Rune Stealer

Questions Game

"It looks so beautiful out here," I exclaimed as we walked outside into the gardens.

The pathway into the gardens was pure white stone, framed with beautiful dark green vegetation, their arms reaching out into the pathway as if they were trying to grasp onto us. Within the green were a variety of bright colors. When I looked closer I saw that the colors were gorgeous flowers in multiple different shapes and sizes. The torch light played against the flowers in a way that caught my attention.

I did not realize that I stopped to look at the hypnotizing flowers until I felt Cress tug on my arm. I laughed and then took one last look at the flowers before I kept walking forward.

When I looked up, all I could see were the underside of trees with the moonlight piercing through them. It was quiet and still, for the birds and bugs were asleep at such a time at night.

"Yeah," Breathed Cress as he looked up at the trees with me, "it does." He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "This endless garden used to be my escape when I was younger. There's so many hidden pathways to and from different places in the palace." He looked at me suddenly, a playful smile on his face. "Forget I told you that," he chuckled. He looked back at the pathway. "I have not been here for a long time."

The pathway finally opened up to a wide clearing. The white stone went away and was replaced with more dark green. Luscious grass covered the clearing in the middle of the garden and placed in the middle of that grass was a grand, white fountain. Water spouted out of the wings and beak of the sculpted bird; a cattail clutched in its claws.

The clearing was also framed with emerald green and narrow and wide paths disappearing off into the trees. I then understood why Cress liked it so much. So many places to disappear.

"Where have you been?" I asked as we walked towards the fountain.

"Hm?" mumbled Cress as he sat down on the fountain ledge. He propped his left arm on his knee and sat his chin in his hand as his right arm rested on his other leg; his right fingers rubbing against each other.

"You said you have not been here for a while."

"Oh yeah," sighed Cress. "I've been in Ponėėn."

"Why?" I asked as I plodded around the fountain to try and see past the garden trees. When Cress did not say anything, I stopped in front of him. He glanced up at me, his eyes narrowed.

"Let's play a game," he finally said. Suspicious, I gave him a look. "Awe, come on." He patted the spot on the ledge next to him. Hesitantly, I sat next to him.

"Here is how it goes," started Cress. "You ask one question and I answer truthfully, then I ask one question and you do the same. We keep going until one of us runs out of questions."

"Can I-"

"No you cannot pass on questions and neither can I."

I nodded, soaking his proposal in. "Hm," I thought. "Well," I said as I stood up abruptly. "Guess I did not want to really know that much about you after all." I turned around and started walking back towards the path.

"I know that look," called Cress, causing me to stop walking. "That look of agonizing curiosity. I know it because I see it in the mirror all the time."

When I slowly spun back around, Cress was smiling back at me, his eyes swimming with that curiosity. Pursing my lips, I contemplated my choices. Finally, I shrugged and moved to sit back down on the fountain ledge.

"Fine," I sighed.

"Great," grinned Cress, a satisfied smile across his face. "I'll start," he announced, receiving an icy glare from me. He continued.