Robbin

31. Ignored

Terra picked at the dirt until they returned, finally having realized she still existed. To top off the evening, Robbin dared suggest that she get on his back so they could try to evade the demon that could still be following them. She held on to his neck angrily but he didn't complain.

"Won't it follow us either way?" Terra asked begrudgingly.

"Demons don't run fast."

"That's right," Jake piped in, finally managing to give a convincing smile this time. His smile was comforting.

When they stopped an hour later from the dizzying journey, she realized he really did have a reason to be out of his gloom. A group of green lights up ahead indicated the presence of civilization.

"Are we here?" Terra asked.

"Welcome to Parantium," Robbin said as way of answer. She couldn't tell what his expression contained but she thought it was at least a little bit happier. She stepped carefully, her head still spinning from the speedy piggyback ride. The moon hung just above the grouping of ramshackle huts that weren't nearly as impressive as the towers surrounding the cave, but certainly stretched much farther.

"This city's much bigger than Milborn," Terra observed.

"Dormensions never were known for their community."

She wondered suddenly if Hunt was here or there.

"When did you go to Milborn?" Jake asked curiously in her ear.

"Robbin's friend took me there," she answered.

The houses were quiet as they entered the city boundaries, unguarded. Only a few huts were still lit by the green plants, and Terra realized it must have been nearly night, the moon having almost set and given rise to complete darkness. The hut Robbin led them to happened to be among those still awake.

"What are we doing?" Jake asked.

"I'm visiting a close friend." Then the door opened.

The man's skin was as black as pitch, but Terra didn't recognize him.

"Dad, who is it?" came a familiar voice.

"Robbin," the man at the door said, standing aside to let a familiar face approach. If anything, Roland appeared older than his father, his charcoal skin somehow more worn, maybe with stress. Firmation, she thought. She took it Roland was the close friend.

She wasn't allowed to come inside and sat on the porch with arms folded. Jake managed to worm his way in, however, by saying "I have something important that needs addressing before I.."

Robbin gave him a meaningful look and Jake quieted.

She felt out of the loop. She couldn't believe his unfinished sentence was enough to grant him entrance and wondered begrudgingly if it was because she was a woman, or simply because she was less welcome than Jake (a real blow to her ego) that the favor wasn't returned to her. She pressed her ear stubbornly to the door.

"Thank God you're alright," Roland was saying.

"Come on in." Roland's father sounded troubled as if he anticipated the unease which was about to settle over his household.

Robbin and Jake's footsteps clunked and then stopped. The sound of chairs scraping across wood sounded.

"Come on, don't be shy." Roland's father was saying...

***

Jode ushered them in and then quickly closed the door behind them, sealing out the cold air and retaining the warmth inside. It was small, only two rooms big. The kitchen and cramped firepit took up most of the first room, and the second held an open entryway but was not lit. A single green plant was placed haphazardly in the basin at the middle of the small wooden table, beholding only four chairs. The first chair was already occupied by a tall young woman sitting with her back to them. Roland's father walked with a strange limp, as if much older than he appeared, and occupied the chair across from the woman.