"You're getting the hang of it" the old man said fondly. He can see how much Jack has improved and was proud of his son.
Messing with the kid's head, Kack can't help but smile. "Yeah, I bet I could beat you in like ten weeks."
The Old man grunted and pushed the kid's head slightly. "Make that ten years" the Old man laughed while Jack pouted.
The Old Man has been teaching Jack how to better control a blizzard. He could see great potential on this kid the first time he had heard that one of his calamity was stopped.
None of the winter sprites had managed to do that.
In a few minutes, Jack has managed to calm the blizzard and flopped on his back.
"This is harder than it looks, I'll give you that." Jack said heaving.
"You'll get used to it" the Old man said sitting next to the boy.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Jack was the first to break the silence.
"How come you hate mortals?" it was an innocent question. As Jack said that, he sat up putting his arms behind his back.
The Old Man shrugged. Jack frowned.
"You don't know?"
The Old Man shrugged again and sighed.
"I don't exactly hate all mortals but I don't like them too" the old man admitted.
Jack could only nod.
"You came when I hated most of them, though" the old man said looking at the distance.
Jack looked at where the man was looking.
"It was already cold, one that I didn't initiate. They were dying of famine and pandemic." the old man was fiddling with his sleeves.
"But they still have the audacity to kill each other. The people high up just keep sending people to kill one another. They are not winning. They're just keep losing and anyone that are not in their war kept doing various stupid things like steal with one another and they just keep filling and filling." he trailed off.
He knew that his reason sounded weak now that he was hearing it out loud but it didn't before.
The humans has been going to war with each other for almost a whole decade and they still kept fighting with one another. Sure it was a little bit better now without wars but they seemed to be much stupider today.
The old man thought for a second that maybe it was a good thing.
The humans kicked their pride like it was nothing today but at least they don't actively killing each other.
It was stressful to watch them for years.
"I see" Jack said softly. The Old man take a look at the kid. He wasn't sure if the kid really understood but he is 300 years old.
He ought to know a thing or two about mortals.
"I'm not justifying what I've done but I don't condemn it either"
Jack could only nod.
"You're doing great, son"
Jack frustratedly kicked on a pile of snow. "No, I'm not"
The Old Man sighed. Of course he knew how hard it is to control your own ice powers especially when they keep getting more powerful each day.
He can understand the frustration.
"Well you're better than yesterday."
Jack grunted. "I'm not getting better. I just keep failing and failing and I can't go around like this! I could hurt someone!"
"Then don't go out"
Jack's eyes went wide. He scratched his head furiously. "No!"
Still scratching his head like a maniac, he suddenly sit on the floor hugging his knees.
"I don't wanna be stuck" he repeated.
The Old Man sighed. He knew of the kid's phobia of being stuck inside.
He never understood. They didn't understand until Jack recovered his memories.
Of course, unable to move through the freezing water and dying would do that to anyone.
"Then master it. At least before I go out. I don't want to keep you here either, kid" he managed to calm down the kid by rubbing circles on his back.
"You'll get through this"
"Did they forgot about me?" Jack asked one time during his break.
The Old man thinks that the kid was talking to himself again. But he still answered, knowing full well what the kid meant.
"They didn't call you, then? What did I say?" it was a little bit of gloating on his part. They ignored his kid for years. How could the guardians pay attention to him after just a few months?
Though the Old Man thought they would have the decency to check on the kid for the first few months of his guardianship. He just sighed.
Jack smiled sadly. "Maybe I'm not that troublesome after all" The kid closed his eyes while lying on the ground.
The Old man looked at the kid. The kid was worn out. They have been training for five months nonstop and none of them had any urgent tasks outside so they stayed there.
It was no problem with the Old Man but he knew the kid was not okay.
"Maybe you ought to check on them? Just give them a little bit of 'I'm still alive'. You're capable enough" The Old Man encouraged. The guardians cannot deal any damage to the kid now. The kid was already burned out.
The kid only laughed, not moving a muscle. The Old Man frowned.
Did the kid really think he's forgotten?
The Old Man stroke his beard. Maybe he ought to give the kid an incentive to go out.
"You know.." he trailed off, taking a glance at the kid.
"I don't have much time and I would really like to see a daffodil before I go"
At that, Jack jumped on his feet. "Of course!" The Old Man was slightly startled.
He smiled at the kid. "Be back before sunrise"
Jack nodded smiling and flew off.