Rituals, Regrets, and Really Dumb People

Chapter 10: Reinhardt's Sons, Part 2

"By God, be damned, Sanguine," Corbin shouted and cursed as Lilly and I wandered on up. "Really? Following me?"

I held my hands out in front of myself, a sort of shield in case he did whack me with his truncheon. "Listen, Corbin—"

"No, now, you listen here. This is my home and you are not welcomed."

"Who are these two, Corbin?" his wife asked him. Pretty lady, a little younger than me and Corbin. She had an eyepatch on her left eye, but it did not detract from her grace and charm. It added to it, if anything. "Are they dangerous?" She reached and took her boy up in her arms, terrified and worried for her kid. It was hard to blame her.

"No," he remarked, looking at her. "They won't do anything. This is Lilly and—"

"Mathias," I answered for him. I did not want him to have to say my old name and scare the poor lady to an early grave. "Mathias, ma'am. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Lilly said after.

"Listen—uh—Mathias, you gotta go, man. I am not going to help you."

"Help with what?" his wife asked on.

It was my turn to ask a question. "Ma'am, are you two husband and wife?"

"Two years married."

"Is your boy two?"

"Three."

"Uh, I see. Shamy Corbin, pre-marital..."

Corbin didn't find my joke humorous. I should have been a little more mature about such things.

"Anyways, I've come asking Corbin for his help."

"On what?"

"That's the thing, ma'am; it's sort of a big deal."

"Mathias's lackey decided to go and try to destroy the world," Corbin told her. "So, he needs my help to go wrangle him in."

"Oh, that's all?" she said rather plainly. I could see why they took an interest in one another.

"It's sort of a long story, ma'am," I said to her. "I really could use Corbin's help."

"I am a father now, Sanguine—"

Damnit. "Sanguine!?" his wife shouted. "Sanguine is here?" She clutched her child tight to her chest, almost ready to back away.

"Please, ma'am." I said to her. "I am not that man anymore, I promise you."

"Mathias," Corbin sighed. "Sorry about that, slip of the tongue and all, but—I have a wife and a child now who need me. I can't go play knights and wizards anymore. I'm a man of the Light now, I have my duties already."

"I know that, Corbin. I can see that, but the whole of the world needs us now. There is a child out there without any parents who needs us. Dimitri, man. He never did anything wrong to you."

"I know, and I can't help that. I have my own problems. It would be irresponsible of me to up and leave my kid and my wife. It'd be more so to leave her a widow and him fatherless. You must understand that, Mathias."

He turned and he stepped towards his house, calling his wife and child inside. This was the end of the conversation, or so he thought. I could see the look on his wife's face, something of interest to what I said earlier. She didn't go inside just yet.

"You said a child need your and Corbin's help?" she asked.

"Aye," I said. "I—was a bad person, ma'am. The child is the Seal, and I don't right reckon you'll understand all the jargon I could use to explain it, so I'll just tell you the short of it; she is an innocent victim in all of this. Dimitri is as well. The world is at stake in a bad way, but as well, the girl did no wrong to anyone. Her only crime is she was born who she was."