Dismantle The Sun

Chapter 15

The SS Josephine cut silently and slowly through the aching nothing around her - an hour ago they passed the edge of the dynastic frontier and as they approached the dwarf planet where the Fata Morgana resided it had become much more dangerous - whizzing asteroids of all sizes passed by alarmingly cloe, their movements erretic and unpredictable, and purple rimmed wormholes had twice opened up within range, casting strange winds and icy blue mists all around. Despite the urgent clack of Percy's fingers across the console keybooad: all communications and positioning systems had cut off almost as soon as the passed the boundary; and the bridge was dimly lit and silent as Gwaine guided them towards their destination. Their breath sat in their chests- baited and hung on a tender hook.

"It's beautiful" whispered Lance as they cut through the perilous airs. He'd abandoned his station to use the burning stars to triangulate their position, and was staring out of the floor length window of the bridge. Danger cloaked them like a cloak.

"The stars have a legend that says that this is the oldest part of the universe" Merlin comments, standing next to Lance, eying the slowing drifting motes of pink and purple hues that lazed menacing about the ship, threatening to entomb her.

Arthur watched him from across the room, turning away when the star turned to him with the endearing blinding smile that affected the captain's chest so warmly.

"Well, you'll be back amongst them soon; don't worry." He forced himself to look at Merlin, forced a kind smile that pierced Merlin's heart like a whaling harpoon. He turned away from blonde man sullenly.

"Good. That'll be nice and good." Merlin muttered his tone as convincing as a forgery. A bad one. Gwaine glanced between the two of them and opened his mouth, only to be stopped by a glare from Percy.

"Let them work it out themselves" whispered the big man, his expression cutting off any objections the pilot may have had. Gwaine glanced back to Arthur who was watching Merlin's back and huffing.

"Entering the atmosphere now captain" Gwaine announced formally as the dwarf planet loomed before them, it's moss green surface obsured by a swirling misma of cloud and mist that moved as if alive. There was a distance rumble as an earthquake tremored across the surface of the land. The clouds pareted around them enshrouding them in grey as the ship lowered to the planet, then suddely as they broke through in the windowsa the vista opened before them.

The mist hung low over the tall unform pine trees in the perpetually dying light. Barren hills rolled across the distant landscape of the small planet, the brief twinkle of a clear and pure lake reflecting in the near-distance. Frost lined the ground and the needles of the trees, tinting everything from brilliant greens and browns into an eerie silver glitter. Everything was still, everything was clear. It was as if this world was holding its breath, waiting for something to break the poised silence. Not even the sound of woodland creatures scurrying through the branches or the undergrowth drifted from the depths of the forest. The desolate beauty of the planet was a lonely one, in which it seemed things were not meant to live but simply to be.

There loomed, in the gloom of the trees, a hut. Ramshackled and twisted, its door frame wonky and the the windows blackened with age. A massive, sprawling ooak had wrapped its ancient roots around one side of it and threatened to engulf it shrouding it in a darkness that made it impossible to tell when tree ended and shack began. The roof was a granite grey shale, and was missing slates in parts where it dipped as if buckled in the middle. A skewed chimney perched atop of the roof, the only sign of life from the hovel a thin curling laze of purple smoke rising from it. Around them the ground rumbled as if in disagreement of their arrival.

The men and star looked at each other before Arthur grimaced and pushed open the door, unafraid of anything that was on the other side but the certainty of losing Merlin.