Camus glared angrily at his father and slumped down in the dining room chair. He had hair cut short, which was a light brown color, and a kind of armor. His face was hard but handsome in a tough kind of way. If he were smiling, you would see brilliant white teeth. Muscles were hidden under his sleeves. "And why won't you let me?" he yelled. "I'm twenty one! I can take care of myself!" He smacked his hand on the table-top.
"You know very well why I don't want to go to the city!" Edward yelled in reply to his son. He had long, brown hair and mustache, and still wore his white doctor's coat. "Your mother...-"
"Has been dead for nearly twenty-one years!" he interrupted his father. "Move on! You can't stay away from the city just because of her anymore."
"It's just that the city reminds me of her so much..." the middle-aged doctor let his voice trail away into painful silence.
"I'm not asking that you come with me!" Camus said angrily. He was tired of his father talking about his mother as if she was recently dead. True, it was awful that she had gotten sick and died right after his birth, which is why Edward went into the medical profession, but he couldn't even remember her, and he felt almost twenty-one years was enough to move past it.
"And I'm not asking you to leave," Edward yelled in reply. "I won't let you go and that's final." He then stomped into his bedroom and slammed shut the door, leaving Camus sitting at the table boiling with rage. He decided that he had to leave the infirmary, so he ran down the stairs and out into the cobble-stone street lit by oil lamps in the night. Everything was quiet except for his pounding footsteps on the street running away from his home.
In his rage, he sub-consciously found himself running toward Toros Cave. He went to this particular cave sometimes to let off some steam on the resident monsters. Usually, when he was feeling angry with a sword in hand and a strange confidence that would normally have been absent if he were calm, he could take down four or five Demons in one afternoon. However, today was different. Though he still carried his trusty Broadsword and had the sturdy Rune Sheild strapped to his side, he faltered under the Demon's spear attack. Fighting desperatly for his life, he swung the Broadsword around, making contact with the monster. He heard it's angry hiss right before the pain and then the darkness...
When Camus came to, his head was throbbing and he became aware of a gash on his shoulder. Breifly, the young man wondered what had happened. Then, the night's events came crashing back to him like a tidal wave of pain and frustration. He gritted his teeth when he opened his eyes and the blinding light hurt his eyes. Then he realized that he was not, as originally thought, laying on the ground of Toros Cave. He was on a bed, covered in a clean white sheet, his head resting on a soft pillow.
"Oh, thank the gods you're awake!" a girl's worried voice exclaimed nearby. He grimaced as he turned his head slowly to see Lara hurrying across the room to him. She had dark red hair and was still wearing her nurse's uniform. Lara was one of the few things that Camus and his father agreed on. She worked part-time at the infirmary on week-days and she was very pretty.
Camus tried to mumble a reply, but found it hard. She understood though, that he needed rest, so, producing a bottle from inside her pocket, she sent him back to a dreamless sleep.
When the twenty-one year old awoke once more, he found himself slightly less pained and able to speak quite clearly. "Lara..." he whispered. She turned her head abruptly, for she had been looking out the window. It was then that he realized that he was in her bedroom, lying on her bed, and not in the infirmary. She flew across the room and was at his side in a blink of an eye.
"How do you feel?" she asked him tentatively.
"Fine," he replied, struggling to sit up.
"No!" she pushed him back down. "You need rest."
"Lara," he began. "I want to leave."
"You can't, not until you're better." she stated. "I want you to stay in bed-"
"No," he said forcefully, trying not to wince at the sound of his raised voice. "Really leave. Like, leave Kardia."
Her eyes widened at this and for a moment she was speechless. He let his words sink in before continuing with his speech.
"When I can, I'm going to Alvarna." he said. "And then, I don't know, Sharance? Just somewhere away from here."
Her mouth was an O of surprise for a moment before saying, "But what about Edward? What will he think?"
"He knows?" she questioned.
"Yes." Camus said tensely. "But doesn't approve."
"Um, well, that's not really-"
"Lara, I sort of ran away." he whispered. "But it will be fine. I'm leaving as soon as I can. Nobody can stop me."
Lara looked scared for a minute, then started, "Camus-"
He frowned. "I'm going no matter what!"
"Camus, listen!" she whispered frantically. "I know I can't stop you, so I won't try. It's just that, I want to come with you." She braced herself fearfully for his reply.
"Lara, it would be dangerous." he protested. "And what about Wesley?" Her father, Wesley, was the priest in Kardia and lived with his daughter above the church. He believed that Lara should not marry, especially not to Camus, who has gained a reputation for being violent. Like nobody else fights monsters! he thought angrily. Lara and Camus had to meet in private over the last year or two, stealing moments in dark corners during festivals and on the beach when the moon is high in the night sky.
"You're leaving Edward!" she offered in defense. Camus had no argument for that, and he couldn't deny her this without being a total hypocrite.
"Oh, alright." he agrees at last. "At least I'll be there to protect you." He managed to lift his arm and pull the girl down to him.
"Camus..." her voice trails off as he presses his mouth against hers. Though his lips were chapped and tasted of blood, he still watched as her eyes closed in pleasure.
"Stay here tonight." he told her, patting the space beside him in bed. She smiled as she crawled up next to him and, after one more kiss, curled into him and fell asleep.