A Fallen HomeKin

PART III

Angry red swaths of clouds swooped in and out of tall buildings, a product of the setting sun's wrath. Fralith stared at their angry hue while he fingered the blanket over his legs. The woman had left after he continued to ignore her, opening the curtains as she left.

Apparently, he was in one of the large buildings, as he was high off the ground. Other buildings dotted the horizon, broken up by pitifully small trees and black stripes. MetalEaters ran along these strips far more often than on the ones around the houses. Even from this height, he could hear their roars. It was very faint, and mostly covered up by that incessant beeping, but it was there.

He sighed and turned away from the window, staring blankly at the room. There was nothing to do in here besides sit and listen to the beeping. Beep, beep, beep, over and over again. If he had anything to throw at it, he would. It was almost as annoying as the KahKouh bird and its love for repetition before dawn.

Click.

Fralith jerked backwards, eyes flying to the door. The guard glanced up as a man with bright red hair walked in, pushing a cart. They exchanged what he guessed was a greeting, though he couldn't quite tell. He pushed himself away from the side the man was approaching.

"Hey there, bud. Hungry?" FlameHair pushed the cart over and gestured at it, smiling.

He blinked, baring his teeth. Leave me alone.

FlameHair raised his eyebrows. "Ferocious one, are you? Well, we better get some food into you before you eat someone." He chuckled, as if his words were amusing.

Fralith eyed the man warily. What was FlameHair going to do to him? What was in the cart? He shuffled back a few more centimeters, eyes darting to the cart. The scent of freshly cooked stew waved under his nose. Food. There was food on the cart. His stomach twisted and growled, saliva rushing into his mouth.

FlameHair chuckled again. "Alright, alright. I'll speed up. And we can get to introductions after." Reaching down, the man pressed one of the funny bumps on the side of his bed. With a verrr the bed under him started to rise.

He yelped and scooted away from the pillow end, which continued to rise like a snake's head. Was the bed alive? Was it some weird creature? Was it going to eat him?

"Woah! Woah, bud. It's okay; it's just the bed. Look, see?" FlameHair lifted his finger from the bump and the bed stopped rising. "This makes the bed rise up so you can sit." He pressed the button and the bed started to rise again. When he lifted his finger off, it stopped. He did this a few times, speaking in a reassuring tone.

Fralith stared at him. The bed beast obeyed FlameHair. He could control it with a single touch. What kind of— how did— Fralith shook himself and tore his gaze away. This place was weird. People could do weird and strange things. He just— had to get used to it. His stomach growled again and he cast a longing look at the food. Food. Actual food. Not silly fat birds.

FlameHair patted the part of the bed that was now semi vertical, like the back of a chair. "Rest your back here and I'll pull up the tray. Then you can eat."

Why was FlameHair patting the bed beast? Was he telling it that it was good in its language? Fralith bared his teeth and shrank back. He didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. He had been sitting on a beast for hours now and didn't know it. What if he angered it and it ate him? What if— If it hasn't eaten me yet, then it won't eat me now, he reasoned. And if I be really nice to it, it might not throw me off, either.

Taking a steadying breath, he glanced at FlameHair. The man looked at him expectantly. Was...he supposed to pat the bed beast too? Maybe that was the way FlameHair told the beast that he was okay and he wouldn't hurt it. He reached out with his good arm and tentatively patted the bed.