Adventurer Series 3: The Daemon

Epilogue: Promises Will be Kept

After taking back his pouch full of potions, Karl and I left Spencer's strange emporium. When we exited, I found myself back in the marketplace that we were just in. I looked back at the closed door behind us, only to see that it had disappeared. I was about to feel the wall for the door again, until Karl called out to me.

"Prana, are you coming?" Karl asked, looking back at me. He sounded more cheerful than earlier, even though his face didn't show it.

I ran up to his side and he turned to walk into the crowd. No one seemed to notice our absence or our entrance; they all went about their lives, oblivious to the two of us.

Karl led me to the town square, where all the people walked or met with each other to mingle. There, the two of us sat on one of the small stone walls that formed a circle around a fountain. Karl closed his eyes and took a deep breath and sighed. We were waiting for something, that was certain, but I wasn't sure what we were waiting for. In the meantime, I decided to observe my surroundings. I felt the warm air on my face as I sat in the sunlight. I saw two men in loose-fitting garbs discussing something as they walked. I saw a couple holding hands with their children, smiling all the while. I couldn't help but laugh lightly as I saw them; it reminded me of myself and the times I had with my mother – the thought of being taken from her still saddened me.

Karl's hand touched my shoulder, and I looked back at him. He had a look of sadness and sympathy.

"You miss your mother, don't you?" He asked. I nodded in response.

"Look, I may have betrayed Kurtis' trust and captured you for my contract, but now, I'll do everything I can to help you both now."

"How can we trust you after what you did?" I asked.

"What if I told you this was not the first time I've betrayed a client? That this was not the first time I've helped my bounty?" Karl took his hand off my shoulder, "Of course, I could never tell you about my plans since that would ruin any authenticity on your part, but believe me when I say that I will help you and Kurtis, now that my contract is fulfilled."

"Why couldn't you have refused or ignored the contract?"

"I can't abandon a contract in progress unless I fail it. If I do, then my status as a Hunter will be revoked, and I'll be targeted by the Predator Order; a group of Hunters that kills Hunters. After all, a threat like me demands serious attention; you can't have a murderous man roaming the world freely." Karl said this last sentence with a smile. As surprising as it was to see him smile, it was the reason that he smiled that I found strange. He seemed to be content with being a "murderous man".

Karl's gaze turned to something on the ground. I followed his gaze and saw the rat from before looking up at him. Karl lowered his hand so that it could climb into it, and then he brought the rat to his face. He seemed to be communicating with it somehow.

"Hmm...yes, thank you, Fool." Karl said as the rat jumped out of his hand and out of sight.

Karl stood up from the wall and looked down at me, "I'll take you to Kurtis now."

My eyes widened with surprise. Kurtis? Alive? And Karl would take me to him? I nearly jumped from where I was sitting and I was eager to get going to see him.

"Come on, let's go." Karl sighed, "This is not going to go well..."

I was surprised again by this remark from Karl, but also worried; what significance did his words have?

***

We made our way to the site of some ruins. The sight of collapsed pillars and cracked stone floors were prominent among the empty site. Karl and I walked up a small path of steps as we stepped onto the hard floor.