The Mercury Wars: The Clearing

Chapter 17 - Lies

"Why does it never rain?"

The five words that have been swimming in Connor's head all night, keeping him awake. The sentence was whispered by a friend, trying to help in the best way she could.

But if she was trying to help then why couldn't she just tell Connor what she meant instead of whispering in riddles? Why not just tell him the answer?

She had said that when he works it out, he can't tell anyone. Another riddle? Was he supposed to just put up and shut up if something wasn't right?

As he thinks over the question Genesis asked, he looks back on his five months here. Never once has the sky had so much as a cloud in its bright blue backdrop? Never once has he seen water fall from above, ending the thirst of everything around it.

If there's no rain, then how is everything still so lush and colourful? Five months without water would show at least a sign of deterioration. But there's nothing.

He thinks deeper. The temperature is always the same during the day and night. Nobody ever says they are cold or has to wrap up warm. The only time it has been cold for him is when he has been in wet clothes and felt the breeze on him, or when he was in the hospital and the tiles and walls made it feel colder.

Although the sun has yet to rise, he slowly gets up and removes a sleeping Link from his chest. He gets dressed and decides to go for a walk to focus his racing mind.

He picks up Eindride and the Systirs and heads out behind their hut to the stream. A place he has known to be peaceful and relaxing throughout his time here.

He sits on the bank and watches the water as it flows. Quickly and in unison. Clear water runs towards the coastline as it escapes from the mountains where it started its journey.

He smells the forest. The trees still stand tall and vibrant, even though he has to now question the logic of it all. Did the disaster mean that they could now survive for longer?

He thinks back to Henry's statement by the coastline. "This wasn't coastline before the disaster." So what was it? How has this incident changed everything to be so different and yet still look like it has been here forever? What caused the earth to move when all he has ever been told was that the sky caught fire?

He hears footsteps behind him and swiftly pulls out of his thoughts, grabbing the Systirs in his hands to see Levi emerge from the trees.

"Woah kid," he laughs, raising his hands in defence. "I'm not Benny, put those baby swords away."

He places them back into their holders and turns back to the stream, sitting back down again. Levi joins him, reminiscent of the other month after he dragged him down here. Unconsciously, Connor knows that that is one of the reasons he came here. Levi brought him here to think and calm down, he needed that again today.

"So what's got you out in the middle of the night to go skinny dipping?" Levi asks with a chuckle.

"Just needed to think," Connor sighs, looking at his reflection in the water. The face he now knows is his. Guilty of past crimes but trying to figure out how he fits into this new world still.

"Wanna talk?" Levi asks raising his eyebrows.

"I can't" Connor whispers. He remembers Genesis saying he can't tell anyone if he figured it out. He can't ignore that.

"Okay, so let's talk hypothetically," Levi states. "If you can't talk about it, but you need to think about it then it's big. If it were Benny, then you would be ranting and raving by now. Same as if it were Clara you were thinking about. So if you're quiet, then it's either to do with Gen or Link. Yeah?'