Parkour

A Morning Run (II)

I felt a sharp pain as the mystery girl smacked me in the face so hard that it caused me to bite my cheek and make it bleed. I spat the blood out out as she glared at me and demanded an answer.

I shakily answered, "I don't know what's going on." She looked flustered, bordering on rage, although I couldn't understand why. "Why did my mom send me here?"

"Your mom is dead, she couldn't have sent you here." She didn't look convinced.

"It's been a confusing morning." My tone was less shaky as I began to get over my shock. "Ghosts, mystery forces of destruction, and a not-old not-hag lady living in a not-shack is a little much for one morning. Any clue what's going on?" I wasn't sure if I was asking the right questions but I was asking what I hoped I could take in.

She sighed the sigh of someone who had seen the plot twist coming and couldn't have possibly been more disappointed. "Jake, all I can feel you right now is that the first day of the rest of your life just began." She turned and grabbed something from a stand and tossed it to me. "That is yours now."

I examined the item, a medallion with a Ruby in the middle, and what appeared to be words in some foreign language, and something I recognised well inside the gem. My family crest.

"What is it?" The question cut the air like a razor.

"That is your service tag newbie, and you're fighting in a war now."

My face contorted in confusion, "a war?"

"I'll explain later," she said, "but right now, as your commanding officer, I am giving you your first assignment. Go clean your mess."

I was about to protest that it wasn't my mess and I didn't have the means to clean it up when she tossed the wristband at me.

"That will make it easier until you get official training. Just follow your instincts, they'll pull you through. Hopefully."

I was totally lost and confused as she picked me up off my butt, forced the band on my arm, and kicked me out the door and into the chaos of what looked like Hell.