Tyranny (The Key)✔

Chapter 30- Questions

It's now of all the worst times that I find the realization, I wouldn't recognize my silhouetted parents if they were towering at my side.

Questions I have no worthy answers to prove the only thoughts floating about in my mind. This is the first time, and probably the last, that I've woken prior to Phoenix, allowing me required and hoped for time to ponder and think to myself, to search all my mind and use my experiences and memories to best make feeble assumptions to conclusive answers.

The confusion becomes an overwhelming shadow, so I shake my head in self annoyance, hugging Genesis, collapsing on her. Up and down her deep breaths, inhale and exhale, nose at ease for once, twitching only with wispy breath, ears relaxed and quiet, eyes closed with peace and silence. My eyes capture every detail of her sleeping self. The patience and wisdom in her gentle features.

I've got no clue what she's seen nor been through in the past two years; but I do know it must've been rough, rougher than mountain rocks, or climbing a sheer cliff. I'm so sorry Genesis. I wish I could've been there at her side as she always is for me no matter what. Very unfortunate it is.

Phoenix rises groggy and cranky, yet despite his dull morning mood, a few minutes perk him up and he's bouncing around.

"Shhhhh, we need to talk." I settle him and drag him by hand the the trees, still in view of the tent.

An innocent childs face he wears, awaiting my questions and that's when his wisdom shines from deep eyes of glassy ice decorated with cracks and ravines.

"Did yesterday...did that happen?" My voice is hushed and searching for affirmation.

"Yes, of course it did, there's always a yesterday!" He avoids the question, his face says he knows what I'm really getting at; yet he still chooses to avoid it, but, why?

"Very informative, you know what I mean."

"Right. Yes, the whole Earth thing happened, or whatever you will name the event, considering you seem to have deemed it important and significant with meaning and change." He responds truthfully in a clear voice that doesn't reach but remains somehow confined to just us.

"Okay, so, how did you do that?"

"Why must you know?" Phoenix responds smoothly and sits on a rock, gazing around casually.

"Curiosity, and I'm in need of answers, why can't you just make this simple and answer?" I'm getting agitated, my voice rises slightly. It was challenging enough to wait at nights feet for an answer.

"I told you before, all information about me and my people is highly sensitive, personally. Yet now I shall trust you with it. Be warned, shall you deceive us with it, you will be punished with worse than death."

"Anyhow, I did it with my power. This'll take some explaining." He gives a sigh. "We are people of the Earth, protecting nature and its essence, we watch over it and its creatures, monitoring energy flow and life. Allowing anyone to disrupt nor ruin its beauty. I'm sure you remember those numerous instances where men tried to build in forests but were forced to flee, surrender, or be killed, that was us and our sister tribes."

"Had we not stopped it, the Earth would turn to concrete and city! And we did give them the options to flee or surrender, only killing if it was absolutely necessary."

"So, our race, The Luzumi, where hidden and believed extinct because your rulers deemed us as savage and vile beasts, untame and cruel, they covered all evidence of us and declared my people extinct."

"Luzumi means 'Light', we were named this by the forest, for we upheld peace and life. It granted us the ability to control its energy to a certain extent, it's kind of complex so detail is not needed in this moment. I can show specific people specific things in nature, as I did yesterday. To Rin it was a flash and gone. I chose only to uncover it to you, I could feel you needed it. The life of Earth was gently urging me on, so I served it and listened."

"I can decide what and when I want to see certain parts of nature, I normally choose to see it as a regular human so I can understand you, though much more time I spend other ways for good reasons you shall come to know."

"That's the jest of it all though." His voice steady and constant throughout the entire time.

"Why show me and not Rin?" I continue.

"Full of inquiry you are! Because, Rin...she...she doesn't, get, it, she doesn't understand to the same extent, I didn't feel it necessary to show her either. I used my powers to slow her mind and consume her for some time with rock. It's far too difficult to explain, but that's the basics of it all really."

"Alright, let's go wake her now, and today you shall be leading us to the Lookout, correct?" I get up and walk back to the tent.

"That you are."

New doors of tangled minds have opened as we shake the tent, startling the silent dreams of Rin caged inside, to no relent.

I giggle and the structure rolls awkwardly onto a side, travelling around the clearing in a moody ruckus.

Sympathy for the lack of Rin's knowledge works steadily to my face, wishing cleanly she could know it all. An irritable confusion pulls an inflamed knot in my mind. Just because she wouldn't completely understand doesn't mean she shouldn't be granted the opportunity, how can he know such things in the first place?

In my own head, on a concealed podium which I deny exists, yet know all too well does, seems to have me higher than her, wiser and more knowledgeable, more able and experienced. However, this is wrong and tears my beliefs and values. Numerous times do I attempt setting fire to the false judgements and horrid podium, yet it always seems to reappear from a mist of thought. I also recognize that just as I never trusted Rin a bit, didn't come to her in my turmoil, didn't tell her of my brother; she has lacked to speak of relatives or past, or future hopes and goals as well. Though she always came to me when bothered or overwhelmed with a confusion of emotions or overthinking. Rin trusted me with her present, not the past nor future, but that's more than I to her. She trusts and trusted me, surely she knows that I don't trust her, despite that lie, she lies down her heart in vulnerability to me.