Cece rose leak

First Previous
Greetings from Felix to his friend Thoth,
My thoughts have been lingering on that day. You know the one. In a single day, a hundred cities lost to the Var'shun. My actions still haunt me. I was young then, you understand. This was before I met the Architect, it was before He freed me. I know you've heard it all before, but I wish I had stopped it. I wish that I had been old enough for the Pale Court to bring me into their confidence. I know I've told you this a thousand times, but I was just another drone! I barely even had a mind, let alone the ability to comprehend what we were doing. You once told me that the onset of the Faceless Men was worse. I still remember our conversation the last time I came to visit you. It's hard for me to envision it, though. To think of a time when villages and cities did not have walls, when travelers went about in their ones and twos - it seems quite impossible to me. It is difficult for me to imagine the acres of defiled corpses the Faceless Men left in their wake. I can barely comprehend the first time I witnessed their handiwork, small though the scale was. I've only witnessed the one Apocalypse to your many. You may grow weary of my apologies, but the guilt I feel for my hand in it will always haunt me. I hope He truly forgave me. It's hard to believe He did. Nobody should forgive me. I don't deserve it. Farewell.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Crows shrieked. Vultures circled overhead. A setting sun bled harsh, red light into the sky. Parched grassland stretched for hundreds of miles, broken only by the occasional copse of trees. An unseasonal heat afflicted the plains.
Titus and Lavonius travelled the Governor's Road, pack llama in tow. Titus wore a thin red cloak, the symbol of the Black Throne emblazoned upon his shoulder. His head was uncovered, and he walked tall. His heavy boots crunched along the dirt road, every step loud enough to be heard for twenty paces. He liked being loud. The strong don't need to be quiet. They need only be strong.
Titus's eyes lingered on his odd companion, who had insisted on wrapping himself in a full head-scarf (or, as Lavonius called it, a shemagh). Lavonius marched silently forward, his light feet not even disturbing the dust.
Long, flowing travel robes billowed about the bard's legs as he marched along. So all-encompassing was his garb that not a single inch of skin showed.
Lavonius insisted that he was the target of a dragon called Shadow-Claw, whose treasure-horde he had robbed several years past. As such, he tied his shamagh tighter than a miser's coinpurse and cast his eyes upon the road lest the dragon fly overhead and recognize him.
Titus almost believed him.
The boy was firmly convinced that Lavonius had been the son of a King's ranger stationed in the Fasach Desert. It really was the only explanation for so many of his odd behaviors. He never left tracks. What kind of man never left tracks?
But then, how had the loremaster become a loremaster? Where had he found a Royal Library to delve into if he had grown up on the frontier?
At times, Lavonius spoke like an old man, and would even change accents mid-sentence. One moment, Lavonius would maintain his stiff upper-lip nobleman's accent, as though he'd been born in a governor's palace. The next moment, the bard would pronounce his words with such a bizarre cadence and intonation that Titus suspected he wasn't even born in the Westlands.
And if Lavonius had had time to delve into libraries while also studying to move like a ranger, then how had he learned to tell stories such as he did? There is only so much time in the day, after all.
Even had the bard been the most baby-faced man imaginable, he couldn't have been older than thirty-five. He looked to be Titus's age, but nobody in their early twenties said things like 'my boy.'
Perhaps he was a prodigy. Perhaps he had studied in the King's Library as a child only for his father to drag him into the wilds as a teen, then he was apprenticed to a bard as a young man.
But that couldn't work, because how had Lavonius learned to leap and dive like an acrobat? The bard was a puzzle that Titus was dead-set on solving. It should have been obvious to him, my good librarian, just who the loremaster was. Titus knew the stories, after all. The Custos were lovers of the epics. But you know as well as I, my friend, the bamboozling effect a man such as he can have on an unprotected mind such as Titus's.
Pulkra gurgled discontentedly. The llama's fleece was damp with sweat. Her head drooped. She was entirely unused to the heat, mild though the locals had found it.
Titus patted her neck. His eyes spoke of worry. He looked over at the bard's hooded form,” you're sure there's water up ahead?”
Lavonius's head remained bent,” aye, the pond oughtn't be more than two more miles.
”
“You said that two miles ago.”
Lavonius's finger shot up, pointing to a thick stand of trees that obscured a bend in the road, perhaps a mile away. His eyes remained glued to the road. “That grove contains the only wild olive trees to be found for a hundred miles. The pond is there. I stand corrected.”
Titus sniffed. He had never met anyone quite so odd. They kept walking.
The boy's eyes lingered on the grove. A single massive tree stood taller than the rest, its leafy canopy seeming to spread over the treetops like a protective mother. Even from afar, its trunk looked to be as thick as a castle tower. Its branches stretched impossibly wide, its canopy easily as large as a dozen lesser trees combined. Titus had never seen its like before.
A hot breeze tickled Titus's face, carrying the scent of rotting flesh. He wrinkled his nose. “Tell me you smell that, too.”
“Course I do.”
“Any idea what it could be?”
“Death.”
“Well, that's specific.”
“Yep.”
By Calestros, he hadn't been able to get Lavonius to shut up for days at a time. If he'd known that all it would take was a bit of heat and walking to get the bard to turn quiet, Titus would have insisted they leave the day before.
They approached the grove. Many hundreds of beech and olive trees formed a miniature forest beneath the gargantuan sentinel that spread its branches above them.
They were the only trees to be found for nearly fifteen miles of walking. Since leaving the village behind, there had been nothing but grass, dust, and the occasional ground-squirrel.
The pair rounded the bend. The smell of death grew stronger. The reason was quickly made obvious.
Broken ox-drawn carts sat uselessly in the middle of the road, wheels torn away from their axles. Several dead oxen lay rotting on the ground. Chests and sacks were torn to pieces, their contents strewn across the road. Titus's eyes, however, were drawn to a bizarre sight - from afar, there looked to be dozens of pieces of furniture neatly arrayed on the side of the road.
They walked closer. The furniture gained clarity. It seemed to be covered in grisly decorations. Bits of bone stuck out of chair legs, skinless faces with lips stretched wide adorned the foot-stools, and intestines seemed to be stitched into the cushions of couches.
The scent of rotting flesh assaulted the nose. Flies buzzed about the place, and crows hopped between the pieces of furniture.
“Brace yourself, my boy.”
Titus wondered what precisely he ought to be bracing himself for when it struck him. They weren't decorations. It wasn't furniture. They were people.
He slowly approached the grotesquely arranged furniture. Every step brought him closer to vomiting.
The duo first approached what looked to be a man sitting on a narrow tree stump. With each passing moment, however, the truth became clearer. Spikes had been driven through each of his thighs, holding his knees bent to a perfect right angle. The man's torso had also been impaled on a long spike, its pointed tip peaking out of his grotesquely wide mouth. Planks of wood were nailed to his rotting arms, pinning them in place as arm-rests.
Titus stopped three feet away from the grotesque chair. His eyes watered at the smell. The poor man's face had been meticulously sliced away from his head, leaving the tendons and muscles exposed to the air. It looked like a drawing in a doctor's notes.
Bile rose. The young man choked it down. Flies buzzed all around.
The youth tore his eyes away from the chair that had been a man. His gaze fell on what looked to be a couch. Three people were impaled on spikes, just as the man had been. Two more people lay facedown across their laps, nailed in place. The two facedown corpses had their knees shattered and legs bent upward into armrests. Spikes and stakes had been driven through various limbs and joints. Bones had been broken to bend limbs in ways they were never meant to bend. Intestines had been torn from torsos and wrapped around bodies in odd patterns. Through it all, the skinless grinning faces of the dead.
Acid burned Titus's throat. It was a purely physical reaction. He tried to hold it back. He failed.
Chunky bile clawed its way from Titus's throat. He fell to his knees and retched on the grass. It felt like everything he had ever eaten came pouring out of his mouth. Soon, the day's food had all left his body. The stomach acid kept coming, though. Tears leaked from his eyes. Vomit dribbled from his nostrils. He screwed his eyes shut.
He retching slowed down. It came in spurts now, a bit here, then a bit there. Every time the boy thought was done vomiting, more acid scorched his throat. After several minutes, it finally ended. The young man shivered. His throat burned. His eyes stung. His nose was on fire.
With a force of will, Titus stood back up and wiped his mouth. He couldn't pull his eyes from the horrors in front of him.
He saw children fashioned into stools. Men and women stitched into tables, blood still leaking from the spikes driven through their flesh to hold them in place. Groups of people had been fashioned into long benches, their bones broken, their limbs contorted in ways they were never meant to bend.
Worst of all, every single corpse had had the skin sliced cleanly from the face, leaving not a single damaged artery beneath. There had to have been a dozen and a half bodies here. Titus could not comprehend the cruelty of it.
The Guardian had seen men eaten alive while he watched. He had charged into battle, and seen his brother cut down by Faceless Men before he could be saved. The young man had slain monsters, both alone and in good company. He had walked through the ashes of his home, and looked at the severed heads of his friends and family. He had seen his father impaled on a stake in front of his childhood home. In spite of it all, he had never been as horrified as he was in that moment - the moment he looked into the eyes of a child's corpse with the skin peeled from its face, its tiny body fashioned into a foot-stool.
“Step away, my boy. You don't need to keep looking.”
With a start, Titus remembered he wasn't alone. He turned toward the grove, stumbling away from the grotesque field.
“I don't - I can't... It - it just....”
Lavonius grabbed the boy by the shoulders and led him around to the other side of the carts. Several dead oxen were tethered to the carts. Their corpses were somehow undefiled. A large cart stood between the living and the dead.
Titus took several deep breathes. He willed his stomach to be still. He didn't understand his body's reaction - he'd seen death before. Was this really so much worse?
What was even more confusing was how still he felt his mind to be. His chest hurt and his stomach roiled and his throat burned, but he didn't feel anything. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't sad. He wondered if his body was weaker than his heart. He resolved to be angry.
After steadying himself, Titus met his companion's worried gaze. “Look, I've heard of the Faceless before. Hell, I even fought them.” Eyes closed. Two deep breathes. Eyes open. “A band of Faceless Men had been spotted near Sweet Iron. A Guardian led us out there, and we ambushed a band of them. Didn't leave survivors.”
Lavonius placed a comforting hand on Titus's shoulder. His violet eyes were stained with worry.
“I've just never seen the aftermath before. I never had to see the bodies. Scypio told me”- eyes closed -” he told me they cut the faces off their victims. That was how we knew they were near Sweet Iron. I never tried to picture it.” Eyes open. Deep breath. “No one ever told me they did that with the bodies.” Titus's hand gestured viciously to the corpses, as though to backhand an invisible attacker.
Lavonius nodded. He understood. He'd reacted a good deal worse the first time he'd witnessed the aftermath. “Aye, my boy. We often shield the hearts of the young from horrors such as these.”
“I wasn't supposed to be shielded!” Titus shouted. His eyes were wide and angry, fire all but leaping from them. His voice fell to a murmur,” I was meant to be the shield.”
“Some things are too horrible to speak of.”
“I just can't - it - it's just - they...” Hot tears leaked from the boy's eyes.
Lavonius wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, squeezing him tightly. They sat in silence. They stayed there, leaning against a broken ox-cart, one man holding the other. The sun sank beneath the horizon. Dusk crept over the world. The shadows grew long.
The silence was broken by Pulkra's gurgling llama voice. She walked over and pushed her long face into Titus's own. She hummed, her voice somehow sad in spite of itself.
As though the llama had broken a spell, Lavonius shook himself and pulled his arm away from the boy. “It would have taken a substantial band for them to raid a caravan such as this. I've only ever heard of them picking off lone travelers this close to the Royal Road. It would take a large group indeed for them to wander so close to the King's Land.”
“This is the King's Land.”
“Land belongs to those that kill for it, you don't own land because of lines on a map. You know as well as I that we won't find a patrol for another twenty miles. This is as much wild country as the mountains you call home.”
“I don't care!” Titus smashed a bare fist into the nearest cart. His knuckles bled. He felt nothing. His body felt angry, but his heart was as empty as ever. “We hunt them down and we grind them into dust.”
“Judging from the sheer quantity of tracks I've seen around this hellyard, there must be at least fifty of them. You might have your fancy armor, Titus, but even you would drown beneath so many bodies. Fire magic will do you no good against these things.”
“I don't care.”
“The grove I spoke of is right here” Lavonius gestured to the tiny forest,” we need water. Let us make camp and discuss our next move over supper.” The bard's hand squeezed Titus's shoulder,” your llama is going to keel over if she doesn't get water soon.”
The boy cast a worried eye at Pulkra. Her eyes met his, and he thought he saw concern in them. He grabbed fistfuls of her wool and buried his head in her neck. She hummed warmly. She had been with him for as long as he had been a man. Through long mountain treks and short hunts, quick excursions and arduous rites of passage, she had been there with him. She was as much his home as all the dead friends he'd left behind. He had lost everything, but he still had her. He still had her.
With a steadying breath, Titus looked over at the tall, shrouded man. “Lead the way.”
First Previous

First
The next morning Purrk got up, cleaned himself in his shower, and made his way to the midrange Bara mess hall. Leezib smiled at him and got a plate of foragables ready for him to graze on. He took it and made his way to an empty chair at the table.
Everyone was still groggy, eating in silence when a creature walked through the circular door.
Purrk looked it over. It was scaled, all over its back an shoulders, but its chest was hairy. Its head was pointed, and had two black beadlike eyes. It wore thick chains of tightly woven gold and silver metals around its chest and shoulders.
Leezib bowed her head to it. "Greetings Rova."
It raised a clawed hand as it hunched slightly. "Greetings Leezib."
"How can we help the captain?" She asked.
Rova spread his claws, showing a row of pink fingers underneath. "The captain wishes me to deliver the new Purrk to his task."
Leezib looked over at Purrk. "His task?"
Rova nodded. "Yes. When you are finished Purrk, please follow me."
Purrk looked down at his half full plate and back up at Leezib.
Her eyes widened as she tilted her head toward the creature.
Purrk slowly took another bite and over at Rova. The two held each other's gaze as Purrk kept chewing and refilling his mouth.
Eventually his plate was empty and Leezib stood up, grabbing it. "Go on weirdo. He's waiting on you, the captain is waiting on you."
Purrk, still chewing, got up and walked over to the creature.
Rova raised his claws and fingers as the door opened. "This way sir. I will take you to the designated room.
---===*===---
Purrk waddled down the winding hallway, running his hand along one of the woven ridges built into the wall. "So, Rova. Uh, where are we going?"
Rova was walking on all fours, but rose up to talk, turning his head back toward Purrk. "Room Delta forty forty seven, built into he aft quarters near the outer hull. Easily purged if fire breaks out."
Purrk nodded. "That sounds smart." He thought for a moment. "Uh, why would fire break out?"
"Ethanol is highly flammable. One mistake could cause the entire room to be engulfed."
"Oh! You want me doing a run?" Purrk started smiling.
Rova nodded. "Yes, yes." He lead them down an incline toward a thick metal encased door. "Through here Bara."
The door opened and Purrk stepped in. The room was domed, large enough he could barely make out the back wall, and full of barrels. Along the wall on the right were numerous metal stills with their waiting heat elements. He pointed at them and looked at Rova. "Wow. This is a lot."
"Captain Diminu sets his goals high. We have space, we have access to ports overflowing with grain, and as such he wanted to start a distillery aboard." Rova walked along the rows of fermenting corn, wheat, and sugar. "Unfortunately we have had several setbacks." He turned and looked at Purrk. "Turns out Diles do not have adequate olfactory receptors to distinguish methanol from ethanol."
Purrk laughed as he looked around. "You got money for all this, why not buy a detector or something."
Rova sighed, pausing to stare at Purrk. "He did." He said, motioning over Purrk.
"Oh. Ok. Wow." Purrk nodded to himself and started toward one of the still tanks. He put his hand on the cold metal. "This is a lot to run. Uh, I don't know how to move these."
Rova pointed at the cranes hanging from the domed ceiling above. "Quite simple, nearly guide themselves. Above that height line the grav plates have no effect." He pointed at a blue line painted on the upper portion of the wall.
Purrk kept nodding as he slowly spun around, taking it all in. "So, you want me in here, doing this." He looked at Rova.
Rova nodded. "It is why you were hired. Would you prefer to mop the halls? Your kind excrete a lot."
Purrk shook his head. "No, no. I'll get started."
Rova smiled with his small mouth at the end of his pointed head. "The Captain will be pleased to hear that. We expect great things from you Purrk." He turned and started toward the door. "We expect three pallets of jugs ready by our arrival at Wayward."
Purrk looked over at the stockpile of empty jugs. "Three pallets. Alright."
Rova exited out through the reinforced doors, disappearing as they slammed shut.
Purrk sighed, his hands on the side of his furry head. "Three pallets. Holy turds, three pallets." He looked up at the first towering still. "How the hell do I make this work."
---===*===---
The first day at the stills Purrk ended up finding four leaks, sealing them, making giant mess, and spilt four barrels of mash. During that, he got the basic operations down. The second day he managed to fill half a pallet of jugs with over a hundred proof whiskey. The third day he made it to a pallet and a half. He didn't know how close they were to the space station, his worry was evident in his exhaustion and lack of breaks.
The fourth day Rova returned to the distillery. He stood watching as Purrk ran the stills, tasting, moving back and forth monitoring temperature. He walked over, spooking Purrk. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I figured my chains made my approach easily heard."
"It's ok. I'm, I'm just busy." He looked over the creature. "I'm trying to get the order ready. How long until we get there?"
Rova smiled. "My apologies friend, but we arrived an hour ago."
Purrk tensed up, looking back at the two pallets of jugs. "Um. I, I didn't."
Rova waved the claws on his right hand. "Do not fret Purrk. We have monitored your progress, and you worked diligently. The tests we ran on the ground crew proved your worth."
"Tests?"
He nodded. "Yes. No one went blind this time."
Purrk blinked a few times. "This time?"
"Yes." He laughed slightly. "The poor unfortunate whose cabin you currently reside in, we had to drop him off to receive medical care. His loss, your prosperity it seems."
"Cause he went blind from the methanol?" Purrk asked.
"Yes, yes." Rova continued. "You did well making the amount you did. Taste and quality are up to par, and should make the ship quite a profit. Your cut will be amended."
Purrk smiled warily. "Thank you."
Rova smiled back at him, bowing slightly. "Your crew have been diligent as well. They have been overseeing the unloading of cargo, and await your assistance."
Purrk looked back at the stills. "Can I finish these runs?"
"Of course." Rova waved with his hand, splaying out his pink fingers. "After you have them done, we will send a crew to clean them for you. You have earned leave with your fellows if you wish."
"Alright. Thank you again."
"Welcome Purrk. See you down at the docks." Rova waved him off again, spinning around so his chains jangled.
"See you down there."
---===*===---
Purrk finished up and made his way through the corridors down to the loading ramp. He stopped at the entrance of the cargo bay and looked out over the swarm of peoples unloading flats and pallets. He saw the glint of Rova standing beside a large purplish creature. Several other spotted creatures stood around the purple one as well as a dozen Diles. The group were talking to several large colorful birds who had their own cadre of spotted creatures.
Leezib walked up beside him, digital clipboard in hand. "Heard you made some progress!" She slapped him on the back.
He squirmed a bit. "Yeah. It was kind of stressful."
"Well ease up. Everyone is talking about it, they're down there right now negotiating terms for its sale."
Purrk moved his head down toward the parties at the end of the ramp. "Who are all those people?"
Leezib smiled. "Those Touca there represent the owners of the station. Merchants."
"What's the big purple thing?"
Leezib held back a laugh. "That's your captain you doofus."
"Oh." He stood staring. "He's big."
She looked at him. "You've never seen one have you?"
"One what?" Purrk asked, turning toward her.
"Blenddar."
He shook his head. "No, no idea what they are."
She sighed. "The first race. Made to travel the stars ya know." She took a deep breath. "We're lucky to where we are." She slapped his back again. "Well, we could use you on the fork again. I got a list of unloadables and purchases. We hurry and get done and we're cleared for leave."
He stared at her for a moment.
"What?" She asked.
"After the warnings, you wanna go out onto the station?""
She laughed. "There's a good Baraman run bar on the outer level near one of the garden domes. We'll be fine." She started walking away. "You'll love it!."
He groaned and started off toward an unoccupied fork.
---===*===---
He moved the pallets from the back to the ramp at first. Once finished there Leezib motioned him to start hauling out grain sacks out for the Touca. He grabbed the first pallet and started toward their cargo haulers out on the dock. He drove down the ramp and stopped.
Purrk saw the extent of the station. Far away, seemingly under him, was a star. Its fire drawn up into the center base of the cylinder. The station spun around the machinery of the core, bright lights, plant filled domes, small ships flitting around, filled his eyes and mind. He turned and looked the other direction, toward the outer end of the cylinder. The machinery of the core tapered into a point, emitting a bright pink beam of light into the darkness of space.
Leezib laughed to herself, waving her clipboard at him. Purrk nodded and got back to stacking the cargo hauler.
Everyone busied themselves, checking off box after box on the digital boards. Eventually the work was done. Purrk wheeled the fork back into place and met Bithin who was waiting there with his own fork.
"Sup bud." Bithin said, dismounting.
Purrk smiled at him, showing his lower teeth. "Ready for a break."
Bithin laughed. "You're going out with us?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
Bithin's face went solemn, his fur standing on end. "Take your pistol and a knife. Stay in the pack with us, and don't stray. Ok?"
"Um, I don't have a knife. Just the gun."
Bithin waved him off. "I'll let Leezib know and she'll pack you one." He pointed over toward the entry door. "Go change up. I think everyone is about to get ready."
Purrk bobbed his head as he walked up the walkway. "I'll be down quick."
"No rush. We'll wait for everyone." Bithin replied.
---===*==---
The other seven midpay Baraman waited for him as Bithin promised. Leezib nodded and the group took off from the dock into the main halls. Purrk kept pace, but was quickly distracted by the numerous creatures walking around.
He paused as he saw a pack of covered entities rode down the center of the hall on a hovercart.
Bithin took his arm. "Don't stare. They don't like it."
Purrk leaned over to him. "What are those ones?"
"Shades."
Purrk looked over his shoulder quickly at them as they disappeared into the crowd. "Interesting. Why they wear those coverings?"
Leezib laughed. "You're such an idiot."
Purrk raised his hands. "What I do? Just ask a question and I'm an idiot?"
One of the other Bara shook their heads.
Bithin leaned into him. "They didn't come from the traveler bud. You need to take night school or something. Get that farm life out of you."
Purrk nodded slowly. "Guess so." He continued looking around at the numerous peoples walking and riding up and down the hall. "Guess so."
---===*===---
They reached the bar and entered in. The smell of the wood was refreshing as was the warmth. Purrk purred slightly, shaking at the forgotten feelings.
"Told you." Leezib said in his ear.
He kept pace with them and scooted into a booth in the corner. Everyone ordered lily beer and he followed suit.
The drinks arrived and conversation went around, but he wasn't able to focus on the topic of throttle responses in modified hovercarts. He looked around and looked at Leezib. "I'm heading to the bathroom."
She nodded. "Don't leave the bar."
He nodded and lifted his right hand in compliance.
Purrk walked across the bar and entered the male piss room. He squatted and relieved himself near the drain, relaxation going through his body.
After the last dribble he shook his rear and went over to wash up. The faucet flowed heavy and he doused his head and back with the water, shaking it down his spine. His fur ruffled and then he shook it all off. "Oh wow. That's nice." He took in a deep breath, smiling, and went back out into the bar.
He looked over at the booth and his comrades were still there, another round of empty glasses sitting in the center of the table. He smiled, but none saw. He shrugged and walked over to the bar, heaving his weight onto an empty stool.
The barkeep caught his eye and he pointed at a citrus blend. The barkeep poured it and slid it down to him. Purrk caught it deftly and smiled down at his brew, sniffing it in.
He downed the first and was starting on the second when the neighbor on his right leaned over. She was older than him, fur darker, greasier.
"Hey. You, you came in on that woven ship right?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
She bobbed a bit. "I came here on a woven ship years ago, ya know. I, I studied. Got my diploma."
"That's nice." He grinned, turning back toward his drink.
"No, no." She took his hand. "It's worthless out here. Got me off home, got me to travel, but I'm stuck out here you know don't you. You're not a ground man, not with them."
He shrugged. "Nope. Don't know. I'm an uneducated idiot like the rest of em." He said, staring at her.
She shook her head slowly. "No, no you're not. Not if you're off ship. Only smart Bara can get off Baringa and be free like us."
"Not me. I just got lucky."
She leaned back. "You didn't get your diploma?" She laughed. "How?"
He shrugged. "I make good whiskey."
She nodded. "Smart." She looked up at him as she took a long sip from her own glass. "Whiskey. " She laughed. "I studied archeology. Linguist, old tongues. I wanted to prove we're not all dumb ya know. I can talk like Touca. Smart." She waivered on her stool and Purrk held her steady. "I know the old runes. Know, stories. Ya know?"
"Sure." He smiled.
"You know runes?"
He shook his head. "Nope. I only know my pond back home." He looked down into his glass. "Miss it a lot."
She smiled. "Well I love runes. They're all over the makings. Big black stones, big runes. The traveler loved marking his works, all over them. Signs."
Purrk tilted his head. "Big black rocks with runes on them."
She nodded.
He laughed. "There's one of those near my pond back home. I loved sitting in it to sun off."
She laughed with him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Yup. You do know!"
He looked at her. "Archeologist huh."
She nodded. "Yup." She leaned into him. "One day. One day I'll get out of her, get funded for a dig maybe. Tom said he would. Said he'd fund me one day. But everything's all been studied." She wobbled and looked at him. "Nothing new to know they say. Dumb birds."
Purrk raised his glass. "Dumb birds."
She laughed, lifting hers higher. "To the dumb birds!"
The bar erupted in laughter as glasses raised up. "To the Touca!"

Here is a possible story of what happens to the CCP after their failed invasion of Taiwan:
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The year is 2026, and China's President Xi Jinping is facing the biggest crisis of his career. His gamble to invade Taiwan has backfired spectacularly, resulting in a humiliating defeat for the PLA and a diplomatic isolation for China. The invasion, which began with a massive air and missile strike on Taiwan's defenses, was met with fierce resistance from Taiwan's military and civilian population, as well as swift intervention from the US and its allies. The PLA suffered heavy losses in men and materiel, while failing to establish a foothold on the island or break its will to resist. The invasion also triggered a global backlash against China, with many countries imposing sanctions, suspending trade, recalling ambassadors, expelling diplomats, canceling projects, boycotting events, etc.. China's economy took a nosedive as its exports plummeted and its imports became scarce. China's reputation as a responsible power was shattered as it was widely condemned for violating international law and norms.
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Xi Jinping tried to salvage his prestige by declaring victory and blaming foreign interference for his failure. He also cracked down on any dissent or criticism within China, arresting journalists, activists, intellectuals, officials, etc.. who dared to question his decisions or expose his mistakes. He also tightened his grip on the CCP, purging any rivals or potential challengers within the party ranks. He also intensified his propaganda campaign to rally the Chinese people around him and his vision of national rejuvenation.
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However, Xi Jinping's efforts to maintain his power and legitimacy were not enough to quell the growing discontent and resentment among the Chinese people. Many Chinese felt betrayed by Xi Jinping's lies and deception about the invasion and its consequences. They also felt angry about the economic hardship and social instability caused by his policies. They also felt ashamed of China's international isolation and loss of face. They also felt disillusioned with Xi Jinping's authoritarian rule and lack of accountability.
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The seeds of rebellion began to sprout in various parts of China. In Hong Kong, pro-democracy protesters resumed their mass demonstrations against Beijing's interference in their affairs. In Xinjiang, Uyghur Muslims rose up against Beijing's oppression and genocide of their people. In Tibet, Buddhist monks staged self-immolations to protest Beijing's suppression of their religion and culture. In Inner Mongolia, ethnic Mongols demanded autonomy from Beijing's assimilation policies. In Guangdong province bordering Hong Kong Macau Shenzhen Zhuhai etc.. millions of workers went on strike demanding better wages working conditions rights etc.. In Sichuan province home to many Tibetans Qiang Yi etc.. thousands of farmers rioted against land seizures environmental degradation corruption etc.. In Shanghai Beijing Chongqing Tianjin etc.. urban residents protested against rising prices pollution censorship surveillance etc..
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The CCP tried to suppress these rebellions with force but found itself overwhelmed by the scale scope intensity diversity etc.. of the resistance movements It also faced defections desertions mutinies etc.. within its own ranks as some PLA soldiers police officers officials etc.. refused to obey orders or switched sides The CCP also faced pressure from outside as some foreign governments NGOs media outlets activists celebrities etc.. supported recognized funded armed trained advised mediated negotiated etc.. with some of the rebels
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The CCP eventually collapsed under its own weight losing control over most parts of China except for some loyalist strongholds The rebels declared themselves independent sovereign democratic states forming new alliances federations confederations unions coalitions partnerships etc.. with each other or with other countries Xi Jinping fled into exile along with some of his cronies seeking refuge in North Korea Iran Venezuela Cuba Zimbabwe Sudan Syria Somalia Afghanistan Pakistan Russia Belarus Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Mongolia Nepal Bhutan Myanmar Laos Cambodia Vietnam Thailand Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Brunei Singapore Timor-Leste Papua New Guinea Australia New Zealand Fiji Tonga Samoa Tuvalu Kiribati Nauru Marshall Islands Micronesia Palau Solomon Islands Vanuatu New Caledonia French Polynesia Cook Islands Niue Tokelau Wallis Futuna American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Hawaii Alaska Canada Mexico Guatemala Belize Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama Colombia Ecuador Peru Bolivia Chile Argentina Uruguay Paraguay Brazil Suriname Guyana French Guiana Venezuela Trinidad Tobago Grenada St Vincent Grenadines St Lucia Dominica Antigua Barbuda St Kitts Nevis Montserrat Anguilla British Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Haiti Cuba Jamaica Cayman Islands Turks Caicos Bahamas Bermuda Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden Finland Denmark Estonia Latvia Lithuania Poland Germany Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg France UK Ireland Spain Portugal Andorra Monaco Liechtenstein Switzerland Italy San Marino Vatican City Malta Cyprus Greece Turkey Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia Ukraine Moldova Romania Bulgaria Serbia Kosovo Montenegro Albania Macedonia Bosnia Herzegovina Croatia Slovenia Hungary Slovakia Czech Republic Austria Belarus Russia Lithuania Latvia Estonia Finland Sweden Norway Denmark
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Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/22/2023(1) US Homeland at Risk in CCP Taiwan Invasion: Army Secretary. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-homeland-at-risk-in-ccp-taiwan-invasion-army-secretary_5092870.html Accessed 3/22/2023.
(2) Why Doesn't China Invade Taiwan? - Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/08/10/china-taiwan-invasion-reunification-risk/ Accessed 3/22/2023.
(3) How We Would Know When China Is Preparing to Invade Taiwan. https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/10/03/how-we-would-know-when-china-is-preparing-to-invade-taiwan-pub-88053 Accessed 3/22/2023.
(4) US Homeland at Risk in CCP Taiwan Invasion: Army Secretary. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-homeland-at-risk-in-ccp-taiwan-invasion-army-secretary_5092870.html Accessed 3/22/2023.
(5) CCP Leaked Invasion Plans for Taiwan and the South China Sea: The .... https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/2022/06/16/ccp-leaked-invasion-plans-for-taiwan-and-the-south-china-sea-the-threat-of-unmanned-warfare/ Accessed 3/22/2023.