"…."
"…."
"….Chase…."
"….c….."
"CHASE GAELBORG KINGSTON!" Jane and Iris bellowed into my ears.
I jumped out of my chair and nearly dropped the item I was scribing with an offensive spell sigil. After a brief aerial juggling act that ended with me barely catching the gold ring I was scribing with a new spell, I frowned and glanced up at the two women who where looking down at me with looks of disapproval that mirrored my mom's.
I was in the vault of my lab back in Andromeda college, making enchanted items. Lately it has become one of the few places I can make items without everyone at the company interrupting me and trying to get me to stop or rest for some unknown reason. Unfortunately Iris and Jane both had access to the vault now thanks to Dean Baxter, which meant they could both come in whoever they wanted.
"What the hell!" I snapped at the princess and her former guardian. Both girls gave me an incredulous look and crossed their arms.
"We are the ones that should be snapping at you Star Child!" Jane barked.
"You've been in here for over a week without contacting anyone again!" Iris snapped. I frowned and set down the ring.
"That's impossible! I talked to Jiggles Wednesday!" I exclaimed. Iris and Jane looked at me with tired expressions while shaking their heads.
"That was nine days ago Chase." Jane said, her tone turning soft and concerned. "This is the fifth time you've gone over a week eating, sleeping or talking to anyone in the last three months Chase!"
"Besides talking to one of your evos doesn't count since they worship the ground you walk on!" Iris added.
"I'm working on a enchanted item you two! It requires concentration and focus!" I griped and got back up then tried to go back to working on the item but that earned a slap on the back of the head from Iris.
"It doesn't take that much focus!" Iris snapped then pointed to the pile of enchanted rings on table next to me. "You've already done thousands of them! Literally!"
I sucked my teeth at her and rolled mg eyes. Iris slapped me again, harder this time while Jane snatched my tools away from me.
"Give those back!" I barked, standing up from my chair.
"NO! You need rest and a good meal!" Iris barked back. She grabbed me by the shoulders and tried to drag me towards the exit.
"I need to finish these orders for Japan and Spain!" I rebutted and jerked away from Iris.
"They are finished nine times over!" Jane snapped and joined the melee. Both girls struggling to get a hold on me.
"No they are not!" I snapped back while trying to get free of the girls grip.
"CHASE I SWEAR TO OSIRIS!" Jane barked then kicked my chair out from under me and grabbed my collar to start dragging me across the ground with Iris help.
"SWEAR TO WHOEVER YOU WANT IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT I HAVE WORK TO DO!" I barked back then channeled shock attribute mana throughout my body. Both Jane and Iris received a rather weak jolted that made them both let go of me and scream.
I quickly scrambled to my feet and glared at both girls. Electricity sparking off my body as I continued to channel mana, daring both girls to try and grab me now. Jane gritted her teeth then stomped her foot.
"Chase we are trying to help you! You don't need to treat us like we're the enemy!" Jane growled.
"Did I ask for any help? No! I'm fucking trying to work here and all you two are doing is getting in my way!" I growled. Iris and Jane both looked like they were about to blow and start firing offensive spell sigils like they did the last time they came to 'help' me. So I was surprised when they just both sighed and shook their heads.
"Fine! Don't complain to us when you collapse from malnutrition and exhaustion!" Jane barked, throwing my tools down on the table as she stomped out of the vault with Iris close behind.
I waited for several seconds, eyeing the door they left from before I finally relaxed and sat back down.
'Geez those two! Why did Dean Baxter have to give them access to the vault? Its only making my work harder!' I thought as I rearranged my tools then started working on the ring again. I had just gotten back into a comfortable rhythm when I sensed another presence inside the vault. I looked over my shoulder to my Grandpa Seamus standing in the doorway watching me.
"You here to tell me to take a break too?" I asked. Grandpa Seamus narrowed his eyes and frowned.
"I hope ya didn't mean ta use that tone with me Starlight? Otherwise I'll have ta assume ya forgot the meaning of respect yer Gran spent so long teaching ya." Grandpa Seamus said calmly but with a steel in his voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I flinched visibly at his words and looked down at the floor.
"Sorry Grandpa…" I muttered. Grandpa Seamus stare didn't lessen with my apology, it only hardened.
"Oh really? That how yer Gran and I taught ya to apologize? Yer Ma has more sincerity in her words than ya do!"
"I'm sorry for the disrespect Grandpa Seamus." I apologized again. Grandpa Seamus walked over to my side and looked at the enchanted ring I was working on, not even acknowledging my apology. He plucked it from my hands and observed it in the light.
"Yer workmanship is getting better, almost ta yer Gran's level." Grandpa Seamus said after a moment then placed the ring down on the table. I felt a little pride start to bud in my chest at his compliment but that quickly went Grandpa's next comment. "Too bad ya made a few mistakes…"
"I didn't make any mistakes!" I defended. Grandpa Seamus chuffed and pointed to a section of the ring.
"Oh really? What'cha call that Starlight?" Grandpa asked. I started to rebuke him but noticed my mistake. I had scribed one of the runes a quarter of a centimeter too long. It made it read as a entirely different rune, thus changing spell rhetoric and making it useless.
"Fuck…" I grumbled as I picked up the ring.
"I lived with yer Gran fer almost sixty years Starlight. I watched her scribe many a masterpiece. I might not be able ta read the same way runic language like you or she could but ya bet yer ass I can spot a mistake!" Grandpa Seamus said, the pride in his voice was obvious as well as the sadness.
"I'll have to redo it on another ring…" I grumbled then started looking at the other in rings my pile of completed rings. "…And check to make sure I didn't fuck up other rings!"
Grandpa Seamus covered my hand with his, gripping it softly but strongly. Forcing me to look up from my work and at him. I expected him to be staring at me with disappointed eyes aimed to chip away at the resolve I have built up over the last few months, only to find the eyes looking back at me to be weary and bursting with worry.
"Starlight…please…" Grandpa Seamus whispered. He sounded on the verge of tears, that sound alone broke me in ways that I didn't know were possible. My gaze shot to the floor, unable do take his stare any longer.
"That's not fair Grandpa…you can't look at me like that…sounding like that…its not…fair…" I muttered, struggling to not crumble there and then.
"If life was fair Starlight…yer Grand would be the one telling ya ta come take a break instead of me…" Grandpa Seamus rebutted.
"G-godsdammit!" I growled. My cheeks wet with tears I refuses to acknowledge. My heart and resolve broken by a few words from the one man I would destroy the whole world just to see smile. "P-p-please don't make me stop…I-I'm almost d-d-done…"
Grandpa Seamus pulled me into a hug and shushed me quietly. I refused to hug him back. To acknowledge that I needed something other than to complete the orders we'd received. But my resolve was as fragile as dust when pitted against my grandfather. He was the one person still alive that knew me better than I knew myself.
"Ya been done for days Starlight. Jane showed me the order. If ya work yerself ragged ya won't be there when we need ya." Grandpa Seamus replied.
"But…"
"No buts Chase!" Grandpa Seamus said sternly. I felt my entire body tense from Grandpa using my real name instead of his nickname for me.
"Okay…" I whispered. Grandpa's hug tightened briefly before he let me go and wrapped a arm around my shoulder and started leading me towards the vault's entrance.
"I made you some jollof rice and peppered chicken, just like yer Gran used ta make it back at the apartment…"