Story #180 - Calmus

Calmus

Peering over the edge of Forever, Jasmyn wondered what it might be like to jump.

Her wings would support her for at least part of the fall, she knew that much, but she had been told that lower down, near the realm of men, the air became so thick that she would plummet to her death – a bright spark extinguished on the dark ground below.

“Don't do it,” a voice said behind her in a deadpan tone. Calmus. Ever the joker.

“You think I won't?” The taller Archon was one of her oldest friends, and someone she had always relied on for help. Their relationship had become strained of late, but she was confident fences could be mended with time.

“The fools inside need the Pennitor, Jasmyn. If you go soaring over the edge, who will be left to take their place?” He gestured to himself. “A runner-up?” There was a smile on his face, but a note in his voice that said he wasn't pleased. They had been competing for decades against one another for accolades in the city, but this was the first major victory that she had won in at least fifteen years. As far as she was concerned, Calmus had lost the election not because of his credentials or work ethic, but because of his stance on the Unwinged. Most of her kind considered them a nuisance – children born without the single, defining characteristic of Archons – but Calmus wanted to go a step further than relegating them to the kitchens and smithies of the realm. Instead, her friend wanted to eliminate them all.

His logic made sense, certainly; they were a drain on the economy, and most parents who found themselves with an Unwinged would immediately sell it into work, and make no mention of the child again. Jasmyn had met a number of such “workers”, and while they could not fly, they possessed every other quality of an Archon.

It was a liberal upswell in the Assembly that led her to victory, thanks to her broad-minded stance on the Unwinged. She pushed for greater inclusion and a removal of the stigma for both parent and child that came with a lack of wings, and proposed that such children be granted access to work in the civil service. There had been some resistance to such an idea, of course, but the bulk of the Assembly quickly saw reason. They were overtaxed as it was, and with few Archons interested in staying home and mending broken fences, as it were, the Assembly realized that the Unwinged could solve a great many of their problems.

Her notion had won her the election, and now it was to be signed into law – all she needed to do was step through the bronze doors from her office to the chamber, and put pen to paper.

“I'm not sure how they would survive with such a man at their helm,” she said with a bite in her voice. Calmus had been given a seat on the Assembly at her insistence, as well as a number of broad powers that others were prevented from having, including the ability to enter her private office without prior invitation. She was becoming tired of his need to constantly push boundaries, and test her at every opportunity. The election was over, and she had won – fair and square. It was time he accepted his leader.

“Oh, I'm sure we'd do alright,” he said, coming to stand beside her at the edge. Calmus was larger than most Archons, with wingtips that reached his ankles when folded. Young girls cried themselves to sleep over such beauty as Calmus displayed, but he had never shown an interest in any females.

Except her.

There was a time when Jasmyn had believed they could be together, when she hoped that such an outcome was possible, but Calmus had proven too shallow, too bitter, even for her. His beauty couldn't make up for the anger in his heart, but he was smart and savvy enough that he made an excellent ally. Many in the Assembly listened to his voice even more than her own, and having him consistently on her side meant that she could do what had to be done with minimal interference.

“Are you sure about this notion of yours, Jas?” She could feel her anger start to rise as he spoke – they had been over this time and time again.

“Yes, for Pythion's sake! I've explained it to you – why it's necessary and why now is the right time. The Assembly doesn’t see it, but we're a dying breed. More than a third of the children born now are Unwinged. That's up from twenty percent only five years ago. We're being phased out, Calmus, and we need to fold this new generation into our ranks or they're going to rise up and crush us once we're outnumbered.”

“I see,” he said quietly, stepping closer and putting one strong hand on her shoulder, “and I understand. I'm just here to play the other side, to make sure you fully understand what it is you are doing before you do it. A good leader must consider all outcomes.”

She nodded. “I know, Calmus, and thank you. Now, let's get back inside.”

“No hurry,” he said smoothly, and she could feel the grip on her shoulder tighten, “I've told them to wait for my return.”

“Your return?” Jasmyn asked tersely. “I'm their Pennitor, Calmus – you had no right to -”

A strong push threw her forward, and suddenly she was tumbling away from the edge, slipping down into Forever. She flexed her wing muscles, but cried out in pain as they refused to budge. Reaching back over her shoulder, she could feel the cold metal of a wing-clip, used to train younglings when they were first finding their feathers.

Glaring up at the quickly disappearing platform, she could see her old friend's face, a broad smile creasing his features.

Calmus would pay for his crimes.

She turned her attention to the clip at her back. Now, she just needed to live.

- D