together, and I
still meet people who think they’re bigger and badder than me. I never had
parents, though; Ronez and I lost our parents at birth. We grew up on Duran and
were separated when we were old enough to become Guardians. It took thirty
years before we learned to travel and were able to reunite.” He shrugged again,
clearly trying to shake the emotion that made his voice grow quiet.
“Were you two identical twins?” I asked cautiously.
Even though I didn’t want to upset him, I wanted to hear about Ronez, my
predecessor. I inherited his book, his responsibility. I felt like I should at
least try to live up to his name, especially when his brother had to teach me
from scratch.
“Yes. We were very close. At times, at least.” He
tried to keep his face neutral, but failed. “About three years ago, we got in a
bad fight. He left and I never saw him again. When he was killed, I didn’t
understand at first. I felt his death, but didn’t know what I was feeling. Of
course, the gods already knew of it and I was furious they didn’t tell me when
it happened. I shouldn’t have been so shocked.” There was resentment in his
tone. “I kind of always felt that the gods were running the game and I was
their disposable pawn. Anything I do is for them and they don’t even have to
tell me when my brother has been murdered. I asked to hunt down his book
myself, and at least they granted me that.”
“Are you alright?” I asked. He was fighting anger and
pain. He closed his eyes, breathed, and drank down the rest of his drink.
I wasn’t good with emotional people, especially
emotional men, but I did know when someone needed to talk, and I knew there was
nothing wrong with that. It was the feedback I had trouble with. Since I was
getting a degree in psychology, a lot of my friends expected me to offer them
sound advice. In reality, I loved psychology, but I didn’t want a job in it.
Me, trying to help others get their lives straight after my screwed up
childhood? Talk about the blind leading the blind.
He opened his eyes and gave me a neutral expression,
almost a sad grin. “Yes. I’m fine,” he answered. I was surprised by his sudden
change in tone. He stood up and set his cup on the table. It was clear that the
conversation was over.
“What are we going to do now?”
“I’ll go put the firewood away. You should practice
what you learned today.”
“You want me to go down to the haunted lake by
myself?”
“It’s important that you practice the lessons you
learn without me there to affect your concentration. And I thought you might
want to take a bath,” he said.
I blinked and looked down at myself. “I’m not that
bad.”
“I came very close to throwing you into the springs
at least twenty times. I’m very sensitive to odors,” he insisted. “Besides,
you’re not going to impress Divina much if you stink.” Seeing his point, I
huffed and went over to the trap door. I tried to lift it, but ended up on my
knees. Edward came up beside me, pushed my hand away, and lifted it with no
trouble at all. I tried to ignore his smug grin. “Again; you’ll get used to the
gravity.”
I went down the stairs, stopped in front of the
dresser beside my bed, and opened it to find my last outfit folded neatly in
the first drawer. After gathering the green t-shirt and blue jeans, I climbed
clumsily back up to the empty cabin. Edward had moved very quietly out the door
and was already gathering wood. Tibbit was perched inside his cage with his
door wide open and, not to my surprise, he gave me his death stare.
I hurried out, not eager to have my eyes melted.
Edward didn’t pay any attention as I started off into the forest. However, when
I almost instantly tripped over a rattle weed, I saw him smirk. I stood up,
annoyed, and stomped off, only to fall again four steps later.
It got easier to walk soon and my trail of blood
thinned. After passing the same tree with dark orange bark for the third time,
I
still meet people who think they’re bigger and badder than me. I never had
parents, though; Ronez and I lost our parents at birth. We grew up on Duran and
were separated when we were old enough to become Guardians. It took thirty
years before we learned to travel and were able to reunite.” He shrugged again,
clearly trying to shake the emotion that made his voice grow quiet.
“Were you two identical twins?” I asked cautiously.
Even though I didn’t want to upset him, I wanted to hear about Ronez, my
predecessor. I inherited his book, his responsibility. I felt like I should at
least try to live up to his name, especially when his brother had to teach me
from scratch.
“Yes. We were very close. At times, at least.” He
tried to keep his face neutral, but failed. “About three years ago, we got in a
bad fight. He left and I never saw him again. When he was killed, I didn’t
understand at first. I felt his death, but didn’t know what I was feeling. Of
course, the gods already knew of it and I was furious they didn’t tell me when
it happened. I shouldn’t have been so shocked.” There was resentment in his
tone. “I kind of always felt that the gods were running the game and I was
their disposable pawn. Anything I do is for them and they don’t even have to
tell me when my brother has been murdered. I asked to hunt down his book
myself, and at least they granted me that.”
“Are you alright?” I asked. He was fighting anger and
pain. He closed his eyes, breathed, and drank down the rest of his drink.
I wasn’t good with emotional people, especially
emotional men, but I did know when someone needed to talk, and I knew there was
nothing wrong with that. It was the feedback I had trouble with. Since I was
getting a degree in psychology, a lot of my friends expected me to offer them
sound advice. In reality, I loved psychology, but I didn’t want a job in it.
Me, trying to help others get their lives straight after my screwed up
childhood? Talk about the blind leading the blind.
He opened his eyes and gave me a neutral expression,
almost a sad grin. “Yes. I’m fine,” he answered. I was surprised by his sudden
change in tone. He stood up and set his cup on the table. It was clear that the
conversation was over.
“What are we going to do now?”
“I’ll go put the firewood away. You should practice
what you learned today.”
“You want me to go down to the haunted lake by
myself?”
“It’s important that you practice the lessons you
learn without me there to affect your concentration. And I thought you might
want to take a bath,” he said.
I blinked and looked down at myself. “I’m not that
bad.”
“I came very close to throwing you into the springs
at least twenty times. I’m very sensitive to odors,” he insisted. “Besides,
you’re not going to impress Divina much if you stink.” Seeing his point, I
huffed and went over to the trap door. I tried to lift it, but ended up on my
knees. Edward came up beside me, pushed my hand away, and lifted it with no
trouble at all. I tried to ignore his smug grin. “Again; you’ll get used to the
gravity.”
I went down the stairs, stopped in front of the
dresser beside my bed, and opened it to find my last outfit folded neatly in
the first drawer. After gathering the green t-shirt and blue jeans, I climbed
clumsily back up to the empty cabin. Edward had moved very quietly out the door
and was already gathering wood. Tibbit was perched inside his cage with his
door wide open and, not to my surprise, he gave me his death stare.
I hurried out, not eager to have my eyes melted.
Edward didn’t pay any attention as I started off into the forest. However, when
I almost instantly tripped over a rattle weed, I saw him smirk. I stood up,
annoyed, and stomped off, only to fall again four steps later.
It got easier to walk soon and my trail of blood
thinned. After passing the same tree with dark orange bark for the third time,
I
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