The Orb And The Onslaught {COMPLETE}

Age Old Story

    Instead of sleeping the five of them spent the rest of the journey looking out for fights to avoid, which turned out to be more than any of them expected. Each town seemed to be hosting some kind of festival and each one had resulted in fighting or trouble. Florence was elated to see the small, slightly damaged sign that welcomed them to Steelpeake. It was a small town in comparison to Central but larger than any of the other Ostbridge towns they'd passed through.

    The Cantercraft stopped near the location Herb have given them. It was a quaint little pub connected to a sort of makeshift landing strip; that was something Florence hadn't expected to see. She didn't remember much about Ostbridge from her past, she'd only visited it in passing and it didn't stand out very much, except that it was Herb's go to stop-off. So for this pub to have its own landing strip, there must have been some deeper connection to Herb. 

    Florence made a mental note to ask him while they parked up in the parking zone in front of the pub. 

"Should we go inside to wait?" Quentin looked warily up at the pub. 

Florence followed his gaze, it looked to be full of people. "I think we might be better off waiting here, I don't want to get involved in any more trouble... if we can help it." 

    Quentin looked relieved and sat back in his seat, staring at his phone, he looked like he wanted to do something with it. 

"What's wrong?" 

He glanced over to her like she'd interrupted him and he shook his head, "Nothing, just thinking." 

   "About?"

She had to push, if something was weighing on his mind, she wanted to help. 

"Just... everything that's happened since we left Cresswell... about how much things have changed," he absentmindedly reached up to touch his bad eye. 

    Florence understood, "You mean what you've gone through?" Quentin looked guiltily at her and nodded. "It's a lot for anyone to go through, there's nothing wrong with feeling overwhelmed. And the offer to find somewhere safe is still on the table, you don't have to keep going with us, you've been through hell and nobody would blame you, me least of all." 

    "No, I wasn't even considering that and I wish you'd stop saying it. The beating was horrible, yes but I was just thinking that it's probably made me stronger. Everything we've seen and done has helped me grow, I was so naive before and had no real idea the rest of the world was like this." 

Florence caught something in his words, "The rest of the world? So there's one part you already knew was awful?" 

Florence thought she already knew what he meant but it was up to him to tell his story, whenever he was ready. 

    Quentin fidgeted in his seat, looking down at the intelphone in his hands. 

"When I was ten years old, I first saw the real atrocities that went on in Greydale. Before that, I thought it was the most amazing place in Esothiea; my tutor would tell me stories of the power and majesty of Greydale, how it was better than any of the other Regions and the shining jewel of Othon. But that all changed when my tutor took me on a field trip to see the Governor's chambers, the leader of Greydale and a personal friend of my parents." 

    Quentin took a breath and Florence patted his arm, "You don't have to tell me, I know what Greydale is like... in fact I know all of the ways of Othon as a Domain and the worst of its darker side." 

Quentin frowned at her, "How could you- oh, of course you travelled there as well." 

Florence tilted her head to the side, "Yes, sort of. But as I said, you don't have to delve into such a painful memory."