Dalliance

Fifteen

The Judge sent me to another room where he prepared me for a battle of my lifetime. The room was filled with books. There were books on the walls, in shelves, on tables and chairs and the floor in large stacks. There were books inside desks and underneath desks. I looked around running my hands against the backs of all the spines staring at the magnificence of all the books in one room.

"This is the library." He said as picked a book up and flipped through it. "You will spend your time here preparing."

"For war?" I asked puzzled.

"You're really that stupid aren't you?" He asked still reading the book.

"I should be out in a field practicing my aim." I reasoned.

"Wrong!" He yelled turning the page skimming down passages.

"I should be figuring out strategies against the enemy."

"Wrong again!"

I was beginning to get frustrated and annoyed, "Then what do you want me to do? Be quiet? Stay here and read novels?"

He slammed the book looking at me smiling wildly, "Precisely."

I rolled my eyes at him, "And what will that accomplish?"

"Wisdom."

"Are you calling me stupid?" I asked.

"Precisely!" I pointed his finger at me with emphasis, "You failed your first trial! Why not fail your second! Oh but wait, you don't get a third... Oh dear... I suppose this one will have to work then. Better get to studying." He placed the book down and began to walk out of the room.

"What happened to Halcyon?" I asked wondering about you.

He paused, "Who?" He said absent-minded.

"My friend. The one I saved." I urged.

"You saved no one. And they did not pass their trial either."

"What? They were so strong! They stayed fighting! How could they not have passed?" I was beyond frustrated and confused. Everything this guy said was in a riddle.

"Not every solider will make it to battle, even during a war." He looked at me suddenly very seriously, "It's for the best you understand what that means. Not everyone who gets saved, wants to be saved."And with that he was gone.

I sighed heavily and slumped down a wall onto the floor looking around me. The books were piled to the ceiling. I craned my neck to get a better look. Taking a deep breath I grabbed a book out from underneath the desk and flipped through a text book on physics, reading and yawning as it went on and on about jewels and mass, equation after equation.

Judge strolled in with a cart filled with more books. He casually left it next to me as I flipped through The Art of War. He had been doing that a lot, walking in with carts filled with more books and leaving them near me. I sighed setting the book down in a pile growing in considerable size next to me.

"How much more of this?" I whined.

"Until you figure it out."

I stood up burning with rage, "This is stupid!" I said pointing at the stacks of books, "This is getting me no where. This is not helping me grow and get stronger!"

He shook his head clicking his tongue, "You always were stupid my dear."

"Why won't you help me?! Why don't you care?!" I could feel the tears brimming my eyes.

"I am trying to help you!" He shouted, "You do not listen! You never listen! You are so selfish! Everything is about you and your pain and your hurt! Stop! Listen! Read!"

"I am!" I said through clenched teeth.

"Then listen harder!"

"Just tell me what you want so I can do it! Just tell me what to read! Tell me a section to look at! Tell me a general direction! A clue! A hint! Anything!" My face burned red. I could feel the wrath seeping out of me.

Judge took a deep breath holding it in and letting it out slowly. He walked over to me cupping my cheek in his hand tilting his head smiling, "You're so stupid. If only you knew."

"Can't you just help me?" The tears began to spill out as I felt defeated.

"What do you know about Sir?"

"He was second in command and he wanted to be completely in command to he started a revolution." I said reciting what I had learned from you.

"What else?"

"I don't know, he's pretty attractive."

"He's pretty cunning, sly, glamorous..." Judge prattled on.

"Yeah I guess."

"What about how he tricked you, what did you learn?"

"He didn't trick me. I won."

"Until you understand that he is still winning your heart you will never understand how to defeat him." Judge left the room again and I was left alone with all the books.

"Are you kidding me?!" I pushed the stack of books I had already read over, "This is such crap!" I picked books up throwing them across the room, "This helps me none!" I fell on my butt crying bringing my knees to my chest, hugging them tightly. "Just tell me what to do. Please. Just tell me what to do!" I sobbed.

But Judge didn't come back.

Author's note:
Hey readers! Hope you liked this chapter :) please let me know your feels! And also don't forget to vote!! Love you all!