Chapter Four
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Devon

Hanging the brushes up, I smiled as the Pegasuses neighed in thanks. "You're welcome." I replied, patting their coats with my hands.

One gentle tap on their backs was all they needed to know that they can fly off into the Tribe Stables. I busied myself with the saddles once the Pegasuses were gone.

"Hey, Devon." A female voice greeted behind me.

I turned around in shock, maybe even just for the fact that someone actually knew my name. "H-hi." I stuttered as I saw who the occupant of the voice was. The Air Chief's daughter.

"How are you?" She asked, walking closer to me. Her long white - almost transparent - dress flowed behind her, her bright, bright blue eyes gleaming in freshness.

"U-uh... good! I'm good. Just finishing up work." I paused, "Wouldn't the Chief be... concerned about you down here? Getting dirty?" My eyes flew to the hemming of her white dress; it was turning brown. I swallowed hoping that my nervousness would go away.

"Oh, no." She waved her hand dismissevly, "Think of it as a future Chief getting to know her tribe." She winked at me, hoping me to catch her joke.

The Air Chief would never let his daughter down in the Health Stables, even if it was to get to know her future tribe.

"I don't want to get you into trouble," she started, "but I just want to thank you for the work you're doing. Even though my father is too stubborn to admit it, he knows you're the reason why the Pegasuses are as healthy as they are for our Guardians and soldiers to ride them."

I smiled, my cheeks blushing a bit. "Thank you. But, I'm just doing my job. Everybody has a role in this tribe and this is mine."

She smiled, "I like you. You're modest yet honest." I couldn't stop my brain from telling me that her statement just rhymed. I smiled as she walked - or floated - gracefully away. "Goodbye, Devon."

When she was gone, my heart could finally start beating normally. "Who was that?" Geena, my assistant, asked, her eyes narrowing in on me cheekily.

"No body." I smiled at her, noticing the tiredness in her eyes and the messiness of her light brown hair. "You should get sleep, Geena. I'll hold up the fort here."

"You sure?" I nodded, "Oh thank the Gods! I really need it. Blessed are you among many Devon."

"I never thought of you as the spiritual type."

Geena smiled and winked cheekily, "I'm not." I laughed after her.

Geena is the only person I can be myself around. She gets me and doesn't make fun of me when one of my coughing fits start. She's there to help me and guide me as much as I am there to help and guide her too.

After work, I climb the many stairs from the Health Stables (at the near-bottom of the Mountain) to the mess hall (in the middle of the Mountain). The Chief's rooms are at the top of the Mountain, where there is less oxygen for intruders to breathe.

The Chief and his family as well as few of the Guardians and soldiers have the lung capacity to stand the living conditions and therefore are located in the top crevices of the Mountain.

You'd expect the Air tribes sacred place to be a large cloud of some sort, but clouds move too much and aren't stable. So the next best thing was the Mountain. Pollution either from the air or water is attracted to this mountain, and the Guardians purify the air so it is clean. That's their role in this tribe.

I sit down in the far corner of the mess hall, eating the supplied food silently. I have never been one to be boisterous and loud and attention-seeking.

I have always stuck to the shadows, trusted my gut, and have never conversed with anyone besides Geena and the Air Chief's daughter. I supposed Klara's visit was a once off, though, just to thank me for my work.

Still it was nice of her to do. She would be a great Chief one day. Geena was still asleep, so I had no one to keep me company. But that was fine. I wasn't the social type, anyway.

If you can't already tell, I am profusely shy. I'm surprised I didn't vomit in front of Klara. Yes, that's how shy and nervous I get around other people. I find that it's best to just stay out of everybodies way and keep to myself.

Finishing my meal while the Guardians and soldiers were yelling in triumph at their victories or sulking about their losses, I snagged an extra plate of food while no none was watching and made my way to the descending staircase. I walked down one flight of stairs and found a familiar door. I knocked before opening and slid inside of the room.

A head filled with light brown hair started to rise from the white sheets covering their body. Delicate hands rubbed bright blue eyes willing themselves to wake up. "Hey Dev." Geena smiled sleepily.

"I didn't mean to wake you." I said out of caution, "I just thought that you might be hungry." In response to my statement, an otherworldly growl sounded throughout the room. Geena smiled sheepishly as her stomach made that growling noise again. I chuckled and handed her the plate of food.

I sat down at the end of the bed, Geena's feet nearby. "Thank you." She smiled before she dug into the meal Kitchen had prepared. I watched Geena eat - as creepy as that sounds. She didn't care about being lady-like around me. She just ate. Like a true man. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "What?" She asked, her voice muffled because her mouth was full of food.

"Nothing. Just smiling." Geena gave me a dangerous look: one eyebrow rose in questioning. But she continued eating.

In no time, Geena finished her meal and I disposed of the plate immediately. I walked back to her room to say goodnight, but she wasn't there. I looked around the room. Where could she have gone?