Prelude

THE SKY WAS STILL DARK AS EVER, the black sea stretching out in all directions as the breeze carried the boat gently over it. Occasionally there was the sound of a far-off seabird, but the ocean was otherwise quiet. It had been quite a while now since O’rodeñav’s family left the shores of Cape Dayflower. Now the wind was beginning to pick up slightly, but the clouds didn’t let up. He could almost swear that they were darker now, in fact, and he fixed his little coat nervously. 

His father was busy keeping the sail steady, and his mother was nowhere in sight. O’rodeñav eventually decided he couldn’t stay in the chill for much longer and went to the back of the boat where a low roof poked out of the bottom. He pulled open a tiny wood door and peered inside. 

The room was dark and cramped, the only light coming from the entrance behind him. Different boxes were stacked on either side, some new and brought from the observatory, but there were a few other items that looked much older. 

It was when he heard a sound from the other end that he quickly realized he wasn’t alone, however. He recognized a faint weeping, and as his eyes adjusted to the dimly-lit room, he saw his mother facing away from him, hunched over a flat wooden desk connected to the wall. She suddenly looked very small to him as her form trembled. For a moment, O’rodeñav just stood in the doorway, watching with wide, sad eyes. He hardly ever saw his mother cry. Leaving their home must’ve really hurt her. 

He knew he ought to do something, however, and an idea eventually struck him. Dad. He always knew what to do.

O’rodeñav slowly approached her, reaching for her hand and holding it tight. 

“Ñav…?” She squeaked, sniffing, as she turned around. He pulled her arm a little closer, sharing his warmth.

“Mom… Come outside.” 

She wiped her beak with her other hand as he led her towards the door. “Why… is something happening?” 

O’rodeñav decided not to answer, and she went along as the two of them came back into the open, just as cold and dark as before. His father was still there, keeping busy with the sail, but as O’rodeñav came over, he turned. His mother continued to sniff quietly, and his father’s face softened to a sad frown. 

As O’rodeñav let go of her hand, his father pulled her close, wrapping one arm around her in a hug. She leaned her head on his chest and he kissed her forehead. For a while they held tight, sharing a few seconds of silent affection. Eventually, however, his father would speak low onto her ear.

“Honey… Tell me what’s wrong.” 

She tried to look into his eyes, but a weep began to rise in her throat again and she put her face against his coat once more. 

“I-I’m scared, dear… We lost our home…” She sobbed, “We lost all of our research. Everything we worked so hard for… we’ve lost everything.” 

“There, there…” He cooed as he gently patted her back, “We didn’t lose everything. You have me, don’t you? And our son…” 

He removed his free arm from around her, putting a finger under her chin and slowly lifting her head up to look into her eyes. 

“As long as we have each other, it’s going to be alright. We must have hope.” 

His mother closed her eyes, letting out a sigh, and his father stroked her cheek. While he watched silently, O’rodeñav was quite moved himself. He was proud, too, not just for himself, but for the strong family that he was a part of. They could get through anything, and they could certainly get through this.

As his parents went back to holding each other, he turned around towards the front of the ship, his eyes widening as he saw what was ahead. For the first time, he noticed a landmass that had finally appeared through all that ocean. Although it was much smaller than Politzania, it stood tall like a monolith, the dark, worn sides spiraled by low-hanging clouds. Smaller rocks dotted the water around it like a vast sea of asteroids. 

And, despite how far away the islet still was, he could just make out a black shape at the very top, poking out of the ground like a beak and standing in complete solitude. Was that the lighthouse? No light came from it, but he assumed it must be that way if it was abandoned. 

It was strange to think this mysterious place would be their new home. The observatory was somewhat isolated, but they still had their neighbors- the other researchers. Would they ever see them again?

He wasn’t sure how long he continued to stare at the landmass for, his gaze unwavering from the desolate lighthouse. Suddenly, however, he caught a noise that broke the near silence. It was a deep hum, almost like some sort of growl, except it was coming from above them. 

As O’rodeñav turned his gaze upward, he saw nothing at first. It was like he was only imagining the sound. Except… there! He saw a flash of dark green break through the clouds, emerging as a bird-like shape flying through the air. It didn’t flap its rounded wings, however, and he soon started to realize it must be mechanical. Whatever it was, however, it was heading straight towards them. 

“Um- mom, dad…” He spoke up, his voice starting to quiver with alarm, “What’s that?”

As he pointed a claw up towards the sky, his parents let go of each other and both turned. To his worst fear, his father gripped the rope to the sail tighter, his face tightening as he pulled it against the cleat.

“It’s a military plane. They found us.”