Eight Intertwined

87 - Quarrycrest

When all of the travelers had come out of the inn and dropped off all of their belongings, Cyrus let out a small sigh, turning his face towards the skies overhead. He hadn't ever wandered this far south, but he had to admit that the air in Quarrycrest was crisp. He could certainly understand the appeal Odette had found in a town like this. Even if there were issues as far as leadership was concerned, the environment was nice, and Cyrus couldn't help but want to learn as much about the town as soon as he could. 

But for the moment, Cyrus knew that he had other things to attend to. He needed to speak with Odette as soon as possible and hear if she knew anything about From the Far Reaches of Hell. He had been doing research where he could as they passed through various towns, but he hadn't found anything that could have been considered conclusive. Nobody seemed to have heard of the book at all, and that meant Cyrus had to hear everything Odette had to tell him about the situation at hand. 

It was difficult for him to believe that ten years had come and gone since she left the academy. Odette had been Cyrus' mentor when he was first beginning his career as a scholar, and he still remembered everything that she had taught him. He had held her in high regard for years, and that was why when he left Atlasdam for his sabbatical, he found himself packing a letter that she had written for him ages ago. It was a matter of sentiment at the time, but now, Cyrus found himself beyond relieved that he had decided to bring it. The letter had directions to her home in Quarrycrest since she had offered to let Cyrus stay there if he was ever in town, and for the first time, Cyrus found himself in the area. He needed an extra reminder of where her home was, so he pulled the letter free from his bag. When dropping off everything else, Cyrus had pulled the letter out since he knew he would need it, and he unfolded the pages now to read over all that she had left him with ages ago. Years had passed since he last read it, so he might as well investigate it once more:

"You have all the makings of a great scholar, Cyrus. But allow me to offer you a word of warning: for all your intellect, you have always been clumsy in matters of the heart. I know that your research is more important to you than anything. But you would do well to give some thought to how you treat the fairer sex. You are more handsome than you give yourself credit for. If you are not careful, you might find your words and actions misconstrued by those around you."

Cyrus sighed as he folded the pages back together. The first time he had read that letter years ago, he had nearly fallen over from laughter, wondering why this was the last thing Odette had left him with before her departure. These days though, the truth of her words hit like a truck. Therese's jealousy had sent him away from Atlasdam by force, and even if he was taking the opportunity in stride, it was almost hilarious how prophetic Odette had been in her letter. Cyrus couldn't help but be embarrassed by all of it now even though he knew there was nothing he could do to repair the damage that had been done back in Atlasdam, not until all of this was over.

If there was one thing Cyrus knew though, it was that Odette was going to dissolve into an explosion of laughter the instant he brought it up. She may not have expected this scenario, but she knew that he was going to stumble into trouble one day, and stumble he most certainly did. Still, he wouldn't be able to avoid Odette forever. Her letter included directions to her home, and he had to follow them to go and speak with her. The chase of the truth mattered more than any amount of jokes Odette could sling in his direction. Cyrus switched the order of the pages so the directions to Odette's abode was on top of everything else, letting out a careful breath before he started in towards the main road of the town. 

"I believe I know where we're going now," Cyrus told the rest of the travelers. "My friend's home is at the edge of town, though I imagine she would be more than happy to welcome us all inside."