Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 53: Like a Man

Eory held her at arm's length—looking down. "Is it a behavior that belongs to men that makes me want to own you? That makes me want make love to you, despite the consequences?"

Pollyanna's voice was choked, and she had to acknowledge that it was, because she wanted to do the same thing to him. "It is."

"Is it a good thing?"

His words hung there. Pollyanna knew that it wasn't a good thing, despite wanting him to love her regardless of how he did so. "No, I don't think it is."

Eory nodded solemnly. He changed the subject, "So, I should be a man and fight with you all?"

Pollyanna automatically shook her head—finding herself in an odd quandary where she wanted him to be a man if they were ever to go to bed, but wanted nothing more than to protect him and keep him safe while they were awake. "No. Stay here. A man can be sweet as well strong."

Pollyanna left hastily after she said it—wresting herself from Eory's hands. Eory left soon after—seething in guilt the whole time.

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Eory joined the other recruits in the baths and for breakfast, but snuck away when they went to the battlefield. Maruka had gone with them; he was no longer available in the morning and wouldn't be until he felt like the new recruits could hold their own without him guiding them.

Eory wondered what he was missing on the battlefield as he walked through the empty halls inside the fortress—safe and sound while his companions might very well be dead. He could hear yelling and shouting outside which made his forehead drip with sweat. His teeth sunk deeply into his arm—he was unable to contain his nervousness.

He never thought he could be in a mood where he was intensely bored and yet indescribably tense and worried. Them could die out there. Terran could, too, and Pete... And Maruka.

Eory found himself walking up a staircase in his boredom. Many Astral Elves raised their eyebrows and gave him judgmental looks as they went about keeping the fortress stocked and running—carrying food supplies from place-to-place.

Eory tried to ignore them and continued traveling up the next flight of stairs. There were many floors within the giant fortress, and Eory's legs were sore when he arrived at the top floor.

There was a bright, orange door, twice taller than Eory and two times wider with a glowing rune etched into it in the shape of a sun on the top floor.

A buzzing sound began whirring at the edge of his hearing; it grew louder and louder as he approached the door.

He put a hand on it; a blood curdling roar resounded through the hallway.

Eory's eyes widened—he sprinted back down the stairs in horror, wondering what could have been behind the door.

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While Eory waited for Maruka to return and show him to the library, he decided to practice using a bow in the vacant training hall.

Since Taylor, who had begun to be somewhat knowledgeable with a bow, was gone, Eory found himself fumbling with the weapon and unable to hit the strawman. He tried to recall what Them had taught Taylor about shooting but found that he couldn't access those memories.

I have to get good. I have to protect the people I love like a man would.

Hours past. Eory headed to the dining hall when he was hungry and thirsty, and was glad that an Astral Elf had both food and drink ready for him—most likely at the request of Maruka. Afterward, he went back to the training hall and continued trying to hit the straw man square in its face.