Cyan Falling

Styx and Stones

When they stepped out of Jaesong's abode, a wave of hot air hit Cyan like a wall. Jaesong however, walked around him, un-phased from having dealt with the heat for his whole life. Once outside the front of the apartment, Cyan realised that they were much higher up than he had thought. They were surrounded by tall, dusty buildings that stretched high into the sky.

The towering structures were separated by parched, dusty roads. The buildings were made with metal walls, scorched by the sun and covered in desert dust. Most doorways were covered by propped up tarps or thick, cotton canopies, keeping the entryways in some amount of shade. 

There was a strange smell in the air, from what Cyan could tell from behind his mask. It was hot, like the atmosphere with something chemical behind it and there was the distant scent of spicy street food wafting from somewhere up the road to the left of them.

Cyan huffed out a breath as he surveyed the area and then made to follow Jaesong down the long flight of stairs that lead all the way to the road. The steps went straight down the building without turning, separated from the main stairs that wound around the outside of the building, connecting to all the other apartments in the building.

Cyan felt the heat being absorbed into the black material that he was wearing and regretted the tight leather for a moment, especially looking at the more breathable material that Jaesong was equipped with. He had a form-fitting, long-sleeved top that came up his neck in black and grey with breathable perforation layered across it, black cargo trousers and combat boots. Although it was dark in colour, it looked much easier to move in.

That, he supposed, was the price he had to pay for his aesthetic. It really brought a whole new meaning to suffering for fashion. 

The suit however, was outfitted with the new gear that would help him control and direct his new powers and he was endlessly grateful for that. He thought to himself that the stuffy material was worth it. It had managed to serve him well thus far as well. He had used it up until that point and it had suited him just fine, he reasoned, it would be fine again as soon as he was out of direct sunlight.

"So... where are we headed?" Cyan asked.

"First we will go to the local bar. As much as I hate it there, it's the best place to get information." Jaesong said.

"Why do you hate it?" Cyan asked. He wondered if it was just the crowd, rowdiness or something else.

"Well, the locals don't exactly take kindly to people like me... people who look like me." Jaesong replied stiffly. 

It was one of those things that hit a nerve and Cyan was beyond curious to hear Jaesong's story. He knew he would have to earn it from him, but he had so many questions. He wondered whether it was something personal between him and some of the locals that had put them in bad standing with each other, or if it was some kind of racial or species-related issue. It wouldn't be uncommon. That kind of vile, baseless hatred seemed to crop up no matter where you went. People like that weren't worth their atoms. 

"Lets try to make it a quick stop then. I don't want to stick round anywhere that you're not going to be treated fairly." Cyan said, resolutely.

"I... thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. Not many people would be willing to extend that kind of courtesy to someone like me." Jaesong answered as they walked to a corner and turned into a back alley that would lead them to another main road.

Cyan bit his tongue to keep from asking the questions he had on the tip of it. It was there again, that "someone like me" comment. Cyan didn't know what Jaesong meant by it but it was clear that he had been made to feel insecure in himself over the years. The man held himself with poise and confidence, but he always took on this edge when he spoke of himself.

Cyan found himself silently cursing whoever had contributed to the man having any issues over his appearance. Whatever the nonsense beauty standards or prejudices this place might have had...It wasn't right. It completely wrong.

The two of them moved between the apartment buildings, Cyan following slightly behind Jaesong in the narrow alley. The sand was getting kicked up every time they took a step and was leaving scuffs and dust marks across the sides of their boots.

The shade cast over them by the tall walls and the canopies above was a pleasant reprise from the hot sun, allowing them to walk in the shade if only for a while. Soon enough, they were back out in the open and Jaesong was pointing down the street to an establishment that was built into one of the sky-scraper apartments. 

It had a large area of decking out front with canopies keeping it shaded and a few tables and chairs scattered around. There were lots of people outside and gathered at the tables, all of whom they would have to walk through in order to get inside. 

"That's the place." Jaesong said, pointing to it briefly.

"I see. It looks like it might be hard to get through." Cyan commented.

"Yeah, they can get a bit rowdy, but that just goes with the type of place that it is. Once we're inside, hopefully we can find a place at the bar and see if the server knows anything that might be useful." Jaesong replied.

"I have to say, I'm impressed. I feel like I got lucky having you be the one to rescue me. Anyone else and I might not be here, especially not with all the benefits you've given me. I'm glad to have you with me, Jaesong, you've already been invaluable to me and it's not even been twenty-four hours." Cyan said with a light-hearted tone.

"You're welcome." Jaesong said, averting his eyes, but unable to hide the sparkle of his freckles. 

It made Cyan feel quite pleased with himself. He wasn't sure why it filled him with such glee to be the one to cause the pretty sparkling to act up, maybe it was knowing he made the other happy, or maybe it was just his crow instincts drawing him to the shiny thing. Either way, he planned to make it happen as frequently as possible on their journey.

He really was grateful, too, to have someone as skilled and knowledgeable as Jaesong to help him in this unfamiliar place. It was likely that without him, he wouldn't even be able to communicate with any of the locals, let alone have any chance of controlling the energy that he now possessed.

When they got to the entrance of the establishment, it was clear that the two of them stood out like a sore thumb. Jaesong didn't look anything like that people that inhabited the desert city. They were very tall on average, around what looked to be seven feet tall. As he and Jaesong moved through the crowd, they were dwarfed by the immense stature of the locals. If Cyan didn't have the experience that he did, he might have been a little intimidated by them.

Most of them had green or teal skin and they seemed to run quite broad in the shoulders and chests, including the women. They weren't conventionally pretty in a way that would have matched up to any of the beauty standards on Earth, or of the planets he had lived on back in his own dimension. However, they were not ugly by any means, at least not for the most part. Their facial structure was defined and angular, adding to their striking appearance. 

They were dressed in various cotton clothing and simple leather armour, the majority of them also donning veils or head-scarves, likely in order to keep them cool and protect them from the brutal rays of heat that radiated all around them. Their eyes were distinctly either yellow or an intense magenta that contrasted greatly with their complexions. 

When they arrived at the bar, they were getting weird looks from all around. It was obvious that they didn't blend in, but it wasn't often that people would stare with such open looks of hostility. The ones that weren't disinterested were peering at them with disgust and Cyan had to wonder if either of them might have done someone unbeknownst to them that could have offended the people in the bar.

The bartender gave them a dark look that she seemed to be attempting to reel into some semblance of neutrality. It wasn't really working very well though.

"What do you want, Jaesong? You know you're not welcome here." She spat as she cleaned out the inside of a damp glass.

"We're just looking for some information and then we'll be out of your hair. Don't worry. I'm not sticking around so you won't have to look at me much longer if you answer quick and honest." Jaesong replied in a very clipped manner. 

Cyan wondered again what the hell was up between Jaesong and what seemed to be all of the locals. Had he seriously done something wrong to warrant such treatment? Cyan couldn't imagine anything, but then again, he hadn't known the other for very long at all.

"Good." The bartender said, eyes narrowing into a venomous glare. "I wouldn't want my eyes to bleed from looking at your ugly face for too long."

"Hey. No need to be rude. We just have a few questions." Cyan interjected, not liking where this was going.

"I do not owe answers to the likes of you, off-worlder. Especially when you associate with this freak of nature." She hissed.

"Look. I just want to know what you might have heard about a man named Belvarrian Callus." Cyan said, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Ha! You want to know of Callus? Do vile creatures really congregate? Why the hell would I tell you anything?" She laughed humourlessly. 

Just as she put the glass down, a large man appeared beside her from some back room that was located being the bar. He came up behind her and crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to come off as intimidating. Of course, it didn't do much to Cyan other than cause him to want to roll his eyes. It was truly a laughable display to him. However, Jaesong seemed to shy away and loose a lot of his confidence. It seemed as though he knew this man, from the expression he wore.

Cyan had a bad feeling about this. Clearly something was wrong. It seemed to him that there was likely some history there that he wasn't aware of.

"These guys causing you trouble?" The tall guy asked, glaring at them, but more pointedly at Jaesong.

"Just Jaesong bringing some stranger in and being an inconvenience as usual." The woman complained.

"I just want to know what information you might have on Callus." Cyan said evenly.

"I'm not too inclined to talk to you while you're with that revolting creature behind you. It's an eyesore. It's going to put the patrons off their drinks." The man insulted, cruelly.

"Jaesong is a person. Please refrain from referring to him as an 'it'. " Cyan replied, getting a little riled on his new friend's behalf.

"I see you have found yourself a little knight to fight for you. How pathetic. Did you have to hire him to pretend to like you? Does he know what you're like? Does he know what you are? It still baffles me that you thought you could have had a chance with anyone like us. You've never been worth our time as long as we've known you. Vile creature. Crawl back to where you came from. No one wants you. You should just die." The man directs his hatred at Jaesong, who looks like he's about to break, eyes diverted and lights dimmed to grey.

"Shut your disgusting mouth. Who the hell do you think you are to talk to him like that?" Cyan said, feeling infuriated, unbelievably angry for Jaesong. He couldn't fathom how someone could talk like that and tell someone to die so brazenly. It pissed him off.

"You're awfully rude for someone who wants out help. Why do you defend this ugly wretch? Does the sight of him not offend your eyes?" The man asked, almost sounding genuinely curious for a moment.

Jaesong sunk back even further, almost hiding himself behind Cyan and Cyan felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him. He didn't like how he was being treated. He didn't like their tone and he didn't like what they were saying. It made him furious.

"I don't need information from someone as pathetic and blinded as the likes of you. I'll find the information I need on my own. You're not worth my time." Cyan said dismissively and he turned to leave, making a point of slinging an arm over Jaesong's shoulder.

"Disgusting." The woman sneered.

"The only disgusting thing I see is you and your sickening attitudes." Cyan replied as he rolled his eyes. People like them were always tiresome to deal with.

"A piece of advice, stranger. You will regret aligning yourself with someone unsightly like him. He is disgusting to look at. No one will want to speak with you. Changelings are all the same. Ugly little creatures that steal the places of our own offspring." The bar woman said, her tone serious, but a malicious smirk played at her lips all the same.

"I don't want or need shitty advice from a racist, but thanks." Cyan remarked, sarcastically. "I do have some advice for you though. Go and get your eyes checked."

He really hated those types of people; the ones who judged others by their appearance or things out of their control. He could feel peoples' eyes digging into his back as he walked out, but he simply ignored them. He wasn't going to stay there any longer just to listen to them insult the man that was selfless and kind enough to have saved his life and asked for nothing in return. 

When they stepped out and away from the bar, Jaesong seemed to let out a breath that he had been holding. He was definitely rattled by the comments made towards him. Anyone would have been in that situation. 

"Are you okay?" Cyan asked carefully, moving his arm and placing his hand on Jaesong's shoulder.

"I'm fine." Jaesong replied, but he certainly didn't look fine.

"Ignore them. They don't know what they're talking about." Cyan said seriously. 

"They're right." Jaesong said quietly, almost a whisper.

"Bullshit." Cyan objected. making Jaesong look at him, startled. "You're the most sensationally gorgeous person I have ever seen. You literally sparkle. Just because you don't look like them, or because you don't fit their stupid standards, that doesn't mean that you're ugly in any way shape or form." 

"I'm... I'm gorgeous? I... No one has ever said anything like that before. I'm a changeling. I'm just a hideous child that no one wanted, who got abandoned so that their parents could steal a more beautiful child to replace me." Jaesong replied sadly. "That is what it is to be a changeling."

"That was entirely their loss. You're beautiful, Jaesong. No matter what they have to say. You deserve better than those obnoxious pricks. Never let anyone talk to you like that. You are above them." Cyan said, voice and expression deadly serious.

"But... I lost you your chance at that intel. I'm surely a hindrance." Jaesong said. He didn't know how to respond to Cyan's sincerity, but the subtle sparkles from beneath his mask were telling enough.

"That doesn't matter. I'll find that bastard one way or another. It's what I do. You did nothing wrong and besides, I need you, right? My tech-savvy guide and teacher. Don't ever sell yourself short or let them walk over you. I would be dead without you." Cyan replied. 

"Um, excuse me." A rough, feminine voice interjected from behind them and Cyan swivelled on his feet to see who it was that was addressing them. 

The girl who stood by them now was a tall, willowy woman, native to the planet. She had skin that was a deep teal hue and her hair and eyes were a matching, intense magenta. Her hair was jet straight and partially braided. She had on some makeup that complimented her: a dark green lipstick, mascara and a light green highlight that dusted the high points of her cheek bones.

"What is it?" Cyan asked curiously.

"I heard you in the bar. The man you are looking for... what will you do with him when you find him?" She asked.

"I will kill him." Cyan replied casually, but had an intense look in his eyes that spoke of his contempt for the man.

The woman eyed him for a moment, as if gaging his motives. "Go to Styx. There are many of his roots there, poisoning the land. You will likely find him there. If you don't, you will likely still find a lead or some useful information." The lady said.

"Why are you telling me this so freely?" Cyan asked, a little suspicious of the woman's intent.

"That man murdered my husband. I want him gone more than I am offended by he sight of a changeling. I don't want to live in fear. I do not want my children to grow up in constant danger. Than man brings nothing but death and toxicity with him wherever he goes. Belvarrian Callus has ruined too many lives to count. I just want that to end." She answered.

"When I find him, and I will, he will meet a painful end. I can promise you that. However, speak another word against my friend here and you will be next on the list after I put Callus six feet under, where he belongs. Got it? I owe this man my life. Do not insult him in front of me." Cyan said darkly.

The woman nodded silently and turned to leave, blending back into the crowd of people within the bar. That gave Cyan something to go on. Whatever or wherever Styx was, that was where they would be headed next. Of course, there was a chance that what the woman had told them was complete nonsense, something she made up or simply a trap that had been laid for them now that Callus knew that there was someone tailing him. 

"You really think we can trust her?" Jaesong asked, looking sceptical.

"No. But, we don't have any other leads, so this is our best bet in finding him. The only other thing we have is my tracker, but that is only attached to his car. There's a high chance that he's ditched it by now." Cyan replied.

"It could be a trap." Jaesong said.

"It could." Cyan agreed. "However, we don't really have anything else to go on at this point. I think we should explore the lead at least, we can do some quiet snooping when we get there." 

"Alright, well, we will need to gather some supplies before I take you to Styx. The land surrounding it and the path to get there are treacherous. There is difficult terrain and many beasts that lurk in the jungle, some of them far more dangerous than the desert hounds that attacked you when you cam through the Vortex Gate." Jaesong informed. 

"You'll have to run me down on some of those beasts while we travel. Where can we get supplies?" Cyan asked.

"There's a merchant's shop just South East of here, right at the edge of the city, where most travellers set out from. We should be able to get some tools and a tent there, which we will be needing if we want to survive even one night out there." Jaesong replied.

"Let's not waste any time then. We should get there as soon as possible." Cyan said and Jaesong nodded, taking the lead.

When they got there, the place was almost empty bar a few stragglers who were browsing the shelves. Jaesong quickly made the rounds, grabbing some rope and camping supplies, including a highly compact two-person pop-up tent.

Cyan decided that it would be better to wait for him, since he knew better what they needed for their journey. If he was honest, he was glad that Jaesong had insisted on accompanying him. This would have been a lot more difficult for him had he been alone and trying to track down Callus in this unfamiliar and dangerous environment.

Ashe waited he took in the interior of the merchant's shop. It was a narrow building but quite long, with a lot of metal shelves. Just like the other buildings around the city, this one, too, was covered in tarps and cloth canopies to keep the entrance in shade and offer a bit of protection from the sand. 

There didn't seem to be any off-worlders in the place, at least no one that looked like either Cyan or Jaesong. The only one that didn't look native to the area was the shop keep himself, how was dressed from head to toe in a tan coloured fabric, with a gap left for the mask and goggles that he was wearing. He looked like some sort of space-age mummy, but he supposed that it was probably quite practical given the planet's harsh and scorching hot climate.

Before long, Jaesong had made his way to the check-out and had paid for everything. Cyan felt a little guilty at that, thinking that he should have definitely chipped in or covered the cost since this was his mission to accomplish in the first place. He made a mental note to himself to repay Jaesong for that. 

The latter had added some torches and glow-sticks to the equipment, along with a sturdy grappling hook. He shoved everything into his backpack, the load surprisingly fitting inside with relative ease.

"So, is that everything?" Cyan asked as Jaesong approached him, slinging the backpack back over his shoulders.

"That's everything." He confirmed.

"Alright then. Do you know of anywhere where we can get some mode of transport?" Cyan asked.

"Unfortunately there don't seem to be any dune-riders available, which means we will have to attempt to make it over the desert by foot. I hope your boots have sturdy soles. You don't want them melting on the hot sand." He replied.

"I'd say that I'm surprised, but I suppose that's to be expected from a desert planet with more than one sun." Cyan said with a shrug.

"Cyan, this isn't a desert planet." Jaesong laughed as they made their way past the threshold of the city and out into the raw heat of the desert. "There is a stretch of desert that will take us about seven hours to cross by foot, but after that we will reach the jungle, where we will find the Styx." 

"Right, I shouldn't have assumed that there was only sand around here." Cyan commented.

"Well, to be fair to you, it is the only thing that you have seen so far." Jaesong replied with a light-hearted shake of his head. 

"To be honest, I'm relieved that our desert treck will only last us seven hours. I thought that it would take us at lease a few days to cross." Cyan said.

"Well, the desert here just happens to not go on for that far to the East of the city. It would be a different story to the North. The desert that way turns into plains and it's a three week walk to the nearest oasis town and another three days to the salt flats and the coast." Jaesong explained.

"Good job we're not going that way, then." Cyan joked.

"It's not that much more fun the way we're headed. That's for sure." Jaesong replied.