Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 38

Ashanaya

I looked into the fire, the flames danced around wildy as it burned, they made me think of the look in York's eye when he was angry or fighting too hard. Or Kel when she thought of Geoffrey. They were the ones who stayed angry, their pain didn't come out as sadness, they weren't sad their parents were gone, or that everythings been so bad for them, they were angry at the world for taking their parents away. Kel was angry at Geoffrey for doing those things to her, and angry at the nobles she had to serve. York was angry at his mother for ruining their life and being taken away. He was angry at the chieftans and quartermasters because he was never good enough for them.

They were passionate, but at the moment didn't have a lot to be passionate about, they hardly had anything. Valen, Marhara and I, we had things, we had a home to go to. We just didn't want to go back there. Valen and I were practically orphans, Marhara had to go back to a judgemental clan and a stillborn baby.

Cullen had nothing, I suppose he could always go back to his family, but if he didn't want to I'd understand. How do you go back and say 'I got my best friend killed while trying to get money from magic water.' He had responsibilities that he couldn't fulfill and he was one of the only ones who could. He was too young to take care of a family. He was probably exhausted all the time, maybe he needed the time away.

He stepped up beside me and sat down. "Well," He sighed. "Tent's up."

"I'm not ready to go to bed yet." I slouched and put my head in my hands.

"Yeah me neither." He leaned back, looking at the stars.

It was quiet, the bugs were the only loud thing I could hear. We left the fire small tonight, while it was cold, it didn't feel safe to make a bigger fire, I had a bad feeling but I was sure it was nothing. The stars were bright and dotted the sky heavily, with faint blue to purple colours behind them.

"So I was thinking." Cullen said. "You, Kel, York, even Valen all have the special thing in fights. Like you have rune magic, York, is York. Valen's got those forbidden enchantments, Kel learned to fight on her own, add to that she can call a whole herd of crows-"

"I think the correct term is actually a murder of crows." I laughed at the thought a little bit.

"Really? Well she can call on a whole murder of crows, probably anything in the forest she wants will come, add to that she can use magic if she really needs to."

"Well, York can do all of that." I shrugged.

"Yeah but she's human. And York isn't that great with actual weapons, when he's got that staff he just swats at the Ashen, he doesn't seem to really know how to use weapons." Cullen corrected.

"Well I think Valen said that when he was trying to train York he was pretty good with a short sword, they just didn't practice a lot because Valen's a little skank." I smiled.

"Wow, harsh. But anyway, you all have something special that you can use in a fight, if one of those screwed up elves gets near me what am I gonna do? I could pull out my daggers but I'm not that great with them and something tells me I'm gonna need more than that when we get to Valerie." He looked ocer at me. "I've got nothing."

"Well, neither does Marhara."

"Yeah but he's really good in a fight, and kinda scary, he's a big guy." He laughed a little, almost nervously, at that last part. "I just, I've been completely useless in every fight so far. You, Valen, and York have been doing all the fighting, but what are we gonna do when we get to Valerie and You and York are too busy trying to kill Valerie to help us? Valen won't be able to take all her minions alone. Kel will help but they'll still probably need more. Are me and Marhara just gonna have to hope to God that they don't?"

"I'm sure it'll be okay, and hey, maybe you do have something to help in a fight and you just haven't found it yet. Look at York, there's constantly more surprises there. Apparently he's crazy enough to laugh when he's got a gaping hole in his stomach. And Valen didn't show he was using forbidden enchantments until today, he never told me he did that. I never thought his father would be the type to either. I didn't know his father very well but I know he was an outstanding member of the clan, candidate for the next shaman I think because we always think our current one is gonna die since he's so old and talks like he's a ghost already." I explained. "Anyway, my point is, I think there's a way you can help, you just haven't found it yet. In the vision Shirajiin showed us, you were there. Their master must want you for something."

"Yeah about that vision, I noticed something." Cullen said.

"What was it?" I looked over at him.

"Why wasn't Marhara anywhere in it?"