Chapter 42: Release

"I'm assuming you misheard, "Gently pry the constraining force off yourself in a methodical and calm fashion," am I right?" asked Kristina.

An embarrassed Darius tried to turn away, but Amelia quickly grabbed his face. "Don't worry about me! I want to see what affinity… brown? You are untethered!"

"No, I used the magic befo- One second!" Darius had forgotten to take off his brown contacts before going inside. To them it would seem like his eyes are still the brown color they were before. "How about now?"

"Purple! A Relativity affinity! Wow, with those eyes you look a lot like- Blue!" Kristina exclaimed but was cut off when Darius's eyes switched to another color.

"Two affinities! That's pretty rare, and for a Relativity and Menta- Red?" This time Amelia cut herself off as his eyes changed to yet another color.

"Three? You did say you used elemental wattiez, so that… well that's…" She couldn't finish her thought as his eyes changed color once again, and again, and again, until they cycled back to purple.

"I have three affinities?! Isn't that supposed to be super rare! I always knew I was special," bragged Darius, unaware of the situation he was really in.

"No, you… No, well…" Amelia lazily stumbled out.

Both girls were effectively tongue tied as they watched. Mesmerized while Darius's eyes cycled through the six outer colors of the Hex. Something they had previously thought impossible.

"Then what? Only the first two? I'm pretty sure I heard purple, blue, and red." It was only after Kristina slapped herself hard that he realized something was off. "Why did you do that?"

"Six! You have six affinities! Purple, blue, red, yellow, orange, green! Purple, blue, red, yellow, orange, green! Purple, blue, red, yellow, orange, green!" Amelia cried, practically going hysterical at the thought.

"That's not normal, is it?"

"No!!!" They both cried.

"Madam Heart what do you make of this?" Amelia called out to her mother, but Madam Heart paid her no mind. "Madam Heart?"

She was still looking at the coat, completely transfixed on it. Even after all the yelling on this new discovery. She was putting all her focus on a grimy old coat.

"Mother!" Amelia shouted. She'd had enough, Madam Heart was acting far too strange. She wasn't used to it, no, she just hated it. She ripped the coat from her mother's hands and faced her.

"Amelia, give that back!" Madam Heart cried. She sprung forward to take back the coat but stopped when she stared into her daughter's face. Amelia was barely holding on, she had put on a defiant front, but that's all it was. She was scared for her mother and Madam Heart could see it clearly. "I said give it… give… Amelia, honey."

"What is this coat? What is so important about it that you couldn't even pay attention to your daughter's first time guiding?!"

Amelia stared deeply into her mother's eyes, her glare piercing. So much so that Madam Heart couldn't stand to meet it. "It's from my past, a dark time in my past."

"Then let's get rid of it, especially if it's causing you so much harm."

"No!" Madam Heart cried, reactively reaching towards the coat, but Amelia only further pulled it away from her. Now able to read a name etched into the coat.

"Anorad Dean. That name, I've heard you say it before. Seen it on old letters from someone with the same name. Who is it?"

Madam Heart's arm reached out which caused Amelia to hold the coat out even further, but that wasn't what she was aiming for. Rather than grabbing the coat, Madam Heart pulled in Amelia and held her tightly. "It's your father's name child, your father's name."

"My father? What does he have to do with how you're acting?"

Darius and Kristina watched quietly with a deep sense of discomfort. Both of them realized that they were in a situation where they should not be present, yet both didn't see a way out. In their arguing, Madam Heart and Amelia had made their way in front of the doorway leading out of the living space, effectively caging them in. Also, neither could get a word in between Madam Heart and Amelia, feeling that it would be highly inappropriate.

"Is there not another doorway around here we can leave in?" Darius whispered. "Maybe a secret passageway, or even just a place where some rot might have eaten through?"

"We're stuck here unless you somehow use one of those six affinities you have to get us out of here," Kristina replied snidely.

"The last time a woman talked to me with that tone of voice, I ended up with a broken arm and locked in a prison cell. Don't ask why, but you get the idea. My affinities, I'm guessing that's the problem, considering our situation."

She was silent for a bit, suggesting he was right on the mark, though it wasn't a hard guess. "Alright, I'm a little jealous, I'll admit that, but I have no right to be mad at you. Like you said, some people are just born special."

"Is it really so good being special?"

Kristina wasn't sure she heard Darius right, because if she had, then he must be crazy. "It's in the word, isn't it? If you're not special, then you're normal, or worse, you end up like me."

"Yes, like you. Driven, hardworking, willing to do whatever it takes to leave your mark. Sure, the bountiful charisma, immeasurable talent, and the devilish handsomeness is nice and all, but being special it's kind of stale."

"Really? Please enlighten me."

"You've only ever seen what it's like to be put down, told that you're useless and have no place being you."

"Rub it in, why don't you?"

"Right, but haven't you proved those people wrong time and time again. You know exactly how that feels, isn't that the best feeling? Isn't that why you wanted to hunt that griffin?"

"I mean sure, but that doesn't-"

"Then there's us special people, but we have the reverse problem. Expectations so high, that's they're entirely too difficult for any person to reasonably reach them, yet we try anyway. Sometimes we rise to meet those expectation, but that's to be expected. No sense of achievement, no sense of progress, just stagnation… and staleness."

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked tiredly. "Actually, I think we all need to take a break."

He had forgotten himself, his voice had risen well over a whisper, startling not only Kristina but Amelia and Madam Heart, rousing them from their argument. Though Darius had more to say, internally he was glad he was cut short before he could let loose too much about himself.

"I agree," Kristina retorted. "Amelia, do you mind making some tea?"

A long and awkward silence permeated the room as Darius, Kristina, and Madam Heart waited for Amelia to bring in the tea. Even after she had done so, her presence only served to make things worse, adding herself to this silence. The first to break was Kristina, who could tolerate everyone's embarrassed stares no longer.

"Can we just forget about this whole thing and move on. Darius and I are going to New Dawn soon, and I don't want my last memory of you guys to be this whole event!"

"You're absolutely right Kristina. Mother I-"

"You're going with them," Madam Heart interrupted.

"Excuse me?" questioned Amelia.

"With Kristina and the boy. I've decided that you're going with them to New Dawn."

"But why? You've never let me leave Horizon with you, let alone go to New Dawn. Why the change in heart?"

"Two reasons. First, I want you to teach the boy about wattiez. From what I understand, his knowledge is extremely limited, and I fear that Kristina is just simply unqualified to be his educator."

"Fair, I can understand that" Kristina remarked.

"The next reason is you Amelia, no it's about us. Amelia, I've hurt you, kept you chained down and restricted you to such a small part of the world."

"Mother!" Amelia started

"Let me finish!" Madam Heart needed her words to be heard. "I kept you here because I was scared, scared of how the world could hurt you… no, that isn't it. I was just scared of losing you. When your father left me, all I had was you, my little angel. I took you where I thought I would never lose you and effectively locked you here; not unlike what my sister had done with Kristina."

Madam Heart took a pen and began writing on a piece of what looked like old parchment paper. She looked intently focused on her words, pausing between nearly each one, wanting to perfectly produce her thoughts onto the parchment. Once Madam Heart finished, she rolled it up and left to her study. After a short time, she returned with a paper was now stamped with a seal of a knight riding on top of a large lion like creature, and she carried a sizable pouch alongside it.

"Is- Is that what I think it is mother? Stammered Amelia, gingerly taking the note when Madam Heart placed it in her hands.

"My recommendation, for entry into the University of New Dawn, and some money for the tuition, along with some living expenses."

"But- But you hate that University! You kept telling me to get rid of my paintings!"

"I did and still do. That university is the source of all my pain, but that's just it. It's the source of all my pain, and my pain shouldn't be affecting you. I know how much you love that university, and I've known you've wanted to attend all your life. I won't let my pain hold you back any longer."

Amelia was actively starting to cry at this point, lunging at Madam Heart and giving her the absolute largest bear hug both Darius and Kristina had ever seen in their lives.

"Mama!" wailed Amelia.

"I know baby, I know," she said while caressing her daughter. "Boy!"

"Yes ma'am!" shouted a startled Darius, unprepared to be sucked into this conversation.

Madam Heart shot Darius a devilish glare, unlike any she had shown him before. One that tore into his very being. "Boy… Darius, I am entrusting both my daughter and my niece to you on this journey. I want your word that no harm will befall them."

"On my life! Though let alone Amelia, I don't think Kristina would really need my-" Somehow, inexplicably, Madam Hearts glare went even fiercer. "So long as I am alive, not a hair on their heads will come to harm!" he swore.

"Good boy." Madam Heart said, pleased.

"Hear that, Kristina?" Darius asked. "Sounds like we just got permission to go."

"Krista," she responded. "Just call me Krista."