The Seer (A Novel of Fantasy and Future)

CHAPTER 1.2

"You really got me worried," Elda said with a smile.

Her father giggled.

"So," she said, breathing, "You gonna tell what's wrong?"

Her father combed the strands of her hair with his fingers. They were golden, soft, fine threads, smelled of rose, and she bet he admired the sight and the feeling because he continued rummaging his fingers in the fine bush and looking at it as if it was a study material.

"There's this stuff I have to do," he said. "And I'm worried I won't pull it through."

"There is always a way," Elda opposed her father's proposition. "You told me that. And I've been living my life that way since and..."

Her father lowered his gaze to her face.

She shrugged. "It's true...mostly at least."

"Yeah mostly. You're right. There's always a way. But there are some that have other ways, but those ways are not the path one can take. And there are some things that have only one path, with an unavoidable death trap at its end." He paused. "And I fear that's the path I must take."

"I trust you'll pull it off," Elda said with confidence. "You're my dad."

Her father scoffed, beamed, and leaned closer to kiss the flesh of her cheek. "I love you, sweetheart. My own Elda Draycian. Even if you don't yet realize what's in store for you, you're a fine young woman with a fine strong heart. You're my daughter, child of my lovely companion; the greatest person there would be in our world."

Looking at the seriousness in her father's face, Elda's eyes began to water. Her lips and jaws were finding it hard to decide to shapen into a smile, or follow the mourning of her touched spirit, and shapen as it desired. A declaration of love - Aaron Dracyian. She was pretty, the daughter of a rich, popular businessman and business doctor, popular high school kid and with an intelligent brain. Surely boys were filing up on the queue, waiting for the current to fall out and their turn to ask her out, hang out together and bud a relationship. Conceivably, they all offered their own declarations of love. Some quite boring, some plain and common, some platonic, and some touching. Most of the boys wanted to be a part of her life. Even her half-nemesis, Raymond Coulston, once told her publicly that he liked her - an embarrassingly erroneous thing to say taking into account their relationship. That was very surprising, to her, to Anna, to Christine his girlfriend, to the boys and girls of the school, and probably even the teachers, all who understood how they constantly fought with their mouths. And he instantaneously tried to correct the error.

It was surprising, and very touching too when she saw the look on his face; the seriousness when he said it and the seriousness to which he battled to correct what he said.

She knew her status, and she decided not to let down her guard and not just fall for anyone. But some did get to her, but she never really did date anyone as much as a budded romantic relationship would go.

But when it came to declaring love to her, none was as heartwarming and touching as the platonic ones her father gave. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't really want to date any guy yet, the fact that she wasn't ready for a mouth-to-mouth romantic relationship with them that suppressed the force that came with their declarations. And, or the fact that her relationship with her father was purely blood-based, family and she and her father shared a bond and trust and dependence stronger than anything she knew that superseded her father's emotional words from the others, and gave them a wide berth.

"Make sure you do right by me, and your mother," he continued. "Take care of her and your brother, whom I both love very much. Study, be a good girl at school, get good grades, grow higher until the time comes where you have to handle a bigger responsibility. Don't plan evil against people. Be good to others, be nice, preserve your reputation, try to give better, be honest, learn to control your anger to a great deal, try to overcome temptations that you know would get you into trouble..."