Galaxy of Hyperion: Mystic Heir

Chapter Twenty-Five: Confrontation

In the end, finding Colt boiled down to a matter of chance.

Jay had been starting to get incredibly sick of waiting for a way to find Colt, and Lana's constant research, as helpful as it was, left Jay feeling antsy and on edge. She couldn't find a way to calm herself with how anxiety-inducing the concept of trying to search Colt was. Sleep was a constant battle with her own mind, and she couldn't find a way to break through the veil that blocked her from the future. 

Lana and Jubilee's incredible skills with gathering information ultimately led them in the direction of Colt. They had wound up in the same city that Colt was passing through by pure luck, and Jay was beyond happy to finally see the outline of a figure that Jubilee had described back when they first came together. Her jaw dropped in shock, and Ronan began to grin wildly when he realized what was happening. 

If Colt realized why they were there, he chose to not bother with running away. He simply stood there and stared as the team searching for the Skylian Mages drew closer, and his eyes narrowed as Arian began to wave to him. Jubilee's face settled into a gentle smirk, and Colt let out a small sigh before glancing down to the ground. 

When Colt finally did move, he began to walk as far away from the nearby town as possible. He moved slowly enough for the Skylian Mages' group to follow him without any issues, and the crowds bustling through the town square were suddenly inconsequential. Jay couldn't help but smile at the thought that their little group was finally together to the extent that she was aware of. After all of the searching that they had been forced to endure, they were able to find Colt. Their search undoubtedly wasn't complete quite yet, but they were one step closer to being together in full, and that was all that Jay could ask for. 

Jay pulled back as the rest of the group arrived in the outskirts of the nearby town, and she let out a small sigh as Colt glanced up to meet her gaze for the first time. She could see that he certainly fit the description that Jubilee had described. His skin was a lovely tan color that complemented his hair perfectly. For the most part, his hair appeared to be a deep brown color, but there were highlights of mahogany red that could be seen glittering in the light. His eyes were deep brown, and gold flecks dotted the dark hue. He wore mostly dark clothing from black to navy blue, and the lower half of his face was hidden in a scarf that obscured his lips. A pair of goggles with cracked lenses sat on his forehead at the heart of his messy hair, but he didn't seem to mind in the slightest. 

"It's nice seeing you again," Jubilee remarked to Colt after they had all settled down. There was a laugh playing at the back of her throat already, and Jay could hear the sound before it even formed. 

Colt's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head dismissively. "You don't know what you're doing here. I thought that we had come to a silent agreement about not meeting once again," he commented. 

"Unfortunately for you, I never agreed to such a thing. Besides, I had my suspicions about you from the outset, and I'm seeing now that I most certainly had a reason to think that there was something off regarding you, Colt," Jubilee told him with a loose shrug. "I believe that I know who and what you are... Skylian Mage."

Colt's shoulders went tense, and his eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to," he told her. He attempted to keep his voice even, but Jay could still see that there was something strained to his entire body. Part of Jay's mind wondered if perhaps Colt was intentionally showing such signs of weakness. If he was truly as good at his job as Jubilee had made it sound, he wouldn't have been so vulnerable at a first encounter, so this was the only explanation that Jay could think of that made sense. 

"We've been trying to gather the Skylian Mages together, and I think that you're one of us. Meet Jay, Arian, Ronan, and Lana," Jubilee told Colt with a smile. "I understand why you've been acting as distant as you have been, you know. I want to make that clear from the beginning. You're working with Otholle, and you don't exactly have much of a chance when it comes to escaping the clutches of your employers. Am I correct in such an assumption?"