Anamnesis: Book 1

Chapter 15

The next morning Levi awoke to the emptiness of his room, and the wooden chair that now sat discarded at his bedside. He half-expected Aster to be sitting beside him, hovering like a mother bird as he recovered. Though, that had most likely been his own delusions taking hold of him. Dawn had just settled over the land, and the soft beams of light peeked through the curtains, lighting up the walls in soft orange hues. The events of the day prior had felt so distant, as though he were waking from an unattainable dream. But the aching of his muscles and evident lack of his lifeblood was a reminder of the hardships. In fact, his lifeblood had been so depleted that even after four days of rest it had only restored itself to about one-third of its potential. It would take a few more days before he would be confident in using it again. A yawn escaped his lips and he pushed himself upright, pulling his arms over his head and stretching his torso. The muscles twinged before finally easing as he settled back into a comfortable sit. Unlike yesterday, he was able to move around on his own. The only drawback had been his pace, as it had slowed considerably. He had still managed to bathe and dress himself, however, all before the sun had risen above the hilltops and shifted the sky into a brilliant golden-yellow. He had planned to speak to Aster this morning regarding Volix and their current arrangement, that is, if she hadn't left at dawn's light. Though, as he left his room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the slender woman at the bar. Her jeans had been traded in for a pair of shorts, which had been ripped in several places and frayed at the edges. She still wore the same black tank top she had sported each day, which had faded to more of a charcoal color from the sunlight. Beside her, he could see Orion, a grimace on his face that made Levi uncomfortable. He could see only the right half of Aster, but even that was enough to note her serious expression. He slowed his pace, watching her mouth as it moved and trying to distinguish their conversation. It felt rather invasive, and part of him felt guilty for trying to read her lips. But there was something about Orion, and the way her arm muscles stayed tense, that encouraged his behavior. He was only able to make out two words clearly, '...can't do...' Can't seemed an impractical word in Aster's vocabulary, and Levi took that as a sign of its severity. Whatever it was she was saying seemed to upset Orion, for his brow knitted together. Levi didn't wait any longer to interject, arriving at her side before anything more could be said. This only seemed to anger Orion all the more. He looked at Levi as though he were a pestilence that was in dire need of cleansing. Rather than take offense, Levi straightened his composure and stared back at him. It wasn't challenging by any means, but it was meant to affirm his stay. Aster was giving him an odd look but said nothing as Orion lurched forward, slamming his hands on the bar counter. It caught the attention of the barkeep, as well as a few miners who stared him down worriedly. But, just as quickly as he had gathered their attention through his aggression, he removed himself from it, stomping away into Ursa's room and slamming the door.

"What the hell was all that about?" Levi asked, taking the seat to Aster's right. He could tell she was troubled.

"You know about that Annalise kid..." It was more of a statement than a question, but Levi nodded in affirmation just the same. "And I'm betting Ursa told you about Volix..."

"Yeah. You're planning to go there, right?"

"You know I have to." She looked at him and he could see the determination. Of course, he had known that she had needed to go to the source of her and Ursa's misfortunes. Perhaps she had anticipated him disagreeing with her, or trying to convince her otherwise. She looked ready to defend her actions until Levi answered languidly.

"Yeah. I know."

She seemed pleased, if not a bit surprised, by his response.

"So..." Levi continued, still perplexed by her and Orion's interaction. "What's got Orion so pissed off?"