51 Operation Save Pesti: Day 1 - Headaches (1/2)

My head felt like it was splitting apart. I groaned and slumped to my knees at the throbbing pain I was feeling. It was too much; I could barely keep my eyes open.

”Famine!” Death hurried to my side to check my pulse and temperature.

”Is he alright?” Keiran voiced with concern.

”Death. It hurts. My head.” I managed to tell my brother with drool dripping down the sides of my mouth.

The pain was heavy, crus.h.i.+ng my skull and making my eyes to burn.

”It's the mind s.h.i.+eld weakening.” Death noticed. ”The fight with Aidoneaus would've placed a lot of strain on him mentally.”

The pain was too much, I faded out of conciousness to the sound of Death's voice speaking words of the magic language. My mind fell into a memory of being back at Gat s.h.i.+em.

----[

”Onii-san! You better finish up plucking those weeds before Bulldog finds you doing nothing and whips your legs with his cane.” Pesti warned me as he kicked at my backside to get me up from the cosy bed of gra.s.s I laid on.

I stared up to my brother's form towering over me. Since when did he start getting taller and his baby fat turning into solid muscle around his skinny arms and legs.

His image was as still water with his almond grey eyes reflecting the last of the day's light and his short silk strands of silver hair being tousled about his smooth round face, and flicking past his full sober lips.

”I'm tired. We've been doing all this heavy lifting since crack of dawn. My body needs rest to get more energy.” I pouted and closed my eyes to relax further in my cosy spot.

”Come on Onii-san!” Pesti tugged at my arm.

Not able to move my stubborn body from the ground, he slumped down next to me exhausted.

”It's our skin if Bulldog finds us on our laurels.” Pesti pouted. His eyes giving off a light frown.

”What'd you think he'd do if he found us with this?” I sat up and sneakily pulled out a hip flask of moons.h.i.+ne from my tunic pocket.

”Onii-san!” Pesti gasped and glanced around to be sure we weren't going to be caught.

I licked my lips with a devious grin and uncorked the flash, taking a whiff of the bitter sweet liquor.

”You're going to get drunk as soon as you take a sip.” Pesti soberly reminded me of my const.i.tution for strong spirits.

”I'll be fine.” I brushed him off with staunch bravado and took a swig.

Stars swirled about my eyes. d.a.m.n hate to admit that my baby brother was right.

”Hand that over.” Pesti groaned as he swiped the flask from my wobbly hands and took a swig from it.

He took another, sipping from the container like it was water. b.a.s.t.a.r.d never got drunk.

I grumbled when he tipped the flask, so all the contents went down his throat. He let out a mighty burp at the end and threw me back the empty container.

My jaw dropped at how perfectly fine he was.

”Savage.” I pouted on the back of a hiccup.

My head felt light and dreamy that I rested it on his shoulder.

”Onii-san. We really should listen to Bulldog and Shuso when they lecture us on not indulging in fine spirits.”

”You indulged.”

”I can handle my drink.” Pesti smugly complimented himself.

”Bah! What's wif the lecture anyway?”

”I'm the baby brother. Shouldn't it be the other way round?” Pesti chuckled.

”Your stuffy tone's like Death's. That guy needs to lighten up too.”

Pesti's voice dropped to a serious tone. ”Hey, Death-niisan's duties with Adams-san. I'm worried about him.”

I raised my head to face him. ”About Adams-san? Why?”

”No, silly. Death.” Pesti finger flicked my head.

”Don't call me silly, dummy.” I grumbled back, rubbing my forehead better. ”What's wrong with Death anyway?”

Pesti was about to answer when a tree sparrow flew towards us and landed on his shoulder. It tweeted a ditty melody before nodding its head and flying off.

”What'd the bird say?” I drunkenly watched the creature recede into the orange streaked sky.

”Seems a strange energy is pooling at the foot of the mountain. The birds are warning some of the monks and Shuso.” Pesti answered like having a conversation with a bird was something normal.

”Energy? But Gat s.h.i.+em is one big pool of energy.”

Pesti faced me with his concern. ”Onii-san. If something were to happen to us.”

I laughed. Like what could happen to us at Gat s.h.i.+em? The place was a magical fortress.

”You and Death think too much. This is Gat s.h.i.+em. Nothing's gonna happen.” I hiccuped.