With every breath Hawkins muscles relaxed a little more, the nicks and bruises he had collectively gathered over the last few hours sealed over with the heat of his Fire Trait. He glanced over at the group and then towards the strange, burning Triad weaving its way through the Mound and settled on Cull’s lap, the weight of his fatigue was far less than he had initially thought. Until his eyes met Odi’s and finally he understood.
Cull’s Trait wasn’t powered by anger. It was empathy.
A protective ember that burrowed itself deep within the ground, barely noticeable like a crackling campfire in a maelstrom or a single candle in an expansive darkness. It had been mistaken for a raging inferno, a stifling desert Caldorian wind, a dangerous thing to avoid just as his own flame had been.
But much like Hawkins’ own Trait, his latent ability to heal along with his self worth restricting everything…he regretted ever placing the once brutish Enforcer in the same box. Like constantly holding a burning torch with his bare hands Cull felt so much, so often that everything felt…frustratingly angry all the time. Cull's anger didn’t feel so…bad. It just felt…like a lot for one person.
...........
Gahhh! SO glad to get this one out. I did update AotF in May so I'm still keeping to monthly updates but this chapter was SO draining I'm just glad I can move on with it. Can't promise more updates for AotF as much as I enjoyed my time with it but motivation is always fun times so...we'll see.
Enjoy!
Cap'n
https://www.wattpad.com/story/3733664?utm_source=android&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_reading&wp_page=reading&wp_uname=CaptainSarcastic101
