Mark Of The Raven

Chapter Eleven: The Long Journey

" So what you are saying is that you feel no pain" Issac asked Astrid. The two had been talking whilst me and Emery had remained quiet.

" I don't have a perception of pain in the same way that you do. It is complicated to explain, but the worst that could happen to me is that I destabilize and get sent back to my home" Astrid explains.

" What is your home like though? Is everyone like you with the shape shifting thing? Or are there different abilities that people have? " Issac continued his line of questioning which Astrid seemed to have no quarrels answering.

" Well most the people where I'm from are in individual isolation. Meaning that we don't exactly communicate with one another. We if anything, just communicate through our actions. But typically, we get summoned out so much, that we are hardly ever there. In truth, the knowledge I have of my home is very limited" He explains which caught my interest.

" So wait..other people have summoned you before? " I asked to which he replied " Yes. But the years between the summons can vary so the last time I was summoned would have been hundreds of years in our time"

" What was the last person like? The last one to summon you? " I asked, and he took a moment to think on it before it answering. " He was confused, much like you. He knew that he had summoned me though. He just wasn't sure what to expect. But I was not summoned for protection. I was summoned for guidance and so that is what I provided "

This answer intrigued me. I didn't know he could be summoned for different things, much long how he would stay with us based off of a summon. " How long do you get to stay here...? " I inquired which he fired back immediatly " Until you die "

" Oh great, so we are stuck with him " Emery grumbled which Astrid smiled slightly at. The first smile I had actually seen him produce. " Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not happy about it either" he answers which Emery simply brushed off.

" Could I not send you home? " not that I wanted to send him home but I was curious.

" No" he glanced over at me and winked. He was most definitely having fun messing with Emery which was sort of nice to see that he possessed some form of a personality. Even if that meant Emery would have to suffer quite a while longer.

" So you can turn into anything? " Issac continued his questions to which Astrid answered. " Of course. But I have limits. Sometimes transformations can take a lot out of me and so I like to keep it simple"

" Could you turn into something less annoying" Emery joked however Astrid c****d another smile and before my very eyes, there sat...Emery? The only difference I could really tell was that her blonde hair was now jet black.

" Holy s**t that's awesome" Emery turned around to see what the commotion was and was immediatly shocked to see herself sitting in the back seat. " Haha very funny. Change back, you damn ass" She demanded but Astrid shook his head. " I thought this would be less annoying to you. Was I incorrect with my estimation? " he said mockingly which of course, only angered Emery even more. " I said...CHANGE BACK" her voice raised higher now, and she looked ready to pounce on Astrid at any moment.

" No" Astrid denied her request which led to Emery pulling her fist back and slamming it deep into the face of Astrid...well technically herself. But instead of discomfort, Astrid simply chuckled. " I said I don't feel pain. You don't listen, do you? " he smirked again as Emery pulled back to hit him again.

" Alright knock it off you two" I finally intervened. " We have to work together if we are going to get anywhere so this stupid crap has to stop". They don't have to like one another, but they do need to work together and right now, it seems like this would cause nothing but problems. There had to be some resolution to this. I would have them both apologize but I know how Emery is and Astrid doesn't strike me as the type to apologize genuinely.

" I agree with Val, you two can't keep going like this. We are the only ones who have each other's backs. And one single weakness will be exploited by those crazy bastards" Issac offered his input and though Emery tried to object, he refused to let her. Which

" No" Astrid denied her request which led to Emery pulling her fist back and slamming it deep into the face of Astrid...well technically herself. But instead of discomfort, Astrid simply chuckled. " I said I don't feel pain. You don't listen, do you? " he smirked again as Emery pulled back to hit him again.

" Alright knock it off you two. I am getting really tired of this stupid s**t. For f***s sake, can we not just sit here and enjoy the trip" Emery looked at me and then back to Astrid before sitting back down in her seat and crossing her arms. I swear it's like dealing with children.