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Chapter Three: No Matter What

Ater looked down at his chest. “Am I better now, mom?” He asked. Emenio had sewn it so that his mouth was nothing more than a thin, jagged line. She put away her thread and needle. “You’re perfect, and you always were. We just have wounds we have to fix up sometimes.” She reached down and tickled him lightly, making him squeak and chirp with laughter. “Now go find your father, I think he wants to show you something.”

“Ok, mommy. Can we make more bead strings when I get back?”

She smiled. “Run along, Ater. I’ll have them ready when you get back.”

Ater picked up his little stone ball, and hurried out as fast as his short little legs could carry him. He came out to bright, hot, desert day….So, an average day. The dunes were awash in sparkling sunshine, the dunes rolling off into the distance. Ater wasn’t aware that the world didn’t always look like this. But those events were far in the past. Ater had the luxury of not knowing he lived in a ruined world. Ater knew no violence, and thus, the world of dry deserts and ruined buildings held no meaning, other than wonder, and a place to live.

Ater held his toy close to his newly mended chest, looking about the sands until he found his father standing a few paces off. Ater hurried over and tugged at his scarf.

“Daddy! Momma says you wanna show me something!”

Soldus picked him up and placed him on his head. “I do! I found something very special. But we have to walk a little bit to go find it. Are you ready?”

Ater hopped as he hung on to his father’s hood, having given his toy to him to place into his satchel at his hip.

“I’m ready!”

Soldus took his son far into the desert, sliding over dunes and climbing over others. Soldus was careful not to use too much energy, he wasn’t getting enough to eat as it was. Soon, they came over a dune to find a small circle of crumbled stone below, half buried in the sand. Ater’s eyes widened as he saw little creatures swirling in the air about a glowing object. As Soldus slid down carefully, Ater chirped “What is it?” He said in a whispering tone.

When they got to the small floating cloth, all of them fluttered this way and that, Ater was put down on the ground, and he was instantly drawn to the little, pulsating glyph of light. Soldus looked into the distance.

“…I can’t really explain what it is, Ater. Just know, they come from a special place.” “Where is the special place?”

“….I’m not sure.”

Ater tilted his head. “Are you OK daddy?”

Soldus snapped himself out of his daze. “It’s alright. They come from a place where everything is bright and beautiful, a place of peace, far above the troubles of the land below.”

“What’s it called?”

Soldus smiled sadly. “…Paradise.”

He patted his son’s head. “Enough about that. I’m sure you’ll see it for yourself, one day. We could all go together.”

“Really? We can all go to Paradise!”

“Alright, go on. Touch it.”

Ater looked back at the lovely glyph. He reached out, and it burst into smaller lights and the energy absorbed into him, making him feel warm and happy. His small scarf grew out too, and he got his first symbol. Ater chirped with excitement.

“Can I fly now, dad? I can’t wait!”

Ater didn’t really account for how windy it was that day, or really thought about how light he was. It all ended with a panicked Soldus having to chase his son for nearly a mile as the wind picked up. Ater, however, paid no mind and laughed happily as the wind carried him on a wondrous flight.

*****************************

In later years, Ater was shown many things, ad he loved to explore. More time passed, and Ater started to get slightly bigger, and could speak well. Most of all, he loved to fly. He got increasingly better at it, often playing on large stones and old ruins for hours by himself. While he knew of no others like him, at least, no one beside his family and his mother, he didn’t mind being by himself. He was happy playing with the occasional cloth dolphin or cloth fish. His grandfather was a fading memory, but he still had glimpses of his mask when he thought about him hard enough. After some prodding, he even learned more about his family, and the Warkin side of it. How the war had effected the world, and that it wasn’t always this way. But that wasn’t of any consolation to Ater. This was how the world was now, no use in fretting over the past that could not be changed.

The one thing that did puzzle Ater, was the amount of hesitance shown by his father when Ater showed his curiosity about the Warkin. He wondered if they were bad in some way. He felt his father wasn’t telling him everything, and when he asked his mother, she just told him to ask his father, and the cycle would repeat. He started to wonder why his father was so secretive about wandering out at night, and leaving for hours, nearly days at a time. He even tried to follow his father, but Soldus got angry and would scold him. Ater noticed his mood would change after a certain amount of days, and he would slip into a different language altogether, which Ater had started to learn. It was an odd series of whirs and clicks, whirring noises that sounded intimidating if heard by the wiser, but to Ater, that was his father’s voice, and thus, those noises represented something familiar. He eventually stopped trying to figure out his father’s behavior, after several failed attempts to discover where his father was going all those times. Though he was in a far better mood when he got back, so maybe it was best not to question it.

His mother would sew and create little things, and over the years, made a cozy place to live. For a long time, Ater knew nothing but lazy days under the desert sun, chasing cloth creatures over the dunes and playing games. They started to consider finding a tribe to stay with, now that Ater was getting older, he would get bored sometimes. Emineo was worried that Ater needed others to talk too.

“We’re going to leave?” Ater asked one evening, all three of them set atop the ruins they lived in. “I think it would be good for all of us to start traveling again. As much as I’ve liked living here, we should move on, see new places.” Emineo said. “Your mother and I have talked about it for a while now. We can leave in a few days’ time. Sooner, if you’d like.”

“Really? Can we go find Paradise together?”

Soldus smiled and rubbed his son’s hood.

“Yes, Ater. We can all go to Paradise together.”

“You promise?”

“….I promise.”

Ater’s black eyes crested in a smile. “I can’t wait! I wonder if we can all see one of those giant cloth trees you told me about! Or the big light! Or maybe….”

Soldus listened as he watched the sun sink over the sands. Soldus doubted he was worthy to live at the Peak, and if he had doubts, even the shadow of one, he surely wouldn’t make it to the top. But he hoped, for Ater’s sake, his promise wasn’t a hollow one.

“Come on Ater, we have many miles to travel in our future, but for now it’s time for hammock.”

***************************

Later, that same night, something was amiss. Ater woke up to what sounded like a loud whirr from his father. He blinked and raised his head. He looked around his dimly lit room, the moonlight casting in from a curtain partially blocking a door to the outside. He looked to where his father normally slept, usually curled up on the floor nearby. He didn’t see the familiar crimson glow of his father’s markings. In fact, he was alone. His mother wasn’t in the hammock with him. With confusion on his mask, he jumped out of the hammock, passing his old, blue stone. Ater was a little nervous, his parents had never just left in the middle of the night. So he picked up the blue stone and held it close as a form of comfort.

He cautiously made his way to the doorway, and drew the curtain to the side. He looked out to a bright night, the stars scattered over the silver washed dunes.

“….Mom?” He chirped. He couldn’t sense them nearby, and he was getting more worried by the second. Something in his thread told him something wasn’t right.

“Mom?” He asked again, with a little more fear wavering his tone.

Then he heard it. Fast footsteps were coming in his direction.

His mother came running over the dunes before him, sliding and stumbling. She was torn up and her scarf was gone. Her red cloak was ragged, making her look crazed with determination as she ran toward Ater.

She fell to her knees to halt herself before him, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Ater’s eyes went wide as she shook him slightly when she spoke.

“Ater, I need you to listen to me. I need you to go hide for me, and not come out, no matter what you hear, OK?” Ater was stunned and wanted to cry.

“Mamma…You’re scaring me.” He whimpered.

A look of sympathy crossed her face.

“I’m sorry, my little one. I just need you to do this for me, OK?” Ater nodded quickly, sniffling as he held his toy. Emineo looked over her shoulder as another roar was heard from far off. “Where’s—“ Ater started. “Ater, you need to hide! Do you know a place?” Ater nodded again. “Good! Now go.” “But what about daddy?—“

The sounds were getting closer. Emineo snatched up her child and ran inside. With the sudden motion, Ater dropped his toy, the stone ball clacking on the floor of their sleeping room.

“Mamma, my stone!”

She hushed him and ran further inside the ruins. “We have no time for that now! Here, stay in there.” She placed him in front of a small crack in the cliff wall the structure was built into. It was just big enough for Ater to fit. At this point Ater was shaking and on the verge of freezing up.

“But mom!” He cried, almost overcome with everything he was being told to do.

“Go. I’ll come back for you.”

Ater crawled into the crack as far as he could go, cowering in the darkness. His mother peeked in at him, and said something that would haunt him for many centuries to come.

“Stay where you are, and don’t come out no matter what you hear.” She paused, a look of sadness over her eyes.

“I love you Ater. Remember, no matter what. Alright?”

Ater curled up as his mother stood up and left him there, and silence fell. He could still sense his mother was nearby. He stayed as quiet as he could, trying to silence his hiccupping from holding in his sobbing. Then, he heard it. His mother was talking sternly to someone.

Then he heard a loud noise like something being hit, and then a dragging noise. He uncovered his mask and looked out the opening he hid in. His mother was a cross the room, moonlight filtering in from holes in the disrepaired ceiling. She was on the floor, and struggling to get back up. Another darker, sinister figure appeared in the dark doorway. His black cloak dragged behind him, his red markings glowing brightly. But he couldn’t see the intruders face. He watched in terrified silence as his mother stood before the Warkin.

“You can’t have him. He was never yours to take or to tamper with.”

“That’s where you are wrong, Emineo.”

The voice grated and coed like sickly, cold slime over his cloak. He sensed something was familiar about that voice. How it sounded sickly sweet like that. Kind, yet dangerous.

“He was made for the taking. He is of the Warkin line, even if he doesn’t know his true potential. Zunichulaque still needs a pilot, and if his worthless father won’t take it, then my grandson will have to do.”

“What’s the point of all this? Warkin have no place here anymore. Your time is over.”

“Our time? No…We are just beginning. I’ve seen the future in the mind of our lord. The Root. The father of the world’s corruption and cleansing hand.”

“…you're mad.”

Laughter.

“No….I’m not mad. You are, for failing to see the potential in this wasteland. Don’t you see? The slate is wiped clean, for something to start anew! For a new era to take root.”

He stepped closer. “And you are in my way. I will eradicate my son’s mistake, and take back my threadline, by taking back my grandson.”

Emineo threw herself at him, despite everything.

Ater could only hear the struggle. The ripping of cloth. The shuffling. But he never once heard his mother scream. Surely, she was in pain.

Ater jumped when he heard a sudden thud…..Than…Silence. It rang out like a scream his mother never uttered. A screaming silence that entailed horrible things. Ater looked through blurred eyes to see shreds of his mother’s red cloak scattered about the floor outside.

After a few moments, he heard the Warkin start to move around. He was speaking in Warkin, whirring and clicking to himself as he searched for Ater. Ater curled into the tightest ball possible, and pinched his eyes shut, chanting over and over in his mind for his grandfather to go away.

After failing to find his grandson, Xiphais flew into a rage, and ripped the place apart looking for him. He smashed pots, ripped tapestries, and flung beaded strings. He roared and raged for what seemed like hours to little Ater, huddled in his hiding place.

Xiphais, having no luck finding Ater, decided to just take his mother’s corpse with him instead. Ater knew this from the dragging sound, and the shadowed outline of his grandfather clutching a slumped over version of his mother, her body leaving drag marks in the dusty floors.

Ater remained in his hiding place for a long time, not until the sun came in. He crawled out, shaking and feeling sick. He stood up, touching his cloak tips together as he looked around with worry. He stooped to pick up a piece of his mother’s cloak. The gold runes against the red were dirtied by the struggle. He let out a soft sob and rubbed it against his mask softly.

He slowly went about the room and picked up all the scraps he had left of her. He cradled them gently in his cloak, and wandered down the hall to the outer rooms.

He looked at all the rooms, staring at the damage that had been done. He stepped over shards of clay pots and scattered beads, the colors of them all lacking luster now.

He came to their hammock room last. The hammock was torn in half and draped on the floor, old shelves on the walls were knocked down and broken. He stopped in front of something else on the floor.
Before him, was a little blue stone…Split in two. He crouched down and set his mother’s cloak scarps carefully to the side, and picked up the two halves. He put them back together, but they just fell apart again. No matter how many times he tried to fix it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have no regrets, I warned you all Ater was a Sue mac Sue pants. -shot by everyone-

next: IN PROGRESS
previous--> Chapter 2

art (c) me
characters (C) me
story (C) me
headcanon (c) WayfarerChirp

Description

Chapter Three: No Matter What

Ater looked down at his chest. “Am I better now, mom?” He asked. Emenio had sewn it so that his mouth was nothing more than a thin, jagged line. She put away her thread and needle. “You’re perfect, and you always were. We just have wounds we have to fix up sometimes.” She reached down and tickled him lightly, making him squeak and chirp with laughter. “Now go find your father, I think he wants to show you something.”

“Ok, mommy. Can we make more bead strings when I get back?”

She smiled. “Run along, Ater. I’ll have them ready when you get back.”

Ater picked up his little stone ball, and hurried out as fast as his short little legs could carry him. He came out to bright, hot, desert day….So, an average day. The dunes were awash in sparkling sunshine, the dunes rolling off into the distance. Ater wasn’t aware that the world didn’t always look like this. But those events were far in the past. Ater had the luxury of not knowing he lived in a ruined world. Ater knew no violence, and thus, the world of dry deserts and ruined buildings held no meaning, other than wonder, and a place to live.

Ater held his toy close to his newly mended chest, looking about the sands until he found his father standing a few paces off. Ater hurried over and tugged at his scarf.

“Daddy! Momma says you wanna show me something!”

Soldus picked him up and placed him on his head. “I do! I found something very special. But we have to walk a little bit to go find it. Are you ready?”

Ater hopped as he hung on to his father’s hood, having given his toy to him to place into his satchel at his hip.

“I’m ready!”

Soldus took his son far into the desert, sliding over dunes and climbing over others. Soldus was careful not to use too much energy, he wasn’t getting enough to eat as it was. Soon, they came over a dune to find a small circle of crumbled stone below, half buried in the sand. Ater’s eyes widened as he saw little creatures swirling in the air about a glowing object. As Soldus slid down carefully, Ater chirped “What is it?” He said in a whispering tone.

When they got to the small floating cloth, all of them fluttered this way and that, Ater was put down on the ground, and he was instantly drawn to the little, pulsating glyph of light. Soldus looked into the distance.

“…I can’t really explain what it is, Ater. Just know, they come from a special place.” “Where is the special place?”

“….I’m not sure.”

Ater tilted his head. “Are you OK daddy?”

Soldus snapped himself out of his daze. “It’s alright. They come from a place where everything is bright and beautiful, a place of peace, far above the troubles of the land below.”

“What’s it called?”

Soldus smiled sadly. “…Paradise.”

He patted his son’s head. “Enough about that. I’m sure you’ll see it for yourself, one day. We could all go together.”

“Really? We can all go to Paradise!”

“Alright, go on. Touch it.”

Ater looked back at the lovely glyph. He reached out, and it burst into smaller lights and the energy absorbed into him, making him feel warm and happy. His small scarf grew out too, and he got his first symbol. Ater chirped with excitement.

“Can I fly now, dad? I can’t wait!”

Ater didn’t really account for how windy it was that day, or really thought about how light he was. It all ended with a panicked Soldus having to chase his son for nearly a mile as the wind picked up. Ater, however, paid no mind and laughed happily as the wind carried him on a wondrous flight.

*****************************

In later years, Ater was shown many things, ad he loved to explore. More time passed, and Ater started to get slightly bigger, and could speak well. Most of all, he loved to fly. He got increasingly better at it, often playing on large stones and old ruins for hours by himself. While he knew of no others like him, at least, no one beside his family and his mother, he didn’t mind being by himself. He was happy playing with the occasional cloth dolphin or cloth fish. His grandfather was a fading memory, but he still had glimpses of his mask when he thought about him hard enough. After some prodding, he even learned more about his family, and the Warkin side of it. How the war had effected the world, and that it wasn’t always this way. But that wasn’t of any consolation to Ater. This was how the world was now, no use in fretting over the past that could not be changed.

The one thing that did puzzle Ater, was the amount of hesitance shown by his father when Ater showed his curiosity about the Warkin. He wondered if they were bad in some way. He felt his father wasn’t telling him everything, and when he asked his mother, she just told him to ask his father, and the cycle would repeat. He started to wonder why his father was so secretive about wandering out at night, and leaving for hours, nearly days at a time. He even tried to follow his father, but Soldus got angry and would scold him. Ater noticed his mood would change after a certain amount of days, and he would slip into a different language altogether, which Ater had started to learn. It was an odd series of whirs and clicks, whirring noises that sounded intimidating if heard by the wiser, but to Ater, that was his father’s voice, and thus, those noises represented something familiar. He eventually stopped trying to figure out his father’s behavior, after several failed attempts to discover where his father was going all those times. Though he was in a far better mood when he got back, so maybe it was best not to question it.

His mother would sew and create little things, and over the years, made a cozy place to live. For a long time, Ater knew nothing but lazy days under the desert sun, chasing cloth creatures over the dunes and playing games. They started to consider finding a tribe to stay with, now that Ater was getting older, he would get bored sometimes. Emineo was worried that Ater needed others to talk too.

“We’re going to leave?” Ater asked one evening, all three of them set atop the ruins they lived in. “I think it would be good for all of us to start traveling again. As much as I’ve liked living here, we should move on, see new places.” Emineo said. “Your mother and I have talked about it for a while now. We can leave in a few days’ time. Sooner, if you’d like.”

“Really? Can we go find Paradise together?”

Soldus smiled and rubbed his son’s hood.

“Yes, Ater. We can all go to Paradise together.”

“You promise?”

“….I promise.”

Ater’s black eyes crested in a smile. “I can’t wait! I wonder if we can all see one of those giant cloth trees you told me about! Or the big light! Or maybe….”

Soldus listened as he watched the sun sink over the sands. Soldus doubted he was worthy to live at the Peak, and if he had doubts, even the shadow of one, he surely wouldn’t make it to the top. But he hoped, for Ater’s sake, his promise wasn’t a hollow one.

“Come on Ater, we have many miles to travel in our future, but for now it’s time for hammock.”

***************************

Later, that same night, something was amiss. Ater woke up to what sounded like a loud whirr from his father. He blinked and raised his head. He looked around his dimly lit room, the moonlight casting in from a curtain partially blocking a door to the outside. He looked to where his father normally slept, usually curled up on the floor nearby. He didn’t see the familiar crimson glow of his father’s markings. In fact, he was alone. His mother wasn’t in the hammock with him. With confusion on his mask, he jumped out of the hammock, passing his old, blue stone. Ater was a little nervous, his parents had never just left in the middle of the night. So he picked up the blue stone and held it close as a form of comfort.

He cautiously made his way to the doorway, and drew the curtain to the side. He looked out to a bright night, the stars scattered over the silver washed dunes.

“….Mom?” He chirped. He couldn’t sense them nearby, and he was getting more worried by the second. Something in his thread told him something wasn’t right.

“Mom?” He asked again, with a little more fear wavering his tone.

Then he heard it. Fast footsteps were coming in his direction.

His mother came running over the dunes before him, sliding and stumbling. She was torn up and her scarf was gone. Her red cloak was ragged, making her look crazed with determination as she ran toward Ater.

She fell to her knees to halt herself before him, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Ater’s eyes went wide as she shook him slightly when she spoke.

“Ater, I need you to listen to me. I need you to go hide for me, and not come out, no matter what you hear, OK?” Ater was stunned and wanted to cry.

“Mamma…You’re scaring me.” He whimpered.

A look of sympathy crossed her face.

“I’m sorry, my little one. I just need you to do this for me, OK?” Ater nodded quickly, sniffling as he held his toy. Emineo looked over her shoulder as another roar was heard from far off. “Where’s—“ Ater started. “Ater, you need to hide! Do you know a place?” Ater nodded again. “Good! Now go.” “But what about daddy?—“

The sounds were getting closer. Emineo snatched up her child and ran inside. With the sudden motion, Ater dropped his toy, the stone ball clacking on the floor of their sleeping room.

“Mamma, my stone!”

She hushed him and ran further inside the ruins. “We have no time for that now! Here, stay in there.” She placed him in front of a small crack in the cliff wall the structure was built into. It was just big enough for Ater to fit. At this point Ater was shaking and on the verge of freezing up.

“But mom!” He cried, almost overcome with everything he was being told to do.

“Go. I’ll come back for you.”

Ater crawled into the crack as far as he could go, cowering in the darkness. His mother peeked in at him, and said something that would haunt him for many centuries to come.

“Stay where you are, and don’t come out no matter what you hear.” She paused, a look of sadness over her eyes.

“I love you Ater. Remember, no matter what. Alright?”

Ater curled up as his mother stood up and left him there, and silence fell. He could still sense his mother was nearby. He stayed as quiet as he could, trying to silence his hiccupping from holding in his sobbing. Then, he heard it. His mother was talking sternly to someone.

Then he heard a loud noise like something being hit, and then a dragging noise. He uncovered his mask and looked out the opening he hid in. His mother was a cross the room, moonlight filtering in from holes in the disrepaired ceiling. She was on the floor, and struggling to get back up. Another darker, sinister figure appeared in the dark doorway. His black cloak dragged behind him, his red markings glowing brightly. But he couldn’t see the intruders face. He watched in terrified silence as his mother stood before the Warkin.

“You can’t have him. He was never yours to take or to tamper with.”

“That’s where you are wrong, Emineo.”

The voice grated and coed like sickly, cold slime over his cloak. He sensed something was familiar about that voice. How it sounded sickly sweet like that. Kind, yet dangerous.

“He was made for the taking. He is of the Warkin line, even if he doesn’t know his true potential. Zunichulaque still needs a pilot, and if his worthless father won’t take it, then my grandson will have to do.”

“What’s the point of all this? Warkin have no place here anymore. Your time is over.”

“Our time? No…We are just beginning. I’ve seen the future in the mind of our lord. The Root. The father of the world’s corruption and cleansing hand.”

“…you're mad.”

Laughter.

“No….I’m not mad. You are, for failing to see the potential in this wasteland. Don’t you see? The slate is wiped clean, for something to start anew! For a new era to take root.”

He stepped closer. “And you are in my way. I will eradicate my son’s mistake, and take back my threadline, by taking back my grandson.”

Emineo threw herself at him, despite everything.

Ater could only hear the struggle. The ripping of cloth. The shuffling. But he never once heard his mother scream. Surely, she was in pain.

Ater jumped when he heard a sudden thud…..Than…Silence. It rang out like a scream his mother never uttered. A screaming silence that entailed horrible things. Ater looked through blurred eyes to see shreds of his mother’s red cloak scattered about the floor outside.

After a few moments, he heard the Warkin start to move around. He was speaking in Warkin, whirring and clicking to himself as he searched for Ater. Ater curled into the tightest ball possible, and pinched his eyes shut, chanting over and over in his mind for his grandfather to go away.

After failing to find his grandson, Xiphais flew into a rage, and ripped the place apart looking for him. He smashed pots, ripped tapestries, and flung beaded strings. He roared and raged for what seemed like hours to little Ater, huddled in his hiding place.

Xiphais, having no luck finding Ater, decided to just take his mother’s corpse with him instead. Ater knew this from the dragging sound, and the shadowed outline of his grandfather clutching a slumped over version of his mother, her body leaving drag marks in the dusty floors.

Ater remained in his hiding place for a long time, not until the sun came in. He crawled out, shaking and feeling sick. He stood up, touching his cloak tips together as he looked around with worry. He stooped to pick up a piece of his mother’s cloak. The gold runes against the red were dirtied by the struggle. He let out a soft sob and rubbed it against his mask softly.

He slowly went about the room and picked up all the scraps he had left of her. He cradled them gently in his cloak, and wandered down the hall to the outer rooms.

He looked at all the rooms, staring at the damage that had been done. He stepped over shards of clay pots and scattered beads, the colors of them all lacking luster now.

He came to their hammock room last. The hammock was torn in half and draped on the floor, old shelves on the walls were knocked down and broken. He stopped in front of something else on the floor.
Before him, was a little blue stone…Split in two. He crouched down and set his mother’s cloak scarps carefully to the side, and picked up the two halves. He put them back together, but they just fell apart again. No matter how many times he tried to fix it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have no regrets, I warned you all Ater was a Sue mac Sue pants. -shot by everyone-

next: IN PROGRESS
previous--> Chapter 2

art (c) me
characters (C) me
story (C) me
headcanon (c) WayfarerChirp