The diary of Kassandra Starr chapter 11
Chapter 11
I once again sit in the library alone reading and not sleeping. I don't think I have gotten a good night sleep in over a week and a half, that's how long it's been sense we have been back at the academy. Coake and Angry Bear have been gone now for a week, and yet I still try hopelessly to sleep in my room and Alex in his. I knew he isn't sleeping much either I see how it's effecting him also.
So I sit here trying to make myself feel sleepy and getting nowhere with it. Oh who am I kidding; a little while ago I was exhausted, than I lay in my bed and thought about Alex's arms around me and suddenly I was wide awake and brought my lonely self into this room to read in hopes of dozing off.
"This is hopeless," I tell myself before I put the book away and start going back to my room.
As I get down the hall I hear something in the gym and wonder who could possibly be up at this hour, so I go look only to see Alex in only a pair of sweat pants, hitting the bag, his body glistening in sweat, and I can't make myself move away.
I stand there like a stalker watching its pray, watching him move, thinking about being there with him, in those arms, feeling those muscles, tasting his flesh.
"Going to just stand there," he asked without looking my way?
Slowly I make my way over to him like one caught in a dream, as if it really weren't real.
"Can't sleep," I say and it's both a question and a statement.
"Something keeps my mind crazy whenever I try to rest," he says looking at me, my body, much the same way I was him, every now and then our eyes meet but mostly we are looking at each other's bodies. "I lay there and all I do is start thinking and not sleeping, I get more frustrated than rested."
"And this poor punching bag is getting the brunt of that frustration," I say teasingly and he laughs.
"I guess so," he said
"I seem to be suffering from the same ailment, think it would help me or not," I asked as he starts hitting the bag again.
"Maybe there is a simple cure for the both of us," I say and he smiles over at me as the bag swings back one last time and hits him, making me laugh.
"Well that looked stupid," he says.
"No," I say though I'm still laughing.
He walks over to me reaching out for my body, "and this cure,"
"You're getting close," I say and he kisses me as I close my eyes. "Oh you're very close."
Alex took my hand and led me back to his room, in the knight's quarters, stopping and kissing me all the way. By the time we were alone in the room we were pulling clothes off letting that passion take over until sleep finally won us over.
"Its morning," Alex says as I start waking up happily still in his arms.
"I noticed," I say.
"We seem to have slept in," he says and I laugh.
"What will they think," I say, "I suppose it's a good thing that Weston isn't here anymore or he might actually be right for a change."
"Oh that was cold," he said but he laughed still and kissed me.
We both got up and took a shower together before dressing and heading into the kitchen to get something to eat. It was late enough that the other students were in class already, I should be with them really.
I pick up one of the muffins that Lady Katherine had made the day before when she stopped to check in for a few days. She was a tough looking white lady with short hair and large muscles, like a guy. But she had been kind and she apparently loved to bake, than I sat down at the small table in the kitchen.
"Want some coffee," Alex asked
"Sure, thank you," I said as he joined me at the table.
Not long after Darius walked in. "Kassie, Alex,"
"Morning," Alex said.
"Sir," I said
I knew there would be questions as to where I had been but Darius said nothing, I'm sure he already knew.
He looked around than sat down.
"Look guys, where I have no problem with this, Kassie you're still a student, albeit old enough to make decisions of the heart for yourself, there are still other students here and they may not understand, other knights may not understand."
"I'm just saying keep it low profile," Darius says, " though I'm glad you two have finally come to your senses and found a way to get some rest, you were starting to behave like a couple jerks."
"Yes sir," Alex said and I laughed at him.
"Ok," I said, "and sorry if I was grumpy and all."
"Oh grumpy doesn't describe it my dear, you have more of your father in you than you think, and he is known for his poor temperament." Darius said with a wink.
"I have heard this before," I said, "that he has a temper, not that I do, do I?"
"Yes," they both say.
"What do you mean, yes," I asked surprised that both could answer so quickly.
"You get moody love," Alex says.
"Sorry," I said.
For the next few nights I sleep in Alex's room, waiting until we both know others have gone to bed before going to his room, like it's some big secret or something. Though I think in part that its stupid, one would have to be blind to not see there was something there between us. Like Angry Bear had said before, you need not have a special power or essence to see when two people are in love.
Than one night I climbed into bed with Alex his lips going straight to my lips. I had known all day what he was thinking, for the last few nights we had only slept next to each other and I knew that the passion we shared was building in a way.
"It's going to be like that huh," I teased and he smiled as he began to kiss down my body lower.
"I don't know what you're doing to me," he said, "but I can't get enough of you, the smell of your skin, how soft you are, everything."
I truly felt as if I had begun to drown in this.
Than just as we were finished and ready to let sleep have us we both hear something, a commotion in the common room.
"What do you think that was," I asked as he got out of bed and grabbed his sweat pants.
"don't know but I'll find out," he said as I got up and began pulling another pair of Alex's sweat pants on and one of his shirts, though they were rather big on me.
I followed Alex out of his room, around the same time Darius came out of his room dressed, and John out of his too.
For a moment John looked at me and he had to have realized I had been in Alex's room.
There was another knight or two also, Sir Stuart who was an older gentleman, he looked to me to be older than Coake himself, and Sir Thomas who gave me the creeps in a way, his eyes had no color at all. Much like John they had to have seen me come out of Alex's room, but no one said anything.
"I know you say your tough and all, but stay behind me will you," Alex said and I nodded.
"Sure, sir," I said sarcastically.
"Great," he says.
"Can we save the lovers' quarrel for after we find out what is going on," Darius asked as he walked passed us both.
In the common room we all see what I don't think anyone expected Lady DeWhite and Sir Jerry back again from a mission they had been gone on for some time now. Beside the two knights we all know and love is a little girl with green hair and big blue eyes, to me she looks just under eight years old, but I could be wrong.
"Shauna, I mean Lady DeWhite," Darius said and I look at Alex, now we both know.
"Darius," she says looking at him funny, to her there romance was a complete secret, and to us it wasn't as much a secret as Alex and I were. "Um, Alex, John, hello, everyone, hello Kassandra, it's good to see you all, to be home again, for a while."
Darius doesn't hold back he actually walks up and hugs her briefly and I think she is confused.
"Darius," she says and a part of me wants to tell her that some of us already know.
Sir Jerry stands there quietly for a moment as the little girl hides behind him.
I walk over to him. "It's nice to see you again Jerry," I said.
"It's nice to be here again after the things we have seen this last time out," Jerry says.
I knelt down to the little girl, "hi, my name is Kassie, what's yours?"
She doesn't answer at all, just hides herself a little more behind Jerry, and I look up at him.
"She understands and speaks American alright, she's just nervous," he says
"Probably a little tired too," I said, and then I looked at her again, "that's ok though, I was nervous the first time I was here too. I really didn't know anyone and I wasn't real sure where it was I stood. This is a rather big place."
She nodded slowly.
"so what is your name," I asked, "the sooner you get it over with the sooner you will feel more at home here, more comfortable with us all."
"Con," she says
"Conina," Lady DeWhite says, "her mother called her Con, she was a knight, my class, she retired a few years ago for Con. We were close by and stopped in to touch base, than a fight broke out nearby and I guess she figured she would fight with us for old time's sake, she lost the fight, she died leaving Con alone."
"I'm so sorry," I said both to Lady DeWhite and little Con, how sad it must be to have lost your mother in death so young in life and a friend too.
I see Alex leaning agents a wall watching me with little Con. "it's late, and you look tired Con, what do you say we settle you into a room so you can get some sleep, the day starts early around here."
"Kassie is right Con," Lady DeWhite says
"ok," she quietly said and I took her hand and stood back up to escort her to the squires quarters, settling her in the room next the one I was supposed to be using, I even got her a night shirt out of my room for her to wear for the night and tucked her in.
By the time I get back to the common room the only ones left are Darius, Lady DeWhite, and Alex who is just waiting for me, everyone else had gone back to bed already.
"So what are you planning on doing taking on the child," Darius asked?
"I don't know," she said
"Unless she has other family out there I don't see what chose you have really," I say and Alex puts his arms around me from behind, showing for once the affection between us.
Lady DeWhite looks at us strangely, "I've been gone long it would seem, so refresh me, exactly when did you go from squire to peer?"
"Around the time she turned sixteen, made her first kill in a battle, and her heritage became open knowledge around the school," Darius says
"All in one interesting trip," Alex says, "you should hear the stories, than again the way Darius tells them you probably will before morning."
I look up at Alex and punch him lightly, well lightly for me.
"Ouch," he says
"Really I'm not wanting to over step," I say, "but obviously if she had someone else, a grandparent or aunt or something, you would have left her there, but you brought her with you."
"Her father is still a knight, I was hoping to keep her here until we find him than it's up to daddy, provided he is still alive also," She says.
"I stand corrected," I said
"you know it's late," Darius says, "and I do believe we all have to be up early to run a school and all, shall we continue this in the morning after some of us get some sleep,"
"Too shay," I say to him, "oh and sleep well,"
"good night sunshine," Darius teases and Alex and I walk off back down the knights quarters to his room, and Lady DeWhite watches me go with Alex back to his room.
"Is it just me or do knights just end up together," I ask Alex as we walk away and he laughs.
"You would think so," he says.
Come morning Alex and I are the first up, in the kitchen together we prepare pancakes, sausage, and eggs together for the people we consider our family, every now and then we catch ourselves stopping and kissing each other.
Darius comes in smiling and whistling
"Good morning sunshine," he says and I suck back the laugh that really wants to escape me. I think Alex sees it and thinks the same thing I am.
Darius looks my way and I shake my head.
"What," he asked.
"Nothing," I say, "I take it Shauna will be along soon,"
"Yes," he says, "she went to check up on Con.
"Really," Alex said, "I take it you slept well,"
"Funny," Darius says.
I think over breakfast Darius, Alex, and I exchanged a few funny looks for we all knew that we all knew the same things.
Morning classes started and Con is allowed to sit in with us, I stand over by her showing her how to do a move or two that happen too quickly for her.
The search for Seven Alana, Con's father, starts and a few weeks pass without a word at all; it starts to look rather grim for Con. I think Lady DeWhite tries everything she can think of to find him, after another month passes we all begin to think he must have also perished in a fight and little Com is truly alone now.
As the fourth month of looking comes to an end word finally comes our way of the whereabouts of Seven, and he is alive, stuck down near Tennessee.
"You can't go alone," Darius tells Lady DeWhite as she starts getting ready for the trip.
"I won't be alone," she said, "I'll have Jerry as usual."
"But," he argued.
"You can't go with me," she said, "you have a squire to think of yourself, and you can't just take her with you."
"I'll be fine here or there," I say and she gives me a funny look. "Or not, however it is you want it."
Reluctantly Darius helps her get ready to leave and watches her leave the school, as he stands there on the porch watching her leave.
"You could have gone," I say from behind him, "I could have gone too, I'm tough, I can do it, or I could have stayed here and kept down the fort."
"Thanks Kassie," he says and he sits on the porch with a heavy sigh, "but she didn't want me to go with her, she is afraid that if I were there and a fight broke out I would be more concerned for her safely than my own and I would get hurt or killed."
I sit there next to him a moment, "I'm sorry," I say, feeling as if I now understood better because of Alex.
"I just hope she will be ok," he said and I hear something in his voice that I haven't before, he sounds as if he will cry and I hate it. "I don't know why but I just, I mean she is a perfectly capable knight and I know it, normally I'm fine with her leaving, but somehow I just feel as if I'm watching a part of me leaving too."
"She will be back Darius," I say, "but more importantly, maybe it's time to re-think your feelings for her."
"I don't understand," he says looking my way.
"You just said it never pained you before to watch her leave," I said, "are your feelings for her changing into more than you thought, are you in love with her."
"And the student becomes the teacher," he says with a smile, "do me a favor Kassie, say a prayer for her."
"I will," I say, "but Darius, you know as well as I do that in our faith, once something is decided it's out of everyone's hands."
"I know," he said, "but you're the mini god and all, I'll feel better knowing you tried, maybe they will listen to you more than me."
"Yes sir," I said.
I go into the house, into my room alone for the first real time in months.
"Athena, if you hear me, please, as the goddess of war, please be with Shauna, and this Seven guy, let them all come back to us safely." I say and I do hope she is listening to me, I also know that an offering helps and I leave just that as I have read so many times before.
Days pass without a word either way; though we all know it's a long trip to where they are headed. John and I head to a nearby town, only a few hours away, for supplies. He and I put in our order in the local store and head onto the tavern for something to eat and an ale while we wait for our things to be ready. There something rather strange happens. A young boy about six maybe seven yours old runs thru the tavern and drops his toy pistol and I lean down to pick it up for him. As I touch the toy flashes of life go thru my head. I blink a few times as I see Weston, in the local store, a mask over his face but not his eyes, I know its him, I know him too well to not recognize him, he waits until there aren't any people in the store, than he goes up to the store keeper, the little boy next to him, and he summons his psi-sword, using it to rob a place without much defenses. I see Weston say something to the boy but I can't hear it, all I know is the boy's fear grows as Weston speaks to him.
"Kassie," John says and I snap out of it looking at him and realizing he had been calling my name the whole time really, but I don't know what it was that just happened to me, I just know it was real.
"Huh," I say, "oh yeah, sorry," than I hand the toy back to the boy and try to smile at him.
I stand up and look around feeling strange still as I walk out of the tavern, John behind me.
"Kassandra what's going on," John asks and I stop and look his way.
"Weston," I say quietly as I realize something bad, "I saved him, I saved his sorry ass and I shouldn't have, I just felt so bad that I hurt him."
"Where is this coming from," he asked?
"I don't know," I said feeling like I would cry, I just didn't understand what I saw or why I felt the child's fear, I still did some. "I picked up the gun and I saw him, I saw Weston here. The boy, his father is the owner of the store, Weston robbed it with the boy there, he used his sword to rob the store, he said something to the boy, I don't know what it was, just that it scared him enough that he cowered on the floor."
"You saw this,"
"Yes," I said, "I don't know why though,"
"To sonically read the history of an object, or as we like to call it, object read," he said, "why am I surprised you would get that too."
"I don't understand," I say.
We quickly gather our supplies and get back on the road as John tells me over and over that it wasn't my fault, I just can't believe that.
Back at the school I sit in the common room explaining to Darius what it was that happened, what I saw.
"Kassie, you're not responsible for this," Darius tells me and I roll my eyes, "it couldn't be foreseen."
"What couldn't be foreseen," Alex asked as he walked in.
I just stood up and walked passed him, leaving my friends behind as I went out to mope about my bad decision.
I end up in my room, just standing in my shower, letting the hot water pound down on me for a long time as I tried to figure out what I had done and what I feel about it.
It had been two years now sense I had come here and I still had no sword, oh sure I could read the history of an object, I could heal the bleeding and let them have life, I could feel the difference from evil, magic, and Sonics, but no sword, when Darius first told me that there were something's I wouldn't get I thought, ok so no armor, I can deal with that, but not no sword.
What was wrong with me?
Alex was waiting for me in my room when I finally came out, sitting on my bed with a long face and looking my way.
"What's wrong," I asked him.
"I um," he said, "I was contacted earlier; I have to go for a while."
"Oh," I say, trying to sound normal somehow.
"Please don't think this is easy for me," he said standing and coming to me, "I care more for you than I've ever allowed myself to care before. Like I said before, you enchanted me somehow, made my mind crazy, but it's important that I go."
"I know," I said, "you have your own calling, actions set into motion long before me; this is just one of those things that just are."
Isn't that what Angry Bear said months ago?
Alex touches me, pulls me closer to him and we made love one last time recklessly, clinging to each other, before he has to leave knowing good and well as I do that whenever one rushes off into battle they may not walk out of it.
"My room is still yours," he says as he lays there holding me for a few guilty moments, "I see no reason why you shouldn't use it still."
"Alex please be careful," I say feeling the hot tears start to build up in my eyes, "go and do what you must, but do it well, do it with care for your own safely, and come back to me some day."
I can't help it, I know I said I wouldn't but I can't help it, I look up into his eyes and I see it there too, I see the same tears, the same feelings I have reflecting back at me.
He looks into my eyes and touches my face, my chin, and kisses me again, than looks my way again, "I'll come to you no matter where you are, I'll always find you, and when I do, I'll hold you close to me, feeling your heart beating with mine, and back here we will be."
I couldn't stop the tears that fell any more than I could stop the world from turning or Alex from leaving me.
I stood on the porch and watched him pack his things into that beat up hover cycle of his, and then he turned back to me.
"Kass," he says no longer caring what anyone saw or thought.
"No, don't say it, please don't say it," I cried, "Just leave it unsaid by mouth only by heart."
He smiled and kissed me again, one of those gone with the wind kind of kisses, "until we meet again," he says and he leaves me, wishing I too were going with him, the way Darius wished he could be with Shauna DeWhite right now. But this wasn't the first time I had watched him go and I doubt it will be the last time either, that my heart already knew.
I stand there for a few moments than I feel Darius put his arms around me and I start to brake.
"I'm sorry," he says, "I know, believe me I know it hurts, but it will be ok, I know Alex, I've known him a long time, he will be ok."
For a moment I just stand there and let him hold me as I cry, than I go back into the house and to the room I had been sharing with Alex to lay there and cry hopping with everything in me he comes back to me in one piece, that he is ok.
"Please, please let him be ok," I cried.
It isn't until morning I come out and Darius had left me alone knowing I just needed sometime. We eat and I throw myself into training like never before, just to get my mind on something other than Alex and how lonely I am without him.
At night when I can't sleep I stand alone in the gym practicing moves over and over again, hitting the bag the way Alex had before, just working out my frustrations as the days pass by.
I feel something go threw me one night and I think of the sword I had tried over and over to summon, but instead I knock over some practice weaponry across the room down with something from my mind.
"Whatever," I say to myself and I grab my towel and leave the room.
This time of night usually I'm the only one up, yet the door is open and the coolness of the air outside travels in getting my attention.
I walk over and see Darius sitting out there alone on the porch steps with a bottle of whisky he is drinking; he looks so lost to me.
"Darius what is it," I asked as I walked out there and sit by him. He hands me the bottle.
"Have a drink, you'll need it," he says and I take a swig from the bottle, I don't know why I do it, I just do.
"Shauna got to Seven," he begins, "they were in some battle, something big I guess, and Shauna was killed, shot with something that took her quickly I heard, that's what Alex got called into. He was called not only to get Seven, but to take Shauna's body home to her family for a proper burial."
I take another drink and hand the bottle back to Darius who drinks down three shots worth in one.
"She um," he continued, "Shauna, I guess she never thought it would be like this, she thought it was an easy mission to get Seven and reunite a father and child. She left here knowing she was caring my child and she died, I guess that's what she didn't want to tell me before she left, she knew I wouldn't let her risk her life that way if I had known, I just don't think she foresaw any real danger in this mission of hers."
"What about Jerry," I asked
"Gone," he said taking another drink, "Sir Jeremy died trying to help his sister. Alex was called into a blood bath without proper warning as to the real danger."
"Who said this, how do you know," I asked?
"Seven sent word about Shauna and Jeremy," he said, "of the fight, I don't know who called Alex in or what he was told, I do know he wasn't told the whole truth, Kassie, I'm sorry to tell you this."
"Do, I mean, he's ok, right," I asked, "oh Darius I'm so sorry, I just, I'm sorry about your loss, Shauna and all."
"But you also care about Alex," he said, "I know, I do too, he is a dear friend of mine, I care what happens to him too Kassie."
"I just," I said
"I know," he said and he hands me back the bottle to take another big drink. Sitting out there we drink down the bottle, and then I go in and crawl into Alex's bed and cry.
"Athena please tell me he's alright, please just let him walk out of this, please let him live."
Pins and needles seem to be the way I live my days lately, ever sense I heard of Shauna, Jeremy, and what Alex is really up agents. I see Darius throw himself into working with the children and I wonder what he is thinking about, where his mind is. Yes he is still my dear friend but I really think there was a part of him that was lost with Shauna. I believe she meant more to him than even he realized the child may have only made it worse.
I walk alone threw the grounds wondering if this is really what my life is now, waiting, loving and losing those I loved, hopping with every inch of my being that Alex is alright still.
I feel something strange in the distance and I know it when I feel it, evil, plain and simple. It's far off into the forest and I see Sam running my way.
"Someone came up on us, I think it was Weston," Sam tells me.
"Oh great, more good news," I say, "go to the house and tell Darius," than I take off toward what I feel.
I'm not fool enough to think this will be easy, the only reason I beat him before was because he underestimated my abilities, he won't be making that mistake again. Over a year has passed and I have grown and changed, I'm sure so has he.
I see little con sitting on a big rock and Weston, in shiny red metallic armor standing by her.
"My god you're still here," he says, "still charming your way through school dear Kassandra? Do you think you're the great hero you always wanted to be now?"
"I never presumed to think that," I say, "I actually never said I was or wasn't anything that was you who made your assumptions basted on nothing but your greed."
"Well, well, well, you do sound as if you have come out of that shell," he said, "tell me child, is miss Kassie a good little student, staying and practicing with the other squires, or dose she still do as she pleases and take off whenever the mood suits her liking."
Com looks over at me confused.
"It's going to be ok Con, I promise you," I say, "Weston she is just a child who has already in her short life had her share of sadness. You want this fight fine, but leave her out of it, let her go back to the school and it will be just you and me."
"Child," he says, "are you not a child yourself, a student of the knights," he asked?
I looked away, why I'm letting him get to me I don't know but all along in a way he was right, I had been given special treatment, because of my father. I know the answer he wants and I can't bring myself to say it.
"Kassie is a teacher," Con says and he looks over at me.
"Weston let's not," I say, "you want to fight fine but let's not,"
"Oh no lets," he says, "you want the girl to live than lets, do tell me how one who doesn't even spar turned herself into a knight, a teacher of the great code."
Darius I see coming up, with John and a few of the students, even Tiffany and Frank who had been friends with Weston, maybe they hoped they could talk him out of something.
"Ok fine," I say, "let her be, I did it, I slept my way in, with Alex, and I killed, I used what I have and I killed men, are you happy, or is it just that I was with one of my teachers you're interested in, even without him being here I still sleep in his bed."
"Well the little girl did grow up after all," Weston says and he summons his sword and points it at Con, "than by now you should have learned that bad guys lie."
"Weston," I yell as I feel an energy flow threw me I had never felt before and I summon my own psi-sword, thinking about Lady DeWhite and how many endless hours she spent trying to help me focus for this. "Before you threatened a little girl who was afraid of her own shadow, challenged a girl who still held hope for the worlds and people being good. I guess in a way you helped teach me that some are just bad and you can't do anything about them."
"I grew up," I say, "and yes I will give the devil his due in that, you helped me grow up in a way, some are just bad and you can't stop it, you can't change it, it just is, but I can kill it."
"Sir do something," Tim said.
"No," Darius says, "this is her fight; I believe in her, I know she can do it, just as I believe in her family, her gods." I knew him too well he was worried just as I was scared half to death, and he knew it.
"Weston stop this," Tiffany yelled, "you got what you wanted, just let Con go and stop this."
She stood there by Darius, or behind him with the other students, John stood next to Darius.
I may have had my sword but I wasn't going to make the first move, no that was the cowards move, let it be his.
"You're not even armored up," Weston says, "this will be rather quick wont it, all I have to do is slice you, you're done."
Then he comes forward lunging with his sword and I parried it, then spun around and sliced the back of his armor with mine.
"I was never a wimp," I say, "I trained just as hard and as much as you did, as any of you did."
He slashes at me again and I turn quickly, pinning his arms under mine, using my strength as an advantage for once, I squeeze slightly, my arm agents my body, and I feel the bone popping under his so called armor, than I smack back and hit him in the helmet with the back of my hand cracking it easily.
"You stupid bitch," he yells
"I'm sorry did you have to rob a lot of stores to pay for that," I ask and yes I'm enjoying the idea that he knows how much I know.
"You lying bitch,"
"What have I lied about," I asked him?
"Being a human," he yells threw his own pain even if he doesn't want to admit it hurts, I know it does.
"Ok so I'm half mortal man," I say, "does it make me any less a woman, or an opponent."
I swing again but this time he parry's it only to expose his back to me to kick it and he falls down and I know he isn't getting up on his own.
"You're down but alive more than you would have done for me I'm sure," I say.
"Kill me," he spits.
"No," I say, "a knight shows mercy, but then you never paid much attention to the code when you were here did you? Your down, no longer a threat to anyone, the fight ends here and now."
I would have fought him longer had I not felt and heard the snapping of his back when I kicked him, when he fell, somehow I know it, his back is broken now, he lay there paralyzed, struggling for a breathe in-between pains.
I disperse my weapon unsure if I will ever be able to summon it again.
"I would have killed you and the brat," Weston struggles to say in-between shallow breaths.
"I know you would have," I say, "but that's what makes me nothing like you, that's why you're not a knight and I am."
"Yes you are," Darius says looking at me, to me he looks both proud and sad too and I don't know why. "Con please go back to the school with the other students,"
"I'll get the truck," John says, "I'll take him to the next town to the hospital, and to be punished as they chose for his earlier crimes there."
I stay and help load Weston into the truck and watch John drive away with Sam sitting next to him and Darius goes into the house with the students leaving me outside alone.
I sit on the steps for a moment as I see a man, a funny looking man, with winged shoes fluttering my way and I blink my eyes a few times to see if I really am seeing what I am seeing. His hair and clothes look like something out of an old movie and he lands walking over to me clapping his hands in excitement.
"Wow," he says, "you should have seen that from here,"
"Who are you," I asked, "where did you come from?"
"names Hermes, god of," he starts to think a moment than fans the air with his hand as if here were a fly or something bothering him, "well Zeus is my father, so that makes me your favorite uncle."
"You're a god," I say?
"Yes," he said, "I came from Olympus, or my mommy and daddy, you choose."
"Ok," I say, "and you're here now because?"
"Seeing you in action apparently," he says, "and bringing you that message you keep begging for."
"Message,"
"Yes, it's my job silly, it's what I do," he says
"So than your like what, the god of communication or messages or something like that," I ask thinking that maybe they have a god for everything up there, maybe one too many even.
"No silly girl, I'm the god of speed," he says, "and yes the Atlantean is well, busy but well, you know how one mission begets another and so on and so forth, well he got himself into a dozy of one."
"Alex," I say, "he's alive, he's ok?"
"Yes he is fine, Athena kept bugging me to tell you two will meet up again in time, it's written dear, for now you have to focus on your own quest," he says.
"I have no quest," I say.
"You will find one soon enough I'm sure," he says as he walks around looking at things, "nice place you got here, and a pocket dimension too, very cool."
As Hermes walks about talking I see Darius come out and look at us confused.
"Who," Darius finally asked and Hermes looks at Darius.
"Oh time to be going," Hermes says, "nice teaching you have done here, very well actually, my father and half-brother are pleased as punch, but really I can't stay, I have to run off to Alexandria to tell someone something for Aphrodite, I just can't say no to those legs, I mean eyes."
Just as quickly as he showed up he left.
"Thank you," I yell after him.
"Right back at you kid," he yells back and flies off again.
"Was that," Darius asked
"A god," I say, "yes, I think, Hermes, god of speed."
"Wow," he says, "what did he want or say or, I mean what was he doing here?"
"Delivering a message from Athena I guess," I say looking at Darius, "telling me Alex is alright, he got busy but he is alright and I will see him again soon."
Darius smiles, "good, I'm glad, for him and for you."
"I'm sorry," I say, "really Darius I am."
"you said yourself that something's are set in motion long before us, the fates had their sights set on her for one reason or another I don't see yet, maybe her life line was just shorter than most, I don't know, but I don't blame you for her or for being happy that Alex is fine." Darius tell me.
"I just feel so guilty about it," I say and he gives me a hug.
"Well don't," he says.
A few days pass and the sword comes to me easily and I laugh at how it happened and all, maybe somewhere down in Hades world Shauna is happy for me, maybe not, I don't know.
I once again find Darius sitting outside late one night on the porch alone and I go sit next to him quietly.
"I guess I always knew this day would come," he starts out without looking my way at all. "You're a skilled fighter, learned the sword and many other Sonics, learned to hold your own in a fight, you have also grown as a person, learned to trust and love others and even yourself."
"I suppose," I said out of tern.
"there isn't anything left I can teach you I'm afraid," he says, and in my heart I know what it is he is saying and my heart begins to brake a little more with every word he says.
"You're no longer the scared child I met two and a half years ago," he said, "you're a skilled warrior, a knight, a strong willed and intelligent woman."
He looks at me, "I want to keep you here, protected from the world, but I know I can't, you're meant for greatness, it's what the gods expect of you, you can't exactly let them down can you?"
"No I can't," I said.
"Than its time you move on," he said
"What," I said as I felt the same hot tears I had when Alex left.
"You can't stay and be the hero they expect Kassie," he says, "its time you go out into the world and start your own quest. I'm proud of you, of all the things you have done and learned, and I love you in my own way, even if we are not supposed to grow so fond of a squire I did and I'm not sorry for it."
"What about you, what will you do now," I asked?
"I'll stay here for now," he said, "I got word earlier from Alex that Seven didn't make it, Con has no one really, I guess I'll take her on for now, until she is old enough to move on like you are now. He said he did good by Shauna, and Jerry, he got them home and all, stayed and prayed and all. He also wanted you to know he's ok, that you're not far from his thoughts, neither is the promise he made you, he'll be safe."
I sadly lay in Alex's bed alone wishing he were here, sleeping only a little. Come morning I begin gathering my things from both of the rooms I tend to use, packing my bag and reading my horse, the same one Darius bought me when we were coming out here in the beginning.
"Are you going to eat with us before you leave," Darius asked from the porch?
"Isn't that the first lesson you taught me, eat real food when you can, game isn't always easy to catch, there isn't always a fishing hole, and after a few days trail rations turn into bird food."
"That's my girl," Darius says.
I sit at the table with everyone, Con, Sam, Tim, Jimmy, Sir John, and Sir Darius, there are still a few others but these are the ones who were constant from the day I arrived really. I would have thought Tiffany would have left before I did but she isn't ready yet, even I know that, Frank either.
The kids don't really know this is a good bye breakfast and I don't have the heart to say it, I fear I will brake if I face the fact that I am now leaving the only real home I have ever had and I hate it more than I can put into words.
"Well Lady Kassandra Starr," Darius says as breakfast end and we are standing in the common room, the students who were going to the gym for class stop and look my way. "The last thing I can teach you, tell you really, the last two and a half years have been a lesson for me too, you have learned a lot and even taught a lot, but lessons never end, the learning isn't over. Life itself is a lesson, one you will learn every day, for the day you stop learning is the day you stop living."
"Yes sir," I say and somehow I contain my tears as my peers realize this is good-bye, and Darius gives me one last hug before I go out and climb on my horse and ride away from the school, the only place I have ever called home.