Azie

  Azie had now lived her life longer with the persons on the second fleet then she had alone. Still though Azie felt herself more an observer then a true person. Her features were always a little too different, her movements were always a little too off and her behavior was a mimicry at best.

  Then again past Mama Bennet and Ara, Azie really didn’t see any differences between the persons. Most of those who’d come on the second fleet were me more still were just around the age of choosing. At least they had been when they’d stepped foot on the soil of her home. Now most of that crop had spawned the smaller persons that spent most of their days in the information’s estate. Somedays those who guided the young would ask her to come and tell stories of the before, of the shadows.

  Normally if any of the Norishono saw a small one they’d take chase and make them regret being small but sometimes when the moons stood hand in hand looking down on them and the Norishent weren’t around the strongest, the bravest and the longest lived Norishono would gather in the stony clearing and tell stories and they’d overlook the presence of the small ones. Sometimes even if a small one dared, they could step forward themselves and share an experience.

  Azie could still remember the one a little older than she had been ducking forward and announcing the first sight of the strange shiny birds. For weeks curiosity made the Norishono uncharacteristically more lenient of the young and small.

  She could still remember perching her small form in the branches far above the Norishono forever wary of their teeth and claws as the person’s took their first steps onto their soil.

  All those that were or would be Norishono felt the presence of every heartbeat of the new, every step they took through their lands. The Norishono could have easily eaten them in one swift gulp. But the small that stepped out of the large metal ships were nothing like the old and wise had ever seen. They’d earned the Norishono’s intrigue. So the oldest and wisest stalked the new small creatures through the lands watching as they took what has always been and made it into something new.

  The bones that grew the flesh of the building that the second fleet used had been gifts from the first fleet or maybe a payment for all that they took.

  Azie shook her swiping away the memories of the Norishono and the first fleet.

  She stared at the floor under her feet a resource she’d taught Mama Bennet and Ara how to harvest and they’d explained to her what this place would be a place where the persons would come for their liquids that burned and took sense away and bits of the cooked things to nibble on. A place where stories came easily, and laughter echoed off the walls. A place where no one would threaten to eat a little one who ducked their head inside.

  Azie had loved every moment of Mama Bennet explaining all of what the second fleet wished to do always including her and Ara every step of the way. Azie like the gentle way Mama Bennet pushed them.

  Mama Bennet would never eat Azie for being too small and she would never chase Azie away. Mama Bennet had only ha three requests when Azie asked to try things the person way. Azie would never leave without a word. Azie never leave herself confused when she had a question. And Azie would call her Mama Bennet. Azie had agreed, and without having to be asked she watched over all that entered Mama Bennet’s village.

  That was exactly what she was doing when she stood from her high up perch staring up at the ceiling seeing more then just the wood beams. Azie searched the bar not searching for a face but the glint of twelve metals in all colors received from his own time before.

  Azie leapt from her perch stretching out her arms like her steadfast friend Atlas had taught her. Instead of devouring his preferred buzzing snacks she landed on the table staring at the ceiling.

  “Wounded Fledgling.” She told him tilting her head before pointing in the direction and tracing the path she believed the shiny bird the persons called a vessel would take and crash without any assistance. With a flash of teeth that had once meant run but now meant approval Cronner was up pressing his lips to her cheek before shouting orders to his men who in turn each pecked her cheek.

  It was a strange thing started when she’d first started the living amongst the persons. The persons had found it cute and sweet that she’d gotten so excited over the bits of affection and purposely did things to receive more. Now though they did it more out of the tradition of it.

  Azie hopped down to the floor and made her way over to the amused form of Ara who watched the men leave.

  “You think any of them realize you’ve reached the age of choosing?” Ara teased. Azie glared at her of course they didn’t Azie made sure her age was a mystery especially to those who weren’t from the second fleet, who hadn’t witnessed the agreement with the Norishent.

  “Can we leave that be and just have the sweet honey drink?” Azie coaxed. Ara grimaced at the mention of Azie’s favorite drink but still got it for her. It was another gift from the first fleet. Most said it was too think and sweet to be palatable but Mama Bennet always made sure it was stocked because it was Azie’s favorite. Azie smack her lips after the first sip and smiled happily.

  Ara laughed and shook her head.

  “You’re ridiculous.” She told her. Azie shrugged not much caring. No matter what she did she seemed strange to the persons. Azie was halfway done with her drink when she heard shouts and grunts. She turned in her chair and homed in on the four that were not very aptly fighting Croner’s men.

  She picked up her drink and sipped at it watching the scene and wondering why though they fought they didn’t take the clear routes of escape she saw. Azie protected those in Mama Bennet’s village, but she didn’t bother with things that she knew they could clearly handle. As long as they looked like they were handling it and the new ones didn’t-

  Something blasted out of the ones arm, and it went between Azie and Ara.

  Azie stood and felt her inky magic leave her body floating toward the man who dared get close to hitting Ara. Her inky magic swirled around him, and he shouted trying to step out of it but it solidified. The fighting stopped and Azie made her way over, step by step. She stood very close to the one who’d almost hit Ara.

  She blinked he didn’t look much like the others who often entered the village. His hair shimmered metallically like golds bronzes and coppers. She broke her gaze from the pretty hair and looked at the other three who watched her warily.

  One also had metallic hair though his was majority copper with hints of bronze. Then one had a nutty sort of brown hair with strange metal eyes on his forehead. And the last had hair was as dark and inky as her magic and his eyes weren’t far off either.

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  He radiated authority and he stared her down unwavering.

  “What is it you want?” he asked her. Azie tilted her head.

  “I want there not to be shots from people who were saved from crashing into the ground and flattened like pancakes.” She informed him.

  “We were brought here rather forcefully and not told what was happening.” He gritted back. Azie found the shiny medals and looked for confirmation or denial. Croner huffed.

  “That one started swinging before we could speak.” He stated motion to her pretty haired prisoner.

  “This is the place where persons meet, and things are spoken.” She informed the man. He opened his mouth to argue more, and she felt her patience thinning.

  “That’s enough I’ll handle this.” Mama Bennet stated. Azie stepped back as the older woman with white and silver hair walked down the stairs from her office behind Azie’s perch. Azie stepped toward her prisoner and waited guarding. “This is the Misfit planet of Ogga. We here, Misfits have claimed this area of land and we defend it. We welcome visitors that mean no harm. There is short term and long-term work. Trade. There is temporary and permanent housing. We have technicians who are currently working to fix your ship and we have those who can heal your wounds.” Mama Bennet explained in her matter of fact and easy to understand way.

  The new all looked surprised. Ha. She thought. Though she wasn’t sure why. Azie toed over to Ara and fussed over her making sure she was okay until Mama Bennet turned and called for her attention.

  “I’d like you to find these men denning.” She informed Azie. Azie wanted to argue but she’d agreed to try more persons things so she guessed she would. Azie released the shiny hair one and arched her back as the magic reentered her. She padded back over to the group and motioned them to follow her.

  Outside she kept glancing at the metal eyes until finally she turned and touched them. She blinked as they moved. She pulled them and they detached.

  “Strange.” She breathed.

  “My Goggles?” He asked her. Goggles. She thought such a strange word. She released them and stepped back. She turned to the inky man.

  “You are the leader?” She asked him.

  “I am the captain of the Frog.” He informed her and she brightened.

  “Frog?” She asked and with a whistle Atlas appeared in shifting liquid light on her shoulder. “Atlas is a frog.” She offered and he stared at her strangely. Well, he was. Azie thought with a shrug.

  As Azie walked, she wondered where to put them. She caught the two metal haired ones glancing at her. One with a flicker in his eyes and set jaw and the other with the look prey gives to a predator.

  Azie stepped over to him slowly shifting until he caught her eyes.

  “I am not scary unless one almost hurts Ara or Mama Bennet.” She promised. Then she reached up in a slow movement to touch the Shimmery hair. He turned a strange shade of red and murmured words she couldn’t understand. She found herself leading them not to any of the normal temporary dens but to her own. It was one of the only buildings the first fleet had finished that didn’t become rubble.

  It was a little crumbly some places and there were rooms inhabited by the creatures Ara said should only live outside but that didn’t make sense to Azie she’d lived in the woods with them for a long time why would she suddenly deny them entry to her home.

  Knowing most persons don’t like the outside creatures though she brought them to an area the outside didn’t reach.

  “Not many live here so you may spread as far as you like.” She informed them. “Do you know if you will be staying a short time or permanently?” She asked them.

  “We’ll be staying at least until our ship is fixed.” The captain informed. “How does work get arranged here?” He asked. Azie furrowed her brow.

  “You go to a building, and you ask them if they have any work for you.” She stated thinking that answer was pretty obvious.

  “But what types of work are provided here and how does one get paid?” The captain asked sounding a bit ill-tempered.

  “There is making work, growing work, fixing work, serving work, planning work. The trades are always changing. Payment though.” Azie stated walking over to the clear disk that was mounted at every door even in the sections that were crumbly and full of outside animals by Mama Bennet’s insistence. “Once you have a work contract long term or temporary. The person who gives you the work also gives you a glass card that fits here.” She pulled out the couple she had on hand there were more in her fabric nest and in drawers. She pushed one in. “It monitors how long the job is and when you come back here you can see your balance. It takes out your basics already. Money for your room, for your food package you can alter your plan to do what you need. Some jobs give you special things you need to talk to the job giver.” She insisted.

  “How does the information travel?” The Goggles asked coming swiftly next to her to look at the box. Azie stared at the box furrowing her brows. She’d never really thought about how the persons traded information’s through mechanical boxes they just had.

  “I don’t know it’s Mama Bennet’s addition. I don’t usually bother with it unless someone asks me about it. But if you want, I can bring you to the information’s estate tomorrow I’m sure they have some sort of textiles on it.” She offered. He grinned at her with jewel green eyes that sparkled like stars.

  Azie liked stars.

  “That would be great.” He breathed enthusiasm in every word. Then the Shimmer appeared in the corner of her eyes his movements were careful.

  “Would you also be able to point the general store out to me?” He asked his voice soft and rumbly like he didn’t wish to be too loud. Azie did not understand this. He wasn’t small at least not compared to her. Even her other form would be only a bit smaller than him. And she’d told him unless he tried to hurt Mama or Ara, she had no need to act scary.

  Azie though was more baffled by his question. General store? What was that? Azie didn’t spend much time learning what the different person stores were. She just went in asked for tasks and was given glass cards and then she completed them and was given payments and treats. Most of what Azie needed she’d always been able to find herself.

  Tasks weren’t jobs. They were favors. Things given weren’t payment they were interesting things that might be useful.

  “I don’t know the combination General and Store but in the station way there are many, many places to purchase things and have trades done. You might be able to find one there.” She offered keeping her voice in the turned-up corners tone and trying to make herself not as intimidating. She wanted to hop when he smiled at her.

  She stepped forward and pulled a lock of hair free from its captured to look it over. It shimmered back and forth, and she felt calm watching it. The Shimmer blinked and his face turned that strange shade of red again. He looked away from her his eyelashes fluttering like little wings.

  "You are very beautiful.” She commented. He reminded her of the smaller forest dwellers ones even too tiny for the Norishono to notice or care about because they wouldn’t even be a bite. Atlas nuzzled into the croak of her neck. She’d always been drawn to those types of creatures. Sitting by their homes not moving providing gifts. Showing them the trick, she learned that she’d never seen a single Norishono do until they let her burrow with them.

  Atlas was one of the first smaller creatures she’d met, and she’d watched in awe as he started a hop them blipped from tree to tree. She’d tried to do it herself but found she couldn’t quite make herself disappear. Through the effort though she found that she could make herself so very light, almost like a cloud. Like smoke.

  Azie followed Atlas in a slow steady bob that grew faster the more she practiced.

  Then another issue she discovered was she was often too big to follow Atlas or the other small creatures all the fun places they went. That’s when she watched Atlas change size to make a task easier.

  Azie had been amazed. She focused in on her form made from her magic. Though it was solid… Then again, was it? She first made herself smaller but found that the shadows that danced around her were always annoyingly noticeable. So she focused on its shape and soon she wasn’t quite sure how she figured it out but she change the shadows to look like a frog leg. Then with more focus and observation she’d turned herself into a frog.

  Not exactly Atlas like. She’d never managed to get that pretty green blue that was Atlas. Azie’s forms always kept a purple and silver confection like her eyes in her human and Nori forms.

  Atlas raised his head and she tilted hers as the boarder bells rung.

  “I must get to work now. It is better to stay inside while the sun sleeps.” She warned them. “I will see you tomorrow.” She promised then padded out of the room.