• Remember your duty remember your duty remember your duty remember your du-

    “Rale? Rale? Hello-o-o, anybody home?”

    Rale barely noticed the fists knocking on his own skull, but when there was a pair of brown eyes suddenly in front of his own, he was shaken enough for him to slip out a rather (he hated to admit) unmanly yelp.

    “Whoa, I actually got the jump on you. Are you okay?”

    As he settled back again more comfortably against the tree, he regarded the woman on her hunches before him. Oversized child more like. She was staring almost owlishly at his face with her lower lip sticking out and her eyebrows furrowed. Something about him wasn’t pleasing her and he had a nagging good reason why.

    Becky sighed as she promptly fell on her back with her arms and legs spread out on the grass. “I’d wish you’d just tell me what’s bugging you. You’ve been going off on your own any chance you get just to brood.”

    Rale couldn’t help but to manage a faint smile. “Always as blunt as Tolner’s sword, aren’t you? What makes you think I have a problem which needs to be addressed?”

    He couldn’t see her face, but he could imagine the obligatory pout on her face. What he didn’t expect was her voice to come out rather soft and quiet. Her voice by default was loud with almost all her words stuck together, and he knew if it wasn’t, something was honestly bothering her.

    “I’m scared Rale…where am I? This place isn’t anything like home…Am I really supposed to be some kind of savior? Do I really have some kind of freaky power? I’ve never had people actively want to kill me before…I don’t have any special talents…Oh man, now I’m going to be like my least favorite female characters…she nearly took my head off! I can’t believe I’d rather be in pre-cal..I want chocolate…I miss my mom…awe *sniff* man why am I crying*sniff* now…sorry for getting my *sniff* snot all over your clothes…sniff sniff”

    Something rather painfully burned at his heart and he subconsciously did his best to squash it down.

    “Something’s really bothering you. I’ve been with you long enough to know something’s up,” she whispered. “I wish I could help you…”

    “Don’t go worrying about things that don’t exist,” Rale said with a heave, closing his eyes. He heard a slight rustle of cloth, a soft sigh, and then chanting.

    “Spirit of the air, come to my aid, blow away my target.”

    A gust of wind, almost a soothing breeze, caressed his cheek and played with his hair. He opened his eyes to see Becky sitting up with her hands outstretched.

    “You’ve really done a lot for me. You’ve been protecting me. I know it’s mostly because I’m important to the kingdom and all-“

    Stupid, stupid girl, you are but a weapon…

    “-but I’m still very grateful. And you’ve even been teaching me magic. I know I’m still nowhere skilled enough to use it in combat. You didn’t have to do that, but you’re doing it for me anyway.”

    Why did I-

    “So I want to do something for you too. I’d rather do something really big, but seeing how useless I am, I’ll settle for any little thing. So at least let me comfort you if there’s something really bothering you. We’re friends, right?”

    Friends…friends…I’m just keeping you quiet until we reach the chopping block…

    A warm pair of arms suddenly enveloped him. A chin snuggly fit into the crook of his neck.

    “Let me do whatever little I can to help you. If there’s anything my guidance counselor taught me, it really helps if there’s someone there just to listen to all your problems.”

    Becky…

    “It doesn’t really suit you, attempting to sound so sage-like.”

    The back of his neck was pinched rather hard in response before Becky drew back. There it was, the wide smile that hid nothing but just radiated pure and simple happiness. “Same old snarky Rale.”

    The smile, though he had seen it so many times before, disarmed him for the moment. Same old childish Becky…

    And his heart burned even painfully more when the epiphany hit him.

    I care about her. I genuinely care for her as a person, not as the sacrifice and weapon to save the kingdom. I don’t want her to die. And this pain is the guilt knowing that I will lead her to her death anyways…

    The smile faded from Becky’s face as a strange expression overcame Rale’s. “Rale?”

    She didn’t expect to be suddenly crushed to his chest. True, she had hugged him many times before, but he had never hugged her…and not like this…a nose nuzzled in her hair, a hand on the small of her back while the other behind her head.

    “Rale?” she squeaked out, muffled by his shirt.

    There was no answer but that she was held even tighter. The silence confused and unnerved her. If there was one thing all those soap operas had taught her…

    “Rale, something bad’s going to happen, isn’t it?”

    He remained quiet as he breathed her scent and felt her warmth, wondering if she could feel for himself his painfully guilt ridden heart.

    I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…