Riptyde

Chapter 6: Secrets Untold

I can't believe she did this...

We head to this run down building after my "family reunion" with Johnny...Johnny, my little brother, is now a monster. I don't know how to feel about this. Connie told me to get out of there and I did, but I don't know what to think of her now. Everyone Johnny said, about magic and mythical creatures and a whole other world beyond ours, was true; and Connie knew it.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I couldn't hmm handle it, or is it the fact that you still don't trust me"?! I've been her apprentice for months now and she hasn't told me this crucial information? That's not unintentional, that was on purpose; and I feel betrayed. I want to know the truth, I want to know about these mythical creatures and magic. I went to know everything.

"The reason why I didn't tell you is because I barely know much myself. I've never seen a monster or a devil or angle. I've never seen this other world that houses dark magic. I've only read books, old textbooks from my old village and the monastery. I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I know, if you want, you can read the books yourself". Okay, now I feel bad now. She knows just as much as I do, little to nothing. "Fine, we need to go back to either your village or the monastery. I need to know everything". I'm a mixture of pissed and curious, I wanted to at least read a little of the mythical world.

She hesitated, but agreed to go back to the monastery. "Oh yeah, I uh...don't know how get back" she said with the giggle that you do when you fucked up. "Then what do we do now" I ask, all annoyed. "We'll just have to go to a local town and look up the information there. Or an old fashioned village". I'm ready to hit something now. She is annoying the hell out of me once again. I have lost all feelings for her, I don't even want to be her apprentice anymore. "How do I know your not telling me something". I look at her with a skeptical face, unsure if she's going to betray at some point. To our surprise and luck, there was a village right off a dirt road on the way to the monastery. I walked down the road instinctively without her, trying to lose her. "Hey, wait up! Wait for me"! She hauled ass after me as fast as she could, huffing and puffing right next to me. I really don't want to be with her anymore, I don't trust her anymore.

We finally get to the village, it looks like something out of a medieval RPG video game. Connie takes the lead, looking more serious. I ask her in a very pissed off voice "what's your problem? Why are you so serious"? She said not a word and walked off. There was a old abandoned building that looked ancient as hell, like, prehistoric. "What are we doing here? Answer me, Goddammit"! She only looked at me and said "We're where you can get your answers". How she said that sent a chill down my spine, is this a library? We walked in and dust filled the air, making me cough and gag.

There was a section that had a name, but no entrance. Connie pressed her hand onto a brick and with thunderous noise, an entryway appeared with ominous blue lighting. "Go, get your answers, and then we'll talk". With slight hesitation, I walk into the blue lighted section. The entryway closed and I was trapped on the other side. "Connie? Connie, open up this...thing...right now"!! No response, only the sound of the hall echoing my words. I walk down the hallway and look at the subsections of the room, I couldn't believe what i read. 'How to tame a dragon: beginner's edition', 'Mystic Arts Vol.1', "Light and Dark Magic for Dummies'. Half these titles sounded like rude gags and stupid jokes, but they weren't. I found this one book, titled 'The Beautiful and Ugly Sides of Angels'. I thought this was intriguing so I open it to a random page, what I saw made my heart skip a beat. There was a picture of a little...cat girl (or neko as I've heard was the 'official' name). She had white fur and red eyes, and a gorgeous white silk dress, I don't know why, but I felt...happier when I saw the picture, I felt like I was enjoying a peaceful day in "Summer". At the time, I had no idea why. I closed the book, shook my head, and continued looking at other texts. By the time I was done, I had a new found feeling of...overwhelming minoritism. I felt like a speck compared to these creatures, these beings of ultimate power. I left the section of the library, now with a real understand of the world.

"Do you understand now, why I didn't tell you. Why I was trying to keep you oblivious to these things"? Connie seemed genuine in her question asking, seemed actually upset. But I did understand, that doesn't change the fact that she lied to me after all this time. I said with a voice still annoyed, "yeah, I guess. It's a lot to take in when you first realize it". She looks at me, concerned. She looks afraid for some reason, it starts to worry me. "I would understand if you want to go on your own path. Honestly, I'd do the same thing if I were you. I did lie to you, but for a good reason. As soon as you stepped out of there, you looked overwhelmed. Please, dont be mad at me. I had my reasons". She had her reasons...what a load of shit! "I'm not mad that you lied to me about this, I'm mad that you lied about Johnny! He's my long lost LITTLE BROTHER, AND YOU KNEW HE WAS ALIVE AND WORKING WITH THE BAD GUYS!!! Explain why you didn't tell me about that, Connie"! She was speechless, and not in the good way. She looked at me not with a face of being concerned, but that of regret. "Because I didn't want your emotions to get in the way of my mission, to find my mentor, your FATHER! I have only one regret, and that was making YOU my apprentice. Goodbye, Jackson Riptyde". She threw a smoke bomb, and she was gone. Just like that, gone, without a trace.

"FINE, FUCK YOU AND YOUR MISSION, CONNIE! I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU BLEW THAT IN MY FACE, I HOPE YOU NEVER FIND MY FATHER"!! I've never been mad in my life. I felt like if I was to ever see her again, I'd kill her on the spot. "What are you going on about, sonny"? A voice spoke to me from the shadows, scaring the hell out of me. "Who's there, show yourself"! An elderly woman came walking out of the shadows, I felt so stupid being scared by a little old lady. "S-Sorry, ma'am, I'm...a bit on edge". I felt so bad, I've never snapped at a old lady before (unless you count my mother, hehehe). "There's no need to apologize, young man. I'd be mad to if someone lied to me like that. What's you name, son". She was so sweet, I couldn't believe what i was hearing. "Riptyde, ma'am. Jackson Riptyde, why"? I felt like she knew something, or maybe recognized me from my father. "I knew it, she lied about that too." What?! What was she talking about? I had to know! "What are you talking about, lady?! What do you mean by that"?! I was already flustered, so that's why I snapped again, she didn't mind. "Connie was an old student of your father's, his top student. She did all her exercises perfectly and without hesitation, followed his every command. Son, your father really is dead, he died a few years ago. She knew that, but she didn't care. She had a different motive". WHAT?! Dhe knew my father was dead! "How do you know this"?! "Why, dear boy. I was the one to tell her the bad news in the first place". I wanted to die, I couldn't BELIEVE I trusted Connie, never again. "What should I do now then"? I asked her, drained of all energy. "There's a forest with natural hot springs dew north of here, go there and relax a bit". It was worth a shot, but I'm taking this with a grain of salt. My trust has been thurally fucked up today.

It took a few days, but I finally made it. The old lady lied to me, so I was pissed. But then I realized why she told me to come here, it was really...nice; but then I saw something...weird. Little did I know, they would change my life...