Dejar had 'Benji Duty' today, and had chosen to take the now-teen to the park, maybe walk around a bit, maybe sit and watch the birds... The ex-demigod was missing his Malkov something awful, but duty was duty, and who was he to shun the duty of a guardian? Especially to Benji. He didn't take the job all that seriously, though. Ben was old enough to know to stay close, and he felt comfortable with the fact that the kuhna kid could take care of himself if push came to shove. As a matter of fact, he felt so comfortable that he paused to talk to a lucain-lady he knew, and let Benji do whatever he was going to do.
As for Benji... He wasn't a little boy anymore, but he wasn't an 'adult' either, hovering somewhere between fifteen and twenty. He tended to like to travel alone these days, but his medical condition often required someone nearby. Today, that was going to change. It was while Dejar had his back turned, talking to someone else, that Benji took off at a run, sliding behind some trees, and slipping out of sight. He felt terrible running away from his guardian, but he also didn't want to be led around by the nose forever. Even if he did have a chronic condition, he could take care of himself! He didn't need a babysitter to hold his hand and pat his head, and tell him everything would be alright. Besides, he already knew it wouldn't. That was sort of the definition of a
chronic condition. It didn't go away. Ever. That was no reason to hole up in the house and do nothing all day. Getting away to the park was his chance!
As Dejar realized he was gone, and started running toward the other side of the park looking for him, he felt a bit bad. He would text the other in a bit and let him know he was okay, but he had to get far enough away that Dejar wasn't going to be finding him any time soon. A tiny note of resentment for the way he was usually treated crept into his thoughts. He wasn't a child anymore, and he wasn't a pet! Nobody was going to leash him and take him home for 'misbehavior'. In the meantime, he explored this area of the park. There weren't any swings here, but there was a nice large pond, and he plopped himself down beside it, relaxing back. While he sat there and watched the water, he sang a little bit of a song he'd heard back at the castle, and enjoyed. As he'd grown up, his voice had gotten a lot better at the singing thing.
"If blood will flow, when flesh and steel are one,
Drying in the color of the evening sun,
Tomorrow's rain, will wash the stains away,
But something in our minds will always stay.
Perhaps this final act was meant,
To clinch a lifetime's argument,
That nothing comes from violence, and nothing ever could.
For all those born beneath an angry star,
Lest we forget how fragile we are...." He stopped singing, and started humming the refrain, leaning back against a nearby tree, and closing his eyes.