The Arcana

Sweet Dreams

        Joshua and I decided to leave the city as it was too dangerous with Death's soldiers still searching for me. I felt uneasy about the whole prospect of him being near. I secretly stole away white beauty and Joshua stole away a horse of his own as we made our escape into the woods at the edge of town. We were silent as we treked through the dark forrest, neither of us scared as we were the ones to be feared. I could tell Joshua had a million and one questions to ask me but he did not ask any. I had a gut feeling to stick with him but I was having doubts about sharing all my secrets with the stranger. Thinking back, I couldn't help but remember Abram. It wasn't until we had found a suitable grove to sleep in that I saw he was about to burst with curiosity.

        He suddenly turned around to face me where I was putting down my bag to prepare for some well needed sleep. "So why were you being chased by those soldiers back there?" I was a little surprised that he had chosen that to be his first question but I quickly recovered.

        "You see it was before the games had started, I was an assasin and I was ordered to kill the King. Unfortunately my work was interupted and so now he hunts me so that he can kill me himself." I lied smoothly, I did not yet want to tell Joshua about my encounter with Death just yet. The whole thing had unsettled me and I was still trying to get over it. He seemed to really think about his next question before slowly asking me.

        "So I've noticed you keep using jargon such as 'The Games' and 'skills'. How do you know so much? And can you tell me why, well, I am what I am I guess." He seemed flustered and confused about everything, and I thought long and hard before answering hesitantly. 

        "I don't really know too much myself, I was only told recently by- my grandmother." I felt bad for keeping so many things from Joshua but remembering what Death had told me so far I continued anyways. "Apparently there are nineteen other people just like ourselves with... unusual capabilities. We were all born to compete in some sort of Games and fight to the death. Grandmother told me that the winner gets immortality..." I shivered at this knowledge and wondered if the rumors that Death was immortal held any truth.

        Joshua seemed to be absorbing everything I threw at him. He seemed to be just as unaware as I was about all of this. I sort of felt like the blind leading the blind trying to tell him the things that I barely understood myself. He looked at me through his long dark eyelashes and asked in a quiet voice. "Do we have to play the Game? Why was I chosen? Don't get me wrong I love my powers but geez this is all a little much to have to fight to the death for something I might not even want..." He trailed off having caught some thought that I left me standing there awkwardly. I sighed and sat where I had stood and crossed my legs. I figured I wouldn't get to sleep for awhile.

        He looked back up at me and glanced at me suspiciously as he said, "If we are meant to fight to the death and you were an assasin before, will you kill me in my sleep? How do I know I can trust you and have you killed someone like us who plays in this Game?" I flinched at his last comment and tried my best to cover up my guilt, I wasn't ready to tell him about the Alchemist and I figured he definently wouldn't trust me if I told him anyways.

        I looked him straight in the eye with certainty in my voice and said with confidence. "Joshua I promise you I will not murder you in your sleep, nor do I ever plan on killing you. I'm dead tired from being on the run and right now I just want to sleep. So if you promise not to kill me I promise not to do the same." For a few minutes he just looked at me and I was afraid he was going to refuse saying that I was guilty and that I deserved Death but he sighed heavily and promised he wouldn't kill me. As I turned over to sleep I heard him mutter under his breath. "Even if I tried to I'm sure you would just be quicker and kill me before I could even blink." I tried not to think of it as a compliment but in my life I had to take what I could get.