The Fifth World

Cynric: We are sitting in the cottage around a large dinner table. Nancy was sitting at the head of the table with Calhoun at the other. Bo sat across from me, Janine on my side and Felicity on Bo's. Everyone is in conversation.

"I have not had a chance to speak to you for some time now," I say quietly to Bo. Nobody hears us. Nancy is too busy discussing how she has cooked, with precise detail, the tender lamb. Janine is listening intently. Calhoun is speaking with Felicity, telling her about history and about Thornes he knows.

"I've been busy," Bo replies to me. Her hair is oily and tied in a messy ponytail. I can see tiny particles of dirt across her cheek. She seems rather tired too.

"May I ask what you have been doing?"

She doesn't answer, she simply chews her food. I sigh unhappily and place my cutlery onto either side of my dinner plate. I have barely touched the food and have suddenly lost my appetite. I do not look at anyone, I stand up and head for the front door and into the night. It is cold outside. Lights are ahead further in town. I follow the path leading from Council cottage to the main road where more of the population of Seabrooke is found. I feel somebody behind me and hope that it is really Bo. I am wrong. It is Janine.

"It is rude to leave the dinner table without permission," she says as she hurries to keep up with me. I feel my eyes roll but resist from giving her any words our sourness. She does not deserve it.

"I apologise," I say to her and keep moving.

She bounces beside me. I have always noticed, since from the first time that I met Janine, that she would always capture the attention of surrounding males - however, I never really thought about it... until now. I notice, as we pass a popular meeting place where non-alcoholic beverages and meals are sold, how several men eye the red-headed beauty as she gracefully passes by in her white dress. She does not show any interest in them but I suspect that she finds some kind of satisfaction knowing that she is eye-catching.

"Do you fear what the Council talks about?" she asks me. "They suspect a battle. Are you not afraid to fight?"

"I will fight for what is right," I answer her.

"And do you expect me to fight? And Nancy and Felicity?" she asks me. I feel my expression falter and I look down at the road as I walk.

"I expect all of you to do what you want to do. I may not know Felicity but I know Nancy and you - you will both fight."

Nancy would put up a fight if she were forbidden to participate in such a war. Janine would want to be there too. She fears these kinds of things but I know that she has a strong heart; she wouldn't let her friends fight and then she wait on the sidelines. She would be in there too.

She smiles softly when I look at her and she twists a long red curl with her finger, "Of course... but what about Bo?"

"She will do no such thing, she cannot even use a sword. She will be no use in battle."

Janine laughs but there is no humour in it. She flicks her long hair to the side and her hand lands on my shoulder as she turns me around. We stop in the middle of the street, "she is learning. That Time Jumper named Caine is teaching her. She intends to fight beside us, Cynric."

I feel my mouth open slightly as heat rushes over my face. My stomach drops, my guts churn. Every vein in my body begins to stand out through my flesh. I can feel my blood pulsating very quickly through me. She intends to fight?! My heart pounds and I feel a need to throw my fist into a wall. I very, very angrily shrug Janine's hand from my shoulder and begin to power walk down the street. I do not know where this Caine fellow lives... but it will be simple to find him. He is young, he would not be at home at this time of night. He would be out somewhere - most likely at the restaurant where everybody else seems to congregate.
I catch attention as I walk by, with even more speed than before. Several males who were turning their heads for Janine are now turning their heads for me - staring at me because of the anger growing within me... the need to hurt somebody. I arrive at the restaurant. It is old fashioned looking but definitely equipped with everything that will satisfy someone of this town. There is a stage overlooking the restaurant, drums and trumbones and microphones cover it. There is also a grand piano in the corner. I consider going over to the stage just to get a look out of the people swarming the restaurant but it is too easy to spot the young Time Jumper. He is with a male Thorne and a female Shape Shifter. They are sitting around a small table with drinks in front of them. I storm towards them. Caine meets my gaze almost immediately and I suspect that he knows exactly why I am here and why I am appearing in such a manner. I expect for him to jump somewhere, disappear from sight... but he does jump... but not away. He saves me half the walk towards him by jumping into the centre of the restaurant. He meets me with a squared stance.

"Do you enter this restaurant with the intent of causing a ruckus, Cynric?" he asks me with a small smile.

I take the collar of his shirt between my fingers and lift his face towards mine. He may appear older than me but he certainly is not. "I specifically asked you to look out for her. You took interest in the one that I am guarding. That is why I instructed you to look after her not to teach her combat!"

Caine's two friends stand up from their table as do several other people in the restaurant. If this were a scenario in Hargon I would be having the support of almost everyone around me... it is different here.

Caine's face turns plain, there is no smile visible, "it is a favour, Cynric. She asked me - I did not offer."

I feel like my head is about to explode. My teeth are grinding together, my jaw is square and strong. I then notice Caine's eyes flicker to someone behind me. They drop as soon as they recognise the person.

"Cynric?" I hear a soft voice, my fingers tremble and let the fabric of Caine's shirt slip, "what are you doing? Let go of him."

I slowly turn around to face her. Nancy stands behind her, the same expression of shock on her face that is on Bo's.
I cannot look at her, I am not sure whether it is because I am angry or ashamed. She stares at me, waits for an answer and all I do is look away from her, guiltily. It is almost silent in the restaurant apart from a few murmurs here and there. All eyes are on Bo and I. I hear Caine standing still behind me. I half expect him to return to his seat but he does not, he waits.

"He is teaching you?" I ask Bo through gritted teeth.

She doesn't seem surprised that I am aware of this revelation, she simply shrugs as if I should already know, "yes, he is but that doesn't give you an excuse to make such a scene."

"Do you not understand the measures I have gone to protect you from death?" I yell at her and throw a hand in the air as if I am pointing to the outside of the walls that surround this town. "I will not let you into battle."

"Why?" she demands me, "Why can I not protect those I care about?"

"This war is about no one other than you, if you are there then everyone will be working to protect you." I notice how the strength in her eyes fade when I say this, "you are a burden, Bo," these few words I stretch out to her just so she understands, "I cannot keep both eyes on you at all times and neither can anyone else. When it happens, you will remain within these walls."

I can see the tears in her eyes and though it is ripping me to shreds seeing such sadness on her face I remain strong. I keep my head up and walk from the restaurant with that aching pain of knowing that I have wronged her.

Bo: I feel a tear run down my cheek as Cynric's shoulder brushes passed mine. I don't even watch him leave the building. I feel like he has put a knife to my chest. My insides churn. Everything hurts. I am a burden - to him and to everyone else. I never should have come to the Fifth World. I should have stayed home in England with Mum, Adam and Jonathan.
Everything would be so much easier there, so much safer too.
Nancy's hand touches my shoulder gently. I barely notice her. Caine slowly walks towards me. His eyes are soft and empathetic as he sighs and puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. I barely notice. All I want is to be alone. I wipe the few tears from my face and then with a swallow I suck it up and I jump to my bed that is safely in the Council's cottage.
I just wish I was in Jonathan's arms right now.