(GE Copy)

Chapter 13: The Lies We Tell (Part 1)

“In fear we realize the depths of our reality...”

“Please, let me wake up. I need to wake up. It’s happening again. I feel it, it’s underneath me, it’s crawling in through my skin, help, help me! Please, anyone; someone has to hear me screaming in my sleep, someone come, wake me!” A thin layer separated his skin from his body, seeping in underneath. Aaron laid upon the hard and the solid, paralyzed upon the cold ground. Everything was chill, wet, acrid. A numb, painless damage inflicted throughout his body.

It called to him, “You remember who you are, don’t you? You deserved this. You know what you ran from.” It’s voice like living lightning, speaking in inhuman frequencies of sound.

“I don’t know you... I never knew you...”

“But you do, you remember all of this; when you should have died.”

“I’m here, this is where I am, I am alive!”

“Where is here? Do you feel too guilty to admit it?”

“You asked me, you should know.”

“But you do... Why can’t you look at me...?” The sound fuzzing to a shattering howl and pounded against Aaron’s head, shooting him with an acuteness that he had never heard before. “...You can’t escape the truth. Now answer yourself... Where is here?”

“This dream, I can’t end it. It won’t end, I can’t wake up, I need to wake up.” He shunned the noise of the voices until it slowed down, muffling into a loud static that no longer retained it’s coherence and he could rest. The frequency cascaded so far into a deafening solid tone that slowly stretched out even further, lowering infinitely into the peace of a calm and most comfortable numbness; at least until one voice remained outside his own.

Finally coming into focus, he could hear it, as though nothing else was around to overpower it any longer. That voice, where screeches and hollers were like the trembling low bodied rumbles of a much darker voice that addressed him “Go back to sleep Aaron!” But he heard a different name addressed to him, one which he hated more than anything, and so it was ‘Aaron’.

He woke up, much more solemn than the last time he heard these voices. It was like this once before, in a hollow beneath the earth where the ichor mixed mingled with his breath and his mind raced to forget. ‘I shouldn’t be alive’, repeated, yet all he could remember was being there, in that pillar of light. Instead, his mind thought that he had fallen and collided with the rock ground beneath him, with his head shattered upon the stone. The taste of uncoated metal lingered in places there were no taste receptors and his ears rang, muffled and quiet.

Aaron snuffed his nose, clearing the morning dew from his throat. It was dry, sore, open as he breathed, yet flavourless. He laid there, not sure why he was staring up at the ceiling anymore. His mind was blank anyway, just the feeling of laying there awake in his bedroom for much longer than he actually was. A blank cynicism over his eyes. “Why couldn’t this morning be a normal, get out of bed and go to school day...” Aaron lamented, until finally rolling out of his covers.

“I’m going to loose my freaking shit dude...” Zack complained, competing with the chatter and constant array of class mates making noise down the school halls. “They have all year to drop these assignments, and they pick the last week of school to do it all at once... That’s not even covering finals.”

Aaron sighed, “Yup.” clocking in his nine to three. “Honestly, a bit of paperwork sounds like a nice vacation from my head lately. It just won’t stop giving me grief, makes a calculus test sound like a free back massage.”

“Anyone ever check you for split personality disorder?”

“Twice,” Sophie answered in Aaron’s place, caught up with something else. “Both times they failed.”

“I was asking Aaron.”

“And I thought you were being facetious. Clearly my humour is dead on this world.”

“Who uses words like that, speak English.” But Sophie refused, naturally and Zack got over it.

Reaching into his locker, Aaron retrieved a large wreck of soldering and disappointment. “I’d like to return this to you...” Aaron informed, passing back the boxy wrist strap with a dangling wire. “It’s crap and did nothing.”

“No shit, right?” Sophie laughed at him “The wire’s supposed to be attached for it to work. Was that not a hint?” Reattaching it, a small plasma beam ejected like a gelatinous heated cord that sparked against the inside of his locker until Sophie ejected it. “Huh... That’s probably why I left it unsoldered properly... Forgot to make the off switch.” Taking her broken wrist box back to her own storage. Aaron wiped the soot from the metal backboard with a cloth but the stains looked permanent. At least nothing caught fire.

A few dozen meters down the hall, Zack’s senses caught the hint of distress. “You see this shit, right?” Peeking into the gymnasium. “They’re giving a safety demonstration for mystical disasters...” Reading the letters on the panel “S.E.E.P.S. Safety... Escape... Evaluate... Are these even trying to be a sentence?”

Like a car accident, Aaron lent his ear to the glass, listening in on it all. It sounded like it was addressing fourth graders, simple language from a guy trying too hard to be fun and relatable. The girl in long black sleeves looked completely indifferent. Drawing sketches in the side lines, as the instructor demanded her presence. She arose in a huffy voice. “Do we even have proof that it happened?”

The man’s fun-joy tone scowled in an authoritative manner. “I’ve been instructed here, regardless of whether or not you choose to hide your head in the damned sand, how about you go there and tell me huh? I actually been to Penticton since it happened! Your parents probably stayed home, scared, calling conspiracy theories, didn’t they? I’m here to actually teach you the truth your parent's won’t.”

Zack shook his head. “Must be blissful to be on the outside, huh? Two blind idiots bickering over something they’ve never experienced.”

“Makes you wonder which outside is the real one. Not like either of us know how to deal with it either... I was there and all I could tell someone is to treat it like an air strike, just pray you’re not the one under it when it goes off. They have to make these though... Their jobs are at stake otherwise.”

“You defending this bullshit?” Zack turned in surprise.

“Not one fucking bit, no... Just another sad cog in the machine... It’s also just a matter of time until they make that course for us. Fortunately, their scheduling is as crappy as their procedures, inefficient, patched together with duct tape and I don’t have to sit down for it today.” Looking at the notice board. “Looks like they are treating the grade elevens next at two fifteen, then tomorrow we can enjoy being taught more meaningless droll.

“Hey!” A man called out to the boys, “That’s none of your business what’s going on in there.”, escorting the boys away.

“You literally have us signed up for the same course tomorrow.”

“Then come back tomorrow when it’s your turn, now get to class or I’ll call security.”

“We got twenty minutes free time, isn’t that class supposed to be about educa...” But Zack silently dragged Aaron onward past the emotional escalator, huffing himself like Aaron. “Can’t wait to graduate and be done with all of this.” Aaron scowled. “What was that guy’s problem?”

“Then take a G.E.D.” The blood boiled in Zachery too. “The more I look at this, the more I’m thinking about it myself... The day’s too short to get into a drama debate with guys like that. I’m not spending my after school time being reprimanded on something I know is bullshit. Not like we’d make a difference anyway, they won’t listen to us, and he knows that.”

“It’s not like University sounds much less political but, at least that’s not mandated.”

The frustration would linger throughout the day, like a tiny creature on Aaron’s shoulder, poking him at any moment’s peace. He would open his mouth to speak, but forget what he was about to say, with the only thought still left in him to curse the cantankerous man. Zachery waved Aaron off at the bus lineup, making for the gas station across the road. He invited Aaron, but the boy was done with the day and headed home to recuperate.

Kicking up his feet from the day, Aaron slid his bag to the corner of his living room and laid upon the couch. It was quiet, with no one parked out front. He lifted his arms to peel off his seating for a drink from the fridge but, the soothing chesterfield cushions and exhaustion outweighed the dry, bitter of his parched mouth. Aaron sunk into them, like an unending vortex pulling him further in. He felt the strange daze, perhaps of sleepless or something else. From the reverberated echo of his exasperation and the stern walls around him, there came a scuffing. It sat next to him, shooting a load across the floor.

“No need to be formal... I like that...” Kicking his leather shoes off, Aaron heard the wood soles scraping along the panel flooring beside him. “Feels like we’ve been doing this all week, and I just showed up here. Be longer without a nice cold glass from the fridge.” Sliding a second beer across the coffee table towards Aaron, while cracking the first. “Yes sir, that first one sure tells you what kind of night it’s going to be. Even your Stagalnian beer goes down smooth. Come on, this ain’t no uncivil draft or some shit. Go on, grab one... If you think you’ll be in trouble I already took them from the fridge, though old Paul doesn’t seem like the counting bolts kind of guy. It’ll sure take the load off.”

“You’re right...” Aaron agreed, laying there, fixated on the ceiling, “Day’s been pretty heavy, how about you skip that formality shit yourself and actually say what’s on your damn mind? Save me the effort of having to hear the rest.”

“All in due time.” The contractor assured. “It takes more than thirty seconds to get the pain relief out of this can you know... What I got ain’t pretty. Takes everything I got just to look past it. How about the weather, eh? Summer in ol Summerland, gonna be a son of a bitch. Forecaster says there’ll be rain, could we be so lucky? Otherwise, beach weather the rest of the way. Given you don’t mind turning into a lobster. Be kinda neat, built in armour, pincers, til you get boiled alive. Fun to be something you’re not until one day the grass is a little browner on the other side and you’re drawn back to your own field. I’d like to be the kind of guy who gives you all this from the comforts of your own fantasies, tell you that you’re someone else, Mr. Rock Lobster! Not this hard knocks shit, but it’s part of us; who we are. Two forces mingling like Irish cream and lime juice. It sure seems like me against you, you against me, in a tumbling cement mixer but we’re really on the same team... I realize this, that really... It’s two microcosm in space trying to get along despite our differences. Bark and complain, tire and again... I’m really just trying to save you. I’d love to play into your delusions, really... It hurts a lot less than the truth... I wish I could be that guy. I’m not, just as you are your own breed of needless angst and rebellion. That makes for a lot of excess pain until you see it from that perspective, it’s only reality crashing together, nothing to get hurt over. In time, you might grow up and see it too.”

Banging his head against the backrest, Aaron moaned. “I’d like that beer to start working in you a little faster.”

“Ah, you wanna hear more do you? I thought you were tired of my stories...” Leaning forward, “I know, I don’t look like the sentimental type but when these barley soups go down, I turn into a livid talker box. Thought you knew that already.” Considering the crap that he decided to cut. “Look, there is no good ways of getting out what’s coming kid. We’re all just looking for something to take away the pain of knowing it’s on its’ way, before it comes.” Swishing the golden tea in the bottom of the can. Aaron pulled up from his seat. The beer in front of the boy moving ever slowly towards him. “Do you not want to see the world that you claim to want to see?”

“I’ve learned about these oddities that you claim to want to teach me, without you...”

Hand upon his lips, his blackened eyes shuttered. “And by the go of things, they’re teaching you wrong. Won’t be long until they drag you under water.”

“Wrong? As that I’m under your thumb?” Aaron pinned.

“It’s words like that boy...” Returning to his back upright into the crux of the seat, his little fat legs shot straight off the cushion. “You have no idea how bad sitting like this is for someone’s posture... It looks right but it ain’t.”

“Don’t go changing the subject, you brought it up now finish what you were yammering on about.”

"What do you want, Bitches?... Money? Your new rap single slapped on the airwaves? This ain't a children's care centre, we’re giving off more than teddy bears, if you want it just name it."

"A big lusty dragoness in a maid’s outfit to lift tail and give me dutch ovens on command."

"See, I knew you were a filthy mind,” Humming a proud laugh. “How about ten of them?"

"No, and now that I know that you'd actually grant it, I know there is something more than just normally fucked up going on over there. Do yourself a favour, and save your breath, you might just thank me for that investment one day."

“You better believe the communal boiler’s got more than rat’s asses churning around in there. If you only knew what was at stake...” The frustration building in under his melancholy “You’d reconsider those rebellious words that you love so much.” Perhaps the first real moment Aaron ever got to see from the little shit puppet. “There is only so many patience until that line drops you into the abyss. We’re trying to help you dammit! Can’t you see past your ignorance?”

“Tell me, eight years of this shit, and I’m supposed to believe that after all that time, this is the definitive moment where you guys are gonna magically change your minds? Call back in a week, or better, don’t.”

“Johnny come lately, there’ve been a lot more kids in town.”

“So why you still banging on my door then? There’s children to pollute, it’s the only thing you’re good at.”

“Don’t flatter me, really, it’s not working. Like the ones before you, who fought to resist the real world once they seen it... We have... Ways, of getting rid of them. Our master is growing tiresome. You don’t see the ups and downs kid, so I gotta give it to you straight this time. Lately it ain't been looken too good. I might heed his calls before that temper exceeded what’s left of his... limitations.”

“You're afraid of me, aren't you?” Aaron leaned forward

Putting on a bold face. “Who am I in the face of great power?”

“You're master is afraid of me, isn't he?”

“Fear is often mistaken for concern.”

“Is there any truth you won't twist?”

“Time ticks, maybe you forgot what happened down the road? Why it happened?”

Aaron felt a strong pull into a dark corner of his mind. One that seemed to make his friend across the seating arrangement very lividly uncomfortable. “You saying I got some missing memories or something?”

“Penticton, dumbass, what happened there!... I used the wrong set of words, do you want a fucking hanky? You’re not a child anymore, maybe I need to stop treating you like one. Eight years, yeah, fucking rights. Eight years of banging my head against the wall. Trying to reason with you, and compromise. Oh, compromise, compromise, stick me with a soldering iron, please! Kill me now! Maybe all that letting you have your way was a giant waste of fucking time... Shit...” Calming himself, if only temporarily. “What does it matter, huh? When that line expires, what does any of this FUCKING matter. Eight years of stress and heartache down the tube for nothing. Just Aaron, duke of getting his...”

“You mean I’m finally free of you after midnight? Heck, pull the other beers out, let’s fucking party.”

“How about I start taking the training wheels off for this one.” The room fell into a deep weight, where the walls themselves seemed to collapse and contort from the atmosphere. “Maybe you’re unfamiliar with the concept of death? Oh!” He mocked. “...It is so scary being chased around by little fleas, mommy, mommy! Help, there’s a frog on my arm. Oh, oh how peaceful it is to die, the blade severing the connection from your corporeal vessel to the afterlife... But what happens when you’re there boy? What horror is greater, when no one is there to greet you? You’re bus all fled, and all around you should be a nothing so fierce that hell itself seem more awakening, and more amusing than the void of all meaninglessness. You wouldn’t happen to be so unaware of your frail mortal coil, that ever tightly around your neck, is the only thing keeping you from this fate, do you?”

Aaron’s ears felt like they were ready to implode, as even the colour fell under a weighty shade like the flickering of the sun’s blackened edge in a dark and sinister haze.

Crushing the can, the Contractor straightened his body as he continued. “Perhaps it’s not the weight of death, perhaps you forget the joy of life itself? When power begets power, when such wonders you claim to be interested in supersede your wildest fantasy: BLOCKED, stunted, forever severed by a claim to ignorance. Your ignorance! Goodbye happiness, goodbye independence. Think, power above death, that echelons onto eternity should await you, each more powerful than the last like a high that never ends...” Pitying the boy, “You’re at the bottom, that last wrung of the ladder before the pit that swallows us all. How long do these people have? The people before them sure thought they had fucking forever didn’t they, until consumed by the grave. It’s a game of climbing the ladder boy, until there is nowhere left to climb: The Gods abandoned us here, the worthless sacks of shit! I can cuss their names so long as there is breath within me, that they have neither interest nor care that we should so suffer. Generation and generation again, like they are blaming us for even trying to live. If they want me to shut my mouth, then so be it, come on down here you cowards!” Coughing from all his yelling, as his eyes came back down to Aaron, “The Gods might as well be dead. Not like we’d ever know... Maybe we’re the only ones still alive, while their purity ate them apart and spread madness, wishing death behind the curtain. They didn’t want to see what’s on the other side, well we did, something the Gods will never have, so fuck’em... And you want to run off like it’s no meat from your back, as you age, and come closer to crippled.” His watch beeping.

The weight finally lifting from the room, back to a normality.

“Ah,” He continued. “But... My time here is done. As I am bound by my legs to move, you too, are bound by your soul to choose. Is it us?...” Making a move to leave but turned back, and questioned Aaron further, “Maybe your friends and the power of friendship will sever your fate. How about the old scientist, Belship and his infinite possibilities, has he broken the degradation of life, has he solved for eternal youth? We see beyond the things that his petty science are founded upon, to true reality. He is a child yet only a single wrung higher than you in this sinking world...” Frightening Aaron. “Oh don’t worry, he was never our enemy, just a man hated by some other men, like some kind of game that we laugh at. Or perhaps, the other schmucks can buy you more hours upon the earth with the frail attempts to kill some great evil ‘that shall arise’ and all that, while only slaughtering their own. The waters of soot and ash are rising, eight years and this is the time we decide to stop?... Look beneath you and tell me why that bond should wither so rapidly. Because the time to choose over death once done is beyond our ability to mend and heal. Do yourself a favour and do the one thing you’ve yet to do... And actually think carefully, instead of acting rash. Grow up boy, you’re fucking sixteen already, start acting like one.”

Gripping his seat, Aaron leaned in towards the munchkin “If there isn’t so much time, and nothing matters, then tell me the answers, huh? What about this contract stops you from being open about it?”

Putting his shoes on. “What stops you from paying the fee? This ain’t a charity service, it’s equivalent exchange. Just like I want to be your friend and you want to hate me, there is a reality to things. I’d very much like to pour us a mead or frivolous drink and bond as equal benefactors but you’re out there, and it takes from my coffers. Without a contract, that makes you a leach. A selfish, blood fucking leach.” Complaining to his beeping watch. “YEAH, YEAH! I got it ol man Peter Henlein... Times up, stop screaming at me!”

“If you can’t tell me... Then I guess you’re afraid at what I can become.”

“And what do you suppose is trying to kill you?... My time is already calling me away, try not to waste any more of it. This trip was meant to be informal.” Returning the dark brimmed felt hat to his head.

“And who says, I shall surely die?”

“Spoken like one of us... There is still hope for you... From one overworked son of a bitch to another, and no insult of the old lady... Get some fresh air. The time we have to relax is precious. The real break, isn’t putting your feet up, but getting to think clearly. You should do that, no more distractions. You have only so much time.”

“HEY! Get back here!”

“Take it up with management.” The short bastard waddled off, fading off into the nothing, with the continued sass of his watch and a single paper flowing through the windless breeze into Aaron’s hands.

Arron stared deeply into the mystical parchment, tossing another log into his billowing anger and his eyes were livid. “I’m done having this ripped out from me, the school, the shit gremlin, the constant loss of memory...” Tearing the contract, again and again. Each time it mended itself back together he’d tear it anew.

Yanking the pack out from under his bed, Aaron trounced down the steps; snagging the unopened brew, he took it with him towards the back door out of the parent’s sight as his folks returned. “I’m going to figure this out.” The sound of the car door closed and it’s alarm being primed was what he heard as he strode up the hill past the tree line. He eyed the can, tempting himself to crack it but chucked the potential trap into the woods. It hissed, disarming the alcohol from his mind.

“How many times now have I been their punching bag? Everyone’s stupid fucking punching bag. Always hiding, never standing up because it’ll always be my fault. Stuck in a world where everyone else gets to fight over the remote, flicking through channels, and I’m the little puppet behind the screen dancing for them. What’s the problem with doing this myself, huh? They want to take this memory away from me too? Fuck’em! Afraid I’ll figure it out? Ways, huh?... Yeah, I got that... They’ll fucking kill me anyway, maybe I’d like to have a say in how I die, huh?”

A strange well of strength came to him, knowing the path of hardships ahead. Aaron could feel the tensing strength of his muscles, and the fire beneath his skin. “What do they want of me? What am I supposed to be, huh? They come to me, tell me what’s what, when did I ask for this? When did they have the right to call what’s fair? Is this what I need to become? A furious raging monster?” Aaron shook his head, with a tear and spat upon the ground. “Is it really my fault that I won’t believe the lies? Do I really deserve to be erased...” Part of his memory began to wipe away though half his eyes still lit fire. “I will understand this world, before they can take it from me.”

Aaron strode with a firm and heavy foot. No acorn, nor sharpened stone’s fall could wipe the fury from his feet nor the armour from his glare. They came at him, with a frontal assault, squirrels over top his face, but they were chucked aside. Not even a flinch to his stride. They crawled to take the titan down by the core of his pants but the tight denim slowed their ascension to an easily exposed smack by the hand and they slid to the earthy floor, stunned. Tiny squirrel medics arrived to haul the wounded away on grass weaved stretchers. Upon his head fell the degraded rubber heel of an aged leather boot. It tilted his head, but he recovered and Aaron walked on.

Though he left their homeland and once more they were freed from the menace, many drank themselves away that night on cheap acorn vodka. It should seem he was chased out, but the loss in this battle was more clearly their own. A so called squirrel victory, to go down in shameful history: Thwarted, and utterly ignored in it’s entirely as though they meant less than the air he breathed. Their efforts in vein, ignored and utterly forgotten... For a couple chapters, at least.

Over creek and through bogged pathways, Aaron followed the road that he had known. “My father once said --More than a few times if I am to be completely honest... ‘Tread lightly’,” Ripping the wood from it’s casing. “‘Carry big stick.’” Up ahead, he saw the property line of the local hecklers. Aaron took a swat at the loud rippling of wind behind him. It landed beneath their wings, making a solid impression with his cane, snapping the deadfall across the harpies body. Then the next took it’s talons to his shortened shaft. Aaron locked hands over top of them, preventing it’s departure. Swinging the bitch down with his whole body, he chucked the flying freak to the ground, bouncing it off the side of the hill to tumble with it’s friend. They squawked in agony, but walked off into the bush to lick their wounds. One of them crowed out from the leafs to mock him but an already preemptive, half pound, perfect skipper nearly exploded on impact against a nearby boulder beside the feather brain; stifling it’s room for arrogance.

Aaron felt a power course through him, having traced a perfect aim and throw out of his focus and confidence. He remembered this many times before, where his body knew such trajectory as second nature: If in his strides, or in inspiration, he could understand without a single calculation and he wondered why he had one day cut such talents short. He had no idea if these visceral memories would reemerge in full, but the road ahead would no doubt spawn many more speed bumps to take dominant charge over. “When was the last time I felt that? I’m always running, always something bigger, and scarier than me. They’re just birds, but... Why, how did I forget I could do that? To stand up... That, focus, like pure concentrated adrenaline.” He retraced the memory of what transpired and only saw a few images like stills from a slide show, and a thin narrative sewing together how they somehow connected. The natural flow he felt in that moment, was not written to his internal memory.

He walked past the slope, where many trips and stumbles made a clear line in the rock from his travels to and from the mine. Today, he would discover topside, the world at the valley’s end.

As the trail swivelled into the flats below, Aaron came upon a forgotten home, that overgrowth choked the bushes and trees from retaking. It’s timbers long degraded, and it’s roof collapsed. The green outline stretched the bows over top the field and hovered as though there were simply an invisible dome that repelled the forest. Over yonder, streams passed both thin and slow and dead fall draped blankets of moss. His last hill upon the mountainside gave sight over the trees onto a village and a sprawling farmland with thin tree fences between the properties. Golden and green, some fields were blue and one had a mysterious metallic like gradient of purple onto lilac that shined along the curvature of it’s hillside. He could not place the contents of the fields but Aaron wandered nearer in curiosity.

Though the fire died down, Aaron still felt the determination, for what little he knew he could still remember of his purpose here. The one thing that he could still hold onto, was knowing there was more to learn, and the pressure to find it. Aaron wiped the scowl from his cheeks, and the angst from his lips but the crease in his eyes returned to furrow and frown like an instinct. He heard a voice within that cried out like it was dying, but he carried on, calming the part inside him, “I’ve got too much on my plate to start getting schizophrenia.” He carried on into the town with the weight of his anger behind him.

Once stepping into the streets, Aaron saw the peace of this road, and let down his frustration. In his way was a scampering playful brigade of kids who ran from yard to yard. Aaron huffed at their ignorance and careless trespassing but lost that pride when he saw them come onto a woman who was hanging her laundry. She was shocked, but instead of lecturing them, she turned to a chipper tone and asked them how their folks were doing. Aaron shied his glance, until the crease of his eyes lifted into a guilty sorrow. A woman at home would have reprimanded them. This world however, was in joy with itself. Looking back, the two old men who watched him come into town pitied him with great caution. A stranger, with a strange look, what knowledge would they have to tell a filthy, pent up schmuck like Aaron. So he walked on, wiping the grit and angst from his face before it could ruin the tranquil peace of this village with his own problems.

In the square, the people livened up with a calmness that was not seen in the walled city to their south. If it was south. The humble way that Aaron saw was infectious, and he livened up but he was still received with a disheartening segregation by the concerned eyes that outcast him. They slid their way past him like river fish from the hands of a child, finding somewhere else to be with him in the middle, untouched.

Across the plaza, there was a middle aged lady who sat at a stall. She looked unpresuming with an oversized dress a carefree disposition. Aaron came to her. “Greetings.” Catching her attention and she smirked joyfully.

“You’re a stranger, that’s for certain. Ain’t seen getup like that passing these parts, you manage yourself past the Tiran blockade or something?”

“Okanagan, say... Is there any place a man might learn of a culture? I’m looking to... Relocate...” Guiltily explaining.

“Don’t blame you, they’er talking about another gatehouse to the East. At this rate, it’ll be hard times for the Selemin, and with Tarkavasta nearly overtaken, this might be your safest home for the next coming years. Too many wars taking place. Might see the start of a fourth age, but old Smeth’s been calling that sad story since I was a pup so I’d like to believe we got a little more time than he makes on.”

“A place to learn a culture?” Aaron repeated impatiently.

“Right, gumming it again, sorry ‘bout that.” Resitting herself more formally. “You want culture, you see Thaydel, ain’t none more cultured than him. He can get you some new rags while he’s at it. Patrol won’t give you any sass, if they think’s ye’s from this side the wall.”

“Where might he be?”

“If your lucky, might be selling stocks at the Grettle, else, might be pulling in the new cart they been talking about getting in town. Otherwise, if you can actually catch anyone’s ear dressed like that, they might be a little less quaint in divulging and stuff, but Thaydal’ll tell you that anyway.”

In all good manner for her information, Aaron inquired. “How much for your bread?”

“Depends on if your coin is good...” Aaron retrieved his wallet, attempting to impress the lady with his fine mint but ultimately had nothing to gratify her with. “Nap, can’t do.” Shaking her head pitifully, “You really are past the Tiran with pretty silver like that, best keep that in the shadows, and most folk will treat you fair. Some might laugh thinking that there is coin Tiran won’t be seeing ever again, but me, I won’t judge. Anyone leaving the tyranny of those parts has to have a good heart. Lucky you made it this far, making of those scrapes on yer face. That’s deep woodland cuts that is.” Pointing out the mistaken squirrel engraving on Aaron’s face. “Go get Thaydel, he’ll fix you some coin while your at it. He’s a good man.”

Wandering out to the big wooden sign that was pointed out to him, Aaron respectfully slid himself into the store. “Grettle” He was greeted. “If it’s in the ledger, we can get it to you... You, uh... Some kind of embassy worker? Lines out west have been down.”

“Just a man looking to learn of the world, hoping to find Thaydel; the nice lady said he could acquaint me with the way of life here... Or in the least, point me in the right direction.”

“Trayda sent you? She’s been known to have a heart or two. Say, I haven’t seen him today, but I’ll let him know a strange man’s looking to be... immersed in our culture. Have I got that right?... Don’t suppose you have a place to find ya? I imagine you ain’t fancy musical chairs too much.”

“Not really no, but... Dressed as I am...”

“Ay, a real eye catcher, I’ll let him know.”

“Appreciated...” Making his leave, Aaron nodded on his way out. About half a block away, it dawned on him that his only other lead was a cart coming in, whatever that meant. “West is blocked... East has a gatehouse... I don’t see a lot of wheel tracks on the road I came in on... The hell am I supposed to find this guy?” Aaron wondered, taking a stroll around until his legs sat him down again. “Be nice to find a bigger town but I’m not pushing my luck with that crazy city and this is about as far as I wanna walk in a day... Pbth!” Exasperating, sarcastically. “Catch anyone’s ear. Real luck so far.”

“You lost boy?” A man ironically called out to the boy.

Aaron looked up from his shoes to meet eyes with the gruff figure that called to him. “Looking for a Thaydel.”

“You really is lost.” Scratching his beard. “He ain’t in town, not right now anyways.”

“Well, that’s great, and what do you mean lost?”

“Lost of the head, boy. You ain’t got a prayer of finding anything sitting keister to the soil like that, waiting for it to magically appear. You want to find someone, start asking people. They’d have told ya he’s out long by now.”

“None yet. The rest all avoid me, can’t say I’ll get anything out of them even if I stop them in the street, probably by the look of me... But that still isn’t very indicative of where I am though... I’m sorry, I’m not lost. I’m looking.”

“Hey!” A young voice called out to him “Hey mister! Mister, hey...” Turning to the kid trying to butt in. “You can say that?”

“Say what?” Aaron replied tepidly.

Shyly the kid mumbled back the word Aaron said. “In... Di... Dicka...Tmnn.” ‘Indicative’

Aaron, sputtering confoundedly “Duhhm...Yeah... Sure, it’s fine to say that.” He muttered, scratching his head.

“HEY DICKHEAD!” The kid called out across the street, “THIS MAN SAYS WE CAN BE FRIENDS AGAIN!

“That's not my FUCKING name!” The older kid shout back from across the street.

“Then... Why does my dad keep calling you that? Dad said I can’t be around you coz you’re a dirty word...”

“Kids...” The man shook his head, as the youngsters went to sort it out between the other. “How in the dickens he figured that crap, I haven’t the foggiest of ideas. Well... If you want to talk to someone, the first thing to do is to say ‘hello’ isn’t it? Man approaching with his mouth clammed don’t seem to be into gumming, now does it?”

“I am bewildered by the simplicity of that, just...” Aaron blinked blankly. “Wow, you’d think I would have figured that bit out...”

“You being wise with me?”

“No, I just... Really do feel that stupid.” Aaron shook his head. “Thank you.”

“What a slow kid...” The man departed, pitying the boy. “Never even realized to say hi to someone, kid really was lost.”

Aaron admired the man despite his comments while still in ear reach. “To think, how much social standards we have in society to forget something so simple... Guess I’m mostly just scared of someone not wanting to say hi back... When you do at home, they just walk by, it’s so cold most times but, here... Shit. I really do look like a snob.” Picking himself up. Still baring the pressure of waiting for an answer, Aaron took to the streets to find someone to hearken in this old-way town before the stress dug him an early grave. Thing was, after all this time that he was burning away, would Thaydel even by the guy he needed?

Aaron caught sight of someone, “Sir,” calling out. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

Sarcastically chuckling with a wheezing throaty hiss, the old guy replied “I’d say you already are.” The jolly grin on his plump cheeks pleasing himself more than anyone.

“Just, wanted to know if I could ask some questions...”

“N... Naaah...” Continuing his playful banter. “Really, now? You asking permission to ask me something?” Breaking into a full laughter that hissed out and nearly turned Aaron away entirely before the request was met. “What you need to know?”

Calming himself, Aaron replied more formally. “Is there anywhere near that can teach me of about this land?”

“You could try the schoolhouse, don’t think you’ll enjoy walking to the next town though.”

“They teach of magic, gems, ancient history?”

“You’d fair better with an old crone, they’re plentiful abound...”

“I... I’ll pass on that one... I’m also supposed to meet with a Thaydel, he’s supposed to be able to teach me some things...”

The idea sent the man into another fit of laughter. “I like you kid. Thaydel... Oh, what I’d give to be in the room for that one... Magic eh? I think he’d really gonna take a liking to you too.” Sounding sincere, before polishing off his face with another round of chuckles. Wiping the joyous tears from his wrinkly eyes, “Should be heading back into town any time now, if you head west, you’ll run into him, maybe. Don’t go leaving town or you’ll probably miss him.”

“So, do you think he can give me what I need to know?”

“He can grow a cluster of berries off of a grazed stem, do it over a single night, guess you can call that magic.” The man then wandered off in his wail of humour. Aaron scratched his head and moved on.

“West...” Orienting himself with the valley. It seemed as though this world’s compass was a little off from his own but sure enough, the midday sun drawn towards one valley’s pass. Aaron moved his heels towards the sun and made off for the path leading towards the outskirts.

Aaron walked a good ways, it seemed as though town was already well past him, with only a few houses in the distance as told by the smoke plumes over the trees. Aaron shook his head. Seemed like a fruitless journey, and he turned around. “Greetings stranger...” A voice called out to him. The man sat on a wagon, with a single horse in front trotting him along. With a sharp clean shaven chin and a smoothly woven tan shirt that was tucked into his slick charcoal pants, he looked very promising.

“You know where I can find a Thaydel around here?” Aaron called out.

“You’re looking at him.” The middle aged man replied with a humbling smooth richness of his voice that set Aaron at ease. “I hear there’s a lad from East looking for me, though you don’t look too local for being East. Hop on. It needs some breaking in but it’s fresh cured lumber, won’t get a ride like this for at least another generation. Divine willing.” Watching the boy struggle to get in, and sitting himself next to the grain. “You can sit in the front, no need pretending that your a package. Come, get a good seat, it’ll be easier speaking with you too. I hear you’re looking to get acclimated. You look like you could use it too.” Combing back the short stray black hairs that stood between him and Aaron, he patted them back down with a lick of his fingers.

“I hear you can grow grapes off of a grazed stem...” Aaron introduced. “Supposed to be magic and stuff.”

“Ah, so they told you about my green thumb then, eh?”

“You know of magic then?”

“Might as well be, but... Ultimately, it’s just love, patience and knowing where to cut. Little fertilizer helps.”

“Oh...” Sounding disappointed.

“No one gave me your name, by the way...”

“Aaron.”

“Thaydel, but you knew that. Aaron, you looking to grow a beard and sit in a tower? You’re kinda young to be aspiring to do that the rest of your life.”

“I guess anything helps at this point, really. I’d take on alchemy if it kept me safe... Do... You know anyone, anywhere, anything to get me going on that? Gems, ancient history, something to defend myself with? Swords aren’t going to cut it, unfortunately. If anything it’ll just get me killed.”

“I’ve got circles from here to Athsmahan, I’ve done a lot of travelling. I’m sure if there is someone you need to see, I can find you a way to meet them. Comes with the job of transporting goods and all that.” Relieving Aaron’s poor mind until they came onto the farm ahead.