193
"Take a deep breath."
Syn tried to oblige, but another wave of pain overcame her. She screamed again, and she was faintly aware of Tolan standing nearby, yelling at Hershel.
"Do something…"
"There's nothing I can do. We have to let it run its course."
"It's killing her!"
The pain finally subsided somewhat, and she could feel someone touching her face with cold hands.
"Breathe Syn…keep breathing…"
Tears blurred her vision; the room was smoky and dim; shadows flickered from the firelight. Tolan and Hershel were both mere silhouettes. Of course the baby had to come at night. Syn yearned for daylight and sleep and an end to this pain!
Another scream, and she could no longer feel Hershel as he rubbed her face. Everything seemed to evaporate in the agony.
"….ush…"
She blinked the tears away as she heard Hershel's voice again. Always the calm in the chaos…like a cool breeze in the blistering heat of the desert.
"Push, Syn…"
Somehow or another, she managed to stay conscious through the misery, Hershel's voice constantly there to guide her through. Just when she was begging for death to end the agony, it ended. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her whole body drenched in sweat as she laid exhausted on the mat. But her eyes flew open as the reedy wail pierced the air.
The light was still dim, and she had to blink away the sweat and tears to even see. She finally caught sight of her brother, standing nearby with a small bundle in his arms. He was wiping it down with a rag, his eyes distant as he smiled lovingly down at it.
"Is…is it…"
"She's fine. Safe and healthy."
Hershel turned to face her now, and she realized how tired he looked. But he was still smiling as he came over. He sat down next to her, and Syn's eyes filled with tears again as he put the bundle on her chest. The newborn was squeaking and whimpering, and Syn held it close as she cried.
"She…" the woman repeated. "It's a girl."
Hershel reached out to squeeze her hand. "She's beautiful. You did good, Syn."
She let out a happy sob, rubbing her hand on the newborn's wet curls. It was a golden moment, like a pinprick of perfect happiness in time. She glanced up at her brother again. "Where's Tolan?"
His smile grew a little and he gestured over at a figure slumped against a desk. Syn's eyes widened.
"What…"
"He's fine," Hershel assured, giving her hand another squeeze. "Just…passed out there for a second at the end. I don't think he's ever witnessed a birth, and it took him by surprise."
Syn blinked, but when she heard Hershel chuckling, she couldn't help but join in. "Oh, Tol…"
After securing the baby with Syn, Hershel roused Tolan with a mixture of smelly herbs. The guard came to with a jolt, and upon seeing Hershel, he immediately reddened. For a moment, they stared at each other, but then Hershel moved so that Tolan could see his wife and new baby. The guard sagged, his embarrassment immediately forgotten as he moved to crawl over to them.
"It's here…" he murmured, and his wife smiled tiredly.
"She's here," Syn corrected softly, and Tolan scoffed. But his face was full of wonder as Syn handed him the bundle. He cleared his throat, handling the newborn awkwardly for a moment.
"Gave us a heap of trouble there at the end," he muttered, but everyone could tell he didn't mean it. He stared down at the sleeping bundle as she made tiny noises. He continued to clear his throat, and Syn met Hershel's eye as they smiled knowingly. The Healer finally moved closer and Tolan jerked his daughter away protectively.
"It's alright, Tolan," Hershel murmured comfortingly. "You can help me clean her once the process is over."
Tolan blinked in surprise, glancing between Hershel and Syn.
"It's…not over yet?"
In the end, he insisted on keeping hold of his daughter until the process finally was completed. Then Syn watched in tired happiness as Hershel showed Tolan how to wash the tiny bundle. The baby shrieked upon entering the water, kicking and punching. Tolan stiffened in surprise and Hershel reached out to help him steady the writhing newborn, but then the guard was chuckling softly.
"She's a fighter," he pointed out, his hand gently rubbing warm water on the baby's thick head of curls. "Get a sword in those hands, and this little pip will do real damage…"
"Tolan!" Syn chided from the bed mat. He turned to glance at her, and his voice lowered as he whispered to the infant conspiratorially.
"I'll teach you everything I know…you'll be a champion yet."
Syn shook her head, but she was smiling. They finished washing the baby, and upon bundling her in a dry, warm cloth, Tolan finally relinquished his hold on his daughter as he handed her back to her mother. Syn had sat up by now, bringing the baby close to kiss the top of her head. The curls were already drying, sticking up in a perfect little cloud.
"What do we name her?" she finally asked, looking up at her husband. He cocked his head, reaching out to touch the baby's hair.
"She's certainly fluffy…are babies usually this fluffy?"
Syn laughed. Now that the pain was over, she was filled with an indescribable happiness that made her want to either laugh or cry at any given moment.
"We can't name her Fluffy," she countered, and Tolan scoffed. Syn stared at the baby a little longer, shaking her head.
"She really is just a little pip, huh?" she murmured. "Little…Pippa…"
"Works for me," Tolan murmured. One of the baby's hands had escaped her bundling, and the guard seemed transfixed with how tiny her fingers were. Syn's eyes drifted over to where her brother was sitting nearby. She realized that he was in a chair, watching the scene with a smile as he nursed a cup of tea.
"What do you think, Hershel?" she called, and his eyes focused as he glanced at her.
"Pippa…" he repeated softly. "Seems appropriate; she's a little seed, destined to grow up however she chooses."
"Healers…always have to make everything into a poem," Tolan mocked. Hershel merely cocked an eyebrow.
"Names have meaning," he reminded with a soft smile as he sipped his tea.
Syn glanced back down at her perfect daughter, her eyes filling with tears again. After a little while longer, Hershel had brought another mat back so that Tolan could sleep in the room. He then took the tiny baby, insisting that Syn needed her sleep. She had argued for a bit, but then her exhaustion had caught up with her. She hadn't lasted long, however.
Syn woke a few hours later, hearing Tolan snoring softly next to her. The fire had gone out, but there were still a few candles lit, and she looked over at the small cushioned area they had created for the baby. Her heart seized when she saw that it was empty, and she sat up in a panic.
"It's ok, Syn. I've got her."
She turned to see Hershel sitting on the chair once again, Pippa sleeping soundly in his arms. Syn sagged in relief.
"Is she alright?"
"She's fine. She started whimpering a little…I didn't want her to cry and wake you."
Syn studied her brother, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
"You need sleep as much as I do," she argued, and he chuckled softly.
"I didn't do the hard part," he countered, gently bouncing the bundle in his arms as Pippa began gurgling in her sleep. He glanced back down at the baby, his expression softening further. "She really is beautiful, Syn."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Hershel…"
He looked up as Syn smiled at him in the candlelight.
"Thank you…for being here. For helping me…"
"Syn." Hershel shook his head, as if he was disappointed, though she could see a glint of mirth in his eyes. He moved to stand, and Syn watched as he came to sit down right next to her, pulling Pippa close as he did so. "I will always be here," he told her softly, fixing his sister with a comforting look. "You will always have me…don't you know that by now?"
"Course I do," she murmured. "I just wanted to say thank you."
He just smiled and Syn looked down at the baby in his arms.
"She's so tiny," she realized. For the first time, unease entered her joy-filled heart. "Hersh…what if I can't do this? I want to do everything right…help her know that we love her. Protect her…but what if I can't?"
A cool hand took hers, and Hershel shook his head at her fears.
"You'll be a great mother, Syn. You're a natural…you already know you have what it takes. You helped out so much with Theo and Amber, remember? Pippa is going to be in good hands."
Tolan snored right then, and Hershel glanced over.
"Most of the time," he corrected, and Syn rolled her eyes.
"Hersh…"
"Alright…I guess he'll be a good father," Hershel amended. "You will just have to watch to make sure he doesn't introduce sharp objects too early."
Syn shook her head, and Hershel passed the infant back into her arms. Then she felt him kiss the top of her head.
"I'll let you get back to sleep," he murmured, and she traced Pippa's tiny face with a finger.
"Just a few minutes more," she whispered, and Hershel leaned his head on hers as they watched Pippa sleep. Once again, the fear managed to make it into her heart—a million "what-ifs" pressing their way into her mind. Hershel pulled her closer.
"I can sense your fear," he pointed out softly. "It's going to be ok, Syn. I promise."
"How do you know?"
"I'm going to make sure nothing ever happens to her," he vowed, his tone suddenly serious. "I…I couldn't always protect you, Syn. But I swear I'll protect her."
He had sounded so serious when he said it…so sure…
"Mom?"
Pippa's voice cut into her thoughts, the memory shattering. Syn blinked and looked around. Pippa was squinting up at her from her place on Baffa's back.
"You ok?"
Syn reached up to realize that there were tears trailing down her face. They were nearly back to their tent, and Syn opened her mouth to answer. But she didn't know what to say, and Pippa pulled Baffa to a stop.
"Mom?"
"Pip…I forgot something."
The child blinked. "What?"
"It doesn't matter," Syn managed, looking back down at her. "You go on ahead, ok? We're nearly there…"
"I can go and get it. Whatever you forgot. I'll be faster on Baffa…" Pippa offered, but Syn was shaking her head adamantly.
"No, your father will worry if you disappear again. You go straight to where the tent was, alright? Tell him that I had to run back to…to do something. If he wants to start on the journey then tell him I'll catch up."
Pippa's face was scrunched up in confusion. "But…"
"Don't argue, Pippa. Just do it…please."
She seemed to catch the seriousness of her mother's tone then, because she finally huffed. "Alright. He's gonna be mad at you."
"He'll be fine," Syn reassured, and Pippa shrugged and finally kicked Baffa's side so that the sniffer would start running. Syn watched as her daughter disappeared over the next bluff and turned quickly. She would have to hurry, and Tolan probably wouldn't be pleased. But she did have some unfinished business, and she was realizing with a sinking heart that she would never feel secure in their move until she had taken care of it.
194
It seemed that the junk really did pile up after a few centuries. Hershel sighed as he straightened, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the tightly packed box. He wasn't even sure what was in a lot of the jars, but he couldn't bring himself to throw any of it out. It was bad enough that he was moving.
He hadn't been sure about his decision until he had gotten home from saying goodbye to Pippa. Walking into the empty tent was like walking into a physical wall of loneliness. That's when he had known—he couldn't stay here any longer. Abandoning Phos' tent didn't feel like an option…but he finally forced himself to truly consider Myrah's proposal to move it.
Hershel glanced at the cleared shelf; one of many to pack up. There wasn't really much point in doing it all today; he couldn't actually go anywhere for a week or two. There were a few traveling healers roaming the central province, but he wanted to make sure that they were prepared to take over what he would be leaving. He frowned in thought; maybe while Theo and Myrah taught people to read, he could train more healers. Those from his first class were annoying, sure, but by the end they weren't terrible healers. Maybe it was time to add more numbers to their ranks, especially now that the Healer's Organization was dissolved.
He sighed remembering that. He still needed to track down the other few members; he wondered if they were aware that Imgloss was no longer in charge. That no one was, really. It wouldn't be hard to find the healers, but he didn't really want to initiate more conflict.
He rubbed his neck again, glancing around the rest of the tent. He had finally gotten it all cleaned up, having thrown away everything that had been destroyed. Well…almost everything; Hershel paused on his way back to his chair as he caught sight of the painting Syn had made for him after Phos's death. It still caused him to ache; he still wasn't sure if it had been burned by accident or if Pip had done it purposely. But she didn't seem angry with him…and he couldn't really see his niece purposefully destroying something that she knew meant a lot to him. His fingers traced the blackened side where he had been in the picture and sighed. Perhaps just another sign from fate; he couldn't be the same person he used to be. He'd never be able to go back to that.
Hershel was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't recognize that there was someone outside of his tent until they were storming in.
"Hershel!"
He whirled in shock, and suddenly he was facing an out-of-breath Syn. She panted a few times before catching her breath, her eyes meeting his as she blurted out again.
"I am angry!"
Hershel stared, not knowing what to say. Syn's eyes filled with tears as she threw her hands up, seeming just as confused at herself as he was.
"I know I said I wasn't. But I am…I'm angry…and I'm hurt and…and…"
Her frustration dissolved as she began to cry. Hershel reached out in concern, but paused right before touching her. He wasn't sure she wanted him to. "What…" he finally managed, and Syn wiped at her face angrily.
"You promised you wouldn't let anything happen to her," she reminded bitterly. "You swore you would protect her…"
Hershel's heart sank. He knew the conversation she was referring to, and he looked away in shame. "I never meant for anything to happen to her…to any of you. I swear…"
"But you left, Hershel! I just…I can't wrap my mind around it!" Syn gestured wildly, as if that could help her case. "It wasn't like you, Hershel! To just…just disappear…no note or explanation. Do you have any idea what we went through?! Even before Pippa went missing, we scoured the realm for you. We were looking everywhere…and we had to hear from Imgloss where you had even gone!"
Hershel didn't know how to respond. The power inside twisted at the accusation in her voice, but he knew that Syn had been bottling a lot of this up. Avoiding it. He wondered what it was that triggered her to come here and finally face it head on.
"Well?" she finally demanded, still wiping at the tears off her face. He met her eye, trying to figure out how he could explain it differently than he had already tried. When he didn't answer, she scoffed.
"Why were you at the fortress earlier? What were you telling Pippa?" she asked angrily, and he walked over to where his tea kettle was.
"Saying goodbye. Aren't you moving to the North today?"
He could feel her eyes on the back of his head. The question he was expecting her to ask came out suspiciously.
"How did you know that?"
"It's true, then?" He reheated the kettle, throwing in a few fresh herbs into the tea. Syn didn't reply, and he sighed as he continued. "I understand that you didn't necessarily want me to know. But I get that you need some space. So I'll stay away, if that's what you want. I only thought it fair that Pippa and I get a chance to say goodbye first…as much for her sake as mine." He could feel Syn's guilt glimmering in her anger, and he turned to face her, gesturing to the kettle. "Tea?"
She didn't reply, so he just poured a cup for himself.
"You didn't bother saying goodbye to me," Syn finally said, hugging herself. "If you knew…"
"I didn't think you'd want to see me."
She scoffed again, but the tears were coming as she pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Of course I...it's just…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Everything's so complicated. I don't even know if you're my real brother, or some pretender or ghost…"
"It is me, Syn. You don't have to doubt that," Hershel cut in softly, staring down at the tea as he leaned back on the table. "I just…look different."
"You are different. On the inside too," she argued softly. He wished he could disagree, but instead he sighed.
"I wish I weren't."
Syn was glaring at the ground, maybe so she wouldn't have to look at him. "Then you shouldn't have gone, Hershel. You shouldn't have gone to that stupid Island…you shouldn't have left. Heck, you shouldn't have been messing around with Myrah to begin with!"
"It wasn't messing around!" Hershel argued, the tea trembling slightly with his hands. "It was a kiss…they blinded me for a kiss, Syn. And I know you want me to regret it, but I don't. How could I regret loving someone?"
He felt Syn's anger spike then, and Hershel clenched his jaw as he stared down at his reflection in the tea.
"I understand that you're angry that I went to the Island—that you were worried. I know exactly how you felt…"
"Oh really?" she spat bitterly. "And how…."
"Because it's exactly how I felt, when you and Tolan went to the Island. You didn't tell me either."
Syn went silent and Hershel looked up at her, his eyes flashing. "I spent days in here with Pip, remember. The parasite was draining us dry while I had to worry about where on earth the two of you had disappeared to. I assumed you had gone to the Island, but I didn't have anyone to tell me for sure. So yes…I know how you felt; the worry eating at you, knowing that you may never know what happened. Knowing that the ones you love may never make it back. I'm sorry for making you feel like that..."
"So why did you go? If you knew?" Her voice had softened, though she still wouldn't look at him.
"Because I needed to talk with the First Ancients, and the Island was the only place I could go to talk to them."
She bit her lip, but then her expression hardened again. "Tolan and I only went to the Island to get Keyda and Cole back…to stop the realm from collapsing in on itself. But you didn't have to, Hershel. In fact, it's because you left that the realm started falling apart all over again!"
"Imgloss might have taken too much liberty in my absence," Hershel admitted. "But even if I had stayed, he would have gotten bored again eventually. I was powerless to stop him—literally. He would have reached the point where he could have done the exact same thing. How long do you think a title would have actually stopped him, knowing that I was blind and powerless to stop him from doing and taking whatever he wanted?"
"It stopped him this long," she pointed out, and he shrugged.
"Phos stopped him; he knew better than to go against Archtivus. Same with Pazzol, before he was imprisoned. But you can see how eager he was to punish me. It wouldn't have been long before he was using the Law of the Ancients on others for his own entertainment…and when I couldn't stop him, he would have pushed the line further and further…"
"You don't know that," Syn argued. "And that's not why you left, anyways."
"No, it's not." Hershel sipped his tea again, drawing strength from the warmth that flooded through him. "I left because I couldn't do it, Syn. I couldn't live the rest of my life blind and powerless."
"We were going to help you!" she argued, finally looking up to meet his eye. "If you would have just let us!"
"Let you what? Feed me for the rest of my life? Protect me because I was too helpless to even leave the tent? Pull my weight as well as your own until you either had a breakdown or grew to hate me?"
"I would have never hated you!" She was coming closer now, yelling at him through her tears. "You were just too stubborn…to proud to realize that, apparently! Even after all these years, you've turned out just like Phos!"
She spat it at him like an insult, but then she blanched. Hershel clenched his jaw, but still met her gaze evenly.
"Maybe," he conceded. "And it seems that you're struggling to forgive my faults…just as you always struggled to forgive his."
She glared, her fists clenched. But she still kept her distance at the same time; he could tell she was still wary of him, not sure what to expect.
"I'm not perfect, Syn. I spent so many years trying to be…and failing. That's all I've ever done; failed you. I can't try to be perfect anymore."
"That's not true. You never failed me…not until you left."
"I wish things had turned out differently, Syn. I really do. I wish that I hadn't been blinded to begin with…that I didn't have to go all the way to the Island to get it revoked. I wish that I could have returned after a few days like I had planned—like you all had after going to the Island. I knew it didn't take long to have the trial. I wish that Pippa hadn't been brought into this at all—that Imgloss had never gotten his filthy hands on her. There are a lot of things I regret…"
He had to put the cup of tea down, turning away from his sister and closing his eyes so she wouldn't see his eyes blazing. He didn't want to scare her…but he couldn't keep his side bottled in anymore either.
"But I don't know what else I could have done, besides sitting blind and numb in that chair for the rest of my life. Would you have preferred that?"
He could feel her shock at the question, and he wished that she didn't wait so long to answer.
"Of course not. I guess that if you were going to go, I wish you had at least trusted me enough to tell me first," she finally offered, hugging herself as if to ward off a chill.
"You would have never let me go," he pointed out softly. "You would have locked me up somewhere safe. Even without the possibility that Pippa would get involved, you wouldn't have let me get within a hundred miles of the Island."
"Because it's evil!" she pointed out, no doubt remembering everything that had happened to her, Tolan, and the rest when they had gone.
"Yeah. It is."
She seemed surprised when he agreed, and he pushed his hair out of his face.
"I was just supposed to go to the beckoning stone; pass the trial and get a chance to summon an Ancient, just like Theo and Amber had done. I wanted the chance to ask for my punishment to be revoked…so I could live the rest of my life free. Then I could finally make my own decisions for the first time. I've never been allowed to do that...don't you realize that? I've lived my whole life without the freedom to say who I get to be, what I get to do, who I get to love."
Hershel turned back to her, yearning for her to at least try to understand.
"Remember all those years ago, when you left? And I freaked out and begged you to come back…but you said that you had to leave. That you had to figure out who you really were, apart from all of this. You said were leaving to find yourself."
"So is that it?" Syn asked guardedly, gesturing to him. "You left to find yourself, and this is what you found? This is the 'real you'?"
He clenched his jaw and looked down at his hands. "It is now." Hershel wished he could say it without regret, but he couldn't. There was nothing he could do about it now, but it certainly wasn't the him he would have wished for. Syn must have heard the remorse, because her guard lowered a little more.
"Hersh…what exactly happened to you on that Island?" It was a cautious question, but sincere. His heart started pounding, just as it did when Myrah or anyone else questioned him about this particular topic. Syn approached again, and he glanced back at her when her hand came to rest on his arm. "You said you were only supposed to be gone a few days," she reminded. "If that's true…then what took so long?"
"It's hard for me to talk about," he finally replied honestly. Syn seemed to internalize that, and she moved away. For a moment he thought she was leaving, but then she reached over for the kettle and the two cups.
"If you really are my brother…you'd know you could tell me anything. Even if I am furious with you."
He blinked at that, and she poured two cups of tea before offering him one.
"What took you so long?"
Hershel accepted the cup of tea, still feeling unsure. But then the power was thrumming inside, and he glanced down at himself with a confused look. He wasn't sure if he would ever understand it; one moment it was itching to fight, and now it wanted him to open up. Perhaps its because it knew that for the first time, Syn was actually open to listening.
"It wanted to make me a Guardian."
It came out easier than he thought it would, even though he flushed in shame at the confession. He wasn't sure why it filled him with guilt that the Island had wanted him, but he couldn't even meet his sister's eye.
"What do you mean?"
He cleared his throat.
"The Island. The trial lasted for so long, and when I passed it, I thought I'd be able to use the Beckoning Stone. But they had other plans."
"Who? The Island? You make it sound like…a person."
"An entity," Hershel corrected. "An Ancient one. You said it yourself; the Island is evil."
Syn just shook her head in confusion. "I just meant that the whole idea…people going to complete sick trials for a chance to ask for help…that's evil. I didn't mean that the Island itself was."
"Well…it kinda is," Hershel murmured. He drank his tea in one gulp and grimaced as the heat burned down his throat and flooded his system. Syn tsked.
"Sip it, stupid," she chided, just as she used to. Somehow, the gesture had made her more comfortable though. She grabbed his arm and led him over to the chairs by the fireplace. "I still don't know what you mean by Guardian. Guardian of what?"
Hershel frowned, trying to think of how to explain it. He remembered suddenly what Theo had said at the meeting.
"You…met Lunise?" he tried cautiously. Syn's expression immediately darkened.
"Yes. She's the witch who threw Tol and I into a parasite pit."
Hersh processed that for a moment, and then cleared his throat.
"She was the Island's Guardian…assigned by the First Ancients in its conception. But the Island…I guess it wanted the chance to choose its own."
"What do you…"Syn had been moving to take a seat, but Hershel knew the moment that the realization hit. Horror flooded out of her as Syn froze. Her cup tumbled from her grasp as she suddenly took in his physical changes with new light. "Hersh…"
He cringed at the horror in her voice, sinking into a chair of his own. "I turned them down. Or…tried to. They wouldn't really take no for an answer." He glared at his hands, the memories suddenly flooding back. The feelings, the sensations…the fear and dread and confusion.
"So you're…the Island?"
He looked up to see her eyes had filled with fear, and he immediately put his hands up, shaking his head. "No. I'm not; they never got the chance to finish the transformation. I'm still me…"
"Finish?"Syn sounded distant, and he immediately regretted opening up about it. He swallowed hard, trying to figure out how he would ever convince his sister that he wasn't a monster, now that she knew.
"They started it…it's why I look like this, and why my powers have changed. But I managed to pull out before they finished, and spent the rest of the time trying to escape. I finally managed to…but I couldn't undo what they had done. That's why I'm like this now."
She just stared at him, seemingly oblivious of the tea pooling at her feet in a muddy mess. Why had he thought this would be a good idea? How had she managed to get him to tell her, when no one else could? Of course she thought he was some kind of phantom now…and she'd never see him any other way after this.
Hershel pushed himself up, not able to face her any longer. "I'm sorry," he finally offered, turning away in shame.
She didn't answer. If he hadn't been able to sense her behind him, he would have thought she had left.
"Thank you for telling me."
He stiffened in surprise, and then Syn's hand was there, turning him around. Hershel let her, and her eyes stared into his for a few moments.
"Hershel's still in there, then?"
"Syn…it's me. I promise."
She held his eye a little longer and finally sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes.
"I'm not sure why I came," she finally admitted. "I thought it was to let you know how you made me feel. But I guess…deep down I knew I couldn't just move up North without saying goodbye."
He nodded, and Syn finally sighed. Hershel sagged in relief as she hugged him, and he pulled her close.
"I'm sorry…" he murmured again into her curls, happy that she seemed brave enough to touch him again. He could still feel her hurt and anger…but it seemed to be receding a bit, now that she had been willing to let it out. Emotions still had power, he realized…even if someone didn't have the ability to manifest it aurally.
"I'm sorry too," Syn whispered. She pulled back, putting a hand on his cheek as she looked up at her older brother—scanning his face for familiar signs. "I'm…I'm still mad, Hersh. But I am glad you're back. That you're ok."
He nodded; there wasn't much else he could do. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead she looked away, swiping at another tear on her cheek.
"Tolan's gonna kill me," she said, chuckling without humor. Hershel clenched his jaw at that, but Syn continued without noticing. "I was supposed to meet him hours ago; he'll have everything packed and ready to go. I have to go…it'll take me the rest of the day to catch up."
"Let me transport you."
She looked up at him, and he tried to give her a little smile.
"I know where they are…"
"How?"
He blinked at her question, but she pressed harder.
"How do you know?"
He shrugged, glancing away. "It's…hard to explain. But I could take you to them—or at least, close enough. Tolan wouldn't have to see me and you'll catch up quick."
Syn studied him a few minutes longer. "You hate transporting," she pointed out. "And yet, you've been doing it all the time lately."
"It's easier now," he said quietly, and she frowned.
"Why?"
He glanced down at his hands again, a small flare of pearly light flickering between his fingers. "I don't have to be afraid of anyone else anymore."
Syn's frown deepened a little as she processed that. She seemed to be considering his offer as she glanced towards the doorway, where the fading sunlight was peeking through the crack in the bottom. She was a jumble of emotions and she finally sighed.
"Ok…alright. You can take me, but not too close. Tol will be angry enough as it is."
Hershel bit back a reply, knowing that his sister would hardly appreciate what the power thought about that comment. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the fact that she was going to let him transport her. That she trusted him.
"Alright," he said with a soft smile. He reached out and put an arm around her, and Syn prepared for the transport. But at the last minute she paused; he couldn't transport in the tent…there were spells. They would have to go outside…
Her thought process was lost as they evaporated in a flash of light.
195
"I can't believe I let you talk me into bringing you."
M. smirked smugly as Amber tugged at the collar of her dress.
"Hey…you know you didn't want to come alone. Besides, we need to hang out as much as possible before the end of the school year, right?"
"Why? I'm staying here in Ninjago for the summer break, remember?"
M. glanced down, and Amber frowned when she sensed his unease. She turned to look at him as they walked.
"Are you hiding something?" she accused, and he laughed with a shrug.
"I'm just not sure what my summer plans are…that's all."
"Mmm."
She didn't really have a chance to reply because they had finally arrived at the Ninjago City Council Building. Amber let out a long breath, and she felt M tweaking the poppy in her hair.
"Just one today?" he teased, and she turned to scowl at him, putting the poppy back the way she had it.
"I thought the wreath might be a bit much," she explained with a sigh. "I'm not even sure if I was supposed to dress up. I have no idea what the protocol is for meeting another ambassador. I don't even think they'll let you come…"
"Pshh…Paul and I totally bonded during fencing yesterday, don't you remember?"
"I remember him nearly throwing you across the room," she pointed out dryly, turning to flick something off his suit coat.
"See? Bonding."
They entered the building and Amber's bodyguard was standing where he always was, ready to escort her to the hall upstairs. Amber nodded, and M held out a hand.
"Paul! How you been, man?"
The bodyguard looked down at the teen's hand and made a rumbling growl sound. The sunglasses made it hard to tell what he was thinking, but he didn't necessarily look welcoming.
"This is my friend M. Openheimer. Since we're just meeting Tobias today and not really doing any confidential stuff, I was wondering if he could come?" Amber tried. Paul clenched his jaw and pulled out a dark phone. He sent a quick message, waited, and then got one in reply. He looked back at Amber and shook his head.
"Please? Surely Tobias has an entourage. M…is my entourage."
Paul stared at her a moment before exhaling slowly and sending another message. M and Amber waited a few moments longer and sagged in relief when Paul finally gave them a curt nod and gestured to them to follow him.
"Geez…does he ever talk?" M. muttered, and Amber elbowed him.
"Shhhh…I wish you didn't talk sometimes. Maybe Paul can give you lessons; sometimes you can get your point across without saying anything."
M. made a point to stare at the man's giant hands and shoulders and scoffed softly.
"I don't think I was built to make that kind of point," he whispered. "And what's with the sunglasses? We're inside…"
"Don't make me regret bringing you!"
But despite the threat, Amber was glad that M. was there. It felt a whole lot less intimidating with a friend, and she wished Dani could have come too. But apparently Colby had scored Cray-Z tickets and invited her along. Between an extremely boring afternoon with Ninjago's City Council and the chance to meet Reggie Blue, Amber didn't blame her friend for the choice she made.
They followed Paul up the stairs and Amber gave M. one last warning glance before they headed into the council room.
"Ah! At last…" Speaker Lawrence said with a smile as they entered. "Here she is now, Ambassador Bentworth. Amber, the Oni."
Amber froze during the introduction. She looked around at the people in the room, trying to find Tobias. But she was faced with the same 7 faces as always.
"Those horns! I've seen you on the news of course, but in real life they are even more extraordinary. They are real, then?"
She flushed and turned at the voice. Rather than seated at the table, the speaker was standing next to a window on the left, holding a large vase.
"Sure, they're real… and a lot better looking than that mustache!"
Amber winced at M's defensive reply. Maybe she shouldn't have brought him. The atmosphere in the council room chilled immediately, but the man by the window broke the ice with a booming laugh.
"Point taken, young lad!" Tobias Bentworth tweaked the end of his mousy-colored handlebar mustache with a wink in M's direction.
"An Openheimer, if I'm not mistaken. You're the spitting image of your father, you know."
M. flushed angrily, and Amber cut in before her well-meaning friend could say anything else. She figured that Tobias hadn't meant it as an insult, but she doubted that M. was pleased with the comparison.
"Um…it's nice to meet you," she offered, and Tobias turned to grin at her.
"Apologies, Ambassador Bentworth…" Councilwoman Talia cut in, not seeming as willing to forgive M's comment. "It seems we have an uninvited guest."
She glared pointedly at both M and Amber, but Tobias waved her off.
"Quite alright, Talia; I don't mind having the lad here. I grew up with Marty, you know. I was the one who introduced him to the pretty blonde in my Political Science classes. Not that it worked out in the end…but you can't know what you don't try, eh?"
Amber could feel M. seething next to her and she reached out to grab his hand. It was supposed to be a threat—a "don't-you-dare-say-anything-else-stupid" gesture—but her friend flushed red and the anger disappeared as it was replaced with something else she couldn't quite place. Embarrassment?
She had to release him as Tobias finally put the vase down and walked over to shake her hand.
"Well met, young Oni!" he said, flashing her another grin. He had a gold tooth mixed in with all his white ones…which was strange to Amber as well. Did it grow in like that? This Tobias wasn't at all like she had been expecting. After her run in with Matilda, she had expected all politicians to be elegant and cold and cruel. Her experience with the seven Council members hadn't really done a whole lot to change that perspective—they ignored her most days and Talia was always shooting her dirty looks. But this man seemed full of energy; he was bouncing on the balls of his feet like a hoofer that just wanted to get out of the pen and run wild.
Amber excepted the enthusiastic handshake.
"Um…well met?"
He laughed again.
"Perhaps not, if you have to question it," he pointed out, and she blinked in confusion. He didn't really give her much time to answer as he continued. He released her hand so he could rub his together excitedly. "So…time to be off then, right? The Oni realm awaits!"
His comment created murmurs of surprise.
"Steady there, Ambassador!" Speaker Lawrence broke in. "We invited Amber here today so you could learn more about her realm before you move there…the culture, environment, living conditions…"
"You certainly cannot move today," another councilmember broke in, but Tobias waved away their concerns.
"Bah…why make her tell me when I'll learn much faster doing it? I don't want to hear about the culture, or environment…I want to see them! As for living conditions, they're going to be the same whether I know in advance or not, won't they?"
"But you will need to know what to pack…you've got to prepared!" another tried.
"Already packed! Just need the essentials, eh? Anything else I could possibly need would be in the realm, would it not? If it's good enough for the Oni to live and survive without Ninjagoan niceties, I'm sure I'll be just fine."
He gave Amber a knowing wink, but she just stared. On the one hand, she had to admire his spirit; she had been nervous that the ambassador would be someone with a billion cases of luggage who would complain to her parents about every little difference between the first realm and Ninjago. But at the same time, this guy seemed a little too eager; she was having a hard time keeping up with him.
"But…" Speaker Lawrence tried again, but Talia cut him off.
"I told you Tobias is prepared for anything," she said with a smug smile. "Is the Oni realm not prepared for him yet?"
"My brother said that all the preparations are made," Amber said defensively. "They're only waiting to hear when he was coming…"
"Well, pop on home and tell them I'm ready now!" Tobias said with a grin. "Or better yet…take me with you and I'll let them know myself!"
Amber glanced over at M, but he just shrugged. He seemed just as lost as she was. She sighed and looked at the other Council Members. None of them looked like they were going to come to her rescue, however.
"If the Oni need a little more time, I'm sure we can reschedule," Talia said in her dismissive manner, and Amber narrowed her eyes.
"I can take him now, if he wants to go…"
"Sounds like a plan!" Tobias cut in.
"…I just wasn't informed that this would be occurring. I can hardly be ready for what I am not informed of."
She stood straight and tall and gave Talia her best glower. It must have been pretty good, because the woman with the long black hair shut up after that and Speaker Lawrence cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Yes, well…it seems we were all a little unprepared for how this meeting would go. If it's too much of inconvenience for you, Ambassador Amber, I'm sure that we can choose another day. But if you are willing…well…"
He scratched his head as he looked between her and the eager mousy-haired man.
"The paperwork is all completed and I don't see any real reason Tobias Bentworth cannot depart today, assuming he is ready."
"Completely and totally ready, my old friend!" Tobias said. "I'll just grab my rucksack and I'll be set to embark!"
M. tugged on Amber's arm and she glanced over.
"You gonna do it?" he asked, and she sighed.
"Might as well. Otherwise I'm just going to have to come back another day and miss another Saturday…or worse, school."
He smirked a little.
"You and your priorities," he muttered, but then his smile faded. "You should take me with you; I'm not sure if I trust you with Mr. Perky on your own."
Amber looked over at where Tobias was picking up his rucksack, which he had left next to the column with the fancy vase on it.
"I better not bring you," Amber finally decided with a sigh. M's frown deepened, and she looked over apologetically. "Your Grandpa was really mad last time I took you to my realm, remember? Now that you guys are all back together and getting along…I don't want to jeopardize that."
An unreadable expression took over her friend's face, but she didn't have time to probe into his emotions. A hand clamped on her shoulder and made her jump.
"Ready, little lady?"
She whirled around to see Tobias standing over her. He was tall, she realized…really tall.
"Don't call her that," M. basically growled, and Paul folded his arms as he gave the Ninjagoan Ambassador a pointed look. He removed his hand with a chuckle.
"Oops, no offense, little Marty."
"Don't call me that…"
"I'm ready," Amber cut in, trying to keep M. from going for the guy's throat. "I'm just not sure if the Council will appreciate me transporting in here."
"Ooo…I've actually always wanted to see this," one of the Council disagreed; a portly man with a quizzical brow.
"It seems a little unorthodox," Talia started, but Lawrence waved her off.
"It's a permissible transport that we've asked for, remember," he reminded. "I say we allow it."
With that, the council leaned forward in anticipation. M. poked Amber again, and she looked over.
"Careful, Oni-girl," he reminded. "And don't take too long. I'll walk you back after."
"Actually, the school will be easier to transport back to," she admitted. "Meet you in the auditorium?"
He blinked but finally nodded. Amber gave him a smile, and Tobias Bentworth winked at him one last time.
"See you later, tater-tot."
M. stared, and Tobias chuckled again.
"Mmm…I guess your father doesn't really call you that anymore, huh? He used to call you that all the time, back when you were just a little tater-tot…"
Amber summoned the transportation aura, eager to get out before Tobias said anything else to embarrass and or enrage her friend. She got a firm hold on his arm and gave M. one last smile before disappearing in a flash of light.
Theodynn rearranged the quills on his new desk for a third time before leaning back in his chair. It wasn't really an office so much as a cleaned-out closet…but it was his. It certainly made him feel more official; there was even a little chair that other people could sit in if they wanted to talk with him.
The problem with getting your own office space is that it makes you realize how useless you are when you don't have anything to do, he mused, tapping his fingers on his desk. After a minute, however, he decided to compile a list of things they still needed to figure out before they could start classes at the Western Fortress. He was giddy at the thought of actually creating schools here in the first realm, but it was slow going. It didn't help that the library was still a disaster and Myrah would only let Hershel help her clean it…
"He's not my boyfriend! We're just friends!"
Theo perked up when he heard Amber's voice wafting down the hallway. What was she doing here?
"Fair enough! You're out of his league anyways, that much is clear. Though, I'd have to admit that does seem to be the Openheimer way…"
The Oni Heir frowned at the unfamiliar voice. By now, he had reached the door to his office and poked his head out.
"Ams!"
She turned when she heard his voice, and while she waved Theo took in the tower of a man standing next to her. Lean, Ninjagoan, with bushy brown hair and a quirky handlebar mustache.
"Tobias Bentworth?" Theo guessed, coming over to shake the man's hand. The man smiled big, exposing a golden tooth.
"Good guess, lad! You must be Prince Theodynn!"
He rolled his r's on the word 'prince,' and it made it so that Theo couldn't tell if he was using the word sarcastically or not.
"Um…yup."
The Ninjagoan Ambassador pumped Theo's hand energetically, and Theo and Amber met eyes for a moment.
"I'm surprised to see you so soon…we weren't aware that you were coming today."
"No one was! That's because there were no plans for such a thing, but life is nothing if not spontaneous! Indeed, I've often said spontaneity is the spice of life. I even said as much to Talia when she offered me the gig…"
Is this guy for real? Theo mouthed to Amber while Tobias went on, his attention taken up by a painting on the wall. Amber just rolled her eyes, which was either a "yes" or a "shut up and pay attention to your ambassador already."
Theo turned back to the enthusiastic mustached man.
"What a beautiful piece of artwork!" Tobias exclaimed. It was a landscape; a broken formation with a dragon flying in the distance. Theo knew his father had comissioned Syn to paint it a few years back, though he still didn't know what the significance of a broken formation was. But the details were impressive; her talent had only improved over the years. Theo smiled, remembering hearing her cringe at her own murals down in the history hall, claiming that one of these days she was going to go back and redo them…
"Oni painted this?"
"Our friend Syn," Theo confirmed. "I'd introduce her, but she's actually moved up North recently…"
He felt a pang at that; not so much because Syn had left, but because her husband had. The couple had moved all over the realm over the past decade, but Tolan had always worked at the fortress. In fact, besides the reprieve he had taken to master his powers, Tolan had been the only bodyguard Theo had ever had. The fact that Tolan had basically quit hurt, even if Jaqah assured that it was just a temporary transfer. Maybe Theo had been too hard on his surly bodyguard, but he was tired of Tolan saying whatever hurtful thing popped into his mind. He felt Amber's hand on his arm and he turned to see her frown. No doubt she could sense his sadness, he realized.
"I daresay, that's a surprise. I wasn't even sure if I could expect cave drawings from a people like the Oni. Day one, and you can already color me impressed!"
Theo wasn't sure whether to be offended by that or not, but Amber interrupted before he could say anything.
"Tobias…we should probably find my parents," she interjected. Theodynn blinked and then nodded.
"Right. Follow me."
They set off, with Tobias wrapped up in his own exclamatory dialogue as he commented on anything and everything in the hallways.
"Syn moved North?"
Theo looked down at Amber, who apparently couldn't care less about what Tobias was rambling about. To be fair, the mousy-haired man seemed to be babbling more to himself than to anyone else.
"Yeah; her and Tolan and Pip. I have to get a new bodyguard. Was going to be Ret, but Mom and Dad think he may be suited to follow this guy around. Ret is, after all, one of the most patient Oni we have…"
"They left? Why?"
Theo sighed. "Dunno. Though if I had to guess, I'd say that it has something to do with what happened to Hershel. Tol's been so weird about it, but I guess it's a weird thing to have happen…"
"What happened to Hershel?!"
Amber stopped now, and Theo winced as he also came to a stop. He had forgotten that Amber wouldn't know anything about everything that had happened since they got back. She probably never even knew Hershel had been blinded, let alone became some Albino super-Oni.
"Umm…long story?"
She fixed him with an irritated look, but by now Tobias had realized they stopped.
"Something wrong, little Onis?"
"Nothing my brother can't fill me in on during dinner," Amber said briskly, and Theo chuckled sheepishly.
"Lunch is technically our next meal, Ams….time difference and all…"
"Ah, so there is a time difference! I assumed as much, though in all my research I couldn't be sure."
Amber turned to face the Ninjagoan Ambassador critically.
"What research?"
"Mainly interviews of those who have been here before—which is really just the ninja. And they sure are hard to get ahold of, though I managed to glean some important info from a few of them…"
Theo was already a little worn out by this man's perkiness. Just then, a tall woman passed through the hall and he called out. "Jaqah!"
The Captain of the Guard paused, turning to look over at him."Theodynn. Something amiss?"
He came over, glad she had been passing through. "This is Tobias Bentworth," he introduced, pointing a thumb back at the man next to Amber. "The Ninjagoan Ambassador. Have you seen my parents?"
"Cafeteria, having mid-meal," she said smoothly, though she immediately fixed Tobias with a suspicious look. "I'll have them find you."
"I'd rather meet at the Cafeteria! I'd love to see if Oni food is as bland as I've heard!" the man said tactlessly, and Theo resisted the urge to facepalm.
"This is Jaqah," he explained quickly. "She's our Captain of the Guard. In charge of Fortress functions, and all that…"
Tobias grabbed Jaqah's hand, and before either Theo or Amber could stop him, he kissed it. Jaqah immediately stiffened.
"Charmed. Tall, strong, beautiful…I must say, if all Oni women look as you do, it's no wonder Cole decided to move here."
This time Theo didn't fight back the facepalm. Jaqah's hand grasped the hilt of her sheathed dagger tightly as she yanked her hand from Tobias's grasp in disgust. Theo was honestly afraid she was going to bury the weapon into Tobias's leather-clad stomach, but she finally scoffed and stormed off. Tobias watched, seemingly oblivious to her obvious revulsion. Amber finally spoke up.
"Diplomatic immunity or not, I would suggest never saying anything like that to Jaqah again, unless you want her to kill you. Slowly."
Tobias laughed, but after a moment he seemed to realize that Amber was deadly serious. He sobered, but it only lasted a moment before he cracked a smile.
"Oni are so refreshing!" he said decidedly, before heading off down the hall. "Now, if my nose is to be trusted, the cafeteria is this way!"
Theo and Amber watched him go in disbelief.
"He is actually insane," Amber finally said, and Theo shook his head.
"Maybe he'll eventually grow on Jaqah?" he tried, though he didn't believe it. Amber rolled her eyes.
"If her emotions are any guide, not in this lifetime. Which is just as well; who knows how Ret would react?"
"What does Ret have to do with anything?" Theo asked honestly, looking back at his sister. She had that look on her face—the one that meant he was being stupid—but before she could explain herself, they heard a boisterous "Hello!" from the next hall over. The Xinta sighed.
"C'mon. Let's go make sure he doesn't get himself run through."
24
