Cantral The Entra

It's going to be okay.

Haari pauses by her office and turns to face Zafira, Ramet, and I. "I won't be long."

The door clicks closed and Ramet and I sit at the dinner table. My fingers drum against the wooden surface, Ramet stares into the garden.

"She will be a long time." Zafira plonks herself onto a chair by the table and slouches. "She's always a long time when she talks to her sister, and they always argue. This will take forever!" She frowns at the door, as if she's trying to urge the meeting to be over, with the sheer strength of her will.

The sun rises in the sky. Zafira stands and paces. Ramet makes a drink. A shower of heavy rain splatters against the windows and the sky darkens. I stand by the window. I walk across the room and flick through a book, I sit at the table. Ramet cracks her knuckles, she leans forwards and opens her mouth, but says nothing. The sky clears, the sun shines and mist rises.

Fendan joins us at the table, a rare late start to the day. His foot taps on the tiled floor. The sun marches across the sky. Zafira was right, this is going to take forever.

Fendan stands. "I can't just wait around—"

My head darts to Fendan and my eyes home in on him. "What do you mean?"

"Waiting ... does it not fill you with anxiety?" Fendan says. "Especially, when you can do nothing to influence the outcome?"

I glance to Zafira, but she's not listening to our conversation, her ear is pressed against the door to her mother's office. I have to go with my gut, do I believe him? Is this another lie?

"Why are you anxious?" I say, my voice brimming with accusation.

Fendan sits with a sigh. "Because I care about your wellbeing, because I know how much you want to stay here."

"Or," Ramet says, her palms slap against Fendan's shoulders and her lips hover by his ear, "you want to get rid of us."

Ramet recoils as Fendan's hand flies towards her and slaps the air where her head was. She laughs loudly, now a safe distance away.

"I must admit," Fendan says calmly to Ramet, "it would be nice to see the back of you, but my motivation holds no sinister intent. I do not need Oneera to take you, in order for you to be gone."

"Yeah?" Ramet sits opposite Fendan, her arms fold across her chest, her legs stretch out under the table. What's her next move? How far will she take this? "You think you could get rid of me?" She laughs, but she's crossing over joke territory and heading into the unknown.

"Without a doubt." Fendan beams. "I'm not Haroc, it does not matter to me what you mean to Cantral. We are not friends; I am your commander. I am your commander wherever you choose to reside ... and if your curious to see how far you can push me, please continue." He stands and leans over the table, his palms rest on its surface and his eyes meet Ramet's. "I promise you, the outcome will not be desirable."

"I saved your life when we fought Haroc," Ramet says, but she looks away.

"That's why you're getting a warning." Fendan smiles, he straightens. "Fancy some food?"

"Sure," Ramet mumbles.

"Excellent, make me something too. Cantral are you hungry?" Fendan asks and I shake my head. "Zafira?"

Zafira's head darts to us. "Quiet!" she hisses and presses her ear back to the door.

"Just something for you and myself, go on Ramet, I do not care to be kept waiting." Fendan smiles as he sits.

Ramet pushes herself up with a glance to Fendan, a glare she thought better of and slips into the kitchen without a word. Silence follows, from the kitchen, from Fendan and I and then the sound of cupboards opening.