I should send some steves with you."

"For the last time, I'll be fine." I said soothingly. It had little effect. The Leader continued to move. At this rate, he would wear a hole right through the floor and into the Professor's tunnel system.

"Do we even have to do the ritual? Surely the Sky People wouldn't mind if we skipped out just this once?" His voice became higher and faster as he talked.

"Don't be silly. We always offer a sacrifice to the Sky People." I rebuked. "Look at what they've done for us. The crops are thriving, our kingdom is darkness-free, and the Professor hasn't blown up the Red Kingdom yet! We have a lot to be grateful for!" My tone turned teasing near the end, but the leader didn't notice.

"Why did our scout have to die!? What if you get there, and another colored steve sees you?" He'd brought up this argument every month since the Red Scout died and I took his place for the rituals. Just like every time, I had the same answer.

"No other steve has come yet, and even if they do, I have my robe." I tugged at the brown cloth, flipping on my hood to display my disguise. With the heavy shadows covering my face, nobody could tell I was a Red Steve. "Besides, I don't think they believe in the Sky People anymore."

Ever since the darkness broke free, the temple on the mountain had remained strangely empty of other steves. The Sky People had been silent for a long time, and I guessed that for the other steves, the darkness must have been the last straw. They didn't preserve their history the way the Red Steves did. It wouldn't surprise me if they had forgotten the Sky People altogether.

I know that if it weren't for the history books detailing all they had done for us, I wouldn't believe in them.

"That's... really?" The Red Leader halted at last. I had never voiced that opinion before, and it seemed to catch him off-guard. "They don't believe?"

"If they do, they don't make the offerings at the temple." I shrugged. "But that doesn't mean we won't." There was a beat of silence, then the Red Leader waved a hand.

"Fine then, go make the offering. Just be back quickly, and don't get in trouble! If you see another steve there- well-"

"I understand." I interrupted, then quickly raised my hand, preparing to teleport. I didn't need the leader to start on another worry spree.

Lightning flashed around me, and I wound up deep in a forest. I crept out, heart suddenly pounding. While I walked, I stuffed the offering to the Sky People into my inventory for later. Surely, a little excursion wouldn't hurt? Not if I kept it brief.

An excited tingle ran through me as I caught sight of the looming stone wall. I knew, somewhere inside, different colored steves were milling about.

My favorite part of my new responsibility was that it gave me an excuse to go out of the Red Kingdom. Since offerings were made alone, I didn't even need a chaperone. That gave me the opportunity to do exactly what I was forbidden from doing: watching the other colored steves.

I silently teleported to the top of the wall, hiding myself behind one of the ramparts. If one of their white-clad guards were to spot me, I could always teleport away, or say that I got lost. Peeking out, I caught a glimpse of the Rainbow Kingdom.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The Red Kingdom always gave itself credit for being well thought-out, but having been built three months ago, the Rainbow Kingdom was doing pretty well. I could see the influence of the other colors everywhere I looked. The flowers crawling in every patch of grass must be the work of the Green Steves. The unusual architecture was from the Orange Steves. And, of course, it had all been done under the rulership of a Violet Steve.