160 Running From Destiny (1/2)
It was a complete and utter lie, but Reed couldn't speak the truth even if he wanted to. A pair of energetic, azure eyes honed in on him on his right side. It was a gaze full of warmth and kindness.
On Reed's left side, a saint-like pair of glowing hazel eyes danced upon his stoic mien, awaiting his response. They gleamed like pure, diamonds bereft of all possible impurities, which only aggrieved further him on the inside.
The bright studio lights above him and the positioning of his seat in the stage were a source of immense discomfort to him. Reed felt like he was being put on display, like an exotic, one-of-a-kind animal or some cutting-edge product to everyone in the studio room.
More than a dozen stationary cameras, hovercams, and holographic recorders were pointed straight at his face, projecting their feeds across the continent everywhere. There was nowhere to run — Reed had been cornered and forced to attend the interview by both Velvend and Lu'um.
All across the continent, millions upon millions of people watched the first televised appearance of the Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen since their supposed deaths, nearly three years ago during the Twilight War in rapturous excitement.
The host of the famous late-night show, Savan Wasserman, laughed warmly with Velvund as they bantered about the familiar, universal woes of fatherhood and their personal lives. They discussed simple topics that bridged the gap between all races as the former Avunian king and the Human holo-vision host brought their conversation around to the main course of the night — Reed and Lu'um.
In the course of a single night, they had become the most popular figures on the continent. Skyrocketed into stardom, unlike anything that had been witnessed in millennia. Their reported success in the Silvermoon Grasslands had given them the necessary push Velvund had sought, for it had brought them back into the eye of the public.
Several recorded images and videos flashed across the large holo-crystal screen behind them. Extensive footage that had been taken in the Silvermoon Grasslands and the damage that had occurred there. Velvund solemnly explained immense destruction that the fissure had caused and the potential repercussions it would have had on the continent were it not for...
A scene played for everyone in the audience, as if to rile them up and give them the irresistible conclusion they wanted. The fissure chaotically repaired itself and disappeared in the blink of an eye, and then a pair walked out of the perceived disaster untouched. The couple marveled upon their own work together as they watched the final blossoming of the Silvermoon Azaleas.
The Stainless Prince and Lady Evergreen had traversed through many a dangerous threat in their journey across time itself to save the Silvermoon Grasslands and the world.
Reed wanted to retch. Had the world seen what he had been shown, they would have not dared think his journey some daring, noble quest. He had learned of dark, terrible things — of an era of unprecedented brutality, oppression, and injustice that had last for an entire millennium.
Nevertheless, he did not dare so much as utter a single word of it aloud. Not because of the two hawks secretly keeping a check on him, but out of fear of the consequences that would ensue. Reed simply did not have the heart to tell the world of the evil truth he had learned.
He did not have the strength to do it. The world did not deserve to suffer such a thing, Reed thought. Not while the worst was probably still to come...
”So, I take it that you'll be on the lookout for trouble now that you're back, right? What's the next adventure on your list, son? I assume that being a full-time hero is exhausting, no?
I can already hear the kids crying from here! Their cats and balloons have gotten stuck up on those darned trees!”
You have NO idea, old man. If only I could actually laugh at that dumb joke. I wish it was that easy...
Reed chuckled lightly and said, ”I'll put them on my list. I'm sure I can handle a couple of missing pet requests here and there.”
The audience laughed. Velvund laughed. Lu'um laughed. Wasserman laughed. Reed laughed.
It was all so terribly fake and contrived. Reed wanted to grab Wasserman's desk and toss it into the Void just to see how he'd react. Would he get an honest reaction from him or would he stick to his scripted routine and laugh it all off with a big grin?
Reed wanted to know. The urge was boiling up inside of him like a volcano that was ready to blow.
When Lu'um noticed the dangerous, hidden glimmer with Reed's eyes, she spoke to him mentally and said, ”Don't. Do. Anything. Stupid.”