A Knight's Purpose (Book 1) ✔️

Chapter 21 - Fancy Parking Spot

Sleep doesn't come easily so I turn on the light in the living room and pull out the spell once more. It takes about an hour and googling some words to realize it's written in Aramaic, which is not my strongest language. Instead, I focus first on the diagrams that they've drawn.

Unfortunately, while I recognize the symbols and sigils their placement is new which could theoretically give each symbol completely new meaning. Without the text of the actual spell they were casting, it really doesn't clear anything up. Which means that while Sereya is in school, I will be too.

A quick online search on my phone and a few religious websites later I've found a reputable enough set of videos that walk you through the basics of the ancient dialog. Seeing as I'd once spoken the language, I figure it can't be too hard to pick up again so hopefully the refresher will be enough to remind me of the subtleties the videos will no doubt miss. 

With a plan in place, there's nothing to do but turn off the lights and lay in the dark until dawn. Now mind you, I'd planned on longer, but apparently dawn is when Camden likes to wake up. And let me just say, the man is not very quiet.

He opens his door and wanders out into the kitchen, banging around in cabinets. Once he grabs what I can only assume is food and some sort of drink, he goes back into his room. Shortly after I hear a whir followed by a rhythm of steady thuds and realize that he's running on a treadmill. And that's it for my attempted sleeping.

I rise and nose through his cabinets until I find something resembling cereal - though it has the words extra healthy and no sugar added so I'm not really sure it counts. He's got two gallons of milk in the fridge and I use the open one to fill the bowl I pilfered from a random cabinet. Spoons take a little longer to locate but I persevere and find myself sitting at the breakfast bar when he next emerges.

"Just a short run today?" Even I can tell my tone is a bit waspish. Eh, running on almost no sleep will do that to you.

He shrugs. "Only five miles."

I almost spit out my last bite of cereal. "You were only on there for twenty minutes. No one likes running that much."

"You can run faster according to April." He wipes his face with a towel strung around his neck and begins whipping up some sort of smoothie.  "You don't run regularly?"

"Not if I can help it," I mumble into my bowl. It's now just a sad puddle of milk with no tasteless cereal left. I'm so bad a portioning my milk.

"I prefer weapons training and actual application to running just for exercise." I push my bowl away and look up. "Sword and knives are my weapons of choice. Though a gun is handy for distance."

He runs the blender and pours out a thick brown mush that looks very unappetizing to me but clearly like mana to him given how quickly he gulps it down.

"Running is important if you're ever going to chase someone or run for your life." He downs a second cup of smoothie to finish off his small blender and then rinses his glass in the sink. While he speaks, he grabs my bowl from off the counter and rinses it too. "I've been trying to get Maia to at least go jogging around the block with me but she seems to take after you in that respect."

I snort. "There are better things to do than run."

A sleepy yawn greets my statement and we turn to see Sereya trudging over in a pair of leggings and athletic top to plop down at the counter. "Food. Now." She bangs her head down onto her arms and pretends to fall asleep. Or maybe she really does.

I tilt my head towards her and listen for her heart beats. They're still quick enough to tell me she's awake though probably wishing she was asleep.