Forever Young (8 page)

"But, how is the tattoo infused with powers? And what powers exactly?"

"Bed, Charlie. Now." He seemed a little exasperated so I held my tongue and climbed into the bed. I reached over and turned out the light. The house was not plunged into total darkness as there was a huge moon hanging in the sky. It bathed the interior of his house in a pale, blue light. I could see Caiden lying on his back, one arm draped across his stomach, the other above his head. The profile of his face in the moonlight was beyond stunning.

Words could not describe what I was feeling. Would there ever be anything this life-changing to happen to me again? Probably not. I settled into the bed and put my hands behind my head. I could hear the waves gently lapping on the beach below Caiden's cottage but all else was quiet. I know there was a smile on my face as I drifted off to sleep.

PART TWO

"I'll teach you to jump on the wind's back, and away we go."

Peter Pan

I was now a permanent resident of Semper Terra. The last few days had flown by as I got settled into my new life. I didn't have to return to the First Dimension as Sebastian had arranged for my meager belongings to be brought to me. When I asked what people would think about my disappearance, he assured me that it was handled. As an orphan, it could be explained to most that I had simply run away. Dr. Tinesdale, though, knew the truth of where I was. I had hoped to see him again but Sebastian told me it was best I stay in Forever Land for now. He said I needed to break ties with my former life. Sadly, there was not one other person besides Dr. Tinesdale that I would miss, or who would miss me.

Training for my recruit class was not scheduled to start until Monday, so I had a few days to explore my new home. Sebastian took me to the Academy to move me into my new dormitory. Luckily, I didn't have to fly with him. Sebastian was a perfectly nice dude but nothing would compare to flying with Caiden's arms wrapped around me. Instead, he showed me a tunnel that was carved through the mountain that separated the beach town from the Academy and it was really quite a short walk through. Until I learned to fly on my own, it was my only means of travel between the Academy and the rest of Semper Terra's civilization.

I was completely stoked about my dormitory. Actually, it was more like an apartment. The kitchen was tiny but had a fully functioning stove, microwave and refrigerator. The living room held a couch and a small dinette set. My bedroom was only big enough to hold a twin bed and a dresser and the bathroom was nothing more than a cramped closet with a sink, toilet and a shower so small, I could barely turn around. It was small and it was all mine. For the first time in many years, I felt like I had something that truly belonged to me.

Sebastian took me to lunch one day and explained more about life on Semper Terra. I was stunned to learn that even during our training, recruits were paid a small living stipend. The money could be used to buy anything we needed. When I asked Sebastian where the money came from, his eyes twinkled.

"The ForeverLand Alliance is quite the wealthy company, Charlie. We hold hundreds of government and private contracts for protection from the daimons. A good chunk of this money is used to fund training of the Alliance members, which includes giving you money for your services. You need to think of this as a job now."

Sebastian went on to tell me that although the stipend was relatively small now, it would increase as I moved through the stages from Plebe to Annihilator. Depending on how good my work was as an Annihilator, I actually could make some pretty obscene money. Not that I was doing this for the money. I had signed on with the Alliance before I even know I would get paid.

Besides, I had done without money and any comforts for a very long time. I made this point to Sebastian because, well, it was just important people know that I was motivated to join because of the good I could do. And, if I was being honest with myself, it was something I needed to do. To try to make something good come out of something bad.

The way I figured it, the painful loss of my parents had shaped me into what I was today. It had actually bent and twisted me into a person that would never be happy sitting on the sidelines if someone could be saved from harm. I get that I couldn't save my parents. I really do. I understand as a thirteen year old child, I was simply without any resources that could have changed the events of my brutal past. But now, I would have power. I would never be without the means again to let an innocent person be harmed.

As I explained all of this to Sebastian, he listened to me patiently, nodding his head up and down occasionally in agreement. But then he made a very good point to me.

"Charlie, you may not need the money now, but one day, you may wish to have a Second Life. With good investments, you can have enough money to help settle you into a nice life back in the First Dimension."

I had not even thought of that possibility. Having a Second Life wasn't even something I had considered at this point. I thought about Caiden. He had been working for the Alliance for almost four hundred years and had apparently not wanted to go back. I didn't think that I would ever want to go back either. Semper Terra just seemed...well, it seemed to be home now. That wasn't something I had felt since my parents were killed and I was going to relish it for as long as possible.

After lunch, Sebastian surprised me with a shopping trip for clothes and other essentials like toiletries and make-up. You know...girly stuff. The town that sat on the edge of the lagoon was named Syreni Bay and it had a variety of retail stores that met most every need. I didn't have any money and had not been paid my first stipend, but Sebastian assured me not to worry.

The best part of our shopping was a trip to an electronics store. There, Sebastian purchased me an iPhone and the salesperson set up my account with Apple. I didn't even bother to ask how cell service worked in Semper Terra. I assumed magic played a part as I certainly had not seen any cell towers. And so now, for the first time in my life, I owned a Smartphone.

I wasn't kidding when I said I had done without comforts for a long time. I mean, as an orphan, we are given basic necessities like clothing, food, school materials, etc. But a phone was a luxury I never could have afforded and the great State of New York didn't have the funds to buy one for every orphan.

I'm normally not a jealous person. I never begrudged my classmates for having friends, and parties, and fashionable clothing. But I did envy sometimes their ownership of a Smartphone. Almost every classmate I knew had one and I longed to have one to take pictures and text my non-existent friends. It was the choice way for kids to communicate. I would watch in amazement sometimes as some of my fellow students would sit right beside each other at lunch and text back and forth. Crazy, right?

The logical part of me wanted to scream at them, "For God's sake, you're sitting right beside each other...just talk." But the envious side wanted one so I could just be a regular kid for a change. The sad part is, when it boiled down to it, an iPhone would have served no purpose. I didn't have any friends or family I could text. Here though, I was hoping it would be different. Regardless, Sebastian assured me every recruit was given one so they could be reached at any time by the Alliance.

After our shopping trip, I unloaded my purchases in my apartment which included plenty of groceries to tide me over until training started. I then headed back into town to do some more exploring. None of the other recruits from my class had arrived yet, so I had not met anyone new. I was also hoping to run into Caiden as he had been gone when I awoke the morning after the trials and had not seen him since. I am not embarrassed to say that I missed the excitement and challenge I felt when I was around him.

After a few hours of poking around the various stores and shops, I went into Café Syreni hoping to find Ben. Walking in the front doors, I immediately saw him standing behind the bar. As I approached, he gave me a friendly smile.

"Charlie girl...my favorite new recruit."

I laughed. "I'm the only new recruit you know."

"Exactly! Which makes you my favorite. Although I'm sure you'll stay that way after the others arrive."

I plopped down on a barstool and Ben asked me if I wanted something to drink. I shook my head because I didn't have any money. "No thanks."

"Nonsense. In fact, I just concocted a new recipe for a daiquiri. I need someone to taste test it..without the alcohol, of course. On the house."

"Okay. Sure."

I watched as Ben started pulling ingredients. Fresh papaya, mango and orange juice went into the drink. As it was blending, I cleared my throat.

"Um...Ben...I wanted to apologize to you. For the way I behaved the first day we met."

He turned to look at me with surprise. "What for?"

"The way I looked at you. I just..." I trailed off. How could I say this? "I just...was able to see your true self...your daimon self...and it caught me by surprise. At that time, I didn't know what daimons were."

Understanding was clear on Ben's face. "That's okay, Charlie. I appreciate you saying that but no apology necessary. I imagine this is all pretty shocking to you, huh?"

I was relieved he accepted my apology so graciously. I blew my bangs off my forehead, letting out a sigh of relief.

"You have no idea. Just the other day, I was an orphan on the verge of getting sent to jail and today I find out I'm going to live forever and become a daimon hunter."

"Yup. That would throw anyone for a loop." Ben walked over and set a lovely orange colored concoction in front of me. It had whipped cream on top. I took a small sip through the straw and moaned in satisfaction.

"That is incredible, Ben."

"Thanks! I thought it turned out pretty good when I first tried it."

"You definitely have mad skills behind the bar."

I was stunned as a look of complete sadness came over his face. "Yeah, I'm glad to be good at something." His voice was low and dejected.

Caught off guard by the misery in his voice, I reached my hand across to his and grasped it. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. No, of course not. Just my own pity party over my failures to amount to anything."

I was astonished he would say that. "What do you mean? You're a successful business owner and clearly well-liked by everyone. How is that a failure?"

Ben started drying a stack of wet glasses that had just been washed. "Yeah, I sling drinks and burgers for a living. Real cool. While you will be out saving the world and stomping out evil."

I didn't know what to say so I just reached over and squeezed his hand in reassurance. He gave me a slight squeeze back and then went back to toweling off glasses. He gave me a brave smile and then seemed to mentally shake off his glum mood.

"Just ignore me. I get that way sometimes. The life as an Alliance member is just not for me apparently."

"They let daimons into the Academy?" I was surprised. I assumed daimons couldn't join the Alliance. I mean, dark daimons were our enemies. But now that I thought about it, why not? Ben wasn't evil. He was just like me...he just looked different, beneath his human appearance that is.

Ben nodded his head. "Yeah. They are very selective and they don't let many in but I come from a long line of light daimons that have served Semper Terra. While I had the pedigree to get in, I just didn't have the physical ability to stay. I couldn't make it through my field trial."

"I'm sorry." It had to have really sucked to want to do something, only to find out you couldn't.

"Still. I was fortunate that I got to stay in Semper Terra. And hey, I do lead a pretty cushy life now. Tropical breezes and pretty girls coming to drink at my bar."

I laughed, relieved the happy-go-lucky Ben was back. "That's the spirit. But Ben, don't ever let anyone, yourself included, diminish your worth. We are all important in this life."

"Wow, Charlie. That was really deep. You should write a book."

He was teasing and I picked up the bar rag that was sitting there and threw it at him. It hit him in the face and he gave out a burst of laughter that lit his entire face.

Now that Ben had shaken off his sadness, I did have a curiosity I wanted to ask him about. I hoped he wouldn't find my question too forward or insulting. "Ben, why do you keep a human appearance here in Semper Terra? I mean, everyone here knows you are a daimon. So why not show your true self all the time?"

Ben gave me a strange look and I immediately sensed that my question was way too personal. I started to stammer. "I'm sorry...forget it. I had no right to ask that. I just wasn't thinking..."
You are no Oprah Winfrey, Charlie.

Ben held up his hands to me. "Stop, Charlie. I'm not offended. It just caught me off guard. I mean, no one has ever asked me that before so I wasn't quite sure how to answer."

I persisted. "No, really. It was rude."

"Shut up, Charlie. It wasn't rude. I'm just thinking..." I watched as Ben's forehead scrunched up in concentration for a few seconds. He looked upwards, as if asking for someone above to provide an answer. Then I watched as a slow smile came over his face.

"Actually, that was a very thought provoking question. You actually made me have to think about it."

I could tell by Ben's tone of voice that he was completely okay with my question. "And what conclusion did you come up with?"

He gave me a sly grin. "Well, you'd think I wore my human glamour so I could blend in with the human race. After all, there is a certain level of prejudice against daimons, right?"

I nodded my head. I had suspected that something like this was the reason. In my young life, I had seen plenty of occasions where people were discriminated against merely because they were different in some way. I was prepared to launch into an impassioned speech that would validate Ben's worth, regardless of his appearance.

Then Ben pointed directly at me. "But you'd be wrong to think that. I wear this glamour because, hey, it looks good and what are the chances of me hooking up with a pretty girl with my green skin and pointy ears?"

I just stared at him. He was dead serious. He didn't care about discrimination. He wanted to make sure he had the best chance of scoring with a girl. I put on my most affronted look and said, "You are worried about hooking up with girls?"

Ben continued looking serious for all of about three seconds then he burst into a wide grin. "Gotcha." And then he threw the rag back at me, smacking me in the face. He was joking. I started laughing in relief that Ben wasn't as shallow as I thought he was.

As my chuckles drifted off, I watched Ben lean his elbows on the bar and clasp his hands together.

"Actually, Charlie. I think both of my answers are the same in a way. It's easier to blend in and look normal. Whether it's to avoid discrimination or to impress a pretty girl, it's still all the same. I don't want anyone to look at me and see me as different."

The guilt that I had been carrying over the way I looked at Ben in horror over his appearance bubbled up within me again. Sure. I had been caught off guard by his transformation, and I had, further in my defense, been under extreme stress just prior to that. But my reaction just solidified Ben's point to me. No matter that Ben was one of the nicest, kindest souls on Earth, there would always be some measure of judgment against him because of what he was. And that made me sad.