43 Lera Part - 3

"Lera, why do you keep staring at my hair?"

"I think it's because your hair is like the night sky."

"Then why doesn't she look up?"

"She said she likes stars. So I guess, you just happen to be a closer star?"

Paroppe started laughing, the same as Jev, but he started choking in his food. Everyone turned towards him as he continued to wheeze a laugh after coughing.

"I'm fine. Ayanni you are the brightest star I know!"

The siblings started laughing all over again. Lera was smiling and nodding, but didn't laugh. She turned towards the group before looking back up at the sky.

---

"I'll take the first watch, since I already got a nap in. Then Ayanni and the last one will be Paroppe. Sounds good?"

"Sure, but shouldn't Lera help out?"

"Fine, but one of us needs to be with her. She can get distracted easily. It's best that someone is watching her."

"I wouldn't mind watching over her?"

"You sure Ayanni? Will you be alright?"

"I can do it. I've been doing well. I also… I'll be fine."

"Alright. You good Paroppe."

"Just fine. Lera, you want to take watch with Ayanni?"

Lera nodded and then followed Paroppe to bed. Ayanni and Jev had their own tent, while Lera and Paroppe had their own. Paroppe lied down with Lera in her arms, falling asleep.

---

"Are you still tired Lera?"

Lera shook her head as she was sitting on a tree stump next to Ayanni. Their fire was still lit, but slowly turning to embers. Enough light to ease them into the darkness.

"That's alright."

He looked down at the dying fire. The forced smile vanished faster than those embers. The crackling and Lera's feet tapping the ground were the only sounds around.

"I'm so sorry for hurting you before. I… I just get so… obsessive. I can control it, but there is like this small latch on the big door. With enough force, although not that much, it breaks along with my control over it." He looked at Lera. Her head was down and her feet stopped moving. It was dark, but he could see well enough with the light given off by the campfire. "I know it's more of an excuse than anything, but it is true. Just me hurting you. I'm sorry, so sorry for that."

He closed his eyes wanting to be hit for what he had done. He had felt terrible this entire time. Now that they had spent more time together, he couldn't go on much longer without apologizing. He opened his eyes to fine Lera's hand stretched out towards his.

"Wha…"

She closed her hand and moved it vertically.

"Handshake?"

She reached out to grab her hand. He gripped her hand tightly, but he hesitated before shaking it.

"Do you forgive me?"

His response was her hand shaking up and down.

"I'm sorry, but thank you…"

A few more tears streamed down his face before he wiped them off.

---

"Can I ask you some questions?"

Lera nodded towards Ayanni.

"I won't try to harm you with my questions. So if there is something you don't want to answer just look away and I'll stop. Do you still want to?" She nodded. "I know you can't talk, so I'll ask yes-or-no questions."

"Do you know how to write? Oh that's good. When we get back that might help if you want to say…er … write out something that you want."

"Your magic… it's special. Right? I thought so, but why? Do you know why? You do? Oh okay."

"I know you can teleport. Do you know if there is a limit to the distance you can travel? Oh sorry, is there a limit? None? Are you sure? Is that the same reason why your magic is special? That's cool, a little scary, but cool."

"When you um… froze me, you remember that? It wasn't cold, but when I came out of it, time had passed in an instant. So it had to do with time right? Like you stopped time? That's really weird. I've never heard of anyone being able to control time. It's connected to what makes your magic special? Makes sense."

"If your teleportation has no limits and you can freeze people in time… You're not the dark god Guhnden are you? I didn't think so. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You're not… not scared? Confused? Sorry, I remembered Ziv, that boy you had been with, he mentioned that he thought that you were the dark god Guhnden. I had gone back to the library where I had… picked Ziv up from. No, I kidnapped him… I'm a horrible person. Sorry about that. I got distracted, but he found a book. There was a person with your purple hair described to have been controlled by Guhnden. Oh so, you know about it too? I see."

"For me your powers are scary. Terrifying really. No limits and can control time. But I don't have to worry. I know that. After spending time with you, I know you aren't a bad person. Why are you shaking your head? You think you're a bad person? No you aren't. I kidnapped a child and was about to hurt him for the information I wanted. I'm a bad person. Evil. What are you doing? I'm not a bad person? No, I am. I really am."

Ayanni and Lera were crying together. Hugging each other as their tears and whimpers covered the campsite.

---

Before Ayanni let Paroppe take over for the last shift, he thought about his watch. Nothing had come up and everyone was safe. Simple, but there were more questions in his head. He wanted to know more and tried his hardest to hold back. Then Lera had said she was a bad person, he wanted to know what. What made her feel that way or what did she do for her to believe that. He wanted to know, but he also knew he was a monster. Someone who would hurt others for answers. It spilled out, in tears, and it seemed the same for Lera.

---

Lera hadn't really blocked out what happened before she locked herself in a small room within her home. She just avoided it with happy thoughts. Biding her time with distractions before she had to feel those horrible things again. She didn't like it, but she knew why.

Ayanni thought himself to be a monster, but if he knew what she had done, then he would feel better. In that moment of clarity, she cried for him and the people that she had hurt.

She met two people. She left them right away. Then, years later for those people, she came back into their lives. She never asked what they wanted, just did her own thing. Then one of them died. She could have helped, could have saved them pain, but she didn't.

Recently she wanted to help people from the shadows and not be lonely at the same time, she failed spectacularly. Being hated for who she was and how she acted. She deserved it, but she didn't like it. The next person showed up out of nowhere. She tried to help that person and failed again. Lied and failed to tell the boy anything. His eyes told her enough. It hurt to be hated.

So she went back into her bed, as Ayanni went out on watch. She can stay awake without consequences, like she usually did to watch the stars, but tonight she was tired. Really tired.

---

"I don't know why she won't wake up."

Paroppe looked up at the other two. Ayanni had believed it to be his fault because he asked questions last night. He didn't speak about what they talked about, but Paroppe had an idea that whatever it was, they both had cried. She saw their eyes when she took over for the rest of the early morning. She didn't want him to talk about something like that unless he started the conversation.

"We should head out."

"Seriously Jev! She isn't waking up. There is something wrong, we should… Oh… Oh!"

She was glaring at Jev, but once she saw they look in his eyes she took a few more seconds to realize why he wanted to leave. They had told their parents that they would be back the next day. If they didn't arrive by the night, they would send people after them. If they left now, they could be back at home where they could take care of her instead of staying out here.

So they packed everything up and then decided that Ayanni would carry her. He had to carry his shield and mace, but without his supplies he could comfortably carry her.

"Are we really sure she's thirty-five years old?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"She just seems too light."

Jev and Paroppe both turned around to look at him. Both confused. So Jev turned to him and ask him another question.

"How does her weight have anything to do with her age?"

"Well, her height and weight don't really match someone of her age?"

"Who are you basing this knowledge on?"

He turned towards Paroppe and she returned a glare. Whatever he was going to say he needed to be delicate, but he was safe with Lera in his arms.

"Okay. There is more to it than that. Remember a couple days ago when I tackled you to the ground, in the dueling area?"

"Oh." Her face was full of realization as to where he got his knowledge from.

"So, holding Lera here, her height and weight is closer to you. Although we both had our gear on, but still it's enough for a rough estimate. Now take on her personality. I'm sure we all know she went through something bad that hurt her mind."

He looked at the others. They nodded, but Paroppe spoke up.

"When she wanted to die, when we first met, her feelings were towards herself. She did something that she couldn't handle."

"I agree. Was like an undead when we first met, with a little awareness, but after she went missing she became a playful child. Though when I talked to her last night, some of the questions I asked had her thinking. She was able to understand and answer what I asked. Her original self is still there. I don't know if we have seen it yet or will, but I know that some of her doesn't make sense."

"That had nothing to do with her height and weight."

"Like I said Jev, there was more to it."

"Fine, let's go."

Jev knew that Ayanni was on to something. When they first learned about her, when searching for that boy, she was able to make conversation and seemed nervous. They definitely hadn't met the original Lera.

---

There was a light chill last night, nothing major considering their gear, but today it was hot, really hot considering their gear. There was no wind. The air felt dry. The people that passed by were heading towards the shade to get out of the heat. They took breaks, no just for themselves, but also for Lera.

"Paroppe can you help fix the blanket?"

They were using a blanket to cover Lera. Otherwise she was going to be cooked by the sun. He had carried her on his back this whole way. They could see the gate, not too far away. No more than an hour of traveling left.

"Give me a moment."

---

They made it past the gate and went back to Ayanni's home. The inside of the home was dry and hot. The home had barely any furnishings, so they had Lera on the bed in the bedroom instead of the floor. It was tough to breathe anywhere in the heat, but that room was dark so it would provide at least some relief.

"Why does water have to be the best thing in the world?"

"Seriously Jev, don't dunk your head in the sink. Move so I can do it."

"If you two keep that up my house is going to drown."

"When have you called this your house? You didn't even tell it existed until almost a month ago." Jev commented.

Jev was looking at the siblings. They were drenched in water and sweat, unlike him who had yet to get water. Since it was dry out, creating water was tough, so they reserved what they had in their packs to drink for themselves and the little water they could create was given to Lera.

"I'm going to take a cold bath. Yea I'm going before you both. Then I'll take care of Lera if she is still asleep."

"Don't take too long."

"I got it. You don't have to tell me Ayanni."

---

"What happened to you this time Lera?"

Paroppe had stripped Lera down so she wouldn't get too hot and wiped down her sweat.

*Knock Knock*

"If you're done, come out and drink some water and we can have lunch again. Do you want me to go tell mom and dad that we got back?"

"No, I'll do it. I have to grab a few things for myself."

---

"How are you doing?"

"I'm hot Jev. What did you expect?"

"I meant from last night. You weren't exactly quiet."

"Wh…"

"I heard enough Ayanni. If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears, if you don't that's fine. At least let me know how you're doing."

"I'm… I did such a horrible thing to you guys, our friends, that kid and Lera. I wish I was better."

"Even if it's hard to control, just acknowledge what you did and make it right." Jev patted Ayanni's shoulder, but then took his hand and wiped it off on his shirt. "You want to go first or should I?"

"I'm fine. Go ahead. I want to think some more."

"Alright."

---

She took in a breath. The air was dry and heavy with the heat. Opening her eyes, she found a dark room hidden behind a curtain from orange and red light. Morning or night? She couldn't be sure. She sat up and looked at her hands. They were covered in sweat like the rest of her body.

She stood up to walk around the room she was in. It was familiar and wasn't… She knew this wasn't her home, but she lives here. There is another place that is home that is close by too.

By the door she could hear noise. The air was still heavy and her heart beating faster made her much warmer. It was uncomfortable, but she wanted to know what that noise was. She opened the door slowly and lightly moved her feet on the floor. Careful not to make any noise.

She heard voices, diagonally to her left in front of her, through the opening between the two walls. She saw two people laying down on the ground. An elf and a girl, the other boy was sitting in a chair leaning back fanning himself.

"Tomorrow we are going to buy that magical item that makes it colder in the house."

"Air conditioning?" The elf asked the boy in the chair.

They were familiar to her, but she didn't know why. She knew what air conditioning was, that the wall she was leaning on was wood and that elf was an elf, she just didn't know why. It was on the tip of her tongue.

She wanted to ask them, but she was scared. She didn't know why she was, but she also felt safe with them. It was a conundrum. So she flushed all that fear away and in a quiet voice said, "Hello."

All three of them looked at her in shock. She felt scared that they were staring at her. She didn't really like that.

"You're awake and you can talk."

She turned towards the boy sitting on the chair.

"Who are you?"