Journey to the Sharo

The journey to the boat that would take us to the Sharo wasn’t a long journey. We had walked barely a mile when Elmo stopped short in front of a rope ladder that was floating down from the sky. I wondered if we were going to ride on the boat made of clouds for a second. I heard Aaron snort in laughter at me and pointed up past the trees as if hearing my thoughts.

I looked and stared up and my grew wide at the side of large ship seemingly to float in the sky by a large white cloud holding it up by thin strings of rope. I saw the words printed on the side of the ship but I couldn’t understand them. I frowned just staring at the wonderous thing in the sky. I didn’t even know such a thing could ever be in this world.

Aaron dragged me forward toward the rope bridge as Elmo was already climbing up the ladder ahead of us up to the strange dream like boat in the sky. I was afraid and shaking as Aaron kept forcing me up the ladder up and up. My body shook some times in fear as I felt the strong winds blowing against my open flesh. I shivered.

We neared the top. I lost my grip on the rope ladder and started to fall. Aaron caught my wrist and held me easily. He then wrapped me up in his arm and lifted me up holding me close as he climbed up to the deck of the ship. Aaron set me down. I still couldn’t believe I was standing bare feet on the ship’s deck.

The wood seemed to vibrate with energy like the ground but it was a different energy then I was used to and I was still confused.

“Who the hell is this little shit you brought up to my ship? Adopting strays now are you or are you now playing your strange little games again huh?” He said.

I looked to the back of the back of the ship to see a man dressed in a blue long jacket standing behind a large white wheel. He stared at me with silver blue eyes frowning at me. His eyes glowed for a second and then he grimaced at the sight of me. His eyes then returned to normal mortal eyes. “Strange. You are a strange little shit. Never seen em this young before but then again you won’t live long enough for anyone to remember the like’s of you.” He said almost to himself in an echoing voice.

He was another immortal just like Elmo. What were immortals!? Why were there so many of them in this world? The question was something I had to find out now. It was the first time I had wanted to learn something beyond what I would eat or drink today. My stomach growled loudly and the man behind the wheel scowled at me shaking his head. “Fucking earth elemental. Your lot is forever hungry. Elmo. What the hell is this slave boy doing on my ship?” He said turning toward Elmo was walking up a short stair way leading up to the man.

“Never you mind about my business. Where the hell is my daughter?”

The immortal’s face softened into a genuine smile as he nodded upward. We all looked up and then a red haired her goddess floated down dressed in a dark red dress. Her eyes were mortal sky blue but the energy surrounding her as she floated down to stand beside Aaron was something else. An immortal. This time a female one. I could feel the strange magical presence surrounding her vibrate with energy and then it was gone like a cool breeze on a warm day. It feeling left me wondering if I had indeed imaged the whole thing.

The Scarlet angel smiled up at Aaron and I could see a ghost of a smile similar to that of Aaron’s in her expression. They must be siblings. I looked up at Aaron to see him smile warmly at the girl and pet her head gentle with a warm close affection. “Hello Sweets. You’ve been having a time learning Sky craft from your future father in-law I see.” He said warmly.

The girl grinned up at him ignoring me and everyone else around us now that she was his full attention now. “What did you bring me Aaron from the city. Show me. I must know. I must see it. I must have it now.”

Aaron chuckled and reached inside his leather armored pocket to present her a silver glowing necklace with a silver heart attached to it. The girl snatched the necklace up out his hand and hugged his waist tightly before hurrying away to her father’s side. Her steps were light and almost didn’t seem to touch the floor boards of the ship. I shook my head at her. “What kind of goddess is she?” I whispered softly.

“Her name is Adora. She is your master’s favorite daughter and well beyond your reach and your senior by five years if not ten whatever the hell your age is.” Aaron spoke in biting voice.

I looked up at him to see him staring down at me with interest and heat in his gaze. “I meant no offense young master.”

Aaron shook his head. “I am not your master. I am your teacher and for the moment Elmo is your master. That will not be the case forever if you prove yourself and show the promise Elmo expects from you. What you should be asking is how she was able to come down from the bird’s nest of the ship at such a great height without falling to her death. Ah! There it is. Yes. It is as your thought a form of spell air magic that you can learn as well. It is a power you can learn to. That is far more interesting. First, I want to show you something. It looks like we’re getting under way. I can feel the master of the ship taking up the Anker to begin our journey back home.”

I felt the ship shift now right as Aaron pointed it out to me. I fell into his solid side. He took a hold of my shoulder and guided me over to the side to look out over the land as the ship moved forward gaining speed quickly and moving. I felt my eyes grow wider as I stared over the different lands and looked seeing grey buildings off to the north west. I pointed to the buildings. “What is that place?”

“That is the kingdom of the western pack lands all ruled by the Western Flower. A strong immortal grand Dan of the area that recently dominated the area in a string of challenger bouts and won the lands. He is one of the four strongest immortal Dans. Elmo being the forth and lowest in rank.”

I looked to the back of the ship and stared at Adora a few seconds before I looked at the master of the ship as he was focused on guiding the ship on course. “Is the Master of this flying boat second strongest?”

“That is an interesting question. The answer however is a simple one. He is a master of Sky craft as it is called currently and a merchant of trade as is his son Clint Jr. Mr. Clint is grooming his son to take over his business one day. Adora is promised to Clint in name all but for the contracts to be signed and Adora to agree to it. They will make a fine match. Forget your foolish dreaming and look out over the pack lands.”

I turned back to the view of the different bordering lands. I saw the western pack lands and the different bordering types of lands all entirely different from one another and seeming to be like not at all a like in any way to each other. I felt a strangeness to them and I could glimpse the lines that divided them. “What is this place?” I wondered a loud about this world I had been born into for the first time in my life. Even as my hungry belly growled at me for attention. I ignored it for now as the subject of what this place took hold of my full attention.

“These are the pack lands.” Aaron said. “Five fallen worlds all grafted and brought together by the hands of the Titan Clocks and the imagination of the immortal Lucas of the East.” He paused letting me take in his words. “Do you see the lines?” He asked me.

I nodded. “Yes. What are these magical lines holding everything together around the pack lands. Look at that line just disappeared.” I said and pointed to where a line among the pack lands had suddenly faded away and seemed to make one pack land larger because of it.

“Hmm. You see the lines. Your life will not be as easy as you might have wished. The lines are the handy work of the Titan Clocks doing. The packs are still being formed as the war between the pack lands are in consent flow. The lines separate the packs that own those lands and the strength of lines signify the power of Dans’ ownership of those lands. One day when the Pack lands come into their prime a tower will appear and then things will get very interesting.”

I shook my head still trying to wrestle with this new knowledge about the world presented to me and still all the more knowledge that I wasn’t aware of at present. “How can such a place like this come into existence so easily by chance?”

Aaron shook his head. “Not easily and not by chance. As I said The Titan Clocks made this realm for one purpose as the legends say. To determine the strongest to rule and one to fight to protect this realm from forces far stronger that seek to destroy or harvest the power of the packs and the pack lands. You have more questions I know. Save them for later.” He said and then handed me a large piece of bread. Real bread. I snatched it from his hand and bite into it surprised by the taste and fat meat was also inside it.