The Reluctant Prophet

Commander

The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. Proverbs 10:14

"Lucious." The only word she uttered between groans of pain as she slept. Having bones and internal organs rearranged regardless of the divine power involved was never going to be painless. They took shifts watching over her, waking her just long enough to eat, forcing her to walk a few steps to keep her muscles functioning and prevent clots from forming. She slept for days trying to recover her strength as rumors of who she was raged unchecked swirling around recent events. They had the camp in an uproar divided squarely down the center between those with faith and those with doubt, all made worse by the presence of guards within the camp itself, stationed outside her door for protection. Gripping the edge of the cot Aurora abruptly rose from her bed seemingly startled by something. She looked around the room breathing deep the morning breeze that cut through the open windows with the chill of autumn. She coughed as her nose filled with her own horrid stench. Unable to stand herself she braced against Jason, pulling herself to her feet, the pain from her healed leg still very present. She knew the only way to make it stop was to get moving again. It was time.

"Where is it you think you are going." She gives him an irrefutable are you kidding me glare.

"Can you not smell me? I reek!" She takes uneasy steps using his arm for balance. One step after another slowly able to move a little better, a little faster as the stiffness fades. They make their way to the gym showers followed by two of Destroyer's personal guards. She barely noticed them, ignoring the obvious whispers and glances in her direction. The guards glare at a group of teen-girls who quickly hush as they pass. "We will deal with that later." She warns Jason pointing out the beauty shop gosip that has been allowed to snowball out of control.

"Can I do anything else for you?" Jason asks unsure if he should stay, go, or fetch Michael.

"Clean clothes, a towel, soap if you can find any." He rushes off like a scared puppy worried he'd accidentally see something he shouldn't. Paisley stopped him with her usual smile approaching Aurora from behind, having to grab the still weak Aurora by the elbow to steady her.

"Let me help." Paisley stepped behind her helping to pull off her shirt. She had come in just in time to watch Aurora get stuck with her shirt half over her head. She helped her sit, pulling stiff socks off her feet. Aurora stepped behind a shower stall door using the wall to prop herself up so she could finish undressing. Paisley scooped up the clothes off the floor listening to the water turn on. "All we have left is shampoo, out of soap and conditioner." She passes shampoo and a washcloth over the door. "I might be able to come up with some leave in stuff, but I'm not sure if the rumor mill will cooperate." Aurora smiles to herself reminiscing about the in crowd in highschool, and how they would fuss over such trivial things. She didn't care about soap or shampoo, she was simply happy to be under the water, and warm water at that.

"Paisley?"

"Yes, ma'am." She quickly answered.

"How is there warm water?" Aurora wondered, not having paid much attention to the fact the lights were on as well.

"The powers that be installed solar panels on the gym and cafeteria roof. It's not enough for us to power all the buildings but we have heat and ac in the gym and main building, as well as hot water. The refrigerator is working in the cafeteria too, which is good since we now have fresh meat. Well deer and wild boar, and something I really don't want to say is cat, but Jason swears is Rabbit."

"Paisley won't believe me that they have floppy ears." Jason interrupts the rambling girl from outside the door with the guards. "I was told this was left for you." He pulls a stack of clothes out of a black duffle bag handing them over to paisley. She holds them to her chest tossing the end of a towel over the edge of the door for Aurora. Jason places a set of black knee high riding boots next to a chair outside the shower. "Well this is pretty awesome." His voice perks up with excitement.