Jounrey of Eclipse - Page 2 - Discovery

 I heard the soft rustle of movement before my eyes fully opened. It must be Jay having a bad dream... I'll tell mom later at breakfast.
 Then my eyes focused on the room I was in... It was dark but not fully dark, some light softly penetrated what I thought to be walls. I reached out to touch them and felt the wall move. It was not a wall but canvas... like what I once used to paint on easels with mother till we ran out of paint, and then out of canvas. I tried to get up but I felt a crippling pain sting the area around my back. It wasn't a dream then, or a nightmare. I really was thrown away by my father from our home, for whatever weird and twisted reasons I have yet to understand or never will.
 I rose slowly out of care for my pain and out from the comfort of the blankets I found myself in. If I was home, I would not care to move with such a terrible pain I felt now but I had to know. Where am I? Sitting up I couldn't see much. Covering the ground there was a blanket littered with belongings, and there was a wooden pole holding up the canvas shelter. To the left of me there was a bedding much like the one I was in and a small bag of belongings.
 It's quite obvious to me that someone has found me unconscious after I was flung into that bush... if it was a bush, it might have been a moss covered rock. Currently both are the same to me and have no difference, because I truly don't know anything about the world around me. Only what I've learned from my father's books and any holo-show I've watch, which wasn't all but a fairy tale, is the knowledge I hold.
 Now that I think about it, rocks are hard. So it was probably that, but small questions like that can be confirmed and be answer on a later date. Greater questions are afoot. Like who saved me? 'Where am I?' can wait until I know if I can trust this person.
 I didn't want to get up though to search for answers. If my back is in this much pain sitting up, walking will be a task that can wait until after I heal.
 For now though I can assume this person doesn't wish anything ill against me or they wouldn't have bothered picking up some random injured stranger... then again they might have bothered because I'm a child. So many questions. But I can't do anything about it.
 I tried to look under the canvas walls to see what was on the other side but it was firmly stuck to the ground... and looked to be attached to the blanket that covered the ground. A portable shelter? Or maybe it's design is inspired by the culture of the people here and they all live like this??
 I had no answers for any questions I had. Instead I lay back down in the comfy bedding, for the pain of my back started to win out over my curiosity. I continued to ponder my thoughts on my situation and what these people might be like.
 At least I am not abandoned on an empty planet. Was my last thought before I heard the canvas move as the front entrance was open of the canvas hut.
 "Oh she's up." The person who came in commented. The stranger's face wore of surprise but it was all that could be seen through the entrance. It went out of the shelter and he yelled to someone unseen. "Cyan she's awake!" He turned again to me and crawled inside the shelter and sat on the other bedding. I was a bit startled by the way he talked, it didn't sound like anything I've read nor heard from the way my parents spoke.
 When I could see him fully, he was wearing what looked to be leather armor and a belt, he didn't look like me at all, he must be a different species. What species though, I had no clue to which, for I only knew there were others from stories. Though I did find it odd that his skin to be an odd orange red color.
 "Hullo there, looks like ya had a run in with a wild rammer eh? Gotta be careful around them, they'll charge ya into any hard thing they find." The person winked.
 I looked at him with some confusion to the gesture and what he said then concluded that he assumed my injuries looked similar to ones done by the creature he mentioned. I didn't nod my head or agree with him, I didn't want to lie about how I got my injures, but I don't want to tell him my situation just yet either.
 Footsteps followed the person's greeting and his friend popped through the canvas opening. "Ah, good thing you're alright, it would've been mighty tough to get ya to a herbalist in time to heal ya if ya had anything serious."
 He climbed into the edge of the blanket at sat on it, which let the opening float with the wind, showing a green landscape and his unusual attire. He also wore armor as well but it looked vastly different from the design his friend wore and didn't look to be made of leather. On top of it he wore what looked to be some sort of cloak or jacket and lastly a white scarf. His skin ranging in colors wildly opposite to his friends, was a light blue green much like the sky I first saw yesterday.
 "The name's Cyan, and that one's Pimpernel, he found ya on the rocks yesterday. Do ya mind tell us ya name little one? We might be able to get ya home in time for breakfast."
 I wasn't sure how to reply... unless they have a spaceship I don't think I will be getting home any time soon. But I won't get anywhere if I say nothing. "My name is Midnight... thank you for helping me."
 "Got a last name there?" Cyan asked.
  I thought about it for a second... and I realized something I haven't thought of before, I don't know my family name. I never asked about it before and I shook my head in response to his question.
 "Ah, mum and pop haven't told ya yet, that's alright. Ye won't mind if we bring ya to our village then, we have a nice ol' healer who will heal ya up nice and good."
 Well I don't really have a choice do I? I nodded my head, and he left the tent.
 "My buddy there is gonna go ready the birds, you'll be sitting with me, my bird is a bit steadier and will make sure you don't ache to much alright? We'll be hav'in breakfast when we get back home, but for now would ya like a treat to help your stomach hold out till then?" Bird? I was going to ask but instead nodded in reply to his question.
 Just at the mention of food made me realize how hungry I was. I haven't eaten since dinner last night, and I didn't even eat much then. Pimpernel handed me a small bun and a slice of cheese. The color of it was funny, and the bread felt softer then what I was used to. I thanked him and put the cheese on the bun and ate them together. Then another. I didn't think bread and cheese could taste so good!
 "Mmm..." I devoured the rest of the bread then to discover I ate all. I should've taken my time... but YUM, I never had food like this before. I wore a smile on my face but it changed to a frown when I had nothing else left to eat.
"Taste good eh? Our buddy Ipomoea made them fresh this morning." It sounded that he had troubles with the name but I can't blame him, that is a weird name. Noticing my frown he handed me another. I thanked him gratefully and made sure I took my time to enjoy it.
 "That's a weird name." I said as I chewed the warm bread.
 "It is, his real name is Morning Glory, he hates that name because it's all flowery so he went and changed it to take one of the scientific names of the flower or something nerdy like that. Any way most of us call him, Asagao, if ya get a chance to meet him later he won't mind if ya call him that."
 "Asagao? What does that mean?" I asked. I never heard words or names sound so strange before.
 "Ah, it's means Morning Glory in our native language." said Pimpernel. "Which let's us still get a few snickers out of the name, but at least he don't hate it."
 "So why did you say Ipomoea earlier instead of introducing him to me as Asagao?" I asked.
 "Ye, that might have been the best thing to do but I wanted to try out say it, I think I mighty screw that one up in a pinch eh?" I nodded in agreement. "Besides he'll always introduce himself as that to strangers, I honestly think he's having a good laugh making some poor folk try to say such a hard name."
 "Pimper, why haven't ye started to take down your tent yet??" Pimpernel was startled and sighed.
 "Well ya heard him, I better get to work on that. Do ya need help getting out of the tent or ya feel all good by yourself?"
 "I'm good." So that's what this shelter is called, a tent. That name fits it well.
 I crawled out of the tent and for the first time I actually saw my surroundings. It was a beautiful green plain, with wild flowers and mossy boulders (or bushes) scattered across the landscape. Far off in the distance something protruded the landscape and it's color seemed to blend with the sky. Mountains maybe? I've heard the word but never imagined what it might be.
 I stood up out of the tent and felt my legs became wobbly with pain. I saw a seat placed out and sat on it. Wow, a blue pool filled with white streaks, a sky; a ball of light, a sun star; jagged faint blue mountains in the distance every where I looked; beautiful green things everywhere; and lastly day! All these things I've never seen before, experienced before. They all are so beautiful, and these people look at it everyday!
 I frowned at a new though. Why can't my mother see this? Why can't my brother and sister see this with me? Why am I alone?
 I didn't want these thought to continue on. So I looked to see what Pimpernel was doing and saw that he already had taken his belongings out of the tent and finally the pole. Then suddenly, with a whoop the tent collapsed! He was in it when it did and had to crawl out from the canvas then he started rolling up the tent. In a few minutes the shelter I slept in was a roll of cloth, a pole, string and a handful of pegs which I didn't see before until he uprooted them from the ground. He lifted the packed tent roll and then headed toward a creature I failed to notice and that I've never seen before. It was huge and had wings that seem to span twice it's height and the feather glistened in the sunlight. Soon all was loaded onto the birds, as Pimpernel has called them, then Cyan mounted and Pimpernel went over to me.
 "I'll be needing to pack up that chair your sittin' on."
 "Oh!" I hopped off carefully and he packed it up as well.
 "Now then, we'll be gettin' going finally. I'm sure ye're curious about our birds. They be young dyna blades. We're real lucky to have them around, they our friends, and help us around at home, in return for food of course. Them hungry little mouths. They ain't be much to worry about, we usually stay pretty low to the ground since these ones can't fly high enough with us as loads, especially if there's some strong winds. All ye gotta do is hang on tight and then we'll be back home before we know it. Come on." He guided me to the right side of the bird and picked me up from behind. I was surprised and wiggled a bit, then I calmed down as he helped me mount. When I was sat on the saddle, he then mounted.
 "Pimper, if ye're going to take ye damn time, why did ya say so? We're going on ahead, k?" Cyan called out in front of us. Then his bird took a running start and flew into the air.
 "I'm coming ya impatient bastard!" Pimpernel called after to Cyan. "Now here we go."
 I felt myself being pulled backwards by some unseen force as our bird started to gain speed as well. It was bumpy movement that was the force of the birds legs pounding against the ground but suddenly it ended.
 I didn't need to look down to know we were flying, I felt it as the wind howled past me and saw it as the mountain landscape rushed below view.
 So much for not going so high! Then the blue sky above us gradually got clearer and the white puffs that floated above now surrounded us or were even below us. I tried to reached out and touch the puffs wondering if I could but they quickly became farther away and shot up noticeably above us, and the flight slowly got smoother. The features on the ground became more noticeable and less distant.
 "Sorry about that! Had to get up high before we can cruise!" Pimpernel tried to yell to me over the winds and into my ears. Even as close as he was I barely could make out what he said and nodded in response. He said something else but the wind stole the rest of his words and all I could hear was faint sound of his voice as if he was very faraway even though he was sitting behind me.
 I looked around enjoying the great view and then spotted another giant bird ahead of us. As we gained on it I managed to spot a blue character on it's back and assumed it was Cyan, he was pointing to something farther ahead. I tried to look to where he pointed but the wind blinded my eyes making them water up from the force of it. It was only when the wind died down for a second I spotted the even greater bird even farther off in the distance then the mountains but with each second it's shape grew more detailed, colorful and bigger. Moments go by and it flew by us in a blinding flash of color.
 Where did it go? I tried to look behind us but I couldn't see behind Pimpernel. His face didn't show fear or looked worried so I tried to calm myself down.
 I looked around to notice the landscape changed a lot when I was looking at the other bird. We were over the mountains now and up ahead on the ground below there was a lake and groups of brown buildings. I could focus on it a bit more and it started to get bigger. Pimpernel was slowing down our bird to land. "Don't ya worry miss, we'll be on the ground in a short bit."
 As the ground rushed faster to us I question this feeling I had during the flight. Why do I feel so happy? As I ride on a strange animal, with strangers, in a strange land, all by myself, abandoned by all I know and left with no common knowledge. Why is it that I want to love this world more than the safety of what I knew with the family I loved? Am I also betraying my family feeling this way? No. This is something new. Another new feeling. One I've sometimes wished for and another I never knew of. A wish.
 For adventure, and freedom.