Star Wars: The Earthling Gamer

Chapter 20 - The One Where Cyrus Avoids Sleep and Plays Pazaak

Quick A/N warning: If you don't know what Pazaak is, it's explained in the A/N at the bottom.

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I had finished meditating after a couple of hours, because I honestly couldn't maintain it, so I just tried playing Pazaak in my head. Pazaak is like a Star Wars equivalent of the card game we know as Blackjack.

Mana came into the room to check in, and, with my eyes closed, I frowned at the Pazaak player I'd made in my mind, and set my cards face-down. "What is it, Mana?" I asked. "Stop playing Pazaak in your head, and come to the living room." She said shortly. I don't think she was happy I stopped meditating, and started playing Pazaak. So what? It's fun.

I followed her into the living room, and plopped in the recliner, everyone else seated on a couch. "What's going on?" I asked. "We did a fridge raid, looking for some food. Most of it's expired. We don't know where anything is in this area, so we were maybe hoping you could guide us?" Hazel explained to me.

"Ah, yeah, that'd be a problem, huh? I'll show you guys around the area. Just keep all your stuff in your inventory, okay? Don't wanna risk getting robbed." I told them. When we were all ready, we walked out the door, and I took them on an adventure around the area.

I showed them some local stores, a mall, some restaurants, just everything I thought was important about the area. It was getting to be around lunchtime by the time I showed them the nearby restaurants, so minutes later, we sat down at an Arby's with our food, of course paying with money from quests, and we ignored the fact we were all essentially child soldiers, technically, and we just chatted, joking around, like the normal teenagers we should've been.

I think we were all pretty happy with how the meal went. With full stomachs, we went to the grocery store, and grabbed a ton of stuff, at Hazel's request. By the end, we had two carts full of fruit, ingredients for various foods, medicine, and some miscellaneous stuff.

When we got back, we unpacked the groceries, then I sat back on the deck, practicing more with my powers. It didn't feel like very long, but apparently it was a couple hours where I sat there, training, before Mana interrupted me. "Thanks for showing us around." She said, relaxing on a chair.

"It's my pleasure. It wouldn't do if none of us knew the area, would it?" I responded. Mana hummed, and we sat in a comfortable silence before she broke it again. "You need to take a break. You didn't meditate earlier, to my knowledge, you haven't slept, and you spent most of today walking us around your city. You need to rest." Mana reminded me.

I snort. "A break? And I last needed one when?" I asked. "I need to keep training. It won't do if we did all this work for nothing, right? What if we all died for this, and nothing changes? I need to keep training. I know these powers are godlike, and I need to take this power and use it to its absolute limit. I need to make it so they can't stop me." I continued. I didn't say it, but I think Mana knew what was really on my mind. I wanted to be a one-man army. I wanted to keep them safe, and take everything out on my own.

Mana frowned. "While I love you're dedicated to keeping us safe, and I love the fact you'd do this for everyone, what I said earlier still stands. You're human. Supernatural powers or not, you still have your limits, Cyrus. I won't make you rest, but I think you need that reminder." She said, standing up to leave.

I turned to face her before she walked back inside. "There's something else bothering you. Care to share? We're all here for each other, y'know." I told her. She raised a brow. "Did you develop a psychic power while I wasn't looking? Regardless, what's bothering me is a secret, and it should stay that way. It's not mine to share, anyways." She said, shaking her head, turning back to leave.