Lara felt weight bearing down on her as she slowly stepped in, and thought one last time about the mimics she had just crushed as she entered the room. At this moment she felt like one of them; strong and perfect on the outside, but weak once the illusion shattered.
Lara paused when hearing a nurse chatting to him at his bed side. She only heard the last of the conversation but it seemed like they were convincing him to stop playing around with his portal magic.
Lara frowned, clenched her fists, and walked around the curtain, but as she saw Lannister only a wide smile greeted her back.
“Lara?” He said, his eyes widening.
Immediately, two portals formed at either side of him. He shot his arms into them and Lara felt someone touching her shoulders. Lara tensed her shoulders.
He’s hugging me? What the fuck. Lara thought, her brows creasing in confusion.
Lara stepped back, away from the disembodied floating arms coming from the portals. She thought he would look weak, small and pitifully pathetic in the hospital bed, but instead he seemed full of wonder and life. Instead, she was the one who felt weak, unable to lighten up. Unable to smile.
“Why am I here?” she said, glaring at Lannister in his hospital bed, but the nurse answered.
“You’re the only one he remembers.”
Lannister nodded with a smile, and took out the dagger with the leather grip. “You, and my trusty dagger.” He winked, showing the letter ‘L’ engraved on the bottom.
It was the same dagger Lara had attacked him with, the one he initially thought was a sentient creature.
“Thats…” Lara said, but stopped herself. She didn’t want them knowing she used a weapon to attack him in the first place.
“Lannister put that away.” The nurse ordered, and he stashed it with a cheeky grin, looking up at Lara.
“So can we leave yet?” Lannister asked.
Lara raised a brow, wondering why he was asking her. The nurse explained.
“You’re the only person he knows, so you’ll need to take care of him.”
Lara opened her mouth, shocked, but before she could say something the nurse continued.
“Talk to Evelynn.” The nurse ordered, pointing out the door, stopping Lara from saying anything or denying her duty to Lannister.
Lara frowned, leaving through the door without a word. Having to babysit this moron was the last thing she thought would happen—perhaps it was a punishment. Of course, she would protest, however, she didn’t get a word in.
Evelynn held her finger up as soon as she barged out the door, keeping Lara quiet. She made sure the door was shut before saying anything.
“Lara, we’re going to keep him with us for now. His portal skills will be an asset—however, it seems he’s got an attachment to you, so as the only person he knows, you’re going to be responsible for him. I want you to monitor him and report any odd behavior. We have had him charmed and his memories searched, so he truly has forgotten everything since the moment he came here. If he does remember anything and he is a threat, don’t engage him. Just contact me.” Evelynn said, her eyes narrowing.
Yep, it’s a punishment. Lara thought.
“But I have the tournament coming up, I need to—” Lara blurted, but Evelynn raised her hand.
“No.” Evelynn shook her head. “You’re doing this. Look at it like an opportunity, a different sort of training.” She said, then began to walk down the hallway. “If you can’t do this simple duty, forget about the tournament.” She added, leaving Lara frowning by herself.
Lara clenched her fists, feeling trapped, and leaned against a wall then smacked her hand against it. She took a moment to gather herself and went back into the room.
Lannister smiled up at her from the bed and sat up, but Lara spoke first.
“How long till you’re ready to leave?”
“Ah, I don’t now.” Lannister said, scratching his chin and looking at the nurse, hoping for an answer.
Lara sighed, “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to pick you up.” She said, and glanced at the nurse—who nodded back.
Lara gave a single nod, and left without another word.
***
~A few days Later~
Since leaving the infirmary, Lannister followed Lara around the academy, never leaving her side. Today they entered a dungeon, and Lara was already crushing enemies under whatever piece of rock or rubble she could find. But Lannister had concerns.
“Lara, they told us to meet at the assembly hall.”
“I don’t care, I’ve got training to do. Just go by yourself.” Lara said.
A boulder hovered in front of her for a moment, and she pulled her hand down, crushing a writhing mess of barbed vines into green paste before glancing over to Lannister.
To her surprise, he still didn’t leave. She thought he looked worried as nervously he rubbed his hands together, but after a moment he crouched down and sat by a few flowers, and began to trace his fingertips across their petals.
He finally gave up? Lara thought. As he went silent, something felt wrong about crushing his spirit.
Lara looked around the dungeon and saw no more enemies nearby, and sighed.
“Fine… Let’s go.” She said, rolling her eyes.
Lannister looked up with a smile; he seemed as naive as the flowers, but Lara knew that with some training he would become a force to be reckoned with in his own rite—but that didn’t make him any less of a nuisance.
Lara didn’t understand where Lannister got his uptight rule-following attitude from. In the last few days he was like a little annoying fly that kept buzzing around her head, reminding her to follow the academy’s rules and instructions, most of which she previously ignored; It came with the privileges of being a prized combat class student.
Instead of having him follow me, they really should give him orders to train with me. At the very least. Lara thought.
Lannister left first, but Lara glanced at the flowers for a moment. It was something she hadn’t noticed—or at least something she never bothered to look at.
Lara crouched down and traced her fingers across the delicate flower tops, and gave them a smell.
“So easily crushed.” She murmured, then left the dungeon, leaving the flowers in peace.
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