Samuel had discussed his business with the needed groups and as it had always been, he was left to his own silence soon enough. Rebecca left to rest, Kirio to his mind to remember. The holidays approached and as they did one by one the staff took their scheduled breaks till none remained. Even Agatha, the old caretaker, departed to visit her grandchildren in Barton.
He even extended their vacations a month or two with pay, allow them the much time they needed away from this place, more so because traveling during the snow storms was brutal. Many had argued saying they needed to stay to maintain but even though old he had learned the mechanical ways enough to maintain the guilds generators and power sources. However to conserve energy all modern day items and power had been shut down, leaving only the runic elements to keep the place dimly light and running. Water ran at a cold trickle, the food storage locker remained ice frozen for spare meals but most of the modern day comforts had been removed.
Samuel was not at the door, wearing nothing but white sweat pants that sagged low on his large frame, his eyes and fingers scanning over Jericho's message. His brief time had changed him greatly and with new found hope in his heart hopefully the boy would go above and beyond expectations. Samuel would keep an eye on him but with new goals and ideals at heart, he would do well.
Now alone to his thoughts his eyes turned to a picture he held, a picture of him...smiling. His wife Maria with her strong form elegantly dressed in a blue summer gown, her daughter from a previous marriage...no...their daughter...happily hanging off her daddies arm as they smiled and laughed. It was impossible to believe he had an almost normal Devil life once. He was from a tribal but cultured people, intelligent and strong who admired family values...now...he was alone......it had to be this way. The snow sprayed his body with cold weather and it refreshed him as he whispered his farewell to his latest pupil, speaking to the wind.
"Good Jericho, take care of one another...and remember....you have heart, now learn all you can...."
He left the door open as he turned to head inside, letting the pale light from the open door guide in any who happen to wander by...offering shelter.......
