Fade To Black, The Curseborn Saga, Book 1

Chapter 7 - The Question

A few days passed as the boys recovered from their final challenge. Time moved slowly, with the space of their days filled with hearty meals, campfires, and stories beneath the stars. But the boys were growing restless. Without something to aspire towards, it was only a matter of time until their restlessness got the better of them.

One of those afternoons, Storm had said some stupid comment to Caim, and the result was the two of them going at it as they laughed and cursed one another. Ronin watched as the two threw punches, tackled each other, and rolled around the grass.

Caim and Storm had spent their entire lives growing up at the Edge, the farthest they could have possibly been from the rest of the world. Because of this, they had a certain naivety about them, an innocence that Ronin cherished more than anything. He remembered them as children, stubborn as rocks, yet free as birds. They always had a great love for life and the adventures that came with it. He could hear them yelling at one another in both realms, within his memories, and outside them.

I have done all I can for you two. It'll be harder from now on, but you'll always have the challenges of the past to help you with the challenges of the present. You two bear a great burden, though unknowingly . . . His eyes looked longingly toward the sky. You two have the chance to succeed where I once failed.

Caim stuck his tongue out at Storm, and Ronin smiled with a faint touch of sadness. Despite their unruly and childish behavior, and despite conditions in which most would have fled for their lives, they had managed to surpass all the life-threatening challenges he had put them through, including his final test, which had forced them to fight in a hopeless state. He briefly touched on the thought of luck and if it could have been a factor in their triumph.

Luck, he thought. Such a thing cannot exist. Not in this cruel world. After a moment, Ronin found a second outlook. But if it does, it is them whom luck would befriend. Of that, I am sure.

"It's time," he said quietly. "I hope I haven't been putting this off for fear of missing them." He could suddenly hear whispering from Caim and Storm's direction. The sound of rustling and fighting had come to a stop.

"I told you . . . old people talk to themselves," Storm whispered into Caim's ear.

"What was that?" Ronin asked, looking up.

"Nothing," said Storm quickly, wiping a trickle of sweat from his forehead.

"Grandpa," Caim raised his hand. "Why do old people talk to themselves?" Tension wove its way through Ronin's body. Storm slowly turned his head to stare at Caim incredulously.

"For the last time . . . I am not old!" Ronin sighed. "There are firstborn still alive in the world, you know. They're the old ones, but nobody hears you talking about them, do you?"

"He's doing it again," Caim said, nudging Storm in the side.

"He's always talking about things that nobody remembers except for him," said Storm.

"Because he's ancient?" Caim asked, and Storm nodded surely.

Ronin lifted an eyebrow. "Ancient? You two know nothing of the word ancient."

Caim yawned. "All this talk about how old you are is making me sleepy." Just like that, Caim laid down on the grass, sprawled out his legs and was snoring before anyone could question it. Storm smirked, then waved to Ronin before walking over to the tree near the cliffs of the Edge. Leaning his back against it, he couldn't help thinking about something that had been bothering him since the trial.