Ep 9

Scene 19

Again they have to deal with the thirst while walking in across a very dry landscape. Again Janzo and Garret have been arguing, this time because the soldier mispronounced « dragonman » instead of « dragman ». But they finally have found a lake. What a pleasure to feel the refreshing liquid ! Although Janzo seems reluctant to enter the water. And he understands he's right as he watches a creature moving underneath the water. To late to warn his companions a tentacle has already wraped around Garret and pulled him into the depths.

- Get out Talon !

- No way !

She can't let Garret like this, so she dive to the rescue.

- Talon ! Garret !

A minute later she is pulling an inconscient Garret to the shore.

Amazed, Janzo rushes to help her.

- Oh, thank gods !

Talon asks him to help her take off the severed tentacle that leaves kind of bite marks on Garret's torso.

- You sawed those tentacle with that little dagger ?

Janzo is more and more amazed by his friend, but Talon is totally focused on Garret's condition as he seems not to breathe anymore.

No, no !

- Garret ! Breathe !

Please hear me ! What can I do ? What did the Nordojorian clerks explained me ?

She begins to hit his chest with her two and joined like a little hammer. A strange behavior in Janzo's view.

- Talon ? What you're doing ?

And she thumps again.

- Talon, what are you donig ?

- Nordojorian clerks say you can bring someone back to life.

But that doesn't seem enough... Garret ! What else ? ... The mouth to mouth resuscitation !

Then she bends to breathe in Garret's mouth, surprising even more Janzo.

- Did the clerks also said that they can kiss people back to life ?

Please Garret ! I'm running out of options !

She thumps the chest again and she feels deeply relieved to see Garret spit a mouthful of water and at last start to breathe. That's too much for Janzo :

- You've got to be kidding !

But she doesn't care, smiling anew she gently holds Garret's face in her hands.

- Are you all right ?

Oh Garret, you are really back. You can't imagine how I was terrified...

Not completely recovered yet, Garret manages to mumble :

- I feel like a horse kick me in the chest.

That's probably the one time you can confuse me with a horse not getting on my nerves. But I won't tell you that.

Garret is not finished.

- I dreamt that you... kissed me... back...

But he is interrupted by Janzo.

- Yeah yeah... that she kissed you back to life. That's what she did. How incredibly romantic.

Talon and Garret don't really care about Janzo, they're starting to gaze into each others eyes, again. So Janzo has to meddle again.

- You know those ten tentacles Terapock, they can come this far. So you may take your little competition staring elsewhere.

You are probably right Janzo, but stil you can be annoying from time to time.

Scene 20

- Cough, cough...

Aware of Garret's coughing Talon has already draw her sword, and she brandishes it as Garret turns to her with a hoarse breath that turns into laughter.

Stupid !

- Oh ! Relax Talon, it's surely from all the water I swallowed, not the plagueling... not yet.

Well, if you can still joke about it... but we'd rather speak of something else.

- Well, I've been thinking, don't actually know much about you.

- All right, what would you like to know ?

She gets closer to him.

- Well, your father is Wythers...

- hmm... And my mother was a washer woman, died when I was very young.

Talon stares at him with compassion.

Oh, Garret, was it really a good idea me starting this conversation ?

- I'm sorry.

- It's all right...

- So Wythers raised you alone ?

- Me and my older brother Jaedon, yes.

A brief exchange of look and she feels a little better.

- You have a brother ?

That is new. How come I never heard of him yet ?

Truly, Garret seems happy going back to his childhood with his brother, he chuckles because of some memories.

- A couple of years older than me... we get trough so much mischiefs when we were young, never ending good but it didn't stop us.

She smiles with him, imagining the two boys caught in the act. Then Garret hesitates a bit before going on.

- But there was that instance in particular. Jaedon had stolen a case of wine for us from one of the court masters. Caught right away and my father sent him down to the lowest mine shaft. Is was only ment to be a day or two, to teach him a lesson, I don't know. Except that he was now surrendered by all the criminals my fathers had arrested.

Talon starts to understand where all this is leading.

- Oh no !

- And hours into that first day in the mine, my brother Jaedon was beaten to death...

Garret's voice is slightly cracking down.

So you too, you have lost your loved one. I'm so sorry Garret.

She feels the need to confort him, to take the time to offer him this simple words :

- I'l sorry, I didn't knew.

I would like to be able to say more Garret, but comforting people it's not my best, I hope you understand...

- That's all right.

- So that's why you left the Outpost ?

- That's why I enlisted in the Prime Order, yes. The one thing my father hated more than anything else. The trouble was I didn't realize how I quickly I will grow to hate it even more than he did, if it's possible.

- So you came back.

- Commander Calkusar summon me back, my first task was the responsibility of protecting Gwynn.

Here we are... for Gwynn.

- Why you ?

- I'm the only one he can trust with her safety. Gwynn and I, we grew up together, we played together as children, we were friends.

- But she was that little girl anymore, was she ?

- No she wasn't, and I wasn't that scrawly little boy that ran away.

Okay, that's a pretty little story of you two meeting up again... but...

- So why come ? Why leave Gwynn ?

- I'm infected, I don't want to be anywhere near Gwynn.

I don't buy it.

- Why else ?

Garret seems a bit unease with that questioning, he answer smoothly as unsure of his own reasons.

- To protect you, help you find the book.

- For Gwynn ?

- For the entire realm. Talon. I mean, things that you can do, things that you are capable of... can shift the entire balance of power.

He sees that there is something bothering her.

I'm ... useful. That's it. Of course.

- So that's why you are helping me... cause is part of your mission.

That said she turns away with a bitter smile on the lips. But Garret doesn't want to stay on that level.

- No. I cannot let anything happen to you.

- Okay. Because Gwynn needs me ?

She has stop walking away and Garret chooses to come face to face to express himself.

- I'm here Talon because I want to be here... with you.

Do you ?

Maybe another staring moment is about to begin, maybe the bitterness is gently flawing away, nevertheless Janzo interrupts the dialog

- Are you to coming or not ?

He's right there is still a long way ahead.