Beating (Book 1: Acts of the Hearth)

Chapter 9

The winged beast flies further off into the distance and out of view. Logan and Travis lock eyes after the creature’s departure.

     “Do you want me to encourage the answers out of him? I have my ways, you know.” Vivian whispers into Travis’s ear. “Let's give him a chance to do the right thing. But, I am definitely considering your services since I know the difficulty of getting a clear answer out of a Seer.” Travis adds.

     “What a terrible dream we are having, aren’t we you two?” the old man's voice trembles. The two young people look at one another and shake their heads.

     “Logan, I have spent two entire days being patient with you. Vivian here is very skilled at getting tight lipped assholes like you to talk.” he continues as the young woman draws the knife from its holster on her thigh. “And I am very eager to watch her work this time around…”

     Logan drops his head in defeat. The man says a prayer of forgiveness with his head bowed. “By The Only, I beg your forgiveness my King, Adin. This was a secret that I swore before you to take to my grave.” Vivian scoffs and steps forward, losing her patience with the old man.

     Travis grabs her shoulder and shakes his head. “We should at least give him the right to pray.” Vivian sheathes the knife. “So you’re the good knight and I’m the bad knight? Is that why you called me, to figure out a way to get him to spill his guts?” she speaks with a grin.

     The man finally finishes his prayer after a few minutes. “You cannot blame me for saying a prayer. We only recently discovered that the dead may come back to us in some…otherworldly way.” he states.

     Travis sighs and Vivian fold her arms impatiently. The old man sighs and finally begins talking.

     “The thing you saw before us was a Wyvern. But our people call their kind, those of the Zae.” Logan adds. Travis interrupts the man with an outburst. “You mean to tell me that that thing is the same as what everyone has been accusing me of being?!” Logan nods while keeping his eyes off of Travis.

     “What the hell? He’s not even a quarter of that things size.” Vivian exclaims. “That is right. The details of how he and that Zae are of the same are all unclear to me. History of that terrible massacre is forbidden to ever be fully retold...” Logan responds hopelessly.

     Travis huffs loudly at the revealing lack of knowledge. “I am losing people in the kingdom with each passing day, to this—this baseless rumor!” he roars as he grips the bridge of his nose.

     Vivian chimes in. “Think of it this way. Why would you want to lead a kingdom of people who are this easily swayed by a rumor with no evidence?”

     Travis releases the bridge of his nose and turns back to Logan. “Now I’m certain that’s not all you had to reveal to us. What else have you been hiding?” The older Seer looks at Vivian. “This is a delicate matter. Would you mind giving us a moment alone?”

     Vivian chuckles and looks away. “If this is about the son that ghost was foaming at the mouth about. I already figured it out. Maybe you should just focus on talking, before I’m forced to cut you open.” the young woman threatens.

     Logan turns to Travis. “The world was created with a singular rule that could never be broken. The Zae and the All-kins could never bear together.” he explains the lengthy story.

     The wind rustles the grass around them upon the setting of the sun. Travis ponders the worth of this revelation as he and the two travel in the same direction as the wyvern.