Chapter 38
The house still looks the same, except for the smell maybe. What would I expect from a drunkard dad and a six year old kid, a lavender scented house? I let them all sit and rest for a while as dad and I look for our first aid kit.
He desperately flips all boxes in the storage room. “Where is James when you need him the most?!” James is the organizer in these household. He likes segregating, filing things in order.
I walk out of the room immediately, concealing what seems to be tears. I thought I can handle a talk about James with them, but I guess I’m wrong. I feel like I pulled him away from them.
“Hey!” Dad shouts, following me out of the room. I hate it when he feels in a heartbeat that I’m keeping something from him. “Have you seen him in Kentron?” His concern eyes return. Why can’t he be that concerned with George? James apparently says that he’s working as Professor Wood’s assistant.
“No.” I answer in a flash. I notice Edward’s pretending to be busy.
“You’re lying in my face now. Whitehorn must be teaching well, huh?” he says firmly and goes back tending Sara’s wound without giving me time to defend my lies.
Right after Dad finishes cleansing all of their wounds and bandaging what must be bandaged Venturian guards come knocking in our door. “We’re here to pick them up.” One Venturian guard says, shaking my Dad’s hand and handing over a permission slip.
“Is she alright?” ask hurriedly a man in metal armour. He isn’t wearing the same blue uniform of the other Venturian guards. He offers a handshake to Dad and goes immediately to Sara’s side.
It’s Michael Webster. The great General of the troop Genesis. Genesis is like what others say is the collection of the fiercest, strongest, and most powerful and skilful first class soldiers, up to this date there are only eleven of them two from each district – except for Sapius who only have one – to promote unity and fairness. It’s still unbelievable how he became the General considering there are two Argonians in his troop.
We narrate what happened to him and he takes it calmly, nodding at us like it’s some kind of lesson he already taken up few times. “Why show up now?” he asks himself as we disappear in his consciousness. He looks at us finally and remembers that we are not his troop, we don’t know what or who is he talking about. “The attack was from the Mixed Blood rebels. We’ve been looking for them since your district representatives came to Camp Haiden. There were no sign of them until now. But why there? Why would they target young students?”
“How sure are you that they’re Mixed Bloods?” asks Dad, offering a cup of coffee to each of them. “They haven’t attacked since you know when, and I doubt there’s a reason for them to attack now. The Queen haven’t issued anything yet to provoke them.” He says, talking like a guard again. Maybe he misses it, being a guard especially when it’s the Diamond Castle he used to watch.
Michael Webster looks at him, assessing my father. “It seems that you know them better than we do, but if what you say is true, then I should consider a man hunt for loose lunatics instead. No one in their right mind would fire at a car with students in it exept for those Mixed Blood rebels.” He says emphasising the word ‘rebels’ since my dad didn’t address them earlier as that.
“Here you go Ms Valtimore.” Michael Webster hands over a rectangular small box.
I take it and open cautiously. I see a dog tag on a ball chain neatly lying inside the box, new and well-polished. I pull it out and read the imprinted words:
THRONUS
LUKE
VENTUS SIRE
DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE
4L-30-16-06K-22-18
W.H.
“You must be very special.” Michael Webster comments smiling at me. The other Venturian guard also smiles as he takes Samuel and Edward into his arms. “This is Sire Luke’s first training year in Camp Haiden and having that is something sentimental. Mine is still here. Everything I first experienced at Camp Haiden are intact in this” He pulls out an old dog tag out from his uniform and wipes it with honour.
I blush and feel so special. “Please tell him his behind classes.” I try to hide a smile.
I will treasure this gift forever.
