Ally Kat walked over to me and lifted me by the collar. The look in her eye was neither amused nor angry. It was simply a look with no hint of what she was thinking. However, her lack of emotion was what made me more nervous and I almost looked away. But I quickly told myself that I had to remain strong and stared right back at her.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about the little brat,” Konrad said as he stood, keeping a firm grip on Katrina's wrists. “What were you thinking, kid? Coming in here without permission and hiding like that? What would you have done if Miss Crazy over here and gone wild and started shooting everywhere and one of them hit you?”
I remained staring at Ally Kat and answered, “I would have gritted my teeth and bore it. If it was so bad that you had to send me to a hospital I would have found some way to pay you back. I'd do what I had to.”
“You've got guts, kid. But you still lack skills and experience. Why don't you try going after someone a little safer? Then you can build your way up to our level. After all, you can't just start at the top.”
“I can't afford not to,” I said. “In the world of books, a book is great or it isn't. The author's skill and experience mean nothing if the story stinks. Most great novels come from the unrecognized authors that are discovered by the public. So... if I want to make it at all, I have to make it to the top from the very beginning.”
“That's sweet and all, but this isn't a story. It's real life. If you want to write about the real world, you need to stop sticking your head in the clouds and grow up a bit.”
I listened to his words. I knew he would refuse me yet again. And this time, the decision would be final.
“But if you wanna stick around and risk your own neck, go ahead.”
I looked at Konrad, unable to believe what he just said.
“What's your name, kid?”
I smiled. “Just call me Fable.”
~*F*~
“So now that I'm a part of the
group, could someone explain to me what just happened?” the teen
called Fable asked.
“Don't get me wrong, kid. I didn't
say you were a part of the group. I just said you could stick around.
Don't blame me if you get your head blown off. And if you get
yourself kidnapped, we're not gonna come rescue you,” Konrad
warned.
“Ah! I might get kidnapped if I
stay with you guys? Oh, boy! Whoopie! This is gonna be the best story
ever! And I get to experience it in real life! Ha! Ha!”
“Someone needs to go introduce that
boy to the real world,...” Ally Kat muttered.
“But I still need an explanation. I
don't really understand what just happened,” Fable said, getting
out his pen and paper.
“Didn't you hear my explanation to
Katrina just now?” Ally Kat asked.
Everyone paused for a second before
they all said, “Your explanation stunk.”
“Well gee, thanks. Such encouraging
friends I have.”
“Okay, I'll explain it. Here, give
me that paper and pen. I'll show you what happened.”
Konrad took the pen and paper and
began drawing:
[Click on drawing to make it bigger]
“I think I understand,...” Fable
said, studying the picture.
“Don't be ridiculous, how can he
possibly understand with that kind of art? And why are you the only
one that looks somewhat recognizable? And what's with all the dust
around you?” Ally Kat asked.
“Those are sparkles, Ally.
Sparkles! Gees, you wouldn't know good art anyway.”
“Do you want a punch in the face?”
Suddenly the ship gave a lurch and
Katrina and Fable went rolling.
“Hey, kid, grab something!”
Konrad said as he grabbed Katrina and handcuffed her to a pole on the
wall. “Ven, what's the status?”
“We've got some major headwinds,
but it's nothing I can't handle. You're gonna want to hang on to
something though,” Ven answered.
“Waaah! I didn't realize you were
actually going to fly all the way to Polstar! You've gotta be
kidding! We're dead if you do that!” Katrina panicked.
“Don't worry, Ven's the best
airship pilot in the world!” Ally yelled over the alarm.
“Yeah, but no pilot can take on
nature. That's just insane!”
“Ven doesn't go against nature. He
flows with it.”
“How can you flow with it when you
go against it?”
“You don't understand. In this
area, there's always a current traveling in the opposite direction.”
“But isn't it so small and
unpredictable that even if you find it, you'll probably just loose it
again?”
“Not for Ven! Like I said, he flows
with nature. He's got a natural sense for these things. Just wait and
you'll see.”
Everyone hung on and watched as Ven
constantly changed course and headed in every which way, flipping
random switches that only he knew what was for and watching the
spinning compasses and studying the map displayed on the screen.
Suddenly, the red alarm turned off and though there was some
turbulence, it wasn't enough to knock them off their feet. After a
few hours of this kind of flying Ven took them out of the current and
low to the ground and around to the opening where they could pass
through the mountains.
“Welcome to Polstar, everyone!”
Ven exclaimed as everybody gazed out the window.
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