The Zodiac Cycle

2.10 Abbadon

Carson threw the logs he had found into the dirt. Jest blew a little fire on the logs, lighting them up as the rest of the group finished putting up some tents they had gotten back in Petana.

They had gotten to Abbadon a couple hours ago and had set up camp near the beach. No one had really said anything about the boy from the day before, or said much at all.

"So..." Jest looked up at Carson. "What's y'alls deal with Zach?"

"I'm not entirely sure. We are supposed to stop him from ending the world." Carson grabbed a stick and poked at the fire, sending up some sparks.

"That sounds like quite the load, eh?" Jest watched Carson carefully.

"Yeah, you could say that." He stood up, looking around for Amber. She promptly came out of one of the tents, brushing her hair. She had unbraided it and it seemed long enough that Carson figured she could sit on it.

Amber had a pretty face, and a delicate physique, but she acted far differently than she looked. Carson could tell she was stressed and tired, but she refused to show it to anyone else.

He walked over to her. "Hey Amber?"

She looked at him with her orange eyes and smiled a bit. "What's up?"

"Do you want to take a walk with me?" He motioned his head to the path back go the beach.

He noticed she went a bit red. "Uh, yeah, sure." She went back in the tent for a moment and returned with a hair band, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

The two of them wandered down the path to the beach slowly, taking their time. The sun was low on the horizon, lighting up the water with bright reds and purples and making the sand beneath them look pink.

"I have a question." Amber spoke first.

"Okay, shoot."

"When you summon your weapon..." she looked at her hands "do you ever feel like you're not the one summoning them? Like you're not alone?" She laughed a bit. "Sorry, it's hard to explain."

Carson thought for a moment. "No, I dont ever feel that, but maybe you could ask Keith about it? He is the expert."

She nodded. She seemed disappointed in his answer, looking away and frowning.

Carson felt uncomfortable. He had brought Amber out here so she could relax a bit, but he had no idea how to make her. Instead they were left with yet another unanswered question.

"Where-" she started, then closed her mouth again, hesitating.

Carson gave her his attention, hoping she would finish the question.

"Where did you learn about the salve?" She asked about the greeting he had given her the first time they had met.

"My parents were big on other species customs. I learned a lot of things like that."

"Thats cool." She scratched her neck. "Do you know any other elven customs?"

He thought for a moment, his mind immediately going to Elven dating. He shook his head vigorously, willing the thought away. "I know that they call their kids chits and a chit doesn't have any color in their hair or eyes until they're 16."

Amber smiled "I actually had color in my eyes before then. But I think that was because of the sign."

"That's interesting." Carson laughed a bit.

"Do you know anything about wendigos?" Amber was interested now.

"No. We kinda thought they were an urban legend." Carson shrugged.