A QUEST OF DEATH : Dawning Darkness

07 | To Meet Someone • Part 3(edited)

"So how's life here? Hope it isn't too hard for you.." Auden inquired, taking his time to sip from his beer.

He observed the visibly fragile girl, struggling to hold herself together. Despite inviting her for just a can of beer after their chance reunion on the bustling city streets, she had already gone overboard.

"Not really. I work. I pay bills. I survive. Quite a splendid life for a poison-souled creature like me, don't you think?" she slurred, punctuating her words with odd giggles. "Oh, and I have a pet elf."

It was clear she was losing it. Auden instinctively leaned forward, ready to catch her if she fell off the bench they were sitting on.

He felt a pang of sadness as he witnessed his sister in such a vulnerable state. She had once been his role model, someone he looked up to for both her magical skills and her goodness as a human. Though their bond had deteriorated over time, the connection still tugged at his heart. After all, blood was supposed to be thicker than water.

"Since we're on the subject -- I've heard you've been seeking out healers lately. What are you up to Ada?" he asked.

Recently, his trusted sources had informed him about her interactions with various witches, wizards, and even creatures from the Dark Side. It didn't sit well with him, so he had ventured all the way from Crepusculem to check on Ada.

"How would you know?" she slurred again, her eyes widening in what seemed to be awe. A random hiccup interrupted her drunken speech, making her giggle softly. "Oh, Audy, you sneaky little rat. You've been spying on me, haven't you?"

There it was again-Audy. He hadn't heard her use that name in years. It slipped from her lips with such ease, such familiarity, that he wasn't sure whether to feel happy or sad about it. She was pulling at the strings of memories best left buried, tugging at old scars he thought he'd long outgrown. He was supposed to be mad at her-furious, even-but the sister in question was stubbornly ploughing her way through every beer can in sight, getting more drunk and annoyingly chatty with every passing minute. And it didn't help that she seemed determined to tear down every bit of resolve he had left.

Auden huffed, feigning annoyance, but he was sure it came out as threatening as a kitten's hiss. "It's not spying. I was just... worried," he replied hastily, then instantly regretted the words the moment they slipped out.

Since the day she left home, abandoning him with the responsibilities she had cast aside, the current heir of Romersai had never referred to his sister as his sister. She bet it didn't feel like a sisterly thing to him. Not a loving one, at least.

But it was too late. Ada had already caught onto his underlying emotions, a small smile gracing her swollen lips. Her cheeks were puffy and red from all the alcohol she had consumed, and her eyes crinkled with what seemed like... love.

"Oh, Audy... you still care." She sighed dramatically, "You big softie."

"I am not a softie," he grumbled, "And I'm definitely not a rat."

"You are to me," she murmured, a lazy smile tugging at her lips. "My little Audy-Rat."

"Whatever," he muttered, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice. "Just-just stop drinking already, will you? You're going to make yourself sick."

Ada looked up at him through bleary eyes. "I'm okay, Audy. Don't worry about me. I'll find a way to solve this," she said softly, a gentle smile curving her lips. "We can go back, play catch together, perform magic... you as the heir and me by your side, just like old times."