The Tower's Secret

8. Stars

Grey wiped his knives on his shirt, swiftly cleaning off the golden liquid and letting the few remaining drops fall onto his skin; they rippled languorously before finally sinking in. He glanced around, attempting to sense if there were any allies of the winged-woman he just killed. 

But there were none. Only the rolling plains gently swaying in the wind. Bits of loose grass fluttered in tandem with the air, dancing on the surface of gold so lightly.

Grey sighed as he licked his cracked lips. He glanced at his hands, clenching them and unclenching them. Strange...Grey still closed his eyes right before he killed; he had not yet abandoned the habit. He wondered why.

Turning his attention to the ground, he picked up the woman's fallen pistol. It was still warm, the grip slightly sticky with sweat. Her clothes and shoes, devoid of their owner, were strewn on the ground as well, slowly disappearing. Grey hesitated, but he finally decided to take the jacket—it seemed durable—maybe he could give it to Asis. He tucked the pistol in his side pocket and slung the jacket over his shoulders, beginning to walk in the direction he came from.

When Grey arrived at the shelter, Asis had already returned. She was taking off her boots and untying her hair, dusting the dirt off her knees from where she stood. Grey lingered at the entrance and watched her silently, keeping his presence unknown.

A year had already passed since Asis lost much of her Light. A year. So strange how time had sculpted life.

Asis still possessed a more Light than Grey, so he knew she would still move up earlier. However, he was grateful for the extra time they spent together, absorbing each moment with savory.

Their days had resumed with general peacefulness as if nothing had seemingly changed. Reading, hunting, training, sleeping. Only... Asis never sparred with him anymore, neither did she directly mention her desire to travel up the Tower. But the two minor changes in their relationship were decidedly insignificant. He interacted with her the same way, and he became even closer to her, realizing her more human aspects. And Asis gradually smiled more, laughed more; she even played tricks on him. It was fun, enjoyable, despite anything.

Only he knew the time for her departure was once again nearing.

"I have a jacket," Grey finally cleared his throat. "Do you want it?"

Asis pivoted around, wiping her hands on her pants. She sized up the cloth he was holding. "No, I have enough clothes. Leave it at the entrance; I'll take it out to trade later."

Grey nodded. In the fields, there were numerous places where people temporarily held peace to exchange weapons, information, and other objects. However, the people there were usually sharp and cunning, bargaining keenly. Grey was not quite proficient at negotiating yet, for he was reticent about human contact, and he floundered for words during verbal arguments. Thus, he usually let Asis handle trading.

Asis suddenly held out a box, distracting him from his mulling. "Grey, I have a present for you." The box was smooth and dark with a small black button at its side, "I found it in the Field of objects."

"What is it?" He inquired curiously, gazing at it her hands.

"It's a music box. You press on this small button and music comes out," she walked over, handing the object to him, "Here, see for yourself."

Grey gingerly held the box in his hands. Two flat panels lay across the top. He hovered his finger over the button. "Like this?" He pressed down.

For a moment, there was no music.

All of a sudden, something popped out of the box and punched him in the face.

Grey yelped slightly and dropped the box, his heart beating fast. He breathed in and out, attempting to calm himself from the sudden scare as he clutched his cheek and readied himself in a stance to fight.