The pub is dim and smoky, causing me to cough as I enter from the clear cold air outside. Unraveling my scarf, I scan the room for the person I am supposed to meet. A person catches my eye and waves me over to their empty table, a heavy cloak shadowing their face and body.
As I sit down, I smile, searching the dark shadow underneath the hood for a glimpse of a face. The person refuses to give me the pleasure of seeing their face, instead reaching into the folds of its cloak and retrieving a small silver medallion.
“Take it.”
The voice, soft and slightly hoarse, is a woman’s, or perhaps more accurately, a girl’s. Confidently, I reach out and take the slightly warm silver. Since I am not a demon, the metal does not sear my flesh. If it had burned me, or if I had refused to take the silver, I had no doubt that the girl would have killed me where I sat.
Satisfied, the girl takes back her medallion and pushes her hood back a few inches, revealing a pale oval face with bright green eyes.
“I understand you wanted to ask me some questions?” she asks, still a little warily. I understand her anxiety; it is so difficult to trust anyone in this world what with demons everywhere.
“Yes,” I answer. “I am very interested in your story, Anna de Johnn.”
She twitches at the sound of her own name.
“Now, about you, Anna,” I continue. “Could you please tell me how you came to be in this world?”
She jerks again, this time in surprise.
“You know a lot for a human,” she says, eyeing me curiously.
“Not really,” I reply, “I just use my eyes and ears. But please, I wish to hear this story.”
I already have a pen and notebook with me, so I listen as Anna recounts the events of her travels up to this point. But these, I know about. I want to know a few more things about her.
“Anna, would you mind if I asked you a few more personal questions?”
“I suppose not,” she says, looking thoughtful.
“All right then. What do you really think of all of the other Destined?”
Her brow wrinkles.
“Well, I suppose Monica is a decent person, but she’s a little overeager, if you know what I mean. She’s just bursting with excitement about being a warrior. I sometimes wish that I had that kind of enthusiasm. Kealia is nice, but she’s very carefree. She wants to defeat the demons, but I get the feeling that she’d rather do it later. Sae is probably the person I trust most. She’s saved my life a few times and she was the first person to swear loyalty to me. And Jacqueline? I don’t like her. Period. She’s a horrible, nasty, selfish little snob who cares about no one but herself. As much as I hate it, I have to work with her in order to save this world.”
I nod, scribbling a few notes on the notepad and adding a few more lines to the picture of Anna that I am doodling.
“How is your relationship with Zeira?”
Anna smiles.
“Well, it’s difficult to tell sometimes. You see, sometimes I think she hates me and sometimes I think she’s really fond of me. She’s risked her life for me many times and I’ve done the same for her. Dragons are pretty difficult to figure out, but I’ve been getting the hang of it. I really think that we’re starting to work as a team.”
“What about Saka?”
She starts, almost upsetting the table in her surprise.
“Saka?” she stammers, clasping her hands firmly in front of her to stop their shaking. “I . . . I don’t have any relationship with him . . .”
She trails off, looking embarrassed.
“Well, how about one last question before I leave: If given the chance, would you go back to Ygen?”
Anna doesn’t move, instead studying her interlaced fingers.
“You know,” she says finally, “if you had asked me that question when I first came here, before I witnessed all of the hardships of this world, then I would have said yes. But now, after I’ve witnessed the demons’ cruelty and the desperation of these people, I say no. I’ll stay and fight for them.”
I smile and stand. Anna looks up, slightly alarmed by my sudden rise.
“So that’s all?” she asks, pulling the hood further over her face.
“Yes.”
“Why did you want to know all of this anyway? Are you a scribe?”
“Something like that,” I answer, as I walk out of the door and away from Anna de Johnn.
As I sit down, I smile, searching the dark shadow underneath the hood for a glimpse of a face. The person refuses to give me the pleasure of seeing their face, instead reaching into the folds of its cloak and retrieving a small silver medallion.
“Take it.”
The voice, soft and slightly hoarse, is a woman’s, or perhaps more accurately, a girl’s. Confidently, I reach out and take the slightly warm silver. Since I am not a demon, the metal does not sear my flesh. If it had burned me, or if I had refused to take the silver, I had no doubt that the girl would have killed me where I sat.
Satisfied, the girl takes back her medallion and pushes her hood back a few inches, revealing a pale oval face with bright green eyes.
“I understand you wanted to ask me some questions?” she asks, still a little warily. I understand her anxiety; it is so difficult to trust anyone in this world what with demons everywhere.
“Yes,” I answer. “I am very interested in your story, Anna de Johnn.”
She twitches at the sound of her own name.
“Now, about you, Anna,” I continue. “Could you please tell me how you came to be in this world?”
She jerks again, this time in surprise.
“You know a lot for a human,” she says, eyeing me curiously.
“Not really,” I reply, “I just use my eyes and ears. But please, I wish to hear this story.”
I already have a pen and notebook with me, so I listen as Anna recounts the events of her travels up to this point. But these, I know about. I want to know a few more things about her.
“Anna, would you mind if I asked you a few more personal questions?”
“I suppose not,” she says, looking thoughtful.
“All right then. What do you really think of all of the other Destined?”
Her brow wrinkles.
“Well, I suppose Monica is a decent person, but she’s a little overeager, if you know what I mean. She’s just bursting with excitement about being a warrior. I sometimes wish that I had that kind of enthusiasm. Kealia is nice, but she’s very carefree. She wants to defeat the demons, but I get the feeling that she’d rather do it later. Sae is probably the person I trust most. She’s saved my life a few times and she was the first person to swear loyalty to me. And Jacqueline? I don’t like her. Period. She’s a horrible, nasty, selfish little snob who cares about no one but herself. As much as I hate it, I have to work with her in order to save this world.”
I nod, scribbling a few notes on the notepad and adding a few more lines to the picture of Anna that I am doodling.
“How is your relationship with Zeira?”
Anna smiles.
“Well, it’s difficult to tell sometimes. You see, sometimes I think she hates me and sometimes I think she’s really fond of me. She’s risked her life for me many times and I’ve done the same for her. Dragons are pretty difficult to figure out, but I’ve been getting the hang of it. I really think that we’re starting to work as a team.”
“What about Saka?”
She starts, almost upsetting the table in her surprise.
“Saka?” she stammers, clasping her hands firmly in front of her to stop their shaking. “I . . . I don’t have any relationship with him . . .”
She trails off, looking embarrassed.
“Well, how about one last question before I leave: If given the chance, would you go back to Ygen?”
Anna doesn’t move, instead studying her interlaced fingers.
“You know,” she says finally, “if you had asked me that question when I first came here, before I witnessed all of the hardships of this world, then I would have said yes. But now, after I’ve witnessed the demons’ cruelty and the desperation of these people, I say no. I’ll stay and fight for them.”
I smile and stand. Anna looks up, slightly alarmed by my sudden rise.
“So that’s all?” she asks, pulling the hood further over her face.
“Yes.”
“Why did you want to know all of this anyway? Are you a scribe?”
“Something like that,” I answer, as I walk out of the door and away from Anna de Johnn.
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