A/N: Ok people I know that this is short but I'm sorry. The story is
extra long and I wanted it to have a chapter of its own. It's just the way
things worked out. Again I'm sorry. But to make up for it, the next
chapter should be up by the end of the week. As always any and all
feedback is appreciated and welcome, in other words: please feed me.
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Chapter 12
"We have to talk."
Sara was looking intently at me from across the kitchen table. Her four year-old son Paul had woken me up at ten, enthusiastically shouting that breakfast was ready and he wanted to eat with the strange guy in the guest bedroom. However his attention span proved short and after fifteen minutes of hearing him complain that he was missing the newest Pokemon show, Sara caved and finally let him eat in the living room with the television.
"Don't worry, I'll be outta here as soon as I can get my stuff," I said as I got up from the table. Her hand on my wrist halted me.
"Oh no, no. It's not a problem. That's not what I wanted to speak with you about," she rushed to reassure me. "Your welcome to stay as long as you want. Really. Please, sit."
I sat back down and she glanced through the door, making sure Paul was still distracted by the show. She sighed and looked down at her hands clasped in front of her on the table. "The demon that attacked last night...did you hear anything he said?"
I searched my memory and slowly shook my head. "I'm not sure. I think I heard something about looking for something and a name. Yeah, he shouted a name before he went up in flames."
She nodded. "Dannok. That was the name you heard. It's the name of the warlock's master." She stood and walked over to a cabinet pulling out a mug, "Want anything?"
"No, I'm good."
I waited as she filled it with coffee and sat back down holding the mug between her hands to absorb its warmth.
"In my family," she began, "there is a legend passed down through the first born in the family. No one remembers where the tale originated from but it is ancient. My family is under geas to fulfill the obligations made long ago to an old ally." At my confused look she clarified, "it's a moral obligation, almost like a compulsion placed on someone to complete a task placed before them." She paused in her story and looked up at him. "We were told that one day a guide would come and we were to help the guide on his journey."
"I'm not following. You think I'm this guide. Why?"
"That name, Dannok, it is a name we were warned against. It's also closely associated with the guide."
I shook my head in confusion. "In what way? I don't know the guy. The only reason I was in that alley was because I heard you scre..." I paused remembering. "That's not right. I had a premonition when I was in the motel."
She nodded. "You were meant to be there."
"But that still doesn't make any sense. I'm not a guide. I'm just here to help my family, nothing more."
"I'm telling this all wrong." Sara sighed.
"Mom."
"Hey kid," she said affectionately looking over at him, "what do you need?"
"Whatta doin," he asked looking back and fourth between us. Apparently he had lost interest in Pokemon and decided that what we were doing was much more interesting.
"Oh, I'm just telling Chris the bedtime story."
"But it's not bedtime."
Sara smiled and slapped a hand to her head, "What was I thinking," she looked at him, eyes wide, and shook her head, "thank you so much for reminding me." She held out her arms for him and he obligingly crawled into her lap.
"Was it the one about the big evil guy and the caves and the ring and the guy?"
"The guide, and it is."
"Can I listen?"
"Sure sweetie."
I couldn't help but smile at the picture they presented and got just a little more homesick. Sara suggested we move into the den so we would be more comfortable and we sat down, Paul still in her lap.
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Chapter 12
"We have to talk."
Sara was looking intently at me from across the kitchen table. Her four year-old son Paul had woken me up at ten, enthusiastically shouting that breakfast was ready and he wanted to eat with the strange guy in the guest bedroom. However his attention span proved short and after fifteen minutes of hearing him complain that he was missing the newest Pokemon show, Sara caved and finally let him eat in the living room with the television.
"Don't worry, I'll be outta here as soon as I can get my stuff," I said as I got up from the table. Her hand on my wrist halted me.
"Oh no, no. It's not a problem. That's not what I wanted to speak with you about," she rushed to reassure me. "Your welcome to stay as long as you want. Really. Please, sit."
I sat back down and she glanced through the door, making sure Paul was still distracted by the show. She sighed and looked down at her hands clasped in front of her on the table. "The demon that attacked last night...did you hear anything he said?"
I searched my memory and slowly shook my head. "I'm not sure. I think I heard something about looking for something and a name. Yeah, he shouted a name before he went up in flames."
She nodded. "Dannok. That was the name you heard. It's the name of the warlock's master." She stood and walked over to a cabinet pulling out a mug, "Want anything?"
"No, I'm good."
I waited as she filled it with coffee and sat back down holding the mug between her hands to absorb its warmth.
"In my family," she began, "there is a legend passed down through the first born in the family. No one remembers where the tale originated from but it is ancient. My family is under geas to fulfill the obligations made long ago to an old ally." At my confused look she clarified, "it's a moral obligation, almost like a compulsion placed on someone to complete a task placed before them." She paused in her story and looked up at him. "We were told that one day a guide would come and we were to help the guide on his journey."
"I'm not following. You think I'm this guide. Why?"
"That name, Dannok, it is a name we were warned against. It's also closely associated with the guide."
I shook my head in confusion. "In what way? I don't know the guy. The only reason I was in that alley was because I heard you scre..." I paused remembering. "That's not right. I had a premonition when I was in the motel."
She nodded. "You were meant to be there."
"But that still doesn't make any sense. I'm not a guide. I'm just here to help my family, nothing more."
"I'm telling this all wrong." Sara sighed.
"Mom."
"Hey kid," she said affectionately looking over at him, "what do you need?"
"Whatta doin," he asked looking back and fourth between us. Apparently he had lost interest in Pokemon and decided that what we were doing was much more interesting.
"Oh, I'm just telling Chris the bedtime story."
"But it's not bedtime."
Sara smiled and slapped a hand to her head, "What was I thinking," she looked at him, eyes wide, and shook her head, "thank you so much for reminding me." She held out her arms for him and he obligingly crawled into her lap.
"Was it the one about the big evil guy and the caves and the ring and the guy?"
"The guide, and it is."
"Can I listen?"
"Sure sweetie."
I couldn't help but smile at the picture they presented and got just a little more homesick. Sara suggested we move into the den so we would be more comfortable and we sat down, Paul still in her lap.