Regain the Balance

F O U R

Standing in a crater created by a person who literally fell from the sky not five minutes ago, Titus stared up at the black winged woman. He was entranced at her beauty but refused to allow himself to become ensnared. What if this was a trap of some kind? He couldn't know for sure so he kept his guard up, eyes shifting from white to black in uneven intervals. His grip on his scythe was tight as Ophelia spoke in that entrancing voice of hers.

"I have told you my name, now you tell me where you got that scythe human."

Titus nodded, his eyes now black.

"I found it during the start of my journeys, in Triiga. There's a bay there I had heard about and right there buried in the sand, hilt sticking out, was the scythe." He twirled the scythe in his hands gingerly. "It was like it was calling to me, like I needed to have it in my hands."

A rustling of feathers came from an agitated Ophelia.

"How can you, a mere human, hold let alone use the Shi no Ōgama?"

"Do you really expect me to know that? I found the damn thing buried in the sand on a beach dozens of miles from here shortly after I was born."

He received a questioning look from the girl.

"You look to be the age of a teenager. You mean to tell me you have been on a 'journey' since you were an infant?" Ophelia scoffed. "I find that very hard to believe."

"What? N-no, you don't understand." Titus cleared his throat. "I never had a childhood Ophelia. I was never an infant or a toddler. I didn't play with the other kids in the town. I was born this way, almost seven months ago."

"Seven months ago?" She questioned.

Titus nodded and watched as her wings twitched gently.

"I do not believe you, but believe I will be watching you closely Titus." The girl flapped her wings and caused a gust of sand to fly all around. Titus heard Ophelia gasp in pain when her wings moved and phased the scythe out of existence. He clambered out of the crater with no grace whatsoever and flopped onto his back. Quickly he jumped to his feet and rushed to the girls side.

He was met with a glare from the girl who took a step back, a hand over her bleeding wing. Her right wing was bent at an awkward angle and she seemed to be in immense pain. Her breathing was labored and her body shook from the pain. Titus could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

'She's going to pass out soon from the pain.' He thought. Titus held his hands up to show he meant no harm to the girl.

"Ophelia, you're in pain and need medical help. Come with me and I can get you to someone who can help you."

His black eyes changed to white as snow, making Ophelia tilt her head to the side in confusion.

"Your eyes change color depending on your intentions. How use..." The girl didn't finish her statement because of the pain and she began to fall forward but was caught before her body hit the ground. Titus held her in an awkward position but was able to position her against a fallen palm tree, mindful of her injury.

"Great." Said an exasperated Titus. "I just wanted to relax."

¤

"What do you mean she fell from the sky my boy?" Shouted Alta from his bedroom. "There's no way someone could fall from the sky and survive."

Alta, Tuli and Titus stood in the kitchen of the Inn. The three stood around the island that contained the stove and oven in the middle of the large kitchen. A large pot of soup was boiling on the stove and Tuli was chopping vegetables while Alta seasoned various meats. Titus sighed and folded his arms.

"Somehow she survived." He mumbled. "I need to see her Tuli." He spoke with urgency but was disappointed when Tuli shook her head.

"She's run a fever deary. Ya know she needs her rest after an injury like that."

"Is no one going to mention the fact that she fell from the sky and has wings?!"

"Trust me Alta, I'm still not over that but until she wakes up we shouldn't stand around doing nothing. Let's just finish what needs to be done around the Inn, okay?" Said Titus. His mind was still reeling from the events of earlier, however he knew that he couldn't dwell on it much longer. Until Ophelia awoke he would do the tasks Alta had asked of him in the morning.

Alta grumbled but nodded.

"Let's go Titus. The gutters need to be cleaned."