The Metaphorical Key Book I- Call of the Raven

Chapter XII

"What?" Aiden said, blinking wildly.

"I said I want—"

"No, I heard you," Aiden said, shaking his head. "But why? Do you know what you're risking?"

Curtis ground his teeth together and hissed out a breath. "Yes, I know what I'm risking. That's why I want to join. You need someone who's completed their training, Rico told us as much. Even if he would just let the three of you go by yourselves—and he won't—I wouldn't feel comfortable just...watching a bunch of young teens go on this mission by themselves, I guess."

Dulcie shook her head, tightening her fists so that her fingernails dug into her palms. Her face scrunched up like she'd just bitten into something sour, then loosened somewhat, and Aiden assumed it was less because she'd relaxed and more because it wasn't a pleasant expression to hold for very long. (When he was little and made silly faces, or glared, Ada told him that if the wind changed, his face would get stuck that way, and oh, how he missed her.)

"Pollux and I have taken care of ourselves—and each other—for a while now," Dulcie snapped. "And don't get all "ooga booga I'm a mature adult" on us, either. You're only two years older than us. We don't need a chaperone," she said, practically snarling out the last word.

Curtis groaned theatrically. "Look I'm sorry. That came out wrong. Please, just let me join you guys. I'm well aware that two years isn't a big gap in terms of age—I mean, it kind of is, before the age of twenty-five—but that's another conversation for another day. Regardless of if two years is a big gap, two years of experience is a big difference, and I don't want you guys getting hurt. Okay?"

Aiden shrugged. "I mean...it couldn't hurt? We do need someone who's finished their training, and if you're offering..."
"I am. I thought I made that clear—"
"Rhetorical question. We're packing up now, You can come, if it's okay with you guys?" Aiden said, turning on his heel to face his friends.

Pollux nodded, smiling almost giddily (hmm,) while Dulcie shrugged noncommittally.

"Look," she said. "I...don't really like you. But I do like Aiden, and Pollux is tolerable—"
"Hey."
"Mostly tolerable, anyway. And if they think bringing you is a good idea..." Dulcie said, trailing off with a soft hum. "I trust their judgement. Meet you at the stables."

Curtis smiled, giving the group a curt (ha) salute. "Meet you at the stables."

Once he was out of earshot, Pollux spoke.
"He's not wrong, you know."
"About what?" Dulcie said, turning to face her brother with an almost scandalized expression.
"About two years sorta being a significant gap prior to the age of twenty-five? Your brain isn't fully developed until you're twenty-five, if I remember correctly, so unlike with, say, twenty-six and twenty-eight, where both brains are finished developing, the brain of a fourteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old are noticeably different," Pollux said, beaming.
"Shut up, nerd," Dulcie said, flicking Pollux on the forehead, then doing the same to Aiden. "See you at the stables."

With that, she blew a raspberry at Pollux and walked off down the hall.

"She loves me," Pollux said, and darted down the hall after his sister.

≿————-❈————-≾

Aiden crammed things into a cloth bag with shaky hands. He'd emptied out most of his dresser, and scoured the kitchens for any plentiful, non-perishable food he could pack. He assumed that the others would pack their own thermoses to keep their water cold, but just to be safe, he grabbed some extras and filled those ones up too.

He wouldn't put it past Pollux to know how to purify water without any fancy tools, but it couldn't hurt to pick up a portable water purifier, either.

Before heading to the stables to meet up with everyone, he got one of the day's cooks to make his favourite meal—Asun, roasted goat meat, sautéed in spicy habanero and red bell peppers. It was fantastic. Goat meat was far superior to chicken or beef or what-have-you, and he would stand by that to his dying breath.