I spent our walk back to the inn silently as I ran my fingers through Ani’s soft and rumbling fur, turning over the information we’d gathered in my head. According to the Storyteller, my story would be enough to pacify the Djinn and more besides. While he’d seemed knowledgeable, I was uncertain of his judgment, given his past acquaintanceship with Ava and their current King. It didn’t seem very sound.
Still, as sidequests progressed as if we were in a game, it wouldn’t hurt to head back to the Merchant and check. If he was correct, we’d save days of time and be able to meet up with Cove that much sooner.
…Should I retell the Storyteller’s story for Cove or leave it? Certainly, Cove would take it as further evidence that we should interfere. Despite this, the Storyteller, who’d been there when Jacob and Ava had placed a second Mad King on the throne, had all but asked me to interfere. He’d been running from his responsibility as I had until now, dropping it off on me the moment he could. Perhaps if this had happened earlier in my journey, I might have been offended and refused him.
As it were, I toyed with the idea. We were only here for the fragment, Interfering so far as to help remove their king from his throne was far outside our purview. Yet, I emphasized with the Storyteller, recognizing the same desperation to be free of the responsibility I’d felt in Heirs and What Lies Ahead, and I’d changed since then. I’d decided to be more proactive, to take my own burdens and shoulder them. Perhaps this was a part of that, too.
Or I’d only make things worse. An’s paw ran down the side of my face, startling me out of my thoughts for a moment. I glanced down at his face, seeing the stars in his eyes once more.
Indecision clawed at me, trying to pull me back to where I used to stand under its command. Under Ani’s soft gaze, I thought of Sera, Mattie, and all the others I’d encountered and what they’d want me to do. In my thoughts, I found the decision had already been made. I smiled. Ani’s ears fell back against his head as I gave him a soft pat, his purr rumbling louder under my touch.
I freed a hand and tugged the equally thoughtful Sinbad to the side of the inn, pointing toward the closest exit.
“The Storyteller suggested that my story is enough. We should meet back up with the Merchant,” I suggested.
Sinbad inclined his head. “Alright.”
Buoyed by my decision, the silence wasn’t quite so heavy. I let Ani clamber out of my arms and into the forest floor, allowing him to dart between the trees to hunt and torment other animals like the little bully he was. He padded back with a dead bird between his mouth and moved to rub up against my leg as I stepped wide, giving the dead creature a wide berth. Sinbad looked on in amusement.
“I think he wants to feed you.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
I grimaced and shot a quick glance at Ani. “He can keep it for himself.”
Ani’s ears flickered. Understanding my meaning, he gave a cat version of a shrug and disappeared once more in the trees. He reappeared a few minutes later, sitting on the path in front of me as he cleaned his paws.
“Have you decided?” Sinbad asked without looking at me. I wondered what answer he was searching for.
“Yes.”
“...what will you do?”
I let the silence stretch between us as I found the words. “What I can.”
He turned back from the sights of the forest to glance at me as if he didn’t know how to feel. Perhaps he hadn’t known, either. “When exploring, I’ve always done what I wanted,” Sinbad admitted. “Ignoring the rules, doing what I can to find rare sights and things. I never bothered to go back and see how I’d impacted the people around me after.”
I waved away his concerns, using my knowledge to give him the truth he wanted to hear. “You didn’t destroy anyone’s life,” I promised. “I know.”
Reassured, he relaxed slightly, giving the first smile I’d seen since we’d left the Storyteller’s home. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”
His words startled a laugh from me. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called kind before.” Usually, people described me with words such as ‘condescending,’ ‘jerk,’ and ‘uptight.’ Even my friends and coworkers had described me as such.
Black Cat certainly had appeared to think so.
Sindbad clasped a hand on my shoulder, making me feel nearly a decade younger under his gaze, like the uncertain young man I still felt like deep down. “Most people would have just left me there on that beach or would have walked out on the Storyteller. They wouldn’t have listened to my wish to remain unknowing of my future or known when to use that knowledge for reassurance. You’re far kinder than you give yourself credit for.”
I shook my head. “Those actions were selfish. I didn’t do any of that out of the kindness of my heart.”
Sometimes I doubted there was kindness in my heart. I’d kept Ani because he was persistent. While I considered many of the people I’d met in the other worlds my friends, I hadn’t every action I’d taken had some benefit to me. I admitted such to Sinbad, who answered, “Sounds to me like you feel the need to justify your kindness.”
His words echoed deep within me, but I didn’t allow myself to dwell on them. Hopefully, he’d never have to realize how wrong he was. I was weak, avoided responsibility, and had truly never been a ‘good’ person. I’d stumbled through the worlds, only surviving because I’d prayed on the kindness of others. Even now, I hunted the fragments because I’d been coerced by Ani to, not out of any kindness.
Perhaps one day, Sinbad’s words would be true. I thought once more of the Storyteller, trapped by his own fears and hoping someone else will intervene. He reminded me of…me. However, I’d faced the canyon that lay between myself and the other mages and started to realize recently that my lack of magic wasn’t my only or largest weakness. It was that fear that tied me down, and it was that fear I was trying to overcome.
In Heirs, What Lies Ahead, and even Agartha, my situation had only started to improve once I’d taken a stand. Sky’s reminder to never forget how alive the people of each world were reverberated in my mind.
Hopefully, the day I could accept being called kind would one day come soon, though it wouldn’t be here. This time, I was only helping out of a desire for change.