Defender of Mirago

Chapter 4

Rayble had never seen people like this before. Their skin was tanned and weathered, hair either bright gold or silver. Their eyes like diamonds. Unlike Rayble's people, who had a characteristic of long chins, these people's faces were rounded, lacking a defining chin. Most interesting of all was that for every person there was a cube that floated next to them. The cubes seemed to be formed from some dark mysterious metal. A vague blue light could be seen in its edges, and Rayble figured the light would be much brighter during the night.

"Cube followers" Rayble heard the people of Mirago mutter to one another. He asked Baygus if he knew anything about them but Baygus shrugged. So, Rayble decided to head back home and see if his grandfather knew anything about them. Surely if some townspeople knew of them, his grandfather would know as well.

As he pushed through the crowds, a particular cube follower caught his eye. A girl his age, no different in features than the rest, but something about her captured his interest. She too stared at Rayble. Their eyes were locked onto one another and it made Rayble stop in his tracks. He wondered if she was putting some sort of spell on him, maybe power granted by the cubes they followed, for after-all they were called cube followers.

He would follow no such thing, he followed God and God alone. He pulled his gaze away and began to leave, but then he looked back.

She was no longer looking at him so he felt he could stare a little while longer. It was her beauty that was captivating. All the same features as the others, but put together in such a way that drew his eyes and played with his heart. Surely these people weren't dangerous, the defenders would already be up in arms. Therefore, Rayble figured, what better way to learn about these people, than by talking with them directly? Rayble made up his mind to speak with her. He would regret it if he walked away and never had the chance. What was she like? He had to know.

Kessa didn't know he had approached her. His sudden appearance next to her caused her to jump. He had caught her attention earlier but as he walked away her mind continued to think about possibilities and how possibilities weren't a thing for Marians. How foolish she was to let her mind wander, to dream, to go adrift. Such things would only bring despair, her family frequently reminded her.

"Hi, I...you...um..." Rayble came to her confidently, but then realized he hadn't prepared anything to say. He felt embarrassed over his stumbling words and wished he could back-up and restart.

"Hi." She simply replied with a smile. Her diamond eyes sparkled in the sun.

Rayble smiled back. It was all he needed to continue. If she had not done so, he would have slipped away, dragging himself into the shadows, hoping everything would be forgotten. But she said "hi" and smiled at him. "I am Rayble, Defender of Mirago. I saw you in the crowds and had to know who you are."

"Nice to meet you Rayble, I..." Her head turned off into the distance. "Oh no! I'm sorry, excuse me!" She rushed off, disappearing behind clumps of people.

"Wait!" Rayble cried. "You haven't told me your name!" He followed after her, trying to be polite as he dodged different bodies, but desperate not to lose her. "Where are you going?" He couldn't lose her, he had only just met her. With every second he got to know her, he only wanted to know her more. And when she smiled, it stirred his soul. He latched onto her smile in his memory and made a promise to himself to see it again. Why was he so moved by this girl he had hardly met? He couldn't explain. All Rayble knew was that he had to know her more. He still could see her, weaving through other cube followers, and occasionally he'd lose track of her, but then to his relief shortly find her again.

"My cube!" She cried. With that utterance, the crowd parted, instantly opening a path for her to her cube. When she finally caught up with the floating metal box, it stopped. She stood under it and hid her rosy cheeks behind her golden hair. When she saw Rayble coming up to her, she dropped her head. "I'm sorry." She said softly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"My cube has been wandering lately. Sometimes, for a moment, I lose track of it. If I lost my cube, I...well, anyways."

"You'd what?"

"You don't know about Marians?"

"No, you're the first one I have ever met."

"Our cubes are our life. We gain all our sustenance from it. You eat, drink, and sleep. We have everything we need in our cubes. They have a mind of their own, though they always travel together in groups. We have no control over where they go. We follow them to live."

"Oh, I see." Was all Rayble could respond. He had never heard of such a thing. He pretended to understand but he still had many questions. "I still don't know your name."

"Oh that's right, I'm sorry. My name is Kessa. You're Rayble, right?" And there it was again, her smile. Now Rayble had two memories of smiles to hold onto.