The God of Protection

Terran: Part 2

Terran saw a bandaged girl with blonde hair run out of the cabin as Marcus ran after her, but she swiped at him with a dagger, “ Maiden,” he yelled, “ Lord Marcus isn't going to harm you,”

The girl stopped and turned towards him, “ Who are you?” she asked, “Where am I?”

He covered his eyes as large wings blew dust into his face, “ Stop this,” Haizea called as she landed, “ you will open your wounds,”

The girl stopped, “ You’re the Winged One,” she said, “ you have to help me. Astrid is in danger; please help me,”

Haizea glanced at Marcus, and he looked at her, “ Astrid,” she said, “ what had become of it?”

“What’s going on, Lady Haizea?” Terran asked

She glanced over at him, “ Marcus, take him to Ronin,” she said

Marcus nodded with a glare, “ Come boy,” he said, pulling him away towards the horses

“Lord Marcus, what’s going on?” he asked, “ Lord Marcus, please,”

Marcus gripped his arm, “ It is not your business, boy,” he said, “ get on the horse,”

“But!” Terran protested, “ why is she?”

Marcus slammed him, “ Get. On. The. Horse,” he glared.

Terran looked at Marcus, “ Understood,” he said as he climbed on the horse, then glanced back at Haizea and the girl, who returned to the cabin, “ are they going to be okay?”

He climbed up, “ Let us go,” he ignored, then guided the horse away, where Terran followed.

Marcus paused; Terran glanced around and saw him jump off his horse in front of a clam lake. He didn’t recall the entire journey as he was swimming within his thoughts, thinking about Haizea and the girl. Terran glanced around as Marcus moved towards the lake, gripping his hand into the water and moving it in a circular motion.

He tied up the horses, “Lord Marcus,” Terran said, “ why are we here? Are we meeting Ronin here?”

Marcus stood up, “ Yes,” he said, but he stared straight at the lake

He walked over to Marcus, “ My lord, are you unwell?” Terran asked

“I am fine,” he answered, “ stop talking, boy,”

“Yes, my lord,” Terran responded

The lake ripped, and a woman rose“ You have not changed a bit,” a woman’s voice said

The woman stood staring at Marcus with her white eyes that looked as if her eyes glowed, and her skin was pale with gills along her neck. Her hair was wet and blue, lying on her shoulders. She wore a damp bandeau with a long flowing skirt.

A boy about a few years older than Terran stood beside her with pale skin and long white hair tied back in a ponytail with a gill on his neck. His eyes were scarlet. He wore crimson trousers with blue markings along his chest to his shoulder.

“Oceana,” Marcus said

She glared at him, “ Marcus,” Oceana said, then smiled at Terran, “You must be Terran. You look like your mother,”

Oceana pushed the boy towards him, “Hello,” Terran said, the boy nodded.

“This is Ronin,” Oceana said, “ he will be your guardian,”

He bowed, “Oh, it's great to mean you,” Terran said with a smile, “ my name is Terran,”

Ronin looked at Terran, then at Marcus, his expression hardened, “ Hello, father,” he said, “It a pleasure to finally meet you,”

Terran’s eyes widened, “You have a child?” he asked Marcus but was ignored

“Yes,” Marcus said, “ you have grown,”

Terran noticed that Marcus was slightly shaking, “ Yes, that is what happens in sixteen years,” he responded, then looked at Terran, then back at his father, “ did you raise him?”

“None of your business,” Marcus said

Oceana blinked, then set her hands on Marus and Ronin, stopping them, “ Haizea had asked him to come here,” she said as the men relaxed, “ now Ronin do this for Mama, please,”

Ronin looked at his mother, “ Fine,” he responded, as his mother smiled,

“Good boy,” Oceana said, “ I’ll see you soon when you are finished,”

“ Goodbye, Lady Oceana,” he said, then she smiled, and she turned to Marcus

“Marcus, be a better father this time,” she said, then walked back towards the lake

Terran watched as she sunk back into the water, “ Let us go,” Marcus responded, then moved back towards the horses, who were eating some grass, “ we have a lot traveling,”

“ Did he raise you?” Ronin asked

Terran shook his head, “ No, Lady Haizea did that,” he answered, “ but he trained me,”

Ronin glared at Marcus, who was reading the horses, “ I applied how I acted towards you,” he said

“It is alright,” Terran said, “I would like to be friends. You are the first person my age that I have met… Well, not the first time I saw an injured girl that Lady Haizea had rescued. So I guess the only one I know,”

Ronin raised his eyebrow, “ What do you mean by that?” he asked

“I do not know much,” Terran responded, “ Lord Marcus never told me, and I do not believe he ever will,”

“What did I say about talking about it?” Marcus said,

“Apologizes, Lord Marcus,” he said,

“What are you hiding, Father?” Ronin asked with a glare

Marcus climbed up on his horse, “ You are riding with Terran,” he ignored him

Terran climbed behind Ronin, “ Do not worry,” Terran said, “ he does that. You will get used to it,”

“Yeah, but I will not enjoy it,” Ronin said

~

“Marcus,” Haizea said, “I must leave,”

“You are not going to leave me with these children,” Marcus said

“We are not children, Father,” Ronin said

Haizea glanced over at the boys, “ Hello, boys,” she said, “ how are you?”

“Lady Haizea,” Ronin said, “ what is going on?”

Haizea signed, “ There is nothing to worry about,” she said, “ Stay here,”

“Lady Haizea,” Terran said, looking past her, “ who is that?”

Haizea turned, “ That is Katarina,” she responded, “ she is our guest. Treat her kindly,”

She began to flap her wings, “ No, Haizea,” Marcus said, “ you will not leave me with three children,”

Haizea ascended, “ I am sorry, my friend,” she said, “ but I have to depart,”

“Lady Haizea!” Katarina yelled, “Take him with you!”

Katarina fell, and Terran ran over to her, “ Are you alright?” he asked.

She glanced at, watching Haizea fly away, “ At least the Winged One will save me, people,” she said

“Winged One,” Ronin said, “ why do you call her that?”

“Children get inside,” Marcus said

Ronin and Terran helped Katarina to her bed. “Okay, Katarina,” Ronin said, “ what is going on?”

“My people were under attack,” Katarina explained, “ by a people that call themselves the Fera. They were powerful, and my mother told me to find the Winged One,”

“Why did my father not allow us to know this?” Ronin asked, “It does not make sense,”

“ Because it is dangerous,” Marcus said, leaning against the wall, “use your intelligence,”

Ronin glared, “ Now you seem to care,” he said, then stood up, “ A little too late for that,”

“ Fine, you can get yourself killed,” Marcus said, “ if that is what you desire,”

“Oh,” Ronin began but was interrupted.

“Stop!” Katarina yelled as Marus and Ronin stared at her, “You are blood. Stop this,”

Ronin straight, “ I may share his blood,” he said, “ but he is not my family,”

He walks off, as Marcus looks towards Katarina and Terran, “ You will get yourself killed,” he said

Katarina looked at Marcus, “ He is your son,” she said, “ I lost my family to the Fera. You do not know how long you have with him,”

Terran looked at Marcus, “ Lord Marcus,” he said, as he began shaking again, but when he saw that, Terran noticed he moved his hand, “You are frightened. Does Ronin scare you?”

Marcus scoffed, “ Mind your own business, boy,” he said, then walked away

Terran signed; Katarina looked out the window, “ Ronin has a lot of anger towards his father, while Lord Marcus feared his son,” she examined, “quite strange is it. Why do you think so?”

He looked away, “ I just only found out that Lord Marcus had a son,” he answered, “I do not know their background together,”

Katarina chuckled, “ You do not need to know the history to understand what is going on between them,” she said, then looked at him, “ but they do not understand that they have each other. They do not understand what they can lose,”

“Yeah,” Terran said, “ I never met my mother. I wish, though, she died after I was… born,”

“I am sorry for your loss,” Katarina said

“Likewise,” Terran said, sitting next to her,

They were silent for a moment, “ I sense the Goddess in you,” she said, “ is that your mother?”

“The Goddess?” he asked.

“Yes, that is what my people call the Goddess of Protection and Creation,” She responded, “ our legend states that the Winged One was in league with the Goddess,”

“Yes, I heard that Lady Haizea was friends with my mother,” Terran said, “ can you tell me more of your legends,”

Katarina smiled, “ I guess,” she said, “ let us see, which one should I begin with?”