After The Fall - Chapter 4

Herculaneum 

Erika recovered from her shock “So, magic man, what’s for dinner?”

“Hmm, not sure.” Pupil responded reaching into the bag. “What ever is in this can....uh, no. This can... no not that one either. Mmmm. This one.... uh uh. Oh well crap.” He then dumped the bag out. “STEW! Yes we have stew.” he said happily as he popped the can and placed it on a rock next to the fire. “Big can, enough for all three of us.”

They woke early the next morning and headed into town. The road was shattered, large chucks were busted away leaving huge cracks. Some of the concrete was, for lack of a better word, melted. It was a scene Erika had witnessed so many times over the years that it was normal. Soon she saw something that wasn’t normal. Dead birds, everywhere.

Pupil seemed to notice too. He scampered and hopped around the area, examining each bird. “Lesson girl, lesson. Come, time to learn.”

Erika and Bambi went up beside Pupil, he was looking at a rather large bird.

“Red tail?” Erika asked.

“No, smaller, Red Shoulder. Beautiful and powerful.”

“And dead.”

“Think you so? What is dead?”

Erika looked puzzled, again. Pupil noticed.

“You in pain? Face look like you been gut punched.”

“No, is this a trick question?”

“Hmm. Now I make your face, not sure which question you ask about.”

“About death.”

“Oh.... no. That real question. What is dead ?”

“Opposite of alive. Duh.”

“Duh ? What is duh?”

“It’s a saying. When something is obvious and the person doesn’t get it you say duh.”

“Is this to make person feel more stupid ?”

“Yeah, you got it.”

“Well girl you wrong......DUH!”

“How ?”

“You never really dead. Body dies, yes. Decays, yes. But until your spirit leaves, you can come back. You hold all power over death,”

“But how? This bird is in pieces.”

Pupil picked up the bird and cradled it in his right arm, with his small twisted left arm he caressed it’s head. Bambi barked when she saw the glow around Pupil, and she watched as it spread to the bird. She looked at Erika and was panting. She tilted her head when she saw Erika’s bored expression. Couldn’t she see the light? Bambi thought humans were weird.

Erika’s expression changed when she saw the hawks body begin to heal. Soon it looked like nothing had happened to it. Then it breathed in, and opened its eyes. It laid there, in his arms, and calmly looked around. It then spread it’s wings and took flight and landed in the tree above them.

“ Your turn....let’s see what you got.”

Erika looked unsure. She reached down and picked up a wren. She looked at Pupil.

“Start small then, if the deep water scares you then this is where we will start. First you must open yourself to the universe. Seek out the soul that belongs to this shell. It will call to you. Do not be afraid, it will not look like the bird.”

Erika tried, her eyes staring off into the distance. Nothing happened, she said so. “This is bullshit.”

“Language! First time, to hard to focus. Close your eyes, shut out all sound and noise. Hum if you have to. Focus on bird, what you feel. First with your hands, then with your heart and soul.”

Erika glared at him.

“Go on now. Mm hmm, close eyes. Clooose them.

Erika looked away and closed her eyes. It took a while, but soon the hole in the bird began to heal over with new skin. Feathers formed and the missing foot returned. Erika let out a gasp as she saw the soul and then felt movement in her hands. She opened her eyes and looked down at the wren, now wiggling with life in her hands. She opened her hands and the bird sat in her palms for a little while. It looked up at her, sang a short, happy song, and flew away.

“Wonderful, wonderful. There may be hope for you yet. Tell me what you saw.”

“It was a human form. There were thousands there. Like they were waiting and watching.”

“Yes, yes. They wait sometimes. To see if they can come back. Normally they would cross over. To come back as a hatch-ling, or baby.”

“Normally?” Erika asked.

“Caught that did you? Yes, normally. When the Saurian returned they repaired their soul contrivance,” He looked at Erika, she was starring at him, confused. She blinked, he continued. “It’s a device that traps the soul in this realm. It uses the essence of souls to power their ships and weapons. The Spire was a danger to it. That is why destroy it they had to do.”

“Knowledge now you have. Try again?”

Erika wanted to ask a question, it showed on her face. But she wasn’t sure if she should.

“Ask.” Pupil said with an amused look on his face.

“So does this make bringing souls back easier?”

Pupil looked delighted. “Yes, very much. The souls stay as long as they can. Strength weakens as time progresses. Then can no longer fight off the power of the soul contrivance.”

He paused, looking at her. Then “Do that one.” he said, pointing at a crow.

“The crow? Why?” Erika asked.

“As the raptors are the guardians of the Avians, the crows are their messengers. Bring back, I wish to talk to them.”

Erika recalled the Avians, they came shortly after the Saurians. They took heavy casualties from both humans and Saurians. No one knew why they came at first. It wasn’t until the Battle of the Spire that we learned we had a common enemy. She lamented on the fact this happened quite a bit since they showed up. The only aliens we didn’t try to kill were the ones that looked like us.

“Hellooooo.” Pupil said as he snapped his fingers in Erika’s face. “Planet to girl, is anyone there?”

“It’s earth and the name is Erika.”

“Oh, so sure you are of both. To bad only one is right.” he paused. “Proceed.”

Erika closed her eyes again. The crow came together much more quickly. It hopped out of her hands and stood before Pupil. Erika watched it cock it’s head around, seeming to take in it’s surroundings. She gasped at what happened next.

“Hail enlightened one. What remains of the Avian Republic thanks you.” Spoke the crow, in a clear feminine voice.

“It was my pleasure and my honor.”



The crow looked at Erika. “Hail child of Ransford., our thanks are to you too.”

Erika was confused and scared. “She has forgotten much, fragile is the human mind. Good thing the human soul is stronger.”

“Forced to forget a lot we both have. Relearning all we are.”

“We regret, but we must ask you a favor.”

“Yes, yes. Anything for our friends.”

“Time is short, we have thousands dead and dying in this town. Help them, they can help you.”

“Say no more, we will do as you ask.”

“Excellent. Gryphon will stay with you from here after, he can be a guide and voice from us.”

“Gryphon ?”

“Yes, the hawk.”

Pupil looked at Erika. “Seek out the Avians. They look like us but with bird features. Bring them back from the abyss, they will rise and help us raise friends.” As he spoke the hawk landed next to the crow.

“If it pleases Gryphon, I will make it so.”

The hawk looked at the crow, the crow spoke once more, “It pleases him.”

The hawk came to Pupil, and Pupil placed his hand on his head. The hawk began to change, first it grew larger. Then from it’s back grew the body of a lion, his wings slid into place on the back. Gryphon rose up on it’s hind legs and roared, sending Bambi running to Erika’s side. Erika stopped walking and looked back, her jaw dropped.

Pupil and Gryphon walked up to her. “You sure mouth is OK?”