The Constant Star (53)

THE STORY SO FAR

Our mission is to get to the artillery and destroy it, then hold the Gate until reinforcements reach us and we can secure the position. Ready? Let’s do some damage”

“Yes, Sir!”

Jupiter leads them through the flank as the rest of the army waits for their cue. A small team can travel unnoticed when they are as well trained as these. They want to get as far behind enemy lines as they can before unleashing the god-armour. As powerful as it is, it only has so much charge, and it is possible Jupiter will have to use it in the Tube, as he only has until midnight to get Siff out of Travos.

They move silently behind nervously chattering enemy troops, talking about the reinforcements arriving and expecting an imminent attack. Jupiter smiles at how right they are, and how surprised they are going to be. They have no idea what is about to hit them.

“My name’s Ellen.” Siff looks up to see a smiling girl about her own age holding out her hand. The kindness in her eyes is palpable.

“Ah, yes!” Lucas is excited, “Siff, this is my sister, Ellen! Here, take my seat. Esken, why don’t we go meet up with Trophis and hear about his latest adventure.”

“That’s a good idea. Excuse us, girls.”

Ellen sits down next to Siff as the rest of the table continues to converse. It is all Lucas’ family, but they are being very careful not to overwhelm her, “Did you like the stories?”

“Absolutely! They were incredible. Those storytellers made me feel like I was actually there!”

“But you were, weren’t you? I mean if you were a…sorry. It’s just I thought…I mean…sorry, I know you don’t want to talk about it…”

“It’s okay, Ellen. I wasn’t born at that time. But now I feel like I was.”

“Yes! Our storytellers are wonderful. They practice a lot.”

“Are you sure it’s just practice?” Siff can’t help but feel something more has empowered them to capture the imagination so effectively.

“Well, that and the gift the gods gave them, of course. May we all find our gifts so effectively.”

“What’s your gift? Do you know yet?”

“I’m not sure, but my soul feels called toward creation. I love taking in the beauty of our surroundings and painting it in my own way, and I love crafting and imagining new ways to make our village more beautiful—oh wait! Did you decide yet how you want your home to look?”

“My home?”

“Yes! Everyone gets to build their own home in their own way. I love helping people build theirs. I’ve helped on a lot of homes. I can help you on yours if you like.”

“Sure…though I don’t even know how I would begin.”

“Well, that’s the easy part, I’ll show you. Come on.”

The girls get up and walk through the village, Ellen pointing out her handiwork on most of the houses they pass, “…and this piece here I put in to help with drainage, and I helped mold this design on the door, and this one…this one I helped design from scratch. Look at it! Isn’t it beautiful!” The walls are made of the same material as every other home, and the roof is covered in grass and wildflowers, but the architecture of the place is incredible. Walls curve and are colored in peaceful tones or are covered in moss in comfortable nooks for people to rest. The garden is elegant and natural with stepping stones and a small patch for vegetables. It is a home; a warm, inviting place.

“Oh Ellen, it’s wonderful.”

“I’d show you the inside, but it’s rude to go in without the owner’s permission. And she’s still enjoying the fireside. Anyway, let’s go this way.” Ellen leads Siff past a couple more homes to an open field, the soft breeze blowing fantastic aromas of the surrounding grasslands, “I’m not completely sure, but I think this is where they’ll have you build your home. It’s a great place with an amazing view over the valley. Just wait ’til the sun comes up tomorrow and you’ll see it.”

“You keep saying I’ll build my own home. How do I do that? I’ve never been a builder. I don’t know where to begin.”

“Oh that’s easy. You clear a piece of land and lay mud over it. The mud sinks into the rock that is underneath and solidifies, making your home sturdy against the weather. Then you craft the walls however you like to make whatever size rooms you want.”

“Is it just mud you use?”

“Well, we call it mud, but we mix clay, sand, and straw with dry dirt found under a nearby cliff. It doesn’t take much of that dirt at all to strengthen the mix, and it’s very malleable before it sets. We mix it all with water and it makes mud that we build with. It’s a lot of fun.”

“That sounds like a lot of work to take on alone.”

“You won’t be alone, silly. You’ll have the whole village at your disposal: you only have to ask. It’s how we learn about each other and bond with someone that reaches adulthood. I’m not quite there yet, but you are I think. So you get to ask people for help. And of course they will help you. Just like I will help you design your home.”

“Thanks, Ellen.” Siff stares out into the darkness and smiles, “This all seems so good. Better than I could have ever imagined.”

Ellen smiles and takes Siff’s hand in hers, “Let’s go back to the party, I’m sure there are lots of people who want to meet you.”

42

It takes about an hour for Jupiter’s team to get within striking range of the artillery. The six of them huddle behind a collection of supply crates, “You ready, Sir?”

Jupiter’s headset plots out a strike plan for the closest four guns, “Time to see what this suit can do. I’ll take out the guns, you

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