SkyEarth (Reborn) Book 1: Stratos Rising

Chapter 4: Cesta de Veran

     Shaun Ingary took the blame for everything. His mother had shouted at him with some choice words and given him the harshest beating he had in his life, despite Persephone's insisting that she's the one asked Shaun for a ride. He doubted he would ever feel without grimacing in pain ever again, but that might just be exaggeration. Although he felt grateful for Persephone for trying to own up for the incident, it only made him feel guilty that she had to go home passed curfew. After what happened, Shaun doubt Jonathan Ambrose, mayor of Easthaven and Persephone's father, would let his daughter date the boy who almost killed his only child.

     Still he clung to the hope that they would dance around the Great Music Mountain in Cadafalch Place under the constellations.

     That night, Shaun's in his bedroom. His room's a cluttered mess of paint cans and tubes, brushes, books, canvasses, and paintings. Shaun didn't feel bothered by all the mess. On the ebony easel was the sunrise painting, still a few brushstrokes unfinished. With all the bruises on his arms, legs, and body, he doubted he could brush without the pain messing him up. So he laid on his bed, daydreaming. More like night-dreaming since the sun had set and night had come. He replayed the events that had transpired recently: of his time with Persephone at Cadafalch place, of the two of them were up in the skies in the Peryton, of them falling out of the sky and almost died, and of Persephone saying 'yes'. He smiled at the last part. Just hearing her angelic voice sent his heart aflutter. Tomorrow morning, he would hear her sing in front of the townsfolk for the Cesta's opening, but he'll be there providing violins for her song. Such thoughts of young, innocent love brightened up his spirit somewhat...

...

     He was on the Peryton by himself, flying over the Uvas Valley and attempting to fly through a mountain pass in the Corona Mountains. Flying the Peryton he felt thrilled and free, adrenaline rushing in his veins as the plane sped through the sky like an arrow. But before the plane could enter the pass, thick black smoke obscured Shaun's vision. He had his goggles over his eyes but he's not safe from breathing the smoke. He lifted his scarf over his nose and mouth as a makeshift mask so he wouldn't breathe the toxic smoke.

     Flying aimlessly in the smoke felt like an eternity. Shaun had his watch with him, but when he looked to check the time, arrows spun crazily, from clockwise to counter-clockwise. He ditched the watch and focused himself in flying straight, figuring that he would fly the plane out of the smoke. Turned out it worked as the plane flew itself free from the smoke, but what Shaun saw made his heart sink.

     The Uvas Valley was a scorched wasteland. The velvet green valley looked grey and dead. No grass, no forests, no fields of gold cereal and lush vineyards. Only the burning emptiness of dead soil and ash remained. Hovering in the sky were large airships, sleek in their dieselpunk design. Flames smothered the whole valley; he couldn't tell what color the airships are, but he could tell that these were military airships because of the bombs falling from their bays. Fires and explosions everywhere. Smoke rose from a few towns scattered around the valley, wherein other towns had been reduced to large craters. Easthaven was one of those towns, but far more devastating than the others.

     Almost nothing remained of Easthaven. Not a single piece of wall or any indication that a town once existed there. Seeing his hometown like this was like being stabbed with a knife a thousand times on his heart and soul. Even his home and orchard was destroyed. This should've reduced him to tears but for some sickening reason he shed no tears. Shaun wanted to cry over the loss of his home and the people who lived in it, but he just couldn't. Wasn't he allowed to grieve over those who died in this catastrophe? Wasn't he allowed to feel sadness? Wasn't he allowed to be human?