by Aaron Oster
Morgan knew that he was in a somewhat precarious situation here. His body wanted to react to her touch. It had been so long since he’d been around a woman, but his will had to remain steadfast and true. He knew that if he did anything, the guilt would likely drive him mad. Sarah was the only one for him, and no matter how hard it would be, Katherine would have to remain as the close friend and confidant she’d been before he’d left.
Katherine leaned a bit closer to him, not saying a word as he opened the door, revealing a neat office, already set with a table for two. Morgan had to resist the urge to chuckle. Katherine always had liked to plan ahead, and it seemed that that hadn’t changed in the time he’d been gone. There was a light click as Katherine bounced the door closed with her hip. Before he could even react, Morgan found himself crushed in a powerful hug.
“I’m sorry,” Katherine whispered into his ear. “I held myself back as long as I could. I can’t even put into words how happy and relieved I am to see you again.”
Morgan stood frozen for a few seconds, pushing down the emotions that were irrelevant but trying to rear their moment-ruining heads. Thankfully, his Suppression helped with that, and with those pesky emotions throttled down as far as he felt comfortable with, Morgan hugged her back. Her body felt so familiar, her presence comforting, and the strength of her arms was reassuring. And, for the first time since entering the North Kingdom, Morgan felt truly at home.
They stayed like that for several long minutes, each taking comfort in the other’s presence. Morgan could feel how hard Katherine’s pulse was racing, and how happy and afraid she was to see him. It was clear she still harbored feelings for him. He would have to be a blind moron not to see otherwise, but he had to maintain that they would only be friends.
He wasn’t sure if she would broach the subject tonight but had a feeling it would come up eventually. He didn’t want to hurt her, not again. Not after all they’d been through, and especially not right after their reunion. This was a big part of the reason he hadn’t wanted to come back. He couldn’t talk to anyone about his deal with Order. Well, no one except Gold, who already knew. So, he’d have to lie, give excuses and reasons why he couldn’t be with anyone else, which was something he wasn’t looking forward to.
After another minute, when Katherine started sliding her hands over his back, Morgan decided that their hug had lasted long enough, and pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. The moisture in her eyes showed how hard she’d been holding back her tears – likely in an attempt not to ruin her makeup – and her bottom lip was trembling, ever so slightly.
“I’ve missed you too, Katherine,” he said, finding that it was hard to get the words out through the lump in his throat.
She’d been there for him, more than usual, in the last few months of the war. He’d been fighting with Sarah a lot, and Katherine had done a lot for him at that time. She’d comforted him, tempered his anger, and had listened when he needed to talk. He’d never had a real family of his own, never had any blood relative of which to speak.
What he had done was find a family. Well, Gwendolyn had technically found him, but that was beside the point. And, of the four, Katherine was the only one in his chosen family still among the living. Gwen and Dabu were gone for good, and Sarah had been dead for two years, with the only guarantee of her coming back stemming from Morgan’s ability to restore order to this world.
“How about we have a seat?” he suggested, the woman’s cheeks coloring slightly at those words.
He would have to do his best not to convey the wrong message. But at the same time, it was hard, as he’d missed her more than he’d realized. Having Lumia’s support in his time training had been amazing, but she hadn’t been there during other pivotal moments, hadn’t known him for as long, and hadn’t shaped him as much as the others. That didn’t mean he cared for her any less, just that Katherine understood him just a bit better than Lumia could.
“Yeah,” Katherine replied as Morgan released her.
She was having a hard time keeping it together. Her emotions were all over the place, and she didn’t have Morgan’s convenient skill to simply adjust the intensity of her emotions. Her love for Morgan had only grown stronger over the time he’d been gone, and to be able to physically hold him once again was almost more than she could bear.
She knew that she had to respect boundaries, even if her body was screaming at her to jump him right now and damn the consequences. So, she did as she was bid, taking a seat and fighting to calm her racing heart. There were other, more important matters to discuss, and Katherine used that knowledge to slowly push her desire to the side. With him here, though, it was impossible to completely squash them.
Their conversation was awkward at first, Morgan beginning his story with a visit from a stranger warning about an imminent threat to their Kingdoms. He told her that the knowledge that Sarah’s sacrifice would be in vain snapped him from his downward spiral and pushed him to train once again. He spoke of the many hardships he’d faced, fighting daily to improve and grow stronger.
He told her all about Lumia, the drake who’d been his constant companion and training partner. How they’d grown together, fought together, and bled together. Finally, he moved on to his last fight, the one with a beastman, and his upcoming mission.
“And that’s why I have to leave as soon as possible. We need to find this smith and get the gauntlets re-forged. As they are now, they lack the power to kill the enemy gods.”
Morgan fell silent then, his story complete. Katherine didn’t ask any questions as he knew she wanted, but instead, began to tell her own story.
“It hasn’t been easy since you left,” she said honestly. “The Kingdom had to be rebuilt, alliances needed to be forged, and armies were trained. We could really have used your help, but thankfully, we managed on our own. For the first time in history, all Five Kingdoms are on the same side. Our peace with the West and South is tentative, but they are going to fight on our side.
“We’ve rebuilt several cities, trained up new forces, and finally have things well underway. We’re still severely underfunded and Bell has been trying to marry me off to some rich nobility from other Kingdoms to try and gain their support. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it though, because…there was so much that needed to be done.”
Morgan noted the pause in her speech, though he didn’t comment on it. He already knew her feelings toward him, so there was no need for her to voice them out loud.
“Still, our efforts have been hampered by powerful beasts, though they have stopped growing as they once did. Their appearances are still far more frequent, and attacks on cities and settlements are almost commonplace. Even now, there’s been a Pinnacle beast sighting between here and the still-destroyed City Fourteen. We’ll have to dispatch a large group to fight it if it gets too close.
“There have also been the supposed ghost sightings, strange creatures that have never been seen before. But if what you say about this beastman is true, then I think we now have an explanation for that at least. Our Kingdom is prepared, as are the others. We won’t be as ill-suited to war as we were last time. We’ll never be that weak again.”
“And how about you? How have you been?” Morgan asked.
He’d taken the time to eat his meal while she’d spoken and had greatly enjoyed it. Katherine always knew what he liked and made sure her chefs served him excellent food. Gold’s cooking was atrocious at best, but seeing as he couldn’t really cook and Lumia ate all her meat raw, they weren’t exactly spoiled for choice.
“I’m not going to lie,” Katherine answered, placing her hands on the table. “I’ve been missing you every day since you left. Even now, I know you’ll be leaving soon, and it pains me in a way you cannot imagine.”
“We all need to do our part,” Morgan replied softly. “We have a responsibility, if not to those who still live, then to those whom we’ve lost. They gave their lives so that we could all have a future. Personal feelings c
annot be allowed to interfere.”
Katherine gave him a wry smile at that, a hint of her old humor showing through.
“You’ve changed in so many ways since I’ve last seen you, Morgan, but it appears that some things never change. Speaking of duty, I think you should reconsider training that girl.”
“I don’t see any point,” Morgan replied. “Not now, anyway.”
“Really? And were you any different at her age?”
“At her age, I was an unfeeling, battle-hungry lunatic with no prospects,” Morgan said. “I would get into fights just to feel something. This girl clearly has anger issues, and ones that seem directed at me for some reason.”
“That much seems to be true,” Katherine admitted. “Though I have no idea why. Still, I think taking her on would be good for you.”
“I don’t see how taking an angry girl with me into enemy territory can help anyone,” Morgan said flatly.
“But doesn’t she remind you of someone?” Katherine asked, leaning forward on her elbows. “Someone who had a fiery temper, a foul mouth, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind?”
Katherine reached forward, taking one of his hands in hers, slowly running her smooth fingers over his knuckles.
“I can see it, you know. The pain you’ve been trying to hide. Even after all this time, you still miss her.”
Morgan didn’t bother denying it. It hadn’t been a question, merely a stated fact.
“I’m not asking you to accept her right away. All I’m asking is that you give her a week. Stay here, train with her. From what you’ve told me, there’s still some time before the enemy can break through. You can spare a week, can’t you? And if you can’t do it for Grace, do it for me.”
Morgan hesitated for a moment. Katherine’s argument was very convincing. He wanted to say no, to leave now and maybe take the girl on in a few years if they were all still alive. But Katherine had always had a way of getting what she wanted. She was very convincing, and Morgan did owe her for what he’d done. The very least he could do was give Grace a chance.
“Very well,” Morgan conceded. “I’ll give her one week, for you. But if she’s uncooperative and unwilling to learn, I won’t waste my time.”
Katherine practically beamed at him, her bright smile lighting up the room. She gave his hand a light squeeze before going back to her meal. It was a small victory in her book, and a definite step in the right direction. Morgan would now be staying here for an entire week, which gave her plenty of time to try and get him out on a proper date.
13
Grace sat in her room in the west wing of the palace. A cloth filled with ice was pressed to her temple in an attempt to calm the swelling, as well as squash down the pounding headache that came along with it. Shul had already given her a stern dressing-down when she’d come to, apparently over an hour after she’d been knocked out. After that, she had been left alone to stew in her failure.
More than the pounding headache or the throbbing in her knuckles, it was her pride that stung most of all. She’d gone all-out, had thrown everything she’d had and more at Morgan, and had still lost.
No, she thought to herself, not just lost.
What had happened could hardly even be called a fight. She’d rained down attacks on the man, and he hadn’t so much as budged. She remembered taunting him, hammering what felt like a wall of solid steel with blow after blow, then nothing.
The hand holding the cloth of ice throbbed in remembrance, and Grace shifted the cloth from her temple to her hand.
She’d been so angry after being forced to leave her home and come all the way out here, just to meet some guy to train her. Grace was tough and strong. She’d survived her mother’s betrayal and lived through multiple raids on her father’s farm. She’d been strong all her life. Stronger than the illness that had taken her younger brother, stronger than the blight that had struck their farm, leaving them to go hungry for an entire winter. She was stronger than all the boys who’d picked on her for not having a mother and stronger than the nightmares plaguing her mind during the darkest hours of the night. So, when her ability had awakened, she’d hardly been surprised that she’d gotten both. Her father had been so proud.
He’d sent word to the capital, and within days, the Queen’s own captain of the guard, Shul, had shown up to test her. After she’d passed with flying colors, she and her father had been brought to the palace. She’d been preparing for an amazing change, one where her father would finally be able to get by without having to break his back, and that by the end of every day, they’d be together.
Instead, she’d been told that she would be sent far, far away, and her father couldn’t come with. Sure, they’d promised to take care of him, but she wouldn’t be there to enjoy it with him. When she asked why, she’d been told that someone like her needed a very special kind of teacher, and since they only knew of one, that they’d be traveling to the North Kingdom.
Grace could have blamed anyone — Shul, Hilda, Queen Le’vine, or any number of people who’d suggested it. But, ultimately, the bulk of her ire had fallen upon her would-be teacher, the supposed supermage who’d saved the world. She wasn’t stupid, and she’d heard plenty of stories, but that didn’t mean they weren’t exaggerated.
When they’d arrived after two weeks of travel only to discover that Morgan wasn’t even there, her anger had turned to rage. It had boiled for two long weeks, as she was forced to bear the misery of being utterly alone, while the person she’d come all this way to find didn’t even have the decency to show himself. That was why, when he’d shown up out of the blue, she’d challenged him to a fight.
Now that she’d lost, the majority of her anger seemed to be gone. In its place lay a simmering resentment, not aimed at the man who’d so easily bested her, but at herself for her inability to win. Morgan’s rejection hurt for some reason, and though this meant she’d be going back to her father, she was afraid of what this could mean for their futures.
Would he lose all of the comforts they’d promised him because she hadn’t been good enough? Would they once again be forced to toil in the fields, battling the elements and bandits? Her father was no longer a young man and had never advanced far enough to escape the ravages of time. They’d promised her cores, which he could then use to strengthen himself. But would they rescind the offer because of her failure?
Grace dearly wished she could go back in time, back to when she’d first met Morgan, and kick her past self until she was thinking rationally. But travel through time wasn’t something that had yet to be discovered, and sadly, there were no second chances for first impressions. She’d shown herself to be an angry, bitter, and nasty person. If she were in Morgan’s shoes, she wouldn’t want anything to do with her either.
A light rapping on the glass of her window made Grace jump. She looked up, but the darkness outside didn’t allow her a view of who might be out there. For just a moment, she wondered if it might be a branch or something. After all, they were on the sixth floor, so no one should be able to get up here.
The rap came again, and this time, Grace could make out just a hint of a small white shape bobbing up and down in the darkness. She rose, slowly making her way over to the window, prepared for an attack of some kind. However, when she reached the glass, she found herself looking out at the small form of the animal that had accompanied Morgan earlier.
Still confused, Grace unhooked the latch and swung the window open to allow the small creature in.
“Thank you,” the winged lizard said. “It was starting to get a bit chilly out there, and this form isn’t really suited to handling the cold all that well.”
“Um…no problem?” Grace replied, closing the window and slowly turning to face the odd creature.
The voice was very obviously female, though Grace had never seen or even heard of a beast that could talk, let alone one this small and strange. The creature floated over to the plush chair where she’d been resting and proceeded to lie down rig
ht in the center, curling her tail around her body and snuggling into the cushion.
Having her seat effectively stolen, Grace was forced to sit on the floor, facing the small creature.
“So…” she said after the lizard failed to say anything. “Why are you here…?”
“Lumia,” the lizard said. “And I’m here to check up on you, of course.”
“That’s very nice of you, Lumia,” Grace replied. “But I’m still not sure why…”
“Why I came to check up on you?”
Grace simply nodded. The creature was far more intelligent than she appeared, though seeing as she looked like a baby lizard with wings and overly large eyes, that wasn’t saying much.
“I am not a human, so I can sense things others of your kind generally cannot. While you were fighting, it wasn’t just anger I felt from you, but frustration and fear. I’m not going to ask you why you’re afraid, but I think I can understand the feeling of frustration.”
“Oh, yeah? And how could you know that?” Grace asked, hating how defensive she was sounding.
This creature wasn’t just more intelligent than the average beast. She was also smarter than a lot of people. If she could pick on things like emotions, then Grace’s defensiveness would be akin to waving a red flag in her face.
“Because I have felt that same frustration for as long as I have existed. As you can tell, I am a beast, the Matriarch of a powerful Beast Zone, in fact.”
“Wait, what’s a Beast Zone, and what’s a Matriarch?” Grace interrupted.
She had never heard either of those terms before now.
“Ah, I seem to have forgotten that you have only just awakened your power. A Beast Zone is an area where beasts are clustered in greater numbers than in the outside world. The magic of the Zone creates a new beast a set amount of time after one is killed, so the next people coming in can continue hunting.