05-14-2014, 09:33 AM
Connor followed Elias and Tehya onto the train. Connor watched Tehya carefully, looking to make sure that she didn't need his help. Perhaps the creature hadn't...done whatever it had done to her as long as the other had to Jensen. Or perhaps she was just determined not to need any help. Either way, Tehya walked calmly and steadily onto the train and sat down, the only sign of her fatigue being the tired way her head leaned back onto the rest of the seat.
Elias loomed behind her, a shadow. He hadn't warmed to Connor's attempt at peace-making. Oh well, he thought. That guy's gonna have a pretty lonely life, living that way. But it wasn't his problem or concern. He sat across from Tehya.
Connor decided not to sit, still physically amped from what had happened. Elias leaned forward and asked his question about the creature. Ijiraq. How did she know that?, he though silently.
Tehya answered Elias' question and Connor's unanswered one at the same time. Connor thought about what she said. He had already come to terms with there being more magic in the world than most people knew. And, of course, there was that secret MIB group, the Atharim, that was devoted to keeping that knowledge and those creatures hidden. But it made sense that indigenous peoples, telling their stories and lore over the many centuries, would contain knowledge about them. He found the revelation fascinating.
Perhaps it was the belief that all that could be learned was being learned through science and technology. And he loved science and the advances that had been made. But there was a romanticism that had always appealed to him about ancient cultures containing sacred wisdom that turned out to be true. He was reminded of that series of movies he'd seen as a kid with his dad about that archaeologist who found lost treasures. Indiana Jones! That was it! He'd really enjoyed those, not just because it was yet another memory he had of his father who'd died not much later, but also because the whole premise was just fun and novel. It had made him- along with many others, he was sure- briefly want to be an archaeologist and find stuff like that. Until he'd learned that archaeology mostly meant sifting through garbage piles and cataloging pottery shards and a lot less speaking to native shaman, reading lost ancient texts, and following clues to ancient treasure and power.
Either way, he found Tehya's story fascinating and listened quietly. And then Tehya asked Elias a question of her own. What had he been trying to do to the creature?
Connor watched Elias. The kid seemed to wake up to her question and then quickly answered, "Because I wanted to."
Connor almost laughed out loud, a memory of Hayden as a teenager and in one of his more defiant moods, answering the same way. Typical kids, he thought wistfully. It made him miss the interplay with his son, that innocence and naivete of youth. And he had had it to, he knew. A memory of his own defiance with his mom came back to him. He smiled to himself again at the thought. But the only thing that kept him from actually laughing out loud was that he was sure Elias would get all huffy again, not understanding how it was meant. So Connor just kept his small smile and his thoughts to himself.
Suddenly, Connor's phone chimed an incoming text, a message from his aunt. She needed to see him. Her wording made it sound important. Connor looked at Tehya and Elias. The train continued on, rumbling and rocking, the next stop not too much further, he thought. He was torn. He wanted to make sure Tehya was ok. But from the way she acted- indeed during this entire encounter, she was nothing but self-possessed and self-reliant, up to and including her run in with that Ijiraq- he knew she'd brush off any attempt to make sure she made it home. Still, he was torn.
And then he remembered that she had used magic. Another concern came to mind, dwarfing the first.
To Tehya, he finally said. "So I may have to get off at the next stop. But I need to warn you about something. You may be in danger. I saw what you did. That you can use magic."
He watched her for any reaction, but if she had one, it was lost on him. He went on. "There is a group of people out there called the Atharim. I met one of them- a woman name Ari-"
, he stopped himself- "It doesnt matter what her name was. Anyway. They feel it is their mission to hunt down and kill people who use magic. It has something to do with their fear about these people- they call them gods- and what they could do with their power."
He grimaced at their assumptions and their mission and what might have happened to Hayden. The familiar anger began to rise, but he tamped it down. Then he went on. "If these people know what you can do, they will hunt you down and kill you. You need to be careful."
He looked at her carefully, wanting make sure the point sunk it. After it looked like it did, he relaxed a little.
The train was now slowing down as it got closer to the next stop. He looked at her again, tried to assess her state. "I'm pretty sure if I offered to stay and help you make it home safely, you'd say no anyway. But I guess I still want to be sure. Can I help you get home?"
Edited by Connor Kent, May 14 2014, 10:29 AM.
Elias loomed behind her, a shadow. He hadn't warmed to Connor's attempt at peace-making. Oh well, he thought. That guy's gonna have a pretty lonely life, living that way. But it wasn't his problem or concern. He sat across from Tehya.
Connor decided not to sit, still physically amped from what had happened. Elias leaned forward and asked his question about the creature. Ijiraq. How did she know that?, he though silently.
Tehya answered Elias' question and Connor's unanswered one at the same time. Connor thought about what she said. He had already come to terms with there being more magic in the world than most people knew. And, of course, there was that secret MIB group, the Atharim, that was devoted to keeping that knowledge and those creatures hidden. But it made sense that indigenous peoples, telling their stories and lore over the many centuries, would contain knowledge about them. He found the revelation fascinating.
Perhaps it was the belief that all that could be learned was being learned through science and technology. And he loved science and the advances that had been made. But there was a romanticism that had always appealed to him about ancient cultures containing sacred wisdom that turned out to be true. He was reminded of that series of movies he'd seen as a kid with his dad about that archaeologist who found lost treasures. Indiana Jones! That was it! He'd really enjoyed those, not just because it was yet another memory he had of his father who'd died not much later, but also because the whole premise was just fun and novel. It had made him- along with many others, he was sure- briefly want to be an archaeologist and find stuff like that. Until he'd learned that archaeology mostly meant sifting through garbage piles and cataloging pottery shards and a lot less speaking to native shaman, reading lost ancient texts, and following clues to ancient treasure and power.
Either way, he found Tehya's story fascinating and listened quietly. And then Tehya asked Elias a question of her own. What had he been trying to do to the creature?
Connor watched Elias. The kid seemed to wake up to her question and then quickly answered, "Because I wanted to."
Connor almost laughed out loud, a memory of Hayden as a teenager and in one of his more defiant moods, answering the same way. Typical kids, he thought wistfully. It made him miss the interplay with his son, that innocence and naivete of youth. And he had had it to, he knew. A memory of his own defiance with his mom came back to him. He smiled to himself again at the thought. But the only thing that kept him from actually laughing out loud was that he was sure Elias would get all huffy again, not understanding how it was meant. So Connor just kept his small smile and his thoughts to himself.
Suddenly, Connor's phone chimed an incoming text, a message from his aunt. She needed to see him. Her wording made it sound important. Connor looked at Tehya and Elias. The train continued on, rumbling and rocking, the next stop not too much further, he thought. He was torn. He wanted to make sure Tehya was ok. But from the way she acted- indeed during this entire encounter, she was nothing but self-possessed and self-reliant, up to and including her run in with that Ijiraq- he knew she'd brush off any attempt to make sure she made it home. Still, he was torn.
And then he remembered that she had used magic. Another concern came to mind, dwarfing the first.
To Tehya, he finally said. "So I may have to get off at the next stop. But I need to warn you about something. You may be in danger. I saw what you did. That you can use magic."
He watched her for any reaction, but if she had one, it was lost on him. He went on. "There is a group of people out there called the Atharim. I met one of them- a woman name Ari-"
, he stopped himself- "It doesnt matter what her name was. Anyway. They feel it is their mission to hunt down and kill people who use magic. It has something to do with their fear about these people- they call them gods- and what they could do with their power."
He grimaced at their assumptions and their mission and what might have happened to Hayden. The familiar anger began to rise, but he tamped it down. Then he went on. "If these people know what you can do, they will hunt you down and kill you. You need to be careful."
He looked at her carefully, wanting make sure the point sunk it. After it looked like it did, he relaxed a little.
The train was now slowing down as it got closer to the next stop. He looked at her again, tried to assess her state. "I'm pretty sure if I offered to stay and help you make it home safely, you'd say no anyway. But I guess I still want to be sure. Can I help you get home?"
Edited by Connor Kent, May 14 2014, 10:29 AM.