Shattering of a World: Thorns and Roses (Book #1)

Chapter 9

Tarion was on his bed reading his book once more, trying to take his mind off what happened today, but even that alone couldn't help the cage of anger he was within. His hands were gripping the cover and pages tightly as if he would tear it all at any moment, and the words felt more like scribbles than a story written out. No matter how much he wanted to let it go, his argument with Katrina and Eugene kept latching onto him like a leech. With Zevian next to him, though, he managed to not act like a feral beast and wreck anything in the room for it to look more like a war zone.

Tarion could feel the strength of his emotions thrusting into his heart, burning, and a searing pain was also present. He tried to refrain from touching his chest, but the palm of his hand had already planted itself on it. The icy blue-eyed teen breathed through his nose and exhaled through his mouth a few times, and as he did, everything inside him slowly started to ease. To say that this worried him was far from it. He thought of it as normal-some people clutch their chests in rage, after all-and he had never told anyone about it. Tarion was used to it at this point, he had experienced it since he was a child, and it usually died down anyway when he relaxed.

Zevian nuzzled his head against Tarion's shoulder as if to ask if he was alright, and the icy blue-eyed teen looked at the snowy and gently patted his crown of feathers. "Nothing for you to worry about, Zevian."

It felt like no matter the situation, the snowy seemed to understand him. The icy blue-eyed teen could speak his mind to him, and it never got strange or frustrating. What made it better was that Zevian didn't even need to say a word; his emotions were his messages to Tarion.

The door suddenly swung open as Tarion looked at the page he left off, and he didn't even need to look up to see who it was. "Would it have killed you not to support our train of thought?" Eugene asked with a bit of ire in his voice.

Tarion sighed, irritated as he flipped to the next page. He was in no mood to discuss the disagreement a while ago. "Trying to read here," he replied, avoiding the topic and even talking to his roommate. Then, just as the icy blue-eyed teen was about to finish a paragraph, the book was snatched from his hands, and he looked at Eugene-who now brought it away from him-with his emotionless face tightening. "What the stars, Eugene?"

"Whether you like it or not, you're getting your head out of this book. Now, shut your yapper and listen to me." Tarion was about to tell him to give his book back, but Eugene started to speak once more. "Katrina and I understand that you want to remember what you've forgotten, and just because we're thinking of trying to get spots on the ship doesn't mean we'll be avoiding helping you."

Tarion's only response to that was averting his eyes onto his bed. If his friends decided to sign up, it wouldn't be easy for them to help him if they did get chosen. He may still not be able to remember by the time the ship sailed off, and he wanted to believe that every cloud has a silver lining, but all the icy blue-eyed teen's mind could do was conjure a chain of events with many adverse outcomes. Anything could go wrong and get in the way.

"Look, if you don't want to sign up, that's fine, but it might do you good to think this over. If Katrina and I do decide to try and get spots on the Ice Storm and we do get chosen, you'll be here by yourself. I have no doubts that Katrina would get upset if you two had to be far apart. You two are barely apart for so long, even."

Tarion had to admit that Eugene wasn't wrong on that. He couldn't remember a time he never was with Katrina, but she always seemed to be in a bright mood whenever he was with her. There were times he even wondered how they were still friends. They were two different people, but the icy blue-eyed teen had never minded, though, and the dark brunette never seemed to either.

The two friends had always stuck through thick and thin, and Tarion remembered when he and Katrina were children, they'd admire the soldiers that would pass by on foot or their steeds in their shining armor, looking bold and ready to protect and serve. The two would always talk about how incredible it would be to be like them, and their games would even revolve around acting as soldiers. They never failed to give Katrina's father and Mrs. Augusta hints that they wanted to be soldiers so much, and one day the two were in for a terrific treat when Katrina's father told them they'd start training as soldiers. Throughout their years of training, it didn't stop them from being good friends, and the dark brunette was probably the best friend the icy blue-eyed trainee could've asked to have.

The more he thought of Katrina the more Tarion started to feel regret spin inside him like a charkha for how he spoke to her. She never uttered to him out of an ill will, and even though he wasn't interested in getting a spot on the ship, the icy blue-eyed teen felt like she would try to avoid him at all costs... and all because of those very words that slipped from his tongue. Katrina never did anything wrong, and neither did Eugene after all.

"Just think about what I said, Tarion," Eugene carried on. "And at least talk to her tomorrow as she could use your support." Tarion didn't respond, and when he didn't, his roommate spoke one last time. "I'll see you later."

Tarion didn't look up as Eugene placed his book on his bedside, and he then made his way out of their room. Before long, the icy blue-eyed teen heard the door open and shut. The room was his once more, with just him and Zevian in it.

He reached into his shirt and pulled out his necklace, and all he could do was stare at it as his thumb traced over it. Tarion's mindset was on trying to remember, but what Eugene and even Katrina said to him kept repeating in his head nonstop. The two did want to help him, but he could see that they were considering getting spots on the ship. How on earth were Katrina and Eugene going to help him if they finally decided to sign up to try and earn spots on the Ice Storm and got chosen?

That was unless he signed up with them.

Zevian stared at Tarion curiously as he continued to think this over. "Spears," the icy blue-eyed teen then cursed as he knew what he needed to do.

That started with talking to Katrina tomorrow.