The Power of a Name

Part 15

They left immediately, neither he nor the girl had much to take with them.

"What about the others?" he asked.

"They would never come." The girl explained.

Not an original idea or an ounce of humor between them. It said. This one's the only one with any sense of fun.

"Please tell me she doesn't share your definition of fun."

The girl looked at him curiously.

He could practically feel it smile, Maybe.

He rolled his eyes. He had once thought it was pure evil, but as he grew up he had come to realize that it actually fit the term 'chaotic neutral' to a T.

"So," he turned to her. "Are you still the girl I knew or are you something else now?"

She paused thoughtfully, "she might be in here somewhere. I have her memories, but I am the one in control."

"That's what it told me would happen."

She tilted her head at him, "this is strange. You are still human, and I can't sense my kin even though I know you are a host."

"I guess I wouldn't really know. It's been like this for most my life. I honestly thought that it was like this for everyone."

"I have a question."

"Okay."

"But not for you." She gave him a knowing look. "Would you mind?"

He thought about it then glanced around, nobody seemed to be paying them any attention as they traveled. "Okay." He closed his eyes a moment. Don't do anything stupid, he told it as it came forward. We're in public.

Whatever you say. It opened his eyes and turned back to the girl, her eyes slightly wide.

"I can sense you now."

"Good to know," his mouth quirked to the side. It did its best to not project its presence, but it could only fully hide when he was in charge. "What was your question?"

She took a moment to organize her thoughts. "I was wondering if you were an old one?"

It lifted an eyebrow, "An 'old one'?"

"You know. An old one."

"I really don't."

"Old ones are beings that came to humans a long time ago, they are said to be the most powerful. And that's why they had to leave in the first place."

It laughed, causing a few heads to turn, "Is that the fairytale they're selling to the young these days?"

She looked a little disappointed.

"I have been here for quite a long time, but when I left I was hardly at the top of the food-chain."

"But humans only discovered how to call us fairly recently." Her brows knit.

"They've known for a long time, actually. They just couldn't pull it off reliably until the past few decades."

How long have you been here anyway? He asked.

It shrugged, "Not really sure. A century at least, probably more like two or three. I didn't keep track of time very well early on."

The girl looked confused, then seemed to realize it wasn't speaking to her. "What's a century at least?"

"How long I've been here." It looked at her more closely, "How old are you?"

"Twe-" She started to answer.

"You, of course, not the body."

"Oh," she paused. "About seventy-eight, I think. Assuming I didn't lose any time in the transition and that time moves at similar paces, that is."

"You are young."

She's young? I'm like twenty-five.

"Yes, well, you're human. And besides, as my host your physical age is closer to twenty " It mumbled back at him.

Wait, he wasn't aging normally? He knew he was a bit of a late bloomer, but he had never thought that it was the cause. He didn't know how to feel about that. Was there anything on his life it didn't touch?

It groaned, "geez, kid. Is it really that big a deal?"

Maybe.

It turned to the girl. "Do you have any other questions? I don't think he'll sit still much longer."

I'm not trying to do anything. He insisted. And he wasn't, but some part of him was having more trouble dealing with this new information than he wanted to admit.

She shook her head "I don't think so," she looked concerned at his stiffened posture.

It stopped resisting and he flowed back into himself, body slumping forward. She caught him before he could slide out of the seat.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I really didn't mean to cut you short."

She studied him curiously. Somehow there was no trace of the being she was just talking to, nothing but a vague feeling brushing against the furthest corners of her mind. And while she hadn't been able to get a true sense of how powerful it was, she knew it was enough to overpower the commander. Who was this boy to overcome a force like that without even meaning to? 

***Author's Note***

Thank you for reading!

If you liked it don't forget to comment and vote :)

If you were wondering about the age thing here it is:

20 years together, he was about 5 when it happened.

Physical Age = chronological age-(time together/4)  --->  25-(20/4)=20