Just A Moment

A shudder ran through S’re, staring up into those dark eyes. “Why does it bother me so much that you can do that?”

Roscrow cocked a brow. “Because the Q’Hu possess an inherent resistance to magic. While the magic of gods may be too powerful to ignore, it doesn’t behave quite the same for us. While I’ve not had a Tamer to practice on before, I have had the benefit of long lessons with Dane, who often mentioned that Tamers find it unsettling that he’s able to keep them out. As he has put it before, the intention of the gods was for Tamers to own their Guardians entirely– body, mind and soul. To control them, and compel them, and to see every sin they carry. But, I’m afraid, ny’Salohm, that’s a privilege I don’t intend to simply give to you. I’ve never enjoyed the idea of someone else rummaging about in my personal experiences.”

Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she sighed. “Okay, that’s fair. I don’t really like seeing all that about everyone all the time. But, aren’t we ... supposed to be partners?”

He shook his head. “Had this not been arranged by gods without anything better to do, we are unlikely to have met, even if you had been raised as a Tamer. Your father would have ordered one of his Guardians to breed an appropriate Guardian to awaken you. A female one, likely birthed by a hapless H’elfling bought off the slave market. Unions like this are accidents rarely tolerated by other Tamers and Guardians, but, whether fortunate or not, there’s simply no one around to care.”

He paused for a second before adding with a hint of childish petulance, “Well, my father cares, and made certain to express that at every opportunity. However, the government has never discouraged it.”

“I think I remember uncle Mire saying something about that, that Tamers and Guardians are usually the same gender.” Chewing at her lip, she stared out the window and added softly, “I guess it was good I wasn’t raised that way. Tamers have never sounded like good people.”

Leaning back, he pressed his lips as he thought. “Perhaps. It certainly saved you from the minutiae of politics and scandals. But, Tamers have often been blamed for many misdeeds signed by the government. While it’s true that Tamers are just people, they are also people with a great deal of power. That kind of power affects even the most well-meaning. Priorities shift when you’re unconcerned about when you’ll get your next meal, but whether or not you should fear it to be your last.”

“You’re not exactly ... helping my anxiety,” she muttered. Sucking in her breath, she glared up at him. “That serpent, Du’un, he told me to trust you. That’s kind of hard when you act like a jerk so often.”

He frowned. “Perhaps I have, but I’ve also done my duty so far, have I not? I dropped everything for you, a stranger to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t really have much choice, and that’s the part that aggravates me. By some divine hand, you are my Tamer and I am your Guardian without the consent of either one of us.

“Now, so far, I don’t dislike you. You can trust me to fulfill the Oath required of me by the circumstances of my birth. You can trust I won’t let you drown at the mercy of the Senate. Whether you like it or not, you are no longer some nobody roaming as you see fit. And whether I like it or not, I can no longer escape the Purpose I’ve spent my lifetime avoiding.