He awoke feeling drained. This wasn’t his first battle, although it was one of his hardest; he felt he got lucky…
That gargoyle was an ambush predator, and he got the drop on it. He knew the skeleton minions were supposed to hunt him and distract him long before he even knew a beast stalked the edges and struck in blind spots.
He wondered what would happen when there were two gargoyles. Perhaps they could cover each other's weaknesses, or even if they had something more than a skeleton to command….
It did not matter, as now he wanted to see the kids; it had been too long, and he was sure they would be happy for a visit.
Maybe they could share an adventure; that would be nice. He could surprise them by showing his control over darkness.
He hasn’t gotten as good as the guild master; he didn’t want to call her mom… But he did admire how her power was like water and flowed so easily from her.
Besides some stiffness, he felt fine getting dressed. The rare healing potions were truly a miracle from the gods; broken and shattered bones mended in moments. If they also cured fatigue with no side effects, he knew all would go mad begging for them daily, himself included. and never be able to live without them…
So he supposed it was good; it had some drawbacks of prohibited cost for the best ones he was given.
When he made his way to the main hall in the guild, there was a small line of those wanting to make money or sell goods at the counters. So it was no surprise seeing Rosa was tending to the guests; he figured Terry must be putting supplies away.
“Sorry to interrupt,“ he said to Rosa near the counter, “but is Terry around? I was hoping to get paid."
“ O, you’re awake!“ She replied, 'You had us worried; you never came back unconscious before. You are ok, right?“ She asked with concern in her voice.
Embarrassed, he waved his hand while looking away, not liking the attention. “ I’m fine, Terry, though?“ She frowned, noticing his discomfort; she wasn’t sure why he was shy; he was a good boy.
Just needing a little more confidence, she relented and answered his question. “ He was handling a delivery last I heard. Though I don’t know the details.” With that, she went back to help those in need.
They didn’t seem to mind waiting, as they were invested with interest in what the outcome was with the boy, but when he nodded and left, saying nothing, they went back to their own business instead.
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***
Rock woke early; he liked the grey robe; it was simple; he did not mind conformity; it was how most beastkin felt; they enjoyed working towards the greater good.
It hurt when they abandoned them, and the tribe felt they weren’t worth the burden, but that was the past. They had a new tribe now, a better one…
He thought the boss would be their new leader, and he did try, but he did not give him hope; it felt like a false promise.
They were told by their boss that the church was bad, but so far the church only loved them; they did not have them live in the cold streets to prove a point.
No… The boss was wrong. “
Brother? “ He looked over and saw his sister Ziala rubbing her eyes, waking up. “It’s early,“
“Yes,“ he replied. She yawned while replying.
“What time is it?“
“About an hour before breakfast. I was thinking of practicing in the courtyard, but it was too early,“ he frowned. “ I prefer not to cause more trouble since the boss left.”
“Things… got better,“ he said slowly, knowing his sister didn’t agree; she was happy even in the streets with Arlin.
Maybe she imagined seeing him as a father figure; he knew the boss tried, but too little too late doesn’t make you a good leader or a dad….
He sighed; he knew he had been harsh, but things did get better, and they needed a better life than what they had before. If it weren’t for the debts they owed, these choices would be easier.
“Don’t worry, brother; I’m sure he'll show up today. I feel it, and he will make things better; he always does,“ she said while smiling to reassure him.
“ Heh, we got chores; let’s focus on that.” He changed the topic. I’ll practice later when the sun is more up.“
“ ok “ She slid out of bed; it was early, but there were always things they could do to help that weren’t noisy, so they focused on that.
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A few hours passed uneventfully, like many days before. Breakfast was good, and the change to warmer weather made the day a pleasant one, perfect for him to practice. He was playing for practice while his sister and a few grey robes enjoyed the tune.
While they gossiped and listened, the bishop showed up with a happier-than-normal demeanor, holding what looked like a small rolled-up parchment.
Rock stopped playing, which alerted others; most grey robes bid the bishop a good day and left, leaving Rock and Ziala wondering what was to transpire.
“ I’m sorry, I did not mean to ruin your day while relaxing with others. I merely wished to share the good news,“ he said, watching the others leave.
“It’s fine.“ Rock said."We were just passing the time; we finished things early today."
“ Aha! Always so committed, “ the bishop beams at them. Rock was wondering what made him so joyous… He was always happy, but today more so. He unfurled the note, “The text is quite bare.“
“But it’s still a good thing; it’s from the alchemist.” He handed them the open letter, still smiling, waiting for them to read it.
Rock took it slowly, not sure he wanted to know, and his sister peeked from his side to read it also.
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The debts of your potions are paid in full; any contracts, verbal or otherwise, are no longer binding, signed Tommy Bloom.
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Rock was not sure how to take this; he knew what it said, kind of, but some of the words sounded weird, yet he knew this was a golden ticket and was stunned. “How?“ he asked. Was it the boss?
“ I have been working with the guild master,“the bishop stated, then continued.
“She has been tirelessly looking for ways to break the contract that should never have been. You are children, orphans no less. tricked into a situation you had no control over, so we worked to free you!“ he exclaimed with joy.
“We weren’t tricked,“Ziala said in a low voice.
“Sorry, I meant no offense,“ the bishop clarified. “ I mean, Tommy used your need for help against you. You did nothing wrong.“
“Did Arlin?“ She asked, still in a soft voice bishop deflated a bit at that, then sighed, “No… he did not.”
“ I do wish I could say we would have done the same. but the choice he made was… misguided at best. “
Rock saw the bishop wasn’t sure how to address the issue, but he knew the church loved them and set them free, gave them a home, and forgave all their sins. It was more than enough. “It’s ok,“ he said.“We understand. Thank you for bringing this to us. We will keep working hard,“
The bishop replied with a sad smile to that.“You owe us nothing, child. The gods let us save you.”
“So that’s what we are here to do.“ He looked away for a moment, then went on, “Even Arlin is one of our lost children; he just likes to rebel.“
Rock nodded at that. He knew the boss wasn’t a bad person, but for him, this was proof of who to choose… He looked at his sister to see if she agreed, but she was staring in the distance, waiting…
It was telling who she was choosing. He has to convince her that the greater good is not following Arlin down his path of darkness. When they found a light in the church, Arlin wasn’t ready to lead; they needed a real home.
The bishop left them to their day, giving them time to digest the new info; he used that time to ensure his sister it was best they distance themselves from Arlin.
Even if it was just not following him till they were older, she was against it but knew he knew best, and if by a twist of fate or perhaps a test of their resolve.
A shadow drifted into the room, slowly filling the space, and a voice they knew well spoke, “Took me forever to master that trick, much harder than creating a cloud to hide in.“ It was Arlin.
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***
While traveling the streets, he practiced the shadow cloak. It was a weird feeling making himself a shadow; he was there and didn’t have a form, but same time he felt like air; it was hard to move when he tried it.
It was a slow-moving cloud; it tended to look like a mist or rolling smoke, but he never could hold it for long; his mind couldn’t grasp not being a real body and always pulled him back, but he was happy, and he felt he could do it long enough to surprise the kids.
The church was a business, random grey and black robes wandering around. He did not try to do his shadow trick while entering; he was worried it would cause a scene, and not in a good way.
He sighed. He hated this place, but it was home, and it was where the kids were, so it was just what he had to deal with.
He did not see them in the rooms but soon found them in the garden area. They both were wearing grey robes, but it was easy enough to spot; they seemed to be having a serious talk from what he could see…
Probably trying to find a way to escape, he pulled the shadow to him easily enough and flowed to them.
“It took me forever to master that trick, much harder than creating a cloud to hide in,“ he smiled as he made his entrance.
Ziala ran up to him, hugging him. “Miss you too,“ he said, hugging her. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Rock so distant.
“Are you ok?“ he asked. Rock nodded but said nothing at first, then pulled a small parchment from a side pocket and showed it to him to read.
He moved away from Ziala, rubbing her head while taking the paper. He read it over and was confused. “How?“ he asked in a low voice.
He knew this was a good thing; they were free, they had no debts, was it because of him? No… I never even went to the new dungeon, so how?
“Who gave you this?“ he asked.
“Bishop,“ Rock replied. “said he, and the guild master worked to free us from debt.“ Arlin felt defeated, as if a victory had been taken from him.
before he even had a chance to earn the prize. “ I see.“ He said, as much as he hated it, this was a good thing; they could be a family again. He hated living at the church, but he could earn money from the dungeon, and they could move out, so this was a good thing, he mused.
“ So that means we can make new plans then!“ he said excitedly, but it wasn’t how he wanted things to go. Yet this was a good thing to be happy about, as he was smiling, expecting them to cheer and agree.
Ziala stared at her brother, waiting for him to speak, and Rock still wasn’t happy.
“Is… something wrong?” He wondered, “ I know it’s been a little while, but I promise it wasn’t fun. I have been fighting monsters trying to keep my promise.”
“ I swear!“
“ Boss, we trust the church; they helped us.“ Rock said flatly, No anger, no hate, but it still cut him deeply. as if he had been thrown away….
“ Why?“ he asked meekly.
“You saw the note, boss. You may help us with potions. But they free us of that and more. They gave us a home, a tribe to follow. We don’t have that anymore if we stay with you. “ Rock said flatly.
That hurt more than he thought it would. He looked at Ziala. He saw she did not agree, but he wasn’t going to divide them more.
There was truth in his words; even now he was randomly showing up months later and just assumed everything would stay the same.
No…. He knew he had lost them along the way when all he could offer them was a life of rats in the cold.
Rock was a smart kid; he was keeping his sister safe, and this was best.
“ So… this is goodbye?“ He hated saying it but had to know how far this was going to go.
“ NO! “ Ziala yelled and grabbed him; she was crying now. “ DON’T GO,“ she yelled between tears.
“ Easy, easy,”
“ I’m still here.“
“It’s ok. We’re just talking. “ He looked around. A few people did look at the noise but saw it was a personal matter and showed them respect by keeping their distance.
He held Ziala. She was warm… She was trembling… He knew at that point he would not abandon them.
He needed them, even if Rock didn’t need him. His sister still had some love for him. Maybe they both did, and Rock was trying to be like him and lead them to a better life.
“ I was wrong to force you to choose,“ he said.“The church… did save me, and now they saved you.”
“So I promise.”
“ I’ll let you choose your own path, and I’ll be here. When you need me, ok? “ As he said that, he saw Rock still stranded, defiant, but not out of hate but need.
He was trying to be a mature adult and give them a better life. He looked away while he watched. “Sorry, boss, you don’t have to leave, but we do need to follow the church least for now… “
Arlin finally composed, even though still hurting, “ I agree. But this is a happy time. I still missed you two.”
“Have you been practicing? Let me hear you play.“ With that, Rock slowly nodded, got his flute, and played it.
It was a slow, sad melody, but pleasant all the same. He had gotten good in the short time he sat and listened. With Ziala in his lap playing with a doll that she had gotten, when things settled a bit, they chatted and caught up on their adventure.
the kids with their chores and learning about him fighting monsters The bishop showed up midway through their reunion, but he kept it brief, wishing Arlin well.
A grey robe brought them food, which they were thankful it was an emotionally draining day, and one Arlin wasn’t sure when he would get another.
As he started to leave, kissing Ziala goodbye and waving at Rock, wishing him well, it was enough; this wasn’t goodbye. They still had something, even if it wasn’t a family.
He still had something. He smiled and turned to shadows, wanting to fade away like shadows into the dark; even though it was still a sunny day, he only felt the darkness, so he embraced it as much as he could.
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Ziala wiped her eyes, watching him go. “Did we have to do it that way?“ she asked.
“Yes,” Rock replied, "We need a tribe, Zia; he wanted to lead. and we followed. But the church is a home and a tribe. He is not ready to be a leader.”
“Can’t he be family?“
“ We don’t need more family We need a home. He can be a boss again when he finds his way. Till then, this is best.”
“Ok,“ she replied in a low voice. She still loved them both as a family. She held her doll closer. She would find a way.
He was always hunting monsters. She wasn’t brave enough to fight them, but maybe she could get a job working near him. and help him. That way this wasn’t goodbye; there will be a new tomorrow, and we will be together then. Rock played his flute, and she listened while planning for new days.
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He finally made it back to the guild hall; he was tired. Today was supposed to be a good day, a fresh start, reuniting with the kids.
But it seemed they felt different; well, at least Rock did. His sister still believed in him. He wondered where he went wrong; was he too forceful?
Maybe he did push his truths as the perfect ideal; he hated the church, and the life they gave didn’t make the life they offered the kids bad….
“ Do you know if the guild master is in?“ A random voice broke his inner musing. He looked over to see a tall male foxkin holding a backpack. He wasn’t sure why he was asking him instead of just going inside….
“ Couldn’t tell you; the door is right there to check, though.” The man seemed surprised by that.
“Right, my apologies. I thought I saw you before with her. So I assumed you knew her whereabouts. “ He started to shift his pack and proceed inside.
“ Wait,“ the man stopped to look at that. “ I’m just tired; it’s been a long day.“
“ Um… mister, I don’t recognize you. But I do travel with her; she… trains me,“ he finished saying hesitantly. The man started for a minute and then smiled.
“ I understand. I have a sister who takes most of my time myself. But I am here on business.”
“ A new young alchemist in my town is working on potions and poisons that work on weapons. I already have clients with the hunters. I tried the alchemist here, but he was dismissive.”
“So my last stop is here before I finish my trip and head home.”
Arlin watched the man, not sure how to handle that load of info, but the man was trying, so the least he could do would be the same.
“Let’s go inside; I’m sure you can sell something.“ They entered the guild hall easily enough. Rosa was still at the counter.
It was slower now, not many people around. Terry was also nearby, writing in a ledger, so he focused on him. “ TERRY,”
“ We got someone wanting to sell supplies.”
“Can you help him?”
“ Been a long day, and I need a nap.“ Terry, hearing his name called, looked and saw him. He smiled and nodded.
“ Of course, your mom probably would have had me do it anyway.“ Arlin cringed at that. He knew she was technically his mother but hated being reminded of that.
He didn’t wait to see how it played out and left for his room to turn into a shadow to avoid talking.
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Nebo watched the boy turn to shadow mist and float away; while interesting, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before, and he was used to being dismissed as a merchant.
Everyone wanted your attention till they didn’t. Usually, after they made their money off you or were not interested in what you were selling, a sigh came from the distance.
He looked and saw a bearkin watching the stairs, then looked upon him with a sad face.
“He usually is not like that, probably just a long day,“ she said while giving him a pitying look.
“It’s fine,“ he replied. “ I’m here to do business with the guild master anyway. He was merely a guide.”
“Well, I was already here; I just used him for help. Is she here?“ He never got an answer to that and was wondering.
“ No, I’m afraid she had business at the church. I think today she left early, so not sure if she’s still there,“ the male human replied, who I assumed was Terry.
“ Can I tell you? Or is it a bad time?” He wasn’t sure.
“ I can try a later date.“ This was more a side business to help Wolf than really needing to sell…
“ Let me see what you have; if anything is good, I'm sure the guild master will be interested.“ Terry spoke before they left into a side room toward the back; it was a storage turn office.
As it was crammed with scroll ledgers and random books beyond a small desk and two chairs, there was not much space.
A small mage lamp was the only thing to keep it with light, so it felt a bit oppressive.
“ Sorry, I tend to only write here, not really business; the guild's main office is much nicer, and for that.“ Terry said apologetically.
He nodded to that and pulled off his pack, setting it in the best he could to the side, “ Terry, right?”
“ The kid motioned the name, but I’m just assuming that is you.“
“ O, how rude!“ he replied. “She skin me alive knowing I neglected proper protocol.”
“ Yes, I’m Terry. I’ve been working for nearly fifteen years, and you are“?
“ Nebo,“ he extended his hand in a formal greeting; not many chose to do it, but safer than sorry, Terry looked at the hand at first, then smiled and shook it.
“ Did not think beastkin followed many human customs, especially handshakes? He asked, mused.
“ Most don’t,”
“But I am a merchant by trade, and the tribe wanted me to know how best to handle humans for my sister’s sake.“ Terry smiled at that and waited for the wares. Nebo placed them out for him to inspect.
There were the berry juices, herb spices, potions, and poisons. He knew some of it was pointless to show, but he wanted to be thorough. Trevor knew by sight the antidote. He tried the berry juice, too sweet for his liking, but when Nebo explained adding a mix to help wake or sleep, he got much more focused.
“ Does it have to go in the berry drink?“ he asked
“No,” it can be applied to any mix.
“The berry was just something new he made.” Terry nodded at that and focused on the poisons with more of a keen eye.
“ I have a low-level water magic,“Terry said. “Let me heal most poisons.”
“Are they safe to touch?”
“ Or were they too toxic to live from?“ Nebo was surprised by the question but replied
“They were safe in the sense that they won’t kill, just disable.“ With that shockingly, Terry unhesitatingly drank the spider venom poison. Nebo panicked and grabbed an antidote, but Terry held up a hand, stalling him instead and waiting for the effect to take effect.
Nebo watched as his calm demeanor shifted to discomfort and mild shock, but before he could move to assist, despite the man’s earlier protest, he shivered and spoke.
“ got a kick,”
“Like to take it time too.”
“Dangerous one, that one, but easy enough to cure. With a bit of water magic, I can see it working well on monsters.“
Nebo wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He was impressed; he always assumed water magic was more attack-oriented.
But he guessed it was more versatile than he knew. “The other is a paralyze, not as strong with random effects.”
“But the main effect does hit much harder.“
Terry nodded and touched the paste, and like before, he inserted it in his mouth with indifference.
He started at Nebo after that, not moving, then his eyes bulged, and he just sort of flopped forward.
In a panic, he raised him up and poured a potion in his mouth. He wasn’t sure what happened. He knew Terry was not dying, but it was odd how he cured other effects and was lost to this one.
After a moment, he coughed and shook his head. “Thank you, Nebo.”
“THAT is something that has potential,“ Terry said with gusto.
Nebo was confused, and his face showed it. “It was the way it paralyzes,”
“Slows the blood.“
“I could heal it in time, but it would be much harder.”
“ We also tested them; I oversaw some of the tests myself after I learned of the effect.”
“ We needed to see the worst case; how long could the effect last.“ He cringed a bit, remembering, “The poison was odd; it hit hard but faded quickly.”
“The highest dose took me down for a minute or so.”
“More painful than anything, the paralysis was more interesting.”
“As you saw,”
“It lasted over five minutes in the drink form test before we cured it.“
“ The paste version on the skin is numb for over an hour even in a low dosage .”
“It can be used to numb pain. Or keep prey and predators down to finish them off.”
Terry nodded, “Both are worth buying, same with the wake powder and sleep powder.”
“Do you know if the alchemist stocks any of these things in case we run low?” He asked
“ He was a bit dismissive when I tried, saying they weren’t worth the cost to pursue vs. higher gold-making things.“ Terry frowned at that.
“ So they’re easy to make, I assume? Or he would jump all over it otherwise.”
“ Extremely easy.“Nebo replied he knew Wolf cared more about helping than profit, so he didn’t mind sharing info.
“The sleep and wake powders are just grinding and mixing. same with the paralyze into a paste, the spider poison is also simple with mixing it with water.“ Terry nodded; they did have staff who dabbled in alchemy so they could run their own supplies.
“ Not to be rude, but why give me that info for free?“ He trusted Nebo, but it seemed a little too nice, and he wanted to know the angle.
“ My brother is an alchemist who wishes to help where he can.”
“Money is a side gain, not his end goal.” Terry nodded, and that made sense. Beastkin tended to value helping all gain vs. themselves.
“ There must be something we can do for your generosity. Even if I buy your supplies here now, we won’t ever have a need again, no? “ Terry wanted to give back for this kindness.
“ It’s fine; I’m sure later in life there will be something we need, and you will be there.“ Terry did not like that answer, as it still felt like him cheating and gaining with no effort.
Nebo noticed, so he decided to add more to his thoughts, “We have a dungeon forming soon within a year or two.”
“I’d rather we have a positive working relationship when that does come.“
Terry finally agreed that long-term benefits could happen, and nobody was fleecing anyone sharing knowledge. “Thank you, Nebo.“
“I guess I’m too used to the greed of our current alchemist; it surprised me about your generosity.”
The meeting wrapped up with Rosa bringing tea for them both; they enjoyed a casual talk for a bit.
Before Nebo felt it was best he leave and find an inn to eat and call it a night, as he left, Terry met with Rosa, telling her the good news and windfall.
“A dungeon in the town of Lakewood? My husband started an inn there! “ Rosa said, amused.
Terry nodded and smiled. Rosa did mention she had a husband and a small child, but he did not know they were separated.
“ You mentioned your family before, but I thought you all were in the city?“
“Too much competition, not enough land to support another inn in the crowded city,“ she replied.
“So it was easier to follow the new location and settle there; we did not have enough money saved to support the building. and start the business, so I stayed with the cub.”
“‘I’m helping make some money while things settle. I got used to working here, and although we were not hurt for cash. It’s not enough for me to leave just yet. But if a new branch just so happens to open in the same location?”
She smiled, saying that while watching him, he nodded at first, not catching on, then it hit him.
“ O, O yes! You could go! “ Noticing what she meant, “Very wise,“ he mused. I’ll make sure to mention it to the guild mistress.”
“ You don’t mind me wanting to go?”
“You probably got rights to it; you have been working here longer than me,” she asked with concern as if he would take it back.
He waved his hand, “No, I’m happy here. born and raised Never understood everyone’s desire to move around. Or leave and the woods?”
“ Gods, no! They don’t even have walls! Last I heard. “
“Indeed, they don’t," she replied. “The hunter patrols, but the land is mostly safe.“
“The kingdom keeps the worst away, I'm sure. A time may come needing walls, but for now everyone has been happy.” She said and was happy he was letting her go. He nodded.
And assure her when the matter came to pass she would be with her husband. And if by magic a new crowd showed up with a successful hunt, it was once again time to work.
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***
It was later than she had planned. The sun was already setting, but she had a lot of running around to do; she really wanted to stop and smoke her pipe.
She hated being crowded or dealing with people; the smoke always calmed her and made it easier, but now wasn’t the time.
She wanted to share the good news of clearing her son’s debt; he will be so happy; she knew he was suffering from a lot of stress.
Trying to raise those two orphaned kids and clear a debt he got tricked into… was too much; it was why she had to make sure she was there for him; he needed to know he wasn’t alone like he feared.
She made it to the guild hall but did not want to deal with people, so she turned to Mist and entered to scout; before they knew she was there, it was clear.
A surprise to her as people tended to come randomly, it seemed Rosa left for the night, but Trevor was still there, so she reformed to greet him. “How was today? Any trouble?" Trevor looked up surprised, but only mildly; he was used to her doing things like this."
“ Easy day, my lady. We did have guests who sold us interesting things, but beyond that, it was a normal day.“ She was curious about what he meant by that but did not press; she was more interested in her son.
“ My son? Is he here?“
“ Aha, yes, think earlier midday? Forget the time, sorry.”
He went to bed early, wanting to rest. “That was odd. He was looking forward to today with those kids.
“ Thank you, Trevor, you know the drill.”
“ I don’t wish to be bothered unless necessary,”
“ I’m going to visit my son for a bit and turn in myself,“ he bid her goodnight and promised to discuss the deal of the sales later when she was ready.
As she made her way to Arlin’s room, flowing like mist, she could see the light on, so he was awake; that was good. She knocked gently, waiting for a response.
“ What do you want?“ was the reply beyond the door, and she smiled; she always liked his bluntness.
“ It’s your mother; may I enter?“ She waited for the reply, ready to open the door, and was surprised when there were no words.
Why wasn’t he saying, Come in? She was about to ask if everything was ok when the door was pulled open.
She saw him lying on the bed, facing away, a small shadow fading from the door. She was amused that he was getting better with control.
But she wasn’t sure why he was upset; maybe he didn’t know the good news and was depressed about the debt.
“ I have good ne—” she started.
“ I already know; there’s no more debt… “ Why wasn’t he happy about that? How did he know?
With little thought, she guessed the letter must have gone to the church first; she was busy today, so she was delayed, and, well, she wanted it to be a nice surprise.
“That's not a good thing?”
“ I don’t understand. I thought you would be happy."
“ Everything I worked for is a lie,“ he replied, “and the kids I wanted to help… “
“wanted as a family,”
“Chose the church, not me.“ That was a bit much for her to take in; she didn’t understand.
The church was very loving and gave to all; why was it a bad thing? Why was he still trying to run away even now…?
“They are young and need the church.“
“You still can be there when they're older; how is that a bad thing?“ She wanted to smoke but wasn’t going to be rude and do it in his room; he tended not to like it.
“ Easy for you to say.”
“ You waited years before you wanted me.”
“So why should I care if they do the same?“ That stung her a bit and hurt more than she thought it would. She never abandoned him like he thought…
She just wasn’t …. There. She knew what he was feeling; she was feeling it now.
Wanting his attention. The rejection. It hurt. She sat on the edge of the bed beside him.
“ I know how you feel, and you’re not wrong.“
“We can’t change what led up to this.”
“But I can be there for you now.”
“ as your mom”
“ I promise I’ll help however I can,” he turned to her with those words, a sad look in his eyes, and grabbed her waist, not saying anything.
So she wept for him instead, for she knew he was trying too hard to be strong.
“It's ok,”
“ I’m here.”
“ I promise, we will work these things out.“
“You made it this far alone, my son.”
“But you don’t need to anymore.”
“I’ll keep training you to face them all alone.”
“So you never have to fear the darkness.”
“ You will be the darkness they fear,” he laughed at in her lap.
“ You only know how to beat me near to death.”
“ and let the monsters almost kill me”
“Not sure. I can be darkness next to that.“ She gently patted his cheek in retort and started to stroke his head and his hair before wishing she could smoke once more.
“ You know I’m not perfect. and neither are you. That’s why I know they will come back. and respect the effort you made for them.”119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtajI0m1J7
“Just got to get their son, I promise.“ More nervous and trying to calm herself, she hummed a light tune to pass the time.
Nobody talked for a while, but a low voice spoke; she swore she heard it, but it was not repeated, and she dared not ask.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZgfNn4ab9
“ Thanks, Mom…“
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIi8KcSH48S
She hummed through the night till she was sure he was asleep and carried him with shadows properly into bed. She was stiff and cranky, not smoking most of the day, but she was also a very proud mom.119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpsrgZnJui
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