Tyranny: Onwards

Chapter 107- Start

Awe seemingly grips my mind in eternal claws lined in silver, embroidered in gold. I bend one of the springy branches down as Phoenix reaches up and touches the tree where the branch seeds out and away from the trunk. Instantaneously, the branch melts beautifully and perfectly off, leaving only the bump where once it was forged, its only legacy visible upon the trunk.

Eventually, we have gathered a fair stash of such stolen limbs, with their soft needles and frosty blue hue, and Aegis appears from nowhere with two long, thick branches taller than him. He lays them down as Phoenix inspects them, I myself am quite curious; won't they be heavy and inconvenient? However, when I lift up the ends from the snow, they are light and dry, yet flexible, but also firm so they will not snap.

"Where in the heavens did you find these?" Phoenix exclaims more intrigued now.

"They are from a birch tree I found a bit of a walk to the East, I broke them off just now." Aegis gives a nonchalant shrug.

"I have no clue how you manage to find all of these things from random searching." Phoenix seems to wish for the same such luck, rubbing his head and standing as Aegis kneels and starts digging down through the snows.

Right then Aegis lifts a hand in some sort of glory with a fist of long thick grasses and weed stems. Aegis directs us in how to weave and tie the branches between the two limbs of birch before wandering off and bringing back handful after handful of vines and ivy along with more sturdy stems. It takes far longer for us to weave, tie, and interlace the entire thing to be a solid and firm structure.

Undoubtedly, this newly created contraption will carry Blaze to the obsidian mountains with great ease.

"Lay down on it and we'll carry you back to test it out." Aegis motions and Phoenix takes the front of the poles leaving Aegis to the back, they lift the stretcher from the snows and I hesitantly entrust my entire weight to its arms.

The ride back on this stretcher is comfortable and relaxing, soothing in the way that the swaying rhythm works with each step and movement. Genesis decides she would also love a break and leaps in, almost dragging Phoenix back on top of us and Aegis wobbles to keep his balance.

We come to the forbidden circle in the snow and present the stretcher, Rin claps and whoops in cheer, Hester follows Rin's lead of congratulations, Dagwood tries to grin but seems barely of the capability to lift his head from Blaze's chest.

"Now we can start the journey to these black mountains at last!" Blaze sounds quite delighted and almost ready to bounce away despite laying solemnly as a symbol of our pains on the grey rock beneath.

"Yes! I cannot wait any longer to see these ridges of obsidian, a twist in nature unseen before! Let us set off right now!" Phoenix leaps about and I grin at their excitement, Rin joining him and Hester coming to inspect the stretcher in curiosity.

"Is it wide enough for Blaze and Dagwood do you think?" Aegis asks me and I am surprised, as I've always been the one with questions and him the one beholding all the answers somehow.

"If they are both okay with squishing I would say so," I contemplate and compare.

"We can fit," Blaze and Dagwood say at the same time.

"Alright, then off we go, Claire, help me move Blaze and Dagwood?" Aegis questions.

"Sure thing." It becomes clear just how weak the two brothers are from the all too recent tragedy when Dagwood can move only inches at all in any way.

Phoenix and Rin each take one end of the stretcher to slide it under as we lift them slightly, little as possible. I slide my hands under Blaze's warm shoulder blades, Aegis lifts Blaze's hips on the count of three. In that instant, I lift with wide hands to spread the pressure, Aegis lifts, Rin and Phoenix swiftly glide the stretcher under and it is done.

Just like that Blaze takes up half the device as we carefully move over to Dagwood, doing the same thing and he smoothly sinks in next to Blaze.

"Off we go at last to a new land of new beauty!" Rin announces with a skip as I watch Blaze sink peacefully into a slumber along with Dagwood. We take shifts with carrying an end I am the rear right now while Phoenix leads.

The sky is still coated in grey solemn cloud, a few flakes drop every now and again with a lonely dance, breezes tangle around us as we trek on, Aegis at the very front plowing a path through the sometimes waist high snows for us. Genesis plays about, sometimes sprinting circles and stuffing her face in the flakes, she is a strange creature for sure.

I keep making sure we are heading the right way every once in a while when at last Aegis tells Rin to take my place and Hester Phoenix's. Immediately I go right behind Aegis, Phoenix walks next to me humming tunes I've never even heard in dream, tunes beyond any mind, where he collects them I do not know; but however they are formed, they are sweet with emotions and it seeds a new creativity, sparks a new light.

"Where did you learn these songs?" I inquire, since there's no reason not to ask. He halts the notes and smiles at me, seemingly ecstatic to answer such a question.

"They are tunes from old tales and lore of ours, they are of another language, if you like I could translate part of a song for you?" Phoenix seems delighted, and I am far too awed and in wonder to pass up such an opportunity; especially since I am also pondering what their tales might hold or be about.