Redrick now laying on the ground was stunned with fear.
He couldn't move a muscle and his brain was working overtime to figure out what was happening, and why it was happening. The adrenalin in his blood was flowing like crazy.
He tried to calm down to gather his thoughts and after a few seconds he felt the pain.
His back and head were hurting. He also started to feel the cold stone floor, that coldness made him feel the warmth of the darknes infront of his eyes even more.
That darknes was also tickling his nose.
*honk*
After a few seconds on the floor, that felt like an eternity Redrick finally realised somthing.
He realised that his attacker was a goose, and that it sat on his face.
It sat, quite comfortably even.
Redrick sighed in relief and disbelief. That sigh made the feathers move wich made his nose tickle even more.
*hachoooo*
Loaf got scared by the noice and jumped of redricks face, looking at him with curiosity.
"Well it's good to see you Loaf, but would you mind entering differently next time?"
Loaf stared at redrick for a bit and than walked to the kitchen.
"Do birds not learn manners?" Redrick shouted to the carefree bird.
"Unbelievable"
*yawn*
Redrick noticed that he was getting tired so he finished his food, gave some leftovers to Loaf and was planning to go upstairs to sleep.
Loaf was following redrick until they got to the stairs.
"Well you can join me upstairs if you want, I have some extra pillows that I could give you."
Loaf than spreaded his wings slowely and put his head downwards.
It almost looked like he bowed in affirmation.
"I will take that as a yes than." Redrick said while laughing at the unusual posture of the goose.
Redrick took some pillows from the unused rooms, went upstairs and put them down right next to his bed.
Redrick now feeling drowsy, removed his clothing and put on a pyjama pants. Loaf was looking at him. It almost felt like he was waiting for somthing.
After being fully tucked in his bed Redrick felt the stare more and more.
"Why aren't you sleeping on your pillows? I got them for you so please use them."
Loaf stared for a bit and than again bowed in affirmation.
Redrick laughed. "So birds do learn manners hahaha."
His laughter didn't continue tho cause his eyes slowely shut on themselves and the world seemed to fade.
'God why am I so tired?'
'I did talk way more than I would usually do, but it shouldn't be that tiring right?'
That was his last thought before falling asleep.
Redrick dreamt of the sea. He had only seen the sea once and that was on his travel to Celles. He also dreamt of mister Martel and how silent he normally was.
Redrick felt sad for the man. He was alone like him. Yes they both had some good connections that you could call friends but everything still felt lonely.
The sea was slowly creeping up on Redricks and mister Martels leg. It kept on rising and rising.
Mister Martel was looking into the distance, while Redrick was looking at him. The sea was rising fast.
It was now getting closer to their chin. Mister Martel's eyes were dark and now looking at Redrick.
The old man was a bit shorter so the water reached his mouth first. His eyes still on the young man in front of him.
Redrick felt like he was being talked to.
"Do not"
"Be"
The water was now at his eye level. He couldn't move, he didn't want to. Why would he.
And now he was completely covered, the water was clear and still rising. The old man infront of him was gone.
The sea rose and rose and it became darker and darker.
Redrick started feeling more and more presure. Until he felt like laying down and holding his legs to form a ball.
The presure didnt increase anymore, nor did it decrease.
It was silent, silent and dark down there.
His thoughts were slow, he didn't want to think.
He didn't like his own company.
He didn't want to make a move.
He didn't want to breath.
He didn't want to be.
He was lonely.
He was
He
*honk*
Redrick jumped forward out of his bed. Sweat on his forehead.
He than noticed a tear rolling down his left cheek.
"Well thanks for waking me up" Redrick said with a bit of sas.
He put his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes. Some extra sleep could brighten the man's mood a bit.
* bonk bonk*
*bonk bonk*
"Ugh why now, I am trying to get some sleep"
*honk*
*bonk bonk*
"Loaf, why won't you open the door?"
There was no response at first but than he heard the goose walk away.
Redricks thoughts were a bit scrambled like every other morning.
*bonk bonk*
"Why would someone knock on my door this early in the ....."
At that moment everything clicked.
"OHHHHHHHHWWWWWWWW"
Redrick immediately went to get his clothes and dressed himself. After that he immediately ran downstairs.
"God why?"
He than tripped over his own foot making him fall over on the staircase.
"Why me?"
At that moment Redrick remembered training with jasmine and Andrius. She used to throw him all the time, so he was always covered with bruises.
Andrius took pity with him. "Well I know that we are no match for that battle freak but us guys still need to show some grace" is what he told him.
After that they practiced landing, rolling and balance methods for months. This was all to survive the great throwing power of Jasmine, to lessen the pain and bruises while training with her.
Did it work.
It did not.
Even Andrius got more and more bruises after that.
Redrick smiled, and before he noticed that he was standing on the floor, he heard somthing.
*clap clap clap*
The door was wide open and Lamia was standing in the doorway. Her face showed that she was impressed and amused.
"You do know how to show of mister Goldfield." she said with a chuckle.
"Ahh, euhh yes. How did you open the door if I may ask? I am sure that I locked it yesterday."
*hnk*
Both of them than looked at the goose that walked from behind the door. It had a key in its beak.
"Uhmm thank you loaf".
Loaf bowed and than headed back upstairs.
Both of them stood there confused.
"Did you teach him that Mister Goldfield. That's quite the trick. I didn't know you had experience taming animals".
Redrick who was still wondering what just happend anwserd before thinking what to say.
" ah uhh yes, it was quite difficult."
After a few seconds of silence and gathering his thoughts, Redrick finally returned his composure.
"Ah where are my manners. Goodmorning miss Serpentine, my morning was a bit hectic so excuse me for my behavior just now".
" Oh I don't mind". She than looked around the church.
"The inside is way bigger than I thought it would be. It's quite impressive."
" well with the two of us, I mean three of us it's indeed quite big." Redrick anwserd.
"Ah ofcourse, you were used to live here with 17 others. Yeah I can imagine how much bigger it would feel now."
Redrick didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to either.
" you can use one of the bedrooms on this floor, to change into training gear I mean. You can also leave your stuff there."
The church had 9 rooms on the groundfloor. The first room you would enter was the grand Hall. All the other rooms where on both sides of the grand Hall. The first room on the right was the kitchen. The first room on the left was storage. The other six rooms were bedrooms. The last room on the right was closed of and had a different kind of door.
That is where misses and mister Goldfield used to sleep.
Redrick and Andrius used to sleep in the bell towers.
All the other orphans where divided in the other 5 bedrooms.
"Thank you. If you would be so kind to wait here for me, I will be using this bedroom than."
"Take your time miss, ill be preparing our training ground."
Lamia nodded and walked towards the second room to the right.
Redrick than started moving the benches in the main hall towards the altar. Now there was enough space to spar. So much space that even jasmine would have difficulty damaging the furniture by throwing someone.
That was a comparison of when she was twelve.
'That freak could probably throw me over a big mountain right now'.
Redrick felt a bit amused at first but after that he felt bitter and annoyed.
*creak*
A door of a bedroom just opend.
"Thank you for waiting on me mister Goldfield, dont you need to change in some training gear?"
Redrick looked at his clothes and realised that he wore his nice clothes.
"Ah i completely forgot to put my training clothes ready. I put these clothes on out of habit. If you will excuse me for a bit"
Lamia nodded with a smile.
"I can wait, I wouldn't want to ruin these nice clothes of yours."
Redrick than walked upstairs to change his clothes. He also tried to hide his embarrassment.
The training started when he got back downstairs.
"Shal we begin than?" redrick asked while throwing a practice sword towards Lamia.
Lamia looked at him and gracefully caught the practice sword.
"Ready when you are."