Soul Ties

Chapter 6: The Distance

"This is Barlow Kold. He's going to be the captain that takes you to see Thysus tomorrow." my mother explains. "Wait, where's Seren?"

"She had to go help with something." I say. "Nice to meet you, captain Kold."

"Please, just call me Barlow." the captain replies with a shy half smile. "I'm not old enough to be called captain Kold just yet." And as I looked at him, I notice he is right.

His face seems quite young by maybe just a few years. Even the way he stands shows that he's mature but not seasoned enough to be seen as an experienced space captain. His body wasn't as muscular as I'd seen other males my age had been, which made me wonder if he was actually able to defend himself on dangerous trips. Although, it was more likely that he hadn't been in any type of conflict with other traveling ships.

He wore a shirt that was fitted to his body and pants just a bit looser yet still somewhat tight. Both were black as oil which contrasted against his light blue skin, making his hands and head stand out. He also had on boots that went almost up to his knees, which looked extremely heavy but I doubted they were.

On his chest rested a golden crest with a butterfly that glinted so brightly it was impossible to miss. What stunned me most was it almost looked as if the wings were moving but I knew that couldn't be. It was just gold.

"This is the crest of the Goddess." he points out, noticing me staring. "She's said to always be surrounded by butterflies and that when she came to be, she was created from a golden butterfly herself."

"It's true." my mothers voice pulls my eyes away from the crest and onto her smile. "I thought the stories were just something magical that you told to children, but when I met her she was surrounded by all these little golden butterflies."

Barlow lets out a sigh of what seems like awe. He rubs his finger lightly over the crest before clasping his hands behind his back.

"I look forward to seeing that myself when my turn comes." he says.

"How old are you?" I couldn't help asking.

"Twenty. Five more years until my quarter life and then I'll be off to spend the rest of my lifetime with my mate." The excitement on his face makes me nauseous. "Anyway, shall we take a tour of the ship?" he asks and I nod eagerly, thankful for the sudden change of subject. Though seeing the ship that would take me away from here didn't help the bile stay down.

I follow both Barlow and my mother as we walk toward the ship, thinking of the golden butterfly on his crest. Was Thysus actually created from something as small as a butterfly?

I want to ask him if only captains got to wear it, but the knot in my throat is too heavy. Instead, I focus on taking in our means of travel.

I'd seen plenty of ships before, but seeing the inside was something I've never experienced. I couldn't hide the amazement and wonder I felt walking up to the thin disc, watching the stairs descend in front of our feet.

From the corner of my eye I saw the smile on Barlow's face widen as he watched me staring. It was obvious he took pride in what he did as captain and how impressed others could become like I was.

Barlow leads us up the steps, my mother following closely behind him and me creating some distance between myself and them. There was no doubt that I was excited to see the inside of the ship, but there was also this extreme nervousness that came with it.

Yes, I wanted to enjoy the newness of my surroundings and this moment. I just wish it wasn't tainted with the image of me flying away from everything. From Seren. From my mother. From my home.