Avengard: The Fall of Senvia

Chapter 13 - Sunrise

"Explain this to me again. Why do we need to wake up before dawn?"

I sighed. It was the third time Eskir had asked the question since I'd shaken him awake. The first time, I had ignored it. He had barely been conscious, his eyes barely managing to squint. Even if I had answered him, there was no guarantee he would register it as actual language, and not the remnants of a dream he wasn't even sure he'd yet escaped.

The second time, I told him it built character, and he responded with a groan while he clenched his head.

This time, I dismissed him by saying, "You signed up for this."

In truth, I wanted to leave before anyone found us.

Jenny and I sat down for breakfast in the restaurant, while Eskir set up his meditation leaves outside. "You'll be hungry later," I had warned.

"We have plenty of food," he reminded me, pointing to the wagon. "And besides, I'm going to be cramped in that thing all day, with an extra passenger too. With a hangover. Let me have a few moments alone."

"Maybe he just wants to sleep," laughed Jenny. I couldn't help myself from a lighthearted chuckle, but I was less concerned about Eskir's hunger or fatigue, and more about his safety. I couldn't watch him constantly. It wasn't practical, and it wasn't exactly conducive of sanity. Still, he'd had too many close calls, and I'd only just met the man.

My consolation was that he'd somehow survived until he met me. However he'd managed, he was managing. It wasn't as if there were some conspiracy to keep the two of us either apart or dead. Eskir might have had a stolen voice, but for all intents and purposes, I was just a random citizen of the capital.

When Jenny came to the table, she brought two mugs of steaming, black coffee. I took a moment to breathe in the smell, and for the first time, noticed just how brown her eyes were. They simmered just like the coffee, glowing in the light of the morning sun through the windows.

My plate of breakfast hit the table with a careless toss from a passing waiter. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He eyed my strength with a glimmer of realised panic, as if he'd only now realised that it was a mistake.

"My apologies," he insisted. "I thought, since you're sitting together..."

"Why?" I asked bluntly. "She's done nothing to you."

He paled. I was still gripping his arm, but he managed to keep a firm tone in his voice. "She's not welcome here."

"Why?"

"She's For Peace."

I released the server, and he scurried off apologetically. I turned to look at Jenny again, a knot in my gut from the thought of my invitation. Her expression remained neutral, but I could have sworn there was curiosity hidden in there, wondering how I was going to react. "It wasn't where you were from that you were worried about telling me," I said.

"You're Kindred," she replied, as if in response to my accusation.

"If you don't like my kind," I started, "that's fine. But I was honest with you about that. How do they all know you're For Peace?"

"I've been here before," she said. "Before the incident in Eaden Helm, they were more receptive."

"And you had nothing to do with that," I suggested.

"Of course not!" she spat, suddenly enraged. "We're not all fucking terrorists."

"And I'm to believe you because...?"

"Well, I didn't kill you last night."

Against my best intentions, I had fallen asleep the night prior. Only for a short time, but it had happened.