Burdened Fighter

My walk with both of my new parent's was quiet, or well, I would think so. I mean, we talked, quite a lot, but sometimes we'd just be silent and just silently walk alongside one another, or they'd follow behind me.

Speaking of parent's, they weren't exactly my adopted parents, yet. Even though I was made a citizen of this city, I am not exactly under anyone's name when it comes to being someone's child. So, I had to be adopted, thus leading us towards some sort of building for this type of stuff. Not exactly certain on how this worked. I was never an orphan in my past life, so how did this work?

Leading to even MORE questions to my benefactors, being Marcus and Carter!

~~~

"So, adoption? I mean, I already said yes to being adopted, but even MORE paperwork?" 'Not sure why I was complaining, I mean, I wasn't the one having to do the paperwork, but for some reason I had a need to complain...'

Said complaints were answered with a sigh from both men, both giving me a withering glare.' "Yes, paperwork, lots of it, and no, you will not have to do any of it." 'Said Carter.'

It's almost as if he read my mind!' "And no, I did not read your mind, it's just easy to think what you'll think next." 'Gah! Mind reader! I need my tin foil hat!'

'Hearing a sigh, I glanced off to the side, seeing Marcus just shaking his head with a smirk.' "Like two peas in a pod, that you are." 'Oof, cliche line, hard to disagree with though.'

Following up with a glare from both me and Carter, or well, me and him both pouting, this time on purpose. Only for Marcus to snort, just smiling with a gleam in his eyes.' "Like I said, two peas in a pod." 'Argh! He's right!'

Carter and I looked to each other, both of us quirking eyebrows at one another. Then began what I call 'facial communication', leading to us having to interpret what we were saying through raised eyebrows, quirked lips, and whatever look's we had in our eyes. It was, in all honesty, a bit fun.

I...I felt like a little kid again, like ACTUAL true freedom of being a child. Just pure innocence, just ignoring the thoughts of the future and what's to come. It was...euphoric, nice and relaxing. Took some stress off my shoulders, but...not all of it.

Heh, our little game didn't go unnoticed. Some people passing by chuckled at our antics. Only needing a few seconds to see we were messing around. Marcus then was added to our little game, helping pass the time just a little bit faster. 

Only, the game couldn't last forever. Because up ahead, loomed a building that was utterly massive in size. I mean, in terms of width, it was impressive. Height though? Maybe eight or nine stories at best. It was beautiful yet efficient. I could see how they prioritized effectiveness over stunning curves and grandeur. 

Sure, it did have its beauty and flourished looks, but I could tell, just from a glance that this building was important. Nobody has guard's stationed outside of a building unless it's important, and from how we were walking directly to the front door's, it was obvious this was our destination.

So we walked towards the front door. Not even being stopped by the two burly men standing on either side of the entrance, more of a grand arch really.

Automatic door's hissed as they slid open, moving aside as we were allowed in. Some sort of automatic senser letting us in. And boy was I surprised what was on the other side. It was, and very much so will always be, a very bustling building. 

People moved around like ants with a mission. No way was this place not important, I saw hundreds of people going about their business, some looking like businesspeople. Other's just lounging around and lost in thought or talking with friends or acquaintances.

And did I mention how large this place was? On the outside, it was pretty big, but on the inside? It was like a trick of the mind, you see a big building and think 'Huh, it'll definitely be big on the inside', only to be fooled and realize it's very much so bigger than you imagined.

Office cubicles lined the walls, other area's held receptionist areas. Some areas even had a few food courts! Like, wow! I mean, someone definitely put a lot of work into this place. Especially with how many guards there were.

Thus, I looked back to Marcus and Carter, a question already on the tip of my tongue, and they were both glancing at me, that same amused expression on both their faces. Darn, I think they anticipated me to ask a question...or uh, a couple dozen, eheh...~?

~~~

(POV swap - Marcus)

"Welcome, to one of many HQ's within this city. And whose HQ is this? Why, the governments of course." 'Got to give them props, they know how to build a place right...'

Looking down I glanced at the kid, seeing how he looked up to me with an expectant gaze, almost trying to read my thoughts. A curious one, a kid that I like. Heh, he was interesting. Carter was happy talking with him, almost like a son he never had. It was weird for me to see a kid that made me feel jittery, a rising need to protect him.

'And here I was, adopting him, or in the due process of getting that done. So, I sighed, looking up and around.' "Yeah, I know you have questions, you can ask them later." 'Said kid pouted, and reluctantly sighed.'

"Yeah-yeah, I know, I'll hold back on my questions old man..." 'Old man!? I-why-I, ugh! This kid's going to be the death of me...'

'Speaking of kid...' "Carter! Stop being an influence on him!" 'I say with a growl, smacking him upside the head as we all walked down a shiny hallway. Ugh, the scent of bleach is strong, must've been mopped just recently.'

'Carter whined in pain, rubbing the back of his head with a downward gaze to the floor, a sheepish smirk dancing on his face.' "H-hey! I'm not doing anything! It's the kid's fault for making me this way!" 'He raises his hands with a hurried pace, trying to defend himself from any more hits and boy did they hurt...even if they weren't meant to be serious...'

'A vein bulged on Marcus's head, seething as he glared at Carter.' "Oh yeah?!" 'Scoffing he glanced off to the side, grumbling and crossing his arms.' "You've always been like this, don't pin it on the kid and claim responsibility!" 'Reaching out he pinches his cheek, gritting his teeth in annoyance.'

'Crying out in surprise Carter rubbed his cheek with a frown, crocodile tear's being shed as he scooted away, a look of mock horror on his face.' "How DARE you! I have NEVER-EVER acted like this before! I dare say it's all a lie, a lie I tell you!" 'Cried out Carter with a faked look of grievance, wiping his eyes like a teary-eyed mother seeing her favorite show end.'

'Scoffing for a second time, Marcus could only look away to the side, rolling his eyes with a renounced sigh.' "Sureeee, whatever you say...old man." 'Carter gasped in horror, almost to the point of him floundering like a fish out of water...hehe.'

Glancing offhandedly to the side I watched the kid, seeing him almost spaced out. Just gazing around and taking everything in. Sometimes he'd just stop and focus ahead, a distant look in his eyes, not entirely unfocused, just an imaginative look behind those blue ocean-like eyes of his. I wonder what he's thinking about?

Ever since I met him, only a few hours ago, I've become...attached? Is that even the right word for this? He's...interesting, that's for sure. Definitely far smarter than his current age, but tries to act friendly and cheerful like any normal child would. I can tell a lot of its forced, somewhat. Not like he wants his happiness to be fake, but...almost as if he doesn't understand how his feeling's work properly.

I could tell his feelings were odd, I was an empath, kind of. I had a knack for feeling out a person's feelings, and his were a mess I couldn't understand. A jumbled rope, so many knots that it was hard to decipher how he felt. Sometimes, he'd be happy and curious, then there'd be bloodlust. Not entirely sure how a kid could have so much random bloodlust, especially when he isn't purposely thinking of anything murderous.

Often time's, he'd feel irritated, mad, happy, sad, I don't think he was feeling these emotions, but just that they were there, and that he either didn't notice, or he didn't care. It was perplexing to me, to see someone feel so many emotions at once, yet handle it so...normally?

Yet, one emotion I felt was dullness. Like a void, just sitting in his chest. It was there, always there. Like it weighed down on him, a constant variable in his life. I didn't know what it was, but I really hated it, and that...surprised me. It made me realize how much I was already attached to the boy.

Was it depression? Stress? Anxiety? I just...couldn't point it out. What was it? What is it? How can I make it go away? How can I help fix his emotions? Can I even do such a thing?

Those question's buzzed around in my head like a constant nagging fly that just wouldn't go away, something I wanted to go away, but so desperately wanted to solve. I hated it, seeing a kid not being able to feel true happiness, just a mockingly close version of it...

~~~

(POV Swap - Carter)

Ever since I met the kid, I've become attached to him. In other words, like a leash, kind of. I just couldn't get away from him, my thoughts always returning to him, and just him. He was odd, something I couldn't really put my finger on.

Casting a sidelong glance at Marcus, he just smirked but inwardly felt troubled. Marcus seemed, almost...sad? I-I hadn't seen that emotion in his eyes for a while. Seeing such a gaze made me feel stumped, yet worried. He was, and still is, a dear friend. So of course me being worried would be justifiable!

That gaze, it was as if he was trying to take apart the world and understand it piece by piece. And then there was the kid's eyes. They weren't always focused, sometimes becoming so distant it was...scary. 

It wasn't something I liked, not at all. I could just...sense it, something in him. Something that made my gut clench with worry. Hell, I never knew I could be this worried for a kid I just met, but then again, I was always the protective type.

But seeing that kid right here next to me? Seeing someone so small, with such a look in his eyes? That made my hand's clench in anger, worry, sadness, fury, and so many emotion's that would take forever to list. Why!? Why did this world have to be so cruel!?

Couldn't children just enjoy their childhood in relative peace and happiness? Why must children suffer these accursed days of horror? Arh! I wish I could punch something, something to release my fury unto!

Damn it, damn it all! Damn the Spell, the Gods and old Gods, the Nightmare Creatures! Why must us humans suffer so much? We've experienced so many hardships already, so why? Why must we endure so much more? For years we've dealt with so many troubles, and now the Spell and the Dream Realm?

The dream realm, something that became reality when Nightmare Creature's appeared two centuries ago, two generations, the first few days were horrible beyond imagination. Death beyond insurmountable measure that would make even the most grizzled veterans lose their lunch.

I had made sure to read up on the history texts, out of curiosity as a child, and I was not disappointed. Heh, I remember almost burning the book I read with how disgusted I was when I read it. The contents inside it made me realize, even as a child, I had to become strong. So, I challenged myself, pushing my body to become a stalwart pillar for humanity. I wasn't the only one, many others decided to take the mantle as well.

Humans would not take it lying down, so we chose to arise from the ashes, and become something greater, something better than we could have ever dreamed...even with the horror's we faced...