The Cinders of Dezu

20th: Taffertys (3)

After Moss Linga crashed beneath the lake surface from his injuries, Talia had insisted Julian fly them to this side of the lake before continuing their journey to the palace. She said she didn't know the exact spot and opted to go on foot so she could track her destination the rest of the way. It was all just to find these two. Following the tears, Talia let the family know she had better and more hidden accommodations for them not far from their location, another safe house courtesy of Harbor and Harper.

Julian assisted in floating some of the families things once they were packed up. Laina and Corliss were clearly accustomed to moving around quickly and frequently due to the speed at which they were able to break down and store their camp, though Corliss remarked how much easier these things used to be to transport on his fathers cart.

The boys got to know the Tafferty's on the way. Laina had met her husband after he had established himself as a renowned merchant. He had awakened in her the itch to travel and see the land after she heard the stories he would tell the locals whenever he would visit. He was always good at holding a crowd. She got to know this merchant and storyteller on a personal level, and was always so excited when his route would bring him back to her village. She had fallen for him long before she knew it herself. It was her parents who basically pushed her out of the house to marry him, knowing their daughter was never happier than when he came around. Micah left a good impression. He was a crowd pleaser but not arrogant. A salesman but no swindler. His integrity was clear. And they knew wherever he travelled they would often see their daughter again.

She didn't know he was human until after she finally admitted how she felt. It was only then that he let her in. He had jumped at the opportunity to be with her when she finally told him. When he told her his secret it was clear why he hadn't made the first move. He hadn't wanted to volunteer her for a life on the run. Micah's philosophy was to hide in plain sight. No Vincarsee would make himself so known to the world the way he did. Even still, if they married, it was on the condition that no one besides her parents ever knew he had a family. Not even after they had a son.

It had worked for many years. Micah had been smart. He saw the danger before it was clear to most of the Vincarsee population. He worked hard to maintain his secret. The cover story for Laina and Corliss was that they were separate vendors who sold clothing dye, a reasonably substantial part of the families inventory. They came into towns early to sell and then Micah would follow shortly after. They also left at staggered times too. Usually no one noticed, but if they were ever seen together, usually in travel, the cover was that Laina and Corliss were his sister and nephew. Corliss had grown up understanding the importance of staying hidden. It was just at the cost of not having close friendships with kids his age.

The safe house looked essentially the same as the one Cairo and Julian had abandoned, save for a few minor differences. When they arrived, Julian carefully floated the families things inside. Afterwards they enjoyed some of the food in the safe house stores along with a thank you meal prepared by Laina. Cairo enjoyed hearing the stories from the Tafferty's, but Julian seemed to be growing more and more uneasy as the sun started to go down. Even Talia noticed.

She insisted they not put the family out as they only had two beds and they needed to get settled in their new home. Talia went into the safe house closet and collected some very sturdy tree hammocks. Harper always kept them stowed away in the same spot in every house. Talia promised she would bring them back in the morning.

After  saying their goodbyes and lighting the families torches for the night, Talia lead the three of them into the forest a ways until she found a very tall and wide tree with thick and strong looking branches. Julian floated them up into its canopy at Talia's request. She went to work showing them the safest and most comfortable spots to suspend themselves and how to safely secure their hammocks.

Cairo's ended up lower in the canopy right next to Julian on his right. Talia was to his left but a bit farther away and just above him. She had picked a spot where it was easy to walk and climb between each hammock just in case. Their sacks are hanging near each of their sleeping spots. After they had all settled Cairo found himself  staring down at the ground below. He could see the scattered glow of the spinning ribbon creatures on the forest floor. There were several large tree limbs below him but it was still a daunting prospect to fall.

"What do you think? We're like twenty to twenty-five feet up?" he whispered to Julian.

"Probably," he said, looking up through the branches above him.

"I probably shouldn't be looking. She said not to look. Can't look down too much in a hammock. I'm gonna flip outta this thing."

"Mmhmm," he said.

Cairo leaned up and looked over at him.

"What? You aren't afraid of heights now? Just cuz you're a gravity master?"

"Something like that," Julian said, still looking up.
Cairo scoffed.

"Alright, what's up man? You got super powers yesterday and you're crazy bummed out all of the sudden."