Kavella and I sit around in the clearing as we wait for the other groups. Everyone is talking to their partner about the epic adventures they had within. While Kavella and I certainly had an amazing adventure, she doesn't actually talk about it. She's back to being her usual, reserved self…at least it seems like it. I notice that she looks over at me several times, her grayish-purple eyes shining as if she wants to say something. She never does, though. She always looks away and covers her face with her long yellow hair.
Kael comes out near the end, and he looks absolutely disheveled. I see that Marc was his partner. That makes sense, because Marc is a pretty average student, and Kael is super smart, but he was on the verge of failing the physical part of training for quite a while.
"Disaster," Kael says as he sits down next to Kavella and I. Marc joins us. "Total disaster. We were walking along when a Spirit suddenly ambushed us, about thirty seconds into the cave. It was a Specter, but since it came so quickly neither of us were ready for it. We hadn't even gotten our lights out yet. That Specter had me mashed against the wall and smacked my head about seven times before Marc was able to kill it. I felt so useless!"
Kael continues to tell his story. "Then we got going, and lo and behold…another Specter! This one was a Knight Rank, too! So we're trying to fight this thing off, and thank goodness Marc was there because this Spirit almost cracked my head open on the wall too! He took care of both of those Spirits!"
"On our way back, there was a Spider Spirit too," Marc says quietly. "I didn't do all the work. I'm really afraid of spiders…" he gulps. "I freaked out when I saw it and…I started crying…but Kael was able to kill it. We helped each other out in there."
"Yeah," Kael smiles. "We did well, Marc."
After about forty minutes more, the last group comes out and we prepare to head back. Nobody died in there, which I'm grateful for. That would've been terrible. It sounds like Kavella and I were the only ones who had a near-death experience quite like that. Most of the groups took a bit of a beating, but nobody quite came close to falling off a cliff. We were the only ones that had to deal with ANYTHING at the Baron Rank, and we were also the only ones that had that slippery cliff to contend with.
When we return, we all have a group meal together, Kavella included, and then we all go our own ways. Well, we're about to go our own ways, but Kavella stops me.
"Can we talk?" she asks. She looks over to Kael when she says this. "Alone?"
"Sure," I say quickly. I'm eager to see what she has to say. I glance over at Kael, who is still sitting there at the cafeteria table with us. "I'll be back in a few," I tell him. He nods.
"I'll meet you back at the room, Sigmund," he smiles halfheartedly. "I need to go rest. I'm feeling a little bruised…"
Kavella leads me into the hallway connecting the cafeteria to the classrooms, and looks up into my eyes shyly.
"I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did today," she blurts out. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for you, Sigmund. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel bad about anything, I just have problems trusting people and I really haven't been in the best mood since we got here. Will you forgive me? I'd like to be friends, if you wouldn't mind."
I'm shocked that she's coming on so strong with this, but I don't object to any of it.
"I really never meant to be so cold to you, and I've been thinking about it, but I've really been cold to everyone. It wasn't until I was seconds from death and you went out of your way, and put yourself in danger, just to make sure I was a little bit safer," she is breathless by the time she finishes talking. She's going off so fast I can hardly understand her.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is…"
"You're welcome," I grin. "And that's what friends do for each other. They have each other's backs."
"Yeah…" she says. "You really had my back, there," her eyes lock onto mine, and I can see a deep vulnerability that wasn't there before. "I'm glad I met you, Sigmund Felice."
"I'm glad I met you too, Kavella Montale."
She opens up her mouth, almost like she wants to correct me, but then she stops herself. "Tell me your story," she says. "I want to know more about you."
The way she says it is intense, and I'm unsure of how to react. Mira and Natalia are the only girls I actually talk to, and neither of them are…well…how can I say this…
I'm not attracted to either of them. Not like I am to Kavella.
There, I said it.
Kavella is such a different ballgame. I think she's incredibly mysterious and beautiful. And I love my mysteriously beautiful women.
"I grew up here in Arcona Village," I start. Before I know it, I'm telling her my whole life story. I told her about Kael and I growing up, and I told her about Lance bullying me. I told her about my father teaching me sword techniques when I was young, how my father died, and how I always wanted to be a Spiritguard. I also mention that my doting mother is a proud Vitarine employee. When I finish up the story, I realize I had nothing interesting to say. My life in this small town has been so bland…I definitely didn't impress her with anything I said.
"Thank you," she says again, standing up. We'd been sitting on the floor in the hallway while I told my story. "It makes me happy to hear about…you…"
"No problem," I chuckle. Kavella brushes off her uniform, obviously because the floors here are incredibly dusty. Whenever one of the trainees breaks the rules, they have to clean parts of the facility. Unfortunately, everyone in my class obeys the rules, so not much cleaning is done.
"I have to go," she says, and she starts to walk away.
"Wait. Kavella," my voice suddenly sounds passionate and sexy. I wish I could talk like this all the time.
"You never told me your story."
Kavella opens up her mouth, thinking for a moment. "My parents were abusive, and I ran away from home to come here. That's all you need to know."
She runs off after that, leaving me with those precious few words about her past. Of course, that raises more questions than it answers, but I feel like in time I may come to know more about her. After all, she and I are leaving each other today on good terms. I hope our friendship continues to grow, now. Once she opened up to Mira, they became very close. I hope the same happens between Kavella and me.
When I get back to the room, I tell Kael and Marc all about what happened today at the cave with Kavella. They make a few stupid comments about how we're 'lovebirds', but I ignore them. Even if I did like Kavella in that way…we're trainees right now, and there's no time for romance. Plus, I don't feel like she's interested in me. Maybe I'm blind to it, but I didn't get that feeling from her. I think staying friends with Kavella is the best option at this point.
She is beautiful, though, and when I go to sleep, all I can think about is how much I want to know more about her…