The Immortal's Gamble

Chapter 10 Clarification

"Checkmate." 

"Never in my 98 years of living have I been 'checkmate-ed'. You're good." He let out a good-natured laugh and I smugly sipped on my hot tea.

"What are you laughing about?" Alex sauntered in with a cowboy hat and sunglasses which made us both laugh even harder. As the boys engaged in conversation. I took the time to observe them. 90 over years... I still can't wrap my head around the fact that they were both in their nineties and not born in the nineties, plus the fact that they're Immortals.

******

3 Hours Ago

 "We're Immortals."   

"Well, Arden and I are Immortals. Annalise is just a very old human who takes care of us. Kind of like a keeper." Alex rambled.

Immortals, they're Immortals..

"That explains the lack of numbers." I murmured softly but Arden caught it.

"Brown eyes, you need to speak up." Arden encouraged. I averted my eyes from him.

"I can see numbers hovering over people's head. I only knew it signified the gauge of people's death when I was 10 and saw my grandma pass away. Ever since I have never saw a person without a number. Until you two." I looked at both of them in the eye, this revelation should have caused the both of them to be surprised or even shocked. But neither emotions were on their faces.

"I'm sorry I kind of knew when I held your hands. I could see the numbers but I didn't know what they meant." Alex remarked sheepishly. 

"And I knew when I touched you yesterday when you had an episode in school. When we connected, you glowed like a fairy and I could hear your thoughts." Arden added. 

"You aren't abnormal dear. Don't think too hard about things. Alex is able to manipulate people with his words and Alex is able to read minds, but only with contact." Annalise pipped up from the door. She started walking towards us and shooed Alex off his chair and took his place. Alex grumbled about old ladies and went out.

"Indeed, they are almost the same age as I am, while we have grown up together, they have aged slower after reaching twenty-five. They have extreme speed and regenerative abilities." 

"You have such  a gift, are you really fully human?" Annalise inquired. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Arden had leaned forwards, he looked close to baring his teeth, holding me close to his chest.

"Watch your words, Anna." He leaned back but kept his eyes on her, Alex walked in with a chair and noticed the tension. Placing the chair down, he made a move to touch Arden but Anna beat him to it and stood up.

"Oh pish posh. I was just curious. No need to be so protective of the girl," She let out a short bark of laughter. "But Laura, if  you remember anything or want to find out you only need to ask." She smiled and left. 

***********

"So? What's your answer?" Alex repeated, amusement apparent on his face.

"Answer to?" 

"Going to the mall!"

"Again?" The thought of the dead body sent a chill down my spine. Silence hung in the air at my question, giving Arden the time to shoot Alex a look before sitting next to me. 

"We don't have to go to the mall. We can just chill here and Anna can whip up dinner."

 I nodded, that sounds so much better. 

"So why are there Immortals around? I assume that you guys aren't the only one around, right?" I wondered aloud. A change in topic was the only way to break the atmosphere.

"Hmm... How do I put this? Immortals are beings who have died and during their time in the Between, were deemed pure enough to become one. Or created from air and earth like Alex and I were." Arden explained.

"There are Immortals roaming Earth because of The Guardians." Alex pipped up from the floor.

"The Guardians?" I asked skeptically, sounds like a shop.

"Yes, brown eyes, Guardians." Arden tapped me on the nose and continued. 

"They take care of the Earth and are beings who are from a parallel world. We, as Immortals, are the eyes and ears of The Guardians, to help them maintain order. They are in some sort of hibernation but they are always conscious and listening to the Immortals. They will not wake till they deem the Earth inhabitable or the Immortals unable to protect Earth, only then will they wake and perform some sort of reformatting." Arden finished and looked at me expectantly.

"Wait, reformat the Earth? You mean get rid of us? What, like dinosaurs, will roam the Earth again?" I clarified, trying to make sense of this.

"Yeah, something like that." He nodded. I gasped and pinched myself, hoping that this was all a dream. When I blinked, Arden was still sitting next to me.

"This is crazy. I think that's all for today's Immortal q and a." I hugged myself and Arden vibrated with his chuckle. 

"Wait, one more question. That day when we saw the body then came over to your place. Just before I left, you turned really cold and went out the room. Did it have to do with this Immortal business?" I asked and the silence was back once again. 

"Yes, it did. Apart from the body we saw, there were several more in the area. A higher ranking Immortal had come down and I had to be present." Arden rubbed his face tiredly and Alex who was on the floor sighed.

"Okay, that's enough Immortal talk. So Arden from what I remember, you were heartbroken?" I changed the topic, not wanting to talk about all these serious stuff. And by the look of shock on Arden's face and Alex's howling laughter, I had hit the jackpot.