. Yet, perhaps recent event made me overthink the repercussions of failure that I can’t seem to bring myself to decide on my own ... or maybe I just... need your blessings? I’m not sure, so I came. Please guide me, Master”.“Martial son”, Kartius opened after a deep contemplation, his tone suggesting of mixed emotions. “I can’t help you”.“You can’t?!” Zax repeated, flabbergasted.Kartius shook his head, spreading gales of wind. “You surpassed me, surpassed big brother, His Valor Ozeyn, as well as. ”This time my cry wasn’t silent, nor were the sobs that followed as she left a matching stripe of agony against my other thigh.“Don’t worry, baby. I won’t break the skin, although you might end up with a few welts. It looks so pretty, a pair of bright red stripes against your pale flesh. You’ll have to remind me to take some pictures so you have a reminder.”“Thank you, Mrs. Vandermeer,” I choked out. She responded with a hearty chuckle, the sound drowned by a third crack of leather against. " I have forty something, maybe fifty," Mark said. "That isn't very much for three people to go to the City with." Yeah." Chris pushed the money back into his pants. "Are we going to drive?" Nah, we can't take the truck," Mark shook his head. "They'll be looking for it." The Trailways?" I looked up at Mark and he nodded."Yeah, out at the truck stop. The busses stop there and they sell tickets and everything," Mark explained to Chris."They have an ATM too," I said. "I can get three hundred. I pulled the door open and walked into a sterile waiting room.The woman behind the counter was in her early twenties and had a pinched look to her face. She wore a pair of fifties Retro-style glasses and a light summer dress. Her mouse brown hair was pulled back from her face by a pair of barrettes.She looked up from her copy of Vogue and gave me an appraising stare. I hate when people do that. I think it's the rudest thing you can do to a stranger. She looked like she had assessed my entire.