Relaxation Techniques
Ron Gade
NeoRagnarok88@aol.com

A tall figure slumped against a wall, sighing in both frustration and relief. The wall pushed his auburn hair back to either side as his head lolled back against the stone surface. Exhaling again, each muscle flexed before finally relaxing, and as his knees bent to give way to his collapsing legs his back slid down the wall, coming to an unceremonious stop as the lower area of his back wedged onto his foot. A third exhalation later, he had assumed a more comfortable position, halfway closing his eyes as he once more pondered the state of the world. Brown eyes glazed over and became empty and he withdrew into himself. He would once more debate his current actions, wondering if he was following the correct path. He never could decide which was right.

He at least knew he shouldn’t be relaxing. Through his ages-long lifetime, he had betrayed too many people to be allowed to relax. First the world, then his friend, next his family, once more his family and, whether he’d admit or not, friends, and now he was contemplating betraying that same friend he betrayed the world for.

“Traitor. That's all I am. All I’ll ever be known to the world as. A traitor.” The deep voice reverberated through the disturbingly quiet hall. He looked to either side of him and saw so many beings within earshot, yet he doubted they had the soul to hear him. Such was the result of this perversion of life the fallen hero had created. How could he have ever turned a blind eye to this?

He smiled after that question went through his mind, and he began to truly relax.

If nothing else, he now knew that he was betraying the right person.