Tilted_Axis
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Chapter 36: Seadogs
🕑 Added 2020-12-18 13:27:30 +0000 UTCI peer out the clear, icy window, taking in the nighttime ambiance while watching the shiny yellow rectangles that dot the center of the black road lazily pass by. The little road rectangles are mesmerizing in an odd way, and I practically forget that I am inside a strange mechanical carriage beast. Finding myself, spellbound I enjoy the motions of the ride as it turns to and fro, here and there, this way and that and…
The ride strikes a bump in the dark road, causing my senses to return. It is now that I realize something. ‘Have we not been in this area before? What is our destination? I am certain we have not left the park at least.’
I glance at Terra. She is peering forward intently; her breathing is soft and controlled. It reminds me of a soldier who is in the midst of their first battle, at least how I always imagined it would look.
‘After earlier, I am afraid to inquire, but this is causing me some anxiety.’
“May I ask where we are going?” I question with a bit of hesitation.
She nods, stating, “We’re going to the other side of the park, but it is taking some time for us to get there. Specifically, we are going to the Central Park Zoo. It’s closed, so we can’t get too close, but tonight is still a good time to visit.”
I tilt my head, staring at Terra. “Zoo?”
“It’s a place that keeps animals for people to look at amongst other reasons.”
‘Other reasons? Perhaps, for the nobles to hunt?’
Remembering a skill the Cosmic System once offered me, I nod. “So, is that like a zoologist?”
She glances at me with a raised eyebrow. Having removed her focus from the road, the ride jerks. “S-sorry, I just didn’t expect you wouldn’t know what a zoo was but would know what a zoologist is.”
Taking a deep breath, she returns her attention to operating the ride.
‘Is operating a ride really difficult? It appears as if it is taking a lot of focus.’
Terra turns onto a small brick road that leads to a black gate. Stopping, adjusting the lever, and turning the key, she releases a long sigh and stares toward the ceiling of the ride. “I have a confession to make, Constance.”
I place my hand on the handle of the carriage door, preparing to flee if her confession is some form of betrayal. “Aye, what is it?” I ask, my hand firmly placed on the handle.
“...This is only the sixth time I’ve ever driven a car. I know what I said earlier, but I’m not actually good at driving.” She sighs once more, raising her left hand and rubbing her temple. “It’s not like I’ve ever had the opportunity to learn, and after I heard what was happening, I had to find some way to come see you tonight secretly.”
“Oh.” I remove my hand from the handle hurriedly. “...I truly appreciate the worry, and I already made the assumption thee did not have much experience.”
She drops her left hand and glances at me with a huff. “Was it so obvious?”
I raise my thumb and forefinger and pinch them together, allowing a tiny space between them to remain. “...Perhaps a tad obvious,” I respond, dropping my hand. “But why hast thee never had the opportunity to learn? Why would someone own something they cannot use?”
Waving her hand limply, she lets it fall into her lap. “It’s nothing interesting, to be honest, and it would be hard to explain in any detail.”
“I will likely not understand much, but I am interested in hearing more about thy past.”
She looks into my violet eyes for a moment before turning back toward the ride’s ceiling. “Well, to summarize, my maid, a very nice woman, took me to take my driver’s test for my sixteenth birthday in secret. She didn’t complain when I told her I ended up failing; after all, it was literally the first time I had ever driven anything. Yet, she was more than okay retaking me, unusually patient with me, something no one had ever been before. Everything was fine, and I was happy to have someone who didn’t belittle me like I was anticipating; however, when my dad’s people…”
Pausing, she huffs rolling her eyes, resuming, “When my people found out I failed, they threatened the woman that failed me. The next thing I know, when I arrived to retake my test, she and the manager at the DMV literally begged me to accept a license with genuine tears in their eyes. I honestly just wanted to retake it; this was the first significant thing I had ever failed in my entire life, so I was eager to try again. But I couldn’t turn it down after seeing a grown man and woman on their knees, crying for me to accept it after they found out who I was. Yet, the worst thing was the maid I liked so much was let go, and I haven’t seen her since.“
‘As I thought, I did not understand anything except that she and her family are feared… Aye, I should be careful what I say so I do not ruin my single friendly connection to this ere. Although my own safety still needs to come first.’
“My sympathies that such unpleasant events transpired,” I respond simply.
Again she glances toward me, waving her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had a few years to get over it.”
“I have not had many important people in my life because I was born with the haze, but I have experienced loss.” I stare into her eyes.
‘Sir Mouser had green eyes as well…’
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Pursing her lips, she asks, “But your ‘haze’ was with you before you passed?” She straightens her back, seemingly remembering something. “Speaking of which, I almost forget…”
“Is it related to what we spoke about earlier?”
“No, we’ll talk about that in a bit. I wanted to ask if I could take a sample of your haze? I might be able to learn something from it that might help you.”
“A sample?” I pause, pondering why she would ask for such a thing. “...It would not be wise to consume nor sell it if that is thy intention.”
“Consume or sell? No, no, I want to try to send it to someone who can analyze it and maybe learn something.”
“What type of things could be learned?”
“I have no idea. You don’t have to if you don’t want to; I just thought I may be able to learn something to help you.”
‘Perhaps, she may actually discover something. It is a bit of a risk to give it, but the more I learn about the haze myself, the better. If anyone stands to benefit from more knowledge of the haze, it would be me, the one who is made of it.’
“I… I suppose that would not be an issue.”
“Then here,” she exits the vehicle, opening the carriage door behind her. “I have a special glass jar. Just fill it with your haze, and I’ll see what I can do with it.”
“Aye?”
Terra opens the door and places a jar with a red lid on the ground. ‘Again, such clear glass for something so insignificant.’ I unwind the cattail, grasping the jar with cattail.
“W-what!? You can move that around!?” Terra shouts, with her hand covering her mouth. “Why wouldn’t you just use your hands!?”
I gaze at her with half-closed eyes. “Please do not be so shocked. I need to use my cattail because otherwise, I would not be able to get as good a sample due to my membrane.”
Terra gawks at the cattail, pointing weakly. “Cat tail? Membrane? What kind of spirit are you? I’ve read through my tome dozens of times, but none of this was in there.”
Penetrating the membrane, I capture a sample of the haze below. I move the jar to the base of the cattail around my neck, where it seems to be thickest. A bit of haze leaks out as I place the lid with my hand and twist. “I have already informed thee I am ‘spirit-like’ various times now,” I say, pushing the jar against the ground and twisting the lid with the cattail as hard as I can.
“Just make sure you get it as tight as you can,” she states, gawking at the scene. “I won’t be able to seal it thoroughly until I get home. I’m sorry I keep staring, but you’re just so different than what I was prepared for.”
I twist harder, stopping just short of breaking the jar.
She walks over, picks up the jar, and checks to make sure it is tight before taking a breath. “Okay, sorry, I am better now. It was just not what I anticipated.”
Wrapping the cattail around myself, I give her the thumbs-up I saw here do earlier. “That’s good. The cattail will grow on thee in time. An ar.. arma… ament… a weapon of elegance!”
She smiles. “Are you trying to say armament?”
“I-it is a difficult word! It is not my fault!”
“Sure, sure,” she flexes her eyebrows, releasing a small giggle. “But cat-tail is a cute name as well. I could definitely see you with a cat-tail. Almost like those Japanese catgirl drawings with the cat tails.”
“Like what? Mouser girl drawings? Let us cease such jokes; I am not so gullible.”
She nods, never removing her eyes off the cattail. “This cat-tail, is it strong? Maybe…” she murmurs to herself. Noticing me watching, she grins. “Let’s go. I think there is a good spot up ahead where we can sit and talk. I’m not comfortable taking us anywhere further than this anyway.”
Reaching into the ride, she removes a bag and then the mask from her face, placing it in the bag. She puts on a thick jacket and motions for me to follow. As I follow, I make sure to walk downwind from her, keeping a slightly slower pace. We walk along the snowy paths. The night is quiet, naught but the snow’s crinkle beneath Terra’s boots sounds through the cold night air.
“You know people call New York, ‘the city that never sleeps.’ That’s still true in some parts, but most people don’t go out as much as they used to.” She smiles bitterly. “It’s too dangerous, what with the disappearances, and… well, the person people call Galtry.”
I tilt my head. “Is that so? I can certainly believe it would receive just a name. This might be the quietest night I have experienced thus far.”
Terra pulls her jacket tight, her silvery hair blowing in the breeze. My hands run through my own coal-black hair that floats weightlessly behind me; it is times like now I am happy to not be able to feel the chilliness of the night.
Turning, to look at me, her lips form a genuine smile. “You wouldn’t happen to have a sneak skill, would you?” she asks. “If so, I have an interesting idea.”
“I do. Am I going to need to utilize it?”
“So you are in the Beta then?” she asks.
My eyes widen. “Trickery!”
“I was curious if you were, but you never confirmed it despite me waiting for you to do it.”
“...Well, I do not recall any words confirming thy own involvement in the Beta.”
She smirks. “It doesn’t matter; my point is, yes, if you have one, we’re going to utilize it. I was going to keep a distance, but if you have something like that, we can use it to get a better look.”
“A better look?”
“The main part of the zoo is closed, but the path that runs through it is still open. My primary concern is that you can hide when necessary.”
“Aye. As long as there are bushes or shadowy areas, I know I can stay hidden fairly well.”
“It is around 9:30 at night, so that should not be an issue then. Not to mention, the park hasn’t been that busy due to the unrest and the cold weather, but you should know, Constance, within the next few days, the amount of people in the park is going to increase quite a lot.”
“I believe I have seen and heard of the unrest. Though I still do not understand the whole situation. Might thee tell me more about it?”
She nods. “There are a lot of protests and upset people. A lot of secrets and happenings that your common citizen was apathetic to until recently, but now with the way things have progressed, they have decided to care. Yet, no one is willing to tell them the truth of what is happening, so the situation just becomes more confused and chaotic. To be honest, the truth would probably only aggravate things, maybe even lead to near-anarchy. Now there is talk of war, and things are being made worse by corporations, criminal organizations, real conspiracies, made-up conspiracies… cults.”
She pauses for a moment, organizing her thoughts. “That’s all without mentioning the terrible catalyst that started everything, which was the total loss of Anchorage to diseased people twisted into monstrosities. The world is not in a good place right now, and it is only going to get worse.”
Things turn silent as I look toward the sky, searching for any stars. ‘I am curious how much worse things are supposed to get in the future. I know that monsters are meant to return after the Beta is over. I assume they may be similar to me, or at least some of them… or they could be similar to the rat or dinosaur. There has been quite a variety among the few “monsters” I have seen. Monsters, beasts, and parasites like me shall make everything worse. That must be the sort of thing she is referring to. I am sorry, Terra, but I have chosen to survive, and I am sure they also feel similarly. I suppose I should ask to see what she knows.’
Finding the stars are still absent, I ask, “How bad are things supposed to get?”
“Really bad,” she says. “It is not a world I wish for the children to grow up in, but it is the world they’ll have to grow up in. A world that must be prepared for.”
“Thee art truly worried about the children’s safety?”
“I am… They’re all so sweet, but they need someone to protect them,” she says in a small voice, pausing for a moment. “Someone who actually has their best interest at heart.”
“Well, there is likely still time until things get worse! I do not know anything about this place, Anchorage, this war, or what secrets thee refers to, but I am certain things shall be fine. As long as they have someone like thyself to help them.”
‘I feel horribly embarrassed for having said that; after all, I do not know Terra that well. All I can say is, thank the lord, I am incapable of blushing!’
Terra freezes and watches me with her big green eyes. “But… Const—”
I hear someone walking further up the path. “I need to hide.”
She nods. “...Yeah, I’ll wait here,” she says with a low voice.
‘Odd?’
A moment passes before the people pass by. I return to Terra’s side, finding she seems to have recovered her previous mood, and together, we walk a short distance further.
When we arrive at a long row of benches, she motions toward them. “Here we are,” she says.
Clearing away a few inches of snow that has collected upon the benches, she removes a towel from her bag and takes a seat. “Come on, I think you’ll enjoy seeing something fun.”
I tilt my head, move downwind, and sit. In front of us is a short black fence, and further away is a pool full of blue water. A circular red-brick courtyard surrounds the pool. Various buildings are surrounding the courtyard, all of which are full of trees and shrubbery. The trees in these buildings are still green, even though everything outside has shed its leaves over the past few days. It is really rather peculiar.
As for the blue pool, it is illuminated by various lights and other such things that I have come to expect in this era. An arched rock and platform sit in the middle of the pool, and for a second, I swear I see something moving around in the water, but I think it may just be a trick of the light.
“This path is usually closed by this time, but it’s a little known secret that they’ll get deliveries on occasion and leave it open to allow the truck to enter.” She flexes her eyebrows. “The benefit of knowing a New Yorker, like yours truly, is you get to experience things like this.”
Nodding, I look back toward the pool, and something surfaces, flopping onto the rock. ‘What is that creature!?’
Leaning forward, I can see a creature with flippers and a tail. It sits with its back arched, kicking water, majestically. It claps its flippers together, making a loud woofing sound.
“Is it a mermaid!?” I shout at Terra. “This is like what the sailors described.”
Terra bursts into laughter. “A sea lion.”
“A lion!? I had heard of such creatures, except this one seems much different than the stories.”
“No, no, not a lion. A sea lion,” she says, wiping away a small tear.
Seeing her laughing, this time I ask in jest, “Lions live in the sea!?”
She shrugs with a grin. “...In a way, I guess some do. Still, I hear their personality is closer to dogs than lions.”
“Funny… the queen had her own sea dogs she would use to attack the Spanish. I saw some of them in my time; we did not get along, but that is fine with me because they were typically not the best people. [1]” I lean closer, taking in all the detail of the sea lion. “But, now that I get a closer look, they look similar to the harbor seals I had seen from time to time, just much bigger.”
“That’s all very interesting; I’d love to hear more in the future, but…” She sighs and scratches at her arm with one of her nails, saying, “But we need to discuss you leaving this park. It’s not safe.”
I shake my head. “As I said previously, I cannot leave.”
“You just can’t?”
“Well, I can leave, but I also cannot.”
“And why is that?” she raises one of her eyebrows.
“It is rather complicated,” I reply. “But I have an important... attachment to the park.”
“The tome did mention spirits may be attached to certain areas, but…” She gazes at me with seriousness, stating, “You’re just ‘spirit-like.’ Is there no way you’d leave? Even if you were able to come back to the park whenever you wanted or just until things calm down here?”
“...”
There is a lingering silence as I hesitate to answer. Just as I am about to respond, she resumes speaking. “Do you trust me, Constance? When I confessed my lack of driving experience, I noticed you reaching for the door handle.”
I turn away. At first, I consider lying, but I suppress the urge and respond with the truth. Forcing myself to face her, I answer, “Aye... yet also nay. I have made the mistake of misplacing my ‘trust’ a few too many times to readily trust someone, regardless of how much I may enjoy that person's company... Besides, we have not known each other long enough to warrant sincere ‘trust.’ A person who trusts too easily will one day discover that they were merely an unpaid food taster for the person they trusted.” [2]
“I understand. I appreciate your honesty, and I agree.” She exhales; a puff of warm smoky air passes through her thin veil. “Because I am the same as you.”
‘...So she does not fully trust me either? At least she is also honest, I suppose. Though, I must admit it leaves a bitter taste. Is it wrong of me to feel this way despite holding the same feeling?’
Leaning back, she resumes, “If there was a guaranteed way we could both trust each other without questions, but with some stipulations, would you accept?”
“I suppose it would depend on the stipulations, but it would be nice to have someone I could trust unconditionally for once.”
Terra chuckles. “I know what you mean.” Opening her mouth to continue, she freezes before saying, “I’m sorry. You need to hide.” She stands, turning her attention in the direction of the ride. “Someone is here. I suspect they are here for either you or me. Go ahead and use whatever that stealth skill taught you to find somewhere to hide.”
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[1]. The Sea Dogs were started in 1560 as a way to bridge the gap between the Spanish Navy and the English Navy. As England lacked a formal navy strong enough to defeat Spain, the Sea Dogs served as a way to attack Spanish ships during what was technically peacetime.
[2]. A Food Taster: is a person who ingests food that was prepared for someone else, to confirm it is safe to eat and not poisoned.
