Clockwork Forest

Chapter one - The tower and its guardian updated

Chapter one – The tower and its guardian

The tower started to move and wake as the sun came up clearing the mist as it retreated back away from the tower like a unwanted guest, it was a tall ugly thing that stuck out from the ground like a sore thumb, it was visible that the tower had been there for centuries through all weathers with nobody looking after it, vines grew up the sides and moss was probably the only thing holding it together, the stone was well worn and discoloured, the tower was slightly crocked with a single window and gears stuck into its sides like moving decorations, at the top was a metal chimney emitting steam and smoke alike, around the castle was a large gyroscope that moved around the tower to mask its presence from the world.

Around the base of the tower was a single path that lead up and away from the tower with a sea of green spring coils that swayed in the direction of the blowing wind, surrounding this was a large dense black forest made of metal trees, there was no sound from the forest only the noise of the wind and metal branches clanking together, nothing living grew in this circle of metal and stone except for one thing, a small child that slept soundly in the castle overlooking its metal and dead kingdom.

The inside of the tower was warm as the gears turned and the steam blew, it was a well know fact that heat rose and it had its own indoor climate for all times of the year, all around were stone and pips protruding from the stone work and now and again you could the noise of steam hissing, the baby slept with not a care in the world dreaming dreams only babies would dream until she woke and started to cry.

There was another sound of hissing and the sound of whirring mechanics as two arms from the ceiling  came down, all made of copper, it hands were long and slender with sharp fingers, it slowly came to the baby and picked it up cradling it like a human would with care and a delicate touch, another extended itself with a bottle of milk with a rubber teat to feed the baby, she sucked on it with delight until the whole bottle was gone, with a gentle move of the arms it patted her on the back until she burped, another set of hands moved a cot and made the covers and the tiny pillow before placing the baby into the crib for a long sleep.

Also inside the castle was a single stove and a large box for holding fresh cold food, a single bath, wash basin with soap and flannel, a series of towels, a single cubered filled with clothes for all ages, nothing more and nothing less, the only other thing in the room was a machine stuck into a wall with a interlocking hatch, inside sat a strange thing with a slender neck with round glowing green eyes and its jaw seemed to be riveted shut but still able to make the odd sound as it checked its surroundings, it had been there since the tower was first built and that too was well worn, the only disguising features is a plate on the back of its head that read ASI-1609.

It would be another seven years before ASI would move again after watching the child lean against the window, its contraption would open up and its steam pips and other cables would unlach itself from the wall, as it took its first step it hissed and bounced to each step on its spring like feet, it legs slender and bent to as the bellows bounded and retracted, it hunched over its own body weight and its arms hunched by its side, years of use and poor maintenance caused it to be slightly rusty.

The young girl sighed as she heard it coming but didn’t turn around as she looked out to a village that was barley within eyesight, the machine approached and placed a hold hand on her shoulder, its fingers longer than that of the machine above into the ceiling, with a strange voice that sounded like someone talking through a metal tube ASI said “Alinson, you know not to go near there window”

Alinson sighed “i know but it’s beautiful outside and the breeze feels-“

“no my dear you must come away from the window”