Crimson And Blade

To Do or Not To Do

"Did I never tell you that I'm a Custos Verbi?"

Once again, there went Lance's signature eyebrow raise.

"You just stuffed me with all this about Trackers, and now you're putting more new words in my head! No! What in Deus' name is a Custos Verbi?!" the man demanded.

Despite Lance's visible irritation however, Reed just laughed at him. Alex's room was filled with the girl's laughter, and this lasted for a few minutes. 

"A Custos Verbi 's a 'word keeper'." Reed chimed. "I's like the words I see when I read a book 's stored in a hidden place in my mind. I can remember and recite whole books if I need to."

"Are you telling me you can memorize entire libraries if you wanted?" Lance tiredly asked as he leaned on the wall, his arms crossed.

Reed nodded immediately, a few very short strands of her hair falling on her forehead.

Alex sat there still trying to let it sink in that he was rare and in equivalent, very special.

'If I knew this five years ago...' he quietly thought.

But it was too late to think about that now. He was here, and there was no turning back.

"So, what now?" Lance asked, sighing. "What are we going to do?" 

Alex quietly stood up from his bed and began to walk out of his room.

"Alex?" It was Reed's voice.

"We should go do some rounds..." Alex said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Reed immediately skipped out of the room wearing a large grin on her face. There was a spring in her step and she looked like she was in a very good mood.

Lance walked after her, his shoulders slumped, as Alex locked the door to his room.

The group climbed down the stairs and, for a brief moment, Alex saw Maya looking at him down at the lobby. It wasn't very obvious, but something bothered Alex.

There was a strange glint in her eyes...

Maya was also on her way out, so Reed invited the girl to accompany them on their way to town. The trip was mostly silent, except for Reed and Lance's occasional insults and retorts at each other.

It was an awkward trip for Alex, so he tried to break the ice. The silence between them made him very uncomfortable.

"So, what kind of jobs do you do in the inn?" he asked Maya, hoping she would answer. To his relief, she did.

"Mostly... errands for the kitchen... And cooking... when there's a lot of work to do..." The girl's voice was soft and always trailed off at some points. It was a bit different from the time when she was angry and telling Alex off. Her voice was gentle and soothing.

"Does that mean you're good at cooking?" Alex wondered.

"Maybe..."

The boy pursed his lips. Unless she was angry, Maya didn't appear to talk very much. Then, Alex remembered something he was supposed to ask the girl.

The raven-haired boy glanced at his two other companions. They were still busy insulting each other, but he decided he would wait until they were somewhere more private. He couldn't ask something like THAT out in the open. Especially when there was a noble involved.

The moment the group stepped into town, they were greeted by a ruckus.

A boy was running through the streets, stirring the buzzing crowd. Everyone who saw him ran and screamed. Soon, everyone was entering the buildings and locking all entrances.

Everyone except that one boy still running in the streets.

He had a thin frame and muddy clothes, and he was dripping wet from head to toe. His curly ginger hair was sticking to his forehead, and his face was white almost like paper.

The group stopped and quickly ran to the nearest building along with a crowd also racing to get indoors. Alex was standing beside Lance, pushing their way into the doorway. He was on his toes, hurriedly trying to get to safety.

It was not the boy that frightened everyone. It was the creature tailing him just a stone's throw away.

And it was getting closer.

The poor little boy, who looked like he was no older than eleven, was almost breathless. He was slowing down, and the creature was catching up.

By that time, Alex and his friends were already catching their breaths inside the building―the bakery to be specific.

Alex was closest to the door. He looked around at the people, intending to ask them about what was happening when he realized something was wrong.

Maya wasn't in the building.

Alex, being the closest to the entrance, looked out of the window beside the door and his eyes grew wide at the sight.

Maya wasn't in the bakery, she was outside pulling the boy away from the dangerous creature!

With Maya pulling him, the little boy was able to maintain his speed though he was visibly exhausted. But they couldn't get away from the creature.

It was slow, but it was definitely happening. The two-headed bear was catching up to the two. Maya could only prolong their survival, not ensure it.

The townspeople around Alex were gasping. Some of them were whispering, the others talking aloud.

"Oh lord! It's bad enough that poor little Sid is being chased around, why did Maya have to jump in?!"

"That girl is too helpful! She could die trying to help someone someday! Remember what happened back..."

"Tsk! How did that beast get into town?"

"There's nothing we can do but hope that they hold out 'till the Repulsion team arrives here."

Alex looked out of the window again, his breathing heavy. Why did Maya..

"Are you just going to stand there and watch?"

Alex blinked. It was that strange voice again, but this was the first time he heard it awake.

"Are you not going to do anything at all?"

Alex grasped at his hair. Darn it!

The boy was confused, deeply conflicted. He didn't know whether he was going to risk it and help, or if he was just going to stay within the bounds of safety. It was a tough choice.

Most people, including him, would rather stay safe than risk their necks for people they barely knew, but he knew his conscience wouldn't let him rest. Maybe the Repulsion team is close and I don't have to step in...

"IS YOUR RESOLVE THAT WEAK?"

Alex closed his eyes in shock. The voice had shouted into his head. The boy was almost tugging at his own hair with how tight he was clutching it.

Come on! Decide already! the boy scolded himself in his head.

Alex forced his eyes open and looked out the window again. That was when he made up his mind.

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Chapter End.