Chapter 5
Saturos arrived in Prox in the middle of the night. His body ached from carrying Karst and his limbs were ready to give in to his exhaustion. He wasn't sure which house was the one that he had stayed in with Felix and Menardi nor did he particularly care at the moment. He dragged his tired body to the closest house and pounded on the door, desperately hoping someone would answer.
To his great luck, the door did open and a very tired looking, blue- skinned, and grouchy man answered the door. "Do you know what time it is?!" he yelled.
"No, sir, I don't," Saturos panted, the unconscious Karst nearly slipping from his frostbitten arms. "Please, I need you to let us in."
The man's red eyes widened in amazement. "Saturos, is that you?"
Saturos nodded weakly, slumping against the doorframe.
The man yelled back into the house. "Viya, come down here! Saturos is back! He's alive!"
"Viya," Saturos rasped out weakly. "I know that name. You're Smisha, the man who hired me for work when I was little."
Smisha quickly took Karst from Saturos' arms; she coughed weakly and groaned, clutching onto the edge of Saturos scarf before the material slipped from her fingers. "Yes, lad, that I am. Now, come in out of the cold!"
Saturos stumbled into the house and his legs collapsed beneath him. He began to fall forward, expecting a painful impact with the floor, but someone caught him in their arms. "Ah, don't go hurting yourself now. You look like you've been through enough already."
He looked up and saw Viya's smiling face, her pale red skin and her long flowing red hair, but she looked much younger than her husband Smisha. "Viya, is that you?"
"Of course not," she laughed, leading him to a cot. "Viya is my mother. My name is Pica." She laid thick, warm blankets over his shivering body.
Smisha had already begun boiling water and soaking rags in it before laying one of the pieces of cloth over Karst's forehead. "Pica, tell your mother to bring me some more rags."
"Yes, father," the young girl said and ascended the stairs.
Saturos smiled feebly, clasping the blankets with shaking hands. "She looks just like her mother."
Smisha nodded, pride gleaming in his eyes. "She's our pride and joy. Such a wonderous girl."
Viya finally appeared from the staircase. "Oh, Saty, you're alive!" she exclaimed when she saw Saturos.
The snow covered Proxian's blue cheeks turned slightly purple as a blush rose in his face at the sound of his childhood nickname. Pica coughed back a laugh. "Yes, Viya, I'm alright. A bit chilly, but alright nonetheless."
She took a rag from the pot of boiling water and laid it over his forehead. "Everyone was saying you were dead. Felix said you fell into the beacon of Venus Lighthouse. Everyone of his friends said they saw it happen."
"It did happen Viya but I survived. Menardi did too." Saturos frowned slightly when he brought up "her" name.
Viya looked confused. "Menardi is here too? I thought she'd be with you."
Saturos shook his head. "No, Viya...she did not survive the long trek back to Prox."
Viya suddenly looked solemn, as did Pica and Smisha. Saturos sat up, breaking the sudden silence and taking the rag from his head. "I'm afraid Karst and I cannot stay here long. We shall rest awhile and move back into my house at the edge of town in the morning.
Saturos arrived in Prox in the middle of the night. His body ached from carrying Karst and his limbs were ready to give in to his exhaustion. He wasn't sure which house was the one that he had stayed in with Felix and Menardi nor did he particularly care at the moment. He dragged his tired body to the closest house and pounded on the door, desperately hoping someone would answer.
To his great luck, the door did open and a very tired looking, blue- skinned, and grouchy man answered the door. "Do you know what time it is?!" he yelled.
"No, sir, I don't," Saturos panted, the unconscious Karst nearly slipping from his frostbitten arms. "Please, I need you to let us in."
The man's red eyes widened in amazement. "Saturos, is that you?"
Saturos nodded weakly, slumping against the doorframe.
The man yelled back into the house. "Viya, come down here! Saturos is back! He's alive!"
"Viya," Saturos rasped out weakly. "I know that name. You're Smisha, the man who hired me for work when I was little."
Smisha quickly took Karst from Saturos' arms; she coughed weakly and groaned, clutching onto the edge of Saturos scarf before the material slipped from her fingers. "Yes, lad, that I am. Now, come in out of the cold!"
Saturos stumbled into the house and his legs collapsed beneath him. He began to fall forward, expecting a painful impact with the floor, but someone caught him in their arms. "Ah, don't go hurting yourself now. You look like you've been through enough already."
He looked up and saw Viya's smiling face, her pale red skin and her long flowing red hair, but she looked much younger than her husband Smisha. "Viya, is that you?"
"Of course not," she laughed, leading him to a cot. "Viya is my mother. My name is Pica." She laid thick, warm blankets over his shivering body.
Smisha had already begun boiling water and soaking rags in it before laying one of the pieces of cloth over Karst's forehead. "Pica, tell your mother to bring me some more rags."
"Yes, father," the young girl said and ascended the stairs.
Saturos smiled feebly, clasping the blankets with shaking hands. "She looks just like her mother."
Smisha nodded, pride gleaming in his eyes. "She's our pride and joy. Such a wonderous girl."
Viya finally appeared from the staircase. "Oh, Saty, you're alive!" she exclaimed when she saw Saturos.
The snow covered Proxian's blue cheeks turned slightly purple as a blush rose in his face at the sound of his childhood nickname. Pica coughed back a laugh. "Yes, Viya, I'm alright. A bit chilly, but alright nonetheless."
She took a rag from the pot of boiling water and laid it over his forehead. "Everyone was saying you were dead. Felix said you fell into the beacon of Venus Lighthouse. Everyone of his friends said they saw it happen."
"It did happen Viya but I survived. Menardi did too." Saturos frowned slightly when he brought up "her" name.
Viya looked confused. "Menardi is here too? I thought she'd be with you."
Saturos shook his head. "No, Viya...she did not survive the long trek back to Prox."
Viya suddenly looked solemn, as did Pica and Smisha. Saturos sat up, breaking the sudden silence and taking the rag from his head. "I'm afraid Karst and I cannot stay here long. We shall rest awhile and move back into my house at the edge of town in the morning.