The Forest Keeper

Chapter Five: IN WHICH Leonas Gives Some Interesting Insights

On the west shoreline, Leonas Irades sat amongst the great black boulders that jutted like teeth from the sand. He laid on his belly, staring into the glassy lake, his narrow cat eyes following something just under the surface nearby. He had changed his clothing since Kea had last seen him – he was wearing what looked like a dark grey muscle shirt and black leggings. His tail flicked around like a cat's, side to side and front to back.

In a flash, his hand shot out and grabbed a fish by the tail. He grinned and sat up, his pupils dilating and his face brightening. He tossed the poor fish from hand to hand like a ball, occasionally bringing it to his lips to tear a chunk out of its side with his razor teeth.

He noticed Kea coming nearer and tossed the fish aside. He crossed his legs, his tail flicking again like he was impatient. When she was within hearing range, he said, "I'm assuming you're here because you want answers about the earthquake." His accent was thicker now, with hints of Greek, Arabic, and Italian all melded into one. He stood up. "Would I be correct, Lady Keeper?"

She folded her arms and stopped walking as he came closer to her. "Okay, so you know why I'm here. So you better start talking. Give me answers, Leonas."

He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. "Straight to business?" he sighed. "That's no way for a girl like you to live."

"Number one, I stopped being a girl the night my mother died. I couldn't afford to be."

He cocked his head. "It's interesting how that works," he whispered. "A parent dies, and the child tries to pick up the slack. Poor girl..." His hands twitched, but stayed hanging at his sides.

She looked away, suddenly self-conscious. "Number two," she continued after a small pause, "I don't have time for this, and I need you to start talking. Right now." She met his eyes. "What do you know?"

He smirked. "About what?" he asked, his shoulders pulled up in an innocent shrug.

"You know what. The earthquake, Leonas. What was it, and why was I able to stop it so easily?"

He smiled and raised his hands. "Well, if you put it that way... The earthquake was just that: An earthquake."

She shook her head. "It wasn't natural. We're nowhere near any major fault lines."

"That doesn't mean that you can't have an earthquake. The earth shakes more than you care to realize. Trust me." He grinned.

She pursed her lips. "Okay, fine. But that doesn't explain why I was able to stop it so easily."

He nodded. "Right. There are two reasons for that. One: You are the Keeper of Albinan. You have incredible power, and you can stop things like that from happening, as long as they are... localized." He took another step closer to her.

She took a step back. "Okay... So localized meaning...?" She rolled her hands, gesturing for him to continue.

He laughed. "Meaning 'in the local area,' Lady Keeper. I thought you were smarter than this."

She growled through clenched teeth, growing more and more irritated with every passing moment. "I just had to make sure." She took a deep breath, willing her head to stop pounding with frustration. "So second reason. What is it?"

"The second reason is a bit more complicated. A little more, shall we say, important. Weighted, in the grand scheme of things."

She bit her lip, anger replaced with anxiety. Weighted? That didn't sound good at all. "Just tell me what it is."