Fallen Star

Chapter 9

Argenti felt hollow at my side as I secured it to my belt. Empyrean looked as equally solemn and grim as I did; despite only being on Cadere for about a week, she knew the severity of our situation. My shirt felt as starchy as ever but maybe a bit less thanks to being manhandled by Sally. My thick windbreaker was free of bloodstains and its pockets were now free of junk. My jeans, once oversized, had been adjusted to fit my skinny waist while the laces on my boots were clean and new. Sally had seriously pulled all the stops in making sure my Hunter gear was in tip-top shape. Despite her clear disapproval, she wanted me to be safe and made sure of it in her own way.

I found an old, blue backpack in my closet that was surprisingly unsoiled, and with a click of my tongue, I sawed off the puppy ears, mouth, tail, and eyes. Child Hiro would be horrified but heck, what worked, worked, and I sure as hell wasn't going anywhere with a Blue's Clues relic strapped to my back. Sally had organized all the junk from my windbreaker on my desk and I threw the flash grenades, signal fireworks, matches, lighter fuel, spare pocket knife, Swiss army knife, and a spare change of clothes into the backpack.

I turned to Argenti once more and adjusted it so it wouldn't smack against my legs as I ran. Like I told Empyrean, I'd be able to run properly with the sword within a week. Whether in its sheath at my waist or in my grasp, I could use it on the go. I looked at my palm and sighed, removing all the gauze. My hand was covered in white bumps that were slowly fading as they healed. They were almost all gone now and I didn't want the itchy wrappings around my palm any longer. I'd snuck some muscle relief cream onto my poor arm and it was feeling as good as new. I was almost set for my journey into Alpha City. Almost...

Finally, I turned to the dresser and hesitated. Once I removed it, Sally would have no reason to keep this bedroom as "my room." She could renovate it and give it to a much more worthy kid who needed it. I'd swore I'd never pick it up or take it out of its box or use it for its intended purpose. But I'd made a deal with Empyrean. I knew he would be disappointed if I backed out now and broke my promise. He was the one who taught me to always uphold my end of the bargain. He had drilled it into my head; it was the most important lesson he ever taught me.

Always keep your promises. Don't make promises you can't keep. If I was an unworthy heir, then I could at least live my life following that methodology. I could at least uphold his principles.

I reluctantly opened the top drawer of the dresser.

The other kids weren't allowed in my room for fear that they'd find this and break it. Sally knew this, and she made sure to uphold my privacy. In fact, the item inside this box was my most precious object. His last gift to me. His parting wish. His will that was passed onto me. But setting all of that aside, this item was perhaps the most valuable object in all of Omega. No one wanted it because everyone knew it belonged to me but the symbolism and worth it carried meant that it was respected and treasured all throughout this torn wasteland.

Inside the drawer was an ornate wooden box, which was an extremely rare heirloom as almost all good wood was destroyed during World's End and was especially scarce in Omega. Slowly, I took the box out of the drawer and set it on top. Empyrean observed it with fascination; it was ornamented, with designs chiseled all over the sides. On the top of the box were five circles each holding a symbol within them. A wolf covered in flames. A small angel. A shrinking kraken. A shooting star. And... At the center, the great Earth itself. Throat feeling dry, I opened the box.

Cush velvet covered every inch of the inside and sitting in the center of the fabric was a pendant. It was large enough to be considered gaudy but small enough to be called practical. It had a silver chain that glittered in the moonlight and ended in a large teardrop-shaped gemstone that shone turquoise, aqua, sky blue, ocean green, and bright cyan. Though my hand felt numb, I took the pendant out of its box and secured it in my safest pocket. I didn't feel like wearing it; I didn't really have the right.