The Spark of an Angel

Chapter 7 - Sensitive Beings

Patrick was skeptical that they'd reach the city by nightfall, which turned out to be true, they stopped on the hill nearest to the city, they'd head out in the morning, the city was bigger closer up, the lake it sat on, seemed to stretch for miles, the city's wall were made out of stone from what Patrick could tell, lights from the inside of the city lightened the dark sky. The tops of a castle were visible over the walls of the city.

Welt sat on the grass, Patrick laid back watching the man, everyone else was asleep except for the two of them, through the snores from Gemma and the sleep talking from Astrid, Patrick had a hard time blocking the noise out, so under the many moons and stars in the sky he laid, awake and aware that Welt was also awake, Welt told the group he'd take first watch.

Welt sighed, shifting himself on the ground, he'd laid his overcoat on the grass and was sitting on it, "I know you're awake, Patrick. Your heart hasn't slowed down, neither has your breathing, it gives you away. Come on and join me." His tone was welcoming enough that Patrick sat up and turned to face him, "why can't you sleep?"

"Too much noise, a new environment always messes with my brain." Patrick shrugged, sighing, "my neighbors played really loud music each night for a long while and couldn't get just a single drop of sleep in. Until they stopped, which on most nights wasn't until three or four in the morning."

Welt looked over his shoulder, throwing Patrick a glance, "come over here and join me, Patrick. Don't worry, I don't bite. Ah... yes, Gemma snores and Astrid talks in her sleep. It doesn't really disturb me because all I hear is the yelling and pounding on walls."

"From what? Did you fight in a war? Is that your history? Is that why you won't tell anyone? What happened to you on that day?"

The blind man sighed, throwing a look at Patrick, "I don't want to burden you more, Patrick. You already have enough to eat on your plate so to speak." The man spoke slowly, pausing ever so slightly.

"I understand..." Patrick's voice trailed off, he folded his hands together, "actually I don't understand why you won't tell anyone what happened to you."

Welt sighed, leaning towards Patrick, "It's my burden, it isn't yours too."

"That's logic for you?" He asked, his brow creased as he leaned forwards, resting his hands on the grass.

He shrugged, "yes it is. I don't want to burden people with my past, let's just say, I did a bad thing."

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. Like what? What's the bad thing you did?"

Welt chuckled, "you don't get it, do you?" He sighed, lowering his head so his chin was almost touching his neck, "it's a secret, Patrick, one I'd rather not share, to anyone for that matter."

"But you did share it, didn't you, you shared it with Nova and Jett..." his voice went quiet, looking at Welt's face, "oh... you didn't tell them the full thing. You must've told them most of it."

Welt nodded his head, "right on the money." He sighed, lifting his chin, "I told them... little bits here and there, made it seem... better than it actually was."

Patrick took notice of Welt's strong diamond jaw and high cheekbones, "so what happened was bad."

"Yes. Let me tell you something," he said, his voice wavering slightly, "you're right, I fought in a war or at least... helped in a war. It's a war that hasn't happened yet on your planet."

Patrick's eyes narrowed, he fitted his hand on his jaw, "what was the war over?"

Welt's eyes changed under his glasses, mumbling, "I don't know if this happened in all dimensions or if it even will, but it was between the human race and artificial intelligence. That's all you need to know." His eyes lingered on the lights from the castle, Patrick could swear he could see.