Awakening [GxG]

51

Anana once said that Yabaga had been sad for a long time. Maybe Narvari had been too young to see it then. But now, sitting before her father, the exhaustion and sorrow effusing from him was crystal clear. Even his voice seemed a little gruffer than she remembered. The man was the same, yet he looked entirely different.

"Why do you look so young?" The words came out before she could even think it through. The man she knew six years ago was a lot older. He was in his mid-sixties, but he looked three decades younger.

"Continuous use of sacred energy slows down aging," said Hellstorm. "I stopped using mine when you were born and only began using it recently. So now I'm back to my usual self."

Narvari nodded. She knew people from Agon aged slowly. She didn't know sacred energy was the reason for that.

"Little Princess--"

"Papa," Narvari protested.

"I know, I know. You're not little anymore. But you'll always be my little princess. You know that."

Narvari sighed. "Why didn't you tell me about any of this? About vanquishers... about demons? Why hide it from me?"

"I was hoping to keep you away from it. To protect you."

"Protect me from what? Demons?" Narvari clenched her fists. Why did he keep saying that? "Well, guess what, Papa, those demons still managed to attack Sharmandi. Anana and Jimbaga are dead because of them. And if not for the vanquishers showing up..." Narvari paused, not wanting to think about the rest of what might have happened. She thought she had put the past behind her. It seemed not. What would have been the fate of Sharmandi had Pheera, Yanvirrak, and Azmel not shown up? No matter how fierce the Kirriba were as warriors, those demons were invincible to their attacks. The entire country would have been wiped out unless Narvari had miraculously awakened her vaz somehow.

"You're right. This was all my fault."

"Papa," she took her father's hand, "it's not your fault. I only said that because I was angry."

"No, I should have been there. I should have protected you and your grandmother. I'm sorry I abandoned you."

Narvari wanted to be mad at him. She wanted to hate him. But this was a man she had idolized for most of her life. Could he really be a demon like everyone was saying? "Is it true, Papa?" Narvari asked.

"What?" he asked softly.

"They're saying you're a demon. Is it true?"

"Do you believe them?"

"I don't know what to believe, Papa." She couldn't sense any demon energy from him. Then again, if someone as powerful as Yabaga had been turned a demon, he would at least be a greater demon and that meant he could conceal his demon energy. She had to know. "I need you to tell me the truth." The silence nearly drove Narvari crazy. If Yabaga admitted he was a demon, then that was proof that Narvari was a demon too. The mere thought of that sent chills down her spine.

"My new teleportation ability is indeed powered by demon energy," he said, "and I'm a lot stronger now. But I'm certainly not a demon, little princess. And that is the truth."

Narvari released a huge sigh of relief. Suddenly, she felt much lighter, as if a burden weighing a ton had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn't realize how stifling this had been on her until now. She almost cried tears of joy. "I was so scared," she said. "I thought I was a demon because you were a demon."

Hellstorm rubbed his cheeks while avoiding Narvari's gaze. A lot of things might have changed about her father, but some things never changed--like how her father would avoid her gaze distracting himself with his hands whenever he was hiding something. He had never been good at lying to her.