I must say thanks to everyone supporting me, you guys are the best. Anyway, here's the new chapter, I hope you guys will like it.
A Shattered Life
Chapter 5: Is it Love?
"I can't wait to see my family again, I miss you all so much." Sunny looked at the picture of her husband and daughter. "But even though I miss you two, I need to be here so I can make sure that our people have a future. I mean someone has to take care of the wounded around here." She smiled while placing the picture in her pocket, then she turned to her hometown's flag with her eyes full with pride. The flag was made up of a cross diving a background in two larger and two smaller squares in blue, light brown, silver and purple. Gwain's emblem consisted of two angel wings surrounded by four spear-points, the emblem is part of the standard flag and thus shown all the time. This unique emblem stands for the people of Gwain's honor, past and the town's nature.
"I will do my best to make everyone back home proud." Sunny was filled with determination. She reached to her closet and opened it, revealing a set of armor that once belonged to her dear mother. This set has a flat top helmet with a squared, t-shaped opening leaving her beautiful eyes, nose and mouth exposed. But she never wore the helmet because it ruined the style of her hair. The breastplate is made from many layers of smaller metal pieces, mimicking the scales of a reptile. It covers the entire front and back side, but the attachment straps leave the sides under the arms exposed. "It's been a while since I've worn this armor, but today I'm going to use it." She grabbed the set of armor and dressed it.
She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "What I wouldn't give to be in a fight to prove myself that I'm not just a simple medic." Sunny always wanted to be in a battle, she got that desire when she saw her mother training with Lord Aiden. For her protecting the Casterwill's was her duty, but now she's a normal woman, as she was freed from that duty by the Lord's son, Geo a couple of years ago. "I wonder what mom would say if she saw me now, maybe she would be disappointed for how I turned out." Her smile vanished. "...No, I know if she was here at this moment she would be happy for me."
Suddenly, someone knocked at her door with quite some force. "Who could that be?" She wondered as she made her way to the door. She wrapped her fingers around the door's handle and pulled it down, opening it. "Oh, hello Ruby." She greeted. "What brings you here?" Sunny asked intrigued.
"I-I have something important I wish to discuss with you, if you don't mind." Replied Ruby.
"Of course my dear child, I don't mind at all, come on in and take a seat." Happily said Sunny. "I have to warn you that my room is a bit messy at this moment, so be careful where you put your feet, I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself."
When Ruby entered the room, she realized that Sunny wasn't kidding. There were empty soda cans lined up on the computer desk, seeming to form a pyramid that had been knocked down and left scattered. One week of clothes sprawled out on the floor, socks hanging on the chair, with a single lonely shoe located near the desk. An unmade bed with papers thrown on top of it, and a folded pillow half pressed against the wall. "Hehe! You are even worse than me." She giggled.
"Very funny." Sunny cleaned her bed and took a seat next to Ruby. "So what's bothering you?"
"Well, yesterday morning when me and Geo went to the arcade to play some games, I pushed him to a machine to show me his skills. But I quickly discovered that he wasn't much of a gamer, so I without thinking jumped to his lap and started playing to show him how it was done, and t-then..." Her cheeks gained a light red color. "...I-I felt his thingy pocking me."
"Thingy?...Ohhh! Pfffft! Hahahahaha!" She laughed like crazy, almost falling from the bed.
"Stop laughing! It isn't funny, I nearly died of embarrassment."
Sunny covered her mouth to control herself, then she cleared her throat. "I guess that explains what happened this afternoon during lunch between you and master Geo." She said. "You ran away with incredible speed when he tried to speak with you. I must admit that what you did was not very nice Ruby, you should never do that type of thing to anyone."
Ruby sighed. "I know, believe me. Geo is the first guy I encountered that's actually nice, he makes me laugh and smile when I'm around him. I really did enjoy the time I spent with him in the arcade, it's been a while since I've had that much fun." She smiled warmly. "I just felt so embarrassed about that whole scene, and the only idea that came to my mind was to run. But you are right, what I did this afternoon was completely stupid of me. Geo is probably mad at me right now."
"I doubt it, young Geo doesn't get angry that easily." She said while placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder, showing a kind smile. "But the way you talked about him just now, seems that you...I don't know have feelings towards him or something." Sunny narrowed her eyes to Ruby's face, waiting for her reaction.
The red girl's cheeks were turned to the similar color of her namesake. "I-I...uhm, w-well." Her heart was racing. Why is she asking me that all of the sudden? I'm not sure how I feel about him, but I know that when I'm with him, I no longer feel alone, and the pain inside me goes away...Why does he make feel like that? W-Why can't I stop thinking about him when he's not around?
"You look so adorable when you blush." Said Sunny, bursting Ruby's little bubble of thought. "Ruby, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I've noticed how you sometimes look at him, specially when he's training. I bet that you have already imagined him without any clothing."
"WHAT?! No!" Ruby shouted, jumping from the bed. "You have a pervert mind Sunny."
"Haha! Relax, I'm just teasing." She said. "But listen, if you do have feelings for him I will just say one thing. Please don't play with his heart he has already gone through enough pain for a life time, the loss of his brother and mother still hurts him quite deeply, so I beg you to not create more wounds."
Ruby's expression changed. "He lost his mom and brother? How?"
"Oh! I-I shouldn't have said that." Sunny looked the other way to avoid the young girl's gaze. "If you wish to know more you will have to ask Geo himself. I think he should be the one to explain what transpired five years ago, but I must warn you that he will try to dodge any type of question about them, so it might take a while before he tells you."
"I see." Knowing that little piece of information helped her understand more of Geo's past, and his pain. "I will ask Geo when the time is right. But I still need your advice on how I should proceed with him about what happened in the arcade yesterday, I just have no idea what to say to him."
Sunny rose from her bed. "Do what your heart tells you to do."
"That doesn't help at all." She complained.
"Hehe! I know, but I believe you will do the right thing." She walked to the door and opened it. "Come on! I need to see my patients and you have a Lord to talk to, so move that butt."
Ruby quickly joined the medical officer, and both of them made their way down the hallway. A few soldiers walked past them, talking with each other about a particular subject that Ruby wasn't able to hear, but since she had more important business to handle, she decided to ignore them and move on. "If my memory doesn't fail me, I believe Lord Geo is probably in the training room with Captain Solomon. Those two really enjoy fighting so you should find Geo there."
"I'm feeling quite nervous to say the truth."
"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine." She patted the red hooded girl in the back. "This is your stop. After you are done here come see me, I want to know how it went." Sunny walked away. "Good luck."
Ruby was nervous, she had no idea what Geo was going to say to her, but she had to find out. So she pressed a couple of buttons and the metal door was opened. Inside was the young Lord and Captain Solomon, they appear to be locked in combat against one another.
"Focus master, your enemies won't stop until you are dead." He swung his sword first, followed through with a shield thrust. Geo blocked and hopped back as expected. Just as he hopped back, Solomon shoved his foot out, tripping the young boy, making him fall to the dirt. "Is this all you got?" His blade made a downward strike, fortunately Geo rolled to the side and got up. "Good dodge."
Geo smirked at him and then the duo launched straight at each other. Geo launched his attack straight at him and Solomon blocked it with his own weapon. Then, the Captain swung his blade sideways aiming at the boy's chest, but Geo ducked under the incoming strike, after that he rose up and delivered a fierce uppercut to Solomon's chin, makin him take a few steps back. "You are getting slow old man." He said with a playful tone.
"Haha! Not bad sir, not bad at all." Solomon cleaned the dust off his outfit. "Let us continue." Solomon quickly was upon him in a split second, his sword was coming at Geo with a speed that surprised the heir. He barely had enough time to block it. They traded a stream of swings and kicks, but for some reason Geo's moves seemed slow and Solomon noticed that. "Geo! Pay attention to your moves, you are leaving yourself too exposed."
The heir of Gwain paid no attention to his words. Why did she ran away like that? I was just trying to apologize for what happened at the arcade yesterday. I mean I tried to control my excitement but she's just so beautiful and that particular scent of her's is just so sweet...Why did I say that? Without any warning a fist slammed right into his face, knocking him to the ground.
"My apologies." The Captain helped Geo up.
"There's no need, I wasn't paying much attention to be honest." He replied.
"I noticed that my Lord." Said Solomon. "You haven't been able to concentrate properly since you met that red girl at the village."
"I highly doubt that." Said Geo, but he knew what the Captain was saying was true.
"It seems we have company." Solomon noticed Ruby approaching. "If you excuse I must go to the bridge and see how everyone is doing." He placed his sword back at it's holster.
Geo was caught completely off guard, as he didn't expected Ruby to show up. "About what we talked earlier any word of advice?"
"I got nothing, but I'm certain you will do fine. You are a Casterwill after all." He walked away.
"Great." Geo muttered under his breathe. He quickly ran to his locker and grabbed something from it. "I'm not sure if she will like this but it's better than nothing." When he turned around Ruby was already standing there, her face was red and it seemed she could run at any moment. She looks nervous, I better be careful with what I say. "H-Hey Ruby! How's everything?"
Ruby was embarrassed like before, when she was about to take a step backwards, Geo grabbed her hand, causing her to blush even harder. "Please don't go, I wish to give you these." He showed her a bouquet of red roses. "I'm really sorry about what transpired in the arcade. Can you forgive me?"
"T-Thank you." Ruby smiled and grabbed the bouquet, she didn't expected that. "T-There's nothing to forgive, what happened yesterday in the arcade was silly, but I did enjoy our time together." She tried to hide her face with the bouquet of roses. Why did I say that? Why? Why? Why?
"I did to." Geo got embarrassed. "Anyway, I'm glad we are finished with that subject, but I must be on my way to the bridge to deal with some stuff. You can come with me if you want."
"Lead the way." She said. There's that feeling again, why do I feel like this when I'm with him? I-Is this how it feels...to be in love?