What Dawn Brings

The remote surface settlement is scattered amongst the sky-scraping trees, teeming with life—both people and wildlife living harmoniously, not reliant on the technology of my hometown.

I wait in the usual spot, nestled within a large tree hollow sizeable enough to house an entire family comfortably.

A sudden gust of wind roars through the opening of the tree hole, nearly taking me off my feet. But by now I've learned to hold onto a nearby branch while awaiting the arrival of my friend.

Alec sits atop a winged beast the size of a horse, a creature that could only be found on the wondrous world of the surface.

He leaps off the beast and sticks the landing with an unnecessary flourish. The creature flies off behind him.

"Show-off," I say, laughing.

"Only when I've got an audience worth showing off for."

"The landing was a bit much, don't you think? Soaring through the sky atop that thing not grand enough for you?"

"Please. You leap up here in an exoskeleton suit and want to lecture me on flair?" he fires back.

What's standard to me is foreign to him, and vice versa. It's easy to forget the two of us come from completely different worlds sometimes.

I make a show of looking at his empty hands. "And here I was thinking I'd see something extraordinary today. Especially after what I brought you last time. Not to mention what I bring today," I say playfully.

He clicks his tongue.

"I've got something better planned today, my friend. Way better…."

I suspected as much. Alec's the type who'll do anything to repay a debt. His fascination with the Undercity's tech borders on obsession—a fact I only realized when he nearly burst into tears after I smuggled that exo suit for him.

It's strange to me. How one can be so mesmerized by something used to kill so many of his people.

"You must go first today, though. My gift is too grand to be anything but the finale," Alec says proudly.

I roll my eyes at his theatrics before reaching into my bag and pulling out the marble statuette of the Undercity's hero himself. The first Climber to reach the surface and live to tell the tale. The one who wages war to reclaim the surface for our people. Reclaim it from Alec's people…

He is a kid again as he holds the figure in his hands. "The Dawnbringer himself," he says reverently.

To my people Atlas is a god. The god who stands against Rowan the Golden Sword. To Alec's people he is the devil who crawled from hell itself.

By now I've learned not to question his infatuation. I can understand, in a sense. The way his people live as one with nature fills me with that same sense of wonder. Maybe we're simply drawn to the worlds we've never known.

It seems silly that a war is being fought when there are such simple beauties in the world. But it is because there are beauties—things worthy of desire, worthy of protecting—that we have wars.

Alec sets the piece down before throwing his arms around me. He thanks me profusely, saying all sorts of embarrassing things. I let the embrace go on for longer than it should before he finally pulls away.

"Are those tears I see? Didn't think the gift was that good."

"Shut up, you know it's windy this high up. I have sensitive eyes."

"Right." I decide not to comment on the complete lack of wind within the tree hollow.

He wipes his eyes with his forearm before turning back to me. He flashes me a devious grin, his eyes exchanging tears for mischief.

"Well then, are you ready for the grand finale? A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle an Undercity dweller like you could only dream of." He waves his hands all about as he speaks, ever the performer.

"Can't wait," I say sarcastically.

"That's the spirit. Neither can I." He raises a hand over his head and snaps his fingers. A gust of wind tears through the hollow as his steed soars through the opening, landing at his side. The beast nuzzles its head against Alec's hand, and he pets it as one would a dog or cat.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get on," Alec says as he climbs onto the beast's back.

He can't be serious.

Being spotted together would be bad for us both. Meeting in secret here is already a risk, but soaring in the sky on a flying horse is like firing a flare gun in the middle of the night.

"Alec, you know what will happen if we're—"

"It'll be quick. We're moving too fast for anyone to make anything out. I'll be sure to fly higher than usual too. I fly around all the time, it's hardly out of the ordinary to see Sol and me up there."

He makes a motion with his hand, urging me on. I smile before saying, "This is a terrible idea. Your worst one yet and that's really saying something." He grins. "Come on, I know how badly you've wanted to. All the stuff you've brought me from your home, let me show you the best the surface has to offer."

How can I refuse when he's so passionate about it? It would be rude, really. Seems I have no choice. I approach the beast and take Alec's hand, pulling me up its back.

"Alright, Sol. Let's go!"

I scream as Alec and I barrel through the trees, weaving between them and veering away at the last possible second. He's toying with me. My knuckles are white as I hold on for all I'm worth. Then we shoot upward, gaining altitude faster than any bird, and before I know it we're staring down at trees that, moments ago, seemed to have no peak.

Far below, the surface has disappeared beneath the forest canopy, a sea of clouds filling the space between the colossal treetops. The sun bathes the scenery in amber, forcing me to squint and shield my eyes that were never meant to see such things. It is unbelievably serene—the sheer lack of noise, conflict, war.

I'm stunned silent.

It feels like we are in another world. It reminds me of when I was a boy and first stepped out into the light, seeing the surface for the first time. The color, the overwhelming brightness of the sun as it assaulted my eyes despite the protective gear. The birds soaring through the skyline, the trees that disappeared into the clouds.

Twice now the surface has left me in complete awe.

I can't help but wonder how many of my people have seen such sights—maybe if more had, there wouldn't be so much fighting. So much destruction. Death.

We coast slower now atop Sol's back, drifting lazily between the treetops. Alec turns to look at me, a devious smile forming on his face. "Are those tears I see? I mean, I knew the gift was that good, but really, man?"

I hadn't even noticed the tears welling in my eyes.

"The wind, you know, I wasn't expecting to bolt upwards so fast like that—" He smirks at me as I ramble on. "And my eyes aren't used to this much light. I didn't wear my lenses."

He rolls his eyes and waves his hand as if to say yeah, yeah, whatever. I swat his hand away. We both laugh. Sol grunts, likely not appreciating the commotion on his back.

"It's beautiful," I finally say.

"Yes. It's the only place I can go to be truly alone. Not even the birds come up this high, much less the whispers of war."

I sit with that for a moment. I don't usually feel guilty in his presence, but up here I can't help it. One day even this could be taken from him if my people win the war. I mourn that future. A future where Alec and I may be forced to pick a side. A future where one of us gazes upon this sight without the other.

"You didn't think this was it, did you?" Alec says, trying to lighten the mood. "I've still got an ace up my sleeve."

At Alec's signal Sol descends, leaving the peaceful world above the clouds behind.

Still wary of being spotted, we remain near the treetops, just beneath the clouds. Ahead of us towers the largest tree in the forest. The "Capital Tree," according to Alec. The city I grew up in could fit within its colossal trunk.

Neighborhoods line its sprawling branches. Flying creatures, like Sol, carry people up and down and across, kids play with small animals, residents tend to gardens—it reminds me of home, in a way. Different, yes, but the sense of community is the same.

We are hovering about a hundred meters from the Capital Tree now. Alec looks at me, suddenly dead serious. "You have to swear to me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

I'm taken off guard by the sudden tone shift. Unsure how to respond, or if he's even being serious, I just say, "Uhh, sure." Not good enough, apparently.

"I'm serious. My dad would kill me if he found out I told someone. I need you to swear it on someone you love."

Alec's words give me pause. I think of home, of those who have cared for me and made me who I am.

"I swear on my brother and sister's lives, I will not tell a single soul. My lips are sealed."

"Good. Now then." He snaps his fingers twice in quick succession, then points near the top of the tree trunk. "What if I told you they've hollowed out that entire section," he announces in full performer mode. "And why have they done that, you ask? Why commit to such an undertaking?" He pauses, letting the suspense build.

"That, my pale friend, is the new headquarters of the Golden Sword himself, Rowan. Not even Atlas knows of this settlement. How's that compare to a statuette of the Dawnbringer?" he says, all too proud.

I freeze.

Time seems to slow down. My breath catches, my heartbeat now thundering in my ears. He has to be joking. Has to.

"Very funny, Alec, you almost had me for a second." I force a chuckle. "Of course the Golden Sword isn't here. In this middle-of-nowhere forest? Makes no sense."

Alec isn't laughing, or smiling. He's serious. Shit. Holy shit.

I grip his shoulders, hard. "Are you an idiot? Why would you tell me this? Do you not realize what my people would do if they found out? I am from the Undercities, Alec!" I take a deep breath, collecting my thoughts.

"Why would you tell me this?"

Alec looks like a child being scolded by his father for the first time, his innocent whimsy and spark extinguished. He is confused by my outburst, but he has been sheltered from this war. He can afford to idolize an enemy leader like Atlas, drool over our tech. If he'd seen the carnage I have—mothers crying as they hold their dead sons, kids growing up without fathers—only then would he understand.

How could he so carelessly say that to someone from the other side?

Finally, he speaks. "Because I trust you. We're friends, right?"

I say nothing.

"You gave me that statuette of Atlas, so I showed you the one thing I thought could match it. I didn't think it was that big of a deal as long as it was someone I trusted. It's not like we're soldiers."

"We are friends, Alec. We are. But information is every bit as powerful as any weapon. Sorry for losing my cool, it's just—" I pause, trying to find the right words. "It's because we are friends that I reacted that way. You'll get yourself in a lot of trouble sharing information like that."

Alec, who is staring at his feet, apologizes for his carelessness. "I just wanted to make it up to you," he whispers.

The sun is beginning to set now, bathing the sky in crimson as cool evening air moves in. Even now I can't help but be in awe of the beauty of it all.

"You just had to go and blow all my gifts out of the water, didn't you? The Golden Sword himself," I say with a chuckle. "Next time I'm gonna have to bring Atlas himself, at this rate."

Alec perks up at that. "Oh, that would be splendid. Then I could get him to autograph the statuette."

"He might charge extra for that. The Dawnbringer is a busy man, after all. He has no time for us mere mortals." We both laugh now, the tension from before gone.

With our daylight fading, Alec signals to Sol that it is time to head back to our hollow.

I jump off the winged horse, landing softly on the hard wood, my exoskeleton absorbing the impact. At the hollow's opening, Alec remains seated on Sol. I collect my bag that I left behind.

"Same time tomorrow?" Alec asks.

"Same time tomorrow," I affirm.

With a thrust of its wings, Sol launches into the sky, disappearing above the clouds.

I leap from the tree and begin my journey back home.

Rowan the Golden Sword, huh. Alec severely underestimates the gravity of that information.

And here I thought I'd found a safe haven—a retreat from the war. A place where I could just be me. Guess war really doesn't spare anyone.

How much longer must it go on?

Just how many more must this war claim?

I sit now in our usual spot, nestled within the empty tree hollow. It's right around the time Alec normally arrives. There is no sign of him now.

I hold on tight to the branch that keeps me on my feet when Sol comes flying in.

Sol does not come flying in.

Alec's laughter does not fill the hollow.

He's never once been late. I feel sick as I make my way to the hollow's opening, fearing the worst.

Damn Rowan for being here. The Undercity was always going to find out. War is his very shadow.

Alec can't be dead. He can't be. Please be alive, Alec. Please. Please.

I leap from the opening and hit the surface, hard. Stumbling to my feet, I set my exoskeleton to maximum power. Each step carries me thirty meters, then forty, fifty.

Tears stream from my eyes, only for the wind to tear them away. The Capital Tree comes into view now.

It is burning.

No children are at play. Branches that once held thriving neighborhoods are blackened and bare. Gardens that once fed thousands smolder. Winged creatures of all sizes swarm through the black sky, like bees fleeing a shattered hive.

It is no longer just fallen trees and rubble I have to avoid as I bound toward the tree. Corpses litter the ground. Some burned beyond recognition.

It is a slaughter.

I feel sick.

"ROWAN!" I scream his name into the ruins. The wind is my only answer, carrying with it the raw smell of ash and death.

Finally, I reach the base of the marred Capital Tree.

This tree is as old as the Earth itself, I realize. It will fall now to humanity's delusions of grandeur—to greed, to fear.

Guilt.

Guilt racks me for my part in it all.

I frantically sift through the corpses, praying I don't find my friend among them.

He can't be dead. He would've fled. He has Sol. That's right, I tell myself. He's just flying above the clouds now, enjoying his favorite spot.

Something catches my eye amidst the ash and soot. A flash of white beneath the black. I reach down and brush away the ash. The marble object beneath is untouched.

It is the statuette of Atlas, the Dawnbringer.

I fall to my knees and begin to sob, clutching the statue as if my friend were still alive within it somewhere.

"I'm sorry, Alec. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears fall upon the statuette, streaming down Atlas's marble face.

"The war. It had to end."

"So, I made a choice."

"After all, I have no brother or sister."