A/N: Hey! So I was super pumped after the last chapter, mostly because I wasn't able to fit in everything I wanted to fit in because of length issues, so I speed-wrote this. So you all get a super special update. :) In related news, things are gonna get crazy soon, you guys. Some of the chapters coming up have plot twists out the wazoo. That is, if stories have a wazoo. But for the purpose of this author's note, let's say they do.
~Nicole
Adella sat down on the wooden chair in Baxley’s home, watching as he prepared a snack for the two of them. He bustled around the kitchen, making excuses for this and that as he did.
“Sorry about the unevenness of the chair. I made it a bit shoddily. Are you alright? I know it’s a bit drafty in here… "
Adella smiled warmly at Baxley and waved off each of his excuses. In truth, she couldn’t be happier. This was him. This was really him. After twelve years of separation, twelve years of searching, here he was. Her brother.
“Adella?”
Adella came out of her reverie with a slight shock, and saw Baxley looking at her expectantly.
He must have just asked me a question, Adella thought, slightly embarrassed. Blushing, Adella asked, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I just asked how you found me,” Baxley said, placing a plate with bread and cheese on the table in front of Adella and settling on a chair across from her. “I mean, twelve years is a long time. Not to mention I had moved to a completely different country. It can’t have just been chance.”
Adella reached over to the plate and plucked up a slice of bread, picking off small slivers of it and popping them in her mouth as she collected her thoughts. She wanted her answer to be thorough. After all, Baxley was right. This was no chance encounter. At the same time though, she wished she could evade his question entirely; there were some things Adella would rather not remember. Nevertheless, Adella cleared her throat and began her story.
“Well, you remember that we were in Kantonava City on the day that Cynric attacked?”
Baxley nodded his head, picking up a small piece of cheese as he listened to Adella.
“Of course. We had been invited there for a festival honoring the king. I doubt anyone in our company has forgotten, if they are still alive.”
Adella nodded and popped another piece of bread into her mouth. She remembered the day all too well. Her mother and father had been so excited; a chance to perform for the king could bring them all out of poverty and make their circus a reputable one. And her family wasn’t the only one that was excited. Wilhelm’s parents had been overjoyed as well. Wilhelm’s father had been so nervous, he’d actually burned himself during their fire eating rehearsal, something that hadn’t happened for years…
Adella shook her head to rid herself of such trivial memories. She was telling a story.
“Well, once he attacked, and everyone was panicking, I tried to find you, but I couldn’t in the mess of people. I ended up just sprinting away as fast as I could back to the tents. Cynric’s troops had set some of them on fire, but I’d managed to recover some items of importance from the tents that weren’t too badly burning.”
“What was so important that you had to go back and get it from a burning tent?” Baxley asked, confused.
“Weapons, mostly,” Adella answered. “My training sword, some daggers from your things, some of my fire eating supplies…”
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Mercenary
Historical FictionThe Phoenix is a terrifying mercenary, a soldier who travels the ten kingdoms, fighting for any who can afford his price. It is said that he is eight feet tall, with the strength of ten men. He breathes fire in battle, burning his victims alive. It...
