The Relistar: Rejoining Vol. 2

Rejoining | Ch. 18

XVIII.

Fate

The carriage pulled to a stop a short distance from the giant gates of Calamon, far enough away that the ceaseless yammering of the crowds were merely a low rumble. They were protected by the trees of the forest, hidden in the shade just before the city's sprawling clearing began.

"Here's your stop."

"Thank you again..." she asked for the man's name.

He was strange; his face was hidden by his low straw hat, and he wore an odd silvery outfit that had a strong resemblance to the armor they wore in Freiya'kara, and the very same worn by Faunia Vleren. He spoke with a lisp, but only ever offered his name as, "a friend."

So the girl bowed politely to him and accepted his answer, for it would be impolite not to.

She could only catch a glimpse of his mouth as she left, which appeared dry and cracked, as if he was fiercely dehydrated. His skin was pale and somewhat sickly, a far cry from her deep tan skin, which called forth eons of Harthian culture. Her wrists bore dark black line tattoos around them, which the people of Harth called faia – shackles.

"Thank you again. You've kept me safe. You got me away from... what was once my home."

"Unfortunate that we couldn't save more, together. I won't forget what you did to protect me, too." his lips twisted into an unkind smile.

"The Hunters trained me well enough. But without you, my efforts would have been in vain."

"I'm inclined to agree, though you sell yourself short. Take care, Marisol."

Twenty-Fourth of Dectis [5], 207th Year of The Calamonian Age

Cedric stood on a collapsed log in the blistering heat of Outer Calamon. He looked up at the sun through the trees for just a moment before wiping his sweat and looking back down to the figure lying in the grass a few paces beneath him. He said, "Oy."

The straw-hat figure looked up at him. A man with a crooked mouth and dark, tired eyes. In fact, all of the color had been drained from his eyes; his irises were entirely dark gray.

"Cedric Castelbre." the man said.

"So you're familiar. We haven't met, have we?"

"Nope. How did you find me?"

"I've got some sort of... affinity to those Etheric leylines your kind are so fond of."

The man nodded knowingly. "Dyosius."

Cedric's expression quickly turned sour. "Where the hell do you know that name from?"

The man shrugged.

Cedric dropped from the log and summoned his sword. He swung as he fell.

But the man was faster, and rolled sideways out of the way before the strike landed. He righted his hat as he stood, and began to backpedal into the taller grass.

"Bastard."

"You can't kill me, Cedric. I'm an arbiter."

"An arbiter?"

"I ordain fate. I'm untouchable by men and daemons alike."

"We'll see about that!" Cedric shouted. He rushed with a flurry of blows.