The Sapphire Pass: All-Father

Lessons

Ophelia tapped her light pen against the window, taking a step back to look at her work before erasing it all. It made her head hurt. Information came in at a rapid pace, almost too quickly for her to keep up. A new fighting or defensive stance she could master almost instantaneously, but this constant bombardment of new ideas and skills with no immediate practical application was harder than she first thought.

"Can we just stop for the day?" she asked, turning around and interrupting her instruction. "I don't meant to be rude, I just need a run to clear my head. Nothing is getting in anymore."

"I don't think the-"

"The All-father will understand, I'm sure. Anyway he's been too busy to even say 'Hello' for what? The past two weeks?"

"I understand Ma'am, we'll resume in one hour."

"Negative." she said flatly. "We'll resume next week, after I've had some time to process all this... stuff"

"Very well," her tutor said. "I will have inform the All-father of your non-compliance."

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the window, smirking at the intended intimidation, though it wasn't his own aim at all. It was what he was taught to say if someone attempted to break away from their teachings. Which wasn't to say he wouldn't report it, of course he would, there was no lie there. However, in her situation it wouldn't matter.

She'd been sitting around learning for the past two weeks, and it was grueling. No breaks, except for sleep and the constant stationary positions of study. She needed to move and get out of here. Let things sink in so she could think clearly again.

She needed a break, if only for an hour, and that was exactly what she was going to get. When she got back she'd probably watch a movie and read one of James' books. Even though those were also relatively stationary past times- they were also things she enjoyed doing.

Her tutor stood, staring at her with a blank expression, waiting for her to sit back down and comply with his order. If she refused, he probably wouldn't know what to do, because it just wasn't done. Certainly not in this exact type situation, so he'd have no training on how to resolve the issue.

"Yes, of course," she said, "You do what you need to do. Report it. Then, go back to your sleeping quarters and watch your instructional broadcasts or something that's not right here."

"Very well." he said turning to leave.

She didn't wait, knowing he would do as he was told, and she skipped back to her room to change into her running clothes. When she left her apartment 15 minutes later he was standing motionless near the entrance. Out of the way and unsure of what to do.

Ophelia hoped that James would be able to find a cure sooner rather than later, it was hard to see people idle like that. She shuddered at the thought that she was once like that. It was sheer luck that she was even here now and in full control of her mental faculties.

She ran out into the fading light. Feeling the warm breeze on her skin. It was already quite late in the day. It could be dangerous running too close to midday in the warm months. This time of the evening created the perfect conditions.

She ran toward the city, and took in the sights, until she reached the fountain at the city center. As she sat at the edge of the long abandoned fount, she liked to imagine what it could have looked like when it was lit and cascading it's cool waters down in the middle of the summer heat. It must have been an irreplaceable respite back in it's time.

She was lost in though when James' vehicle approached. He got out and jogged toward her.

"I heard you ran away from your studies," he said as he closed the distance. "Literally."