Soul Ties

Chapter 6: The Distance

"This is Barlow Kold. He's going to be the captain that takes you to see Thysus tomorrow," my mother explains. "Wait, where's Seren?"

"She had to go help with something," I say. "Nice to meet you captain Kold."

"Please, just call me Barlow," the captain replies with a shy half smile. "I'm not old enough to be called captain Kold just yet." And as I look at him, I notice he's right.

His face seems quite young by maybe just a few years. Even the way he stands shows that he's mature, but not yet seasoned enough to be seen as an experienced space captain. His body wasn't as muscular as I'd seen other males my age had been, which made me wonder if he was actually able to defend himself on dangerous trips. Although, it was more likely that he hadn't been in any type of conflict with other travelers to begin with.

He was wearing a shirt that fit perfectly to his body, and pants just a bit looser, yet still somewhat tight. Both black as oil, which contrasted against his light blue skin, making his hands and head stand out. The boots that went almost up to his knees appeared extremely heavy, though I doubted they were. On his chest rested a golden crest with a butterfly that glinted so brightly it was impossible to miss. What stunned me most was it almost seemed as if the wings were moving, but I knew that couldn't be. It was just gold.

"This is the crest of the Goddess," he pointed out, noticing me staring. "She's said to always be surrounded by butterflies and that, when she came to be, she was created from a golden butterfly herself."

"It's true." My mother's voice pulls my eyes away from the crest and onto her smile. "I thought the stories were just something magical that you told to children, but when I met her she was surrounded by all these little golden butterflies."

Barlow lets out a sigh of what seems like awe. He rubs his finger lightly over the crest before clasping his hands behind his back.

"I look forward to seeing that myself when my turn comes," he says.

"How old are you?" I can't help but ask.

"Twenty. Five more years until my quarter life, and then I'll be off to spend the rest of my lifetime with my mate." The excitement on his face makes me nauseous. "Anyway, shall we take a tour of the ship?" he asks, and I nod eagerly, thankful for the sudden change of the subject. But I noticed seeing the ship that would take me away from here didn't help the bile stay down.

I follow both Barlow and my mother as we walk towards the ship, thinking of the golden butterfly on his crest. Was Thysus actually created from something as small as a butterfly? I wanted to ask him if only captains got to wear it, but the knot in my throat was too heavy. Instead, I focused on taking in our means of travel.

I'd seen plenty of ships before, but seeing the inside was something I've never experienced. I couldn't hide the amazement and wonder I felt walking up to the thin disc, watching the stairs descend in front of our feet. From the corner of my eye, I saw the smile on Barlow's face widen as he watched me staring. It was obvious he took pride in what he did as captain and how impressed others could become, like I was.

Barlow led us up the steps, my mother following closely behind him, and me creating some distance between myself and them. There was no doubt that I was excited to see the inside of the ship, but there was also this extreme nervousness that came with it.

I wanted to enjoy the newness of my surroundings and this moment. I just wished it wasn't tainted with the image of me flying away from everything. From Seren. From my mother. From my home.

My footsteps drag up the metal steps until I rejoin them in front of a heavy looking steel door. As Barlow puts in the code on a small keypad, my thoughts continue to fly everywhere. At least Seren wasn't here to witness my small internal freak out. Than again, I wish she'd stayed to at least hold my hand while we did this.