In the time the two had known each other, Ronkin had never asked Quinn for any type of favour. For some reason, Ronkin was obsessed with getting stronger and improving himself through combat, and because of that, he never really thought about asking Quinn for anything.
Because for him, Quinn was just a handsome vampire who was content being a guard, it made Quinn wonder why now, of all days, he was asking for something like this.
"You want me to fight with you? You mean you want to practise some technique or spar against me?"
Ronkin nodded.
"I'm sorry, but isn't there someone else you can ask? I mean, you said it yourself a million times that I'm not much of a fighter. So wouldn't asking one of the scout teams or the family members be better?" Quinn replied.
Ronkin couldn't help but scoff at the suggestion.
"Unless I pay them, those guys have no reason to help someone like me. Look, I'll be honest, I moved here with my family from the Graylash planets because...I couldn't get a good job. I couldn't do anything useful to put food on the table, and I wasn't a good enough Traveller either, so I gambled all my luck by coming here hoping to change my life, and that's what I have been focused on."
"So?"
"Well, what I'm trying to say is, besides you and the other guards, I don't really know anyone, and you're the one I spend most of my time with."
Quinn still felt like this obsession with climbing to the top was wrong, but he understood that others always wished to better their lives. Maybe through a spar, Quinn could teach him a couple of moves, and it would allow him to get a promotion from being a guard, but then his secret would get out, which was something he could not afford to expose yet.
"We can't fight right now," Quinn replied firmly, "We're on guard duty, and why do you need to get stronger anyway? Enjoy your life, and enjoy every peaceful day before you."
Right now, the two of them were close to one of the gates that led out of the settlement. Ronkin stood there, opening up both of his hands.
"Look, no one needs us right now. If we were to take a whole week off, I don't think anything would change. And there is a reason I'm asking you. I'm not expecting a few sparring sessions with you to instantly make myself good enough to promote myself from this post, but there is an event tonight." Ronkin explained.
"Once in a while, the guards from the other families have a get-together, and a tournament is organised. Basically, we fight against each other and test each other's strengths. The guards really have nothing to do, but they say that it will increase our skills as a group, and on top of that, everyone puts their money together, and the winner of the fight gets the total at the end. I know you keep telling me to live my life, but I need that money."
Money? Now, Quinn was starting to understand his partner a bit more. It wasn't an obsession with power. The reason why Ronkin wanted to quit being a guard was so he could have more of it. The question was why, but Quinn had no intention of peeking into the former's personal life. After all, everyone had their reasons, and he didn't seem to be a greedy one, as there was a slight shift and down tone in his voice.
"Alright, as you said, nothing has happened so far in this settlement, so I doubt something will happen today," Quinn someone relented in the end, "We can have a couple of sparring matches together, and I'll teach you a move or two that you can use in this little tournament you have."
Ronkin was respectful as he bowed down to Quinn, even though he assumed he was the older one. Right now, he didn't care about age. The stubborn vampire was finally doing something like this.
p1ease visi(t) n0ve1b(in).ne)t
"But I think you're mistaken. I don't think I'm going to learn much from you. I just need to brush up my skills here and there." Ronkin replied as he jumped onto the roof of a building, getting into a fighting stance. He didn't even consider Quinn as his opponent. Rather, he wanted to sharpen himself with his spar and gain some confidence.
——————
It was the first day for the students at the school, and it was a strange experience for many of them because the vampire settlement didn't exist before. The whole school was new. Before, they were either being taught at home by their parents, or there were a few vampires here and there that went to mixed schools on the Graylash planets.
However, many vampire children didn't experience the best there, which was why most of the vampires with young ones and those who were about to have decided to come to the settlement. A school where they would have no worries about their children.
At the time, as Minny lined up in a row with her new classmates and her teacher standing at the front in the large hall, she noticed that the other kids had been playing and talking to each other. It seemed like they were all familiar with each other and had been friends for a long time.
On the other hand, she had been spending time at home, helping her pregnant mother with things around the house and trying to spend as much time as possible with her father. Seeing this, she couldn't help but feel left out and was already missing her parents as well.
'No…my parents worry enough about me. I have to stay strong. I can't tell them that I miss them already.' Minny thought as she wiped her face a few times.
She repeated the rules in her head. Never was Minny to transform into her Celestial self. She was able to use ten percent of her strength in the school tests and assessment so things didn't look suspicious, and she was never to use her shadow powers.
However, to all of these conditions Quinn stated that unless she felt her, or anothers life was on the line that she cared about was she to use her powers.
Still it was made clear that if any of these things did happen, that their regular life would crumble.
—---
While sitting in her room rubbing her belly Layla had a thought.
'I know this life can't be kept up forever. To be honest I'm surprised Quinn has kept it up for this long. I think he's on his best behaviour because of you. Still, it makes me wonder, which one of the two will be the first…'
****
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