The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 5: The Last Pendant

Chapter 26: The Door and The Vine

Chapter 26

     The Fwooper’s Folly soared into the darkness with the speed of a jet. The ship had been charmed, protected by the cold and the intense wind shear so that the group would not be thrown off of the ship’s deck. The booster engine at the back of the ship was blowing, thrusting the ship forward like a bullet. The stars stayed in their positions while the clouds streaked by. The ocean below was almost as black as the sky above; one could not discern between where the horizon ended and where it began.
     Sky Heart was steering the ship. Star sat near her, using a sextant and a chart to navigate where they were headed. Occasionally Star would say something to Sky Heart, indicating that she should turn the wheel a certain amount of degrees, so that they kept on course.
     “Head straight along that star right there!” Star would tell Sky Heart. “No, not that little one, the brighter one right next to it! Aim the ship at that one and keep on going!”
     “I’m glad you got such high marks in Astronomy!” Sky Heart said, “I fared pretty well, but not as well as you did!”
     “I’m a natural,” Star commented, “That and I’ve been more nocturnal these past two years. Kinda got used to knowing what stars go where, ya know?”
     Shade emerged from below. He saw the two at the wheel and waved at them. They greeted him both with, “Hey Shaders!” and went about their navigating and flying. He responded by nodding in their direction. He made his way to the front of the ship and leaned against the rail. He clutched at his chest as soon as he settled on a spot. He had sweat on his brow and every breath was labored.
     “What’s wrong with you?” a rough voice asked from behind. Ravenus Rouge appeared, wearing a coat and trying to light a cigarette in his mouth.
     “I didn’t know you smoked,” Shade said.
     “Been smokin’ since I was a kid,” Rouge spoke. “You knew that. What’s wrong with you?”
     Shade winced. “Can’t sleep,” he answered, “I can barely breathe.”
     “Looks like the Blackwell’s taking its toll on you,” Rouge remarked. “You gonna make it?”
     “I hope so,” Shade answered.
     Rouge lit his cigarette, took a puff, then gave a quick nod to Shade. “It’s reached your lungs,” he said.
     “I think you’re right,” Shade said, “That’s not good.”
     “You know,” Rouge said between drags of his cigarette, “You could stay behind. We can find your flowers or plants or whatever it is you’re looking for in there. The way you guys made it sound, it ain’t gonna be a fun ride, Scarry Night.”
     Shade chuckled. “I know,” he said through gritted teeth, “But I don’t have much of a choice. We all go or we don’t go at all.”
     Rouge shook his head. “You are an idiot,” he muttered.
     “What?” Shade asked.
     “You’re an idiot,” Rouge repeated, “You’re gonna get yourself killed in there. You can barely stand up right now. Now we’re gonna have to watch your sorry butt trudge through some dangerous place while keeping ourselves alive at the same time.”
     “Yeah,” Shade responded, “But how is that different than any other day?”
     Rouge took another drag from his cigarette. “Good point.”
     “Can’t quit now,” Shade said, “We’re so close.”
     “Well, if we die in there,” Rouge said, “At least I got a chance to make things right; me and you, I mean.”
     Shade smiled. “You tried to curse me; several times, in fact. Remember when Kingsley showed up and you and your little gang tried to jump Star, Kingsley, and me?”
     “Yeah, I remember,” Rouge grinned. “But that’s behind us. I’m glad I’m here with you, bro. We were rivals n’ all that, but we had an understanding, you and me. Nobody else really got that.”
     “Jinx got it,” Shade said, “Now you got Jinx.”
     “Meh,” Rouge grunted, “I have Jinx for now. She ain’t the settling-type. It’s nice for now, but it ain’t gonna last. She’s awesome, and I always wanted a chance to- to- well, be with her, for at least a little bit, but she ain’t the wifely kind. Besides, she could never love me.”
     Shade nodded. Rouge came up and stood next to him. “Not like the way you love Echo,” Shade mentioned.
     Rouge looked over at Shade with a guilty expression. “What do you mean?”
     “You know what I mean,” Shade said.
     “I love her like a sister,” Rouge said.
     “That’s what you told Dev,” Shade said, “But I know you, Rav. I’ve known you a lot longer than they have.”
     Rouge took a long drag from his cigarette and tossed the remainder of it away. “So?” he muttered.
     “So what?” Shade asked. “Have you talked to anyone about it?”
     “Nope,” Rouge said, “Who do I talk to besides her? I don’t get along with anyone else. Remember: I don’t like ninety percent of these knuckleheads. Most of them don’t like me, neither and I’m perfectly fine with that.”
     “So no one knows how you really feel?” Shade asked.
     “No,” Rouge replied, “And I’d like to keep it that way. She has Dev. I ain’t gonna step on someone else’s sidewalk, you know? I don’t do that. And I don’t wanna ruin what we got. She and me; we’re a darn good team. She gets me, man.”
     “I can tell,” Shade said, “You’ve both lost a lot, gained a lot, and you both got fire in your temperament; kindred spirits.”
     “Yeah,” Rouge mumbled, “Something like that. We just have a connection. She feels it, too. I know it. She’s more like herself around me than she is around the Frenchie. I dunno. It is what it is. Maybe one day, but I don’t care. It gives me something to look forward to.”
     “Well,” Shade said as he clapped Rouge on the shoulder, “Your secret’s safe with me. Besides, we might not make it to tomorrow.”
     “You might not,” Rouge chuckled, “The rest of us, though? We’ll see.”
     The two friends leaned against the railing, looking forward into the night. Rouge turned and leaned back against the railing. He spotted something and fixed his eyes upon it; something in the opposite direction.
     “I think,” Rouge said, “That we’re being followed.”
     “What?” Shade asked. He spun around and looked the direction that Rouge faced. “What do you mean?”
     Rouge walked from the bow to the stern of the boat. He stood at the aft railing and looked out into the sky. “Ha!” he laughed aloud. “Well, ain’t that a peach?”
     “What?” Shade asked.
     “Can you see it?” Rouge asked him. “It looks like a bat in the far distance.”
     “A bat’s following us?” Shade asked.
     “No, you idiot,” Rouge complained, “The dragon’s behind us.”
     “Sam’s dragon?” Shade asked. “You’re joking!”
     “Nope,” Rouge said, “I can make it out; that’s the wingspan and shape of a Swedish Short-Snout. I know my dragons, son, and that’s a dragon or I’m a troll.”
     Shade shook his head. “What the heck’s he doing?”
     “Followin’ his gal,” Rouge laughed, “We should take him to Salem. Those Embers would soil themselves if they saw us roll up with a dragon behind us.”
     Shade nodded. He stepped away from the rail and walked back to the front of the ship. Rouge kept back, watching the dragon fly behind them.
     “Good boy,” Rouge whispered.