The Dark Path (30 page)

XVII

Family

Gen sat eating a small loaf of bread. The red bound book lay open before him on the table. He flipped the pages slowly as he memorized its contents.

"Greetings," Beth said as she sat across from him.

"Eat quickly. We have much to do today before I leave." Gen didn't look up from the book. He read the last few pages then closed the back cover. He took the large pouch from his belt and opened it again impossibly wide. He slid the book into the pouch and tied it once more to his belt. Finally, he looked up. Beth ate her eggs quickly.

"What was that book?" she asked between mouthfuls.

"It is a tome on greater demons."

"May I read it?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"Maybe when you have learned more. Right now it would kill you if you tried to open it. Not all books are as you think of them."

"I surprised the teachers with my spell work yesterday. It's all so easy now that I can see and understand the magic." She grinned up at him. “Although I had a headache for most of the night for it.”

"I should have known better than to teach you that. I doubt you will learn much more here now. Perhaps I will ask the headmaster to give you your journeyman's robes."

"Where would I go? I've known no place but here for the past four years." She shrugged.

"I have a school of my own." His voice was almost a whisper.

"What?" Her surprise was evident. "You mean there are other schools of magic than this one?"

"A few." His look turned stern. "Now finish your breakfast. There is a lot to do."

"As you command." She bowed her head and attacked her food. It was quickly finished. Gen stood.

"Eat another piece of bacon. You will need the strength. I have something to do. I'll return for you in a moment." Gen walked through the small door to the kitchen. The smell of boiling potatoes filled the room. He smiled down at Alisha who was sitting where she normally sat, peeling more potatoes. The smile was not returned.

"Where is your mother?"

"Why do you want to know?" The small child held defiance in her eyes.

"I have a present for her. I have one for you as well if you are good."

"I'll go get her." She hopped off the stool and ran off toward the ovens. Soon Mina came back with Alisha in tow.

"Master Gen!" Mina bowed low. "I owe you an apology. You tried to help me and I almost attacked you with a knife!" Her cheeks turned a slight pink.

"How do you feel?" Gen asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"The dizziness is gone and I remember most things now. Thank you again." Mina stared at the floor not at Gen.

"I have brought you something. May I sit for a moment?" Gen kept the smile on his face. He hoped it looked believable. His head throbbed with a slight headache. He should have slept last night.

"Of course, Master!" Mina bowed again and rushed to grab a chair. Gen sighed. She still feared him. Well it was to be expected. It seemed everyone feared him or hated him. Well everyone but Thomas and Beth it seemed. He wondered who he could trust anymore. He was brought from his thoughts by Mina setting a chair down by the table in the center of the kitchen. Gen thanked her and sat. He pulled the large pouch from his belt and sat it upon the table. He reached his arm into the pouch and dug around for what he wanted. He heard Mina gasp as his arm went impossibly deep into the pouch. He smiled again as he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a sheath with a knife about the length of his forearm. He placed it upon the table then reached once more into the bag. He found what he wanted quickly and pulled out a small silver bag. He placed it upon the table as well then tied the pouch again to his belt. He took the knife and handed it toward Mina.

"If you are going to defend yourself with a knife, I would rather it be one made for such things instead of one made to cut food."

"I can't accept that!" Her eyes were fixed upon the handle of the blade. It was a silver color carved into the figure of a Goddess of nature. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Take it. I insist. Master Ambern will show you how to use it if you ask him." Finally she took it from his hands. She slowly drew it from the sheath and gasped. It glowed faintly with a green light. The blade was the same silver looking material as the handle.

"How is it so light?" She asked. He knew it weighed next to nothing.

"Mythril. It's made from Mythril." He smiled when he saw her eyes go wide again.

"I cannot accept this!" She placed the blade back in the sheath and tried to hand it back to him.

"It is yours now. Just use it well. It has some interesting properties to it. The masters here will show you how to use it if you ask them. The Headmaster should know how it works."

"Th-Thank you. I don't know what to say." She looked up to him. "Why are you helping me? I've done nothing but fear you and try to hurt you."

"You helped me more than you know. You gave me something I had needed for a long time." He smiled at her as he remembered how she had held him as he cried. Even though it was only in a dream. "Wear the blade always. It will help to keep you safe." He looked down to Alisha. She hid behind her mother's robes again.

"I have a present for you as well. Do you want it?" Gen asked with his friendly smile upon his face once more.

"What is it?" She asked in a timid voice. He could still see the mistrust in her eyes. He sighed inwardly.

"Here." He handed her the silver pouch. "Open it." Alisha looked the bag over and finally held it at arms length as she untied the knots and opened the bag. When nothing came out of the bag, she turned it upside-down to dump its contents into her other hand. A small necklace fell out of the pouch into her hand. She held it up. It was a small locket made of dark amethyst upon a platinum chain. Her eyes lit up as the light danced upon the locket.

"Open it. You'll find a surprise inside." She looked to him again with distrust but less this time. She opened the locket gently and peeked inside it. Her eyes went wide and she looked up to Mina.

"It's you, Mommy! Look!" Alisha held the open locket for Mina to look at.

"No Honey. That's a picture of you." Mina looked over to Gen, a confused look upon her face. Gen stifled a giggle.

"You are both right. It shows you the one you love the most. In your case, Mina, it is your daughter. In her case, it's her mother." He looked down to Alisha. "Now when you are in class and feel lonely, you can open the locket and see your mother." Alisha finally looked up at him and smiled. The distrust was gone from her eyes.

"Thank you!" She said then fear came to her eyes. "Thank you, Master." She corrected quickly and bowed.

"You are welcome." Gen smiled and giggled a bit. Well at least one person didn't fear him as much anymore. He turned to Mina. "I have something else for you." He took a rolled up scroll tied with a black ribbon from his pouch and handed it to her. "Give this to Marcus and ask him to help you build it. It should help you out more than the knife will. I hope." He stood up and walked to the door. His hand was upon the handle when Mina asked him to stop. He turned and looked back to her. She said something to Alisha and the girl ran off into the kitchen. Mina walked over to him.

"Why did you do this?" She asked him quietly.

"You helped me when I needed it." Gen sighed.

"I don't remember helping you. When was it? What did I do?"

"It was in a dream. You held me as I cried. Forget it. It's not important." He turned away again and felt a hand upon his shoulder. He turned back.

"Come here," she said softly. He let go of the door and stepped toward her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. It felt so good to be held again. He wrapped his arms around her as well and ran his hand over her hair that reminded him so much of Meeka. Tears fell down his face unchecked and he buried his face into her shoulder and neck. She held him and whispered reassurances to him till he regained control of himself. He pulled away from her and smiled.

"Now I owe you again." His throat hurt from the tears. Why was this woman able to get him to let go?

"You owe me nothing. You saved my life. I just wish I knew why you carry so much pain around inside you. It's odd. I feel as if I should know you somehow."

"I've been through a lot. I'm trying to save the one I love." He looked down. "It's been seven years. I'm almost there. I should bring her back soon." She placed her hand under his chin and brought his gaze up to meet hers.

"Who is this lucky woman that you have chased for so long?"

"Her name is Meeka. She was," he paused searching for the right word," stolen before you came here."

"Meeka." Mina's gaze looked distant. "Do you have a picture of her?"

"Yes. I do." He reached into his robes and withdrew a small onyx locket. He opened it and held it out to her. She looked into it and gasped. Gen took it back from her and looked at the picture again. Now he knew why Mina reminded him of Meeka so much. They could have been sisters, their features were so close. He looked back to Mina. She had her hand over her mouth and her eyes were wide with concern.

"What is it?"

"It can't be her! They said she died. No, it can't be her!" Mina was talking to herself. Gen reached up and grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

"What are you talking about? How do you know Meeka? Who said she was dead?" She looked up to him, her eyes still distant.

"You must save her! I thought she was dead! I would have looked for her if I had only known!" Her voice was turning frantic. "Where is she? I'll go with you!" She finally focused her eyes on his. Her eyes pleaded with him.

"You cannot go with me. I will bring her back here. Now tell me what you know about her." He still held her by the shoulders. She suddenly sagged down as if she were fainting. Gen motioned with a finger and the chair slid over to catch her as he guided her down into it. He snapped his fingers absently and a chair formed up from the stone floor across from her. He sat and looked into Mina's eyes. "Tell me!" He pleaded. She sat for a long time in silence. Her eyes were distant. Finally she spoke.

"She's my little sister." She put her face in her hands as sobs wracked her body. Gen reached over and sent soothing energies into her. She calmed down quickly and looked up at him once more. "They told me when I came here that she was dead." She shook her head. "I should have known they lied. I can still feel her. My family left Eire when I was very young. I barely remember the village we lived in. Father died in a battle, some meaningless dispute between clans. Mother brought us here to live with her sister. Soon after mother grew sick. The sickness took her quickly and my aunt and uncle took Meeka away to the Schola. They told me later that the elder of their village had told them they must do this. We lived here on the island after that but far away from the Schola. I was forbidden to go visit my sister or even speak of her. I doubt she even remembers who I am. Years later I married a local boy I had grown up with. All was well for a few years. I gave birth to Alisha and raised her best I could. My husband started drinking when the drought hit. He soon spent all our money on liquor and came home drunk. He beat me when I complained to him that he was wasting our money. One night he came home especially drunk. He knocked me to the ground and tried to force himself on me. Something inside me just snapped. I woke up with him on the ground, his hands around his throat choking himself. I grabbed Alisha and left before he died. I don't know if he lived or not. I don't care anymore. We ran away here and I looked for my sister, against my aunt's wishes. The Headmaster told me she had died years ago. I shouldn't have believed him. Now you come and tell me she's still alive. What's going on here?" She looked back to him.

"It was about seven years ago." Gen sighed. He didn't want to tell this story but she had the right to know what had happened. "We were on a mission to the Crow temple. The people there performed a ritual that went wrong. A demon came and stole Meeka from me. Before I could stop it, I was knocked unconscious by a man named Aaron. He was also the one that destroyed Master Thomas' hands." He looked her in the eyes and stood up. "I've been looking for her for seven years. It was not an easy quest." I have paid a lot to get her back and I think I've finally found her." Tears ran down Mina's cheeks.

"My gods." She shook her head. "You say you will go get her back soon?"

"I will bring her back or I will die. The Headmaster knows where she is. If I fail, please ask him to continue the quest to get her back."

"You will not fail. I'm sure." She stood and took his hand. She pulled him up. "I wish you good luck. I send my blessing with you." She reached up and kissed him on each cheek and upon his forehead. He blushed slightly at the intimate contact. She released him and turned back to the kitchen table. I shall prepare a feast for tonight! Now get out of my kitchen. I have work to do." She made sweeping motions with her hand toward him. He could see the tears in her eyes. He walked out of the kitchen. Beth stood beside the kitchen door and her eyes locked onto his.

"I'm coming with you." Her voice was cold and defiant. He turned to her.