Revenge

So soft. Her skin felt like silk, as if it had never experienced hardship, as if she had never known pain. His grip tightened around her neck – his coarse, calloused hands tearing her delicate skin. Blood trickled down her neck between his fingers, staining her snow white suit. The drugs in the rose thorns wrapped round his body coursed stronger in his veins, willing him, begging him to release her.

"You were smiling."

The distinction between past and present faded.

The wind slammed against his face, the glass of his windshield shattered and of no use to stop its torrents. His vanship tumbled through the Grand Stream, that notorious funnel of tempestuous winds and dark clouds, past flocks of rainbirds, past the hulking monstrosity Exile – its long black shape as imposing and dark as the Grand Stream that protected it – past the Guild ship.

As Alex flew past the Guild ship, half-conscious and bloodied, for a moment time stopped. He found himself staring straight into the heart of the ship, to the bridge where a young girl stood, cradling in her arms a bouquet of blood-red roses. In that moment, he saw her lips curl into a smile, saw reflected in her eyes Valca's ship, rammed into the body of Exile – saw reflected in her eyes Euris' body ripped from her seat and sent spiraling through the Grand Stream.

"Ten years ago, you were smiling as you watched us die."

They were at Valca's home, waiting for them as they said goodbye to their children. Euris sat passively on the wing of their vanship, kicking her feet as she toyed with the stuffed ram. Alex placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"If you want to say something to them, go ahead," Alex said.

Euris looked up at him, her eyes glowing. "I will."

Alex nodded. Together, they walked down the dirt path, past the overgrown shrubs and grass, to Valca's home. As they entered, Valca turned to greet them.

"Euris, Alex. Meet our children." He motioned for them to approach, and placed the two children in front of him. "This is Claus, and this is Lavie," he said, motioning to the boy, and then the girl. Alex hesitated – their eyes shone the same as Euris'.

Euris bent down to them, her eyes staring directly into theirs. "Claus, Lavie – those are good names." She straightened, then she stopped. The ram was still in her hand. "Imagine that," she mouthed. She bent back down next to Lavie and handed her the ram.

Lavie took it curiously, turning it over in her hands, shaking it. "Why are you giving this to me?" she asked.

"So you will follow us."

Her neck broke with a snap. Her body went limp, slipping from his grasp and falling to the ground, her eyes blank. Finally he let the drugs overtake him, and his own arm collapsed at his side.

He could see it again, see her body torn from the vanship, her eyes shining even as it happened. He saw her die – saw himself die.

"Euris."

It was many years ago, before his eyes lost their light. He was flying with Euris, in their vanship.

"I'm taking us up," Alex said, his hand wrapped tight around the control stick. He pulled back deliberately, the nose of the vanship rising further and further toward the sun as he did.

Behind him, Euris began to whistle a soft, wistful tune. He glanced in his rear mirror, his eyes narrowing. Euris sat comfortably in her seat, her eyes not fixed on the dials and meters, but rather on the clouds, on the sky around them. In her hands she absentmindedly turned a stuffed ram, with a cow bell wrapped around its neck, over and over.

"What is that?"

Euris laughed softly, turning the ram's head to face Alex. "Something for those who will follow us."

Alex smiled, his lips curving upwards ever so slightly. "Follow us? Where?"

Alex raised his head towards the clouds. Golden light shone on his face, into his eyes. He could hear a vanship in the distance.

"To the sky…"