Eternal
“And this will be your room. You can fix it how you want, but don’t make a fucking mess. Also I don’t know what combat skills you’ve learned since I last saw you, but if you’re serious about this like you appear to be, you will be training under me starting tomorrow. I’m not taking you along if you don’t know how to handle yourself better.” You say.
“Great. It’s what I want anyway.”
“Hmm, you’ll probably rethink that, once I actually start training you. Anyway, goodni…”
“Hey I know you have some magic abilities, but are you really a shadow?” Lena asks.
Her question catches you off guard.
“Yeah, I guess. I mean not really. Shit, I dunno. Just go to bed kid, you’ll need the sleep because you’ve got other things to worry about.”
“What sort of answer is that?”
“The only one I’m giving you right now. ”
“Sheesh, I just figured it would be important if I knew if you were actually what you claimed when you killed those eternals that…assaulted me.”
“What? What did I say? I remember a lot of killing and screaming, but that’s it.”
“You said something like I’m the shadow of the past and right now the past is catching up with you. And then you killed one of them.”
You now remember that line. That was rather over the top of you, and you’re sort of surprised you forgot it so quickly.
“Heh, remembered that did you…but then I suppose it might’ve been more memorable for you…(sigh). The answer to your question is…complex. Officially I am a shadow, but
I am not a faithful one as far as the crazy religion is concerned.”
“So you don’t believe in Daylin?”
“Dendrin is his name and I didn’t say I didn’t believe in him, I just don’t worship him. One would think he’d want to leave me alone because of it, but for whatever reason he still insists on speaking with me on occasion. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know either. Maybe he just finds me interesting because I’m an eternal.”
Your statement causes Lena’s eyes to go wide. She wasn’t expecting you to say something like that.
“Oh don’t worry, I’m an original eternal, not like the ones you know about.”
“How did an eternal become a shadow?”
“Long story and maybe I’ll tell you one day assuming you survive training, now that’s it for questions for tonight. You better get some rest, I’m serious.”
Lena ceases her questions and realizes that she’s reached the limit on them for tonight. You leave her and head to your room wondering what the hell you’re thinking. You hesitate to sleep just because you don’t want to suffer through Dendrin’s predictable taunts and questions. So you end up heading to the garden to speak to the only person you can.
“Hi Talia, as you might know we’ve got a visitor. It’s that girl that I saved a few months ago. She seems to think she’s a warrior now.” You say shaking your head and sitting by Talia’s grave.
“Yeah I dunno what I’m doing either, but I figure if she wants to get revenge that bad, then maybe she’s earned the right to succeed and I should at least train her properly. I mean hell, it isn’t like I have much else to do and it wouldn’t be so bad having someone help me again.”
You suddenly begin to feel a little nervous.
“I mean of course she’ll never replace you. NEVER. I just…um…I look…”
While you sit there trying to explain yourself to a dead woman, you don’t even notice Lena entering the garden.
“What’s going on? Who are you talking to?” she asks in all innocence and you fly into a rage at being intruded on.
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! DON’T YOU EVER FUCKING ENTER THIS PLACE AGAIN!” you stand up and shout while walking towards her. You’re menacing enough that Lena genuinely fears that you’re going to hurt her and she runs out of the room.
While Lena runs back to her room, you calm down a bit and stop yourself at the entryway of the garden and realize that you might’ve gotten a little more upset than you should have.
“(Sigh) Shit.” You quietly say and begin to head towards Lena’s room. When you get there you see her trying not to cry and packing what little belongings she owns.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving, I guess you’re right, I shouldn’t be here.”
“Lena, stop. Where are you going to go? Back to live in the swamp with eternals hunting for your head? Look I’m sorry, but I haven’t had anyone living here for quite a while and you caught me off guard during, well a private time.
“So who were you speaking with?”
“Talia, my dead wife. Except I like to pretend she’s still alive sometimes. Hmm, now that I think about it, that’s not a very strong incentive for you to stay.” You morbidly joke.
You sort of expect Lena to agree and continue her attempt to leave, but she doesn’t.
“I…suppose I understand. For a while after my boyfriend Aaron was killed, I still couldn’t quite accept the fact he was dead either. Sometimes I pretended he was just off travelling for an extended period of time. When the rest of my family died, well I didn’t hold that illusion for any of them or even Aaron anymore. I had to accept reality. No point in living in a fantasy land when it isn’t real right?”
“Truer words have never been spoken. I believe you have the right mindset Lena and I also believe your training will go well.”
As you turn to leave, Lena can’t resist asking that last question.
“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, but how did your wife die?”
“In battle against the eternals, about ten years ago.”
Lena’s expression is a puzzled one. Here you just congratulated her on her acceptance of reality, yet you’ve been drifting in and out of fantasy for a decade. You stop her before she even asks.
“Lesson one, do as I say, not as I do.” You remark and leave.
“Great. It’s what I want anyway.”
“Hmm, you’ll probably rethink that, once I actually start training you. Anyway, goodni…”
“Hey I know you have some magic abilities, but are you really a shadow?” Lena asks.
Her question catches you off guard.
“Yeah, I guess. I mean not really. Shit, I dunno. Just go to bed kid, you’ll need the sleep because you’ve got other things to worry about.”
“What sort of answer is that?”
“The only one I’m giving you right now. ”
“Sheesh, I just figured it would be important if I knew if you were actually what you claimed when you killed those eternals that…assaulted me.”
“What? What did I say? I remember a lot of killing and screaming, but that’s it.”
“You said something like I’m the shadow of the past and right now the past is catching up with you. And then you killed one of them.”
You now remember that line. That was rather over the top of you, and you’re sort of surprised you forgot it so quickly.
“Heh, remembered that did you…but then I suppose it might’ve been more memorable for you…(sigh). The answer to your question is…complex. Officially I am a shadow, but
I am not a faithful one as far as the crazy religion is concerned.”
“So you don’t believe in Daylin?”
“Dendrin is his name and I didn’t say I didn’t believe in him, I just don’t worship him. One would think he’d want to leave me alone because of it, but for whatever reason he still insists on speaking with me on occasion. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know either. Maybe he just finds me interesting because I’m an eternal.”
Your statement causes Lena’s eyes to go wide. She wasn’t expecting you to say something like that.
“Oh don’t worry, I’m an original eternal, not like the ones you know about.”
“How did an eternal become a shadow?”
“Long story and maybe I’ll tell you one day assuming you survive training, now that’s it for questions for tonight. You better get some rest, I’m serious.”
Lena ceases her questions and realizes that she’s reached the limit on them for tonight. You leave her and head to your room wondering what the hell you’re thinking. You hesitate to sleep just because you don’t want to suffer through Dendrin’s predictable taunts and questions. So you end up heading to the garden to speak to the only person you can.
“Hi Talia, as you might know we’ve got a visitor. It’s that girl that I saved a few months ago. She seems to think she’s a warrior now.” You say shaking your head and sitting by Talia’s grave.
“Yeah I dunno what I’m doing either, but I figure if she wants to get revenge that bad, then maybe she’s earned the right to succeed and I should at least train her properly. I mean hell, it isn’t like I have much else to do and it wouldn’t be so bad having someone help me again.”
You suddenly begin to feel a little nervous.
“I mean of course she’ll never replace you. NEVER. I just…um…I look…”
While you sit there trying to explain yourself to a dead woman, you don’t even notice Lena entering the garden.
“What’s going on? Who are you talking to?” she asks in all innocence and you fly into a rage at being intruded on.
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! DON’T YOU EVER FUCKING ENTER THIS PLACE AGAIN!” you stand up and shout while walking towards her. You’re menacing enough that Lena genuinely fears that you’re going to hurt her and she runs out of the room.
While Lena runs back to her room, you calm down a bit and stop yourself at the entryway of the garden and realize that you might’ve gotten a little more upset than you should have.
“(Sigh) Shit.” You quietly say and begin to head towards Lena’s room. When you get there you see her trying not to cry and packing what little belongings she owns.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving, I guess you’re right, I shouldn’t be here.”
“Lena, stop. Where are you going to go? Back to live in the swamp with eternals hunting for your head? Look I’m sorry, but I haven’t had anyone living here for quite a while and you caught me off guard during, well a private time.
“So who were you speaking with?”
“Talia, my dead wife. Except I like to pretend she’s still alive sometimes. Hmm, now that I think about it, that’s not a very strong incentive for you to stay.” You morbidly joke.
You sort of expect Lena to agree and continue her attempt to leave, but she doesn’t.
“I…suppose I understand. For a while after my boyfriend Aaron was killed, I still couldn’t quite accept the fact he was dead either. Sometimes I pretended he was just off travelling for an extended period of time. When the rest of my family died, well I didn’t hold that illusion for any of them or even Aaron anymore. I had to accept reality. No point in living in a fantasy land when it isn’t real right?”
“Truer words have never been spoken. I believe you have the right mindset Lena and I also believe your training will go well.”
As you turn to leave, Lena can’t resist asking that last question.
“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, but how did your wife die?”
“In battle against the eternals, about ten years ago.”
Lena’s expression is a puzzled one. Here you just congratulated her on her acceptance of reality, yet you’ve been drifting in and out of fantasy for a decade. You stop her before she even asks.
“Lesson one, do as I say, not as I do.” You remark and leave.