Freedom: A Futuristic Fantasy Read online

  “Very well, sir. Just to remind you, and beggin’ your pardon, but that ocean is pretty wide. I mean, we’re gonna be running on fumes when we reach land again,” Dolus said.

  The captain nodded. “When you come around to two-ninety, adjust the revs and pitch for best efficiency. Then, if you believe in any gods, pray for a tailwind.”

  Chapter 3

  Jazeen looked through the front window and grabbed the console to brace herself. The airship passed through the trees soundlessly without even a bump. They were now in a large tunnel cut into the rock of the island. Ahead, the tunnel widened into a large chamber, and she could see a wooden platform.

  “How did you do that?” she asked.

  “There’s a holographic projection of trees across the entrance. It’s nothing more than a wall of photons. It affords me a little privacy,” he said.

  The propellers roared, and the ship slowed. The noise stopped altogether, and the ship began to sink. She wondered if the balloon had sprung a leak.

  “Why are we sinking like this?” she asked. “I mean, the elevators can’t do anything when we’re sitting still.”

  Angus smiled. “Very good. I’m impressed. You see, in the balloon above are thirty-six bags of helium. When I want to sink, I pump some of the helium out of a few bags and store it in a pressure tank belowdecks. Reduced buoyancy, so we sink. It’s tricky, though. If we sink too quickly, we’ll have a nasty landing.”

  She felt rather than heard when the ship touched the platform. Angus began operating controls and turning off switches. There was a great rushing sound.

  “What’s that noise?” she asked.

  “I’m compressing most of the helium into the storage tank. I leave just enough in the bags to hold their shape. Sometimes a strong wind will whip down the tunnel, and I don’t want my ship to be pushed off the platform.” The noise faded and then stopped. Angus twiddled a few controls. “Welcome to my home. Come with me,” he said as he headed through the door.

  Angus walked around the deck dropping ropes over the side. Then he opened a gate in the railing and extended the gangplank. Jazeen followed him onto a wooden platform where he made a circuit of the ship, tying off the lines. When he had finished, he motioned for her to follow him as he walked to some stairs going up through the rock.

  Reaching the surface, they turned to the right and Jazeen saw his house. It was made of rough stone, stacked and set with mortar, and topped with a roof of cedar shakes. The door was wood, elaborately carved with the images of trees. Turning around, there was a wall of rock where the stairs should have been. Going back, she reached out and pushed her hand through the rock.

  “Another holographic projection,” she said.

  Angus nodded. Grabbing the doorknob, he said, “Let me introduce you to my pets. Don’t worry, they’ve never killed anyone.” He turned the knob, but hesitated. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, “Come to think of it, I’ve never had a visitor before. Still, life’s an adventure.” He pushed the door open.

  Hesitantly, she followed him in and quickly shut the door—she didn’t want to be responsible for letting his cat out. Angus crossed the room and lit an oil lamp. When he turned a wheel to extend the wick, the flame grew, casting a warm glow about the room. He lit a second lamp and turned it up.

  The walls were paneled with broad wooden planks. The beams overhead were rough-hewn timber with bits of bark here and there, and the light of the oil lamps cast deep shadows between them. A large stone fireplace stood in the middle of one wall, topped with a dark wooden mantelpiece. A staircase to her left led up to the second floor.

  “You just stay there for a moment. I’ll call Occisor,” he said.

  “Oh, great! Your pet’s name is Killer,” she said.

  “Very good! Where did you learn Latin?” he asked.

  “My father is a professor of dead languages at the university. Between summer classes and online classes, he made me take three years of Latin, and a bunch of other useless stuff.”

  “Knowledge is never useless,” he countered.

  “Okay, for the first time in my life, I’ve encountered a single word of Latin. All those years of study paid off.”

  Angus smiled, then turned, held out his arm, and whistled. “Come here, Occisor.”

  A raspy squawk echoed around the room.

  “Don’t be a baby! She won’t hurt you.”

  Something dropped from a dark shadow between two roof beams. With a fluttering of leathery wings, it flew to Angus and perched upon his outstretched arm. Folding its wings, it squawked. It was a dragon. It was no more than a third of a meter tall, but it was a dragon.

  “That’s Killer?” she asked with a chuckle.

  Angus looked offended. “Don’t be fooled by his size.”

  Jazeen’s face flushed as she looked at this very nice man who was barely more than half her height. “I’m sorry, it’s just… well… I mean, when you said you had a dragon, I was expecting… well, I wasn’t expecting you to have a dragon. But… when someone mentions a dragon, I envision an enormous creature.”

  “Come over here slowly, and let’s see if he takes to you.”

  “And how will we know if he likes me?” she asked.

  Angus looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, if he doesn’t turn you into a pile of ashes, I’d say that’d be a good sign for starters.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Of course I am. Probably. Maybe. Still, life’s an adventure,” he said.

  “You know, if we were standing at the top of a high cliff, I think you’d tell me to jump because life’s an adventure,” she protested.

  “I wouldn’t tell you to come over here if I thought he might actually hurt you,” Angus said.

  She took a step.

  “Of course, there’s no guarantee,” he added.

  She stopped and glared.

  Angus smiled. “Come on.”

  Slowly, she crossed the room, watching Occisor intently. The little dragon’s eyes followed her every move, though it made no sound. Now within reach, she slowly raised her hand to stroke it. The dragon let out a loud screech, and Jazeen jumped back, stumbled, and fell to the floor.

  Angus laughed. “He was just saying hello.”

  She stood and made a show of dusting off to stall before approaching the dragon again. Reaching up, she stroked the dragon’s head. It was smoother than she expected. Its scales were much like a snake’s, smooth and dry. She smiled as the dragon cocked its head to one side and stared at her.

  “Put your hand out. You can hold him,” Angus urged.

  Reluctantly, she held her hand, one finger extended, in front of Occisor’s feet. To her surprise, he climbed onto her finger without hesitation. She smiled as she slowly raised her other hand and stroked the dragon's head.

  “You keep him company while I build the fire. Then I need to feed the critters.”

  Crossing to the stone hearth, he opened the wood box and began stacking logs on the grate.

  “Don’t you need some kindling first?” she asked.

  Angus laughed. “You’ll see.”

  When he had the logs stacked to his satisfaction, he came and stood next to Jazeen.

  “Okay, hold your arm out and keep it nice and steady now. I don’t want to light the house on fire, or anything.”

  Jazeen nodded, waiting to see what would happen next.

  “Occisor, light the fire, please,” Angus said.

  A lance of searing white flame shot from Occisor’s mouth, striking the logs three meters away. Jazeen turned her head away and closed her eyes. After a moment, the flame stopped. Cautiously, she looked to the fireplace—the logs were burning brightly.

  “Well, now, that should cheer the place up a bit,” Angus said with a smile. Going to a cabinet against the far wall, he took out a bowl. Filling it with several dark lumps, he then poured a golden liquid over them. Placing the bowl into a holder next to an iron perch, he gestured for Jazeen to bring Occi
sor over.

  “Just hold your hand up near the perch and he’ll jump over. He’s a hungry boy, for sure.”

  The dragon leaped onto the perch and quickly began eating.

  Looking into the bowl, she asked, “Is that coal?”

  “Coal covered with lamp oil,” he said. “That’s him fed. Now to feed Fluffy.”

  “Fluffy would be your cat, I suppose,” Jazeen said.

  Angus didn’t answer; he was already rushing into the kitchen. There was some clanking and rattling, followed by a dull thud. A moment later, he returned carrying a large metal bowl with a huge chunk of red meat in it. Setting it on the floor near the hearth, he called, “Here, Fluffy! Come on, girl. Daddy’s set your dinner out.”

  There was a scrabbling noise upstairs, followed by a series of loud thuds as something trotted down the steps. Around the corner came a cat… a big cat… a big cat. Its fur was jet black, sleek, and smooth, and its eyes were golden. Dark pupils shone green when the lamp light hit them a certain way. It saw Jazeen and stopped. Its back arched, and it hissed at her.

  “None of that, now,” Angus chastised. “She’s our guest. You just pretend you know how to behave.”

  Fluffy slinked around the edge of the room, keeping away from the visitor. When she reached Angus, the pair stood face to face. She began rubbing her face against his, and he reached up and petted her behind the ears. The cat purred loudly, and he patted her on her side and said, “Okay, time for dinner.”

  Fluffy gave Jazeen a cautious look, and then turned and went to her bowl. With teeth and claws, she ripped the meat apart and ate it. Jazeen watched in fascination, afraid to move. After licking her paws clean, the cat turned and stared at Jazeen. Slowly, it padded across the room toward her.

  “Angus, what should I do?” she blurted out.

  “Just relax, Jaz. She can sense if you’re scared,” he replied.

  “Oh, that’s okay. I’m not scared. Um… can she sense that I’m terrified?” she asked with a quavering voice.

  Angus ran over and stepped between Fluffy and Jazeen. Waggling a finger in front of the cat’s nose, he said, “You be nice to Jaz. Do you hear me?”

  The cat looked at him in a way that only a cat could—an expression of complete indifference, bordering on contempt. “I mean it,” he said before stepping aside. The cat looked at him briefly, and then continued toward Jazeen. Feeling she either needed to run or be friendly, Jazeen slowly got down on her knees, and then reached out toward the cat with one shaking hand. Tentatively, she stroked its shoulder, ready to jerk her arm back if the cat moved. Fluffy edged closer, and Jazeen closed her eyes. A warm, rough tongue licked her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw her arm was still attached to her body. The cat pressed her face against Jazeen’s, toppling her onto her back. She quickly sat up and crossed her legs. Fluffy came closer and rubbed faces again. Jazeen scratched behind its ears, and the big cat began to purr.

  Angus smiled. “See, nothing to worry about. You two are going to be great friends, I can tell.”

  Jazeen kissed Fluffy between the eyes. “Yes, we will.”

  Fluffy lay down on the floor with her head resting in Jazeen’s lap, purring while Jazeen stroked her silky fur.

  “Have you had dinner?” Angus asked.

  “Yes, shortly before you picked me up.”

  “Oh,” he said. “Well, er, I haven’t eaten yet. Would you think me rude if I were to… you know, pop into the kitchen for a bite or two?”

  “Of course not! Go and have a feast. Fluffy and I will keep each other company,” she said.

  There was a squawk and a fluttering. Occisor flew from his perch and landed on Jazeen’s shoulder.

  “Well, now, somebody’s jealous, it seems,” Angus said.

  Jazeen began to rub the dragon’s head, and Fluffy immediately began pawing at her leg.

  “Okay, okay, I’ve got two hands. Nobody needs to feel neglected,” she said.

  Angus chuckled and went into the kitchen.

  “So, Fluffy, it seems you’re a great big cream puff,” Jazeen said.

  From the other room, she heard Angus say, “Oh dear.”

  The cat scrabbled to her feet and raced toward the kitchen with paws flying, skidding on the wood floor.

  “Okay, Fluffums, get down. I’ll get it for you,” Angus said.

  Jazeen carefully stood so as not to dislodge the dragon, and then walked to the kitchen door.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “You said the word,” Angus said. “She loves c-r-e-a-m p-u-f-f-s. I only say it when I’m offering her one. It’s a good thing I have a couple; otherwise, she wouldn’t be too happy with you.” He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a small box. Fluffy tried to bat it out of his hands, but he quickly pulled it away. “Now you just mind your manners, Missy, or you won’t get any.”

  Opening the box, he pulled out a cream puff and held it out. Fluffy gently picked it up with her front teeth from the palm of his hand, chewed, and swallowed. She looked at him expectantly. With a sigh, he said, “Fine, you can have mine, too.” He pulled another from the box and gave it to her. Tossing the now-empty box onto the counter, he turned to Jazeen. “Let’s not use that word again, okay? I don’t have anymore, and she gets cranky if she thinks she’s been promised something and doesn’t get it.”

  Jazeen couldn’t keep from laughing, despite the stern look Angus was giving her. “I’ll try to remember,” she said.

  Jazeen looked around the kitchen. There were several small platforms on the floor, and she realized these were to be placed as needed so Angus could reach the various appliances, countertops, and cabinets. As her eyes surveyed the room, Angus quickly grabbed a small, brown bottle from the counter next to the refrigerator and slipped it into his pocket. When he turned to face her, she thought he wore an embarrassed, or perhaps a guilty, expression.

  “You might as well pull up a chair and sit with me, if you don’t mind watching me eat,” he said.

  She pulled a chair out from the table and sat. As she began rubbing Occisor’s head, Fluffy started pawing at her other arm. She laughed and began scratching behind the cat’s ears as she laid her head in Jazeen’s lap.

  “I guess these two get along together, then,” she said.

  “Well, they respect each other,” Angus said. “Occisor doesn’t bother her if she doesn’t bother him. Fluffy… well, she was a little kitten when I brought her here. As she got bigger, she tried to assert herself over him.”

  “What happened?” she asked.

  Angus smiled. “She learned to respect his personal space, and they got along fine after her fur grew back.”

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” Jazeen said. “I’ve practically been a prisoner in my home since my sister died. The only time I get to leave the house alone is to go to school.”

  “That’s not right. A person can’t live that way. Why do they keep you locked up?” he asked.

  “They’re terrified I’ll go out to be with my friends and die, like my sister, Milla, did. They’re protecting me.”

  Angus shook his head. “If they were protecting you, they might be forgiven. No, they’re protecting themselves.”

  “I never thought about it that way,” she said.

  “Your parents never properly dealt with their grief. They’re carrying it around inside themselves, and it’s eating at them. They know it’s wrong to keep you in like they do, but their grief over your sister is keeping them… well, let’s just say, you aren’t the only prisoner in that house.”

  Jazeen stared at him for a while, letting his words sink in.

  “What I’m saying is,” Angus continued, “we need to save them to save you.”

  “You’d help with that?” she asked.

  “You’re my friend. Of course I would.”

  “I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she said.

  “Me neither, but we’ll figure it out together. In the meantime, it’s a good thing I got you out of there.
You need to live life, one way or another.”

  “Angus, how do you know so much about people? As far as I can tell, you live alone on an island in the sea. Have you always been here, alone?”

  He was silent for a while. Finally, he said, “The short answer is, no, I haven’t always lived here alone. I think the long answer will be a story for one of our future adventures.” He pushed his plate aside. “It’s late, and we both need some sleep. We’ll start early tomorrow. I’ll need to teach you how to get the ship ready to fly, how to un-moor it, and how to fill the helium bags. Lots of stuff, really. If you’re going to be a part of the crew, you need to know how to run the ship, top to bottom. Now, if you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll go light the lamps upstairs and prepare your room. Won’t take long.” Pushing back his chair, he stood and headed toward the living room.

  “What do I do with these two?” Jazeen asked.

  Angus stopped in the doorway and turned. “Just push Fluffy’s head off your lap and stand up. She’ll get the message. Bring Occisor out here and put him on his perch. Once we go upstairs, he’ll fly up to his bed between the beams where I nailed a couple of planks across for him.”

  “Do they need to go out before bed?” she asked.

  “Occisor doesn’t go out. His, er, well, it’s mostly gas, anyway. Fluffy has a cat door, so she goes out whenever she wants.”

  With that, Angus left the room. She pushed Fluffy’s head out of her lap and stood. The cat gave her a look of annoyance, but she didn’t protest. Going to the living room, she held her finger out in front of Occisor’s feet, and he climbed off her shoulder. She moved him up toward his perch, and he stepped off onto the iron bar. Fluffy began circling her, rubbing against her legs.

  “You are going to steal my heart,” she said to the cat. Occisor squawked. “I love you, too,” she said in reply.

  She heard Angus call from upstairs, “It’s going to be cool tonight. Would you mind putting a few logs on the fire?”

  “Sure,” she called back. Crossing to the hearth, she opened the wood box and gasped. “Angus, the wood box is full.”