A Fallen HomeKin

PART XXIII

Heat hit Fralith's face along with a rush of summer breeze. Breeze. Heat. He turned over, opening his eyes and breathing in the scents. Sky. Pale blue sky with tendrils of clouds arching over larger, fluffy ones. Outside. He. was. Outside.

A smile spread across his face. The sky. It'd been a long time since he'd been under the sky where he belonged. Belonged. This was the wrong sky to belong under. He shoved away the gloomy thought and focused on the clouds. BlueShirt's face blocked some of his view, but he didn't mind. BlueShirt was here, and he looked happy.

"Feeling better?" Tim came into his field of vision, smiling, red hair flopping with each step.

"Beep," he breathed, wiggling and casting his gaze upwards again. It was so blue and vast, it made him want to hop onto a DreamLit and fly as high as it could go, hands outstretched to the clouds.

BlueShirt's arms shifted, and the world tilted as BlueShirt set him on his feet. "Oof," BlueShirt grunted, straightening. "You're a heavy lad, buddy."

He cocked his head, flashing a smile at him and taking his hand, rising on his toes and back down. Where to? Were they going to get food? Find shelter? Sit in a tree and stare at the sky?

Tim put a hand on his shoulder, chuckling. "I know, right? Brave Bud moves like the wind but weighs like a boulder, don'tcha?"

Fralith glanced at him and beeped, reaching up and flicking back a clump of hair. Why were they talking about him? Shrugging inwardly, he cast his gaze to their surroundings, stomach twisting a little as he spotted the MetalEaters.

They sat in rows on a large, cleared out area, apparently sleeping despite the distant rumbling of the busy BlackStrip not too far away. A few spots had grass and a few plants, like a small tree or bush, but besides that, there was no cover. To the left and right, the flat spot continued, their end behind the big building they just exited.

Blocks of other buildings dotted the area past the flat, MetalEater sleeping area, the big building, and the busy BlackStrip. From the looks of it, they were in a more building-clustered part of this world. There were certainly enough MetalEaters around.

"...I'll walk you to the car just in case he freaks out again and you need an extra hand. Where did you park?"

Fralith shook himself and sidled closer to BlueShirt, beeping with brows furrowed. How were they going to sneak past all the MetalEaters? They looked asleep, but they could wake up at any moment. He'd seen it before. He'd been near one before. It was better not to take the risk.

Tim took his other hand, squeezing gently. "Hey, it's okay, Brave Bud. Nothing will hurt you out here. You're perfectly safe. No need to worry."

Biting his lower lip, he glanced up at Tim. he didn't...seem concerned. In fact, he looked quite relaxed and calm. Maybe Tim knew the secrets of MetalEater taming. A little warmth pressed against his ribs. Yes, Tim knew what he was doing. He'd never put him in danger. It was okay. Tim would lead them through safely.

After a few more words, pats, and squeezes, they started forwards, BlueShirt leading the way. Tim stayed by his side, guarding the rear. Fralith made sure to stay close to both of them, gaze darting to each new MetalEater they passed, looking for any sign — any flicker of movement — that would signal its awakening.

He placed his feet quietly on the rough ground. While his leather shoes were thick, they still allowed him to feel the almost gravely ground — except the small stones didn't move and they were all the same color. He didn't mind so much; it felt good to be walking on something other than soft moss and it kept his footsteps quiet.