Alma 160 Running From Destiny

On Reed's left side, a saint-like pair of glowing hazel eyes danced upon his stoic mien, awaiting his response. They gleamed like pure, diamonds bereft of all possible impurities, which only aggrieved further him on the inside. 

The bright studio lights above him and the positioning of his seat in the stage were a source of immense discomfort to him. Reed felt like he was being put on display, like an exotic, one-of-kind animal or some cutting-edge product to everyone in the studio room. 

More than a dozen stationary cameras, hovercams, and holographic recorders were pointed straight at his face, projecting their feeds across the continent everywhere. There was nowhere to run — Reed had been cornered and forced to attend the interview by both Velvend and Lu'um. 

All across the continent, millions upon millions of people watched the first televised appearance of the Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen since their supposed deaths, nearly three years ago during the Twilight War in rapturous excitement. 

The host of the famous late-night show, Savan Wasserman, laughed warmly with Velvund as they bantered about the familiar, universal woes of fatherhood and their personal lives. They discussed simple topics that bridged the gap between all races as the former Avunian king and the Human holo-vision host brought their conversation around to the main course of the night — Reed and Lu'um.

In the course of a single night, they had become the most popular figures on the continent. Skyrocketed into stardom, unlike anything that had been witnessed in millennia. Their reported success in the Silvermoon Grasslands had given them the necessary push Velvund had sought, for it had brought them back into the eye of the public. 

Several recorded images and videos flashed across the large holo-crystal screen behind them. Extensive footage that had been taken in the Silvermoon Grasslands and the damage that had occurred there. Velvund solemnly explained immense destruction that the fissure had caused and the potential repercussions it would have had on the continent were it not for...

A scene played for everyone in the audience, as if to rile them up and give them the irresistible conclusion they wanted. The fissure chaotically repaired itself and disappeared in the blink of an eye, and then a pair walked out of the perceived disaster untouched. The couple marveled upon their own work together as they watched the final blossoming of the Silvermoon Azaleas. 

It had all been carefully framed and described in such a way that it resembled a picture-perfect ending in a fantastical action-adventure film. The fearless, heroic couple had clearly outdone themselves this time around, coming back from the dead, if only for the world's sake.

The Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen had traversed through many a dangerous threat in their journey across time itself to save the Silvermoon Grasslands and the world. 

Reed wanted to retch. Had the world seen what he had been shown, they would have not dared think his journey some daring, noble quest. He had learned of dark, terrible things — of an era of unprecedented brutality, oppression, and injustice that had last for an entire millennium. 

Nevertheless, he did not dare so much as utter a single word of it aloud. Not because of the two hawks secretly keeping a check on him, but out of fear of the consequences that would ensue. Reed simply did not have the heart to tell the world of the evil truth he had learned.

He did not have the strength to do it. The world did not deserve to suffer such a thing, Reed thought. Not while the worst was probably still to come...

"So, I take it that you'll be on the lookout for trouble now that you're back, right? What's the next adventure on your list, son? I assume that being a full-time hero is exhausting, no?

I can already hear the kids crying from here! Their cats and balloons have gotten stuck up on those darned trees!" 

You have NO idea, old man. If only I could actually laugh at that dumb joke. I wish it was that easy...

Reed chuckled lightly and said, "I'll put them on my list. I'm sure I can handle a couple of missing pet requests here and there." 

The audience laughed. Velvund laughed. Lu'um laughed. Wasserman laughed. Reed laughed.

It was all so terribly fake and contrived. Reed wanted to grab Wasserman's desk and toss it into the Void just to see how he'd react. Would he get an honest reaction from him or would he stick to his scripted routine and laugh it all off with a big grin? 

Reed wanted to know. The urge was boiling up inside of him like a volcano that was ready to blow. 

When Lu'um noticed the dangerous, hidden glimmer with Reed's eyes, she spoke to him mentally and said, "Don't. Do. Anything. Stupid." 

Her mastery in concealment and subterfuge was such that no one had noticed just how calculated her expressions were. They appeared completely natural and genuine, as if she really was putting her heart in the open for all to see.

Lu'um seemed like someone very open-minded, down-to-earth, and extremely sympathetic by nature given the responses she had given to Wasserman's questions. She was a pure-hearted maiden of the North who only sought peace and safety for the continent and the many peoples that inhabited it, be they Human, Avunian, Eisalon, and the like. 

A true saintess in the making. With her absolutely extraordinary beauty, wisdom, and charm, it would not be long before she had the entire continent dancing on her palm. Reed could already see the hordes of poor sheeple worshiping, praising, and defending every action of hers. 

Evil little spider of mine, cease your scheming! Return back to your lair, lest you suffer at my--

Reed stopped complaining inside of his own head when he felt a chill run down his spine. When he saw that Lu'um had turned her body towards Reed, alarm bells rang in his head. 

He lamented the fact that not even his own mind was a safe space for him anymore. For the longest, he had not used the thought-obscuring technique he had learned many years ago, as a gesture of not keeping any secrets from Lu'um, but now it had come to bite him in the ass.

Mercy! I wish not to taste the dreadful kiss of your fingers, O beloved sunflower of mine! I have erred! Pray, be the better woman and forgive this poor fool! 

Reed poured his heart out as he desperately tried to avoid his damned fate, but his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Lu'um deftly put her arm around Reed's waist and nestled on his right shoulder in a seemingly pure act of affection, but it was anything but tender and sweet. 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! 

Scorching pain crept up Reed's left side, but he could do nothing about it aside from keep a calm, composed face. Lu'um's fingers had were like iron clamps as they pinched on his waist, much to his horror. 

Lu'um was generally quite tolerant of Reed and his nonsense, but she would not tolerate any fuck-ups or rebellious ideas from him right now. Not while they were on a majority of the goddamned holo-screens across the continent. She would make Reed suffer if he made them look like idiots in front of tens of millions of people. 

The show continued as planned after Reed was quickly subdued by Lu'um and made to understand his role. The show moved through a variety of topics, including their personal lives, their relationship, and their future plans as an engaged couple. 

Reed, in particular, quietly sucked in a breath of cold air when the last topic came up. It was as if someone had written a script for all of the worst questions to answer. He preferred to keep his personal life as private as possible, but had not defied Lu'um after she made herself clear to him. 

He spilled out his guts with a sterling, princely smile without even the slightest hesitation, but the last question had struck him like low-blow. It was the one question he wished had not been asked. Prayed that would not have been brought up. 

Reed had tried to run away from it, but his destiny had come all the same for him. 

Lu'um's lips curled in joy when she finally heard the question she wanted to answer the most.

Her face was practically beaming with happiness, so much so that Reed wagered that if he had the machinery capable of converting her joy into energy, it might have been able to solve the continent's energy problems for centuries on end. 

The noble Lady Everygreen paused for a moment and then said, "...I think that we're going to have it soon enough... Right, Dear?" 

Reed shrugged his hardest not to tremble in fear and smiled calmly, his facade about to break from the immense pressure coming from the woman beside him. 

He weakly smiled and nodded. It was the only thing he could do.

Ah, she got me....

Chapter end