Primal

Chapter Sixteen

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Chapter Sixteen

 

The edge, there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know it are the ones who have gone over. ~Hunter S. Thompson

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Tilly lay in Zander’s arms, her slanted eyes looking up at him in slight annoyance. After she lost Aeron, his presence became nothing but a bother to her. When it felt like a sort of competition, everything about this was fun. Her and Aeron both had each other, and they also had their own Nocarae toys. Just having a toy was boring. His existence became trivial, their relationship now trite. If he weren’t so clingy she would have thrown him away as soon as Aeron left. If she got rid of him now, he would just find his way back. His fingers ran across her arm while her eyes were lifelessly trained on the door ahead of her.

 

He would return. He would have to return. Aeron had fought with her before, but he always returned in the end. She slid out from underneath Zander’s arms, walking out of the room with her bad leg dragging slightly behind her. His footsteps eagerly trailed behind her like some kind of pet, and it took all of her will to not turn around and lash out at him. No matter what she did she wouldn’t be able to escape his “loyal” following.

 

Tilly walked out of the inn and into the town, wandering down the straight walkway lined with tent venders. There were tents filled with fruits, clothing, weapons, and other necessary items. Maybe this town wouldn’t be a bad place to settle down in. All she had to do was send Zander into the arms of one of the nice Nocarae girls wandering the settlement, and Tilly would be able to live here happily.

 

Then Aeron would always know where she would be. It’d be so easy for him to come back then.  He’d get rid of that winged girl, what was her name, Noor? Yes, he’d get rid of Noor and then he would come to this place and find her. He would save her from everything.

 

Tilly walked to the nearest stall, grabbing a small orange fruit as he walked. She bit into it, the rough skin scratching down her throat but the juices flowing happily into her mouth. The gentle pain of the thick shell was worth the sweet insides. Everything around her was more than she could even imagine, a gentle wave of peace washing over her. She could stay here without Aeron, she was sure of it. With every bite into the fruit, her opinion would flip back and forth between missing Aeron and being independent without him.

 

It was a weird thought, to finally be on her own for once. She couldn’t remember a time when Aeron was not looking after her. She was only about four years old when he came across her in the forest, her leg injured. Tilly could remember that her stomach had been empty for days…

 

“Who are you?” Young Tilly whispered to a young boy only a few years older than her. He had come out of the trees, standing in front of her as she tried to decide what to do.

 

“I’m Aeron. Are you alone?” He asked, holding his hand out to Tilly. She had been hesitant to take it, but his body looked like he was well fed. She didn’t have time to think about his intentions; all the young girl could think about was food.

 

“I’m alone.” She responded, taking his hand and standing up shakily. She let out a small yelp as she tried to walk forward, her leg falling out from underneath her. She could hear the young boy sigh and tears welled up in her eyes. He was going to leave her now that he realized that she was injured. That was what her brother had done, that would be what everyone else did as well.