Converging Destinies: Part 1

Chapter 90

       In the shop for clothes, Ara' Sei got herself a flowing, ebony black dress. Zerai got himself a pale, gossamer scarf that almost glittered when hit by light. Zerai also got himself a new pair of boots.

       Moving on to the next store, it was filled to the brim with books. Ara' Sei figured they would be useful for keeping herself occupied. She bought a cookbook, a series of short stories, and a historical documentation of Norda's history.

       The two visited shops for various trinkets, clothes, and jewelry. But, nothing really caught their eyes. Then, as dusk began to fall over the city.

       "Ara' Sei, do you want to have dinner, just the two of us?" Zerai asked. Ara' Sei felt blood rush to her face.

       "Oh, yeah, of course. I'd like that." Ara' Sei said. Zerai led a somewhat disoriented Ara' Sei to one of the restaurants. As the two were led in, they were led to one of the tables. A bouquet of roses in a glass vase was set upon the middle of the table. Beside the large, slender vase were two flickering candles. Ara' Sei was entranced by the candles' reflections in Zerai's golden eyes.

       "So, Ara' Sei, how have you been liking this city so far?" Zerai asked.

       "It's been... interesting I suppose. It's huge, so huge." Ara' Sei said.

       "You're right about that, this is so much bigger than Duskholme. So, Ara' Sei, I've never had the chance to ask but where are you from?" Zerai asked.

       "It's a tiny hamlet way to the North of Point Sathus. Right next to the Southern Walls." Ara' Sei explained.

       "Ah, I've heard it's very warm down there year round, this must be an adjustment." Zerai said.

       "Yeah, you've got that right. It's so cold all the time here." She said.

       "What was it like where you lived?" Zerai asked. Ara' Sei took a moment to ponder.

       "It was such a beautiful place. It was strange being the only one with magic. It was scary when I first got the vision to go to Cresselbrooke. That was... oh my, almost four months ago. It's only been four months, and yet I've done so much." Ara' Sei said.

       "Yeah, it's been so weird having waited for so long, and now everything is happening so fast and I can barely keep track of all the things flying past me." Zerai said.

       "It feels nice to slow down like this. Especially with you." Ara' Sei replied. Zerai desperately fought back the blood rushing to his face.

       "Oh, thank you Ara' Sei." He said with a smile.

        "I love the scarf you got." She said.

       "Oh, it was nice buying clothes. I didn't have many of those back where I'm from." Zerai said.

       "I'm... I'm so sorry to hear that." She said.

       "It's okay. Right now, everything feels more okay." Zerai said. Soon, the waiter arrived and the two ordered a dinner that consisted of mashed potatoes, steak, and various hardy greens that somehow managed to grow this far north. Ara' Sei didn't spend much of the time eating, instead she was again captured in Zerai's dazzling golden eyes. Throughout the dinner, she constantly felt nervous. It wasn't the kind of fear for her life kind of nervous that she was used to. This was different, and far more confusing.

       The two went back to the inn together. Ara' Sei clutched Zerai's warm hands. She touched her bracelet, and the bracelet glowed with pale light. With the help of the light, the two made it back to the inn and went to their separate rooms to go to sleep. Ara' Sei encountered an excited looking Ella, who looked like she wanted to talk to Ara' Sei.