First day of training (pt. 3)

Samantha dances around the two fast zombies. Her feet knowing where to be for the best balanced stance to cut and stab the attacking zombies. Once the horde started to catch up we would run from them a little and kept picking off the ones that get to us the fastest. I kept throwing stamina potions at the girl so I wouldn't have to step in and help. Reaching for one more but only found an empty bag. I look around getting ready to fight but the hoard was gone also.

Out of breath and red in the face Samantha stumbles to a clean patch of the woods and leans against a tree. I let her be as she tries catching her breath but she starts coughing violently.

"You alright?" I ask concerned since it sounds as if a lung will be coming up out of her throat.

"Y-" a coughing fit cuts her off. Then she starts breathing very shallow in between words. "Yes. As long. As. I take. It slow. For. A few."

"Well if you say you're alright, I'm going to start taking care of these zombies. Wave me down if you start to feel not alright. Alright?" Damn I just used that word a lot.

Samantha nods her head while slowing her breath but her breathing is still shallow.

Making my way down wind I begin setting fire to the corpses. After picking them over for their copper, silver and gold of course. The fire incantation that clings to the corpses and doesn't affect the surrounding area is an amazing spell that Aba created. 

It took awhile but I got every corpse but the last one by Samantha taken care of. "Here." I say catching Samantha's  attention before throwing a coin bag at her.

It hits her hard in the stomach as she catches it. With a confused look she opens the bag and looks between me and the bag

"Uhhh." Is all she mumbled.

"You earned it." I say pulling a coin bag from a corpse. "These things are gross." 

<(○_○)>     <(~¤~)>

We made it back to the fort Phil was at after Samantha recovered from loosing her stomach contents. Phil had us stay for dinner since he made a decent soup of wild game and root vegetables from the area. 

Aba dropped another golden scroll beside me while we were eating. Opening it I read its contents out loud after reading Samantha's name.

[My dearest Hazel and Samantha,

Well done today. Please return tomorrow to finish the job. Your translator will carry the count.

With love always, Aba]

With a toss the golden scroll bursts into flames in the fire pit. 

"Looks like I need to take you to get fitted for a translator." I inform Samantha. Along with filling my trainee in on the fact I did take a small "donation" from the money to help cover the cost of her boots. 

"Translator?" She asks.

"Yep this thing here on my arm is like a cell phone. Only it runs on mana so getting messages to people can be difficult if you don't have a lot of it." I show her the steel like metal translator with leather straps on my left forearm. With a drag of my finger the metal coating looks as if it rolls back and under revealing a glass like screen. Then I continue my explanation.

"What's really fascinating is when you go somewhere and the language is different it automatically makes it so both parties understand each other. If we go to this part of the translator." Poking at the screen in a few places, "this page here has all your missions and here." I tap on the zombie count. "350!? Isn't that a big much for a new person in one day?" I shout looking up at the ceiling.

Another scroll appears.

[Do you not remember the beginning of my last letter?

My dearest HAZEL and Samantha...

Love, Aba]

"I guess it's a joint mission." Again tossing the scrool into the fire.

"This is a very strange dream." Samantha mumbles staring into the pit.

"Dream?" Phil looks at the girl in disbelief. "This isn't a dream. Those things out there are real!"

"Zombies aren't real though?" She replies cowardly. 

I hold my hand up to stop Phil from saying more. Then in a very slow motion I raise my hand up to Samantha's face then flick her forehead hard.

"Ow!" She cries grabbing her forehead.

"This isn't a dream. You're in a new world where supernatural beings, humans and oh so much more live together. You were gifted a power when you were young." I try explaining.

Samantha seems lost in thought.

"Don't think of trying to off yourself because it might help you wake up."

"But... Then the angel I saw every night when I was little. Wasn't a dream or some figment of my imagination?" She looks at me and it looks as if she will burst into tears. "Will... Can I ever go back?"

Giving her a nod, "yes. You can and will be going back. The idea is you will be traveling back and forth from your world's time plane to this one. If you ever decide you want to stay like I did that is also an option."

"You haven't gone back?"

"Nope! Aba took me out of that hell-hole and I'm never going back. I have my own place. On a weekly basis the income is sometimes better than others. The friends I have made here are amazing. Here, I can be free."

Samantha ponders on that for awhile then whispers. "Is it bad a part of me wants to stay?"

"Not at all. I have a room for you to stay in at my house."

"How will I explain to my family that I have been gone for hours? Wait. It's almost been a full day! My mom.... she will shoot my animals if I don't take care of them! My sister.. who will protect her from the beatings?" Fear spreads across the girls face as she grips her arms tight around her legs. Tears stream down her cheeks.

My heart sinks when Samantha's words hit me. "Hold on! Calm down! Aba will put you back at what ever time you came from. Say you were sleeping, he will put you back at that time and place. So your sister and animals will be fine."

How could someone be that cruel to a child? Not that my parents or living situation were much better.

"You're sure?" She asks with hope in her eyes and voice.

"Yes! With no doubt in my mind you will return as if nothing happened. Aba will keep your sister and animals safe while you are here."

"Who is this Aba?" Samantha asks drying some tears.

"We can leave right now for the cathedral and you can talk to Aba for yourself if you want." I reassure her. 

She nods in agreement.

"I'm sorry Phil looks like we will be leaving now." I turn to face the tear soaked face man. "You...?"

"I'm fine! Go! Stay strong you two!" Phil sniffs back his snot and wipes his tears away. He knows a very small part of my past since this was also my first training spot with my mentor Heather. His emotions got the better of him again.

"Thanks Phil." I smile at the old geezer before leading Samantha out of the fort and back to the waypoint.

<(~.~)>      <(~.~)>

Back in Bellamy at the cathedral we are sitting in one of the pews. Samantha looks in wonder at the carvings and paintings on the walls and ceiling.

"Just ask your question or questions. Some things he can't answer because of the whole 'messing up the future' mumbo jumbo." I say leaning back in the pew. Closing my eyes and folding my arms in hopes to give Samantha some privacy.

"So I just ask? Like speak?" There is a hint of concern in her voice.

"He can read minds but if you don't like that, tell him." I say peeking at her.

"Alright." She replies looking at her hands.

She lifts her face up toward the ceiling. Samantha closes her eyes and whispers something.

Looks like she bottles things up and tries figuring her problems out alone. Just like I use to.

Aba's presence comes closer from the shadows. Faint whispers come from Samantha's lips that get quieter with each question. I heard the words "Is this real? Who are...? I feel your presence.... forgive... myself?.... Thank you." Then she sniffles so I peek a look as she wipes her face. When she straightens up I close my eyes again. I can hear her voice but not the words themselves.

Then Aba's voice whispers in my ear. "You have your work cut out for you but give this some time and you will be amazed."

"You've seen the future again haven't you?" I mutter back.

"Oh I have seen it all. You both will be helping each other over the years." A faint chuckle is heard in his voice.

With that I feel his presence leave my side and Samantha's sniffles get farther and few between. Along with her faint whispers of thanks to Aba.