Chapter 80 VISIONS OF THE PAST
"I really don't like him," the sorcerer stated.
"Why not? He seemed pretty nice."
"He's a demon. Demons can't be trusted." He sounded so sure of himself, as if he knew that Routher wasn't a nice man. However, the demon sure had seemed like one with the way he was speaking. His voice was very proper. Other than his appearance, there was nothing demonic about him. Perhaps Magnus was just paranoid. That was indeed a possibility.
"Hey Magnus?" began Xyra with a smile, wanting to get his mind off of Vekta's resident demon. "How about you give me a tour?" She watched in satisfaction as a smile crossed the sorcerer's face.
"Sure, why not?" he said as he began walking. "Just follow me. We should also try and find a place to stay the night. I'm sure someone will let us." He glanced back and gave her an arrogant smile. "I am Albus, after all."
The sun was slowly starting to set on the horizon, sinking behind the hills that were a part of Vekta's landscape. It was a beautiful setting, the clouds turning purple and red as the light shining on them began to disappear. It was stunning to watch, and that was exactly how Xyra was spending her evening. Magnus had said that he had something to do and had left her at their current resting place. There was one inn in Vekta, and the keeper allowed them both to stay for free. They had to share a room though, but that was fine. Neither one argued it. They were getting it for free, after all. Then again, no one anywhere in town would probably charge him. He was their pride and joy, the last remaining Coleman.
Xyra sighed to herself a bit as she walked down the streets, finding herself in front of what had once been Magnus's house. She was wondering what it had once looked like. She was sure it had been an amazing piece of architecture. Most mansions were. His had probably been more extravagant than any she had ever seen before, and thanks to this journey, she had seen a lot. It probably wasn't bigger than Christian's castle though. That place was big to the point where even the servants couldn't locate every room.
Cautiously, she began to walk through the rubble. It spanned such a large area that comprehending it was impossible. Such a loss was devastating, and that had nothing to do with the house. A family lived here. Multiple families had probably lived within this house. The maids and their families, the servants and theirs…all of those people were gone. Compared to how many had lived in Vekta in its entirety, the few who remained were nothing. They were enough to fill a small town, but this place hadn't been small at all. It had once been larger than Millmore, larger than even Drester. However, only about a tenth of those people were still alive. The fire that had burned it down was truly overwhelming.
"Hello Miss Xyra," greeted a gentle voice. She easily recognized it and turned to face Routher. His voice was one she wouldn't be able to forget. It was so soft. He did that on purpose though. She could tell. It was to hide the self-produced echo that rang in the voices of most demons. He didn't want to sound threatening. He seemed incredibly peaceful. "We meet again."
"Yeah," she responded, not knowing exactly what to say. This was a demon, after all. She couldn't say she had had many civilized, normal conversations with a creature like him.
"Are you afraid of me?" he asked, sensing her unease.
"No," she answered rather quickly. "I've just…never seen a demon like you before, that's all."
"Most haven't." He just smiled, not seeming too bothered at all by how nervous she was. He was probably used to people fearing or hating him. "If I may, I'd like to ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"How much has he told you?" When she gave him only a confused stare in response, he elaborated. "Albus. What has he told you…about this?" He motioned to the damaged area where the Coleman family's house had once stood.
"Not much," she responded, her voice having a bit of a sad, disappointed tone to it. "He doesn't tell me too much of anything, especially about himself."
"Would you like to find out?"
"I'd love to, but even if I asked, he wouldn't say anything…" A thought suddenly struck her, and she gave Routher a large smile. "Are you going to tell me?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes," she said with conviction. Her eyes were completely serious.
"… Then I'll show you."
Xyra gave him a confused, somewhat startled stare. Had she just heard right? Had he said that he was going to show her? That wasn't possible though. He couldn't turn back time and let her witness the event itself. How could he possibly show her something like that?
Before Xyra knew just what was going on, and before she could ask what he meant, he began to chant something. He locked his red eyes with hers, and she found that she couldn't escape his gaze. He continued whatever kind of spell he was casting on her and then stopped for a moment.
"You're not going to like what you see," he told her gently. "But as his friend…you have a right to know what happened. Keep your mind open, pay attention, and I'll be able to show you everything."
Without another word, he broke eye contact, and Xyra collapsed to the ground in a deep sleep. The spell was set. She was trapped in a dream. Routher just watched her, a sad smile on his face. Albus is going to kill me, but she needs to understand…just why it is he insists on traveling. Hopefully this information will come in handy. Pay close attention, Xyra. Everything you see, everything you hear…is part of his reality.