Creatures of Snow Read Free Page A

him in the face, he
would tell him he forgave him and would then calmly accept Souls
heartfelt apology. It was as simple as that. No, he wasn’t afraid
of facing Soul, - that much he knew.
    Al looked like he had more
to say, but then, for maybe the first time in his life, didn’t say
anything at all. It was odd for Al to act so strangely. Al never
got mad, and never lost his cool… “You’re pretty freaked out too,
aren’t you?” Sky said aloud as he realized it.
    Al laughed - his smile
once again lighting up his face to its usual luminance. “You brat.
Of course I am; it would be unnatural to not be scared.” Al jumped
up from his seat and pointed a finger sharply at Sky, “I’ve had a
revelation.” His mood had shifted dramatically into one Sky was
more accustomed to, “Since everyone is already mad at you, and
since I’ve still got a little while till I’m expected home, lets
just, you know, go do something!”
    Sky sat up, a touch of the old excitement
that usually preceded one of their adventures started to boil in
the back of his brain. “What do you have in mind?”
    “It’s your last night on
the planet, you pick.” He smiled sweetly, tilting his head ever so
slightly.
    “ That’s a dumb
move.”
    Al shrugged and looked back up at the
illuminated schedule, “Whatever, I have a pretty good idea what
you’re picking.”
    “ Ha! That’s what you
think.” There was no way Al would guess it. “The only hint you get
is that we’re heading to Cuor.”

Chapter Three
     
     
    They waited ‘patiently’
for the transport - As long as patiently meant Al bouncing around
reading aloud every advertisement he could see and Sky re-coding
colorful words into any one that happened to be within
reach.
    The transport could finally be heard
whirring its way down the street. It slowed long before it was
necessary as if it knew the boys had been anxiously awaiting its
arrival.
    Driver Calhoun greeted them warmly as the
doors screeched open.
    “Seriously, are you the
only driver around here?” Sky joked and climbed aboard.
    “Glad to see you’re still
in one piece.” Calhoun nodded as he passed.
    “Nosey old man.” Sky gave
him a quiet smile, knowing he understood the thank you behind
it.
    The ride to the city was a
quiet one. Most people didn’t travel so late in the day, and the
transport was nearly empty; as they bumped and jostled along in a
comfortable silence, with their eyes on the passing
desert.
    It wasn’t long before the
dirt covered road smoothed out into a level, blemish free surface
as the Capital City came into view.
    Cuor was the embodiment of
perfection - the whole city seemed to be carved from a single block
of stone; with the streets blending seamlessly into the sidewalks that hugged the towering
structures.
    Amongst the cityscape, two
buildings stood out rather obviously - the Capital itself that
sat in the center of the city with all streets leading to it like
spokes on a wheel, and the institute of Research and Exploration of
Adjacent Level Macrocosms – or, REALM as it was commonly known,
which made its brilliant stand at the far edge of the
city.
    After exiting the
transport, Al and Sky walked casually around the streets without
purpose. Nobody paid any notice to the two boys as they strolled
leisurely down the rows of shops, glancing in the occasional window
as they passed. There were only a handful of other shoppers milling
about the sidewalks, since most reasonable people would be home
finishing up their suppers and talking about their long days, with
their adoring families.
    “I didn’t know your face
had its own store.” Al pointed to an unusually rustic sign that
read: Unusual Oddity .
    A quick glance through the
dusty waves of glass prompted an eye roll from Sky, as he assessed
the neatly stacked, impressively outdated technology, from the
‘forbidden’ planet of Haigon. Most items he recognized - the
largest of which was a tube TV, which was sitting next to