The cool night wind prickled Alek's skin as he sat atop the Imperial Eagle. Alek was miserable. That shouldn't be, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Here he was, in possession of one of the greatest war machines in the world, having faced down a monster, killed a god, and lived, and he was miserable. He looked up into the full moon. It wasn't his moon, perhaps that was the problem. Nothing in this world was his, and he may be stuck there forever.
He sighed, the others had gone into the bar, he wanted to join them, but at the moment he was too depressed. Perhaps there was some way back to his world, Alek thought vainly, but he knew the truth, the secrets of returning to his world had died with Rugal. Maybe he had made a mistake, maybe he should have taken the chance that Rugal would send him back, like Swiftrunner had. Volger would have told him to do so, it was the only chance he had. Alek sighed, he needed to do something.
He grabbed for the bag next to him and pulled out his violin. Alek had been playing the violin since he was eight, and his teachers had called him a natural. Slowly, he strummed a few strings before placing his bow to the instrument and playing. It was a soft, sad, melodic song, precisely the kind he had detested just a few weeks earlier, but now, they took on a new form. The song was fairly simplistic, it was something that was just spilling out of him, to his memory it wasn't anything he had read before, but his mind and his hands knew what it was that he wanted to play.
Gradually, the song faded out. Alek couldn't tell when he had started crying, but when he stopped tears were silently rolling down his face. He wasn't sad, the tears weren't for anything, they were tears of despair. The tears of a man that the world has collapsed on. After a time, he regained his composure. He packed the violin away and started back into the walker. However, before he did, Alek took one last look at the moon...
When did the wind pick up? Alek thought, he turned away from the moon, he had get back into the walker. Except he wasn't on the walker. It took Alek a moment to realize that, then all his might not to cry out. He was on a Darwinist airship. It was one of those great hydrogen-whales that the British made, he identified that much. Alek would have wondered how he had gotten there, but he was too preoccupied noticing that he was alone atop the beast. That was odd. Wait, no he wasn't, he realized seeing someone on the other side of the monster. How had he not noticed before? He took a step forward, "Excuse me?" Alek called, trying his English. He wondered if he should try a British accent, before realizing that his outfit marked him as a Clanker, clear as day. The figure didn't respond. "Excuse me? Can you help, I seem to be lost?" Alek called again, walking forward. Now the figure responded. The figure had blonde hair, that much Alek could tell in the moonlight, he was about Alek's height and age and-Wait, was that...? Suddenly there was a shrill call in the darkness, so loud Alek shut his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears.
...When he reopened them, he found himself back, atop the Imperial Eagle, still staring at the moon. What happened? He thought. Alek scolded himself for being caught up in such daydreams, he tried to push it out of his head, but it wouldn't go. That figure. Something about it kept nagging at Alek, he tried to tell himself that it didn't matter, but his mind refused to obey. It kept asking the question- Was that figure a girl? He sighed, he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, he might as well join the others...
OOC: Yeah, I had a lot to say. Just making up for missing the end of the final battle today. I was busy.
He sighed, the others had gone into the bar, he wanted to join them, but at the moment he was too depressed. Perhaps there was some way back to his world, Alek thought vainly, but he knew the truth, the secrets of returning to his world had died with Rugal. Maybe he had made a mistake, maybe he should have taken the chance that Rugal would send him back, like Swiftrunner had. Volger would have told him to do so, it was the only chance he had. Alek sighed, he needed to do something.
He grabbed for the bag next to him and pulled out his violin. Alek had been playing the violin since he was eight, and his teachers had called him a natural. Slowly, he strummed a few strings before placing his bow to the instrument and playing. It was a soft, sad, melodic song, precisely the kind he had detested just a few weeks earlier, but now, they took on a new form. The song was fairly simplistic, it was something that was just spilling out of him, to his memory it wasn't anything he had read before, but his mind and his hands knew what it was that he wanted to play.
Gradually, the song faded out. Alek couldn't tell when he had started crying, but when he stopped tears were silently rolling down his face. He wasn't sad, the tears weren't for anything, they were tears of despair. The tears of a man that the world has collapsed on. After a time, he regained his composure. He packed the violin away and started back into the walker. However, before he did, Alek took one last look at the moon...
When did the wind pick up? Alek thought, he turned away from the moon, he had get back into the walker. Except he wasn't on the walker. It took Alek a moment to realize that, then all his might not to cry out. He was on a Darwinist airship. It was one of those great hydrogen-whales that the British made, he identified that much. Alek would have wondered how he had gotten there, but he was too preoccupied noticing that he was alone atop the beast. That was odd. Wait, no he wasn't, he realized seeing someone on the other side of the monster. How had he not noticed before? He took a step forward, "Excuse me?" Alek called, trying his English. He wondered if he should try a British accent, before realizing that his outfit marked him as a Clanker, clear as day. The figure didn't respond. "Excuse me? Can you help, I seem to be lost?" Alek called again, walking forward. Now the figure responded. The figure had blonde hair, that much Alek could tell in the moonlight, he was about Alek's height and age and-Wait, was that...? Suddenly there was a shrill call in the darkness, so loud Alek shut his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears.
...When he reopened them, he found himself back, atop the Imperial Eagle, still staring at the moon. What happened? He thought. Alek scolded himself for being caught up in such daydreams, he tried to push it out of his head, but it wouldn't go. That figure. Something about it kept nagging at Alek, he tried to tell himself that it didn't matter, but his mind refused to obey. It kept asking the question- Was that figure a girl? He sighed, he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, he might as well join the others...
OOC: Yeah, I had a lot to say. Just making up for missing the end of the final battle today. I was busy.
