Dominion

Chapter Eighteen: Outpost Tranquil

Chapter Eighteen: Outpost Tranquil

"You have to let me go."

Her hand was still in mine. I could still save her.

"You have to let me go." She said, again. But I couldn't do it. And yet somehow, I did. I let her go.

"ASH!" I screamed after her as she disappeared into The Cloud, a fall no one could survive.

"It's really you." I heard her say. Then her hand slipped out of mine again.

"I still remember what a star is." Her smile. My memories. And she fell again.

"You have to let me go." Again. Again and again. She kept falling. I kept letting her fall.

I kept losing her all over again.

My eyes shot open, my body sitting up in a quick motion. I was still in the caravan with Vera and Simor. I wasn't back there. It wasn't real. Except it was. That did happen.

I wiped the tears out of my eyes and took a deep breath, regaining my composure. Vera was across the caravan from me, still asleep. I took off my duster and spread across her, the best blanket I could manage. And then I quietly headed up front, taking the seat next to Simor.

I could see Outpost Tranquil, our destination, even from here. We were still a good distance away, but it was massive, stretching on for what looked like miles when you were up close. The largest trading outpost on the planet. The most secure too. Our job today would not be easy.

"You know," Simor started, a moment after I sat down. "You kinda have a habit of pissing off your ladies." He commented. I didn't say anything. "It could be worse, though. At least Vera doesn't own a gun shop," He paused, and looked to me, smirking. "Like Talyn." I shot him a death glance and he lost the smirk.

"How is she?" I asked him, about Talyn. "Really, I mean. Besides pissed. Behind whatever she pretends to be in front of everyone else." I said, looking ahead of us.

"I...don't know." Simor said, looking guilty. "Work's kept me busy. Beyond picking that message up, I haven't seen her in a while." He admitted, but that didn't change anything to me.

"You do know," I replied. "You're her oldest friend, Simor. You always know." I finished, and he looked away for a long moment, and then back to me.

"She loved you." He said. "That should be all the answer you need."

I didn't say anything else. I already knew the answer to my question. But I asked it anyway because just thinking about Talyn again brought up feelings of guilt I had pushed away since the moment I walked away. Feelings I had been avoiding. On top of that, there was Vera...and losing Ash.

I asked Simor because I could always count on him to be honest with me, even if it took a little pushing. And sometimes it did when it came to Talyn. They were close as close can be, best friends for most of their lives. Even if he wouldn't admit it, he was probably as pissed as she was about what I did.

I heard Vera stand up in the back and turned around. She seemed surprised to find my duster over her, but she didn't say anything about it. She didn't say much of anything to me. I suppose I deserved that. She had opened up a certain door by telling me about her family and what I said last night could've been interpreted as slamming that door in her face. But she still here. That much I knew for sure.

"I give you Outpost Tranquil," Simor said, in a very grandiose fashion, extending his arms out as far as they would reach. "Where the concept of decent prices goes to die."