The Island of Clouds

Saraph stilled as her hand drifted toward him. His first instinct was to flee, as most birds did when approached, but any sudden movements would startle her. Her fingers almost brushed his shirt until she jerked her hand back, remembering what had happened the previous day. As she apologized, he shook his head, eyes landing on the lyre again. A string twanged into tune and he strummed along the chords once, the melody cascading before fading. "It is understandable. And yes, the rising sun has approached." It was still barely lit outside as the sun rose to meet the island, but at that time, most Cloudis were awake and moving.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, dark eyes rising again to meet hers. Her stiff jaw suggested that she was still in pain, but Saraph was never one to assume. "If you require more herbal drink, I can give you some."
 
A harmonious chord rang out from the decorative lyre when Lyra pulled her hand back. The music rung a bell in her head. She'd heard it before. She was glad to hear she hadn't slept the day away. In this strange new land, she wanted to be alert as often as possible.
"I'll be okay. I don't need any more..herbal drink." Lyra cleared her throat and tried to move, wincing at the soreness all over her upper body. She finally made it into a sitting position, leaning heavily on her arms. Her long hair was very tangled in its messed up ponytail and she had a strang taste in her mouth. "Have you heard anything about what...Edith and...Polick are going to do with us humans?" Lyra groaned, a little rusty on the names As she stretched her legs beneath the covers.
 
"Erith and Pallick," Saraph corrected, but it wasn't to spite her. He just liked being correct. "And no, I have not been told anything yet. I believe there is going to be a gathering soon. If there is, your presence will be requested, as it is your fate being decided. If you require a walking aid, I will carry you. If that is uncomfortable, I will find a rod for you to support your weight with."

Any answer she might have given was cut off once again by a knock at the door. It wasn't early by his standards, so Saraph wasn't bothered by the sound. He stood, long legs striding fluidly to the door. It was Bina again. "Pallick wants the humans in his home now. He's decided on what to do with them right now."

"I would not think it would be so soon."

"Yeah, well, we haven't had humans up here in a long time, so Pallick must know what he's doing."

Bina's footfalls receded as she walked away, but the door remained open. Saraph took a little longer to return, but when he came back, he was holding a long, cotton robe with holes in the back to compensate for wings. "It is colder than your human body is used to, so you may wear this."
 
Erith and Pallick..right, Lyra thought, making herself a mental note to remember the names properly. She frowned at the lack of news Saraph had received from his officials and she really didn't want to have to rely on him or some cane to get to the gathering. Before she could tell him as much, a knock came at the door and a familiar female voice informed Lyra of exactly what she had asked for. A nervous knot formed in her stomach as the unseen lady informed Saraph of the survivors' situation. What did she mean by a long time? What had happened to the last humans who had shown up here?!
Lyra gulped, anxious as Saraph returned with a white, fluffy robe that had two too many holes for Lyra since she was wingless.
Lyra bit her lip, hesitant to take his belongings for something as minor as her body temperature. She felt too helpless and fragile when he provided things like this for her well being. She was no child and she wanted to stubbornly believe that she could take care of herself. Independent; the way she'd been living since her parents died.
This unfortunate change of setting was unnerving and the way she used to live couldn't quite apply to her situation now. She didn't like that she needed such things, but she knew that if she refused it, she'd have to press up against Saraph to stay warm. Which might be a little awkward since they just met.
"Thank you. You've been very kind Saraph. Is there any way I can repay you for all that you've done to help me?" Lyra asked, sliding on the warm robe as she spoke. If she had to rely on him so often, maybe she could at least give him something in return. She didn't have anything from the plane with her besides the clothes on her back, but maybe she could do something.
 
Saraph waited until she put on the robe before he helped her to the door with a gentle hand on her back. "It is dependent on whether or not Pallick decides you are to die." After considering his words as they walked, he shook his head, earrings jingling with the motion. "I apologize. I forget that humans take death much more seriously than we do. It was... wrong of me to say."

Any response was erased as Saraph and Lyra came upon the gathering. In the growing light, Pallick's home seemed brighter, but the effect was lost on the Cloudis. They were much more interested in what was going to befall the humans. Said humans were clustered in the middle of the group, doing their best to stay warm. Lyra had gotten in good by being taken in by Saraph.

"Now that we are all here, we shall begin. Saraph, put the human female with the rest of them."

"She cannot stand on her own. I am here to aid her." His grip on the back of the robe was enough to support her without pulling her up.

"Very well, though she will have to move some time. We shall begin. Who leads your pack?" Pallick inquired, addressing the humans from the top of the stairs. Captain Sanders stepped up, hand raised. "I do, I suppose. I was the co-pilot of the plane."

"As you are now aware, we have kept the existence of our island and our people hidden from humans. We wish to keep it that way, which gives us a choice. You cannot stay here, so, in order to keep our secret, you must die, or you will leave. We understand that your vehicle is not fit for departure, so we will aid you in its repair. You will swear secrecy and when you are fit to leave, you will. What say you?"

Sanders turned back to the group, conversing in hushed tones with the other humans, despite Lyra's absence. After a moment, he turned back to face Pallick. "We will swear secrecy."

"Very well." Erith adopted a disdainful look, but Pallick didn't seem to notice. "This meeting is adjourned. If anyone has materials or wishes to help in the repair, speak to Erith." The Cloudis dispersed, leaving the humans to go back to the infirmary, and Saraph and Lyra by themselves.

"Do you wish to return to your bed? I do not think it wise for you to stand for so long."
 
Saraph helped Lyra stand and surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be to stand. The bandages kept her rib cage stable and the dull ache was manageable as long as she hunched forward a bit. As she walked beside him slowly as he answered her question bluntly.
"It is dependent on whether or not Pallick decides you are to die."
Lyra winced until he revised his answer. It gave her something else to ponder. Why wouldn't Cloudis take death seriously? She couldn't voice her question before they reached the gathering. If its purpose wasn't to determine her death or not, the group of citizens would have seemed beautiful to her. They looked like angels awaiting some holy verdict. Their wings were absolutely magnificent and for a moment, she was envious of their feathers and ability to fly. The moment ended swiftly though as Pallick spoke. Lyra listened closely and glanced at her fellow humans every so often. She was very glad that she had been lucky enough to stay with Saraph. When Pallick presented the survivors with their choice, Lyra wondered why they couldn't stay. If she had the opportunity, she probably would have chosen that option. She'd have to ask Saraph about it later. Lyra then noticed Erith's dissatisfied expression when the group decided life over death. She shivered at that. He wouldn't rebel against Pallick would he? Lyra began to lean on Saraph the longer she stood and watched the Cloudis move away from the gathering point.
She answered his question softly, planning to ask her questions once she got back to his spare room. "Yes. Thank you." Lyra held on to his arm tightly, trying hard to stay on her feet as they walked back to his home nearby. "Saraph? Why don't Cloudis take death as seriously as humans do?"
 
His arm was still so she could use him as a support while they walked. His normally long stride was shorter to compensate for her smaller stature. The Cloudi was silent as he contemplated her question. It was only when he pushed the door open to his home that he responded.

"We live much for far longer than humans. We are able to fulfill the goals of our lives, so when we pass on, it is seen as the completion of our last goal: living our life. We do not often die of unnatural causes. We do have sickness, but our bodies are able to combat these things. It does not mean that we are not affected by such things. It is only that we are strong."

He allowed her to sit down, but he let her keep the robe. It would keep her warm for the day. "We have not had humans here in a very long time, but we must keep our identity concealed. Your lives are much shorter, so Pallick thinks little of your life span. It is not a perfect way of looking at things, but it is how it will be. The rest of my people follow him. He is wise, but not always correct. However, he has been a good leader for us and we thrive, even if we are alone."
 
Lyra sat down on her bed once again. She understood now why Cloudi seemed so peaceful. They live such long lives that they don't have to rush through it like humans always tend to do. Saraph continued and his words made her wonder what his viewpoint of it all was. Did he disagree with Pallick's way of ruling? Is this why he was so kind and willing to help her?
"You don't enjoy being alone? As a species I mean? Do you know why Pallick seems so opposed to let humans stay here? I mean, it seems easier than trusting us with the secret of your existence." Lyra asked. She was very interested in this world. She wasn't normally so curious, but this entire island intrigued her to no end. Especially Saraph. He was so...interesting. If she had the time and lack of discretion, she would sit and ask him questions all day. She remembered that she still had his robe on, and moved to remove it in order to return it to Saraph, her face apologetic for her forgetfulness. Everything was just so distracting..
 
"It is... daunting, but necessary. Humans fear what they do not know. It is a generalization, but a true one. Pallick seeks to keep that is ours, away from the humans. He believes they would try to take the island from us when it belongs to us. However, after living for so long, one begins to tire of seeing the same people. I believe the rest of my people do not mind the seclusion, but... I do. I wish to see what else lies beyond the accursed storm that hides our island. It is helpful, but it prevents us from flying too far out lest we wish to be torn apart by the gales."

Saraph watched before he held out a hand to stay her. "Please, keep the clothing article. I do not mind. I am used to the temperature." He sat cross legged in the chair again, wings folding in against his back neatly. "Do you have other questions? Speaking with a human was not something I thought I would be able to do, and our worlds are very different. You can see that for mine, but I cannot see that for yours. I... have questions of my own."
 
Lyra agreed with what Saraph had to say. And she could see why he'd find such a long life monotonous living in just one place the entire time. She frowned at the mention of the storm that had killed so many passengers. It didn't just hurt humans, it cages Cloudis. Even if most of them don't seem to mind. She only has a lifespan of about 75 years and she wouldn't want to spend it in one place. So...650 years must be very...boring.
Saraph requested she keep wearing the robe, which she had to admit, was very comfortable despite the two cold spots on her back. She watched him reacquaint himself..even his mannerisms were fluid and neat. She wondered if that was the same for all Cloudis or just Saraph. By the way that the woman who had been informing them of what was going on regarding the humans spoke, Saraph seemed overly formal and deliberate with his movements than most Cloudis, though she could be wrong of course. Lyra had a very limited view of the Island of Clouds after all.
"Thank you for the robe. Of course, having only seen such a small part of this...civilization, I have so many things I could ask, but you've been incredibly kind since you've"--Lyra laughed briefly at her own thoughts before voicing them--"taken me under your wing." She mentally scolded herself for such a stupid pun that made her ribs throb with the laughter before continuing to her point. "So, I think it's only fair that I answer your questions about my world so that I can answer them the best way that I can. I should thank you somehow. Even though the information I give you could never be enough to really repay you. Anyway, go ahead. Ask anything Saraph." Lyra gave him a friendly smile, fully willing to give him any sort of peek into the world he is so curious to learn about.
 
A human saying, one that aptly fit him. Saraph didn't mind it, and the joke was not entirely lost on him, even if he'd never heard it before. He was more concerned with how she was going to answer his questions. He wanted to ask so much, but he didn't know where to start. He gazed down at his hands, brow furrowing as he scoured his mind for a beginning point. Finally, after a moment of complete silence from him, he looked her in the eye, brown orbs locked with purple.

"Is it true that you have places where all children culminate and learn as one body? There is one instructor for a group, and you teach different subjects, no?" Schools were not a concept he could handle. It seemed like too much information for one person to pass on to a group of children, entirely impressionable beings who believed mostly anything an adult would say.

"How were you able to build a device that is light enough to fly, yet carries humans of all shapes and sizes? Your technology is far more advanced than ours. How are you able to gather such resources to produce these things? It seems... impossible."
 
Lyra could tell that ge didn't really get the joke, but it was stupid anyway, so she didn't care. He sat for a moment, completely silent and apparently trying to figure out what to ask. And finally his violet eyes met hers, curiosity sparkling in their depths. She nodded in response to his first question, but he continued in reference her mode of transportation into the Island of Clouds. She frowned at that. There's one thing she would use to ridicule the human race that she unfortunately belonged to.
Lyra opened her mouth and began. "Well there are a lot of children down on earth. Probably more than the entire population of this island. So certain pieces of land are divided into areas called counties. At least where I'm from, all humans under the age of 18 are required to go to school. Every county has several schools and the one closest to where any given child lives is where they go to school.
There are three types of schools. The one you described would be elementary school where the youngest humans go. They split up into small classes and learn basic subjects from one teacher 5 days a week. When they turn around 12 years old, they usually advance to middle school and at that point they learn from several different teachers who specialize in important subjects. Same in high school.
As for airplanes, well I'm not very familiar with the technology behind them, but I know that it must have to do more with the speed that the engines give it than lightness. I mean, if you throw a ball in the air, it falls back down due to gravity, but what if it had something to keep it sailing through the air? Sure it isn't light enough to glide on the wind, but that wouldn't matter if the power source was strong enough. But the resources used to create such power isn't very good...Unfortunately, humans tend to be very selfish. We pull this sort of tar substance and mine it out of the ground to use as fuel for most modes of transportation. But it causes horrible problems for the earth we live on. The areas we mine are no longer full of life and the chemicals emitted into the air once we use the fuel are harmful to the atmosphere. If I could change the way we live, I would, but I can't. I hope I answered that well enough. If my explanation was lacking anywhere, ask me what you please." Lyra gave him a small smile, but it faded as her stomach growled, complaining over the lack of food.
 
Saraph listened to her intently, silent, but eager to learn what was so amazing about the human world. They had schools where everyone learned together, and even if they did split up, it was still upon an adult human to teach possibly hundreds of children every day about the same thing. How they retained such information was beyond him. Their technology might have been harming their world, but he still saw the humans as smart and resourceful. To even make such fuel required skills and knowledge Saraph would never know.

He wanted to know more, but her rumbling stomach stopped him. "You hunger. I will prepare something for you. Do you have something in particular that you cannot eat? We have meat and fruit as you do, but it will not taste the same. In your world, you have differing levels in the quality of food, no? You give... master chefs a large amount of your currency to dine on finer cuisine?" He stood as he spoke, taking her arm to help her stand. He aided her in walking into what might have been a kitchen, had it not been for the lack of a stove, refrigerator, and a microwave. Instead, it was a room with lower wooden cabinets, with smooth stone counter tops and a strange hole in the middle of one.

Saraph stepped over to the hole in the counter and blew on it with a soft breath. It sprung to life with fire, but the flames didn't burn Saraph. The fire itself was a mixture of blues, greens, and purples. The Cloudi didn't seem concerned with the fact that he had an open flame near wood, but then again, he didn't seem concerned with anything at the moment outside of learning about the humans.
 
Lyra was glad to see such a fascinated glint in Saraph's eyes as she spoke of her world. He really did yearn for such knowledge. It looked like he was going to ask more, but he was more concerned with her lack of sustenance (besides herbal liquid) since arriving to the Island of Clouds.
"You hunger. I will prepare something for you. Do you have something in particular that you cannot eat? We have meat and fruit as you do, but it will not taste the same. In your world, you have differing levels in the quality of food, no? You give... master chefs a large amount of your currency to dine on finer cuisine?" Saraph raised her up with ha hand to her arm and she stood, with a slight wince and walked with him to...a kitchen?
It was pretty strange for a place that was somehow used to prepare food... Saraph then blew a soft breath into a hole in the wood and it burst into unnaturally colored flames. Lyra gasped at the sight and took a step back, a little frightened but mostly shocked at the sudden display. Her left hand clutched her ribs, which burned for a moment when she gasped since her lungs had pressed too quickly against her bones. She winced and then stared up at Saraph with worried eyes. "Did you do that on purpose? Won't it burn this place down?!"
 
Saraph turned at her gasp, and it seemed like she was in pain. However, before he could inquire about her well-being, she got to a question first. He only gave a slight smile before a quick, jingling shake of his head. "No, it will burn nothing. Not even me," he said. To prove a point, he placed his bare hand inside the fire. Instead of blackening his fingers, the flames warped themselves around his hand, flaring out the tips of the small inferno. "On your world, fire burns you. Here, it gives us our life. We call it the Life-Fire. It sustains our island and provides the power we need to prepare our food as well as gift us our life-span. Every single living thing, Cloudi, animal, or plant, on this island is born with a hint of Life-Fire. Without it, we would grow old quickly and die. Our island would fall down to your earth and flicker out. We do not know how it came to be, only that we rely on it. That is our resource, and it is rare and powerful. Should the humans discover it, we are not sure we could defend it. That is truly why we must remain a secret."

The whole time he'd spoke, his hand hovered in the fire, and once he retracted it, there was no evidence whatsoever of even the slightest burn. It was certainly warmer to the touch, but he was unharmed. "Do you prefer meat or fruit? I have quantities of both." There was a thin, stone bowl filled with a fuzzy fruit like a peach but shaped like a pear. Without a knife, Saraph was able to break it pieces, and the inside was a light purple. He padded over to Lyra, giving her one half while he picked the seeds out of his half. "This is a pomei. You have something like it called a peach, I believe. It is sweet and soft."
 
Saraph seemed utterly calm and responded to my panicked question with a shake of his head. It was only then that I noticed his elf-like ears beneath his longish mop of dark hair. They had three golden rings on each. Why? Lyra couldn't linger on this thought however, because Saraph was sticking his hand into the apparently harmless flames. She listened to his explanation of Life-fire, absolutely enthralled by the force. It was beautiful and mysterious to her. Would it harm a human?, she wondered. She agreed with the fact that humans couldn't be trusted to know about it. IT was too powerful for their greedy tendencies.
Lyra watched in fasciantion as he pulled his hands out of the miscolored flames...or maybe it's human fire that's miscolored...
"Do you prefer meat or fruit? I have quantities of both." He pulled some sort of fuzzy pear from a stone bowl and broke it without any tools. The inside was a squishy light purple substance. Always one to try new things, Lyra memorized the name of the special fruit and took a bite from a side of the fruit. It was soft and tasted a bit like a grape mixed with a passion fruit, a strawberry and something else she couldn't identify. She loved it. She chewed, closing her eyes at the delicious flavor and swallowed. "That's delicious. Thank you Saraph. I definitely prefer fruit now." Lyra smiled, but then she widened her eyes and bit her lip. "You don't think any of this food would be harmful to humans, do you? And what about Life-fire? Do you think it would burn me?"
 
"You live, do you not? The Life-fire will not harm any living soul. Do you wish to touch it? No harm will come to you," he said, taking her arm and letting her support her weight on him so her torso wouldn't hurt. "As for our food, no, it will do nothing but fill your belly. It too possesses the Life-fire, and if it were to hurt you, your body would have burned already. It would have been similar to one swallowing Earth-fire." He released her, his hand diving back into the flames. His fingers curled around the fire, almost bringing it toward her hand. As it brushed along her skin, no marks were left in the path. In fact, the fire seemed to dance along her hand, swirling around in warm waves. It tickled along Saraph's fingers, soft heat radiating up his arm.

"See? There is nothing to be afraid of. It accepts you as a person. It does not differentiate between our body types, however contrasting we are."
 
Lyra's hand lowered into the flames fearlessly. If Saraph said it wouldn't hurt her, like the fruit hadn't, then she'd trust him. He's just so gentle... The purple and green fire warmed her, but as it danced along her skin and welcomed her, it would not burn. Her skin wasn't flammable because she was alive. And the fire made her feel very alive. Wherever the flames touched her, her nerve endings tingled, as if hypersensitive to such a new substance. It was...enchanting. Lyra was sure that if she had the time and less curiosity about the world around her, she could sit and watch the Life-fire for hours. The took another bite of the pomei in her other hand, careful to avoid the seeds in the center and smiled at the fire in the kitchen's wooden hole. Like this, she could almost pretend that she belonged here. And not on the wretched planet beneath them, where there wasn't a single soul who cared for her enough to come with her to New York. In fact, the only person she might consider to be a real friend of hers, or had the potential to be...is Saraph.
"See? There is nothing to be afraid of. It accepts you as a person. It does not differentiate between our body types, however contrasting we are."
Maybe they weren't so different as she had originally thought...Lyra's chocolate eyes locked to Saraph's violet eyes then, and she stared, keeping her left hand in the Life-fire with his. The soft smile on her lips told him just how much she appreciated his help and gift of knowledge.
 
Saraph saw her smile, and he returned with one of his own. He pulled his hand from the flames before blowing on them again. They died back into the bowl with one last wisp. He finished off his pomei before Bina's voice sounded through the door. "Saraph? You in here?"

"She does have quite a habit of showing up in the most inconvenient of times," Saraph muttered to himself before walking to the door. "May I help you?"

"Pallick is giving the humans a feast tonight for their agreement. It's also a chance for them to get to know us. Pallick wanted to know if you'd sing for them, though I don't know why. I'd much rather hear me sing."

"He is requesting me because Rexia once compared you to an... what did she say... 'an old buzzard with a speech impediment,' I believe." The shocked scoff uttered from Bina was enough to make Saraph flash her a small, but the most wryly innocent smile.

"See if I tell you anything later on!" she snapped before stomping off, wings flaring in irritation. Saraph closed the door with a light laugh. "It is terribly easy to ruffle her feathers, as it were," he said to himself before moving to the other room to pick up his lyre. Absently, he wandered back into his kitchen area, eyes on the instrument. As he walked, he played a random melody, never needing to look where he was going. It was a series of stringing, higher notes, but they didn't pierce the ears like an out of tune instrument might have.
 
Saraph smiled and her heart gave a little flutter. He blew away the flames dancing on her skin and her warmed hand returned to the pomei, picking away the seeds like he had. It was a nice moment between them. Until Bina showed up. Good thing she hadn't showed up while the Life-fire was still burning. That may have made her angry at the both of them. Maybe she wasn't supposed to know about it yet.
"She does have quite a habit of showing up in the most inconvenient of times," Saraph muttered to himself before walking to the door. "May I help you?"
Lyra smirked at his comment to himself. The first rude thing she had ever heard him say. She was proud of him for that. Lyra turned toward the door. She could only see the edge of one of Saraph's magnificent wings, but she could hear their conversation quite clearly. A feast? If it weren't for the fact that she had a chance to learn more about the Cloudi and their world, she wouldn't have wanted to go. But it would be worth it if--Saraph? singing? Lyra finished off her pomei and smiled to herself when she heard that they had invited Saraph to sing. Since she had wanted and still wants to become and actress, she knew it would be advantageous to learn to sing. So, after only a few free voice lessons from a man who entertained at a restaurant, he said her natural talent would be enough, and refused to try to improve her voice any further.
Lyra finished the flavorful fruit in her hand and returned the seeds to the stone bowl. She then heard Bina's pretentious comment and glared at the doorway even though neither of them could see her. She had never liked Bina. She was only useful to deliver news like a messenger bird before flying off like an idiotic pigeon.
"He is requesting me because Rexia once compared you to an... what did she say... 'an old buzzard with a speech impediment,' I believe." Saraph retorted in reply and Lyra covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Had that really come out of Saraph's mouth?! That was the best burn she'd heard in months! Bina stormed off at that, with an audible flare of her wings. Lyra continued to try and contain her giggles behind her hands as Saraph wandered back to her with a wonderfully mischievous smirk and a comment about Bina's feathers that applied to her world perfectly. She was about to congratulate him on his hilarious insult and ask about his voice, but he left to get his lyre and when he came back to the kitchen areas, a high tune was playing beautifully. It distracted her for a moment, too perfect was the absent tune to ignore as she listened, the music wrapping around her and tempting her vocal chords. The high notes were placed perfectly in her vocal range, so she hummed to the tune, not even noticing that she was doing so. And Lyra sang for the first time in a long time. That's how sweet the music that came from his lyre was. Her voice was soft because she was only effortlessly humming, but it matched the pitches from the instrument without mistake as her eyes fluttered closed and she enjoyed the music.
 
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