The Outskirts: The Sky Raiders (Jace x OC) BOOK 1

The Sky Raiders: 13

In the cool twilight before dawn, Ham used a key to unfasten the manacle. I tenderly rubbed where my wrist has been scraped and bruised. I saw Cole doing the same.
"Now," Ham turned to me. "You have a weak shaping ability, but it's not enough to go to the High King, and scarecrow has none at all, so you'll both stay in this wagon."
Following instructions, I climbed into the rear of the wagon, followed by Cole. We sat down together against the bars. Breakfast consisted of a crumbly biscuit and a stick of tough, dried meat. I drank water from a dirty tin cup, and brushed the crumbs from the biscuit of my shirt.
After the wagon started rolling, we sat in comfortable silence, most of the kids in the wagon had gone back to sleep after breakfast.
"You should try to get some sleep." Cole said, patting his shoulder.
"Only if you try to sleep to."
"Deal" he said.
I rested my head against his shoulder. We got some weird looks from the kids that were awake, but I didn't care. Cole was like a brother to me.
I dozed off, but the bumps and jolts of the wagon kept waking me up. I dozed on and off for about an hour before I gave up. I looked at the sky. All horizons were bright orange as if multiple sims were rising in every direction.
"What's with the sky?" I said.
"Been that way for hours." A girl said quietly. She was dressed in bloody scrubs, as if she just came out from a horribly botched surgery.
"Where are they taking us?" Cole asked.
"Somewhere to sell us," the girl said, shrugging. "I guess some of the kids are going to the king or something. They keep talking about shaping potential."
"Shhh," hissed a boy dressed like a commando. "We're not supposed to talk."
The girl looked down, guiltily.
I looked around. I didn't see any of the slavers. The wagon was noisy, but the driver wasn't paying any attention.The wagon rumbled on, the sky staying the same. The other kids all kept there heads down. No one whispered another word.
Leaning against the bars, I thought about home.
My parents were probably worried sick. Even Ashley, even though we rarely got along. All the parents had to be freaking out. We're the police looking for them? Did Delaney ever make it to the police? That many kids disappearing without a trace would make the news for sure.
Looking around at the prairie, seeing the kids locked up in cages, I wondered if I would even make it home.
I thought back to my last words to her family. Me and Ashley hadn't argued, which made me feel a bit better. My finally words to my mom, telling her I would be home by nine-thirty, and to her dad, I promised I would take out the trash when I got home. I hadn't lied on purpose. I hoped I would see them again so I could apologize.
I knew feeling sorry for myself wouldn't help anyone, so I looked to see if I could see Dalton or Jenna. But with so much dust, and the wagons single file, I could hardly see anything.
Suddenly, Cole tapped on my shoulder.
"What's up." I said.
"Check something for me." He motioned to the floorboards.
Looking down, I noticed someone had carved a happy face into the wood. It was simple, a circle with two dots for eyes, and a curved smile. The circle was imperfect, but not bad considering it was carved into wood. I looked up at Cole, confused.
"Say something to her." Cole said to the happy face.
"Today is the bestest day ever to make a new friend!" It said. It's mouth quivered as it talked.
My eyes widened in surprise. "How did you do that?" I asked Cole quietly, so the smiley face couldn't hear us.
"I didn't," Cole said. "It just started talking."
I looked down at the face again. "Do you mind talking quietly?" I asked it.
"Not a smidge." It said at a lower volume. "I'm just glad to have two new pals."
"What are you?" Cole asked. "How are you talking?"
"I'm a semblance, silly. I was shaped to talk."
"A what?" I asked, feeling very confused.
"I was made by Liam," it said. "The superest-duperest shaper in all the lands. After he was taken a slave, he shaped me to keep him company. When he got sold, he left me here to cheer up anyone who talked to me. Feeling better?"
As much as I hated to admit it, the little guy was so chipper, I couldn't help but feel a little better.
"Yeah, actually. Do you have a name?" I asked.
"I'm Happy."
"I'm Cole, and this is Kendal. Can you see us?"
"Sure, silly billy. I can see up your nostrils."
I let out a snort. I glanced at the other kids, but they all had their heads down.
"Does it hurt if people step on you?" Cole asked.
"Not at all. You guys stepped on me when you came in here." He said.
"Sorry!" I said.
"No harm done. You have a good sole."
I smiled for Happy's benefit. "You said the kid that made you was a shaper. Did he shape you with a knife?" I asked Happy.
"No silly, with his shaping." Happy said, like this was obvious. I glanced at Cole, confused.
"What? Like magic?" Cole asked.
"Kind of, I guess. Life is magical." Happy said.
"He brought you to life?"
"Not really, I'm a semblance. I seem alive, don't I?" He let out a squeaky giggle.
"Did Liam program your words?" Cole said. I nudged him, he sounded rude.
"I just say what I say, Liam showed me the way, in this cage I will stay, when you're here, we should play!" Happy said.
I wondered whether Liam or Happy had made the rhyme.
"Do you feel alive?" Cole asked.
"I love to talk, especially with a new friend!"
I decided to ask a useful question.
"Why is the sky like this?" I said.
"We're lucky it's a duskday. Not to hot, not to cold. It's nice to feel glad about the weather."
"Are they're a lot of duskdays?"
"They come and go. Depends. Are you from outside?"
"Outside of this place? We're from Earth. These guys kidnapped our friends."
"Dont let greedy slavers keep you down! Whenever you fall, remember to bounce." He said, chipper as ever.