Stand Alone

Chapter 3

"My lady, there have been reports in mass of more attacks from all directions. We must find the source and dispose of it, at once." A dark figure worries, holding onto Serane's arm tightly in an empty alley. The man wears a black cloak, concealing his face and skin. She is frozen in place. He stopped her in the middle of passing through the street. She stares blankly into the space before her, analyzing the information he had just given her.

"Have you seen them?" She asks in a short breath. Her heart begins to race and her mind is completely scattered. Hopefully he could shed some kind of light on this matter. "Why are you telling me this?" She clarifies.

"Because you've dealt with the foul vermin. Wait! Someone's coming. You have the resources to find me if you need me. We'll meet again soon, apprentice." He whispers, letting go of her arm. She looks toward the sound of footsteps and the man casts a spell to send his spirit back to wherever he came from.

"Hey, Serane is that you?" Calden calls out from the end of the alley.

She sobers up from her previous trance, and runs her hand through her hair. "Y- yeah, i'm here." She replies with a fake warm smile.

"Who was that just now?" He asks, looking around for the remnants of anyone.

"Hm? There was no one here." She says, beginning to walk again, fiddling with what the messenger gave to her. What could it be? It was some kind of box, yet she couldn't tell what kind. Calden falls into line next to her. "Come on, let's head home, I have some things to do." She rubs her stiff neck and heads in the direction of her home.

-

Hot water fills the bath tub, and bubbles appear from the agitated movement, stirring up a sweet aroma in the air of her dimly lit bathroom. She begins to light each candle one by one, looking into the new flame for a moment, waiting for some kind of answer to her questions.

"Damn," She voices with a side smile, while unstrapping her armor and setting each piece on its stand. The water finishes filling the ivory lion clawed tub and she steps in silently. "Never thought I'd see the day when those bastards attacked civilians so much." The reports had been.. odd. She sighs, and sinks under the safety of the foam for a minute of serenity. When she comes up for air, she hears a noise and brushes the water from her eyes with a gasp. "Fool, have you ever heard of knocking?" She scolds at the frighteningly evil man, who now sits on a stool across the room.

"Not for you," He smiles coyly. "So," He begins. "Tell me, dear. Who were you talking to in the alley earlier?" He shifts uneasily, as if ready to come and attack her at any given moment.

For a brief second, she hesitates. "I-can't tell you. Sorry." He sighs with a smile and she gives him a sad grin when he gets up and begins to turn away.

"You know," He says, his back against her, "I'll get it out of you one way or another." He threatens, phasing through the air with lightning speed, at her throat before she could lift a finger. With a growl, he shoves her under the water. His ice cold hands turn the water around them, almost frozen. When he lets her up for a breath, she grips onto his arm defensively, gasping for air, and cringing from his frozen hand on her throat. "Tell me who you were speaking to." He repeats, staring through her.

"Brother." She answers firmly with a frown. He ignores her reply and shoves her under again. This was the most effective way of getting her to fess up, but she'd planned on dying with this secret. He holds tighter and air escapes from her lungs when the water becomes so cold that it causes her to thrash about in pain. He pulls her up, and her claws dig into his arm. "You'll kill me!" She cries out in a sad choke for any kind of warmth. "I'm sworn to secrecy. I'd sooner die then give up the information for what they would do to me." She pleads.