Elias won't be back for another couple days and I think Marinah still has family over, so I head to the Bywater mansion to ask Tobias for a favor.
He agrees readily and gives the Mallend family a day off so I can spend more time with them. I take them back to Elias's house, I'm sure he won't mind.
My new mother is an excellent cook, and I savor every dish.
I teach the kids how to play Glory War with my limited knowledge, and everyone's startled to find out I cannot read. It's a little embarrassing to be made fun of by people younger than me.
Time flies when I'm with these people and I'm in awe of Arika. This woman is a saint and I'm proud that she lets me call her mom.
We go outside to my makeshift training area, and I show off my skills with a blade to impress my new family. It makes me happy when they say how dependable I am and how cool I look.
Back inside, I'm playing a game of Glory War with Anya, when a knocking comes at the door. I wasn't expecting guests, so I hold a hand up to stop Arika from answering the door, just in case.
I open it to find a furious Marinah.
"Why haven't you visited me! I've been waiting for three days!"
"I uh.. um you had family over and I didn't want to intrude.."
She aims a kick at my shin and hops backwards on one foot. I think she forgot she was wearing open toed shoes.
"Yeah and!? I wanted to introduce you to everyone!"
"I'm sorry.. I didn't know.."
I catch her before she falls over and pick her up in a bridal carry. Her angry face is so cute that I can't help myself from placing a kiss on her cheek.
Her voice is small now.
"I'll forgive you this time.."
A voice from behind makes me jump.
"Oh, who's this?"
I turn to see Arika and the kids looking at me with great interest.
"Uhh.. this is my girlfriend."
Anya and Alisha had scary looks on their faces after I say this, but Aaron looks rather impressed.
"Well don't just stand there, bring her inside and introduce us."
In the sitting room, there is an awkwardly formal air.
"Arika-"
I pause when she glares at me, she was serious about me calling her mom.
"Mother.. this is Marinah Pyne, my girlfriend."
Marinah turns to me with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought you said you didn't have a mother?"
"I didn't until a couple days ago.. it's a long story. She's an amazing woman and I'm glad to call her mom."
Arika preened happily at my praise and Marinah looked somewhat flustered now.
"Nice to meet you ma'am, I hope you give your blessing to our relationship.."
Arika looked even happier now, while my two little sisters scowled.
"Mom, I don't like her." Alisha said.
"Yeah, there's no way she likes big brother more than we do!" Anya supplied.
A vein bulged in Marinah's forehead as she forced a smile.
"I like Kelric a lot, more than you, I'm positive of this."
"No way! I like big brother this much!"
Alisha spread her hands out in a big circle.
"Well, I like Kelric even more than that."
"Nuh uh!"
"Yeah huh!"
"Nuh uh!"
Marinah stood suddenly and spread her arms wide as possible.
"I like Kelric this much!"
My little sister's eyes widened in surprise.
"Woah.."
"Yeah.. okay mom, she passes."
I laugh at the display and so does Arika.
Marinah stays till lunch and makes me promise to see her tomorrow.
Tonight, all the kids want to sleepover in my room, and I let them. Mom wakes us up and we eat a big breakfast before I walk them back to the Bywater mansion.
My heart is full of joy when I leave to go see Marinah after. There's a raucous laughter that seems to echo down the street from her house. A multitude of voices from inside make me trepidatious and it's a long moment before I can bring myself to stand in front of the door.
'Why are you hesitating!? Grow a pair already!'
Boom Boom Boom
I cringe a little after knocking, there are splinters in the wood because my nervousness made lose control of my strength. There is pure quiet from the house now and I want to run away. Before I can, Camren opens the door with a raised eyebrow.
"Gods above, who's breaking down the door?" When he recognizes me, an arm reaches out to pull me inside. "Brother-in-law, good to see you! Come in, come in."
He drags me into the dining room where the noise has picked up again, curious faces stare at me as he sits me next to Marinah. He raises his voice to introduce me.
"Everyone, meet Kelric!"
Their conversations pause again as I'm scrutinized. It seems as if Marinah's whole extended family is here because of how many people are jammed into the room.
I guess Marinah senses my unease and takes my hand, I'm grateful for the support.
No says anything so I assume I have too.
"Hello, nice to meet you?"
My voice trails off to make it a question and embarrassment floods me at the weak greeting.
"So, this is my niece's partner hmm.." a voice calls out from the back.
Another chimes in with, "He doesn't look too bad.. hmm.."
An explosion of questions assaults me all at once and children I didn't notice before scramble over to tug on my arms.
"Woah.. you look strong!" Says a mess of red head hair.
A skinny boy with delicate features asks, "Do you want to see my frog?"
He's admonished by a slightly older girl with the same frame, "Shut up Daniel, nobody cares about that stupid frog."
A thick hand comes down onto my shoulder and I look up to see a rotund man with an insane beard. It's combed neatly but has beads, twine and what seems to be twigs inside it.
His smile is kind as he speaks, "Don't mind the kiddos."
Another man catches my attention because he's crying while thanking the gods for blessing his cousin.
I can't possibly respond to any of it and look over at Marinah as if she were my lifeline in a sinking ship. She seems just as rattled by the outburst of her family and is of no help.
A voice cuts through the inane chatter with authority.
"Gods, let the boy be you fools. You're making him uncomfortable."
Alora is my light in these tumultuous waters as she makes sea of red hair and freckles give me some breathing room.
I let go of the armrest I unconsciously clutched and feel the wooden splinters it turned into, fall to the floor.
I'm more or less left alone now and watch as the rowdy people bicker and laugh.
"Sorry about that.. my family is a little obnoxious sometimes." Marinah looks mortified at how they all swarmed me.
I can only shake my head and smile, "They seem like good people, I wish I had a family so large."
The rotund man was nearby and overheard us apparently because he booms out, "We are your family now!" With a laugh.
Small hands are tugging on me again and a plethora of children stare at me when I turn.
A lanky girl of about eleven walks up to me.
"Hey, why are your muscles so big?"
Such a random question makes me laugh as I look at her. She's stays out and waits for me to answer.
"Um well, I guess it's because I'm very strong."
This seems to placate her, and she walks away. The skinny boy from earlier takes her place.
"Do you want to see my frog?"
A chorus of groans come from the other children. I shrug my shoulders and reply, "Sure."
He brandishes a tiny green frog from his pocket proudly.
"That's uh.. neat?"
He seems happy with this and nods vigorously before walking away.
Soon I'm dragged away by the kids and sit on a stool away from the table. The kids surround me and hug knees to their chests while I think of a good battle. They wanted to hear me tell a story that showed I was strong because of what I said earlier.
I settle on just telling them about the Hell Boar from the exam, everyone seemed to be impressed about that fight. The kids are no different as "ooohs" and "awes" escape their mouths. They were excited and asked for more, so I could only indulge them further. I don't know why, but their innocence is comforting.
I'm in the middle of particularly nasty fight when someone claps their hands.
"Okay, that's enough kids. Let Kelric spend some time with Marinah now."
The children are outraged at Aloras suggestion and demand I finish the story. She looks at me a little helplessly after being unable to control them.
I shrug while saying, "I'm almost done anyway." Turning my attention back to my audience, the story resumes. "And that's when I knew I had to change the tide of battle, or I'd die. There we're only those two guys left but they were the strongest.."
I let my words sink in some for dramatic effect. The kids gulp in anticipation before I continue.
"With no weapon anymore, they charged me together, swords raised high.."
The lanky girl couldn't take it and shouted, "So what did you do!?"
"I made a weapon! Grabbing the dismembered arm of that bald guy, I used his sharp bones to pierce a throat!"
The kids cheered and Alora looked horrified.
"But.. there was still another one that I hadn't dealt with, and his swing was true as metal pierced my shoulder.." shocked cries followed, but I didn't let them wait for long. "He thought he had me. He was wrong! My other arm reached out and found his throat, I crushed it with a squeeze!"
The kids stood and hooted wildly, but the lanky girl wasn't as moved as the rest.
I waited for the others to settle down a little before asking her what was wrong.
"It's just that.. if that's really true.. wouldn't you have a scar to prove it?"
The other kids nodded furiously in agreement.
"Yeah! Show us!"
"Show us the scar!"
I thought about and did as asked, I too might skeptical if someone told as many stories as I did and still had all their limbs.
I took my shirt off and pointed to it, "See? Let me turn around." Pointing behind my back, "This is where it exited."
The silence in the room is staggering when I put my shirt back on and I realize I shouldn't have done that. The adults catch my attention with whispers to one another and that pitying face I've come to know.
'Good job Kelric, you sure know how to ruin the mood..'
Hands tugging at my shirt pull my focus downwards, the kids swarm me with bright eyes and eager expressions.
"Wooaaahh! You really weren't lying.."
"You're so awesome! I wish I had heroic scars like that!"
The sudden change in atmosphere around me is staggering.
'My scars.. heroic? No.. there's nothing heroic about me.'
My hand reaches up to wipe at my face absently. I'm crying for some reason.
Alora is a wonderful woman and takes the kids away from me before they can see useless person I really am. It takes a minute to get myself under control and I take the seat next to Marinah again.
Her face is a little red and I wonder if someone made her mad.
Clyde and Alora go around the room and whisper into ears things I can't hear. Each time they do, another look of pity is directed at me.
Marinah drags me away from the room then and leads me to her own.
It's kind of messy and I can see no less than three different sets of Glory War scattered about. She doesn't say anything and embraces me.
Looking into her eyes, she surprises me with a real kiss. This woman knows how to make my mind dumb, and I'm lost in her.
When we break apart, I can't help myself as I lean back in.
A voice shatters our intimacy with mock apology.
"Oh! Sister, I'm sorry for interrupting, but dinner is about to be served."
We jump away from one another as Caroline laughs, she's full of teasing smiles and faux shock.
When she leaves, Marinah and I cannot look at one another as we make our way back to the dining room. Embarrassment hits hard as I hear Marinah's sister recounting what she just saw.
Good natured or not, the jabs I receive are excruciating.
The dinner is excellent though and I let my worries leaves me. When I'm finished, I look around to find that everyone isn't even halfway done. Clyde chuckles and asks one of the servants to bring me another plate.
After I'm finished with the fourth one, my stomach can't possibly hold anymore and Marinah wipes at my face with a tablecloth. It seems that I'm destined to be embarrassed in this household as even the children laugh at my table manners.
Marinah whisks me away again to play a game of Glory War and it's almost night when a knock comes at the door. I fared no better today and suffered countless crushing defeats.
Alora peeked her head in, "Kelric dear, are you staying the night? I need to get a room prepared if so."
I shake my head and stand.
"No, I should get going. Elias is going to flip out again if I'm not home when he returns."
Marinah rushes at me then and hugs me, planting a kiss on my cheek. I wonder what the redness in her cheeks is about when she says, "Good night Kelric, I'll see you tomorrow then?
"Of course, I wouldn't miss the chance to spend time with you."
My hand clamps over my mouth after I say what's in my heart. Marinah gives me a wonderful smile and another hug.
As I'm about to leave the Pyne residence, a line of people is waiting for me.
The rotund man laughs when I take a step back, "Don't be shy! We're here to see you off." He opened his arms wide and walked towards me.
"T-that's okay, I'll be back tomorrow so no need—"
One by one, I'm embraced by Marinah's uncles, aunts, cousins and more. Each one is more crushing than the last and I have to shove Clyde off me when he started sobbing and saying that I was a good boy.
The children were easier, and my body doesn't tighten when they hold onto me.
My mind is a little weary from the day's events, so I don't notice the footsteps approaching from behind as I walk back to Elias's house.
A sudden coldness in my gut makes me look down to see sharp steel exiting my stomach.
Dark red flows along the blade as rage takes control.