Tour Around Town: Part 1

“Where are you going?” Poppy asked, as Caleb stormed off.

“Wherever you tell me to go!” he yelled back.

Poppy smiled at his back as she ran after him.

- - -

I gave Poppy a bunch of names and places that Victor had given me.

At one point we strolled past a statue of an armored man holding a lance.

The plaque under it read: Vikrum Galebook of the Ashrborn Lancers

I stopped to look at it. “So it’s true then. This town was named after the lancers’ third strongest member.”

She nodded. “Are you a fan of the Ashborn Lancers?”

“I am.” I felt the pride and sorrow in my heart. “Ezrian and Syndria are my favorites in the cohort.” As much as I should try to hide my connection to them, I couldn’t help but enjoy the irony of the situation. And even if I revealed who I was, I wanted to be interesting to her. “How about you?”

“They’re admiarble, but I don’t really care for them. If they hadn’t eaten the dragon queen’s eggs I may be sympathetic to their fate.”

At her disinterest, and slight distaste towards my parents I felt disappointed in myself.

She began motioning me forward. “Let’s not linger. This statue wasn’t listed.”

Admittedly most of the places we had to go were just filler as to give us time to speak and get to know each other. The two places he really wanted me to see were the path to the tree and Alyssa's old home.

We had arrived at the path leading into the forest. The path was choked with thick roots that writhed as we approached. The noise of plants rustling unsettled me.

“How far is the tree from here?”

“Not too far. A short walk of two or three minutes.”

“How did the slayers get to the tree?”

“Well before, there used to be fewer roots, but after the Griffin ranked Slayer came, she became more guarded.”

“Wulfric, right? Did he get close?”

“How am I supposed to know?” She shook her head. “All right what’s left?”

“Alyssa’s house. Is that within the town’s boundaries?”

“It is. It’s around here. Kegan took me there a while ago, but I remember where to go.

I followed Poppy to the outskirts of town, where we found an abandoned cottage by a small stream.

“Here’s where the evil witch cursed the entire town,” she said mockingly.

I bristled at the use of the word curse, but kept my mouth shut. We walked around and found the door broken into and the place nearly empty. What was left was broken and dusty.

“So, she really didn’t curse anyone?”

“No!” she said, annoyed. “Why the hell are you people so superstitious about witches and curses?”

“I’m only making sure. I actually know people who were cursed. If Alyssa was a good person, I want to be sure.”

“Does that change anything?”

“It does. If she really did curse all those people, then she had this coming.”

Finally Poppy began to laugh disbelievingly. “This is why she died. Because people like you just assume the worst in others.”

“I don’t!”

“Then why do you feel the need to be justified in killing her?!”

“I’m not! You keep telling me she’s innocent but I’ve yet to be shown otherwise!”

“Who cares what a kid like you thinks?!”

Her attempt to invalidate me with my age caused me to bristle.

“Well you should! Otherwise your ‘innocent witch’ will get killed a second time!”

She shook her head. “This was a waste of time. I’ve shown you everyplace you asked for, so I’m sure you can find your way back to the Mayor’s house! Bye idiot!”

“Who are you to call an idiot?!” Then recalling her blunder earlier, I reached for it. “You aren’t so smart yourself, and you are terrible at lying! We know you lied!”

She stopped. “Keep speaking out of your ass and see what happens!”

“Or what?! I’m trying to save lives and you are being a b—” He stopped himself.

Poppy laughed. “A bitch? Isn’t that what you are? I could beat you up with one arm tied behind my back!”

Then, my heart thundered in my ears.

Was it or was it not a jab at my missing arm?

But at this point I didn’t care. “And what makes you so confident?! Did your grandparents teach you to fight before abandoning you?!”

Despite all of the fighting and training I did, when Poppy suddenly drove her first into my face, I couldn’t defend myself.

A bright flash of light, then a sharp, splitting pain. I hit the ground hard and before I could register to scramble away, she landed punch after punch into my face.

For a second I thought some other person was hitting me. I expected a girl like her to just pound her fists clumsly at me. However, as another punch connected solidly with my nose, I had to come to terms with the fact that Poppy knew how to fight with her fists.

I may have gotten too cocky with my fighting ability after the three slayer contracts with Victor.

While desperately trying to defend myself, shame built up as I realized I was at this girl’s mercy.

A jolt of concern from another being pierced my panic. I didn’t hesistate to call for help.

“Yoki!” I bellowed. Then my scarf came to life and leaped out.

“What the- Poppy shrieked, as the slime wrapped itself around her arms and back, pinning her arms to her side.

Blind with rage, I kicked her in the stomach sending her sprawling down into the dead leaves and ground. Not caring for appearances, I straddled her, and brought the bottom of my fist down onto her face. Compared to the punch I drove into Victor’s arm, it was sloppy and unpracticed.

I didn’t care that I was hitting a girl. Chivalry went out the window the second she hit a one-armed boy.

Then, with a shocking surge of strength, Poppy sat up and slammed her forehead against mine. She didn’t know that a proper headbutt meant aiming the forhead to the nose. So, she slammed her forehead against mine, causing one of the worst pains that I had ever experienced.

I fell off her, clutching my head. Throbbing pain overwhelmed me. My cries were about to turn into sobs when I heard her first.

Her racking sobs caused me to pause and look over at her. Yoki still bound her arms together, and she was on her side. It gave me a clear look of her face and it broke my heart. It was the expression and cries of a child and a girl pushed to the brink.

I called back Yoki and turned him into a scarf. She sat up, and turned away covering her face.

I hurridley came to her side. “I’m so sorry. I’m such a prick for bringing up your grandparents. There’s nothing to excuse the way I acted. I was just so frustrated and—my nose is bleeding too much!” I had to stop talking as blood coursed down my face.

She had turned to me and her eyes widened as she watched my desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. She hurriedly took out a handkerchief, “Here take this and wash up at the stream.”

I hurriedly followed after her and stopped at a stream nearby. I bent down, soaked the handkerchief in the water, and began washing my face. The blood dripped from my nose and joined the running water. A crimson cloud streaking away.

She bent down beside me and began washing her hands.