53 Sera and Chrion

Chrion slowly opened his eyes, and tried to get up. His head was throbbing in pain and he reached up to touch it. There was a large lump on his forehead and it hurt when he touched it. He suddenly felt a presence beside him and he whirled around. He was surprised to see a young woman and a Construct staring back at him.

Suddenly, it all came back to him. This girl was the one from earlier who struck his face with a log, and this was the Construct that was supposed to be disabled by his gauntlet. Instead, here they are, looking at him as if they're observing a caged animal.

'Wait a second…' Chrion mused, and tried to reach a hand towards them. Almost immediately, his palm pressed against an invisible barrier that separated him from them. 'This girl is a magician.' he concluded.

He raised his hands upward to indicate he had no intention of fighting back. On the other hand, he didn't want to give up. So he started to do the same thing his captors are doing to him. He observed them as he tried to collect all the information he can get.

"Hello. My name is Chrion.", he introduced himself. He was only met by silence, the crackling fire and the howl of the blizzard outside echoed in the shrines walls. He assumed the Construct had no ability to speak, but the girl could've acknowledged him in the least.

As he was looking back at them, however, he started to notice something was off. Most of the magicians of Stormfall were decent people, ranging from average people to elites. But this girl that he assumed was a magician, was looking almost as if she had come from the most poverty-stricken area in the world. The Construct, to add to it, was also mostly made from scraps and debris. However, Chrion sensed a powerful magic emanating from the two, it was at such extremes that it didn't make any sense.

"I didn't mean any harm.", he continued, trying to break the ice. "I'm sorry if I was sneaking in. I needed shelter from the storm and this seemed to be a good place to let it pass. Don't worry, I'll be leaving for the Arc Tower the moment it stops snowing."

At the mention of his destination, he notices a change in the girl's expression.

"On second thought, why don't you come along with me?", Chrion pressed on the subject. From what he knows, this girl is a magician, and where he's going, they might be able to help her.

Now, it was the Construct's turn to react, immediately positioning itself in between Chrion and the girl. But the girl placed her hand on the Construct and montioned it to calm down. "It's fine."

"Mr.Chrion, from what you say, you seem to have connections in the Arcane Watch.", Sera started talking. She remembered the envoy who tried to save her and died in vain. She could go with Chrion and ask for help, but the Stedores might also be there. It's too much of a risk.

"But those who put me in my position now are also there. It wouldn't be wise to go where my enemies are."

"What are you talking about?", Chrion asked, puzzled as to why this girl would think her enemies are among the Arcane Watch. "Who are your enemies exactly?"

Sera knows that her answer would show Chrion's true intent, if ever he was hiding something. If ever this man proved to be an enemy, she has the valiant soldier to protect her along with a bit of her magic. Otherwise, he could be a useful ally. Sera took a deep breath and looked at Chrion in the eyes. "Their names are Agaven and Rhael…"

"Wait—what?", Chrion was now more confused than ever. "You don't mean the Stedores, right?"

He knew the Stedores way back when he was a boy. He was at the ship that carried the expedition researching the mysterious cube under the ocean. He knew a lot of the scientists and researchers there, given his curious nature. He was there when the Stedores daughter was almost disintegrated by a powerful white beam. Had he not pulled her away—

"You know the Stedores?" Sera's words pulled Chrion away from his flashback. There was a hint of anger and fear in her voice and the Construct was seemingly agitated. Somehow, Chrion knew that he had to choose his next words carefully.

"Not personally, no. But I knew them since I was a kid and I assure you, they are kind people."

The girl's response came as a soft whisper. "You don't know what you're saying."

Chrion suddenly had a weird feeling, as if the girl in front of him was a different person. Instead of the trembling eyes, the girl was sitting, composed and calm, two deep black eyes staring back at him.

"Let me show you my side of the story."