Believing in Myself

Thank you for the review Falcon! And as for your guess... the only way to see if your right is to read on and find out! I can't go giving EVERYTHING away now can I?

Chapter 19


A day had passed since John and Jessica had left Aseli behind and now they once again were traveling the roads. Things had quieted down since the monster incident, But John knew he had to be alert. Beras had revealed himself again, and this time with more chiling news. That there was someone else that they may need to contend with. Perhaps it was his dream, warning him again. Perhaps not. If anything the only thing he was concerned of was learning as much magic as he could before the inevitable encounter with a foe.

"Say John, I was wondering. When you had not wanted me to go, did you really expect me to be human? Or is that what you wanted?"

"Well... to be honest, I wasn't really thinking about it clearly at the time. I just wanted to be with you, that's all. Even if it was you as an angel."

"I see... then I'm glad."

"Why?"

"Because I made the choice myself, not because it was just what you wanted. You would have accepted it either way, so I'm glad."

John looked a little confused at her remark but smiled all the same. "Well, as long as your happy with what you've chosen."

John had never believed before that Jessica regreted whatever she did. But what if his feelings had been different? Would she really have felt bad about being human if he told her that was all he wanted of her? He couldn't ponder these thoughts long enough before someone had adressed them.

"Well well, it seems someone is having a good time."

The two looked to see the man in black once again, standing with his arms folded over his chest, his look the same as ever. The sun beat down on his silver clasp with no longer seemed to glow.

"You again... what do you want this time?" John said.

"Nothing. Nothing yet anyway."

"Then why don't you just go away. We don't want to have to deal with you right now." Jessica retorted.

"I saw what happened with the monster attack. Very nice work. Such teamwork and power really showed them, huh?"

"Listen will you just get to the point of why your here?" John said, annoyed by his very presence. He hadn't forgotten the last time they had met, that the man had wiped the floor with him, and made it look easy too.

"My point is this. As well as you may be fighting, turn back. It's not a command, it's advice. If you keep going, I can't promise you will return alive."

"Sounds more like a threat to me!" John said, as he pulled out his newly aquired blade. He hadn't had much chance to practice with it, but he had hoped it would help him look a bit more intimidating. However, it seemed to fail miserably.

"Put that thing away before you hurt yourself with it." The man said with a rather snide hint to his voice. John's face turned red in anger. Now he was being treated like a little kid! "I highly doubt you could beat me anyway. You've only had that sword a day, while I have trained with my weapons for well over a year. You stand no chance against me, weapon or no weapon in hand."

John was at the end of his rope. It took serious willpower to stop him from saying 'Why not you try proving that!' and rushing foward to hopefully cut him in two. But he knew that as it currently stood, he was right, although John wished the man would have chosen better words then those. They stung at his pride hard.

"If you've said enough, then leave. We don't want to have to deal with you."

The man laughed and walked away, not saying anymore. When he vanished from sight, John angrily drove his sword into the ground and swore. Frustration welled up inside him and he had just about had enough for one day.

"Damn him, just who the hell does he think he is anyway!? Treating us like kids, thinking he can just make choices for us! He pisses me off!"

"I know John, but you mustn't be angry."

"And your not angry?"

Jessica made a stern look at him. "No I'm not. I understand it more then you John, and I think he does too, that the world you live in, and that I'm now a part of, is harsh. But just because it's harsh to us does not give us the excuse to go and be angry with it. It treats us all the same way, and it's how we deal with it that makes us, ultimately, who we are. And letting him get to you is only confirming what he believes about you, that you are just like a kid."

John looked at her a moment and sighed. He didn't like the sound of it, but he knew she was right. It was one of those moments that Jessica showed her wisdom as an angel. "Sorry Jessica. It's just... I wish he didn't have to say it like that, you know?"

"It's alright John. Come on, we might as well rest here, and you can practice that new wind spell."

John nodded and began to make camp. He sighed heavily. John knew his actions were starting to become rash, but he also knew that the next time the man and him met, John would prove that he made his own choices in life and didn't need people like that guy, telling him what to do.

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"So, what do you think Beras, quite a team right?"

"Pathatic."

Atrois and Beras stood on opposite sides the topmost room in Beras' tower. Beras glared over to Atrois who was tracing his finger down the carving of words on the only chair in the room.

"Please. He has alot of potiental, I can tell."

"All the more reason to kill him." Beras clenched his fist and made to leave the room.

"Not yet Beras. I still want to have some fun with the kid. He's quite the specimen, wouldn't you agree? I want to see just how far his power can really go."

"Then challenge him yourself and be done with it. We can't afford to be wasting time on a single person, much less someone who is of little importance to us."

"Not yet. A few more tests I think. I want to have fun with this one before I break him."

Beras sighed. "Do as you wish. Just don't forget what your duty is."

"Yeah yeah, I know." Atrois waved it off. He didn't have time to be bothered with the details it seemed. All he wanted was fun. Beras left him, exiting the room leaving Atrois to his own thoughts as he examined the chair more. "Such an interesting tale... but carved into a chair... for what purpose?" He continued to stare at the words, forming them soundlessly. He shook his head, as though not understanding something before he too left the room, the sun setting off in the distance as the last of it's feeble light could no longer shine through the windows and left the room dark as night.