ORPHEN: Retribution Chapter 8 --------------------------------------- Cleo touched her lips for like the millionth time in three days. Orphen had actually kissed her. Not a quick peck. but a french kiss. Her head was spinning, still three days after it had happened. She thought after it had happened that Orphen was trying to tell her he had feelings for her, but the day after he had done it he went right back to acting the same way he had before. Was he trying to play a game with her emotions? They had argued today about spicy food and in the argument he winked suggestively and said "I thought you liked it hot." The phrase made her blush. What was Orphen up to? Kevin looked back at Cleo. She was walking as if dazed. She had been acting as such since Orphen picked her up from Dr. Gate's. Had Orphen done something? Today Orphen made a remark about her liking it hot and she had just clammed up. Hadn't said a thing to anybody since. What was going on? Majic liked silence but this was ridiculous. Ever since their slight argument this morning about spicy food Cleo and his master had not said a word to the other, nor to anyone else. Orphen had said he was gonna check ahead and looked at Cleo but she hadn't looked at him. What was master up to? Orphen was alone. He had offered to ride ahead of the others and would have gestured for Cleo to come if he could have. He wanted to explain something to her. That what he felt for her was not love. Just a desire since he had not been with a woman in so long. He wanted to tell her that they could be together to work off these desires in secret but he didn't want the others knowing. That was what he wanted to tell her. But was that how he really felt? He himself didn't know. He had never once dreamed of Cleo like that. Ok ok maybe she crept into his dreams a few times....ok almost everyother night. But that was just because she was pretty and he had been alone for so long. Was that true? Leki was grinning like the chestire cat. Cleo had told him about her and Orphen's exchange the night it happened and he had been grinning since then. He knew the reason Orphen acter thus even though Orphen might not. Deep Dragons could enter the minds of humans and to Leki Orphen's mind was a fun playground. A storehouse of knowledge that not many know. And secrets, oh tons of secrets. Some secrets so primal that Leki visably blushed when seeing them. But others so sweet that one would never guess that they were Orphen's. That was why Orphen's mind was so fun. Because he truly is a enigma. Even after being inside his head Leki still did not understand the way Orphen thought. But one thing was apparent, Orphen was actually a genius. In the back of Orphen's mind was many powerful spells that he himself had made. Spells that put the "Light's Blade" to shame. But trial spells. Even though Leki knew they would work Orphen was not so sure. And they were too dangerous to play with anyway. He had somehow managed to scrape by with what he had and he would continue to do such. Which Leki thought for the best because of the Tower of Fang could see the spells inside Orphen's mind they would hunt him down for them. They would torture him to learn them. But he would not tell. They would then torture Cleo and everything would be told. Orphen would tell them all to save Cleo or Majic. Such loyalty he had to them that they would hopefully never know. Orphen stopped it was getting late and this spot would be a nice camping spot. By the time the others caught up it would be time for supper. Bad thing is this time Cleo had offered to cook again. She had not been to any restaurants yet so he could just asume it was the god awful "acid soup". He laid out his things and rested for about fifteen minutes when the others came in sight.

Orphen: I thought we could camp here for the night.

Kevin: Yes it is getting pretty late.

Majic: Cleo, you sure you want to cook tonight?

Cleo: You insulting my cooking again? Don't forget this time I can blow you away with just some words Majic.

Kevin: I have never tried any of Cleo's cooking before. I look foward to it. (winks at Cleo.)

Majic: You won't say that after you try it.

Orphen: I am gonna go for a walk while Cleo cooks.

Kevin: Mind some company?

Orphen: Not at all. Come on. Let's go.

Kevin: Ok. You two behave while we're gone. I don't wanna come back to see any naked people.

Orphen: But you know them. They are at that age.

Kevin: Well, then they can explore elsewhere.

Orphen: (laughing) We're not exactly near a hotel right now.

Majic: Master!

Cleo: Orphen! Me and Majic are not like that!

Kevin: You two need to learn how to take a joke.

Orphen: That they do!

Orphen and Kevin walk off and out of sight.

Majic: I can't believe master would say such a thing.

Cleo: You've been hearing it for two years and you can't believe it. You're just not used to Kevin saying that kinda stuff. Must be Orphen's inflence on him.