Rise or Burn

Chapter Four

They crushed, plummeting down into the pinewood forest below. Brunches snapped, and trunks squeaked under the metallic weight of the ship. Andy was screaming so loud his ears were ringing. But Arlin didn't make a sound. He was stone faced until they hit the ground. Then he started laughing.

Andy made sure he was still alive before he yelled, "Are you insane?"

"A little bit," Arlin replied. He got up from his seat. The cockpit was wrecked, one of the monitors wouldn't stop beeping, the other was steaming; two very distressing things but Arlin didn't seem worried.

"You could have killed us," Andy said distressed.

Arlin shrugged. "But I didn't."

"I'm starting to regret saving your life."

Arlin turned back to him and with a pointed look he said, "You didn't save me. I could have gotten out of there on my own."

Andy rolled his eyes. "I doubt it."

"I had them where I wanted," he insisted.

"You mean they had you where they wanted," Andy countered. "Would it kill you to say thank you?"

"No." He frowned. "I'll say it as soon as I have something to thank you for." He tapped the monitor screens. They blinked red.

"What are you doing?" Andy asked looking over Arlin's shoulder.

"Seeing if there's a way to get the ship back in the air."

"Oh no, I rather walk the rest of the way." Andy stepped back. "I'm not letting you do that again."

Arlin gave him an unamused smile. "Lucky for you nothing's working. We're stranded."

Andy huffed. "And whose fault is that?"

"Maybe the wanted criminal that had the Valek on our tail."

Andy scoffed. "We both know they weren't after me this time, Kitarliah," he said and almost instantly the colour drained from Arlin's face.

"Where did you hear that name?" he asked, his voice quivering.

Andy tugged uneasily at his earlobe. "Your brother." He felt guilty saying this. As if it were wrong for him to have this small piece of information. Arlin Kit had presented himself as a mystery. What right did Andy have to solve it?

"You..." Arlin's voice trailed. He looked panicked, his eyes wide and jaw clenched.

"I don't care who you are," Andy told him quickly, his tone softer. "You could have told him where I was but you didn't. Runaway princess or—"

"Don't call me that!" Arlin cut him off.

"Runaway?"

"Princess," Arlin corrected. "I'm not—"

"Oh," Andy's eyes widened. Then he raised a questioning brow. "Prince?"

Arlin shook his head. "It's Arlin. Not princess or prince anything. It's just Arlin Kit. That's who I am."

Andy nodded despite the fact that he still didn't understand. He wanted to ask something but he didn't want to be offensive. He bit his bottom lip and decided to ask anyway. "Are you a boy or girl?"

Arlin crossed his arms over his chest. "Does it matter?"

"No," Andy stuttered. "I guess not."

Arlin smiled. It was an amused smile. "A little of both and a lot of neither," he said. "There's not really an elven word for it. But there's the Volenoth word, som, it refers to a third gender. Not a boy, not a girl, just som." This time Andy nodded because he did understand, not everything but enough to know who Arlin Kit was. Well, he was starting to know him.