The Spirit Guardians Book 4: Liberated

Chapter 3

The entire cabin was on edge with the string of announcements that had invaded their daily lives. Besides the fact that Cherie remained upset over her interactions with The Tiger, Lillian's announcement that she was going to be enlightened had left everyone slightly frightened and irritated, especially Mitsuki. That, coupled with the thought of a revolution that was to occur in only a few months, had everyone gritting their teeth.

Conny was up early in the morning, when the sun had barely risen over the hilltops. He had been having trouble sleeping. He sipped on a cup on a warm cup of coffee at the kitchen table, watching snow flutter to the ground outside. He had been kept up often lately, not sure what his purpose was now that Cassie had finished training. He knew he should train, that he should prepare himself, but he felt himself being called elsewhere. This cabin no longer felt completely like home to him. Everyone had their own commitments, their own thoughts, their own relationships. Conny did not feel like he could contribute to the rebellion as much as the others.

He let a sigh escape his lips, which caught the attention of Cherie, who had just entered the kitchen to make her own morning cup of coffee.

"You're up early," she remarked, seeming surprised at his presence. "Shouldn't you be sleeping until noon?"

"Couldn't sleep," Conny muttered, taking another sip of his morning drink.

"You've been fairly quiet lately," Cherie noticed as she moved around the kitchen, clanking plates and utensils to grab a spare mug.

"So have you," Conny pointed out, still feeling uneasy about why Cherie neglected to share any information about The Tiger. He had never seen her act so upset or secretive before. Her face was usually always lifted into a smile, even in the darkest situations.

"What's troubling you?" Cherie asked, pulling out a chair to sit across from him. The flickering orange glow of the stove's light illuminated the room as the windows remained painted dark as dawn took hold.

"We'll all have to join the ranks at some point, won't we?" Conny asked, tightening his grip around the mug.

"Well...yes. But not until the battle is close. We'll meet, organize into squads, et cetera."

"But there have already been militaries forming, haven't there?" Conny wondered, squeezing his mug tighter in his hands. It burned his skin slightly.

"For those who truly want to be on the frontlines, yes. Though we will all be partaking in this type of military training together here," Cherie explained. "You should all be training regularly, though we'll step it up once the battle draws closer."

"I want to join the ranks early," Conny stated simply. He had been contemplating this thought for weeks, no—months—now.

Cherie's eyes widened. "Join early? You mean join the military now? That's not necessary. It's still—"

"Everyone here has something to do. But I don't feel that way at all. I'm actually interested in this rebellion, where this will all lead. I think it would be good for me to get out of here for a little bit," Conny said quietly. He had been milking these thoughts late at night and early in the morning. Apparently all it took was an early morning discussion over a cup of coffee for such thoughts to surface into conversation. That and Cherie's kind demeanor.

He watched Cherie's face slowly droop into a frown.

"Is there something else troubling you we need to talk about?" she asked quietly.

"No. This is just how I feel," Conny stated.

"There's a military rank a little farther north. It's one of the biggest ones forming. But is that really what you want, Conny? You don't strike me as someone who..." Her voice trailed off.

"I'm not as athletically-inclined as my brother, you can say that," Conny said, chuckling a little. "But I want to be involved somehow. This is something I've been thinking about for a while."

"But do you really want to leave everyone behind in the meantime? I hate to speak grimly, but this may be your last few months together with everyone," Cherie murmured.

"I want to make a difference. I want to get out there, make alliances, get to know more people."

Cherie chuckled. "Now this sounds more like yourself. But is that really how you want to do it?"

"Yes," Conny stated. "I want to avenge my parents. And when all this is over, I'd love be involved with whatever political situations arise. I've never really known what it's like to live peacefully as a spiritkeeper. I want to ensure this doesn't happen again."

Cherie's face grew more cheerful now.

"It hurts my heart you're not a little baby boy anymore. You'll be twenty in a few months. It's hard to think about that. I don't want anyone here getting hurt. But I'm also not your mother, so I can get in contact with the military officials for you. Is that what you truly want?"

Conny nodded his head. "And don't say you're not my mother, Cherie. You're the closest I have to one. Same for Marc as well, though he remembers our mother a bit better. She'd be happy you raised us so well." He could see tears glistening in Cherie's eyes as he said this.

"You want to leave as soon as possible?" she whispered, her tone growing somber.

"Yes."

"Marc won't be happy with you," Cherie warned.

"We're all pissed at each other for endangering ourselves these days, but it has to be done. Marc can fight in a different way. But I want to be more directly involved."

Cherie leaned over the table to hug him. He could feel her body tremble as she did so, causing the table to vibrate. It hurt him to make her cry, but he knew they were mostly tears of pride.

"I would wait until after Thanksgiving," Cherie said as she sat back down at the kitchen table. "Lillian told me she'll wait until after then as well. But then you'll be home for Christmas in a few weeks, so I shouldn't worry too much. You won't be away for months on end."

"Will The Tiger be joining around that time?" Conny asked.

"I can't tell you these things," Cherie hissed. "So far, it appears things are going well, but you didn't hear that from me. I almost wish they weren't."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just me blabbering," Cherie quickly offered in response.

"They can have my room," Conny suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous. We have plenty spare rooms here."

"So it's not a boy then? Otherwise you wouldn't have said anything," Conny teased.

"I didn't say that! Leave me alone. I hate dealing with this whole situation anyway," Cherie grumbled, crossing her arms. Clearly the frustration had not vanished completely since she had returned.

"Why can't you say anything?" Conny asked.

"It's a complicated situation. Anyway, I need to send some emails out. Are you okay sitting here alone for a bit?"

Conny nodded. Cherie's chair scooted back, and she exited, leaving Conny in the kitchen by himself once more. He turned his head to stare at the falling snow and rested his hand against his chin. This was what he was used to nowadays.