Young Writers Society

Chapter 31.2: No Talk Me I Angy

"Mmhmm."

James took in a deep breath and sighed, turning to Bo.

"Can you just leave me alone?"

Bo set an arm back behind him so he could lean back and prop himself up, while he held his bowl in his lap.

"I don't think anyone in your shoes should be alone."

James furrowed his brows and stared at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Bo blinked back, deciding to engage in the staring contest, even though it was dark, and he was at a bit of a disadvantage, in his humble opinion, with only one eye to work with.

"Do you want me to outright say it?" he asked.

James continued to stare back before he finally broke eye contact and looked at the ground.

"I don't know," he huffed. "Maybe!"

A pause, before James conceded.

"Not really."

Bo was fine with that, so he just nodded, and looked back at their camp, scanning the area. It looked like everyone else was already out for the night. He kept watch in silence, and James didn't really get up to go anywhere. Bo wasn't sure if James felt obligated to stay, or if he appreciated the company, but he was okay with not knowing for now. James was always free to leave, but Bo wanted James to know that they weren't going to just leave him alone.

James had trust issues, so they were trying to aim for consistency. Because that was just the nice thing to do.

It wasn't until the campfire fizzled out that James finally broke the silence again.

"So... you're an inheritor," he said.

Bo looked back at him with a small smile. "Yeah."

"So how did you find that out?"

"Well," Bo said. "When I met Mickey, things kinda started making sense."

There was a second delay. "What's that supposed to mean."

It was a question but it wasn't said like one.

Bo repressed a laugh.

"You're going to hate me if I tell you that dragons just like, know. When they meet other dragons and inheritors and stuff."

"So you're telling me..." he started. It sounded like he was trying carefully to keep his tone from revealing his annoyance. "It was just. Magic."

The truth was a little hard to swallow sometimes.

"Pretty much, yeah."

James was quiet again.

"That is infuriating," James blurted out suddenly.

"What, don't like magic?"

"What? No. I never said that."

Bo leaned forward, pulling his legs in and putting his hands in his lap.

"It's pretty cool," Bo said. "Have you ever tried it?"

James scoffed. "What? I don't have any magic. I can't 'try' it."

"How do you know you don't have it if you haven't tried it?" Bo shot back.

James glared and narrowed his eyes at him again. "Don't you think I would've found out by now if I did? Didn't mages in the old days like, find out as kids sometimes, or on accident?"

Bo shrugged. "Well yeah, sometimes, but sometimes it was on purpose. Like, actually trying. It's different for everyone. Not all magic is triggered by super strong emotions and traumatic events. That would just be sad."

It was pretty clear that James was flustered and annoyed. Not necessarily because he was wrong, but maybe because he'd never thought of it before? Bo wasn't sure.

"No," James snapped. "I've never tried. You already know why."

Bo twisted his lips to the side and turned his head to the side a little. "I actually don't."

"I grew up in the kingdom," James retorted, practically hissing. "It's outlawed. Trying to use magic is a death sentence. Besides, I don't even know what kind of element I would be inclined towards. My parents didn't have magic either." His sentence hung in the air before he added: "At least, not that they knew, or that they ever told me."

"Well that's fair. It's hard to know when you've got the kingdom turning the culture on its head and making everyone hide their magic or just never use it again."

James's heated gaze intensified. "Are you suggesting my parents hid their magic from me?"

Bo held his hands up in front of him defensively. "Hey, I have no idea, man. I'm just saying, that happens sometimes."

James held his gaze before clicking his tongue and his eyes darted to the ground.

"Yeah, I guess," James muttered.

That comment made it seem like James was done with the topic and wanted to drop it, but Bo was genuinely curious. He hadn't had many opportunities to talk to people without magic who wasn't terrified of mages - or otherwise, trying to kill him - and he wanted to know.

"Okay so, hypothetically--" he started. James shot him a look, but he kept going. "What kind of magic do you think you would want if you did have magic?"

"That's a stupid question."

Bo frowned. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

Bo frowned deeper. "Not."

James met Bo's frown with one of his own, except James's was angrier. But after a moment, his expression relaxed. A little.

"When I was a kid I wanted... something like what Mickey has," James said quietly.

"Earth magic?"

James nodded, looking a the ground. "Yeah."

Bo leaned back a little. "That would be cool!"

"Yeah, well it's never going to happen, so..."

James trailed off and shifted, angling himself a little further away from Bo, while still leaning against the tree. Bo took in a deep breath.

"Maybe when this is all over," he posed. "You could--"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" James cut in.

Bo looked to the side, not sure what he meant. "Saying... when this is all over?"

"Yeah. That. It's not going to 'be all over,'" James said bitterly.

Bo felt like he was finally unearthing some of the things going on in James's head. He hoped James wasn't going to shut down again.

"Why not?" he prodded.

Another bout of silence passed, and James turned his face away, but he did speak up again, keeping his voice low.

"We don't know how this is going to end," James said. "Everyone is assuming it's going to end with Clandestine back here safe. Obviously, I want that to happen, but it might not."

A cricket started chirping distantly in the forest. A lone cricket in a snow-covered forest.

"And even if she does," James continued. "It doesn't end there. Clandestine is an inheritor. You said she had to find Svida. No one's seen Svida for years - you even said so yourself. Am I wrong?"

Bo shook his head. "You're right."

"And then there's the Moonlight Kingdom, and the king. And Carter."

Bo waited for James to continue, but then he didn't.

"What about them?" Bo asked.

James folded his arms across his chest and kept looking away.

"The king...?" Bo started, trying to prompt him. He took in a slow breath through his nose in anticipation. James didn't move for maybe a minute. And then--

"I've been on the run for five years of my life," James stated. It was something Bo already knew, but hearing James say it, it hit him in a different way.

Those five years had been long.

"I've spent five years ruining my body just trying to stay alive, and somehow, keep stumbling into more trouble," James continued. "Half of the time it's completely unrelated to the fact that I'm even wanted. And this whole time I've been hoping that just maybe I would find someone who might agree with me, that something needed to change in the Moonlight Kingdom. I felt like I was the only one in the whole world who actually believed that he was corrupt and needed to be stopped. I felt helpless to actually bring about any change because taking out one corrupt leader would just make room for others. It's not just Blackfield, it's the whole system that he built -- built on mage-hunting guilds -- built on guilds that hunt people and kill them for sport in the name of justice when really, it's just fear. It's a tactic to keep control, to stay in power. To convince the people that they need them. Killing Blackfield? Putting him in jail? None of that would change anything unless whoever replaces him actually wants to change things.

"There's his daughter, Eliza, and she's more open-minded, but she's just as complicit. Everything they've done to mages and people behind the scenes - she isn't ignorant or innocent and she would only perpetuate the cycle. But to stage a coup? A complete overthrow of the government... there would be so much chaos. It's not just about changing leadership, but changing the minds of a people who have been so steeped in fear of magic and mages since the calamity and equate any unexplainable tragedy with magic. And don't even get me started on the goblin wars--"

James stopped abruptly, probably becoming self-aware of how much he'd said at once. It certainly was the most Bo had heard him say in one breath, but he had a feeling that James was capable of it. He just kept it inside most of the time.

Bo didn't want to shut him down, so he left space for James to continue. It really was a practice of patience, and Bo was starting to feel it wear on him, but he was really trying.

Eventually, though, he decided to break the silence.

"What do you want to do about it now? Now that things have changed?"

James finally turned - and though he didn't meet Bo's eyes, he did turn to face him.

"Have things changed?"

Bo leaned forward. "Magic is outlawed in all human civilization," he said. "We know that. But it sounds like you could actually do something in the Moonlight Kingdom, and that's a start. You have evidence that could ruin Blackfield's reputation. You want to bring about change, and change is always messy, but you could do it. I would have to talk to Mickey and the guild, but I, for one, would be willing to back you up."

James's blank expression was unreadable. "I only have my word," James said. "Which holds no weight."

Bo pursed his lips. "Okay. Fair. But it's more than enough motive for us to do something about it."

James furrowed his brows.

"Do you... think the king needs to die?" Bo asked.

The creases between James's eyebrows deepened. Bo didn't previously think that possible.

"If someone usurps the throne, they need to have the power to back it up."

James was right about that.

"You know, I think you'd be surprised to know how many people live in our guild, and how many are from the kingdom."

James met Bo's eyes.

"And how many connections we have in the kingdom," Bo added.

"Shut up," James blurted.

Bo sputtered. "What? I'm---"

"Where the hell have they been hiding these last five years?" James said, his voice rising, before he quickly controlled it, hushing himself. "Do you have any idea what I would have given to find any of you five years ago?"

Bo could hear the desperation leaking into James's voice.

So this wasn't just all about Clandestine. This was about... wasted time.

Grief.

Bo almost reached out his hand to put his hand on James's shoulder, but he stopped himself. He remembered how James responded to touch.

"James, you were running for your life," he said. "Blackfield went out of his way to make it hard for you to survive, nevermind find anyone of our alliance. He didn't publicize the truth about what you did either. We didn't even know to be looking for you. We found you now, by chance. Give yourself a break--"

James stood up, with his hands balled in fists at his sides.

"Give myself a b--"

James didn't even finish his whispered sentence before he punched the tree and ran off into the forest.

Oh.

Bo got up, leaving his bowl on the ground. He followed.