Love & Greed

Chapter Three

    "I just saw the Capital's Phoenix circling over the field." His face was pale with panic and fear.

     "We need to warm the village and hide you before it's too late." He grabs my arm and pulls me but I shove him away this time, growing angry. "What do you mean hide me?! What do I have to do with the Capital's Phoenix?!"

    "They're after you, the chosen one." I've heard that name before, in the nightmare I had before, the capital is after me?! Because of my curse?! "If they're after me shouldn't I run away from the village? When they see I'm not there they'll leave the village alone, right?"

    "They have never been known to peacefully leave a town or village allow. They purposely destroy the entire place looking for the chosen one. Leaving only destruction in their wake. We need to hide, all of us." This time I let him lead me back to the village, is this my fault? Did they seek us out because of the tantrum I caused yesterday? Was it big enough to get the capitals attention?

    "What have I done?" I whisper out loud. Jasyn stops and grabs my face, "none of this is your fault, do you understand me?" I didn't have the energy to shove him off. I could barely look him in his eyes but a quick scan of his face, showed me the sweat weighing his messy brown hair down into his face, his brown eyes was a pool of fear, "none of this is your fault." It's all your fault. "The capital was bound to come this far out because it's land they don't own yet. They're here to dominate the land not because of you, do you understand me?" You've forsaken this village. He stops trying to reassure me and leads me into the village, we pass the little houses and head straight for my house. "Warn your parents and I'll warn the chief." I barely nodded and I watched him run towards the chiefs house.

        I turn to my front door and wiggle the knob, surprisingly, it was left unlocked, how thoughtful, I sneered to myself, they didn't even try to come after me and this was their bare minimum in caring for me. So I made the biggest ruckus I could cause, probably waking the neighbors too.

     "Get up," I gave them both a quick and hard shake. Gasping they both jolted up. "Rhiannon? What is going on with you?! You nearly gave us a heart attack."

    "That's the least of your problems." I snap at them, "Jasyn saw the Capital's Phoenix circling close by the village. We need to hide. Now." I didn't give them time to respond, they quickly recover themselves and run to the closet grabbing two bags each. They grab two more and toss them my way. Confused, "you planned for this?"

  "With a temper like yours? It was a matter of time." My mother says, not skipping a beat.

"My temper is your fault. Be glad I warned you in time."

"Rhiannon, watch your tone with your mother, now isn't the time. Help us pack the kitchen."

    I've had enough of this. "Do it your damn selves, I did my job by warning you, you're on your own." I ignored them screaming at me to come back when I listen to my mothers final words. "You leave you will never be allowed to come back."

    I stop and turn around, and stare my mother straight into her eyes and say my last words, "we finally agree on something, you'll never see me again after this." Blood drained from her face. I walked out ignoring my father demanding I come back. My guilt was over shadowed by the relief I felt finally walking away from them. I found Jasyn running to me, "we're going to split up into two groups going opposite ways to get to the same destination to throw them off." He informs me as he reaches my side.

    "I'll be going my own way." I began to walk away from him and the crowd that was beginning to form in the village square.

"Wait, no, this isn't the plan." He tries to stop me.

"This is my plan, Jasyn. Don't try to stop me and for the love of all things holy, don't follow me."

    "Rhiannon, wait, just trust me, this will work." He jumps in front of me. "Trust you? For what, for me to stay and be treated like a possession and curse? No, I'm leaving, I'll make sure the lands you find stay prosperous but the village is on its own from now on."

"Fine I'm coming with you."

"Jas- no, your family, they'll-"

"They'll be fine," he finished, "they have each other, you won't have anyone." Those words struck a cord but I didn't let it show.

"I'm better off alone, Jasyn." I admitted, soberly.

    "Well, be alone with me." He eyes me, deeply and when I didn't say anything a wicked grin spread across his face. No. "I'm going to follow you anyway." I roll my eyes and walked away from him trying to hide a smirk. He laughs and catches up to me, leaving this wretched village in a panic behind.

*  *  *

     "Aren't you worried, that they won't survive?" I ask him after walking in a moment of silence. He stayed silent so I stop to look at him. "You can still go back, Jas."

     "I am, but, I can't. I know they'll be fine. I'll see them again some day." I knew he was just reassuring his self rather than me, though I had no reason to worry about them, he was the only one who stood by me, regardless, I narrowed my eyes at him, "what do you mean by can't? No one is holding you prisoner."

    He chuckled, unfazed by my suspicions. "I mean, if I go back empty handed, all they'll do is nag, and to leave you by yourself," he holds his hands up, "I won't do that, even though you're more than capable on your own, I couldn't live with myself. It's lose-lose. I'd rather stick with miss grumpy pants than go back to hear the constant nags and whining."

    He means well, I keep telling myself, and shrug it off and keep walking. I swear I hear a breath of relief coming from him, I can't understand how he could choose this life, on the run, with me over his own family. We aren't even that close, aside from the only fact that he's the only one that doesn't see me as the curse or at least not to my face. He actually treats me like a human. I mean, he's here despite my "tantrum" yesterday. Despite that it's my fault that the village is having to split up and hide. "What a strange boy." I mutter to myself.