Ashley would never forget the attack and how it had been ended by a miracle. No matter how much dull sums work and counting and furtive errand running she had to do. Even if she lived ten times as long she would remember this.

How the Saviors had set every town and neighbor into action to distract and draw up the monstrous dragons.

How they had smote the terrors from the sky with a fury that wracked and blinded all who had beheld it.

It had happened in a flash. One moment Town was besieged on all sides with looming monsters swooping over head and then searing light of every length. Some folk said they could feel a prickling patter to it as each of the monsters perished, but most others thought they were imagining it. The roar of the saviors in passing was too fast that anyone could have felt those distinctions.

It was over almost instantly and the torrential light was crippling for any who had been unshielded. But they were saved.

Ashley and Smithiner and many others who were not shadowed properly were deeply scarred internally. Neither could listen or speak in long light anymore. The metal spools in their bodies turned molten hot.

But they lived.

Many gnomes in the upper floors perished instantly, the buildings themselves turning into conductive antennae in the fierce expulsion. Almost half of the field workers that survived the dragon attack had been lured or forced outside as Ashley had and thus were either blinded, deafened or utterly muted.

But they lived, and Smithiner and Ashley and those that were muted were very thankful to have what life they still did.

The gentle tapping of tactile-speech was growing much more common and Town’s metropolitan trades were fit to bursting with those unfit for long distance communication or travel.

A lot of indoor work. Mostly Ashley didn't mind being indoors anymore, it used to stifle but after the horrible foreign itch for the sky and the devouring that would come she preferred to remain inside like some overgrown gnome.

It was a relief honestly to get back inside after running errands to check on the accounts of the various businesses she and smithiner worked.

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“I saw Cora today, They said that most of the buildings that drifted off had been wrangled and they would be able to begin reannealing the foundations”

Ashley gently tipped and stroked her words out along Smithiners palm and he affirmed with a squeeze and flutter of fingers.

“That’s good And what about the ‘settlers’ they are finding a spot properly? No more contentions there?”

Smithiner was always soft spoken tactilely, he had a lot less rigidity in his limbs then a field worker. It made him feel quiet and relaxed. Changed a lot of his seeming demeanor. But perhaps that was also from the scarring and trauma of the attack. Even those that had managed to be unmuted were not unscathed.

Long time friends and family left hollow aches when they were lost in ones and twos in the Solar canopy. The loss of thousands was so painful it left many in numb shock.

“They are all mostly moving out into the fields according to their founding texts of the tithe... I spoke with some of them. They are all so young... They don’t really remember the Crimson Tree”

That had bothered her and started and itch that made her feel like the dragons were back.

”Smithiner, you are good with sums and counts, they left from the far side of the sky. When must they have left to arrive here when they did?”

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Smithiner’s hand went still and the grip loose, then he turned his eye to ashley. The eye that had gotten lazy and slow to focus since they had both been confined to much simpler and safer jobs indoors away from the biting chill of residual outgassing.

She squeezed gently but with an insistent plea to it.

“You counted it didn't you? You know when they must have left. Tell me?”

Smithiner shivered and then gently, softly squeezed and tapped out his words. It Made Ashley feel cold inside like she did in the horrible white mist. She felt like she might freeze to death again.

“I did, They left... they must have left as soon as word reached the Crimson Tree that we were being attacked”

Ashley stroked and plied a few sentences trying to make sure she felt that right.

“They left after the defenses fell? When they realized we had lost and-”

Smithiner squeezed the words out tighter then Ashley had ever felt from him since the attack.

“They must have left soon after the first message stating the attack. They sent settlers as soon as... they sent them before we even knew we were fighting dragons”

Ashley stalled out and just stared.

The Crimson Tree?

The Fiery Mountain?

The Loving peak and spire who had sent all the peoples to settle and tend the lands of the reef under the sun, who promised them peace and safety and the gifts of the heavens beyond the sky for their service.

Service they all took up in obligation because they were deserving?

The Tithe.

The thing which was the distant anchor of her entire life, of all her friends lives, which was why they went into the awful terrible solar canopy?

Their protector afar had heard of their peril, had understood and comprehended it before even they and their sacred texts and archives of preparation had informed them?

She felt something clench inside.

Texts that the Crimson Tree if elder word and archive was to be believed had written for them?!

Had known well enough that they would fail to defend themselves, fail to hide, fail to survive.

And had simply sent ten thousand new settlers with codices that were scarcely different then the ones in their own archive.

Ashley just stared at Smithiner, he grew up here with her but at the same time he was not really part of the tithe. Not the way her entire life and family was.

His parents had spread him as spore and egg from some caravan.

But she was here for a purpose!

Her family was here for...

The Tithe.

She hurt inside all the time, her voice was silenced and she was forced to work like an invalid in the Town trying to do sums with Smithiner because she could not signal the distances needed for field work.

Smithiner embraced her as she just shook with muscles and tension seizing against each other.

She wanted to scream.

But all she could do was be squeezed against the warmth of her friend.

His fingers gently tapping words against her that she could not track in the confusion of her rage.

All she could think was that if not for the Saviors she and all of town would be a ruin and wreck picked over by the settlers now.

Forgotten and replaced.

Ashley would never forget this. She did not know what she would do with the memory but she would never forget.

She wished her Saviors well in their travels.

Here for but a moment and yet rescued all she ever knew.

Already further away from here then she had ever gone in her entire life.

Heading out to the heavens beyond the sky.