Bryant

Balancing two plates of food and two drinks, I climb up the stairs to my room. Tes is sitting cross-legged and staring out the window. She's been like this for two days, she barely eats, has nightmares every time she closes her eyes and her anxiety is at an all-time high. Yesterday, Ron accidentally surprised her and she punched him so hard that he was out for an hour. I found it comical, but Tes felt horrible about it. I think that she was more upset because she's been so mentally exhausted and she didn't sense it was Ron. The same thing that happened the night Chance attacked her...

"Tes...I brought you breakfast." I set the plates down on the stand next to her. "I want you to try to eat today. You need to build your strength back up."

Tes slowly grabs a piece of toast off one of the plates and nibbles on it. I'm glad she didn't fight me this time. I can feel all her hurt that's she's holding inside and I want to make it all go away. I know that won't ever happen, she's never going to be the same person again. The only thing I can do is make sure Chance never gets to hurt her again. The things he did...There will be no mercy.

"I'm going to help Seelina with combat training again, will you be ok here?" I put my hand on her back and she jumps away.

"I'm sorry! I just..." her voice fades.

"It's okay, Tes."

"No, it isn't," she says, barely above a whisper.

Tes's emotions tear at me, and it's brining me down into the darkness with her. I have to leave. I want to help her, but I can't help her out of the darkness if I can't see either.

I kiss the top of her head. "I'm going to leave now, Tes."

"Bryant?" Tes stands quickly.

"Yes, love?" Tes looks at me with her eyes wide, she's scared.

She throws her arms around me. "Make sure you come back to me," she cries into my chest.

"I don't ever want to be without you again. I know it doesn't seem that way now, but I can't. I love you, Bryant. When you were gone...I was shattered inside. I missed you every second." My heart swells with love at her words. After all of her suffering, she still has the strength to tell me how much she loves me. I hold her tighter; I will savor this for as long as I can.

"I love you so much, my beautiful girlfriend and my beautiful queen. I will never blame you for the fragile state you're in. I would never be able to imagine what you went through." I lay my head on top of hers. We stay like that for a few minutes until she pulls away and returns to her spot on the bed.

Downstairs in the kitchen Scar is scarfing down some cookies.

"Another healthy breakfast sis?" I tease as a grab some fruit from the fridge. I'll need it later for my lunch; training makes me ravenous.

"Always. How is Tes doing?" Scar pours herself a cup of milk.

I sigh. "The same. I don't know what to do."

Scar's face softens. "She'll be okay, Bry. She just needs time. Tes is strong," Scar admits. Scar believing in Tes makes me feel better; Scar is not big on advocating for anyone.

"Have you seen Ron this morning?" Scar shakes her head no.

I hear the front door open. "Ron who?"

Ron smirks as he walks in. I'm glad I'm back home and everything, but I'm still wary of Ron. He made a move on my girlfriend and then she got hurt because of it.

"Please keep an eye on Tes while I'm gone. Make sure she eats lunch too. And don't touch her." I tell him for my piece of mind and so she feels comfortable.

"Okay, Boss." Ron salutes me and turns on a video game in the living room.

After leaving the house, a weight is lifted from me. I can still feel her sadness, but it's not as strong. I jog to Seelina's so I can get my warm-up done beforehand. There's going to be quite a few Stameions there. We're training because we know that Chance is bound to retaliate any day now; everyone needs to be prepared.

Seelina is just about to start when I arrive. It looks like we're working with younger Stameions today; fifteen and sixteen-year old's. They haven't fully grasped their powers so this training is imperative. Seelina sees me and waves me over to a small group of boys.

"Bryant will be working with you today. I expect that there will be no fooling around. This isn't a game boys, your lives' could very much be on the line." And with that, Seelina moves on to another group; no time to waste.

"Have you all stretched and done your running?"

"Yes sir!" The boys nod. Seelina must've gotten into their heads because each one is looking me right in the eyes.

"Tell me your names, starting with you." I point at a tall boy with muscles of a grown man.

"My name is Kent." Kent looks serious with his straight stance and buzzcut.

"I'm Thomas," the next kid says quietly. Thomas is average height and build with tight brown curls on his head.

"Gian." A dark-skinned boy leans against a tree behind the first two. I have a strong feeling that this one is going to be a problem if he decides not to like me.

The rest of the boys introduce themselves. In all honesty, I won't remember everyone's name, but that's not the task at hand here anyway. I guess we should start with attacks first, offensive. Even though I was helping with training yesterday, teaching isn't one of my strong point. I'm still being taught things myself.

Still, I'm glad I am even able to do this. I could be dead right now or being tortured. I have been having nightmares right along with Tes. I awake only minutes before her; Tes doesn't know about my nightmares, though. I've been putting up a front with everyone the best that I can, but the truth is I'm broken too.

"Hey," one of the boys, Gian, snaps me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry, yes. Have you guys worked on your stances yet?" They all shake their heads, but Gian is looking at me like he's searching for something. I ignore him and show the boys proper form.

"Never stand straight up when engaging in combat, you have less grounding that way and you will be knocked over easily. Make sure your feet are spread shoulder width apart." The boys copy my form and I go around to make adjustments. After I'm satisfied with everyone's stance, I decide to move on to takedowns.

"Alright everyone, get a partner quick." There's an uneven number of boys so Thomas ends up by himself. I take him on as my partner and example.

"Enderans are cocky, they won't bother with fighting techniques. So, they will be easy to takedown if close enough." The boys watch me intently. I'm glad I don't have to deal with them fooling around.

I stand straight up with my feet close. "In a position like this Thomas can place his foot behind mine and shove me." Thomas does as I say and I fall on the ground. "Once your opponent is down, go for a killing blow. Avoid choking because you will not be strong enough to hold an Enderan long."

I get back up. "I know some of you won't want to kill, but you don't have a choice. They pride themselves on their kills, they revel in heinous acts. If you get attacked by an Enderan, their end game is you dead."

"What if it's not? What if they surrender?" Gian steps forward. "We don't have to be like them."

"It is, it always will be. It's in their genetics to be twisted and murderous. If they surrender; it's only to try and fool you." If they all don't understand this, they could die.

"Not always! We've heard stories...we know about Tes's mom." Gian's words throw me off. I didn't realize anyone knew of Tes's origins. Someone must have over heard and told others.

"If you know about her mother, you also know what happened to her. Do you think anyone is going to surrender after that?" No one says a word. Gian looks like he wants to argue further; I wait, but he looks away and returns to his partner.

Everyone keeps their thoughts to themselves as I demonstrate killing blows and more takedowns. By lunchtime, we're all exhausted, in my case; emotionally. I couldn't stop thinking about Gian's face. I know if he has to kill someone, it will destroy him; I hope it doesn't come to that for him.

I walk in the woods eating my lunch and getting some distance. What if someone does surrender? What if they beg me for their life, would I be able to kill them? My heart is telling me no, but my head is telling me yes. Any person that I let live could kill Tes, but my heart knows that it isn't my place to decide who gets to live or die. Then again, hearts are always getting people in trouble.

"Bryant!" Gian is walking over.

Annoyance takes hold of me. "Yes, Gian?" He stops, his dark brown eyes dig into my own.

"Have you ever killed someone?" Gian catches me off guard, once again. He asks like he already knows the answer, it unsettles me.

"Yes," I admit. I thought about lying, but what good would that get me? I have killed, it's not something I'm proud of.

Gian's face turns quizzical. "Then how could you ask us to do this? Killing someone...it changes you and you know it, especially when that someone might not deserve it."

My walking stills. "Gian...have you killed before?"

His expression becomes dark. "I won't do it again, unless I know I have to."

"Then you'll die," I tell him; I have to be honest. I don't want anyone to die and it pains me that he won't listen.

"Then I die," he repeats and walks off.

"Damnit!" I yell and punch a tree; leaving a hole in its middle. I fall to my knees as flash backs hit me full force.

Digging my hands into the cold dirt, painful memories resurface; some of them from just days ago. A girl blocks my path after I break out of my restraints. At the time, only one thought was raging through my mind. Tes. The girl lunges for me and I snap her neck. It was quick and easy, but as she lay on the ground, blonde hair in her eyes, I regretted it.

Another flashback, brings me all the way into the dirt. Right after my parents died, Scar was being harassed by older boys. She could have handled one, but there was two. Sick-minded Stameions are a rare thing, unlike with humans. I went out looking because I knew Scar was in trouble, she's my twin after all. When I found her she was fighting them off. I don't know what happened to me. One minute I was an innocent teenager, the next I was ripping apart two other boys. Scar had backed into a tree and watched me destroy them. Later she explained what happened and there was no punishment for me except the punishment waiting for me every time I closed my eyes.

I hadn't done anything like that ever again, until the escape. It wasn't just the girl I killed. There was a few in my struggle, their lifeless faces are burned into my memory, along with the torture, along with the despair and hopelessness, along with Skigh being beaten and killed in front of me.

I'm gasping for air and twisting around in the dirt, begging for it to end. A cease to the onslaught of faces and screams. Two hands lift me from the dirt. The face of my hope, my life, my love, appears in front of me. Tes holds me against her chest, her fingers grasp me as tight as they can.

"Bryant...I'm here." She pushes the hair out of my eyes. "Let's go home, okay?" Tes helps me to my feet.

"I have to tell Seelina." I can't bail on training without telling her.

Tes takes my hand. "I already did, c'mon."

Later, we're in my room and Tes is sleeping soundly on my chest. She made me tell her everything that happened, everything that has been causing me pain. She held me the whole time and stayed strong so that I could get it all out. I feel better, but I still can't get any rest.

I trail my fingers up and down Tes's back. I'm so glad that I have her, she has made my life better than I ever imagined. I hate that she's been through what she has. When this is over, and it will be over, I'm going to make sure she lives her life. Every day is going to be amazing.

"Bryant. We need you guys to come downstairs. There's urgent matters to discuss." Scar sends me telepathically. I don't want to wake Tes, but urgent is urgent.

"Tes...Scar needs us downstairs." I gently touch her cheek to wake her.

"Mmmm, ok."

Together we go into the living room where Scar, Ron, Seelina and Grandma Sadie are waiting. Tes hasn't talked to anyone much since before her attack and her anxiety is high.

"Hello Tes and Bryant. It's wonderful to see you two." Ever since I got back and Tes woke up, Grandma Sadie is always extra excited to see us. A lot of people thought we were going to die.

"Hi Grandma," Tes and I say in unison. We take a seat and wait for someone to tell us what is so important.

"Tes, we need to discuss your parents and your presence in the human realm. People are starting to notice you aren't there." Grandma Sadie says slowly, trying not to upset Tes.

Seelina jumps in. "We've been using our telepathic abilities to manipulate your parents. They think that you've been there, but I think with everything that's been happening we need to decide on something more...permanent."

Tes stays quiet and Ron speaks up. "People are questioning your parents and we can't possibly manipulate an entire town. It would be a waste of time and sources."

I can't feel any emotion coming off Tes and it's confusing me. She should be upset right now, but there's nothing.

"What would you suggest be done?" Tes asks quietly. I grab ahold of her hand for comfort; I already know what is going to be said.

"We were thinking that they should forget about you and move away. It would only be for the foreseeable future, we could always make them remem-" Tes stops Sadie.

"Do it."

I look at Tes quizzically. "Are you sure?" That's the only family she's ever known. I don't understand how she is just making that decision so quick.

Tes's face and emotions stay blank. "Yeah, it's perfect. They move away to some place and forget about me. No one will ever question them because they don't know about me and the rest of the family doesn't stay in touch."

"Tes."

She ignores me. "It's alright, do it. It's hard for me to go back there anyway. Was there anything else?"

"Well, this is more of a warning. We can't have all of you disappearing at once; it will cause unneeded chaos in the human realm," Sadie pauses and grabs Tes's hand.

"It's been decided to make the humans believe that Bryant and Tes died in a house fire. I'm telling you ahead of time so you can gather some memories of your friend." Sadie looks at Tes dolefully. I feel something erupt from Tes, but she quickly suppresses it.

Just then the door bursts open. Kent and Gian rush in carrying Thomas. Thomas, who by the looks of it, is dead.

"What happened?" I yell at the two boys. Kent is crying and Gian is staring at Thomas in shock.

"Kent? Gian?" Sadie inquires as she feels for a pulse.

Gian looks at me. "He killed him, he suffocated him while his friends made us watch."

Sadie wipes a tear from her eye. "It's true. Thomas is gone."

"Who killed him Gian?" My voice overpowers every noise in the room. It becomes deadly silent; just Gian staring at me with horror in his eyes.

"It was Chance. He said that he'll kill anyone he comes across until he gets her." Gian's gaze shoots to Tes. Tes's eyes are fixed on Thomas, though. She walks over and touches his face gently.

"Ron, do you want to come help me bring Thomas to a guest room?" Scar asks, but it's more of a demand. Ron nods and they both take Thomas away.

"What are we going to do?" Seelina looks lost, as do we all.

"I don't know, but I do know that Chance follows through on everything he says." I cringe inwardly, remembering the promises he made to me, and kept.

Ron comes back in. "Well we can't give him Tes!"

Scar bats Ron in the head. "Of course not, idiot."

"Isn't it obvious?" Tes, who hasn't been able to take her eyes off of where Thomas had been, asks.

She finally turns around, her eyes aflame with green. "We go to war..."

Questions!

What do you think about Bryant's breakdown?---Do you think that Gian saw Bryant's breakdown, he had only just walked away when it happened?---What are your thoughts on Gian and Kent?---What's going on with Tes?