Mana Pool Snippets - The Days After

Two

Jaruka shook his head as he grappled with the idea of listening to a spirit animal. He looked through the window toward the sky. "It's afternoon?"

"Yes."

"Crog! How long..."

"Were you out?" Arana finished for him, and Jaruka slouched. "A few hours."

Crap! Not good!

"Forget it, bird, I need to leave before—"

"Ah, no, you are not, mercenary," Arana said and jumped off the rack. "You have some explaining to do. You stay put." She skipped to the cracked door.

"No wait um...I have bird seed!"

Meeting Scott and Katie again had to wait, just until he knew he would not jeopardize them. Jaruka struggled getting out of the tub, but Arana left before he could lift himself from the water. His soaked clothes were far heavier than he had thought. The water sloshed and pushed him forward onto the floor chest first as more water spilled out.

"Teal is awake!" The bird yelled.

Jaruka stood as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Crap, crap, crap."

Jaruka went for the door, but Scott pushed it open before Jaruka could lock it. He blamed his clothes for slowing him down. He was not sure how far Scott's mana heart had healed and did not want to test it.

"Finally," Scott said. "Explain yourself." Katie was right behind him.

Jaruka grumbled. "I get it. You two are mad. I have no reason to fight. Look at me, I'm soaked." Several spits of water flew from his long tunic cuffs, right onto the couple. "Why don't you two let me go and we'll settle this later."

"No, right now," Katie said harshly. "You promised. We had a deal before you left. You scared my parents half to death."

She went past Scott to stand between him and mercenary. Somehow, it reminded Jaruka too much of the cell at the airbase.

"I had to talk them out of calling the National Guard for hours while you were unconscious, but somehow Deryl found out. That smell from you nearly made Mom puke."

"And the skunk you squashed," Scott said nodding.

"Oh so that's the creature's name," Jaruka said. "Wait. Squashed? I kicked it at a rock."

"Before, maybe. I don't know. Robert smacked you in the head pretty hard with a shovel though. Then you dropped, hard. I'm not sure how you did that."

Jaruka thought for a second. He had been hit in the head with metal blocks, staffs, hard-shelled fruits, and fists from countless species before, but not garden tools.

"At least thank us for dragging you up here and stick you in a tomato sauce and calamine gel bath," Scott said. "How much do you weigh exactly? I nearly broke my back and ripped my chest open, no thanks to Robert."

Jaruka thought for a moment. "About...hundred four kilos,"

"Pounds, Jaruka, pounds," Katie said. "Look, I'm going to get some clothes for you to wear. Just don't go anywhere."

Jaruka's eyes widened. "Human clothes? Ah no, not for me. I'd rather leave with my dignity intact."

"In this house, we like to keep things clean, especially selling wine," Katie retaliated. "And another thing. Deryl is here."

"Who's he?" Jaruka asked with suspicion, but he already knew the answer to his question.

"He's your other watcher besides us, and some agent with him. Who he is I don't care. God." Katie stomped out.