Chapter 15
SPERA OPENED HER eyes to Amicu and Siverline's worried expressions. She sat up and glanced over to Tenza. Looking down, she found their hands were still connected. Tenza sat up slowly, and blinked. Their clothes had changed back to their usual colors.
"What happened?" Amicu asked, confused. "You were out for barely five minutes this time."
Spera turned sharply to Amicu, eyes wide in shock. "How could that be? That took up five hours!"
"Yes, you must be joking," Tenza said, equally astonished.
"What happened to you this time? Your all dazed."
Turning to each other, Spera and Tenza remembered what needed to be done.
"We need to get to Piutony, and fast. We have taken too long," Tenza replied.
"Siverline." The dragon looked to Spera. "How fast can you fly?"
***
They had left the bikes and helmets, bringing only their duffel bags. Spera rode on Siverline's back in front of Tenza and Amicu. The white dragon cut through the air, the wind blowing in Spera's face. They had passed Ferqual mountain, flew over the green Verdea desert, above yellow Shawgal plains, through the Valley of the Fog, all in mere hours. The sun had gone below the horizon, leaving the sky to the moons and stars, twinkling and shining on them.
Spera led Siverline to Piutony, holding onto her soft, long, and damp fur. Clouds seemed to follow her, hiding them from the creatures on the ground. The skies, from this perspective, seemed to open up to them, telling the secrets of the universe. Amicu leaned on Spera's back, her snores drowned out by the roaring breeze. We are getting closer, Spera thought, Soon, our world will know peace!
Piutony is a small city, more similar to a country-side town. From her memories, Spera recalled a mansion-like house surrounded by lush forest set on a hillside. She remembered climbing with Tenza onto the roof at night to see the stars. She realized that she had no memories of being outside of the mansion's perimeter. Except one. Dr. Croxer believed it was needed for them to know social interaction. It didn't exactly work out.
***
Spera skipped along, trying to keep up with Dr. Croxer's long strides. Veglio galloped beside her, and Tenza held Dr. Croxer's hand, almost running. Esser had brought a hover scooter with him, showing off with tricks through the trees
They went down the small trail leading into town. Woods lined the winding path, squirrels darted through branches, birds sang, and leaves rustled. This was the first time Spera had been on the trail, and it all amazed her.
"It is so pretty here," She commented.
"Yes," Tenza agreed. "I hope we can come more often." He looked hopefully to Dr. Croxer.
"It depends on how you act in town," Dr. Croxer answered the indirect question.
Spera smiled brightly. They would do fine.
The woods receded to the dirt of the town's streets. Homes dotted along the tree line looked cozy and welcoming. The closer they got to the town square, the bigger buildings became. People were bustling about, doing what business they had on the humid day. Kids played with balls and animals. Shopkeepers stood outside their businesses, talking to everyone who walked by.
Spera had never seen so many people in one place before. It was a bit overwhelming, but Spera did her best to stay calm. They walked to the open-air farmer's market, and Dr. Croxer gave them each five silver coins.
"In twenty minutes, we meet back here, got it?"
"Yes, sir," Spera and her siblings answered. Spera looked around at all the odd foods she had never seen before. Meats, candies, fruits, and more were packed into the big space. She dragged Esser over to the fruits with her, hoping he knew some of them. Big round green-striped fruits were piled in one tub. A sign above them said, "Seedless Watermelon .... 3cn ea."
"What is a watermelon, Esser?" Spera asked.
"It is a type of melon fruit that is red on the inside, and mostly very sweet water. I have read it is delicious, do you want to try one?" Esser was already looking for a good melon.
"Hmm... No. It is three coins, and I only have five. I want something really special." Spera grabbed Esser's hand and lead him to the candy section. She picked a bar with brown wrapping and green letters saying "Milky Way".
"'Milky Way?'"
"It is chocolate. I have read that it comes from the planet Earth."
Spera looked the candy over in curiosity. Earth seemed weird to her. "Oh."
They walked around a bit more, and Spera finally settled on getting a mango, honey, and trying one of the Earth candies- a Reese's peanut butter cup. Esser got a honeydew melon, beef jerky, and the Milky Way. After the time was up they came back to Dr. Croxer. He had gotten some food of his own.
On the way back through the town square, a boy bumped Spera roughly trying to catch a ball that went over his head. On instinct, Spera used the boy's momentum to flip him over on his stomach and pin him down, twisting his arm slightly. The boy had to be about eleven years old.
"Hey! Get off of me!" The boy struggled in her grasp. One look to Dr. Croxer's reprimanding gaze had Spera up and off him in seconds.
"I am sorry, sir. He startled me!" Spera said in defense. She was trained that way, how else was she supposed to react? Her siblings were just staring at her.
The boy ran off, looking back over his shoulder at her with a mixture of disgust and fright. Spera felt Dr. Croxer grab her hand and pull her away. She stumbled after him, only then seeing every face was turned and looking at her. They disappeared into the woods.
They never came back again.
***
Spera came out of her memory to see she had passed right over a city. Curious to see which city it was, she led Siverline back and
down. The clouds surrounding them kept it from view, but they slowly dispersed.
Spera could only stare in shock. Contritio had been blown to bits, but this town was decimated. Ash and steel littered the ground.
Anything still standing was crumbling, cracking under its own weight. Corpses in twisted positions were everywhere. Some were even missing limbs. Rats scurried through, nibbling at them. Dirt roads were now coal roads, fresh air now rotting.
Spera turned to Tenza as they landed lightly. He was staring unseeingly out at the city. He slowly turned to Spera with eyes wide.
"Spera, check your GPS," he whispered uneasily.
Spera did as he said to, and instantly her eyes glazed over. How could this be? She looked out to the rubble in a new light. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
They had arrived at Piutony.
End of Part One
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Thanks for reading Part One of Naturally Abnormal!
More to come as Spera's quest is only beginning.
(The next part will come out as a separate book, so
please leave a comment telling me if you want more!)
