Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 29

       Eris snuck back to Cedric to give him the news. They couldn't believe they found the man here, in the forest.

       "Cedric!" Eris whispered loudly.

       "What?" Cedric asked.

       "It's the man, the one Ara' Sei's looking for, that's the voice." Eris explained tersely.

       "Okay... uh, wait! I have a spell that's perfect for this. Okay, I'm going to cast a spell that can make an animal nearby track him, and we'll know exactly where he is!" Cedric said.

       "Good plan. Let's get on it." Eris replied.

       "Okay, I'm going to drop the spell that's on you, you're way stealthier than I am, and I don't want to give us away." Cedric explained.

       "Okay, sounds good, but hurry, I'm not sure if he's going to stay there for very long." Eris said. Cedric clenched his hand and muttered the same incantation that he had used on Eris.

       "Alright let's go." Then, the two of them snuck away without a sound. Eris led Cedric carefully past trees and bushes, taking care to stay out of sight. Then, the two of them hid in a nearby bush. The man was no longer talking to the squirrel, but was now petting its sleeping form in his hand. Five minutes passed.

       "Alright, I'll be going now." The man said. His voice was confident and soothing. The squirrel jumped out of his lap. Then, the man walked away. After waiting for a few moments to make sure the man was far away. Cedric spoke an incantation with closed eyes and emerged from the bush. The squirrel slowly approached Cedric. Then, Cedric scooped the squirrel up.

       "Could you do me a favor and follow that man you were just talking to, I'm sure he'd love to have you around, just make sure to share what you find." Cedric said to the squirrel. Then the squirrel ran off.

       "Alright, let's get back to Ara' Sei." Cedric said. Eris nodded, and the two of them began running back, trying to take a different route than the man. Cedric regularly checked in on the squirrel, and soon was able to tell exactly where the man lived.

       "Okay, now I know. He lives on the edge of town in one of the slums. Let's hurry back to Ara' Sei." Cedric said. The two went back to the inn as fast as they could. Half an hour later, they made it to the inn, but Ara' Sei wasn't there yet. For the time being, Cedric used his magic to a wooden bracelet of wood that resembled tangled roots around his wrist. White flowers sprouted from the bracelet, and Cedric felt very proud of his work.

       After waiting for about an hour Ara' Sei returned, likely from trying to find the man alongside Ella.

       "Did you two find anything?" Ara' Sei asked.

       "We did, we saw the man in the forest, then we tracked him down to where he lived." Eris explained. Ara' Sei's jaw dropped.

       "Oh-oh goodness thank you. Well, we should leave as soon as we can." Ara' Sei said.

       "We already found him, pfffft, that was easy!" Ella said. The group rushed out and Cedric led them to one of the slums that lay on the edge of Duskholme. Most of the structures here were only one story tall, and most of them looked to be falling apart, and beggars seemed to be around every corner. The air smelled of rotting wood and stagnation. Cedric then guided the group to the structure where he had seen the man go.

       Ara' Sei knocked on the door. After an agonizing pause, the door opened, and the man was in the doorway. He was even more handsome in person, with strong arms and a fair face. His irises were the color of gold leaf, his skin was dark and appeared polished. His hair was dark, short, and almost seemed curly. Ara' Sei couldn't believe it. Here he was, it was him.