I Could Try to be Inspirational

“This was so damaged that most of the parts are new. Proof that no matter how battered you get, you can come home and we’ll fix you”

Another piece of metal dropped to my lap. Then another and another. I read each one I could but some were too worn away to tell what had been on them. I looked up at the scarred man before me. He gave me a grin. “It got to be something of a habit for me. But others started thinking of them as souvenirs and trophies. It got kind of out of hand.”

I looked down at the pieces of metal again, examining a few of them I didn’t remember. “I didn’t write these.”

The man nodded, “From what I gather, your people saw what you did and decided to do it too. Some of them aren’t the best but they tried.” His eyes softened as our eyes met. “I kinda just thought of it as you raising up the ranks and teaching new rookies to be believers.”

I raised a brow, “believers?”

“Believers, yea. That what you do brings us home. You keep us safe. You keep us sane. You believe in the First Drop.”

I nodded my head. “Well I believe alright. Couldn’t really join the drop myself on account of my condition but I could make a machine from a washer that’d spin you out sideways into battle.” I laughed at the old joke. Joke though wasn’t exactly right. My ma, may she rest easy, was mad for a while that I ruined her favorite washer but I had made it through to the recruiters. I had made myself known, needed. And now, I fiddled with the old metal brace buried into my leg like a second skin. It didn’t matter what condition my body was in. I could build whatever I wanted with the blessing of all higher powers.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, “I didn’t train anyone to make these messages. It was just me and my thoughts.” I brought out a bag from my desk, the ones I kept to put the rookies’ dropped equipment in and staple them to their shirts so they didn’t lose them again. I carefully placed each metal piece into the bag. “So that ends the mystery of why soldiers are destroying pieces of their drop pods. Thank you.” I handed the bag to the man and he saluted.

“I’m sorry to cause you any issues, sir” he gave a nod then turned to leave.

I stood quickly, “Say,” I shrugged to disguise the involuntary twitch the sudden movement gave me, “if we were to make a stamp to use instead of just writing new ones on each pod. Which was your favorite?”

The man turned, a gleam in his eye, “You are the Angel who chose to fall to create Hell for those below.”

This is "Arras", by Mark Lewanski, and the medium is G L A S S.

There was silence, the hawk tilted his head the other way. Finally another adventurer walked forward, “dude… were you isekai’d here too?”

The quiet adventurer’s eyes widened, “YOU TOO?! Oh my god, man, I thought but like how do you bring it up?!”

“I know! I had like fencing training so I was like waaahhh for like ever man but shit got REAL”

“I know! I know! I was like just stay quiet in the room, Harry. And no bad will come”

“Dude! I friggin miss watching movies!”

“Same! Same.”

I thought I knew sadness when I got out of my longest relationship. I had sat in silence and felt numb.

I thought I had known loss when my pet of 10 years had died and I sat drifting from complete rage to silent tears of depression while I was forced to continue working.

But when my dad died. I understood that song from Rent where it talks about everything still existing and continuing onward while you die inside. The many times I alarmed people for months by being completely normal then bursting into tears. It was crazy and there’s still things I can’t do without tears. I can’t see his resting place without feeling a hole in my soul. And yet it’s crazy. I still have to exist in normal life. Because everything is going I have to just walk with tears.

Lich: you haven’t

Elf: I got a hair cut

Minion: we did it! He’s been rendered unconscious!

2nd minion: I think he just went to sleep… I mean I wouldn’t blame him. I think he just came from a two day forest fire evacuation…

Minion: just put the tungsten cuffs on him

2nd minion: dude I’m telling you… this guy just walked out of FIRE and his clothes are even still intact. You really thing some nice metal engagement ring is gonna stop him?

Minion: well “dude” I don’t think you’re paid to think. Just do what we came here to do

2nd minion: I’m just saying… this isn’t planned out well. How we going to move him?

“THATS EXACTLY IT!” The king started, striking the sky with his pointer finger, “That’s exactly it, Celestia!”

The queen scoffed, “tis a little thing.”

Bulging eyes turned to his queen, “a little thing? A little thing?! TIS not a ‘nary’ little thing!” His ankle rolled as he turned and he wobbled around making sure he kept his footing. A king never fell. He however had no apparent qualms with raving at the sky and looking idiotic. The queen crossed her arms and watched him settle, one hand posted against the wall. He breathed in, “The Mithneed will be furious.”

“Aye,” the queen agreed, “and yet I think they will be obliging”

“Dearest,” the king adopted a placating manner, mending his fingers together, “they are a power that follows a fine line between our own, they are a turn that we must never take, our hands may never touch for they could create fists if touched incorrectly. This is a dire situation. Will she not marry someone else?”

The queen’s nose flared, “and be condemned as fickle?!”

The king wilted, knees buckling slightly then, remembering they should never touch the ground, pushed him forward, “Dearest, it simply will not work. It is a fire beside”

“Husband, you will cease with comparisons.” The queen deadpanned and the king nodded. He watched his queen as she sipped her tea, took in a breath and spoke, “You will speak with the Mithneed clergy and have them release the High Priestess to the royal suites where she will prepare for the royal wedding. This will be a combining of power that rivals all other countries. The great Mith will be pleased and the union will be blessed.”