Chapter Thirty-two: Finding Jopp

I stayed at Jopp's bedside as the day grew darker with a thunderstorm. Mil brought soup for me, but I didn't feel like eating. Jopp was right. I was stupid and naive. My love was unrequited, and it made me bitter and angry. Jopp had spoken the truth, and my harsh response was uncalled for.

As I held his hand, I read his thoughts that he hated being weak. He had witnessed his friends butchered and warped for carpentry. He couldn't stop the humans to protect them. Alaris was the first person to see him as he truly was. His love for her still burned like a bonfire in his heart. He couldn't protect her from the immortal witches. He became a demon to gain power to avenge his friends. Was that why Mayzel had chosen him to be her student? She saw his potential because of his values. He killed more humans and absorbed them for power, and he was finally able to avenge Alaris.

As he lay there, his dreams of finding peace were threatened to be torn apart by King Ozzim, Mayzel and Noforl's father. He wanted me to be strong enough to defeat him. He knew the devastation King Ozzim could unleash.

His ancestors had told him how King Ozzim had destroyed an entire kingdom by crashing it into the depths of the ocean. His power was immeasurable, and it made me wonder what King Ozzim was fighting for. Glory? Fame? Love?

I froze when I saw a vision from Jopp's memories. A callused hand held his shoulder. "You mustn't think less of yourself, son," a deep voice uttered. "Times will be hard for you, for your mother was a kind forest nymph. Your cousins will try to wrench the world from you. Don't let them take it all away." Jopp's father had the same unfathomable darkness in his eyes. His bright orange hair had streaks of green and blue. Golden wings revealed him as an angel. What happened to him?

Things suddenly made sense. Jopp found and fell in love with the last angel. He was corrupted by the harrowing events and did everything but use his angelic powers. Why then was he so weak, now? I had purified them, but at what cost?

I tried to get more out of the memory, but Jopp was in a deep sleep. I rubbed his forehead, revealing a strange insignia tattooed on his skin. I closed my eyes as I focused on its history.

King Ozzim himself had placed it there. I scowled at the thought of him tying little Jopp down and burning this into his head. King Ozzim's golden eyes were full of hate and malice. His crimson skin glistened with silver tattoos that shimmered with the torches. The dark room resembled a dungeon full of weapons for punishment and torture.

My heart burned with rage to think that King Ozzim harmed young Jopp in ways I couldn't fathom.

Jopp's golden wings had been torn off, and I gasped for air. The cracks of bone and tear of muscles echoed in my ears. Jopp's young scream for mercy pierced my mind, but no one arrived to save him. I gritted my teeth as I knew I had to free Jopp from King Ozzim's grip. The tattoo burst with unintelligible whispers before it vanished at my fingertips.

A sudden kick to my head crashed me through the wall and into the next room. Thorn and Chichi yelped and screamed until they realized it was me. I groaned as I stood from the rubble and stared at Jopp. A golden glow surrounded his floating figure. Bright orange hair streaked with blue, green, and black adorned his head. Glowing green eyes regressed to his unmistakable dark hue.

"I really hate you, Tark," he beamed.

"Jopp!" I smiled back. "You look just like him."

"Like who?" Thorn wondered as Chichi gawked at us.

Jopp studied his green hands and flexed them. A mischievous grin spread on his face. "Tark, it's playtime."

I gulped and bolted out the window.

I found myself laughing as we sparred on the beach. Jopp was graceful as he used vines to bind me until I snapped them apart. The only thing he couldn't do was fly. I frowned as I recalled how King Ozzim had taken his golden wings.

"You really don't remember anything?" I queried as we wrestled. His green hands kept mine from reaching over and throwing him down. The sand beneath us kept giving way, and we had to keep pushing each other to the limit. I frowned as I thought the trauma from the torture must have blocked it from his memories.

"What did you see, exactly?" Jopp asked, his serious face searching for answers.

Jopp had a right to know, but my gut told me that he would be very angry, spiteful, and hard to work with. Isn't he always like that?

"Your dad . . . do you recall him?" I started.

Jopp slowly shook his head.

"He has the same bright orange hair, and his eyes are black as night, like yours. He has golden wings and a deep voice. He cares about you, Jopp."

Jopp stared at me for a long time. Whether he was happy or sad, I couldn't tell. "You're not making that up, are you?"

"Of course not," I blurted. "You were really young at the time. Maybe five or six years old?"

"We don't age the same as humans," Jopp reminded.

"All right, so, you reached up to his knee. That's a young thing right there."

Jopp gulped before he tried to flip me over, but I was strong enough to resist. Jopp was powerful but more so with magic. His vines grabbed my legs and tickled my armpits.

I burst with laughter as we collapsed to the sand. Jopp spit out the sand in his mouth and laughed. It was light-hearted, and it made me glad that he was enjoying himself. We stared at the approaching storm coming from the ocean.

"You had golden wings, just like your dad," I revealed, unsure if it was the right thing. "King Ozzim cut them off and left you to die."

Jopp glanced at me, his eyes flashing green with a newfound hatred before he turned and stared at the fort.

"I'm sorry for what I did, Jopp," I offered. "Do you forgive me?"

Jopp took a deep breath and sighed. "You gave me my strength back, Tark. I'd say we're even."

It was the most wonderful thing I had heard in a long time.

"Thanks, Jopp," I beamed. I sat up when a bright blue lightning arced overhead and unleashed a loud crack of thunder.