*****
We are all weak.
The thought, supposedly fleeting like so many, surprised her when it had nestled itself at the forefront of her mind. The blonde hadn’t been picked up the notion to push it away however, as she was in a contemplative mood herself. Perhaps such a mood had inspired the thought in the first place but she wouldn’t want to dwell on that.
She opened another red-colored box, ripping the foil without much care then proceeded to devour the biscuits inside. One by one they were thrown into her waiting mouth, crushing and crushing them into bits with her unblemished teeth whilst her mind was elsewhere.
‘There is not one human being out there who hasn’t fallen one way or another.’ She absentmindedly brushed away a lock of hair that kept tickling her cheek.
People give in to fear at some point. People suffer because of the decisions made by others and themselves. And when they do fight, people simply gain while losing something else.
It’s simply the way the human life works, isn’t it? People fight to save something, only to fail in other aspects. People strive to succeed in one venture, while losing something along the way. Without the strength of mind and body, they end up paying more than what is needed and faster than what they can cope with.
How ironic can the mortal life get?
“As it stands, the moment we were old enough to make decisions was the moment that we started to lose what we have and what we will have.” She muttered to no one.
It sounded terribly depressing, but for her it was merely observation of facts. She didn’t feel the need to feel sad about this observation, but she did allow herself to feel a little frustration because it was an emotion she was more accustomed to.
A sudden rustle and a muffled yelp stole her attention away from her thoughts. Immediately her azure eyes fell on the duo below her, steadily gazing at them with rapt attention. A boy with chocolate brown hair groaned from his lying position on the ground. His weapon had flown into the bushes during his tumble, if the edge of a pearly white wing peeking out from a sea of green was any indication. Wings certainly didn’t grow in bushes.
“Are you alright?” Came the lilting concerned tone of the young mage who had watched the boy fall. The brunet winced, but otherwise sent the girl a reassuring smile before answering that he was fine.
“Clumsy blockhead.” The woman found herself saying then proceeded to open another box of biscuits, this time chocolate covered sticks.
The blonde watched the brunet with scrutiny. The boy- no, rather the young man was a coward of his own making. Too weak in spirit to say what was in his mind, and too weak in mind to act on the actions he had wanted so direly to do.
She didn’t like men like those. In fact, she pitied him a great deal. But he had a growing spine, and that was his saving grace aside for his innocence that she was careful to strip off little by little, lest she gave herself a nuisance when he breaks from too much. It was an amusement that helped strengthen the bridge between them, however wrong it would sound if others knew of it. But as far as relationships were concerned, he made a good partner.
Her eyes traveled to the young mage, the youngest in their strange group. She was certainly an oddity, starting with the pastel blue of her hair down to the unwavering -and somewhat creepy- smile. The older girl didn’t know much about her, except that her partner had somehow picked her up from somewhere and that she was training to become a wizard.
She didn’t know if the girl had any weaknesses, the mage was good at skirting around her questions when she didn’t want to answer. It made the older one annoyed at first, but eventually she decided to tolerate the younger one because she knew how to fend for herself. Not to mentioned the mage was starting to grow on her, not that she wanted to admit that.
And what of the golden haired woman? Was she not burdened with the feeling of weakness?
She thought back to her family and her friends. She nearly scoffed at the thought of being sentimental. Sure, she did have obligations with her family. One unfailing trait about her was her sense of duty and obligation. That clashed with her obscure principles of morality, but nevertheless, both sides had always been seen to compromise in the end.
And friends? What friends did she have?
To this she mentally sneered. Only a few were worthy of being called her friends. The rest of the people she met were either nobodies, or hypocrites that deserved to be buried underneath the scorching sands. While the latter hadn’t used her, they had certainly made her feel that her existence is a big joke.
She gritted her teeth, not noticing when the chocolate stick snapped and fell.
Her one weakness, the one she felt regretful of, was that she had been too kind to exact justice on those she felt had wronged her. Who thought of her as nothing but weak compared to the beauty and so-called cunning of those who think themselves like they were the Tuatha de Danann’s descendants.
Yes, she was hurt. Hurt by everything that had pushed her this far. But there was one thing she wanted to make clear-
“Sola!” The young brunet with the clear eyes of blue shouted up at her. It was effective in grabbing her attention. Not giving her a chance to speak though, he continued, “We’re leaving. Do you want to be left behind?”
Not once missing a beat, the young woman deftly dropped down from her perch on the tree branch and grinned at him.
“Who says I’ll let you guys leave me?” She reached out and ruffled his hair. He groaned at the mess made of his hair. The mage behind them covered her mouth and giggled in amusement.
Eyeing the two of them, Sola suddenly felt a small fluttering warmth. She dismissed it after the initial surprise, intent on not giving it any chance to grow into something she might regret like all the others she had.
I am human. But I will never let weakness be an excuse.
This earned a puzzled look from the brunet. “Huh?” She hadn’t realized she’d said that aloud.
Sola stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. She finally shook her head and turned down the path, willing the other two to follow her. No matter. Even just a little, things will get better soon.
