Rein walking into the dock and saw Leuria frantically running towards him; Ebistu followed behind her.

“Rein!” Leuria’s ears pointing sideways “Why you leave? You scaring me! I thought-”

Rein lowered his head.

“Ria.. it's our fault, he doesn’t understand us..” said Ebistu “let’s just head inside..”

Leuria waved at Rein to followed them to their vehicle. Ebistu ignited the engine and they left the dock. Not far, they passed another vehicle heading to the island, Rein saw them carrying a pile of that serpentine creature inside a net

“That crawler!” Leuria waved at them “Farua!”

The other vehicle stopped and Ebistu parked beside them. Ebistu and Leuria told Rein stayed behind while they boarded the other vehicle. They talked to the owner and maybe their son or daughter. Rein saw Leuria told the kid something and pointing at him, Rein waved back at the kid when they waved at him. A while later, they returned with a bag full of the serpentine creature.

“Leuria, go prepare dinner for us.”

“Okay..” she went inside.

After waving at the other vehicle, Ebistu ignited the engine and they left the area.

“Rein,” called Ebistu, he pointing at the box beside him “would you mind get that to me? yeah that one.”

Rein took the box and gave it to him.

“Thank you.”

Ebistu flipped the switch on the side of the box, it made a repeated ping sound.

“Sandstorm..” he sighed while turning their vehicle.

Not long later, Leuria calling them the dinner was ready. Ebistu stopped their vehicle and they went inside.

“Sit here Rein!” pointing at the seat beside her. She placed several boiled eggs on the plate and put it in front of him “Enjoy..”

“Tha-” Rein was about to say thank you.

“Huh?” she stared at him, confused.

Rein waved his hands and he took one egg and ate it. It’s chewy and the yolk was slimy, but delicious!

“Is it good?” she asked.

He quickly emptied the plate and asked for more which made her happy. She gave him another portion.

“Slow down will you..” Ebistu giving him a mug full of blue liquid.

 

After finished eating, Rein waved at them, motioning his hands hoping they understood that he wanted to borrowed a book or something similar.

“What are you doing?” Leuria wiggling her ears.

“Maybe he want more?” said Ebistu.

Rein making a shape of a box with his hands, then gesturing like opening a book and swiping pages.

“Your hand smelly?” Leuria looking confused.

“Ah! He want to sweep the deck!” said Ebistu.

Rein facepalmed internally and given up trying.

“Anyway.. you two should get some rest..” he said..

“But it still not even dark yet..” Leuria protested “I want to read that story..”

Ebistu sighed and handed her a square device from his pocket.

“Yay!” Leuria’s ears wiggled.

“Careful with that,” said Ebistu.

She giggled “Don't worry.”

Rein waving his hands wanted to see the device too, but Ebistu instead handed him a broom, asking him if he really wanted to help cleaning their vehicle, which he did albeit reluctantly after seeing Leuria bubbly thanking him.

 

Finally, after cleaning every inch of the vehicle. Exhausted, Rein went back to his room. He saw Leuria peeked out from her room.

“Rein!” she waved at him “come here!”

He approached her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. Her room was filled with sketches of building above the skies.

Seeing him interested with the sketches, she said “You recognized it? You’re sent here by the creator, right?”

Creator? he wondered.

Leuria stared at him excitedly, but seeing him just stared back at her with confused look, she looks disappointed.

Rein spotted the device and waved at her to borrow it.

“You want to see it too?” pointing at the device before handing it to him.

He just smiled at her and pointing outside.

“Eh? You want to borrow it?"

Rein made a pleading face.

"But- oh alright..“

Yes! He about left her room.

“Don’t break it Rein!” she shouted.

He just smiled at her before closing the door and went back to his room. Sitting on the mattress, but then he thought, pretending to learned their language only from reading a device might sounded too bizarre. He sighed “I’ll just come clean to them..”

Looking at the device, curious, he turned it on, it was like his watch but much ancient. There’s a map of a round island surrounded by ocean and a drawing of a huge serpentine creature circling the edges of the island.

“What a weird place..” he murmured This building on the middle, is it that huge building? It was called the stairway.

The other content were story books mostly for children, but one of the title interested him.

“Paradise above?” Rein opened the file and read it.

Long ago, people of Enpharia lived above the skies along with the creator. There’s a drawing of cities in the skies. But the people of Enpharia began sullying the skies with their sins. The creator, furious, created a world below to punished the people of Enpharia. A drawing of people falling from the skies. Before closing the skies, the creator left a message, telling them when they finally rid of their sins, the creator will sent his servant to activates the stairway, opening the skies. Then the creator will welcome the people of Enpharia back to the paradise in the sky, where they will finally enjoy the live without sorrow.. for eternity..

Turning off the device. “Hmm.. the creator? A god?” Rein rubbing his chin. Do they not have plane to go to the skies? he wondered How long they’ve been trapped here? Are there no other way out? “I have to find a way to contact the other..” but how.. scratching his head Wait.. maybe.. if i could find a taller building.. He put the device beside him and lying on the mattress Tomorrow i have to talk with them.

 

He was shocked by a loud banging sound from outside. He got up from his mattress and ran to the deck. Before he could stepped outside, Leuria grabbed his hand and stopped him. She quickly wrapped his head with the head cloth and strapped the goggles on his face.

“Don’t take it off..” Leuria murmured before they went outside.

To his surprised, there were dozen of vehicles surrounding them. Ebistu was talking to a man with weird looking outfit. Beside him stood a really huge man wearing a metal mask.

“Again! I refuse!” Ebistu yelled.

“Come on Kelb, for old time sake,” said the man with weird getup.

“Orte! If you keep doing this, we will never be able to leave this-”

The man noticed Rein there, he asked Ebistu “You adopt another urcha?”

“Orte!”

The man snickered, he approached him “You, what’s your name?”

Rein stayed quiet.

“I said, what’s your name,” he asked again.

“He can’t talk!” Leuria stepped in front of Rein.

“Move urcha!” he smacked Leuria’s face.

Rein grabbed her before she could fell to the floor.

“Orteso!” Ebistu pushed the man back “Leave them alone!”

He just laughed.

“Lord Orteso,” said a monotone voice, it’s the huge man.

“S-Sir..” Orteso squawked.

The huge man walked slowly towards them, he bowed to Leuria and said “I apologized.”

She cowered behind Ebistu. The huge man stared at her and Rein before looking at Ebistu.

“Lord Kelbes,” he said “Join our cause.”

“I will never-”

“Lord Kelbes,” said the huge man again.

“Kelb, come on.. we need your help rallying the masses..” said Orteso.

“I said no!” he yelled.

“Kelbes! You!”

The huge man raised his hand. “Lord Kelbes, i will give you time to consider.”

“I will never participate in this foolish war! Enough blood spilled on this land!”

“You fool! That tyrant will kill us all-” Orteso shouted.

“Enough,” said the huge man “We are leaving.”

“S- sir!” Orteso glanced at Ebistu before joining the huge man disembarking their vehicle.

“Next time we meet again, i hope you reconsider our proposition,” said the huge man.

Orteso gave order to the other vehicle and they all left.

When they were out of sight, Ebistu made a loud sigh before checking Leuria’s face “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine..”

“Who were those people?” said Rein.

Ebistu and Leuria were shocked.

“Rein- you can speak our language?” asked Leuria “I thought-”

“Sorry, i have-”

“All this time?” said Ebistu.

“Yeah..”

“Why you kept quiet?” she protested.

“I uh- I don’t- err trust you.. so i-”

“You don’t trust us!?” Leuria gasped.

“I’m sorry..”

“It’s fine Rein..” said Ebistu.

“By the way.. who were those people?” Rein again asked “and why they called you lord Kelbes?”

“Kelbes is my real name..” he said “They are the rebels and that huge man is Usife, their leader..”

“Rebels?”

“They aim to dethrone the current king..” said Leuria.

“Orteso and i were once the aide of the previous king, but the current king launched a coup..” Ebistu explained.

“What happened to the previous king?”

“He was executed along with everyone loyal to him..” he sighed “He was an egocentric.. but at least he’s not a tyrant..”

“Is Usife one of the aide too?”

“I seen him few times back at the fort meeting with the previous king.. He always wear mask, never shown his face.. But whoever he is, even a man as proud as Orteso groveled under him..”

“He’s really scary..” Leuria murmured “the way he talk..”

“Anyway.. now it’s your turn Rein, who are you? asked Ebistu.

“The creator sent you here? right?” Leuria clasped her hands.

“Sorry.. but i’m not with this creator..”

“Impossible!” she yelled “Don’t lie Rein!”

“It’s the truth,” Rein explained “I’m uh- i come from beyond the stars..”

“Sutar?” she looks puzzled “what is that?”

Is it not translated? he wondered “The stars, you know.. the bright objects in the skies..”

“You mean that orb?” Leuria pointing at the sun.

“Uh.. yes, that’s a star,”

“So.. you mean.. you’re from the skies?” Ebistu raising his eyebrow.

“Technically uh.. yes..”

“So you did come from the skies,” Leuria bubbled.

“But I’m- ah never mind that..” he given up “Yes, i’m from the sky, but i’m not sent here by this creator.”

“If the creator didn't sent you.. how did you get here?” asked Ebistu.

“I have- no idea.. i fell from a cliff-”

“What’s a culiff?” Leuria’s ears wiggled.

“Err.. it’s a-”

“Ria, stop interrupting him.. go on Rein,” said Ebistu.

“Eh- right, i fell from a cliff but because i was blacked out during the fall, i don’t know how i ended up here.”

“I see.. hmm..”

“Rein, what’s the skies looked like?”

“Huh? It’s blue and-”

Leuria waving her hands “No! No! You said you’re falling from the skies! According to the story, there were cities up there and-”

“I didn’t see any city.. but we see animals roaming the grass field..”

“No city?" she was disappointed "Wait! we?”

“I was saving my friend from falling off the cliff.. anyway.. if i could contact them, they-”

“You’re friend is the creator right!?” Leuria adamant.

“Ria..” scolded Ebistu.

“But Ebis.. he must be sent here by the creator.”

“Ria! Stop that. By the way Rein, you mentioned you wanted to contact your friend?”

“If i could tell them my location, we could leave this place..”

“Rein.. you mean.. leaving this place and back to the skies?” Leuria’s eyes sparkled.

“Uh.. yes.. if i could contact them..”

“Ebis! We should help him!”

“Hmm.. What’s your plan?” Ebistu asked.

“At the city, where we deliver the water-”

“You mean the capital island?” asked Leuria.

“Yeah.. i managed to contact them with this,” motioning at his watch “but the reception was bad, it was cut off before i could asked for help..”

“Hmm..” Ebistu muttered.

“Is there any building taller than on that island? The higher the better, maybe i could get better reception..”

“A tall building.. hmm..”

“The stairway!” Leuria clasped her hands.

“Ria! We can’t go there, that place is dangerous..”

“Stairway? That huge building?” Rein said “why is it dangerous?”

“Machines guard that place,” Ebistu explained “eliminating anyone who were getting too close..”

“But Rein was from the skies, maybe the guards won’t attack him..” said Leuria.

“I’m not with the creator..” Rein rubbed his chin “But.. is it possible to assess the area first? Maybe i could find a way inside without alarming the guards.”

“Too risky..” said Ebistu “Hmm.. Why not just try boosting the reception?”

“Uh yeah, we could try that too..”

“Let’s head back to the island to get some parts to make it..”

 

Arriving at the island, Rein saw one of the dock was up in smoke. The guards blocked everyone from entering or leaving the island.

“What happened?” Leuria worried.

“Hey!” Ebistu called out the vehicle beside them, inquiring about the situation.

“A group of rebel stole a sand crawler from the dock,” they replied.

“A sand crawler? Why they stole a sand crawler..” Ebistu murmured.

“The rebels? they usually caused more destruction than this too..” Leuria added.

“What’s a sand crawler?” asked Rein.

“A sand crawler is much smaller than ours, usually only for transporting goods.” explained Leuria.

“It’s useless for them..” Ebistu sighed “Anyway.. i don’t think they will let us in..”

“So.. what are we going to do now?” she asked.

“How about checking the stairway,” Rein suggested.

“No.. let’s just leave for now and come back later..” said Ebistu.