Regain the Balance

T H R E E

Titus awoke to the sun shining through the slightly opened curtains on the window. He groaned softly and rolled his body to the left only to become acquainted with the floor.

"Ugh...damnit." His legs had become entangled in the blankets he slept in and he fought with them, only becoming more and more entangled. A soft knock made him stop rolling on the ground.

"Rise and shine deary!" A gentle yet cheerful voice came from the hallway.

"Tuli help!"

Titus heard keys jingle faintly before the blanket was pulled away from his face, revealing a smiling woman of about thirty years old. He grinned sheepishly as she helped him stand.

"Thanks Tuli."

"You're always so clumsy in the morning, aren't ya dear?" The woman's voice was heavily accented, a clear indication she was not a native of Gallel. Her attire was not typical of Gallel either. Her hair was short yet thick and curled at the ends. In the sunlight it shined different hues of red with an undertone of black. Tuli had high cheekbones that went well with her sharp chin, like that of a warrior. Titus knew that under her kind demeanor was a woman who took no nonsense. She was a strong willed woman and he admired her for her willpower.

"Ya know in my land, we have a nickname for the clumsy."

Titus chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's that really weird word right? Um..." He snapped his fingers trying to remember but drew a blank.

Tuli gingerly picked up the blankets on the floor and placed them on the bed, Titus stepping in and making it before she got a chance.

"Kalukaña." Tuli giggled softly and sat on the freshly made bed which made Titus groan.

"Yeah that one." It was then he realized he was shirtless and scrambled to his knapsack and dawned a light gray in color, thin t-shirt.

Tuli stood and patted the teen on the shoulders, flashing him a large smile.

"I'll let ya get ready deary. Alta wants to see you when you're ready okay?" The woman held the door open for herself and stood in the doorway for a minute. She looked Titus over with the look of a loving mother, then giggled softly when he became visibly uncomfortable at her gaze.

"Yes Ma'am."

"How many times do I have to tell ya boy, it's TU-LI not Ma'am." Tuli sounded out each syllable of her name. Titus nodded and smiled at the woman, promising her he would be downstairs in a little while. He closed the door and made his way to the bathroom, bringing along his knapsack. Titus cleaned himself up, brushing his teeth and hair and washing his face as well. Once he was fully dressed in clean clothes, he headed downstairs to see Tuli and Alta talking with each other quietly. Once the two noticed Titus they smiled at him and waved him over. The three talked for a while before Titus dismissed himself. Alta told him he needed help with the gutters when he got back, promising him to take him out to lunch afterwards.

Out on the streets with the sun on his naturally tanned skin, Titus whistled to himself. There was a small breeze that brushed against his skin and tousled his hair. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"This is great." Titus waved at some of the villagers he recognized, who waved back.

The boy walked through the streets until he came to the east edge of town where an oasis sat peacefully a few miles away. Scanning the area, he decided he would spend the morning and early afternoon at the oasis.

'It's been a while since I've been there.' Titus made his way to the oasis and once he arrived, he stripped off his shirt and shoes and put his feet into the cool water. Palm trees shaded the area around him and he rested against the tree behind him.

He let his body relax in the sun, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"OUT OF THE WAY, NOW!"

Titus jerked forward and his gray eyes looked to the sky.

A ball of white was hurling towards the oasis with breakneck speed. Titus jumped up and ran away from the oasis just as the ball landed in the water. The force of the impact made the ground shake so hard that Titus was knocked off his feet. He was flung face first into the sand.

"What the hell was that?" He questioned after standing and brushing the sand off him. He slowly walked towards the six foot deep crater and peaked inside.

A girl laid haphazardly in the middle, black hair tossed around and tangled. Tattered white robes cover her scratched and bruised body. To Titus's surprise, she had all black wings that had a total wing span of possibly eight feet. He slid down into the crater and stood over the winged girl.

"Hey, are you okay?" His gray eyes shifted to white as the girl twitched and groaned. He kneeled down beside her and picked up strands of her hair to get a better look at her face.

Pitch black eyes seemed to penetrate his soul and he froze. The girl jumped high in the air and sat on the edge of the crater. Titus's eyes became dark gray as he brought his scythe into existence, gripping it tightly in his left hand.

"State your name human!" The girl shouted. Her voice was similar to a harp gently playing a calming tune. Soft, angelic.

"Titus." He shouted back. "Who are you?"

The girl glared at him and finally seemed to notice the scythe in his hands. She took a step back, baffled. Titus lowered his guard and waited for her response.

"Shi no Ōgama... How do you have that?"

"What?"

Titus furrowed his eyebrows and stuck the hilt of the scythe into the ground.

"That scythe you have, how did you get it?"

"I'll tell you once you tell me who you are."

Groaning, the girl rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip.

"My name is Ophelia."