Nyx's Descendant

Chapter 6

I then walked quickly to the door and approached Razut when he asked without looking at me, "How did you sleep?" I froze. "I slept better than I had in a long time," I told him, feeling a little awkward. "I'm glad to hear that," he said softly, almost as if he was talking to himself. "If I interrupted you in anything, I could go..." he laughed loudly. A musical baritone sound with wind chimes. He slowly turned to look at me with a soft smile. "Why would you be bothering me? This is your place. You have full right to ask me to leave and I would have to comply," he said.

I shook my head. "I couldn't be that mean," I say appalled. He smiled still. "No, you wouldn't be like that, would you?" he asked, mostly to himself. "There's something about your past that coincides with me isn't there?" I asked. That wiped the question off his face. "Don't ask about that. It doesn't matter with the present," his tone turned cold. I stepped back, hands up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything from it," I said.

His expression didn't relax. "I just don't want anything to become uncomfortable and awkward. I know that we don't know each other. So, trust isn't easy for either of us. Plus, you have a longer history than I do. It's just since you said you have to be by to help guard me. I just want you to be okay and to not make it..." I stopped speaking because the cold look in his eyes froze me in place. "Worry not about me," he snarled. "I can keep personal emotions in check from my task."

I nodded, not breathing, frozen in place. I unfroze after a while and said, "Of c-course. I'm sorry. You're right. I'll not ask anymore questions," and then I ran back to the bedroom. I didn't have a door, but there was a curtain and I closed it. I slumped against the wall far from the bed. I pulled my knees up to my chest and I broke down. I don't know why that hurt me so much. I sobbed and gasped for an unknown amount of time. The next thing I knew, someone gently lifted me up and wrapped their arms around me.

I pushed away from whoever held me. They didn't say anything, except hold me tighter. I sobbed even harder, trying to catch my breath. "Zeke, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," Razut's gentle voice whispered in my ear. I froze. I felt cold, trembling, scared. He gently leaned against the wall and snapped his fingers. A dull white light flickered to life in a nearby lantern. How oblivious was I to everything here? I pushed myself up along the wall and stood up.

He moved closer to me, and I ducked under him and spun around and backed away from him. "Zeke?" Razut called out to me. "I'm doing what you want. You can be the guard for me. We don't have to be close," I told him. I turned away and went to the living room. I sat at the edge of the couch and looked towards the fireplace. I never paid much attention to the room that Malen put me in for the night. I snapped my fingers in its direction and a bright dark orange and cyan flame sparked to life.

I stared at the cackling flames. Razut came close to me, moving slowly. "Zeke, will you allow me to explain what happened?" he asked me. I glared. "Why?" He sat down next to me. "I don't want to hurt you. I didn't want to be mean like that," he said. "I get it. You don't owe me anything. Just protect me. We don't have to be friends," I told him. "Let me explain," Razut began. "Why?" I asked. "What's the point?" "Zeke, you have to understand that a thousand years ago, things were a lot different," he started.

"I'm guessing more chaotic and uncivilized?" He nodded. "We were more barbaric then. A few were gentle, only savage in war. Things weren't what you're used to today. I was...well, I can't really say. At least not yet. You are right about one thing though. You are linked to the reason. You personally didn't do anything wrong. There's just a lot I need to figure out and deal with it all," he said. "You can't tell me who the person I'm linked to is, will you?" I asked. "I can't. I thought I would be cursed with the knowledge, but you came around and freed me. It may be temporary; it may be permanent.