Tales of a Dead God

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Girl Named Lydia

Lydia didn't seem to notice Gabriel's lack of interest. "So what do you do? I'm a seamstress a few blocks away. I don't usually go out but some of the girls I work with were excited. I think it's because of all the volunteers flocking in."

"Oh um..."

"You volunteering too then? I mean I'm only guessing. I know almost everyone here in the city and now all these new faces." She went on and on. Truthfully Gabriel wished she would just shut up but maybe she was nervous or something.

"Not exactly," Gabriel answered. Lydia tilted her head a bit in confusion.

"Not exactly what?"

"I'm not here as a volunteer," Gabriel deadpanned.

"So you're some sort of high-ranking official then?" She asked. Lydia leaned forward her eyes wide in anticipation.

"Sure. We'll go with that" Gabriel quickly answered.

Lydia didn't seem to be taken aback by the vague answer as she continued on about the new faces coming into town. Gabriel wasn't much for the conversation though. He really couldn't care about the ever-growing city.

"It must be scary, right? Fighting in war."

"I haven't fought in a long time." Yeah like a few centuries. Gabriel thought to himself.

Lydia looked a bit shocked when he said that. "You were just a kid when you fought last!" She exclaimed. Gabriel mentally slapped himself but kept his cool.

He looked at her without expression. "War doesn't care how old you are. It takes what it wants and leaves destruction in its wake."

Lydia sat there in silence watching her drink. Gabriel couldn't really figure out what she was thinking. So he turned his attention back to watching the door and still no one.

"I knew many of the boys here in town were signing up but I wouldn't have ever thought they would let kids fight." She looked as if she was going to start crying.

Gabriel sighed. "Count your blessings then. You've been lucky to not see what war is like or does to a soul." He watched Lydia as she processed everything.

Her eyes went wide again. "Are they children fighting "

"An able body means more hands for battle," Gabriel answered. He could see how heartbroken this girl was becoming.

Lydia sunk down in her seat. She didn't say much more. Gabriel watched her intently as she blankly stared into her drink. He could see her sadness lay over her like a blanket.

"Is this king so bad that innocent people have to die?" It was barely a whisper.

"Who?" Gabriel was caught off guard by the sudden shift of topics.

"The King that seemingly started all this." This girl clearly lived under a rock if she didn't know who Erebus was, but Gabriel entertained the idea.

Gabriel gave her a sympathetic look. "I've seen what this man has done firsthand. If anything, we're trying to prevent as many innocent people from dying."

"But the only way that happens is letting innocent lives die in the name of peace?" Lydia looked heartbroken

"Maybe we could talk about something else?" Gabriel was trying to talk about anything else to lift this poor girl's spirit.

Lydia shifted in her seat and sat straight. She gave a small nod and took a sip of her drink. "You know there's been some strange rumors about this king." Well, it wasn't much of a subject change.