Chapter 33 - The Struggle Within (2/2)

”Because I have to! I can't just- stop,” he spat before taking in a long shuddering breath, ”I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I have my reasons.”

”That is alright,” I sighed. ”Just be happy knowing that you are the only friend I have here.”

The voice softened. ”Thanks. That means a lot.”

A long silence followed. I began sketching in the notebook, trying to recreate my battle with the bandits from memory on the paper.

The voice came drifting over again. ”I was ordered to kill your friends.”

My hand slipped, decapitating my unfinished head. I looked up at the wall where the voice stood behind. ”What?” Silence. An uncomfortably long silence.

”Why did you tell me that?”

”Because I want you to know who to hate.” There was deep sense of melancholy in the voice.

The bird was dead, feathers stewn all about the road. Ophelia had found it and dragged me over to it.

”Bring it back to life,” her voice was childishly demanding, like an kid who had already determined that you would do something.

”I can't,” I responded sadly. ”And death should be final. That's what Father always says.”

”That is no good. What do the death clerics do if they don't bring things to life?”

”Bring death to those whose time has come.”

”I don't want you to kill people! You can't be a cleric!” Ophelia said petulantly. She stomped her feet on the ground. I had already decided to follow my father and become a cleric of death. At first, Ophelia was proud of me. But now?

”You can't be a murderer!”

I was confused. ”But, but, but… Death clerics aren't killers.”

Ophelia marched off without hearing my voice. She stopped and turned around. On her face was a mischievous smile. ”You can be a death cleric who stops time!”

I nodded wordlessly, chasing after her. Laughing, we ran throughout the town, pretending to stop other people's deaths. We felt like heroes saving the town. The time flew by despite our efforts and the sun set, forcing us to chat away the night in my room.