Adam Peaks and the Living City

Chapter 7: Crash Course

"You'll get used to it, eventually," Camilla snickered as Adam was sick for the second time in ten minutes.

He emerged from the bushes for a moment and groaned, "is this what Undying smell all the time?!" He heaved forward and was sick again.

"Yes," she chuckled, "but, eventually you adjust to your heightened senses and you'll find that you'll come to enjoy them."

"Hard to enjoy the smells around me when I'm puking," he grunted, wiping his mouth, "I can hear everything in this park! How the hell aren't you going insane right now?!"

Camilla shook her head and then lunged at him with startling speed. Before he could react, she grabbed him and forced him to his knees. He felt his stomach lurch at the sudden motion, but managed to keep what little remained in his stomach from coming out.

"Close your eyes," she commanded, "and breathe in slowly through your nose. Good ... now let that breath out through your mouth, and keep doing that until you no longer feel sick. If you throw up on my coat or shoes, I swear on the Last Lords that I will kill you."

Adam did as he was told and felt immediate relief. He continued to breath in deeply through his nose, allowing the cold air of night to envelop him in its dark embrace. He could hear the movements of hundreds of animals darting in and out of the trees, and could hear the blood pumping through their veins. The scent of the city mingled with the fresh grass and foliage, overwhelming his senses. He retched and Camilla placed a hand on his shoulder, "keep breathing, let it pass. You are more connected to the world now than you were before. Do not fight your connection; embrace it. Come, sit with me."

He rose from his kneeling position and opened his eyes. The darkness receded and he could see almost as well as in the daylight. Camilla sat down on a nearby bench and waited for him, her foot tapping impatiently as he made his way over to her, his movements slow and calculated so as to settle his aching stomach. He sat down on the bench and breathed in, trying to still his pounding heart. He looked at her closely for the first time and felt his breath catch in his throat. She was pale like Ben, but had a slight glow around her, as if surrounded by a slight, haze of light. Her red hair fell around her face and shoulders like a frame of blazing fire, and her green eyes seemed to pierce through him like a knife. He felt his stomach flutter as he met her gaze and looked away, his cheeks flushing. She seemed not to notice, brushing her hair off to one side to better converse with him.

"Are you feeling any better?" she inquired.

"Yeah, thanks," he nodded as he focused on anything other than her probing eyes, "I-"

"Good, because I need you to listen closely, and I hate repeating myself. It will be easier to teach you if you're not constantly being sick."

"... thanks for your concern."

"Stop talking," she snapped, "and listen. Save your questions for the end, and I will try to answer them."

"Okay."

"First thing's first, if you are to be one of the Undying, you must know a little more about our people. Most Undying learn these things when they are toddlers, so I do hope that this will be easy for you to understand."

"I'm actually pretty smart-"

"Stop talking," she clicked her tongue in disapproval, "and listen. The first thing you need to understand is the difference between the Families ... which Family do you belong to, New Blood?"

"... Peaks?" he guessed, knowing that his answer would not be correct.

"Good God," she blinked at him, "you don't know anything."