Legacies

The great Crowson's Forge, a statue of a crow carved in a hole alongside the side of a mountain; its wings were spread, as if the crow was perched on her nest preparing to take flight. Fitting, as it was here at Crowson's Forge that Richard Aberdeen would make his ascent to the aerland named 'Womyn Weep.' 

"Is this your first visit?" a kindly old man dressed in overalls asked.

Richard smiled, "To Womyn Weep, yes, sir. I saw Fairglow once as a child, from a plane."

"Pure diamond underneath, y'know," the old man grinned a toothless grin, "Wonder why no one's ever mined it."

"International law," Richard explained, pushing his glasses up to his eyes, "The Allied Nations ruled Fairglow's diamond restricted, property of the world. Carving off just a sliver is punishable by 5 years in prison."

"Ah, a student, are ye?" Going up to Summerton Hall?"

He nodded, "I am, indeed. First year political science major."

"Are ye?" the old man eyed his belt, "Don't see many Summerton fellas carrying iron to school, young one."

Richard glanced down at his belt, briefly examining his 'iron' before withdrawing the black weapon and handing it off to the old man.

"It's one of the new 1622s, sir. My father bought it for me, a present for school."

"Your father?" the old man asked, eyeing the iron in his hand with the barrel pointed safely away.

"Sir Leo of Aberdeen," Richard explained with a touch of pride.

The old man scoffed, handing his iron back to him, "Knights. Not many left in the world, and good riddance to them. Should have died out altogether when the Last Queen was killed."

Richard shrugged, "I'm not a knight, sir. My father will be the last of the Aberdeen Knights, though I couldn't call myself a knight anyway. Aberdeen is a hereditary knighthood earned through service."

"Is that what your iron's for then? Service?" the old man demanded.

Richard shrugged, "A lot of old families send their childryn to fine schools. Summerton Hall is a fine school. I might meet someone from an old family with a grudge."

The old man eyed him coldly, "Maybe. Just don't get it in yer head to blow some poor boy's head off just cause he don't bow to yer lordship."

With that parting blow, the old man sauntered off, muttering under his breath.

"A bit of a fool, isn't he?"

Richard turned to his right, finding himself faced with a beautiful, black haired woman dressed in a dark green outfit that screamed 'money'. She held herself erect and with pride, as if she were looking down on the world. She grinned as she observed him, her brown eyes twinkling even on this cloudy day.

"Anyone wearing such a well-tailored gray suit as yours must surely come from a wealthy family," she said.

"Wealth does not equal knighthood," Richard argued.

The woman thought for a moment before nodding in agreement, "Granted, but he at the very least was incredibly rude."

"People here have hard feelings, mam. It's only been thirty years since the Last Queen fell, and only 32 since Columbia's last king. He remembers the harsh days, the Troubles and the beginnings of our Revolutionary Age."

"That is still no justification for being impolite. You have done nothing to harm that man, yet he seeks to harm you. How can you justify it?"

Richard sighed before saying, "I don't seek to justify, merely to explain. Understanding one another helps to ease troubled hearts."

"...Indeed," she smiled, presenting him with her hand, "Juanita Delacroix of Aztlan."

Richard gently took her hand and bent his knee, bowing to her. As he rose, he was flummoxed to find her frowning.

"You didn't kiss it." she spoke flatly, though he could detect a hint of disappointment.

Richard blushed, embarrassed, "I...I-uh."

"You must do better next time, Richard," she smiled playfully.

He blinked, "You know me?"

Juanita began to walk down the street, seemingly ignoring him until he made to follow.

"You said your father is Sir Leo," she explained, "Sir Leo of Aberdeen has only one son and three daughters."

Richard was surprised by her knowledge of him, surprise which must have shown on his face.

"When the Gaults laid claim on the Land Across the Sea, they settled in Aztlan and Central Columbia. Several wars later, the Gaults surrendered control and those lands all united under the banner of Aztlan. I was taught all this, as well as the histories of the knights and lords. The Delacroix, like you Aberdeens, were knights. That is, until both our countries became republics."

She sighed, turning to face him fully, "Like you, I am a generation that will never claim my title."

Richard nodded, a look of sympathy covering his features, "Once, we all had titles to claim, positions to maintain. But that was in the old world. And so, now, when we have come of age, we must claim a new place for ourselves and our families."

The two settled into a contemplative silence for a long moment. Richard thought of his father, and how lost he had looked upon his return from the war. Even though he had survived, he still had lost so much and, worse, his family would never share in his hard fought rewards.

"Womyn can claim hereditary titles in Gault?" Richard asked, curious.

"Once," Juanita seemed unperturbed by this fact, "But now we can own land, property. Now even Ladies could before, only Queens. Soon we will claim suffrage for ourselves."

"One woman, one vote," Richard smiled with a nod, "It's amazing how much can change in 30 years."

"I was born just after the Revolution," Juanita stated, "To grow up in a world with such change, such promise. I can't even imagine the old one."

"I remember a bit of the changeover," Richard cast an eye upward as he spoke, "Mostly my mother reading me newspapers or telegraphs from my father. The day I remember best was the day he returned home from the war."

Juanita made to respond, but a sudden bell ringing distracted her. A man dressed in an immaculate blue uniform stood and observed the crowd before announcing "Ladies and gentlemyn, in a few moments, you will be grace with a sight few ever see!"

"Clearly, he's rehearsed this speech a few times," Richard joked.

Juanita smiled lightly, "Honestly, it's like they've never seen an aerland before."

Richard took a glance through the crowd and found that some were paying rapt attention. It was clear that this would indeed be their first aerland sighting. Still, Juanita was hardly to blame for her consideration. In Aztlan, there were four aerlands, including one of the very few that never moved. Where they stood in Eastern Columbia, in the Black Hills, only Womyn Weep and a few scattered, nameless aerlands barely bigger than a few acres littered the skies.

Lost in his thoughts, Richard missed the remainder of his speech but did get to hear the man announce "May I present to you: Womyn Weep!"

He looked up into the sky over Crowson's Forge and saw. It was a giant mass of land, with roots and rocks jutting from the underbelly of the great, floating mountain. It was suspended in the air as though it were on a wisp of cloud. Tall as a mountain, with green trees and grass covering the upward facing plains and the mountain that spiked upward, like a knife cutting through a piece of dirt. It moved incredibly slowly, but each and every one of them craned their necks up to see it.

The aerland rotated in the winds, drifting to the left and spinning so they could catch a glimpse of the other side. They began to see structures built along the mountainside, lights glowing in the gray skies. There was a green glow from the plain at the base of the mountain, and Richard could not see where the glow was coming from, but it was bright enough to light up that side of the rock in an otherworldly glow.

"Ay, Dios mio," Juanita whispered, and Richard had to concur.

As the aerland continued to turn, the namesake of Womyn Weep drifted into view. Carved into the aerland's side, seemingly melded into the rock, were three faces lined in a row. Each was a woman, beautiful in form, their eyes narrow slits, only barely noticeable in the wind and dim light.

"How?" Richard wondered, "How could the ancients have ascended the clouds to carve out such wonders?"

"In my country," Juanita whispered, "There is a legend of a great conquistador. Diego Cazzar. He is said to have leapt from the tallest mountain, cross the great distance and grasped the aersla with his mighty hands and ascended to the plain at the top."

"That explains one man. What about the rest?" Richard grinned.

"Don't mock my heritage," Juanita rebuked him, a small smile revealing her mirth.

Richard was cut off as another bell went off and the uniformed man called out 'All aboard!' The crowd began to move as one, heading to the platform where the announcer stood. He would stop each person individually and collect their tickets before allowing them to move into the interior of the building.

"I seem to recall Lord Crestfall flew a cadre of airships to retake Carthagean some 100 years ago," Juanita spoke as they moved in line.

"Yes, back during the War of the Three Queens," Richard agreed, "It was the first time an aerland lord rebelled against their Queen. Corynth even tried to have the Columbians get involved in their war, as though we could forget our own revolution some 300 years prior."

Juanita handed her ticket off to the official before stepping through the line. Upon sight of Richard, however, the announcer motioned for him to step aside.

"I see you're carrying a weapon," the man said, "May I ask why?"

Richard answered, "I come from an old family, sir, one with many enemies. While Womyn Weep is a civilized place, some may still challenge me to a duel of honor and I must be prepared."

"Honor duels have been outlawed, son," the official reminded him.

"Not on Womyn Weep," Richard replied.

The man grimaced but asked, "Do you have proper documentation for that weapon?"

Richard reached into his pocket and produced a small booklet with the words 'Columbia Permissive for Self-Defense.' Inside was his license to carry a pistol, his most recent range score, several signed forms authorizing his right to carry and documentation verifying the model of weapon he carried. It was very nearly as expensive as tuition to Summerton Hall, but worth it.

 

The official reviewed the paperwork and, after finding that everything was in order, stamped Richard's ticket and sent him on his way.

 

"I thought Columbians had the right to bear arms?" Juanita asked.

 

"Columbia doesn't have 'rights' anymore," Richard explained, "You have to apply for permission from the state. It's a very expensive process."

 

"So if you are a lowborn but still wish to defend yourself? Your family?" Juanita asked with a frown.

 

Richard sighed, "Your best bet is either an illegal firearm or a blade."

 

"Can womyn own firearms?"

 

Richard shook his head, "No, not unless they're heirlooms, and the taxes on those are staggering. Most families keep them only for display."

 

Juanita took on an irritated visage, "These 'permissions' are both sexist and elitist. You have to be rich and male to defend yourself in your country."

"Columbia is still grasping what it means to be a democracy," Richard defended his homeland, "We were a kingdom for centuries until the Revolution. Back then, owning a firearm or sword was expected. This is a world still forming itself, a republic still finding its footing and, with time, will strike a better balance between freedom and security."

 

"Elitist," Juanita was unmoved, "Sexist. The poor and the disenfranchised should have the same freedoms as the rich."

To that, Richard had to admit, there was no argument he could muster. Fortunately, their discussion came to an end as they flocked into the large cabin that would house them on this latest leg of their journey.

 

It was an opulent lounge filled with booths, tables and a large dining station in the center. Richard felt his mouth begin to water as he smelled the sausage and eggs. A female steward raised her hand, gaining their attention.

 

"Ladies and gentlemyn, good morning! Welcome aboard Crowson Forge Airway. We will be taking off in just a few moments. Our expected flight time should be 25 to 30 minutes, just long enough to sit down to breakfast from our complimentary dining station. Please, enjoy your breakfast and your flight."

 

Richard smiled before turning to Juanita, "Mam, would you do me the honor of joining me for breakfast?"

 

Juanita grinned, "How gallant. I'd be delighted. Now hurry before all the bacon is gone."

 

Richard let out a chuckle and they set to it. After gathering their preferred foods, they claimed a booth for themselves. Richard rubbed his hands together, enjoying the smell of his sausage, eggs and toast. He hadn't eaten anything during the train ride down from his father. He made to dig in but paused as he saw Juanita bow her head in prayer. Richard himself was not religious, but he respected other people's beliefs so he courteously waited until she had finished before starting on his meal.

"So what are you studying?" Richard inquired.

"Engineering," Juanita answered, "The Delacroix family built bridges and railroads for Aztlan for years. My brother is only interested in womyn and planes, so it fell to me to continue the family legacy. Thankfully, I should say. I love building things and, unlike my brother, I have a talent for math."

"I've never been much for math, but moral mathematics fascinate me."

"Not surprising for a political science major," Juanita noted.

"History, too," Richard grinned, "I want to serve the nation like my family has since Columbia was part of Corynth. I may not have a knighthood, but I still have a legacy."

Juanita nodded at that. She had had a difficult journey north from her family's estate, and it was a pleasure to spend any time with someone who understood her life. She had been taught from an early time what her place would have been had their knighthood not been taken, but it had been so she was left to carve out a new place for herself. Most of the families could do the same work, but they would never receive the same rewards or praise, and none would ever be called 'Sir' or 'Lady'.

It left a hole in their souls, one she was glad Richard understood.

She raised her glass to him, "To legacies."

Richard eyed the glass for a moment before smiling, "To legacies."

 

Author's Note

Edited it to correct some mistakes. Please point out any I missed.

Reviews

[InsertImaginativeNameHe..]

The setting is pretty awesome. It feels quite rich and the way the characters speak fits it completely. It is intriguing, pretty badass, and ugh I love the backstory. The place names are awesome, and man I am excited to see where this goes. Richard seems pretty chill and Juanita seems freaking great.

I am interested in the society, the story, what could possibly happen in this world. Also, don't just assume I'm violent or anything but there could be some exceptional fight scenes.

One thing that kind of made me laugh is the use of the word 'iron'. I love it, honestly, it fits but I kept imagining Richard carrying an iron around. And ironing people. Which mayyyybe detracts from the piece but idk. If you could find another informal-sounding word that doesn't connote cleaning and still fits the character speaking, that might work, or just keep it. It's just me being weird. Do whatever you feel like on that one.

I am definitely down for this and I look forward to whatever comes next dude

[Jesse W.]

LOL, thank you so much for the review :) I was aiming to make a large but connectable world, essentially an Earth that's just a little more fantastic than our own. 'Chill' was exactly what I was thinking when writing Richard, so I'm glad that got across. Juanita is one of my best characters, I'm glad you enjoyed her. As to the 'iron,' I had misgivings when I was writing it. I thought it might be too 'western' when I was aiming for more of a Victorian/19th century thing. I may do a rewrite before I post the next chapter. But thank you so much for the review, I should have more out this week :)

[richieb]

Jesse, mighty fine writing young man. Your story is polished,excellent dialogue, your characters have personality and your story has a nice pace. I am hooked, look forward to reading more. You are an excellent story teller. Richie

[Jesse W.]

Thank you so very much for your kind words. I wanted to have characters that people could connect with on the off, and that's hard to do but I'm glad you approved. :)

[ZJC]

Dude, I like it. I'm digging the backstory of it all, and the mixture of it all. Is this a story that will continue to be uploaded here?

[Jesse W.]

Thank for the review! And yes, this will definitely continue. I'm about two chapters ahead of this one at the moment, so I'll be posting those up probably Monday or Tuesday.

[ZJC]

Awesome, like it so far