Kadian

The Great Dissarray

“Heard you turned into a cold blooded killer, kid.”  

“How’d you know?”  Kadian looked up from the dead grass to look at his beady eyes.

“I was there.”

“No you weren’t.”

“I sure was.  You just didn’t see me.”

“Well why didn’t you help me?”

“I bought you some time when you were in the tent, you little ingrate.”

Kadian eyes widened.  “That was you?”  She remembered spending a considerate amount of time in the tent looking for the machete, but she attributed it to the beast having low intelligence, or its lack of an ear.

“Who else?  It sure as hell wasn't you.”

“Oh.  Well thanks, VeeVee.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“No, really VeeVee,” she smiled.  “I would've died without that time.  Thank you.”  

The bird kicked a rock.  “If you say so.  I just didn't think your carcass would taste good, that’s all.  Now do that thing you did last time.”

“What thing?”

VeeVee kicked a clump of dead grass.

“Oh!  Give me a second.”  

Kadian stretchef and began to walk in steady, graceful circles.  It took much longer to recreate the feelings she had the last time.  Thoughts were bouncing around everywhere, keeping her from achieving the truly peaceful feeling she had the time before.  

When Kadian’s mind finally cleared, the sensation was even more intense.  She thought about all that had happened during her stay in Azuraya.  Things were going considerably well for her compared to the first couple of months.  She thought about the fact that she had survived two deadly incidents within the same year.  She thought about some of her upsetting, unsettling experiences, and that somehow pleased her. All of her stress had been in the name of The Great Danger, and now it was gone.  It was history.  Kadian had made history.  

“Kid!”  Kadian opened her eyes, closed them, and opened them again.  She absorbed her surroundings before turning to VeeVee with a goofy smile.  He was smiling as much as he could for a bird.

“Can I show him?”

“Hm, not today.”

“When?”

“You’ll know.”  VeeVee looked around the garden once more before flying off.

Zuri and Mohassen had not moved since Kadian left.  Zuri finally held up a hand.

“You know what?  This isn't going anywhere.”

“I am aware of that!”

“Here you go again!  You do this shit all the time!  Doesn’t he?”  

They both turned to no one.  Mohassen groaned.

“How long has she been gone?!” Zuri cried.

“I wouldn’t know anymore than you would!”

“I don't knoe, all I know is that you swore you came out here to protect her, and she's gone. That’s all I’m saying.”

“I’d be dead by now if something serious happened to me.”  Kadian was standing at the entrance of The Patch, arms crossed.  

“Kadian!”  They both sounded pleased and annoyed.

“Do not wander off like that again!”

“I’m not two, Mohassen.”

“I understand that, but you’re not as strong as you were...before.  You need to keep that in mind when traveling.”

“Alright,” Kadian said.

“You okay?” Zuri asked.

“Yeah, I just needed to step away from you two.”

“Look what you did!” Zuri said.

“You mean what we did, don’t single me out!”

“I was just defending myself.”

“Bullshit.”

“Shut up bastard.”

“I have a father.” Mohassen sounded smug.

Zuri gasped.  “I-even-that doesn't...I have a mother that loves me!”

This time, Kadian gasped.  Mohassen’s face darkened.

“Just because my mother has departed doesn’t mean she doesn’t love me, you ass.”

“I want to hear it from her, go get her.”

Kadian’s hand flew to her mouth.

“I’m going to spare you.  If you were to hear anything from her, you’d end up hearing about that shit on your face.”

Zuri’s hands flew to her face.  “For the last time, my mom makes me wear this shit!”

“Yet say you have a mother that loves you?”

After several failed attempts of hitting Mohassen, Zuri flounced out of The Patch.  “Talk to me when you don’t talk to him!”  She called angrily after Kadian.

Mohassen and Kadian looked at one another.  Then the ground.  Then the trees.

“Well...I guess we should head back now,”  Kadian said once she was certain that Zuri made it home before them.

“Sounds like a plan,” Mohassen eagerly agreed.  The two strolled off side by side.