The Boy in the Walls

Chapter 18

Liam had been having a completely normal conversation with his girlfriend up until they started talking about her work. The borrower didn't exactly like how the empire forced all the newbies to be Needles but Liam's significant other seemed to enjoy the job.

"Nji, I just don't get why you like hanging around all those stuck up Needles"

Njinga sighed in exasperation "Liam, I've already explained, their not stuck up, plus im just training all the newbies" she felt her boyfriend hug her from behind and returned the embrace.

"But still, i don't want you to become cold" he spoke into her afro as he nuzzled closer to her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Aw sweetly, I'm not gunna grow cold, i only help the transfers. For instance, this patent ive been dealing with recently, he's about your age in fact, he wouldn't accept his new role, kept calling himself 'Oliver' and almost passed out because of the stress"

Liam froze at the name. He knew that name "w-what did you say his name was?"

"Well his given name is Jacob, but he keeps calling himself Oliver, if you want i can show you his file" Njinga reached over to her desk and sifted through the files until she found the new boy's "why do you ask?"

Liam walked over to see the file "It's probably nothing i just-" he stopped when he spotted the picture of him. There was no way. It couldn't be "...O-Ollie?" His voice cracked.

"Wait, do you, do you know him?"

"H-he's my brother" Liam's eyes pricked with tears which Njinga wiped comfortingly.

"Hey its okay, do you wanna talk about it?" Liam nodded sitting onto the nearby bed. He collapsed into the comforting embrace of the soft plush blankets, Njinga quickly joining him.

"So uhm, i guess i should start back before I knew you. You know of corse that i didnt always live in the empire"

"Yeah, you said you moved here when you were little"

"Well thats not the complete story, you see, i had- have- a brother. We were fraternal twins but he's a minuet older. Anyway, it all started back when he lost his best friend. I wont go into detail but, It changed him nji, he just wasn't the same after that. He lost some of the wonder and excitement he used to have"

" Eventually he coped with the loss but i left before we could mend our relationship. I got lost one day when looking for a new house and, like most transfers, found a home in the empire. I started training to become an Acorn and eventually got my parents to move here as well. But when i went home to get them they said Oliver had disappeared one night and they hadn't seen him in months. I'd assumed that i'd never see him again but i guess he also somehow found his way here in the end"

Njinga stared blankly then lit up "Liam you know what this means right!?"

The borrower looked up slightly confused "w-what does what mean"

"You can be finally reunited with your long lost brother!" She excitedly grabbed Liam's hands and the boy smiled lightly.

"I'm not so sure Nji, what if he doesn't want to see me?"

"Well I've been training it's him recently, he's been though a lot before this and i thing you being there to comfort him might really help him adjust"

Njinga explained exactly what Oliver had said about how he had been caught, and fraternized with humans and broke borrower code. She spoke of his anguish at being talked from his human friend and how she had helped his recovery in the weeks previous. And when she was finished explaining Liam looked slightly horrified.

"You mean to say...my brother actually-" he shuttered "t-talked to one of those...monsters, even after all that happened?"

"Yeah, and he wouldn't even talk for the first week after his outburst but eventually i got through to him" 

Liam hesitated "h-how is he doing now?" 

"better, but he wont accept his name and he barely opens up. the training is going as well as can be expected but he might be able to change his rank after a few more weeks of training"

"do you think you could bring me to him" Liam said carefully.

"of course babe, he's your family! i can probably set up a time for you to visit during one of his  training sessions" she said sweetly.

"thanks..." Liam's eyes began to grow heavy as he drifted to sleep.  

---

liam woke in the morning to see that njinga had already left for her work. he got up groggily and set our to buy the days rations at the local market.

the borrower walked along the mystical streets of the empire, their was a faint aroma of something savory in the air of the market. the streets were littered with tons of mushrooms big and small. 

liam approached one of the stalls for rations and showed his rank tattoo before grabbing the small bag of food and continuing to his barracks.

the barracks were relatively empty except for the riders and a few generals. liam looked around the smoggy area until he locked eyes with a familiar face.

"hey synonym, over here!" one of his mates yelled when liam entered the facility. 

"Cal, i told you to stop calling me that, it was ONE TIME cant you just let it go" liam said elbowing his friend in the side affectionately. 

"sure, once you say the word right" 

liam sighed in defeat "so where we headed today?" he started, changing the subject.

"well, last trip they found traps near the south side so we should probably steer clear of there. how about we go west today?" cal walked over to the stables and straddled a squirrel. liam trudged through the slippery flooring before finding his mount and climbing onto it as well. 

"sounds good, anything else to look out for?" liam fed his squirrel a bit of honey glazed seed from his pouch as he pet her.

"nope, we should be good to head out now"