Rym- Episode 2 (Season 1): Unsafe Haven

Location: Outskirts of Lucas City; Archenon

"Well, I don't see why I wouldn't," Cherub said, walking side by side with Alex. "I mean, renting out an apartment makes living here incredibly easy."

She and Alex were walking down a wide pathway, layered with small round stones; they were shadowed by the green canopies that hung above. The path was leading towards the top of a hill. The sun had risen not but an hour ago. The rym and the cherub had been walking back into town, talking almost the whole way back. Alex had been a bit unwilling to speak at first, but eventually decided to appease Cherub's rambling. After a couple hours of conversation, she'd gotten used to her, and Alex allowed herself to relax a bit. She was still carrying the satchel in which she'd used to rob the bank the previous day; the strap was looped around her shoulder, her neck, and her other arm.

After Cherub had spoke, the princess gave her a slightly confused look. "Now, what exactly is an, um, apartment?" she asked.

"It's..." She thought about her wording. "It's kind of like a small house, only with one floor, and its a part of a bigger building." "I think I understand," Alex replied.

"I don't assume there would be many of them on Shiri, huh?" Cherub said. "In some of the larger and more populated areas, I would imagine; yes, there would be a few," Alex answered. "You say it like you haven't really been to a city like that."

"I have," the rym said quickly, glancing down at the pathway, "I just... haven't really been in a long time." Cherub saw Alex glance at the ground, then looked back ahead on the path as it went around a bend. A few feet up ahead, the stone path became a concrete sidewalk, and beside it, a small gravel road began. From this small road, driveways led up to two-story houses. The yards that lay before these houses were well kept and green, with smaller trees sprouting from areas defined with circular patches of mulch.

Cherub looked down at Alex's hands, which were wrapped in the black fabric that used to be her sleeve. Light red liquid was dripping from the make-shift bandage. The rym was clasping her hands, to keep the fabric from coming loose, which was making it bleed.

"You're still bleeding," Cherub pointed out to Alex. "I know that," she replied sternly, "I'm fine." "Alex, you need new bandages," Cherub said.

"I'll be alrigh-" "Where would be a good place to get bandages," the cherub said, ignoring Alex's repetative reassurances that she was fine. She looked around, and saw a house, painted a dulled shade of green. "Here," Cherub said, walking a bit faster towards the walkway of the house, "we can see if there's anybody-" "No," Alex said suddenly.

Cherub turned around quickly. "I mean..." Alex said, trying to make her voice calmer, "I wouldn't, um, want to bother anyone." Cherub stood for a moment, looking doubtfully at the rym, then sighed. "Well," she said, "there is one place we could go; I know the woman who lives there. Only if you're alright with going." Alex took a few seconds to think, looking to her right, then back at Cherub, giving her a nod of consent. Cherub glanced over her shoulder.

"Well, first," she said, "there's something I want to show you." "What is it," Alex asked. Cherub turned around facing the incline, taking a few quick steps forward and waving for Alex to follow her. The rym followed her a bit cautiously.

Before they reached the top of the hill, Cherub turned to Alex once again and asked her, "When you came to the city at first, yesterday, how much of it could you see?" Alex paused. "Wha- um... None of it. There weren't a lot of ways to see outside from within the ship..." "Well," Cherub replied, "would you like to see where you guys landed?"

Alex glanced at the crest of the hill. "Please," she answered. Cherub stood to the side, raising her left arm towards the top. The rym held her hands together, gently enough that she didn't squeeze out any more blood through the bandages. She walked towards the hill's crest, Cherub following a few steps behind her. When Alex reached the top, she paused, looking out over everything:

They were standing on a sort of ridge, that made a circular indentation in the ground that stretched for many miles in diameter. The road they were on led downhill, and disappeared among smaller buildings. After the smaller buildings, structures became larger and taller. At the center of it all, as the heart of the city, a single skyscraper pierced the clouds above it. Sixty stories, at least. The top of the building was slanted, as if a bit of it had been sliced off by some massive blade. Alex and Cherub were standing in the direction facing the rising sun; the bright star seeming to rest along the slant of the skyscraper, and appearing to span out in long streaks of light.

Alex remained silent as Cherub walked to her side. "It's nice, isn't it?" she asked the rym. Alex gave no reply; she'd lived on a planet for so long, of which bore colors only varying in red or grey, black or orange, yellow or brown. This planet, painted rich with blues and greens, was novel to her. The rym breathed in, and slowly exhaled, a few small ash-particles carried on her breath.