Chapter 2: Strange Visitors

The crew of the Crimson Albatross make port in Rema, stopping for supplies, and the orphanage receives a very unexpected visitor.

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

                "Oy, Bickey, get more coal into that furnace! We're comin' in too steep!" Cool night air whistled past Ash's long, pointed, and sensitive ears as the white-furred Otaro called out over the deck, having forced him to don a pair of earmuffs long ago. Muscles rippled under his pelt as he braced his four hind legs against the hardwood hull of the airship he was struggling to control, the three digits of his foremost hands clamped hard to the wheel.

                Ash clenched his teeth as another gust of wind whipped at his fur, causing the brown stripe down his spine to thrash wildly. Even his thick tail was pressed against the wood to keep him level.

                It was hard to distinguish any sounds over the wind's roaring, but from a few feet across the deck, Ash heard the call of his co-pilot, Bickey. "I'm shoveling as fast as I can!" The dark-haired young man roared in response, wiping a soot-coated hand across his brow before smearing it across his already-dirtied clothing and leaning over to dig his shovel into the large mounds of coal again. "It's this wind! The poor girl can't maneuver!" His words were all too true. Overhead, ripples could be seen running along the airship's single balloon as the gale whipped at it.

                Ash seemed to find this amusing, as he just grinned widely, adjusting his pilot's goggles over his eyes. His white-furred, three-digit hands gripped harder on the steering wheel. "No winds gonna overpower moi ship!" He howled. The entire airship lurched suddenly as Ash yanked the wheel to one side, nearly throwing Bickey into the coal pile. As the young man steadied himself, Ash barked another order. "Get to starboard, we need to relay the airport!" He held firmly onto the steering wheel, keeping the airship on course as Bickey sprinted across the deck.

                The soot-covered young man grabbed a large metal object, much like a cannon, that was planted deep in the wood on the ship's starboard side. He grabbed the handle on the cylinder's end and tilted it toward the ground below. Through a thick haze of steam and smoke, Bickey could make out the dim lights of the airport below, and he directed the device in the direction of the lights.

                When it was in place, Bickey gripped the device harder, pressing his thumb to the switch on the handle, and started flipping it in a rhythmic pattern. The device, which turned out to be a large spotlight, clicked on and off, creating a faint beam in the smog.

                After a few seconds of this, Bickey turned the light off and released it. He leaned over the starboard rail, his eyes straining to see through the haze. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and the young man began to worry. Then a small light flickered below. It blinked rhythmically, and Bickey turned to look up at Ash with a grin. "Permission to land granted, Ash! I'll wake the others!" He sprinted back across the deck, spiky black hair thrashing in the wind, and disappeared below deck.

                Up on the helm, Ash breathed a sigh of relief, patting a white-furred hand tenderly on the wood railing. "You've saved moi tail again, ol' girl." He mumbled quietly. Then he spun the wheel back towards the airport, and set the ship on a docking course.

 

~

 

                Heavy boots thunked against the wood floor panels as Captain Hildebrand Caufield exited his quarters. His long, navy blue trench coat trailed after him as he strode out into the open, peering around at the brass and iron riggings that made up Rema's airport, and came to a stop near the center of the deck. The big, greasy man turned his gaze up to the helm, where Ash was moving to and fro doing post-flight checks. Hildebrand watched approvingly as the white Otaro fussed over his ship. If anyone cared more for the Crimson Albatross than the captain did it was Ash.

                Hildebrand took a deep breath of the cool night air. Rema always had been a foul little village, the skies polluted and dark, but it was one of the largest hubs in all of Agresha for airships. He adjusted the large captain's hat tighter around his head as he called up to his Otaro pilot. "Good flight, Ash? I thought I felt a bit of rocking in my cabin." He gave a gruff chuckle. "Hope all the wind wasn't too tough on you!"

                The white Otaro ceased his activities with a jolt as he was addressed, leaning over the helm to peer down at Hildebrand. "Not at all, Cap'n! Bit o' wind's no problem for moi experienced hands!" Ash held up his first four hands as he spoke, grinning cheekily. Then he dropped to a quadrupedal stance again, scratching the brown stripe running down the center of his head as he did.

                "We didn't come out completely unscathed, though. Looks like we're going to need some new rigging." He pointed up to the criss-crossing of ropes that lead up to the airship's single balloon. Halfway up the ropes, a couple of the thick strands had been snapped, leaving them to dangle and sway in the wind.

                Hildebrand nodded, scanning the rest of the ship as he did. "Right. I'll get Bickersdyke and Miss Lovett to pick some up while they're restocking supplies." The captain glanced back up at Ash, who was continuing his checks as he listened. "What about you?" Ash looked up at that, tilting his head slightly. "What about me?" He asked, one hand resting on the railing. Hildebrand shrugged, gesturing out over the town. "Well, you're always cooped up in here. Are you planning to go out at all while we're on the ground?" Concern lined the captain's voice. "I can't trust you to pilot my ship if you've got a severe case of cabin fever." He chuckled slightly, and Ash couldn't help but give a small laugh as well. "Don't worry about me, Cap'n. "I'll go out as soon as I finish up my checks." He smiled disarmingly at his captain, and the big man was forced to concede.

                Minutes later, as the sun was just beginning to brighten the smoke-filled sky, the captain had rounded up the rest  of the crew--the "rest" being Bickey and the captain's first mate, a copper skinned woman named Rufina. Ash bid them farewell from his perch in the riggings, but not before Hildebrand had facetiously ordered him to take some time out. The white and brown Otaro watched his shipmates disappear into the small-town hustle and bustle of Rema. Then he went gleefully back to work.

 

~

 

                The sun was high in the sky by the time Ash actually finished his post-flight duties. Not even the layer of smog over the city could block the warm yellow rays it cast down. Even the dark cobblestone roads beneath Ash's feet had a certain warmth to them, and he hummed a tune quietly to himself as he padded through the town. As relaxed as he was, though, the rest of the pedestrians weren't so habitual.

                Nearly every person he passed stared curiously at him, non-human's not being very common in an outskirt town like Rema. Most of them tended to stick to the airport during their stay. Ash wasn't bothered though, he experienced strange looks everywhere he went, due to his species being very nearly extinct.

                Ash stopped at a street vendor somewhere near the center of town, buying a couple of sandwiches. They were so soaked in grease that he had no idea what was in them, but it didn't matter. Otaros have very strong stomachs.

                He took a large bite from the first sandwich, tucking the second into a large pack that he carried over his shoulder. It tasted mildly of cheese, and some sort of meat.

                The white and brown Otaro scanned the streets thoroughly as he walked, enjoying the antique style of Rema's buildings, and the various types of people. At one point, Ash found himself walking past a rather large and... foreboding looking building. The door was worn and dented, and several windows were shattered. The sight of it sent a chill down his spine, but he was thankfully distracted as a large group of children swarmed down from the building's front steps, crowding around him.

                They were all under ten years old, and they all looked like they'd been through quite an ordeal. Ash's heart lurched as he saw how dirty they were, clothes tattered and worn, but they all had smiles on their faces as they rubbed his fur and grabbed at his broad paws. They laughed and squealed, absolutely enthralled by this strange creature before them, and Ash stood quietly the whole time, watching them with a soft gaze.

                His trance was broken, however, as he suddenly felt a tug. The brown-striped Otaro craned his head around to see a small boy, no older than five, seated squarely betwean his shoulders. The boy had a wide grin on his face as he tugged gently on Ash's brown-tipped ears, and he giggled uproariously when he realized he'd been caught. Ash smiled at the boy, showing his large fang-like teeth, and the would-be rider squealed and laughed as he scrambled down off of the Otaro's back.

                Ash laughed gleefully as the children continued to play, and he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. He made a curious sound as he looked toward the culprit. Another boy, much older than the children crowded around Ash, sat crouched on the roof of a nearby building. His elbows rested firmly on his knees, dark leather vest flapping slightly as a gust of wind blew past. His dark hair rustled in the breeze as he watched Ash, and the Otaro's bright crimson eyes stared levelly back.

                The tense moment was suddenly broken as a gravelly voice called from the ominous building up the steps. The children immediately ceased their merry-making and trudged back toward the house, a couple of them waving sadly to Ash.

                The Otaro frowned, his brow furrowed slightly, and he looked back up to the roof. No one was there, and the wind blew some dust into the air. Ash tilted his head, making another curious sound. Then he trudged on, back in the direction of the airport.

 

~

 

                Walt couldn't get the image of that strange creature out of his head. It set his mind spinning just to think about it, like some majestic, other-worldly being. He'd never seen anything like it, and when it had simply strolled out on the street, he could do nothing but stare. It had frozen him in place. But that wasn't all. It had looked directly at him with its bright crimson eyes. A chill went down his spine. It sparked Walt's curiosity like nothing else. What if more creatures like that one existed outside of Rema?

                He shook his head  to clear his thoughts, the fact that he was still on the rooftops helping that. He'd always felt more relaxed and free in high places. Then, making sure to carefully judge his leap, he vaulted onto the neighboring building, the orphanage. His "home" if you could call it that. One hand reached in front of the other as Walt climbed skillfully up the face of the building, eventually reaching his destination, a small window, left open and just barely large enough for him to fit through.

                With little effort, Walt slid through the space, setting his feet down on the dirty carpet inside. It was dark in the cramped little room he called his own, the only light being the small strip created by the window behind him, and Walt had to squint to make out the two figures seated on his bed. "Walt, you're back!" Came Rue's familiar voice, and the little canine attempted to hop down to meet his friend. The other figure though, a young girl of about sixteen and only a few years younger than Walt, held him down. "Oh no!" She scolded the little creature as she continued her job of wrapping his arm in a cotton bandage. "You and I both know that Arcovian bones are very fragile. It's a wonder you weren't injured more."

                As she worked, the young girl looked to Walt, giving him a curious look. She was very pretty, with long, curly, dirty-blonde hair; her eyes were a bright color, a tad greener than Walt's blue; and she wore surprisingly appealing dresses for an orphan girl. Walt had spent many an hour thinking about what kind of spouse she would be, but any action on his part in the near future would be impossible, as she was only sixteen and he an adult. Such relationships were frowned upon in most of Agresha.

                Her stern gaze brought him out of his thoughts, and he was just able to catch her next words. "Speaking of which, did you see that great brute Sheriff Keene while you were out? I hope he's not finally decided to come find you." Her voice was genuinely concerned, and for a moment Walt wanted to make up a tale of how he'd seen Keene mulling about town, minding his own business. The only thing that passed through his mind, however, was the image of the white creature on the street.

                The shrill voice of Rue cut in, however, saving Walt from any action. "Ah, don't worry, Sara. I'm sure that fat old Sheriff is too afraid to come by here! No one breaks an Arcovian's arm and gets away with it!" He waved his newly-casted arm threateningly in the air. This sent Sara into a fit of giggles, and Walt even cracked a smile. It was several seconds before Sara composed herself enough to speak again.

                "Well, I'm feeling a bit hungry. Let's go down to see if there's any soup left." She turned towards the door, but stopped suddenly. "Oh!" She cried suddenly, reaching down to lift the mattress and pull a flattened half of a loaf of bread out. "We should bring this too!" Then, she stepped quickly out, Rue scampering up Walt's leg as they followed.

 

                On the first floor, small children scampered this way and that in the dreary old building, and Walt couldn't see any of the staff nearby. He followed Sara to the kitchen as they picked their way through the squealing crowds, and Rue crouched firmly on his friend's shoulder, out of reach of the little ones. None of them seemed to be paying attention to him anyway, and Walt suspected it was because of the large creature they'd seen outside earlier.

                When they finally reached the kitchen, the three were glad to find a few bowlfuls of soup still left in the bottom of the large, black cauldron. Their feasting was cancelled though, as the doorbell rang before they could even begin. They all glanced at each other, and with a sigh, Sara turned to leave. "Go ahead and start eating. I'll get it." She called over her shoulder as she stepped back into the hallway. Walt and Rue dug in with gusto.

 

                At the front door, Sara had no trouble answering it, being taller than most of the other orphans. She reached up and snatched the key off its hook on the wall, slipping it into the lock. She twisted, and the door opened with a click. She let it swing open.

                Standing in the doorway, was a sight Sara had hoped she'd never see. A man stood smiling down at her, his fat straining at the buttons of his black suit jacket, and his head was bald beneath his matching bowler hat. Sheriff Keene smiled down at the horrified young girl. "Hello, little lady. Is your matron home?"