“It sounds like you’ve been through a lot. What’s the first thing that comes to you mind when you think about it all?” The therapist, Dr. Maxwell, asked. After she had calmed down, and understood what was happening, she seemed eager to talk to me and help if she could. She was sitting on a pillar of vines Jake had made for her before giving us some privacy and outside for a while.

“I suppose the first thing that I think of is what happened in… no, that is not true; the first thing I think of is my parents.” I said.

“Your parents? Can you tell me a bit about them?”

“In what context?”

“However you want.” I thought about her request for a moment.

“Well, my mom is… protective. When I told her I volunteered for the military she became quite upset. My dad is… my dad has always been distant, but that is normal I suppose.”

“Normal?” Dr. Maxwell asked. “How so?”

“Well, fathers rarely have anything to do with their children.”

“Is that normal on your world?” She wondered.

“Oh yes, but my family has never really been normal.”

“In what way?”

“Well, most Neame are raised by only a single parent, usually the mother. It is a rare occurrence for the father to be involved in any significant way.”

“I see,” she nodded that she understood, “and how do you feel about that? Or, more specifically, how do you feel about your father?”

“I love him, he has been with me my entire life, but our relationship has always been strained.” I explained.

“And why do you think that is?”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“I do not know really. Maybe it is because we are too different, or too similar?”

“Suma... I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“After your attack, what did your parents do?” Dr. Maxwell asked softly.

“They… they did not come see me for a while. They disappeared from my life for nearly a week. When I asked them why…” I could feel my heartbeat increasing as I spoke, I was getting frustrated just thinking about it. “When I asked them why, they said it was because they were afraid.”

“Afraid?” She sounded confused. “Afraid of what? Of you?”

“No, afraid of Jake… Jake, who had protected me, who has stayed with me without leaving my side for even a moment. Jake, who comforted me when I thought I had been responsible for killing someone, even though he himself was also suffering in the same way… and they were afraid of him…”

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Jake’s POV

I walked around in Suma’s training camp while she talked to Dr. Maxwell. It was surprisingly large, not in height but rather it was all spread out. I guess that made sense though, seeing as all the Neame could fly. I heard voices in the distance, both of which sounded familiar. Walking towards them, I saw Vindicta and Von-Pac perched outside of a tent made of dirt that connected to a large earthen dome. “Hey you two.” I announced.

“Oh, hello Jake.” Vindicta said.

“Greetings Jake.” Von-Pac said, but he sounded a bit less enthusiastic. “What are you doing here? Training ended hours ago, I would have assumed you would have gone home by now.”

“Yeah, but Suma needed me for something, so I came back for a bit.” I said.

“And where is Suma? Normally, you two are all but inseparable while in camp.” Vindicta pointed out.

“She is talking to a friend; I’m giving them a few minutes alone.”

“Why not just send you back then? Surely you would rather be in your world than ours, especially if you were limited to a single training camp.” Von-Pac questioned.

“That’s… a long story, but the short and sweet of it is it’s safer if I stay here while they talk.” They seemed confused, but didn’t press the issue. Instead, I asked them a question. “So, what are you two doing outside alone at sundown?” I teased.

“Oh… um, nothing. We were just talking!” Vindicta nearly yelled. I smiled at Von-Pac, who avoided my gaze.

“Well, I’m going to go explore the camp a bit. I almost never see anything other than the training area after all. See you two later!” I said and beat a hasty retreat from the two embarrassed nymphs. I continued looking around the camp and saw another Neame sitting outside another dome; it was the same one from the other day’s training. “Hi,” I called out. He looked around confused until he eventually saw me. “You’re Lauric right? I’m-” I didn’t get to finish as he immediately spread his wings and flew away. “I’m… kinda offended… wow.”