Ashen Light

Chapter 7: Runaway

Skylar adjusted her bowstring, examining it closely under the dim light filtering through Clankal's rusty lamps. She'd picked the perfect spot away from the crowd, leaning against a column near the edge of the market, her eyes flicking up now and then to watch the bustle of the town. It was habit at this point: checking exits, sizing up the people around her. She wasn't exactly paranoid, but after weeks of traveling alone, old habits were hard to shake.

Cyrus watched her from a distance, mildly amused. After they all got kicked out of the bar, Zack was more curious about her than Cyrus initially thought, and to be fair, so was Cyrus. In Cyrus's many months in Clankal he had not once seen her. Even Zack, who lived in Clankal his whole life, had mentioned she was completely unfamiliar to him.

"So, you always this... jumpy?" Zack asked, breaking the silence as he leaned against a nearby stall, examining a small metal cog he'd lifted from the table.

Skylar raised an eyebrow. "I call it awareness. The only thing jumpy here is your mouth," she replied, not missing a beat.

Zack laughed, unbothered by her jab. "Awareness. Right. And here I thought you just liked staring people down. It's okay, some of us have that effect."

Skylar rolled her eyes, snapping her bowstring taut. "If I wanted an effect, I'd shoot an arrow at it. Trust me, that gets the point across."

Cyrus, standing between the two, couldn't help but smile slightly at their banter. Skylar's remarks were sharp, cutting through Zack's endless bravado, and though she seemed perpetually annoyed, she hadn't actually told them to screw off just yet. So clearly, he was doing something right.

Just as Zack opened his mouth to respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the street. A man stumbled into the square, eyes wide, gasping for air. "Another attack!" he shouted, voice shaking. "They're close-just a mile south of here. They took out the whole patrol!"

Skylar's expression turned serious in an instant, and she moved toward the man. "What did you see?"

The man shook his head, still catching his breath. "Demons... bigger than the last group. Two Wardens, good men, just gone. They're moving closer to town."

The man ran off, still shouting his head off, while Skylar glanced at the two of them. "The hell's a Warden?" She asked them both in undertone. 

Zack just shrugged. "I've heard stories. Pretty sure they're just some kinda glorified holy knights for some God they still believe in." He said, his hand drifting to his hip, which held a revolver of Zack's own design. Skylar took Cyrus's silence as he not knowing either, and just scoffed. 

"Well, they're not that good at their job."

"We need to tell the Champion," Zack intervened, looking around for Zephyr. "Like, I'm not dealing with no demons. One I could probably take on. Two, eh, better let the pros deal with it."

Skylar crossed her arms. "I wouldn't hold my breath on him showing up right away. I've seen his type before; won't come down until he thinks it'll look good in the stories."

Cyrus exchanged a glance with Zack, "Where's the last place they were spotted did that guy say?"

"Just south, about a mile, I think? Probably near the old salt mine that no one uses anymore. Demons like those dark, home-y places." Zack took a guess, leaning back against the pillar. So astounding, Cyrus thought, that a potential crisis could be going on and Zack can just blow it off without the least bit of concern.

Skylar glanced at the two guys. "Well, it's your town. What's the plan?"

Cyrus's gaze hardened as he considered their options. Should they do it themselves? He was sure, almost positive, he could handle it alone, and not endanger Skylar and Zack who were, as far as he knew, ordinary. And ordinary doesn't do too well against those demons. Though, even if he did try and get away, he knew Zack's annoying ass would follow him, he's good like that. Skylar doesn't seem like she'd back down from a fight, either.