Death Smith - Book 1 - Chapter 13

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Ginger sanctuary

One month ago.

February, 14 AR.

United Kingdom, south London, The Walker residence.

It was nearly sunset when Thomas pulled into the rocky road. Wheels slowly spinning to maintain grip. As the engine slowly died out, Lance jumped off. He then stretched his long legs and arched his back a few times. Riding a motorcycle was fun, yet it did a number on your posture, despite being a Rifter.

“Much better!” Lance commented as he glanced at Thomas, seeing him pull the keys out of the ignition. Although Lance wasn’t a motorcycle person, he could understand Thomas’s fascination for the old Triumph.

According to Thomas, the motorcycle had been custom made by his father, Jacob, several years ago. The matt black finish and worn brown leather seats completed one another.

Lance watched as Thomas ran his hand across the machine, briefly massaging it with his fingers. Lance simply rolled his eyes before he interrupted. “You need a minute… or a room?”

“Sod off, Lance. You don’t understand that there is a delicate balance between rider and machine. There is a sense of respect and trust,” Thomas said gravely. He got off the machine and threw the keys in the air before snatching it with his other hand, grinning as he walked towards Lance, who was ready with a retort.

“Sure, Thomas. Still, if you treated a girl with the same care and attention that you give your bike, you might make it past three weeks of dating.”

“I’ll have you know that the record stands at five,” Thomas replied playfully.

Lance, both bewildered and amused, simply stood there for a minute before he did a slow clap. “Thomas, I stand corrected. I did not know I was in the presence of a love-sage.”

“You realise I am at a higher level, and I could box your ears in, right?” Thomas replied with a wolfish grin.

Lance was sure of two things; Thomas was a loyal friend who would protect him with his life and Thomas would also be the first one to instigate a playful back and forth. Most of the bruises Lance had suffered in his life had resulted from Thomas’ idea of friendship. On the other hand, Lance couldn’t recall a confrontation in his childhood when Thomas wasn’t there to back him up or stand in front of him as a shield.

Lance nodded as the two men made their way to the back of the house. “I know, Thomas, you keep reminding me. Huh, that is new,” Lance said as he looked around. There were several empty pots discarded left and right and the place smelled of fresh flowers. It was clear to see that the Walker household had been busy gardening the last few days.

Thomas noticed the same and shared his thoughts on it. “I think mom has another project going on. I swear to God, the amount of her hobbies has only increased since I became a Rifter. Perhaps it is some sort of stress-related thing?”

“Who knows, Thomas? I am not a shrink. What was it last time again… bees?” Lance asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Thomas chuckled, the two men stopping near the door, hearing voices from inside the house along with sounds of movement.

“God, yeah. The bee thing. It ticked dad right off when he got stung a dozen times,” Thomas replied, remembering his father’s reaction.

“Well, his fault for marrying a redhead, right Thomas? All that rusty red does something to the brain,” Lance commented, quickly knocking on the door.

When Thomas figured out the verbal jab from Lance, he was about to move towards him when the door opened, and a sturdy woman rushed outside. She pulled the boys into an embrace with enough conviction that even these young Rifters had no choice but to submit.

“My darlings. My sweet, sweet boys,” The woman said, her voice split between maternal strength and dissipating fear. Her bearlike embrace was rewarded when both Rifters hugged her as well. Lance could smell the scent of rosemary and fresh earth. In his mind, it smelled of home.

* * * * *

The Walker family watched as the two young Rifters devoured what was on their plates. Upon receiving her son’s text message that he was returning, his mother, Caroline, had sprung into action and mobilized the Walker family. They had warmed up yesterday’s lasagne while cooking up some extra pasta. Thomas’s father had retrieved a few cold beers and set the table as per his wife’s instructions.

Next to Caroline sat Kate, Thomas’s older sister and his younger brother, Oliver. Both siblings had the same auburn hair that Thomas had, with bright green eyes that simply demanded one’s attention. Although a shade darker than the bright red hair of their mother, it was unmistakable where the children got most of their genes from.

Caroline smiled as Thomas finished his plate, looking quite pleased with himself. Lance had already tapped out after his third serving, now massaging a stomach that was filled to the brim. “Do you boys need anything else? Desert?” Caroline asked, seeing Thomas’s eyes lit up at the word desert before he also remembered just how full he was.

“Perhaps later, mom. I am beyond full. God! I needed this,” Thomas said honestly as she leaned backwards into his seat.

Lanced nodded at that, agreeing with his friend. Although the GRRO took care of the supplies and rations, the meals they provided were neutral in terms of taste. This made a homecooked meal after a Rift all the better. “Thanks for cooking us a feast, Mrs Walker.”

Hearing the boy’s approving words, Caroline smiled even wider. She took pride in running a tight ship and the least she could do was to make a little feast for the returning heroes.

“Oh, think nothing of it. It is just some leftovers and something I made in a hurry. But, Thomas, I wish I could know sooner when you finished with… work,” His mother commented, hating the words Rift and Rifters. She was proud of what her son did and how he was helping people, yet it was hard for a mother to admit to herself that she was ‘fine’ with allowing her boy to fight literal monsters.

She could still remember the state of Thomas when she had visited him in the hospital so many months ago. She had first thought Thomas was dead, like the others. Weeks later, she had the miraculous news that he and his best friend, Lance, had survived. Oh, how she had screamed from joy and wept from sadness at the same time. It had taken a few days before the boys had returned to how she remembered them, but they had changed. Who wouldn’t be?

“I would if I could, mom. It is hard to know when we clear the event and how long it takes to mine all that we nee-” Thomas explained before he was interrupted.

“That and reception inside the rift is absolutely horrible. I mean, our cell phone providers should really do something about that,” Lance pitched, grinning as he watched Thomas’s father crack a smile while Caroline simply shook her head before she continued.

“You boys… Even after all you have been through,” she said, her eyes meeting them as she gave them a gaze only a worried mother could produce.

“Caroline, let them be. At this age, they are still idiots and not open to reason. Remember how foolish we were at the age,” Jacob mediated, letting the young men have a little freedom.

Caroline’s gaze left the young men and shifted towards her husband, letting him feel the weight of it. “I hardly think we can compare their situation with ours, Jacob.”

“You are right. As always, dear. Still, let the boys be idiots when they are home and safe. You knew how I was when I was still in the army,” Jacob replied as he stood up, groaning as he supported his lower back. Afterwards, he went to fetch the young men and himself another beer.

The youngest of the family looked anxious, as if waiting until dinner was over before he could bombard Lance and Thomas with questions. “Lance, is it true what Thomas had said last time?”

“About what?” Lance asked, seeing the bright-faced Oliver nearly tremble with curiosity. He had similar features to Thomas. Already he was showing the same stocky shoulders that Thomas had. ‘The Walker family built sturdy men. Even when they are only thirteen,’ Lance thought as he looked at Oliver.

“Thomas said that he fought off a troll last time he went inside the Rift. Was that true?” Oliver asked with all the wonder a young man could invoke.

Lance immediately glanced at Thomas, seeing his blank expression before Lance exploded in laughter. “Oliver, the closest thing to a troll Thomas faced was when he last looked in the mirror.”

At that, the family joined Lance in the laughter, with Thomas grinning before he replied in a grandiose way. “You see, Oliver, we Rifters are a tough breed. We are known for it. Sadly, this has robbed us of our once handsome looks,” Thomas explained, holding up his hand as if he was preaching the truth from his own gospel.

His father simply snorted while his mother placed a hand on Thomas’s cheek and was just about to call him a ‘handsome lad’ when Thomas’s older sister, Kate, replied. “I don’t think that rule applies to all Rifters. I know of at least one of them that is quite attractive,” she said, giving Lance a knowing smile who turned a shade closer to red when he figured it out.

Thomas immediately countered, pointing his finger at his sister. “Dammit, Kate! No one wants to hear those kinds of things from you! We just came back from a Rift and the last thing that Lance wants is to meet something even worse than a monster.”

“Oh, Thomas, stop being such a prude. I was only joking,” Kate commented as she shifted her gaze towards her brother. Kate and Thomas frequently argued, with Kate’s quick wit usually deciding the outcome. Although she was eager for a verbal confrontation, it did not change the fact that Kate had immediately left her apartment and raced home when she heard her brother had survived another Rift.

“Hilarious Kate. How about you do us all a favour and throw yourself off a bridge!” Thomas barked. His sister, as usual, knew just what buttons to press with him.

Kate sighed as she gave Thomas a dramatic slow clap. “Oh, what a brilliant retort, Thomas. You are lucky there isn’t an IQ requirement for being a Rifter.”

“Either you think you are a comedian, or you think calling me stupid is a wise idea,” her brother replied, leaning a bit closer and using his size to his advantage.

“Well, I don’t see anyone laughing,” Kate countered, showing Thomas a smile that simply dared him to take another step.

Thomas was still pointing at his sister before his mother soothed the mood, suggesting that the girls and Oliver would go back to the kitchen to clean the dishes.

Thomas’s father had been mostly quiet throughout all of it, sipping his beer and enjoying the chaotic nature of the household. Despite the bickering and the name-calling, it was hard not to feel the layers of love woven inside this home. Lance could have sworn he heard Jacob whisper something about ‘combustible redheads’.

Jacob then addressed the lads when it was just the three of them. “Are you boys all right?” Jacob’s gaze focused on his son, as if truly seeing him in that moment. It was hard not to be honest when Thomas’s father looked right at you.

Thomas had told Lance how his father had served in the army for many years before his back gave out. Jacob had seen first-hand the aftermath of Rifts that had not been cleared in time. He knew better than anyone in this house what the boys might have been facing.

Thomas nodded before he spoke. “Yeah, dad. We are okay. The last run went well. We barely ran into something dangerous.”

“Sir, you can trust the group we have been running with. We all work well together,” Lance said, putting his bottle of beer on the table and watch how Thomas and his father had a moment with one another.

Finally, the man nodded, placed a hand on Thomas’s cheek, and patted it gently. “Thomas, you know that we only want one thing from you, right?” Jacob asked, his features softening a bit.

“Yeah, I know dad. Just come back home,” Thomas answered with a grin before he nudged his old man in the rib playfully, but still allowing Jacob to feel the strength Thomas possessed. It was to show that his son wasn’t the same crying lad they had found in the hospital after Thomas had survived his first Rift.

Thomas’s father smiled, acknowledging his son before he shifted his attention towards Lance. “And the same goes for you, Lance. God only knows why you befriended our boy, but we are grateful for it. You’ll always be welcome at our house. You understand?”

“I do. Thanks for that. It means a lot,” Lance said honestly. The sentiment hitting him harder than the Walkers might realise.

“Good to hear. Now, Lance, when are you going to ask my daughter out on a date?” Jacob asked before the house exploded with commotion and noise after that, with Thomas at the forefront.

* * * * *

[You have retrieved an item from the inventory.]

“Really! I can have this?” Oliver asked Lance, observing the strange and glowing rock that the teen was now holding in his hands. His green eyes fixed on the blue light that was coming off the stone infused with Magicka.

“I said it was a gift, did I not?” Lance said, seeing Oliver nearly tremble with excitement.

“Bloody hell! Dad!” Oliver said -although screaming might come closer- as Oliver rushed out of the door and down several flights of stairs.

Thomas chuckled for a few seconds before he faced Lance again. “You know you are going to spoil the little bugger, right?”

“Oh, I know. But can you imagine the look on his friends’ faces when he shows up in class with a mana stone?” Lance asked, remembering how in awe he had first been when he had first collected them in a Rift. They weren’t all that rare within a Rift. Still, a little chunk like the one he had given Oliver would be worth at least a few hundred pounds.

“Lance, could you have imagined how different our youth would have been if we had one of those?” Thomas asked, imagining the outcome of such a thing.

“Well, having a Rifter as an older brother wouldn’t hurt as well.” Lance countered as Thomas snorted. He knew how proud Oliver was of the fact that Thomas was a Rifter. It was hard not to want to live up to those expectations. Thomas then stood up as he closed his laptop, having sent several emails to Lance’s phone.

“Really? Even more?” Lance asked, sighing as he felt his phone vibrate several more times. Each mail would no doubt hold several music files. It was one of Thomas’s greatest irritations concerning Lance since they had become Rifters. Lance had been lucky enough to have made it out with his phone somewhat intact, but he barely used it.

“I figured it was high time you got some new music. If I must go through one more Rift with that same album you have on your phone, I swear to God I am going to throw you through a level 20 Rift, personally,” Thomas threatened as he rummaged through his closet to find some clean socks.

“Come on. It can’t be that bad, right?” Lance asked, both himself and Thomas.

“Lance, my old man has better taste in music than you do,” Thomas explained. A few seconds later, they could hear Jacob knocking on the door before opening it.

“You boys finished applying your makeup or whatever you youngsters do now?” Thomas’s father asked as they quickly rewarded him with four middle fingers. Shaking his head, he then continued. “So, where am I dropping you two miscreants off tonight? And I take it you will stay over tonight, Lance?”

“The usual, dad,” Thomas replied as a matter of fact.

Lance nodded. “Yeah, that would be great, Mr Walker,”

Thomas and Lance replied as they grabbed their phones, wallets, and did the last-minute hairstyle check in front of the mirror. The latter finally took too much time, so Jacob intervened again.

“How about you boys head out while the night is still young?” Jacob asked, clapping his hands before he pointed at the stairs to get the young men to move.

One by one, they passed him and went downstairs, while Jacob’s face softened into a smile. The man was glad to have Thomas back under his roof. He closed the door behind him as followed them downstairs. With all his might, he hoped that this type of scene would continue to play out for as long as possible.

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Author: Osirium

Copyright: 2021 OsiriumWrites

Released: 2021