The Magic Pact

Chapter 2-2

Dakota

Terrell thought no one noticed. But Dakota did. The shaking of his hands. He got dizzy and had trouble focusing. Dakota would recognize it anywhere because he went through it daily. The immortality talisman halted the progression of his disease, but it did nothing for the symptoms he already had. Sedatives helped, and mostly he learned to live with the rest. But he never expected to see the same problems in the man before him.

“I think the stem stone is giving you the shakes,” he announced, stepping into the room. “The thing is making it seem like you have M.S., too.”

He gave a slow nod, staring at his trembling hands. “It’s the connection.”

“What I don’t understand is, why is it a one-way street? Where’s my limp or—?

“Mutations,” he supplied.

Dakota clenched his jaw. “Why are you getting all my bad, and I’m not receiving anything?”

“Could be the live-forever stone. Ken said it stops disease. Maybe it’s a barrier. Where I don’t have one. Or—” He turned to face him. “Or it could be because mine’s an old injury, not an active illness. Who knows?”

“I don’t want you to have it. This is hell. I can’t ask you to live sick forever. How could I do that? You don’t deserve this. It’s not something you should have to carry.”

Terrell forced a smile. “I don’t think it’s half as bad as what you’re going through. It doesn’t even hurt. But you’re handling it. Gracefully. I think I can take a little unsteadiness now and then.” He grabbed Dakota by the waist and pulled him close. “I’m here to stay, Dee. I’m not going anywhere.”

His expression softened, and he kissed him sweetly. “I never thought I’d live this long, let alone for several lifetimes. I don’t know how I’m gonna deal with it.”

“I’ll help,” he proclaimed as his hands drifted to Dakota’s lower back. “You’ve come so far since the bridge. You have a beautiful life. You can’t back out of it now. I’m here for you. We’ll do it together. Think about Kenna, think about Rada.”

“Think about you.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re literally the reason I’m still here,” he pointed out. Terrell wasn’t just a reason to live. He’d physically prevented Dakota from killing himself, more than a decade ago. If not for that, he never would have met Kenna or Rada. Or Gage. Or any of the hundreds of other people that entered his life since he found out about talismans.

He’d seen so much pain and hardship in that time. But his adopted kids made everything worth it. And so did Terrell.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

When Dakota agreed, the two left their bedroom hand-in-hand.

They wandered the perimeter as a cold wind blew through the town. With dark skies, only Mahkah could be seen, manning the door and looking out for potential dangers. His uncle Luta would replace him soon, and then someone else would go after him. They always had somebody on the wall, just in case. There were too many lives at stake.

Normally, Rada would come visit Mahkah and keep him company. Perhaps she still would. But for now, she hunkered down in the house, hiding from the less than ideal weather.

As winter loomed, the little town prepared for what could be a difficult time. Without their gardens, fresh food would be scarce. The group had already anticipated that and traded for canned goods before the prices went up to meet demand. But they enjoyed the luxury of fresh produce, and no one was looking forward to going without.

The weather itself could prove problematic as well. Nearly all of their power came from solar panels, which covered the roofs of every house, as well as a small field to the west. For the latter, they could remove the snow with relative ease, but the higher up ones would be damn near impossible, especially if icing occurred. While they also had generators, fuel was extremely limited. In other words, there might be times when they couldn’t heat their homes with electricity.

Thankfully, every house had at least one hearth that the inhabitants could huddle around, and the town collected firewood all year. It wouldn’t be ideal, but at least no one would freeze to death. And they could cook over the open flames if they had to.

The pair waved to Mahkah as they passed him. He was a vital member of the group, always volunteering for wall duty, trips into Oceti Šakowiŋ territory, or fishing for food. In the spring and summer months, he helped Rada with her garden, and he even assisted in building the newest houses. It was good to have people like him, since many of the town members weren’t physically capable of doing those jobs.

Despite being the unofficial mayor, Dakota wasn’t able to help with anything physical, except maybe planting season. Terrell couldn’t do much, either, and there were a dozen children and pregnant women who were too young or too immobilized respectively to get involved. They’d also added an elderly couple, who could never do hard labor.

But everyone contributed in their own way. More than ten people knitted and mended clothing for themselves and their neighbors. Teaching the children became another important role, and the kids were pretty good at foraging and catching small edible creatures, such as frogs, mice, and crickets.

Dakota managed to avoid ingesting any insects, despite their high amount of protein, but he wasn’t above eating a rodent or frog. Terrell was a little braver.

Every once in a while, the more able-bodied men and women would get a spiny elk or a wild dirt dog, and they would have fresh meat. Usually, it would be gone within a day or two, as they divided the animal up amongst everyone who wanted some. Rada refused to eat the dogs, since she had one of her own, but she didn’t make a fuss about other people eating them. She knew better. They had to eat whatever was available in order to sustain and defend the town. She only insisted that no one hurt her pet, regardless of how hungry anyone might become.

They did have a handful of animals that could be sacrificed if things really got dire. Three goats used for their milk. A couple mules for tilling the fields. And of course, the horses.

But Dakota got ahead of himself. Their pantry was filled to the brim with cans and jars and grains. Everyone, including him, worried about winter, so they prepared as best they could. They bought shovels for snow and heavy textiles for warmth. They checked the windows for small cracks and fixed them so that the cold couldn’t get in as easily. They made every preparation they could think of.

He would still worry, but it seemed like they had a good handle on surviving the cold.

As for Ken and Yuuki, he wasn’t even half as confident. They were out in the elements, relying on an inconsistent amount of natural kindling and a flimsy tent. Their horses were just as vulnerable to freezing temperatures, and never mind if and when it snowed. Could they really survive the winter?

If anyone could, it would be his daughter.

But his concern for the women persisted. He knew what dangers lay ahead of them, seasonal changes being only one of an infinite number of possible problems. He tried not to think about it, to vanquish the thoughts of them getting hurt or killed. There was nothing he could do about it. They either lived or they didn’t. At some point, he would have to come to terms with his daughter’s mortality.

“You’re very quiet,” Terrell pointed out, breaking into his thoughts.

“I’m worried about Ken,” he said as he moved a little closer to Terrell. “And you, and everyone else.”

He leaned against him. “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s tough.” After a moment, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m okay. And the town is gonna be all right, too. You made sure of it. We’re all better because of your help.”

Coming to a stop, Dakota kissed him. “I feel like I’m not doing enough.”

“You’re wrong. Practically every major decision goes through you first, and everyone looks to you as a leader, if not more than that. Just because you’re using your head instead of your hands doesn’t mean you’re not essential to our success.” He pulled him close and kissed him back, passionately. “You’re so incredibly important.”

“You’re biased.”

“I know, but I don’t care. It’s true. Ask anyone in town. Ask Ken when she comes back. You mean so much to so many people.”

Dakota blushed. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”