The Species of Power [Draft 1]

Chapter 22

The map of Zarr had led them to the Marble Caves of Chile Chico. It was a natural wonder, according to the brochures. They ended up travelling by portal to Puerto Rio Tranquilo; a small town that was close to the Marble Caves. It was a simple place, very basic, right off the shore of the clear blue water. Mountains were visible in the distance; it was a sight Ruth had never seen before. Nothing could prepare her for that much green; real, natural green that stretched on for miles and miles, and an endless blue sky sitting above them. It was the air that surprised Ruth the most; it was so crisp and clear, it tickled her nose with the scents of earth. Everything was a tropical wonder. 

They had taken a couple of days to get settled and prepare. Hero especially needed a couple of days of rest. Even though her mirror travel abilities didn't tap into her pure magic, it still certainly drained her physical energy. They ended up finding a decent hotel in the town, the closest thing they could find to the caves. The only way to reach them was by boat; they had decided to pose as tourists, and when the time was right they would knock their tour guide out and go from there. They had already taken the tour a few times to familiarize themselves with the caves. They were ready, and they were going to properly execute their plan the next day.

Ruth decided to spend her last night in Puerto Rio Tranquilo under the stars. Ruth went on the balcony of her hotel suite, and stared dreamily at the stars. She was happy to have a room to herself for once; it felt like she hadn't had a moment alone in ages. Even before, when she was with Joseph, he had never let her out of his sight. Ruth could picture herself travelling the world by herself, she wanted to see everything, and she didn't want someone there to tell her how to do it. Ruth's thoughts were interrupted by a few soft knocks on her door. She went back inside and looked through the peep hole on her door. She smiled, her heart did a small leap, she opened the door and let Mark inside.

Without saying a word he went straight through to the balcony. Ruth closed the door behind her and joined him by his side. That's when Ruth noticed his eyes were red, his breaths were shallow. Ruth placed a hand on his shoulder. He then pulled her in and held her as tight as he could. Mark couldn't stop sobbing; he was struggling to take proper breaths. They held each other until Mark was able to calm down. He let go of her slowly, and turned and sat down on the balcony floor, with his back against the hotel wall. Ruth joined him, and placed her head on his shoulder. She waited for him to speak.

"Nice night," he finally said, his voice sounding distraught. "We always seem to be on balconies, I've noticed."

"That's true," Ruth said.

Silence fell over them once again. Most of the time, Ruth loved their pauses, almost more than the sound of his voice. Any time she had to enjoy the blissful tranquility of their time together was something she looked forward to. However this silence was different. It felt wrong. She wanted Mark to speak to her, tell her how to fix the problem. She waited for him to talk, but the silence lingered for too long, finally she decided to ask some questions.

"Mark," Ruth said. "Why were you crying?" Mark took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt. He put them back on before answering her question.

"Well," he started. "I was thinking about my parents. I haven't thought about them this entire time. Then I thought about my grandparents, and my cousins that I see once a week, and then I thought, right, I'm missing. Gone without a goodbye. Then the gravity of everything that we're doing right now just hit me, all at once, and it's just crazy." 

"I know," Ruth said. "And I'm sorry you're involved in this."

"No," Mark said. "Because that wasn't what made me upset. What got to me was that, I've never felt happier." More tears rolled off his face, but this time they were accompanied by a smile, a smile that Ruth mirrored. "It's sick, I know, I feel horrible about it, but I feel like I finally belong somewhere."