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The Gift

Edward's Storyline, Chapter 2.1

copyright comidacomida 2018

My Friday morning started with coffee; most of my mornings started with coffee. It was technically my Sunday since I worked again on Saturday so I wanted to make the most of it. Unfortunately, the moment I sat down and started the coffee dripping the spirits picked up where they left off the previous night. Medved started things off. "Edward, you should not wander off without us. There are many dangers out in the world that could cause you harm without a Guardian."

I pressed the start button again in the vain hopes it would make the coffee brew faster. "Yeah? Well, Treboada was with me, so I was fine."

Tom also chimed in. "You may need more than one spirit to help protect you from some of the greater threats, Edward. We are here to protect you and leaving us behind is--"

I was probably a little more harsh than I needed to be. "You were sure a big help to my mom when she was getting raped, didn't you?"

Both the Bear and Rhino were taken aback by that and it got me a few moments of peace until Medved managed a retort. "That is unfair, Edward. Your mother was assaulted by another human. Protecting a human from a mortal source is not easily done."

Tom snorted, gaze turning to settle on Treboada "We were also purposefully distracted at the time."

The Ancient One, who was coiled in my sole recliner raised his head, furry noodle of a body wrapped around itself. "The series of events were stacked against them, Edward; my plans were guided by fate and providence. Do not begrudge those who seek to help you when they have nothing for which to account."

I still hadn't had my coffee and I really didn't like being dismissed so blandly. My focus turned to the red-furred noodle Dragon and I stood up, pointing at him. "Which is another issue. You helped my dad rape my mom!"

The Ancient One nodded slowly. "Yes. I did."

"And you don't feel the least bit bad about that?"

The Dragon blinked his Amethyst eyes. "No. Should I?"

My voice was echoed by all other spirits around me. "Yes!"

The red Dragon folded in on himself, resting his chin down on his scales like a child might do with their crossed arms on school desk. "It was a matter of course, Edward. Do not mistake my lack of regret for a lack of guilt. I fully accept what I have done and, if faced with the same dilemma, I would do the same again."

I almost exploded, kicking the stool that was situated at the edge of the kitchen near the apartment's breakfast nook. "Then tell me why in the hell I should give a damn about you then, you fucking serpent?!?"

After I expended my explosive response I turned back to the arm chair to see the Green Dragon that was the Ancient One sitting with one leg propped up on the other, elbow resting on his horizontal knee, attention focused on me. "Are you done, little boy?"

I'd been furious with Treboada and managed to land a blow so it only stood to reason that the same would be true with the Dragon. I stalked into the living room and drew my arm back, laughing it forward with all of the force of a wound-up swing behind it. "Screw you!"

My balled up first stopped in mid-air, caught neatly by The Ancient One's talon, which engulfed it. He held it there several seconds, eyes glaring down at me with a gaze that made me feel as though he was contemplating eating me. He slowly slackened his hold on my hand and ultimately released it. "You are weak... like your mother."

I decided in that moment that I was eager to show him just how 'weak' I was, and followed up with a second blow from my other arm. My strike was thrown off target when the Dragon's thick tail knocked it aside with a whip-like snap and I cried out from the impact, falling to my knees as I could have sworn I felt my bone shatter. A chorus of growls emerged from behind me and the other three spirits moved to my side. It was Medved who spoke. "Edward is a Seer, you fool! How DARE you harm him?!?"

The Dragon snorted and turned away. "I am starting to think he is not worth our time. We are wasting our energy on this one."

The Ancient One rotated in a complete three hundred and sixty degree spin; by the time he had completed it his misty form had coalesced into that of the rainbow-feathered serpent. A single flap of his wings brought him closer and, although the other three spirits closed ranks around me, he showed no sign of hostility. "Edward is very much worth our time. You are short sighted, and cannot see beyond the now."

I cradled my arm flexing and loosening my fingers to test just how much damage had been done; it hurt to move my wrist but it didn't feel like anything was broken. Drawing back as the Serpent approached, I told him off. "Whatever you want with me, I'm not interested. I want you gone, Ancient One. Go away!"

The Serpent settled onto the floor, its wings folding across its back as it slithered closer. Medved and Tom moved to interpose themselves but both cried out in alarm as their feet sunk into the floor up to their knees. Treboada remained off to the side; his only objection was a question. "If yeh gonna be neah the boy then yeh best keep th' green one buried, snake."

The feathered Serpent glanced at the Wolf before returning his attention to me. "He means well, Seer, truly, but we have had a hard time reaching you. If it will appease you, I shall see to it that the Green One and Red One not interfere in our discussion."

It wasn't that much that had happened since visiting my mom made sense, but that statement made even less. "I want you to leave. Now. You have to leave. You're not allowed here anymore. Go."

The Serpent stared at me, not so much as a feather twitching; its tongue eventually slid out and tickled the air between us. "You are attempting to send me away by revoking your invitation to your home?"

I challenged him. "Yes. You can't stay if I don't let you."

Although the Serpent remained the same in front of me, I heard the distinct, harsh, sneering voice of the Green Dragon in my head. "Stupid boy... we do not need your permission. You are ours. We are intertwined in a way that you cannot undo."

The unemotional, almost bored voice of the Red Dragon spoke next. "Even if we were subjected to that ancient Accord, which we are not, you could not make us leave, boy-- you could only keep us from reentering."

Although I had no doubt that I was the only one who could hear the voices, Treboada apparently had an inkling of what was going on as his next statement said it all. "Ye cannae get rid o' th' Ancient One in any way known ta mortals in this day'n'age... not til yeh help it."

I looked back to the Serpent, which was coiled on the carpet in front of me, front portion of its body raised, and kept aloft by gently flapping rainbow wings. I spoke my response directly to it. "I can't see any reason why I'd want to."

The Serpent stared at me for a long time, its purple orbs almost feeling as though they were gazing through me. "It pains me to see you in such anguish, Edward."

Even as he drew closer, I spat my response at the Ancient One. "Then maybe you shouldn't've helped my mom's rapist!"

I was surprised when the feathery reptile drew right up to me and it moved with such surprising speed that I had no chance to respond as his snout bumped against my arm. His tongue flickered across the skin and, just as I realized what had happened, he had withdrawn. It took a second for me to realize that the pain was gone. Only once that had sunk in did the Serpent counter my statement. "Physical and mental pain are both insidious... either can undo a man."

Medved and Tom murmured quietly to one another but I didn't hear what they had to say. Treboada, who apparently had, responded in a slightly louder voice. "Aye... yeh could try, but ah'd be willin' t'bet that yeh'd only get killed... yeh cannae stand against th' Ancient One... not now."

The feathered Serpent's attention slowly shifted to them. "You would challenge us? While it is true that I would mean you no harm, I could not guarantee your safety if you were to attempt to cause harm to us or to Edward."

Although silence prevailed for the longest time, the beep from the coffee maker put an end to it. I was surprised to see that in the span of that split second, Tom and Medved were no longer grasped by the floor and the Ancient One was once again curled up on the armchair, feathery wings folded across its body as it continued staring at me.

I'd swallowed a bitter pill in that moment, realizing that I had far less power than I'd hoped to have in the situation. Knowing that, I--