Nend Ardhon Chronicles - Complete

Chapter 13 – Drezara Forgge

When School ended, Byia was at the front gate, throwing a rock into the open waters on top as far as she could manage, and her Rodhocetus brought it back every single time.

Guyi was looking at them playing and asked, “That guy doesn’t get tired? Do you think it’s because he was restrained in that Dome at the Farm that now he can’t stand still for a couple of minutes?”

Byia shrugged while mounting the Rodhocetus. She adjusted the fat on the back of his neck to get more comfortable and answered, “Probably that. I got a book from the Library with some interesting things about the training of these guys. I am going to read a little after dinner.”

She then looked around and lowered her voice. “We will meet outside my back garden when everyone is asleep to go to you-know-where.”

Guyi nodded and pointed to a laughing couple that was approaching. “Your brother is coming with that pretty female again. Do you think they are dating? That would be a first!”

“Probably not yet. You know he doesn’t like changes to his routine. She must become a part of his routine. I think she is on the right track by going home with him and going to School with him. Slowly, he will get used to that, and he will eventually think it’s a natural thing. I fear that she will get tired of him and leave. He will have a hard time getting used to being alone again.”

Guyi bit his lower lip. He remembered how Paullu was for several weeks when his father went missing. He looked as if he were dead. Seeing him with that big smile and hearing his laughter was different from his usual self; he was always in his World, dealing with others as little as possible, except when he was with his family. That was when he looked at his best, completely relaxed.

Drezara Forgge was the first to notice where Byia was seated because she was swimming at the front. At five meters from Byia’s School gate, she made a hard stop, and Paullu bumped against her. She had her mouth wide open and pointing forward, and that was when Paullu noticed. “No way… Byia, where did you get that… What is that?”

Byia gently tapped the fat neck to make him stop growling at the approaching couple. “Stop that; he is my brother! Sorry, he becomes a little nervous when someone new approaches me. I kind of got him today during my class trip to a Farm on the outskirts of the City. I inadvertently made a Mental Link with him, and the Farmworker in charge of him told me that I was now a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’, and he gave this guy to me. He was locked down inside a big Shield Dome because no one could tame him yet. I just took a couple of seconds. Do you think mother will be mad at me? Because I can’t get rid of him, even if I try!”

Paullu was opening and closing his mouth, unable to say a single word. Drezara slowly approached with her eyes wide open. “No way! You are going to learn how to be a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’? That is so cool! Those guys are so useful! My family has one that is now very old and doesn’t want to play as much as he used to! When I was little, I was always on his back, like you are right now! He was so fast! My mother hated it when we passed by her, making such a current that she always made a couple of twists before getting on her feet again! Does he have a name?”

“No, I didn’t have time to think about that; I was having so much fun with my very own Rodhocetus that I totally forgot!”

Drezara slowly approached the snout of the growling Rodhocetus with the back of her paw to let him sniff her. Then she slowly went to the back of his little left ear and rubbed it, making him stop growling and tilt his head, enjoying the moment.

Byia smiled and asked. “You seem to know some things about them. You are also a Trainer?”

“No, but I always loved these guys. My old Rodhocetus is my best friend in the whole World. I never had many friends while growing up because I was very clumsy, and no one wanted to be near me; they used to say I brought bad luck. But he never bothered with my clumsiness, always tripping on his tail or bumping against him when I was distracted by a passing fish, and he always managed to brighten my day. To be a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ was my dream, but I could never make a Mental Link or teach him a new trick. I hope you can become an amazing Trainer because there are not many around. I bet your mother will be so proud of you!”

Byia made a big smile and winked at his brother. “You got here a good one, brother! Don’t be stupid and let her escape! Let’s go. I want to show this guy to mother. I hope she doesn’t get mad at me! She warned me over and over to stop bringing animals to my little Farm!”

Byia tapped the fat neck and pointed in the direction of her house while sending a mental message in her invented language: - …||… Let’s go home, big guy! Go! …||…”

The Rodhocetus swam at full speed, leaving everyone behind. Drezara nodded her head and smiled. “Yeah, I also loved it when mine did that. It’s better if we don’t rush to follow them, because we will never catch them.”

After some time, they finally arrived at the gate of Byia and Paullu’s house. Drezara smiled when she saw Byia throwing up a rock and the Rodhocetus going after it and bringing it to Byia again.

Paullu slapped his forehead with his mouth wide open. “I totally forgot! We were supposed to take you home first! I got completely distracted by that… whatever that’s called and forgot! I am really sorry, Drezara!”

Byia shouted while throwing the rock again, “We have time! Mother is still at the Clinic at this hour. Lead the way, Drezara Forge!”

Drezara made a slight smile, grabbed Paullu’s left paw, and pulled him to make him swim at her side. Guyi disguised a smile and elbowed Byia. She smiled at seeing the couple peacefully swimming in front of her.

They followed Drezara, and while Paullu was chatting with her and completely unaware of the direction they were going, Byia and Guyi were wondering why they were heading to the Big Hills, where the huge mansions and billionaire ranches were located.

Drezara led them straight up, right to the top of the second-tallest hill in the group of five Big Hills. At mid-height, there was a small gate and a low wall that went all around the hill, protected by a translucent Shield Dome.

She touched the Gate right in the middle and whispered a command word. The Gate blinked a few times and opened. “This is it. I live right at the top, in that big house.”

Paullu tilted his head while looking up. “It’s more like a mansion than a big house. What do your parents do to afford such an estate?”

Drezara shrugged. “Nothing unusual, I think. My father is a scientist, a well-known one, and he is also the Scientific Advisor of the President. My mother has been the President of the House of Commerce for the last twenty Tides, already.”

Paullu nodded, and Byia began to laugh, unable to believe the coincidence. “Hahaha! No way, your father is Professor Albeyrt? And your mother is Theita Forgge? For real? Hahaha!”

Drezara nodded, wondering what was so funny about her parents. “Why? Do you know them? What I am saying, of course, you do. Everyone knows them…”

Guyi joined Byia’s laughter and answered in between the laughs. “Hahaha! Yeah, we know your father! Hahaha! Very well indeed! Hahaha!”

Byia made a huge effort to stop laughing and said, “Tell me they are at home! I want to see their faces when they recognize me! I bet your father will run away as soon as he sees me approaching! And your mother! What are the odds? She will kiss me a lot because she just loves me! I am an excellent source of income for her company!”

Paullu frowned because he didn’t understand anything. Drezara was also curious, but she did her best to pretend to be casual. “Care to explain a little better? Why would my father run away from you? And my mother kissing you sounds even weirder. I think they are at their job. It’s still early for them to come home.”

Byia winked one eye and spoke enigmatically. “Tell your father that in his newest equation, he didn’t consider the effects of the fourth and fifth dimensions in Deep Waters. Be prepared to catch him, because I think he will faint when he realizes it. As for your mother, just tell her my name. That should do it.”

Guyi took a paper from his bag and delivered it to Drezara. “Here, give this to your father. I corrected his equation by including the effects of the fourth and fifth dimensions. I will send him the bill after. Hehehe!”

Paullu was puzzled by all that talk. He looked at the house again and asked, “If your parents can afford that house, why do you study at our School? You could attend a private School if you wanted.”

Drezara frowned and asked Byia. “He doesn’t know where he studies or what? No one told him that our School is considered one of the best in the World and only the greatest young minds are invited to go there or children from very wealthy people that can afford the tuition there? If he is so dumbfounded by seeing my house, what about me? Your house is very normal, yet he attends the same expensive School that I go to!”

Paullu was completely lost, and Byia shrugged. “My mother never thought it was needed for him to know. He can just concentrate on his studies and not worry about things like money or tuition. I think we could also live in a bigger house, but our father bought that house with his hard-earned money from his dangerous job as an Explorer while our mother was still studying. It’s inconceivable for us to ever leave that house.”

Drezara nodded with a slight smile. “I understand, too many happy memories, right? But Paullu was invited to go there? I can totally see it, considering his grades!”

“No, we pay his tuition. For him to be invited to enter your School, he needed to have extraordinary grades on his previous Tides, but only a few Tides ago did he decide what he wanted to study. Better yet, our mother decided because he took too long.”

Drezara pointed one claw thumb at Paullu and spoke, “You may need to explain a few things to him; he seems completely lost.”

Paullu kept looking at them, trying to figure out their conversation. Guyi pulled Byia’s left paw to let them be and waved at Drezara while swimming away. Byia’s Rodhocetus made a short neigh towards Drezara, as if he were saying goodbye, and happily followed his owner.

Drezara faced Paullu with an awkward smile. “I am sorry if all this came as a surprise for you, my parents being famous and such. No one at our School knows anything about this, so I would like it if you didn’t tell. I got my share of false friends that only wanted to gain some kind of advantage or get business connections for their families because of my parents.”

“That’s okay. I am used to famous parents. Being the older son of the Explorer that mysteriously disappeared one Tide ago, granted me a lot of unnecessary attention. Or my mother and her Healer job at the Clinic, as the Head Chief and such. Being the great-great-grandson of Senpyia Calla didn’t help on remain inconspicuous, and since I am also studying to be a Healer like my mother and my great-great-grandmother, I keep getting calls from reporters and invitations to talk shows, where besides the questions about my Healer future, there will for sure appear some difficult questions about my father and his mysterious disappearance. I can understand why you want to be secretive about your parents.”

Drezara made a sad face and touched Paullu’s left cheek. “I bet it was difficult, this last Tide. I hope I can help you a little from now on.”

Paullu made an awkward smile and scratched his head, feeling a little nervous. “This is the part where my sister told me that a female expects a kiss. I don’t know if it’s appropriate or not, how I feel about it, and what do you think if…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Drezara gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled. “Don’t worry your pretty head about kisses or right moments. I am in no hurry. We can go at your speed. I hoped to be by your side for three Tides, so a few more days or weeks won’t hurt me. But I will be worried and stressed if you take big Moons or Tides to fall for me!”

She entered through the gate and waved at him while it was closing again. Paullu made a slight smile and mumbled, “Yeah, she is very interesting… As for my crazy sister, she has a few things to explain.”