I. Wycliff

I, Aylesea Wysax, was conceived in the bonds of the slaveowner called Wycliff in the Wystill mountains. Everyone in Wycliff, from the mayor to the field generator workers who kept the town’s AG engines operational, lived to serve the kingdom Tyrian. No one in Wycliff had ever seen the drivers who reigned over us. But what is so important about a town held aloft by rope, steel, and anti-gravity engines? Why keep 20 generations under someone’s thumb?

Chordata ore.

The Wystill mountains were made up this metal. Chordata, when combined with electricity, would cause whatever it was made with to effortlessly float in the air. Try as the could, my father, grandfather and great-grandfather could not convince the mayors to allow the use of the ore in Wycliff. They were always to accept a ‘no’ response as the mayors were afraid of the Tyrian overseers who would arrive, every week, just as the sun would set over the town.

Their ship would silently glide over the town and hover over a large gap in the square. Men in uniforms would off-load supplies and then load up the containers of ore. No one of Wycliff had ever successfully entered the ship. My father tried.
He walked right up to the door and took a step onto the connecting platform and was just about to take that giant step into the cargo bay before a burly uniformed man pushed him off the platform. I was told my father did not scream as he fell into the cloud bank below.

Mother was scorned by the town council and arrested for crimes against the Kingdom of Tyrian. The mayor, Pyotr Wylock, bowed down to the orders from the kingdom and mother joined my father as she was thrown into the abyss. She too, did not cry out, as she vanished from everyone’s view.

I had wanted to believe they were able to save themselves. Maybe there was an engine core they could have grabbed onto or maybe they harassed the power of ore coursing through our veins due to the magnetic properties of Chordata.

That was the wish that kept me going.

I grew up without my parents but I was placed in the care of the Wylocks. I despised Pyotr, but his life mate, Rysia was kind, and her daughter, Aysenia, risked becoming an outlaw to be my friend.

The stigma of my family’s attempts to flee hung over me as a dark cloak. One I was a teenager, the only things that prevented me from meeting the same fate as my parents were Aysenia and my inheritance to repair the town’s technology: from the complexity of our core drillers to the AG engines. I was expected to know all about them. And know about them I did, as tinkering and repairing technology was the lifeblood of the Wysax family.

“You up, Ayle?”

My eyes opened to a blurry silhouette standing next to my cot. My house was small, with almost every square inch devoted to parts and engine core fragments. Books and blueprint scrolls packed a giant bookcase on one side. A small stove and cabinet were near the cot.

“Are you my wake-up call? Ayse?”

“Aye,” she replied as she learned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Father wants you at the meeting tonight.”

The town hall meeting. It would be my first time going as an active member of Wycliff society and not a burden to the Wylocks.

“Wouldn’t miss it for all the Chordata ore in the world,”

“Which is all around us,” Aysenia said with a laugh. “You need to promise me something.”

“Anything for you,” I replied as I sat up and held her hands.

“The overseers will be there. You didn’t hear this from me.”

“And your father wants me to keep quiet?”

Aysenia nodded. “He said he wished you didn’t have to come at all, but all active members of society will need to be there.”

“Is this to prevent me from trying to board the supply ship and fly off into the blue.”

“Ayle, don’t even think that.”

Too late, I had always though about it. Ever since I could understand the laws of our town.

I snapped up and hugged her. “I will be on my best behavior. I will be as silent as a gryworm.”

“You better,” she replied and he hugged me back. “You need to get to work.”

“So soon?” I asked.

Work required heavy boots, a coat, helmet, and the use of two baskets suspend from cables. One basket held two workers, while the other held the chiseled ore. So much of the mountain close to Wycliff had been depleted of the ore, causing the tram basket voyage to take an hour, as you float above the clouds.

I was always tethered to another member of the mining crew. On that day it was Cedric Wydosk. I learned the tether was used to keep in line. In hopes I wouldn’t try anything stupid and kill my digging partner the day.

Cedric’s father was a part of the town council. He was also in line to be the intended life mate to Aysenia, and he was never stopped telling me how Ayse was contractually bound to be married to a Wydosk.

Our basket connected to another line, and we started our ascent up this new mountain.

“It’s our law,” Cedric said and I simply nodded.

“Do you know the first thing I will do when I am first chair?”

“What’s that?”

He leaned in close. “Your family line ends with you. I’ll have you banished to these mountains of thrown off where your parents fell.”

I grabbed onto metal the tether and kicked Cedric out of the basket. He fell, and I almost went with him as me body slammed into the side of the basket.

“You wyresnfack!” Cedric yelled, a not so elegant phrase, but in his present situation seemed like the best word to shout out.

“It’s a long drop, Ced!” I yelled as we continued to ascend the mountain. Cedric tried to grab onto the side with his boots. He was then able to claw his way back into the basket.

“Wyresnfack! I swear I will cu this chain and throw you off this basket!”

“You’re not on the council, yet..and there’s something else you lack.

Cedric’s body heaved and steam flowed from off his head.

“Aysenia may be forced to be your intended. But her love is mine.”