6 min read
Unruly Frei
May 25, 2019
Another day locked in his room. Reuben had had enough of the way Ryder was acting the past few months. It was high time that the family had a sit down conversation, an intervention even, to figure out what was going on. Sure, the visit with Reinhart had some positive effects on the boy, he seemed slightly better. But in most ways, he was so consumed with practicing magic or just over all secrecy that Reuben wasn’t happy.
Reuben had made sure that Evan would be home, and closed his shop early for the day. He knew what he wanted to ask and what he wanted to say. He just hoped that Ryder would be receptive to his attempt at mending whatever bridges were burned and moving forward with a happier, healthier relationship between them all.
“Ryder, will you come in here, please?” Reuben called from the living room.
Erryd, who had been study his latest spells, sighed heavily when he heard the beckoning from beyond the confines of his room. “That nitwit is going to get himself killed one of these days if he keeps interrupting me like this.” He placed a bookmark within the spellbook and closed it, setting it aside for later. He floated over to the door, and with a quick creak, it was open.
Floating into the living room, he saw Evan sitting upon the far couch and Reuben stopped pacing.
“Please have a seat, Ryder,” Reuben said, continuing his pacing behind the couch.
Erryd’s eyes narrowed. What was this? He did as he was instructed and had a seat across from Evan.
“Hey buddy,” Evan stated with a smile.
Acknowledging Evan’s greeting with a simple nod was all the frei was going to give before speaking up. “What is it?” he asked, annoyance apparent in his voice.
“We were hoping to have a chat,” the guardian stated.
It was very obvious that the man was nervous, pacing back and forth, only stopping to look him in the eyes and speak. It wasn’t like Reuben to be like that.
“Uhh, okay?”
“What’s been going on with you?” Reuben began, “I mean, you haven’t been yourself the past few months. You’ve kept yourself in your room, you’ve disobeyed my orders and have left in the middle of the night to gods-know-where. It’s just that you have been rather unruly, and I have no idea what’s gotten into you.”
A sigh of utter annoyance escaped the frei’s lips. “I’m tired of this place. I hate it here. I want to be out in the open space to practice my magic. What’s wrong with that? I’m a magical being and I want to do magical things. You can’t keep me cooped up in this house forever.”
Reuben was stunned. He hadn’t ever known the frei to speak out like that, but nevertheless, the boy had feelings that Reuben needed to address. “Okay, I’m glad you told me. I didn't know you felt that way. Well how about this. What if I go with you, or Evan even, out into the forest and we watch you practice? I know we’d both like to spend more time with you.”
“No!” the frei called out in defiance. “I like my peace and quiet, can’t you guys see that?! I can’t have you two stare at me and keep treating me like I’m some small child. I have the intelligence of a grown adult and I expect to be treated like one!”
The mouths of both Evan and Reuben fell agape. Ryder had never talked to them like this before. Reuben had no idea what to say. He stopped his pacing and looked at Evan with tearful eyes.
“Well, Ryder, we know you like your space,” Evan began, “But we just want you to be safe. You’re right, you are very intelligent, hell even more intelligent than me I’m sure. But Reuben’s just looking out for you. As a parent-”
“A parent?! Hah! That’s a joke, right? Neither of you have parented a thing in your life. You, a bartender with no care in the world. And Reuben, a shop owner so concerned with his job that he hasn’t made any attempt, until now, to do a thing about me. What’s changed, guys? Hmm? Is it that you know I’m smarter, better, and stronger than you both combined and want to keep me pinned down like some sort of pathetic, dependent weakling?” The frei floated up into the air, hoving high above. “It’s not going to happen. Not tonight, not any night. I’m sick of you guys and your rules,” he concluded before flying off in a hurry to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Reuben’s eyes glistened with tears as he covered his mouth in shock. What was wrong? What had he done? Did he truly neglect Ryder so much that he felt the need to be so hurtful? Was he truly such a bad parent?
“Reu,” Evan said, standing up.
Before anything more could be said, Reuben walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He needed time to process the entire situation.
With a heavy sigh, Evan sat back upon the couch, rubbing his face with his hands. “Well, that didn’t go as planned.”
Reuben had made sure that Evan would be home, and closed his shop early for the day. He knew what he wanted to ask and what he wanted to say. He just hoped that Ryder would be receptive to his attempt at mending whatever bridges were burned and moving forward with a happier, healthier relationship between them all.
“Ryder, will you come in here, please?” Reuben called from the living room.
Erryd, who had been study his latest spells, sighed heavily when he heard the beckoning from beyond the confines of his room. “That nitwit is going to get himself killed one of these days if he keeps interrupting me like this.” He placed a bookmark within the spellbook and closed it, setting it aside for later. He floated over to the door, and with a quick creak, it was open.
Floating into the living room, he saw Evan sitting upon the far couch and Reuben stopped pacing.
“Please have a seat, Ryder,” Reuben said, continuing his pacing behind the couch.
Erryd’s eyes narrowed. What was this? He did as he was instructed and had a seat across from Evan.
“Hey buddy,” Evan stated with a smile.
Acknowledging Evan’s greeting with a simple nod was all the frei was going to give before speaking up. “What is it?” he asked, annoyance apparent in his voice.
“We were hoping to have a chat,” the guardian stated.
It was very obvious that the man was nervous, pacing back and forth, only stopping to look him in the eyes and speak. It wasn’t like Reuben to be like that.
“Uhh, okay?”
“What’s been going on with you?” Reuben began, “I mean, you haven’t been yourself the past few months. You’ve kept yourself in your room, you’ve disobeyed my orders and have left in the middle of the night to gods-know-where. It’s just that you have been rather unruly, and I have no idea what’s gotten into you.”
A sigh of utter annoyance escaped the frei’s lips. “I’m tired of this place. I hate it here. I want to be out in the open space to practice my magic. What’s wrong with that? I’m a magical being and I want to do magical things. You can’t keep me cooped up in this house forever.”
Reuben was stunned. He hadn’t ever known the frei to speak out like that, but nevertheless, the boy had feelings that Reuben needed to address. “Okay, I’m glad you told me. I didn't know you felt that way. Well how about this. What if I go with you, or Evan even, out into the forest and we watch you practice? I know we’d both like to spend more time with you.”
“No!” the frei called out in defiance. “I like my peace and quiet, can’t you guys see that?! I can’t have you two stare at me and keep treating me like I’m some small child. I have the intelligence of a grown adult and I expect to be treated like one!”
The mouths of both Evan and Reuben fell agape. Ryder had never talked to them like this before. Reuben had no idea what to say. He stopped his pacing and looked at Evan with tearful eyes.
“Well, Ryder, we know you like your space,” Evan began, “But we just want you to be safe. You’re right, you are very intelligent, hell even more intelligent than me I’m sure. But Reuben’s just looking out for you. As a parent-”
“A parent?! Hah! That’s a joke, right? Neither of you have parented a thing in your life. You, a bartender with no care in the world. And Reuben, a shop owner so concerned with his job that he hasn’t made any attempt, until now, to do a thing about me. What’s changed, guys? Hmm? Is it that you know I’m smarter, better, and stronger than you both combined and want to keep me pinned down like some sort of pathetic, dependent weakling?” The frei floated up into the air, hoving high above. “It’s not going to happen. Not tonight, not any night. I’m sick of you guys and your rules,” he concluded before flying off in a hurry to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Reuben’s eyes glistened with tears as he covered his mouth in shock. What was wrong? What had he done? Did he truly neglect Ryder so much that he felt the need to be so hurtful? Was he truly such a bad parent?
“Reu,” Evan said, standing up.
Before anything more could be said, Reuben walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He needed time to process the entire situation.
With a heavy sigh, Evan sat back upon the couch, rubbing his face with his hands. “Well, that didn’t go as planned.”