Leap of Faith - Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Persistent humming woke her up.  Or maybe it was the air rushing across her that woke her up.  Or the oddly nauseating dips and lifts of the floor beneath her.  Or the stinging sensation on the side of her neck that radiated down her shoulder.  Or maybe it was the gentle fingers trailing through her hair, their coolness far more soothing than they ought to be.

She opened her eyes and squinted when she caught a good eyeful of the sun.  She tried to cover her eyes only to discover that her wrists had been bound together by some sort of metal contraption that tightened whenever she tried to pull her hands apart.

“Yang,” Blake whispered, instantly drawing Yang’s gaze.  She sat beside Yang, and she touched Yang’s cheek with her hand.  “Are you ok?”

“I think so?”  Yang tried to move only to groan when her whole body protested.  “What the hell…” she moaned, giving up and laying back down.

“I’m sorry,” Blake said, her tone pleading for forgiveness.  “I shouldn’t have shown you around.  I should’ve made you leave once you were better.  Or just dragged you outside the field before you woke up -”

“Hey.”  Yang shook her head but stopped when it made her head spin.  “We’ll figure it out, ok?  I mean, it can’t be that bad, right?”

Yang’s chuckle trailed off when Blake bit her lip and glanced to the side.  Yang looked that way and realized that the two of them were on a platform being dragged behind two of the motorbikes.  The rest of the group had formed up around them as they sped along a path carved through the forest.  Adam led the pack, his red coat billowing behind him.

“Ok, so it’s bad,” she concluded, trying to move her hands again and wincing when the cuffs tightened.  “How bad?”

Blake worried at her bottom lip before sighing and shaking her head.

“I don’t know.  I’ve never heard of a human making it into Menagerie before.  Obviously, our secrecy is important to our survival, and having a human know about us…”

“So…pretty bad.”

“But I’ll explain what happened,” Blake hurriedly added.  “I’m sure they’ll…figure something out.”

Blake’s sudden lack of confidence worried Yang even more, but she forced a smile and gently bumped her head against Blake’s leg.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.  My life tends to work out like that - no drama involved.”

Blake stared at her for several seconds before laughing.  The sound lifted Yang’s heart all the way to the clouds.  Unfortunately, it also attracted some unwanted attention.  The drivers ferrying them along noticed that they were awake and, within seconds, Adam had dropped back to drive beside them.

“Good, you’re awake.  Now, you can walk.”

“Adam -” Blake began, but he had already motioned for the drivers to stop.  The vehicles had hardly slowed down before he grabbed Yang’s arm and yanked her to her feet.  She snarled at his proximity, but he was wise enough to back away before she broke his nose with her forehead.  When Blake stood up, too, he scowled.

“Not you.”

“Too bad.”

Anger flared in his eyes, and his right arm flinched as if he would love nothing more than to raise it to Blake.  Fortunately for him, he stayed his hand, but he clenched his jaw and turned back to Yang.

“Walk,” he ordered, shoving her forward before returning to his bike and maneuvering back to the front of the group.

“He’s pleasant…” Yang muttered while doing as instructed.

“If he touches you again, I’ll cut his hands off,” Blake seethed before tenderly setting a hand on Yang’s side and urging her onward.  The guards remained positioned on all sides of them, caging them in with the motorbikes.

The bikes hovered over the ground using some technology that Yang would probably never understand, but the riders were even more interesting.  Just like Blake, each one of them had some form of animalistic trait, whether that be an extra set of ears, a gorgeous set of antlers, a tail - two tails in one rider’s case - or webbed hands and scales.

“Don’t stare,” Blake softly reminded her when one of the riders caught her glance and scowled.

“Sorry,” she whispered back before focusing on the grass road instead.

Because it was clearly a road, cut with a specific destination and use in mind, yet it had been created with immense respect for the trees on either side.  The canopy almost fully closed over their heads, offering plenty of shade but also uninterrupted pathways for the birds and other small critters crossing up above.  The grass remained undisturbed by the hoverbikes, only being tread upon by Yang and Blake’s feet.

The thick forest hemming them in on either side seemed like the perfect place to disappear in.  If she could create a distraction, she might be able to slip away and -

“Don’t even think about it,” Blake quietly warned her, drawing her gaze away from the trees.  “You won’t get far in those.”  Blake nodded to the cuffs holding Yang’s wrists tight before her gaze flitted to Adam.  “He’s looking for a reason to hurt you.  Please just…trust me, ok?  We need to get to Menagerie.”

Long ago, Yang had learned that no one knew who they would trust with their lives until facing that type of situation.  They might not have known each other for long, but Blake had never failed in her words.  She was genuine, and Yang did trust her.  So, despite every instinct telling her otherwise, Yang nodded and dismissed the idea of escaping.  She wouldn't leave Blake behind anyway, or want to risk Blake getting hurt.

Instead, they trudged onward.  Yang didn’t know how far they were going, but she had a feeling that they would be moving at a much faster pace if Blake wasn’t walking beside her.  Despite their open hostility towards Yang, Blake was one of their own.  That became even more apparent when one of the guards inched his bike over until he was close enough to duck his head and ask, “Doing ok, Miss?”

Yang studied him, searching for ulterior motives, but Blake lightly smiled and said, “I’ll be fine once we get this straightened out.”  Blake paused and then added, “Are the cuffs really necessary though?”  She gestured to the handcuffs locking Yang’s wrists together, and the young man glanced at them but hesitated.

“They’re for our protection…”

“It’s fine,” Blake quickly said, shaking her head.  “Thank you.”

He seemed torn by the unfulfilled request but, after another hesitation, nodded and edged his motorbike back into his proper position.  Yang glanced at Blake, who caught the gaze and offered a small smile along with a quiet, “We’re almost there.”

Considering Yang could only see trees, trees, and more trees, she nearly asked how Blake could tell where they were.  Adam glared back at her then though, so she swallowed her words and searched for signs of civilization instead.

The forest thinned so slowly that the subtle changes were hardly noticeable.  Then Yang spotted a patch of plants in neat rows that couldn't have been made by nature and a group of woven vines hanging from a tree branch like a swing.  The hoverbikes slowed to a crawl as voices drifted from up ahead, and up above.

The first house they crossed was quaint in size but had used a giant tree for its entire fourth wall.  Dashes of electric lights and silver metal ran throughout the wooden structure, yet it melded seamlessly with the tree and the strands of ivy crawling up the other walls.  Just beyond that house was another one equal in size and natural aura.  Then Yang started finding platforms built amidst the trees, and people using them as naturally as walking on land.

Voices quieted and stares followed as their procession passed through.  A group of small children, one of whom was riding a large, black animal that looked like a sleeker version of a wolf, gawked at Yang with wide eyes and open mouths.  She wanted to stare, too, but she quickly glanced at everything before leaning towards Blake.

“What’s that thing?” she asked, nodding to the wolf-like creature as its luminescent, violet-hued eyes stared after her.

“Night Wolf.  They’re very friendly.”

The enormous claws and muscles rippling throughout its lean form suggested a beast not to be trifled with.  Yet it nuzzled its long snout against one of the children, prompting them to return to whatever game they had been playing.

Yang could hardly digest that incredible animal and interaction before more caught her eye.  Every step led them further into civilization, and she marveled at it all.  Menagerie wasn’t small - she knew that from having seen it at a distance - but she couldn't have fathomed how much there was.  And she felt that way before they passed underneath a bright, silver archway soaring over the road.

“You’ll get to see Menagerie after all,” Blake sighed as the forest transformed from the countryside to the city.  “Not how I imagined…”

That Blake had imagined it at all prompted another familiar flutter in Yang’s chest.  Yang might have responded too - reassured Blake in some way - but the road shifted, and the view ahead of them took her breath away.

Menagerie viewed from a distance was incredible, but entering the city was a mesmerizing experience unlike any other.  Smooth cobblestones inlaid with bright silver metal replaced the grassy road.  Businesses and homes sprang up all around them, some built right into hollowed tree trunks and some built around the trees, which sprouted through the rooftops before branching out in thick canopies.

Vibrant greenery sprouted everywhere, from the giant ferns acting as shades over benches, the store names woven out of creeping vines, and the bushels of flowers on roofs or hanging baskets or window planters.  And the people…featuring all types of tails, horns, or scales, the people moved with a beautiful, graceful fluidity whether walking the streets, climbing into the trees, leaping from branch to branch, or gliding from one platform to another.  Meanwhile, always visible in front of them, towering just like the skyscrapers surrounding it, rested the glass dome glittering like Menagerie’s crown jewel.

They hadn’t made it far into the city before the guards stopped and dismounted their bikes.  Yang, caught staring at a peculiar home built in at least five levels traveling up a giant tree, noticed Adam stalking back to her a little too late.

“Mind your manners, human.”  He spun her away from the home and shoved her forward so roughly that she nearly stumbled and fell.  She would have fallen if Blake hadn’t caught her by the arm to steady her.

“She isn’t an animal,” Blake hissed at him before helping Yang regain her balance.  The caring gesture earned his ire, and he grabbed Blake’s other arm to drag her away.

“Walk with me.”

He motioned to the front of the group while Blake tore her arm out of his grasp.

“No,” she seethed before turning her back to him.  His face contorted with rage, but he glanced to the side of the road, where several onlookers had gathered to watch, before scowling and stalking back to ‘his’ place in front.

“Who is that guy?” Yang whispered as Adam whistled for them to move onward.  “Jealous ex-boyfriend?”

“Worse.  Jealous wishes-he-was-my-boyfriend.”

“God, that is worse…” Yang sighed.  “Please tell me you aren’t into assholes.”

“Never have been and never will be.”

That Blake didn’t have horrible taste in men was a small relief that Yang willingly accepted.  Their improbable summer camp adventure had come crashing to an end, after all, and now they were being very literally forced back into the real world by some egomaniac with a misplaced sense of entitlement.

But he was in control, and it soon became obvious that he also claimed a healthy amount of respect from the general populace.  As they moved further into the city, they crossed paths with more and more people carrying about their days.  Everyone quickly moved out of the way, ducked their heads to Adam, and stared at Yang.

Noticing how Adam proudly tilted up his chin, returning to the city like some victorious general, Yang suddenly understood what this was.  She was being led around, wrists bound, like a prisoner of war surrounded by her captors.  The spoils of war.  A trophy.

The indignation woke the tiger in her, but she bit down on the instinct to fight her way out of this.  Blake told her that they needed to get to Menagerie, or wherever in Menagerie she was being led, and she trusted Blake.  Blake had been right about everything else so far, from the branches never breaking under their weight to the right foods to eat, and Yang would trust her again.  That didn’t mean that she hated it any less.

Fortunately, she wasn’t alone.  Blake garnered just as much attention from the growing crowd of onlookers, but she held her head high and never left Yang’s side.  Her calm, steady presence soothed Yang’s gnawing urge to feel her fist connect with Adam’s jaw.

That thought still tumbled around in the back of her mind as they crossed an immense town square settled between the towering trees and towering buildings.  Like an open-air bazaar, brightly colored stalls sold a variety of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and even jewelry or artwork.  Hundreds of people and families milled about, shopping, dancing, or chatting beneath the canopy and huge holographic screens broadcasting some kind of sports event.

The peaceful hum ceased wherever Yang passed, replaced by curious, surprised, or even worried whispers.  And the staring continued.

“How does everyone know I’m human?” she whispered to Blake when a little boy with cute blonde antlers pointed at her.

“Because you’re…lacking in animal qualities.”

“What if I’ve got a tail tucked in my pants?” she asked, but Blake smiled patiently at her.

“If you had a tail, you wouldn't hide it.  Our connection with nature is a source of immense pride.”

“I can see that.”  Yang looked up at a walkway crossing above their heads, connecting two buildings suspended in the trees.  “If I wasn’t human, I’d probably be like…one of those prowlers.”  When Blake snorted with laughter, Yang turned toward her and added, “What?  You don’t think I’d be a prowler?”

“No.  They’re so…aloof.  You’d be more like…a sun tiger.”

“What’s a sun tiger?”

“They’re gorgeous creatures.  Bold, adventurous, fearless…”

“Sounds a lot like you.”

Blake’s ears swiveled fully towards Yang as a smile slipped onto her lips.  “Then I guess we’re more alike than people would think,” she replied, smiling for a little longer before glancing away and tucking a stray strand of hair behind one ear.  Yang stared at her for another moment before looking ahead of them.

The onlookers continued to stare, but Yang ignored the invasive sensation as best as she could.  Blake’s soft comments about the city helped distract her, pointing out landmarks like the best places to eat, several schools, a sports stadium, and a library that looked like it had been built in a fairytale.

Eventually, the cobblestone paths filled with people gave way to a grand boulevard lined by ancient trees similar to the royal palms Yang had seen in some tropical locales.  Little birds in an array of iridescent colors flitted amongst the fronds, chirping happily to each other.  At the end of the boulevard, the massive glass dome loomed before them.  Flowering vines crawled up the sides, looking like nature’s attempt to embrace the ethereal building.

As Yang was marched along that boulevard, the bustle of the city faded and the sounds of nature crept back in.  Soft breezes rustled through the leaves, the birds added their persistent chatter, and some unseen creature brayed in the distance, lending an enchanted feeling to the air.

“What is this place?” she whispered to Blake.  Anything louder felt like it would be a disgrace to the peaceful atmosphere.  Blake, however, stared at the extravagant building and swallowed before answering.

“The palace.”

“‘Palace?’  As in…?”

“Where the royal family lives.”

The gulp-worthy revelation left Yang dwelling in growing concern as the building loomed larger.  She had heard enough stories about monarchs to know that appealing to them directly was a crapshoot at best.  But she trusted Blake, so she took a deep breath and continued onward.

They passed through the grand entrance yet, had Yang not watched the guards open the massive doors, she could be convinced that she was still outside.  Natural light streamed through the glass walls of the atrium that stretched far above their heads, tall enough for enormous trees to fully fit inside.  Flowers of every shape, size, and color blossomed from patches of dirt seamlessly integrated into the floor.  Birds flitted through the air.  A small, tawny creature much like a deer or small antelope lifted its head and flicked its ears at them before plucking another leaf off of one of the plants and moseying across the path.

“Wow…” Yang breathed out for the hundredth time over the past day.  As much as she wanted to marvel at every little detail, her present situation refused her the opportunity.  Their arrival had garnered attention from the guards stationed in the palace, one of whom immediately rushed over.

“Blake!” he called out, squeezing between Yang’s escort in order to reach Blake.  “Holy scales - where have you been??”

“Wukong,” Adam interrupted just when Blake opened her mouth.  “Return to your post.”

“Ok, but -”

“Now.”

The blonde boy looked at Blake, who mouthed, “Later,” before glancing at Yang.  His eyes widened, and he looked like he had many more questions, but he snapped his mouth shut and hurried back to his station near one of the interior doors.  Adam scowled after him while Blake scowled at Adam.

“You really don’t like that I have friends, do you?” she asked, earning a scowl herself.

“He’s beneath you.”

“I get to decide who’s ‘beneath’ me.”

Adam’s gaze flitted to Yang, then he scoffed and strode away without a comeback.  He issued orders to the guards, sending some off on unknown errands before motioning the rest to follow him upstairs.

“How do you even know this guy?” Yang asked, frowning as he berated someone for something.

“It’s…a long story.”

“I can see why you’d want to get away from that…” Yang muttered while Blake’s hand returned to her elbow to direct her forward.

They reached a whisper-quiet escalator spiraling upstairs next.  Yang stumbled slightly at the remarkably smooth transition, but Blake’s steadying presence helped her keep her balance and marvel as the scope of the atrium came into view.  It was as if the forest had been transported indoors, where it thrived in every vibrant hue imaginable.

The escalator deposited them onto an elegant passageway leading to an enormous pair of regal doors set in the wall in front of them.  Two guards stood on either side of the doors, dressed in the same armor as the rest, and bowed as their group approached.

“Your parents will be so proud of you,” Adam jeered before mockingly bowing Blake through the door.  The comment piqued Yang’s curiosity, but Blake, her hand still resting on Yang’s arm, ushered her past the guards and into the room.

The atrium, magical as it was, paled in comparison to the colossal grandeur of what must be some kind of throne room.  They stepped onto an expansive, metal platform that didn’t quite reach the room’s far corners.  Refined railings served as the sole barriers between visitors and the considerable drop to the floor below, where mature trees had been planted.  The canopies sprouted up all around them without obscuring the breathtaking panoramic view of Menagerie through the glass dome overlooking the city.  Birds, flowers, and small creatures were seemingly everywhere, coexisting in this extraordinary indoor kingdom.

Unlike the forest, however, two lines of guards, each standing at attention with a metal staff clutched in hand, formed a tunnel leading to two extravagant thrones.  A man and woman stood there, waiting for Blake and Yang to reach them.

The tall, broad-shouldered man drew Yang’s gaze first.  His features were both handsome and stern, with dark hair swept back in a short mane and a well-groomed beard.  He wore an elegant, dark-green tunic with silver symbols embroidered along the borders.  His black trousers had lines of silver similar to Blake’s clothing, as did the lightweight cloak thrown over his broad shoulders.

The woman standing beside him was far more petite in stature yet somehow just as large in presence.  Her regal, cobalt-blue gown cascaded down to her ankles and shimmered as if it had somehow captured the rays of the moon.  Her stark black hair framed her face, yet her amber eyes reminded Yang of Blake.  As did the two feline ears, where several gold earrings glittered.

“Blake!” that woman called out, breaking away from the man beside her and holding out her arms.  Yang’s brow rose at the greeting and rose even further when Blake hurried into the woman’s embrace.

“Hi, mom…” Blake mumbled while the woman hugged her close.

“Where have you been?” the woman asked, holding Blake out by the shoulders.  “You leave a note saying you love us, then disappear?”

“I’m sorry.  I can explain -”

“We found her by The Field,” Adam interrupted.  “Gallivanting around with this human.”

He spit out the word like it tasted sour, and suddenly Yang had the entire room’s attention.  Blake’s mother tugged Blake behind her as if shielding her from Yang.

“I wasn’t ‘gallivanting,’” Blake argued, moving around her mother so that she could stand in front of her parents.  “Just let me explain.”

“Explain what a human is doing here?”

“How’d she get through The Field?” the towering man added, his booming voice demanding the room’s attention.

“Answer, human,” Adam said, roughly shoving Yang forward.

“Stop touching her,” Blake hissed at him before turning back to her parents.  “She doesn’t mean any harm -” she began, but Adam grabbed Yang’s metal arm and raised her handcuffed hands.

“Then what’s this?”

“That’s my arm, asshole,” Yang snapped, pulling free of his grasp.  He immediately grabbed her shoulder and kicked the back of her knees to drop her to the floor.  Blake lunged forward, but her dad grabbed her arm to keep her back.

“Adam,” he commanded, so Adam clenched his jaw but backed away.  Yang glared at him before getting back to her feet.

“Is that faunium?” Blake’s mother asked, her eyes bright with surprise.  “Where did you get faunium?”

A sarcastic response jumped to the tip of Yang’s tongue, but she glanced at Blake and held it back.  Adam might be provoking her, but these were definitely Blake’s parents - the resemblance was shocking - and they deserved a civil answer.  Honesty typically wasn’t recommended in a situation like this, but lying to Blake’s parents felt like an even worse idea.

“It was my mom’s.  My sister used it to make my arm.”

“She wasn’t looking for us,” Blake jumped in.  “She got hurt and crawled through The Field.  I found her there.”

“How were you hurt?” Blake’s dad asked.  They both noticed the blood stain on her jacket then, which had lightened after her trip into the pool but still suggested a grave injury.  Again, Yang wanted to lie - to make up something that would get her out of this sooner - but she glanced at Blake and sighed.

“I was looking for someone and ran into a group of thieves.  They wanted my arm, I told them where they could shove it, then they shot me.”

Blake’s parents exchanged a concerned glance before Blake’s mom leveled Yang with the same intuitive, all-seeing amber gaze that she had gotten used to over the past two days.

“Who are you looking for?”

Yang held her tongue and looked at Blake, who subtly nodded for her to answer.  “Her name is Raven,” she sighed.  “Raven Branwen.”

She had dropped the name so many times that she had learned when someone recognized it - and Blake’s mom recognized it.  “You know her?” she added, hardly able to contain her surprise.

“Why are you looking for Raven?” Blake’s mom asked in return.  Yang wanted to point out that she had asked first but, considering she was in no position to barter, opted for the one route she hadn’t tried yet - the truth.

“She’s my…birth mom.”

Blake looked at her mom, who tilted her head while her ears turned from side to side.  She looked confused, then disbelieving, then her eyes widened.

“You’re Summer’s daughter?”

Yang froze at the name, which lingered in the air like ripples in a pond moving to the corners of the room before returning.  Then her heart started pounding, and adrenaline flooded her veins.

“How do you know my mom?”

“Ghira,” the woman said, her eyes flashing back to Yang while she grabbed her husband’s elbow and turned him toward her.

“I said how do you know my mom??”

In hindsight, raising her voice was a bad idea.  Stepping forward at the same time was an even worse idea.  A crackle of electricity reached her ears, she barely caught sight of Adam’s arm moving, then everything went dark.