Chapter six
Aerion smiled and patted Halcyon's back. This forced Halcyon to smile.
"So your name is Aerion, right?" asked Halcyon. Aerion nodded and put on his white T-shirt.
"Hey Aerion. Do you want to go with me somewhere today? I have a friend I want you to meet". Said Halcyon smiling. Aerion quickly slipped on his red tank top over his T-shirt and put on the black shorts. Then he ran over to Halcyon and shook his hand, nodding wildly.
Halcyon laughed, "Alright, well we have to move very quietly, and can't be seen. Today I'm supposed to go to school."
A puzzled look came over Aerion. Halcyon looked at him, "You know, school? Where you go almost everyday to learn about math, science, and English."
Aerion shook his head no. Halcyon sighed, "Well I can't show you it today we have to meet Charity at the spot. We're both going to skip today." Said Halcyon with a smile. " He grabbed Aerion by the hand and pulled him to the window.
"Now you just go down this fire escape and wait for me down there at the bottom, alright?" ordered Halcyon. Aerion stared at him briskly then took off down the escape. Halcyon turned and took off down pass the living room.
"Hey sonny! Where are you going?" asked his uncle.
"To school of course." Said Halcyon gently as he ran to the front door.
"Oh you kids and your imagination nowadays, schools haven't opened since the war in oblivion! But you go on ahead and live in your dream world, I'll be right here when you get back. Oh, and tell Ingrid that she has lots of explaining to do when she gets back home." Said the man as he slumped over and fell asleep.
Poor uncle, his condition gets worse everyday. The battle of oblivion happened twenty years ago, things have changed dramatically since then, and Aunt Ingrid is in the kitchen. Those fumes from the war, must have really ruined his mind or something…Pretty soon we'll have to send him to an institute. I can't imagine life without Crazy Uncle Peterson. Thought Halcyon as he ran out the front door and down into the streets.
He ran to the bottom of the fire escape and gasped. Aerion was gone. He looked around frantically but stopped when he saw Aerion just across the street. He had his back turned toward Halcyon and was crouched in front of a glass bottle.
"Aerion quick follow me, we have to take the alleyways if we don't want to get caught." Said Halcyon as he approached Aerion. Aerion did not move at all.
"Hey Aerion, Come on!" exclaimed Halcyon as he looked around for any pedestrians. He put his hand on Aerion's shoulder feeling its warmth, and crouched beside him.
"Aerion? What's wrong?" asked Halcyon. Aerion pointed at a broken glass bottle on the floor. Halcyon stared at him puzzled.
"What the heck are you staring at a glass bottle for? We have to get into the alleyways come on." he said as he patted Aerion's shoulder. Suddenly Aerion picked up the bottle and waved it in Halcyon's face. Startled Halcyon fell backwards. Then slowly Aerion opened his mouth and slowly put the bottle near his lips.
"Aerion!" yelled Halcyon as he smacked the Bottle away from Aerion's hand. "What are ya? Stupid or something, that's dangerous! You'll get hurt trying to eat a glass bottle." Shouted Halcyon. The bottle flew through the air and shattered onto the pavement, into a thousand sparkling pieces. "Now come on." said Halcyon as he grabbed Aerion's arm and pulled him into the alleyways, guiding him out of the city.
Charity looked around the house. Good everyone is gone. She thought as she left through the back door of her house and jumped over the courtyard's stone wall. She landed with a thump and lost her balance. Crashing onto the ground.
"Ouch…how does Aaron manage to do that without falling breaking a bone?" she said to herself as she took off down the cobble-stoned path into the woods. She arrived within record time at the railroad and took a seat on the wooden board. She smiled and waved at the fishes below.
"Hello there! So how is your day?" she said with a smile. She tied a braid in her hair and tied it with a blue ribbon. She wore her school uniform and skirt, so she wouldn't look suspicious when she arrived home. She picked up a few pebbles and stared skipping them, and began humming a tune.
"Aerion hurry! You're making us late!" yelled Halcyon as he pulled Aerion through the forest. Aerion held back constantly grabbing berries from bushes and gobbling handfuls whole. It was when they came over the last hill that they stopped.
"Here we are…the old railroad." Said Halcyon as he gazed at the long railroad that stretched far across the ocean.
"That's who I want you to meet." Said Halcyon as he pointed at the black figure far off the shoreline dangling her feet off the edge of the railroad. Suddenly Aerion was pulling Halcyon toward the railroad. He appeared eager to meet the young maiden.
Charity turned just in time to see Halcyon and the boy she had helped walking toward her. She quickly turned away, a little nervously. She wondered what the boy acted like and where exactly had he come from.
When the two stopped behind her she smiled and turned toward them.
She stood up and dusted herself off. Halcyon smiled. Aerion quickly went around Charity and felt her arm.
"Excuse me?" said Charity as she stepped away. Halcyon laughed.
"Charity meet Aerion. Aerion meet charity."
Charity held out her hand and grinned. "Your friendly." She said suddenly. Aerion did not shake her hand and started wandering about on the railroad as if he were looking for something. Charity sighed and put her hand down.
"So what do you know about him?" asked Charity. "I'd ask him myself but he has such rude manners."
"All I know is that his name is Aerion, and that he's mute." Said Halcyon with a smile.
"If he's mute, then how did he tell you his name?" asked Charity.
"Well…" said Halcyon as he tried to find a way to word it. "It just came, to me suddenly. And when I asked him if that was his name he shook his head yes."
Charity gave him a strange look. "Right, o.k. Well did it come to you about how the heck he got here and what that bird was yesterday?" she asked. Halcyon did not respond.
Halcyon took a seat and sighed. "It so strange…" said Halcyon. Charity sat beside him and stared at Aerion, who was now skipping rocks.
"He looks like he's our age, but…there's something about him that makes him different."
"Your telling me…you know he healed himself."
Charity turned to Halcyon, "Your kidding me, HE COULD'NT HAVE HEALED THOSE WOUNDS IN ONE NIGHT!" she exclaimed.
"Look for yourself." Halcyon said. "Hey Aerion come here!" he shouted.
The boy ran over and stood before the two smiling waving a pair of rocks in his hand.
"Aerion would you mind removing your shirt, I want to see something." Said charity with a grin. Aerion nodded and quickly removed his top. Only pure amazement came to Charity's face when she saw the faded scars. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she rose to her feet and ran her hands gently over the scars.
"I don't believe this…" she uttered. Aerion giggled as her fingers tickled him.
"But how?" Charity asked, "Aerion, what are you?"
Then a thought came to her. "Only magic could have done this…" She turned to Halcyon. A smile came over Halcyon's face. "Does that mean, magic is real!" he exclaimed. Charity's horror suddenly switched to excitement.
"We have a friend with magic!" she said as she started jumping, Halcyon quickly joined in, then Aerion. They jumped up and down as Charity yelled. "We have a friend with magic! We have an Aerion!"