Our Young Amara Is a Force

"Are you prepared to travel the globe?" As he waited for Amara to come out, Gramor's effort at a witty greeting failed; she dried her eyes and looked at him bewildered.

He chose to be blunt since he knew there was no tactful way to say it. In an attempt to lessen the pain, he stated quietly, "Your grandmother is dead." "You would be my ward right now." He took a moment to process what he had said. Furthermore, we have no justification for being here. Nothing except suffering awaits us both here.

He was positive Amara nodded when he saw a slight twitch in the hues of her mind. It wasn't the relief or even the happy acceptance he had hoped for. What she said next explained why. I'm a fool, instructor, if I should have had any doubts about you. I never imagined it would be this way.

With a wave of weakness passing over him, Gramor closed his eyes. He had once again undervalued her and his own value in her eyes. He paused before answering, but this time he said nothing. With a slight smile tugging at his lips, he replied, "You are not a fool." Just a friend who has shown me more loyalty than I have in a long time.

In response, she leaned into him and put her hand in his. Like her, he was at a loss for words, so he gave her a gentle grip on the hand and focused on their next issue. Finally, he said, "And Elyra?"

She let out a little sigh and buried her face in his cheek, suppressing her response. She has had a difficult few nights. I never imagined how much she would change. She drew back, looking him in the eye. "Even though she is unaware of it," she said, "she is my cousin."

Slowly, Gramor nodded. Even though he knew she wouldn't, he said, "She is welcome to come with us." For reasons he could only speculate, she hated him. The two cousins were so different.

Then Amara straightened, stepping back and averting her eyes. She didn't have to; he could feel Elyra coming out, dressed like her cousin and wearing only her clothes.

He softened his voice for the first time in a long time and added, "Elyra," not knowing if he had been successful or how she felt about him. "Amara and I are going to leave." He paused for a moment before continuing, "We'd like you to come with us."

Before she spoke, he imagined her face fluctuating between several emotions. Finally, she said, "That's what you both want?" He only nodded, doubting what he was saying. After giving this some thought, she whispered, "Why?"

Gramor knew the truth might not be appropriate at the time, yet he did not tell a falsehood. He said, anticipating a response, "Because your mother asked me to watch out for you." "Your grandmother did, too."

Unexpectedly, there was silence for a few breaths. He caught a glimpse of her figure tilting upward, looking up at the sky, carefully considering what she would say next. At last, she said, "Do you know where my parents are?"

He admitted, "No, I don't," but went on to say, "Your father was a very powerful demon, and there aren't many in this realm. If we look, we might discover them. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Astra again,” he added after pausing.

He was unable to foresee her reaction. She had good reason to be angry with him because he had never made the same effort for her as he did for Amara. This offer was unexpected because she wasn't as forgiving as her cousin.

The minutes passed, but Elyra said nothing. Neither Gramor nor Amara pressed her. He considered letting her take her time.

Then he was reminded of Amara's voice. She's trying to find a way to refuse, teacher. I am aware. She doesn't want to put me in any more risk, so I believe it's because of me.

Now that he doubted she would, he said, you could tell her. Remind her that she is not by herself.

"I know I'm not alone," Amara said, her confidence faltering. Shortly after, she let go of his hand and grabbed Elyra's. "You are aware that you are not alone," she replied softly. "Don't you?"

Elyra quickly said, "No," without taking her hand away. "You're mistaken; I'm by myself." Then she turned and gave the younger girl a hug, maybe for the first time in their years together. "But you're not, Amara, and you have no idea how happy that makes me."

She slowly let go of Amara and rose to her full height, higher than Gramor remembered and taller than even her mother. With her tone devoid of its typical venom, she begged him, "You'll take care of her, right?"

He met her steady gaze without flinching and said, "By force." Her expression was more feminine than that of the child he had known. "I think I've been a part of this family for too long to do anything else, but that's not important, is it?" He made an effort to grin, which was understandable given the gravity of the situation. "I believe that our young Amara is strong enough to earn my allegiance on her own."

Elyra gave a strange nod after shaking her head, but she didn't say anything else for a long time. He was almost expecting her to reach out, but she refused to do so. The two girls were still so different.

It's unclear if she was addressing one or both when she said, "This is goodbye then." It was the last thing she said. His lips pressed into a thin line of regret as he watched her shadow disappear into the night. For once, he didn't feel that Astra had failed, even if she had always been more to him than her mother's daughter.

He gripped his staff tighter and slipped a blade of grass between his lips as he whispered, "Amara." "Are we truly going to stop there?"

He was positive Amara grinned.