Chapter 8 RUSH TO AND REFUGE IN DRESTER
"It's fine," said Xyra, answering for both of them. "There's safety in numbers, right?"
"Thanks. By the way, the name's Darren."
"I'm Xyra, and this is Magnus."
"Let's get going," suggested Magnus as the sound of rustling grass could be heard in the distance. Xyra and Darren nodded in agreement, and they all began running again, praying that they wouldn't come across any more trouble. At least they were somewhat close to Drester. They had managed to get pretty far simply by fleeing the demons. Now there was probably only a mile or two of open fields before they'd reach the city.
The rustling of the grass all around them started to get louder, indicating that even more demons were following them. They had to speed up, or they'd be easy pickings for the demonic hounds. It didn't help that they had no idea where the rustling was really coming from. It sounded like it was everywhere, as if they were completely surrounded.
"Incoming!" shouted Darren, causing Magnus to stop for a moment. A demon had just leapt towards them from the side. Its claws were poised, ready to rip the three of them apart, but it never got the chance. It was deflected by a thin shield of white light, sending it flying a few yards back. Another leapt from the grassy surroundings and tried the same thing, but it didn't get any farther than the first. The shield was still intact.
"Let's go," said Magnus as he turned and began running again. His two companions were quick to follow.
"Why didn't you do that from the start?" questioned Xyra. "It could've saved us some time."
He only shrugged in response, a smirk crossing his face.
"I'm a hunter," he stated. "Killing demons is part of the job."
"You're a hunter too?" asked Darren, receiving only a nod in response. "Guess I should've known that. Most sorcerers are."
"Look, up ahead," said Xyra, pointing towards a few lights in the distance. Magnus just smiled at the comforting sight of Drester, a place that welcomed anyone from anywhere at anytime of the day and didn't require a toll. There was no gate and no walls—it was an open establishment. As soon as they reached the city entrance where grass met cobblestone, they'd be safe. Demons weren't stupid enough to enter a residential area like this one. There were always hunters in large towns and cities. Most had learned this fact the hard way.
The three of them picked up their pace, pulling away from their pursuers.
The demons were falling back since they weren't going to get close to Drester. A huge city like that offered a lot for a demon carcass, and with all the hunters that resided within it, a pack of demons posed little to no threat. Xyra, Darren, and Magnus were all safe for now, and they were finally able to stop running as they set foot on the hard streets of Drester.
"Finally," sighed Xyra as she sat down on the cobblestones. "Man, I'm exhausted."
"I'll go find an inn," said Magnus as he began walking away. Xyra couldn't help but notice that he still moved the same way he had before. Usually someone would stumble and stagger after running for so long. He didn't look that tired, even after almost four miles of nonstop sprinting. He either had a lot of stamina or was just good at hiding his fatigue. It seemed like this life and death situation hadn't done a thing to him.
"Hey," began Darren, catching Xyra's attention. His dark eyes were currently on Magnus as the sorcerer began looking for a place to stay. "Is there something…special about him?"
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "He has a lot of money, and he's definitely good at magic, but otherwise I don't know much about him. We just met today."
"Oh. Never mind then."
Darren continued to watch the sorcerer, still feeling as if there was something different about the man. He was a hunter, so that could easily explain why he was in such great shape for a sorcerer…but then again, most sorcerers doubled as hunters, and that fact didn't seem to help them any in regard to physical ability. Magnus was just different from the standard, in more ways than one. Not many magic users could cast a wide-range spell so quickly and efficiently, not to mention hold a protection spell while running, although he hadn't done so for very long. Most sorcerers also relied on talismans to boost their power, even for simple spells. He had done no such thing. This guy's definitely not some third-rate hunter.
"Over here!" called Magnus, waving to the two of them. "I found an inn!"
Xyra got up and began making her way over with Darren in tow. The hunter really didn't feel like being left alone right now. Plus, he wanted to see what kind of place Magnus had chosen. From the looks of the building, the price would be in no way cheap. This place was beautiful, built out of the finest wood. It was also huge, spanning three floors. When they stepped inside, they found themselves in a lavish foyer, full of chairs for people to sit and wait for as well as a fireplace to warm the cold and weary travelers. They saw that Magnus was already talking to the innkeeper, a smile on his face as he showed her that he could indeed pay for a few rooms. Heck, with his kind of money, he could probably rent the entire building.
"Xyra," he called, getting her attention. He tossed her a key. "Second floor, third door on the right."
"Thanks," she said as she turned and began making her way up the stairs. "Good night."
Magnus just waved as she left, a soft smile on his face. He wasn't used to renting out more than one room when he stayed at an inn, but as long as Xyra was with him, he'd have to get used to it. Such a thing really wasn't that bad. In some ways, even though it had only been a day, he found that he enjoyed having someone with him. They hadn't spoken much, but just her presence was kind of nice. It was slightly reassuring, to say the least. Being alone truly got boring after a while.
As Magnus turned his attention back to the innkeeper, Darren walked up behind him. Instantly noticing the man's presence, he glanced back. The other hunter seemed to have a question to ask, and he already had a pretty good guess as to what it would be. Still, he turned around and said nothing, giving him his attention. There was a rather sheepish smile on Darren's face.
"Um," he began, letting the word hang for a moment, "I know it's not right to ask after you helped me out and all, but I kinda don't have any money. My hunt didn't go as planned, so I got nothing to show for it. So… I was just wondering if you'd rent a room for me. I promise I'll pay you back."
Darren was pleading, his voice saying more than his expression or words. Magnus wasn't sure if he wanted to give in or not. Sure, he had more than enough money to get an extra room, but he had just met this man. Sure, the same could be said about Xyra, but as long as she needed protection, she wouldn't betray him, and if she ever did, it wouldn't be hard to deal with her, something the little thief was probably well aware of. He could trust her for now. A hunter as skilled as Darren was another story. He'd be harder to deal with if something were to happen.
However, he didn't really care whether the hunter paid back the cost of the room or not. More money was the last thing he needed, but until he knew if he could trust this man as well as if he could defeat him. If ever that trust was misplaced, he couldn't let him off for free. Besides, there was something he needed the hunter to do for him. Perhaps if Darren were to pay a favor, they could come to an agreement.
"… I have some business I need to take care of tomorrow," he began, deciding to make a deal with the desperate man. "I can't bring Xyra with me, so if you stay with her until I get back, I'll pay for your room. Deal?"
He extended his hand.
"Are you kidding? That's really all you want? Of course, it's a deal," Darren said as he shook on it, his eagerness causing the sorcerer to quirk an eyebrow. He wasn't going to question him about it though. It was better to just be happy that he had found someone to watch over Xyra so he could conduct his business tomorrow in peace.
Darren smirked as he dropped hands with Magnus, watching as the fellow hunter rented him a room. This worked out perfectly. Not only did he get to spend the night at the most expensive inn in all of Drester, but he didn't even have to pay for it. In fact, all he had to do was spend time with a girl, one who was actually kind of nice to look at when disregarding her somewhat unkempt appearance. To him, there was no downside to this arrangement.
As Magnus handed him his key, he went to find the corresponding room number on the small tag. He watched as the sorcerer disappeared behind a door, and a gleeful smile crossed his face. After setting out for Drester, he had thought that the trip would once again be uneventful and boring, but it had been neither. Instead, he had met two rather interesting people. Hopefully they'd be fun to hang around with, because he planned on following them as long as they were in Drester. Originally, he was just going to blow through the city, but plans could always change. The two of them seem like fun. Guess I'll stay for a while after all.
The next morning rolled around all too quickly, the sun seeping in through the window of Xyra's room. She groaned in protest and buried herself in the sheets of her bed, not wanting to get up and have to start the day. In her opinion, she hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep yet. Even though she had instantly collapsed onto her bed last night, she still wanted to rest. If she was going to keep up with Magnus's high-paced life, she would need as much sleep as she could get. One day spent with him, and she was already wiped out.
When she realized that the sun wasn't going to leave her in peace, she just decided to get up and move on with her day. Something to eat would probably make her a bit more aware and energetic, or at least she hoped it would. With how much money Magnus had, she could easily eat whatever she wanted. He was insanely rich, even with just what he had in that little pouch of his. One or two rubies could easily buy something as pricey as a weapon, and just a handful could get him a small house. I wonder how someone gets that rich. It's got to be an inheritance.
Xyra smiled as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. Thinking about money always made her feel a little better. She had to keep in mind what she could get out of traveling with Magnus. She would put up with his dangerous profession as long as she could gain something from it, preferably wealth. Befriend the sorcerer, make some money… It's perfect! I'll be rich in no time, and then I can finally head home.
She walked over to the chair she had set her clothing on and began to get dressed. Her attire was simple: a pair of brown pants, a white shirt, and a brown cloak. She often wished she could have something a bit more extravagant, but most of her clothing managed to get ruined, and now that the dangers in her life had been heightened, it was pointless to buy something nice. She would make sure to wash them though when she took a bath later that night…or maybe she'd just buy some new clothing.
"Xyra?" called a voice at the door. It was Magnus. "I'm going out for a bit, but I'll be back later. I talked to Darren, and he said he'll take you out for breakfast if you want."
"Okay," she called back, adjusting her cloak just a bit and then combing out her messy hair, pulling it back into an equally messy ponytail. She always looked a bit disheveled in the morning.
As soon as she was done, she left the room and began heading towards the inn foyer. Darren was sitting there waiting for her. He looked a little bored as he just stared at the ceiling, tapping his foot impatiently on the hard floor. When he finally noticed her presence, he smiled and sat up, placing his hands in the pockets of his baggy black pants.
"Good morning," he greeted.
"Morning," she responded in kind, yawning just a bit.
"Let's get something to eat. Magnus gave me a ton of money, so we can basically have whatever we want."
Xyra smiled at that. Eating however much food and whatever kind she wanted was definitely something she was looking forward to. Magnus had really made her day. He barely knows me, and he just met Darren…yet he's already giving us money! This is great!
"Then what are we waiting for?" she asked brightly as she ran to the door. "Let's go."
Darren only smiled and began to follow after her. He couldn't help but wonder why Magnus wasn't joining them. The sorcerer had claimed he had something else to do. It was probably true, but was his business so urgent? Didn't that man have any time to eat? It's not like he cared all that much. This would give him some time alone with Xyra. Being in the presence of a woman was far better than being alone. This is going to be fun…