Chapter 3
They were dead. He killed them. Their blood was on his hands, both metaphorically, and literally. The brown-haired boy walked down the vacant stone brick path with a detached expression, matching the street he was limping down. He and his parents lived in one of the worst parts of the kingdom. Through the years, he had heard many whispers and rumors that the Howers would come through here and help the people, as they had with many slums that had long since dissipated because of their efforts, but the noble family never came. Crime rose, and his check waned in response. His clouded expression seemed to go well with the blood-soaked white cloak that was placed on his short frame. A single hand protruded out of the left side of his cloak stained with his father's blood. His low footsteps echoed loudly against the depressing atmosphere. Though it was hardly ever quiet in this part of town, he always hated it when it was. The screaming upstairs always became more apparent when it was. From the right side of his body, red blossomed from his shoulder, gushing a small fountain worth of crimson liquid. His eyes drooped, but he never wavered. Every foot, making it deeper into the heart of the kingdom, searching for what? He wasn't sure, but he remained on the move. When the lights that decorated the streets came into view, he began to sway in his step ever so slightly. A small river of red was strung down the winding path of darkness he had emerged from. But he moved farther into the kingdom, which lived in the mountains. His breath always hitched slightly, the closer he got to the castle of his majesty. The boy wasn't sure what was telling him to go to where the rich people live, but he knew, this was where he felt he needed to go. The more he walked, the more populated the streets got. Thin layers of white covered the ground, which increased the more the altitude increased. Though the streets grew louder as he walked, they all quieted at his approach. Fear seemed to strike them as they saw the hideous condition the boy displayed. He was set on his destination, despite himself. He trudged through the layers of deepening snow, painting the white at his feet an elegant red. He didn't pay them any mind, he was moving on autopilot, and his eyes lingered on his feet beneath him. The numbing cold ate at him, dulling the pain of where his right arm would be. The swooshing of the wind picked up a small waves of snow back into the air, letting it settle elsewhere. Though the snow built, and built further, his stride was only halted by himself; He staggered in his place, the bloodloss finally gaining the upper hand. His vacuous expression gnawed on the people watching him, and as he fell to his knees, tears came pouring down his face without pause; which continued down till he came face to face with the cold white at his feet. His eyes closed slowly, while people rushed into his blackening sight quickly. Though his sight dissipated, he could see high-end footwear crushing the snow beneath his feet followed by a loud bellow, "Get him to a doctor immediately!¨ He couldn't make out anything further as his vision went black.
The eyes of the knight opened groggily from the memories he found himself reliving once again. A beam of light was cast directly in his eyes as the sun bloomed on the horizon. He was slumped over in the same spot the night before. A single hand was used to prop himself up while the other was placed comfortably over the weapon laid plainly on his lap. His legs were still dangling helplessly over the long drop to the surface level. He moved his head groggily to either side, trying to shake away the sleepiness that fogged his consciousness.
Once the grogginess started to leave, the armor-clad individual began to absorb his surroundings; the tree he was currently sitting upon was much taller than originally anticipated. It stretched far into the sky, spearing a singular fluffy cloud through its midsection. Its large green fronds stood still through the slight breeze that passed at the high altitude he was currently in. Rays of sunlight pierced through the dense foliage surrounding him creating a beautiful blend of natural light and shadows. As his gaze shifted direction, he could see the large cliff that he could now see stretched much farther than he originally anticipated. The chalky white cliffs stood tall for miles, covered by clouds not too far above him. Staring at the cliff his eyes soon wandered down to the tree-covered surface that he had strolled through not a day before. His eyes wandered over the vast grounds that were within eye reach and not a single settlement was in said view. Once again his eyes darted back to the natural wall, stopping his exploring with a violent and sudden halt. With a single exhale, he secured the blade on his lap to his hip, before steadily getting up from his slouched position. Once on his feet again, he slowly and steadily began his walk down the branch he was standing on.
He had noticed while he was still sitting that the branch he was currently on ran directly to the cliff side that cut the clouds in half and quickly made a decision to scale the natural obstacle. Now he stood near the end of the winding branch, eyes set in determination whilst staring down the pale wall ahead of himself. Every step he made echoed lightly in the silence of the early morning. There were no humans from the birds, or chirping from the late night crickets. Though the silence unnerved him, he continued his trek until finally reaching the end of the branch. The branch was starting to bend down, unable to hold the heavy weight of both the man and the excruciatingly heavy armor placed over him. He unsheathed the blade at his side and poised it for an overhead strike against the wall. In a moment, he lunged forward, leaving the safety of the branch, and punctured the wall with the blade. Dust flushed out of the wound in the rock, forming a small and light cloud before it scattered to the now-forming winds. Now hanging limply, he held onto the grip of the hilt tightly with his right hand, while the left searched the rock face for a place to insert his hand in or place over. Although he searched a wide area, even switching hands, placing the left on the grip and using the right to search his other side for placeholders, but couldn't find anywhere to place his hand. Shaking his head slightly, he rewound his right hand and punched the stone wall, penetrating the cold white stone easily. With his fist lodged deeply into the stone, he removed his left hand from the blade, immediately pulling it out of the wall, placing it back in the sheath that was swaying near violently, by his side. With the added weight of the weapon it was meant to carry, the sheath tamed mostly, now only swaying lightly. His attention was brought upwards to his destination, which lay beyond the clouds that blocked the sky above. Once again, but with the opposite hand, he cocked back his left arm and punched the stone, allowing his form to steady itself. The knight's body stood still through the wind for a sharp minute, while the blaring silence continued until interrupted by the sounds of metal crashing harshly against stone as the offending limb disappeared into the barrier. The right soon followed suit, raising the knight higher than his previous position. The constant booms of his fists rattled the nearby area as he continued his climb up and rang in the air quietly, before getting swooped up by the wind, similar to the dust that always followed his advancement up the towering cliff. With every hole made, the further the man climbed and the closer he came to his veiled destination.
It wasn't long after that he reached the clouds that he stared at for nearly an hour; the moisture in the air was prominent as he continued to charge his way up the cliff and through the clouds that hung around it. It was a fast transition, fading from being able to see the beautiful world around him into a large blanket of white that obscured the world around him. He didn't look to care however as he continued his ascent up the precipice with vigor. The moisture in the air visibly appeared in globs of water along the body lines of his armour collecting and dribbling down the sides falling to the distant surface beneath him. Though the water on him was vast and fast accumulating, it did little to encumber him as he continued to punch his way up and, simultaneously, go deeper into the cloud surrounding him. The fog encircled him was so thick that he could not even make out the outline of the extremities that pulled him upwards. Quickening his pace noticeably, the knight soon after left the cloud, a plume of fog following him upwards before it returned to the large layer of clouds beneath him.
The scene as he left the cloud was nearly breathtaking, the morning sun shone brightly, lighting the never-ending blue skies above blindingly, with tinges of orange, dashed abstractly across the lumpy roof of the clouds that stood still at his feet. He ignored the sight once again however, instead, he favored punishing the darkening stone by forcing his fist through it, furthering his journey. He could see his destination, a decent distance above the clouds he was barely above; roughly an hour of clambering before reaching the precipice, so he continued with the same vigor, releasing the same blows he had been antecedentlyagainst the stone.
The climb up the limitlessly tall mountain seemed to fly by, while the distance between him and the peak became insurmountable. With the fluffy white clouds far beneath his dangling feet, a single hand clasped itself onto the flat summit now but a head's length above him. Just after the first, a second gauntlet gripped the ledge just as tightly, which led to a single forearm placing itself atop the cliff, the other hand pushing his heavy frame up, and it wasn't long before the knight had finally overcome the natural palisade.
Sitting down on the ledge, he huffed with exhaustion lightly; tired from overexertion after quite a long time of not exerting himself at all. His eyes lingered on the beautiful sky above him, the late morning, bordering noon, sun blazing such a light shade of orange it boarded white, contrasting the dark blue skies that surrounded its visage on all visible angles magnificently. He absent-mindedly dusted his gauntlets, slapping them lightly each before rubbing them down with the opposite hand. Despite the tough stone he had been punching through for hours, the dirty gauntlets didn't look much worse than before the climb. His musings were cut short, however, by his sudden realization of the drought of oxygen this high up. The distastefully small amounts of oxygen at this height had caught his ire, so he finally removed himself from the cliffside and examined his surroundings. He found himself in a rather flat and desolate place. The chilly atmosphere at the high altitude seemed to multiply by the cold and completely flat surface that stretched for miles ahead of him well into the distance. Despite the wall he had just climbed being a stark white, this large plateau roof was a dark, ashen grey that spread across the expanse indefinitely. His shoulders seemed to slump slightly as he gazed over his barren surroundings; more aimless walking, just this time, nothing was even mildly interesting to observe.
With a single deep breath, he took his first step, the light clacks of the metal clashing with the stone beneath him reverberating ever so slightly. His weapon swayed ever so slightly from the cold breeze that passed, which only seemed to sway more as he continued his walk through the empty landscape he found himself in now. He didn't want to stay above the clouds for long, so he quickly began to pick up speed, nearing a sprint in the opposite direction of the cliff he had just clambered up. The harsh sounds of metal hitting stone rang louder with every step taken into the vast sea of gray inflated in size, yet he continued with all his remaining energy.
Through his travels across the large plain around him, he didn't find much interest. There was the odd divot on the surface, that dotted the stone desert seldom. Not a tree, bush, or even any water within the distance he had traveled. The sun, which had at one point been sleepily hanging in the morning air, now stood well awake beaming down brightly to the mid-day of the planet, but it didn't stop him from his mission. He kept his almost-sprint going strong through the heat. He had yet to see an end to the dull surroundings, so he kept his dash at the same leisurely pace. However, a peculiar sight did catch his attention.
Pausing his stride, he glanced to the deep blue seas above, noticing a meteor shower raining down in the day-lit sky, swooshing in flashes of green light barely visible in the blue that tried to cover them from view like the faint stars that dotted the skies sleepily. Before it finished, the single largest green light strayed from the path of the others, falling at a fast rate to the surface below. Its green light shifted to a blinding orange obscuring the object from view. However, it was lost to his vision when it plunged, deep into the horizon, where he could not see it. Not long after however, a low boom could be heard and the surface he was running on, started to rumble lightly for a few moments before stopping completely.
Although confused, he just decided to recommence his journey, and once again picked up speed, allowing the clacks and thumps to consume the surrounding area entirely. His body worked on autopilot for miles, while the fireball in the sky continued to fall from its peak, casting a large shadow behind the knight. He had traveled his whole day away, never straying from his mission, except when the unexpected meteor shower appeared in the cloudless heavens. His breath had yet to grow ragged, showing his immense strength and will to complete his self-appointed mission. It paid off well, as he finally made it to the other side of the plateau, completing his mission.
He had paused his run, slowing down to a brisk walk to the cliff he had been searching for all day. The sun, which was now setting, bathed the clouds beneath him in a blast of reds and oranges, painting the skies in shades of pinks and purples against the dark blue depths of space. Though he would have admired the beauty of the destination he had been seeking all day, the faint sounds of rock cracking were suddenly brought to his attention as his eyes darted to the surface he was currently standing on. Cracks were making themselves known as if pleading with the knight to remove himself from that ledge. Sadly, its cries of pain were far too late as the knight fell through the thin stone beneath him, shattering the cliff and beginning his fast descent to the clouds and the unknown world beneath them.
The air he was currently falling through was blowing loudly and wildly into his helmet as he fell limply near the cliffside. His heavy-duty armor didn't do anything for the knight, only further shortening his already shortfall even more. It wasn't long till he found his view impeded by the clouds on the plateau's sides. Within a few moments, he found himself at the bottom of the large fluffy clouds only to see tan colors obscure his vision again. Though stunned momentarily, he quickly collected his bearings and inched towards the imposing palisade. Through the thick cloud of tan and brown, he had managed to find the cliff side, before swinging wildly towards it. With a loud boom, he entrenched his right arm up to his elbow pausing his fall abruptly. He could feel his arm groan in pain from the sudden insertion into the stone wall, yet he didn't outwardly express it. He swung his weight and let his left fist collide with the pasty white rock, solidifying his hold on the wall. He closed his eyes, blocking the vortex of sand particles from entering his eyes. He carefully collected his thoughts as he hung until finally deciding on his next move.
Removing his right hand, he carefully lowered his arm and, following his previous motion, pushed his right arm back into the rock, beginning his climb down the plateau. Thankfully, the climb down went by much faster than the climb up. The sandstorm had since ceased fire revealing an immense desert beneath him. Strangely enough, however, the dead were scattered like flowers in a garden, the bones of generations clogged the surface making this place seem more akin to that of a graveyard than a desert. Green prickly cacti speckled the sandy dunes sparsely, greatly disproportionate to the remains of the dead that shifted in the piles of sand ever so slightly. When his feet finally touched down on the pale brown sand, the sand groaned in the form of a low crunch at the new weight squishing it. The knight gazed at his new surroundings evenly, though many of the visible parts of the skeletons were not human, several human bones were noticed, but he only glanced at them momentarily. Water was vacant and so was the typical desert heat already faded as the sky was darkening, and the stars began to brighten in joy, but he was growing weary. If he wasn't in the state he was currently in, he would've believed that they were reanimating in front of him. He suddenly fell back, the screeching of his plated back against the stone as he sat down with his back propped against the cliff side. He stared at the dunes surrounding him vacantly, his eyes were drooping suddenly, and quickly succumbed to his deeply hidden exhaustion, slumber overtaking him.