Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Ladner Scott

Author:Adam Ladner Scott [Scott, Adam Ladner]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Published: 2020-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

11. SECRETS

I stared out across the moonlit countryside as the uncomfortable silence between Val and me lengthened. We stood at the edge of the roof where a small open-air patio had been set up. Val had led me to the spot without a word after her sudden appearance at my door, and her continued lack of explanation as to what our meeting was about set me on edge. That, and her attire.

Since meeting her, I had only ever seen Val dressed in full armor. It didn’t matter if we were in the wagon, having dinner around a campfire, or sleeping; she had never taken it off, and I never saw a single piece of normal clothing among her belongings. In combination with her brusque mannerisms, it had cemented an image of her as cold, emotionless steel in my mind. Seeing her dressed in normal clothes, a black silk pullover shirt with matching pants, was a strange experience that forced me to reevaluate that image.

As I stood next to her in the crisp night air, I was astounded at how much power she exuded, even without her armor. It was clear that her clothing was tailor made for her; it fit her perfectly and accentuated her muscular figure. Her short sleeves only partially covered her biceps and triceps, which were so developed that they looked flexed even as she rested her forearms on the railing before us. Her perfect posture amplified the imposing breadth of her shoulders, and her neck, which was usually covered in a gorget, was defined and elegant. It was abundantly clear that between the two of us, Val was stronger by far.

“Based on the temperature lately, we’ll probably be seeing snow soon, don’t you think?” I asked, desperate to break the silence. She simply nodded in response, her eyes still staring straight ahead towards Attetsia. I watched her face quietly, looking for any hint as to what was coming, until the anticipation was too great to bear. “Val, why did you bring me out here? Is something wrong?”

Her shoulders tensed at the question, then fell as she let out a quiet sigh. “No, nothing is wrong.” She looked at me directly for the first time since she had led me outside, and the uneasy expression on her face made me want to run back to the comfort of my bed and hide. “Lux...who are you?”

Of the myriad possibilities I expected to be the cause of her concern, the question of who I was did not exist among them. “I...uhm, I’m not sure I follow, Val.”

I could feel the intensity in her olive eyes pierce through me as she continued. “Everything about you seems to be a contradiction. You speak perfect Kaldanic, yet Lia is teaching you the basic written alphabet. You fight with a fearsome strength I have never met before, yet you look no more practiced than any regular man. You lack the common knowledge of common folk, but speak of experience well beyond your years.”

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