Mortal

Chapter 3

When we get home, Tsareth collapses onto the couch. Phareth goes into the kitchen, and starts cleaning something.

I don't say anything. I try to stand next to the couch and pretend I don't exist.

Tsareth exhales loudly. He looks at me and gestures for me to go over to him. "Come here, little girl," he says.

"Yes, Master Tsareth."

I walk in front of the couch. Tsareth sits up, and pulls me onto his lap without warning. He squeezes me in a hug so tight, I can barely breathe.

"My master, what are you doing?" I ask.

He releases me from his grip, and sets me down on the couch next to him.

"Don't ever scare me like that again! What were you thinking?"

I feel so ashamed. What was I thinking?

"I don't know," I say.

Tsareth lies his head back, and looks at the ceiling.

"Listen. Eldwinus is a very aggressive god. He has killed even other deities for simply looking at him the wrong way."

I feel too uncomfortable to sit next to Tsareth for very long. I hop down. I feel a bit of sadness coming from Tsareth, but I don't know what to do about it.

I bump into Phareth on the way to my room. He stops me.

"Hey, kid. Oh, That reminds me. Didn't Eldwinus say you were a visionary?" Asks Phareth.

I nod.

"Visionaries are extremely rare. We have only seen one other visionary in our lifetime. This is a very big deal."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Why? What can a visionary do? Just see the past, present, and future? Any witch or wizard could easily do that," I say.

"It isn't just that. Visionaries have insight that other people don't have. The last visionary was able to get the answer to almost any question she wanted."

Why would I have such a gift? How could I ever deserve that?

"How can he be so sure that I'm a visionary?" I ask.

"I don't know. Eldwinus met the last visionary. We didn't," says Phareth.

Phareth walks over to the couch, and sits next to Tsareth. He picks up the remote, turns the T.V on, and they focus on the show.

"Okay, well... I'm going to my room," I say.

"Alright, let me know when you're ready for lunch," says Phareth.

I walk up the steps to my room. I feel emotionally exhausted. I just want to lay in my bed for several hours.

I go inside my room, close the door, and bury myself in the covers of my bed.

I nearly died today. I feel numb.

I feel a familiar ache in my chest that happens when I get sad.

I don't want to do anything except lay here. Anything else seems unbearable. What was I thinking? Why did I snap at a god? I'm such an idiot.

I remember Verda. Is this why she never wanted me? She would have told me to suck it up, or to just 'be happy'. I wish I knew how to do that.

I hear someone walking up the steps. I have a feeling that it's Tsareth.

I get up, and open my door to investigate. The door across from mine is open. It's another bedroom.

I walk in. The room is dark, but I make out that the curtains are hot pink, and the walls have a rose design. There's a musical keyboard in the back of the room, next to a vanity. In the back right corner, there is a big bed with pink sheets. Someone is in the bed. They appear to be asleep.