A bolt of purple lightning shot out from a dark alley, it crashed right into the side of a building cratering it and collapsing into a muddled ball of people.
"Did I get everyone?" Cyrus groaned out, his body flopped down against the cold stone ground of the alleyway that had shot out into.
Celene staggered up to her feet after having been suddenly grabbed and flung through her own portal. "Yeah, you didn't have to grab me too you know."
"I was in a hurry- wait! Where's Henry?" He mumbled as he winced and sat back and propped himself against the wall of the alley his head frantically whipped back and forth just to be met with the duck in the midst of a casual stride that ended with him in his lap.
As he attempted to catch his breath Sarah stumbled up onto her feet. "There isn't time to rest, we must...." Her voice cracked and wisped with every word her body shuddered as she spoke. She crumpled to the ground and fell to a knee her wings festered and bubbled.
"What we must do is get you under control, what even is this stuff all over you?" Celene questioned as she crouched down and looked at her tattered wings.
"It's probably nothing we-" As she spoke her body shimmered in a golden light, her body shrunk itself down, the feathers that adorned her wings lost their luster and fell to the ground as her wings dissipated into nothingness, her halo rising from around the crown of her head and shrinking to hover off centered above her head as she returned to her child like form. Collapsing onto the ground her eyes struggled to stay open before she succumbed to her fading consciousness.
"Does she normally do this?" Celene asked.
"Turning into an actually believable angel, no. Collapsing in the middle of a sentence.... it's the second time so I guess it's normal." He chuckled a bit.Celene rolled her eyes and let out a sigh, she grabbed Sarah and held her in her arms. "Good to see you can still make jokes while covered in blood." She smirked and a small star dropped onto Cyrus's head.
"Hey it's one of my greatest traits." He laughed softly.Celene chuckled, "So you've been covered in blood enough to realize you have this trait you sicko."
"Hunting is messy work you know."
"Yeah, yeah, can you walk? I locked those two freaks in there but I'm not sure how long it'll hold them." She warned as she placed her hand against the wall and a series of stars flashed into view coiled together in a chain like pattern.Cyrus ran his hand atop Henry's head petting him before he lifted him off of his lap to stand up.
"Yep, a bit of cuddling with Henry and I'm good as new." He smiled and even jumped a few times.
Celene shuddered and dropped a few stars on his head. "What are you made out of? You were just half dead!"
Cyrus merely shrugged.
"Well whatever at least I don't have to drag you around."
"Ow, ow, never mind I need you to press me against your body and carry me to safety."
A dozen or so small stars crashed down onto Cyrus's head as a small blush appeared on Celene's face. "Shut up!" She reprimanded as she started to carry Sarah out of the alley.
With a few new bruises on his head Cyrus groaned and began to follow her out of the alley Henry followed at his feet. Walking back out into the streets of Lexin the town carried on as any town would. Townsfolks walked back and forth along the street, returning to their homes after a night at the pub, shops closed their doors and flipped their signs for the night, the young girl that was bruised and battered in a woman's arms and a man soaked in blood stood out like a sore thumb. Whispers started to pass around them, heads turned and conversations came to a halt, that was when a familiar voice called out to them.
"Cyrus, what'd you go and get yourself in to this time." A concerned Laura was in the middle of shutting the light off of her inn. As she saw Cyrus covered in blood she folded her arms.A nervous chuckled escaped Cryus's lips as he reluctantly made his way to the increasingly menacing innkeep. Getting to Laura his ear was snatched and he was dragged into the inn.
" Hey, hey can't you see I'm injured here!"
" You've been through worse quit being a baby!"
" No I haven't, you should've seen what I looked like a couple of minutes ago."
Laura's eyes narrowed as she heard him, Celene laughed as she watched on as Cyrus was robbed of his ability to walk where he please. She followed after the two of them into the inn an unconscious Sarah in her arms and a seemingly cheerful Henry at her feet. The four were somewhat ushered into the empty lobby of the inn, they walked to the dining hall and sat themselves down at a table. Laura stepped into the kitchen briefly and returned with wooden mugs filled with water and a stern look towards Cyrus. A shiver ran up his spine and the next hour was spent in retelling. Cyrus filled Laura in on what had transpired to their group, a small glare being shot at Celene when the aspect of Celene robbing her inn's patrons was brought up. Shivers ran up Celene's spin and a swift apology was given. He detailed the supposed existence of cores to her, the reason Celene was followed and what fueled everything that had happened this night.
Taking in the events that she had been told Laura folded her arms and let out a heavy sigh. "You've really got yourselves into some shit huh."
"It's just another hunt.... a big one, but a hunt nonetheless." He chuckled.
"Take this seriously you dumb bastard!" Laura's hands slammed onto the table they were at. "I know you take everything in stride but anything dealing with the gods is extremely dangerous. That girl said she's an angel of the goddess of love right?" She pointed at the unconscious Sarah who was laid down upon a booth.
"Yeah she did? Isn't that just one of the twelve gods and its the love one shouldn't that be a nice one." Cyrus questioned.
Laura rubbed the temples of her head. "Celestia's sake I knew I shouldn't have left you in the woods for so long."
"I've heard this goddess of love is chained and locked away, is that true?" Celene chimed in.
"No one truly knows but that's the rumor." Laura responded. "But if a god's angel is personally with you and collecting people that have these cores something extremely dangerous is happening and you should steer clear of it, get rid of her I don't know how but you should." She'd point back towards Sarah.
Cyrus turned his head and locked at Sarah, her sleeping body cradled away in a nearby booth. Their time together had been brief, it had barely been over a week since they left his home in the forest making it almost a month they had been together and yet his heart twisted in knots at the thought of abandoning her. His mind didn't have to ponder for very long, he turned his head back to face Laura and took a deep breath.
"I appreciate the concern but I'm not leaving her. She's saved my life twice already I kinda owe her." A small chuckle escapes his lips. "And besides, I don't think I can exactly get rid of this core thing so it's probably best I stay with her since she admittedly does somewhat know what it is."
As she heard his response Laura let out a heavy sigh and turned to Celene. "And what about you?"
Celene chuckled before a smirk grew on her face. "That girl promised me more gold than I could imagine, I'm not going anywhere till I get it." She claimed as she held her fingers up making an okay symbol.
Laura felt herself age as she listened to the two younger individuals voice their positions. Without a word she stood from the table and slumped away towards the kitchen. Cyrus and Celene exchanged glances before her voice echoed out from behind the counter.
"Bring the angel girl and hurry up before I change my mind!" She commanded.
The two of them jumped a bit as they looked towards each other, Cyrus launched out of his seat and grabbed Sarah before the two scurried behind the kitchen and into another closed off room. As they entered the room Laura tossed a small bag to Celene, inside was a large detailed map, a coin pouch, and a small blue crystal.
"I would advise against going straight to the capital like the angel planned. If what you said is true and you're being hunted the main roads are dangerous." Laura advised as she stood in front of a hung up map pointing at a small desert region. "I'd suggest going through here, Ibis."
Celene shuddered as the name of the city was mentioned."Its a city of mainly beastmen and its surrounded by different tribes and bandits so the roads are more discreet, once you pass through there you can make it to the capital like you planned."
Looking at the map Cyrus rubbed his chin. "Yeah that makes sense, but on foot we'd never survive in the desert. Especially not if there's bandits around like you say."Laura softly chuckled. "I know that, I'm not a dumbass like you, girlie take out the crystal in the bag I gave you."
Celene did as instructed, fishing out the blue crystal within the bag she was given it grew warm in her hand, a soft glow radiated from it and in the back of the room a similar glow appeared. As they looked over they were met with the sight of a large metal carriage, in front of the driver's box was a large hood like compartment with a large blue crystal shooting out of its center and six auxiliary crystals protruding diagonally from upper vents in the hood of the compartment.
Seeing such a thing Celene's eyes lit up and she rushed over to it."A Magi-Carriage!? These things cost a fortune, you normally only see the rich with them how do you have one?" Celene questioned.
"I'm an old lady with secrets that's all you need to know." Laura laughed a bit. "There's camping supplies and rations for a month in the carriage itself, one of you will have to sit in the front to drive it but the other two can rest. It's a real drain on your mana though it's engine isn't made for long trips but it's the best you guys are gonna get."
The two of them nodded as they got themselves prepared, their next destination was set. A desert town known as Ibis. Celene opened the back of the fully closed off carriage, laying Sarah on one row of seats as she sat down on the other. Cyrus gathered the last of his things as he stood in front of Laura.
"Now don't get yourself killed out there."
"Don't worry about it, a bunch of city folk will be nothing to me." Cyrus smirked as he ran off to climb up into the driver's box.
Letting out a heavy sigh Laura crouched down, her hand resting on top of Henry who had been at her feet. "You take care of my boy you hear."
"Quack." Henry responded before he quickly waddled off, with a jump and a flap of his wings he ducked into the window of the carriage and landed in Celene's lap.
With the group settled Cyrus waved a final goodbye, large doors opened up in the back of the room, the crystals in the hood of the engine shining a bright blue as Cyrus grabbed hold of the carriage reins and the wheels of the carriage began to turn carrying them out of Lexin.