Chapter 21 THE SCENT OF BLOOD
"A demon?" questioned Magnus curiously as Gareth nodded to him in affirmation. The two of them, along with Xyra and Darren, were standing at the edge of Drester. They had been about to leave when Gareth approached.
"It was sighted on the way to the next city," the old man explained. "Only one traveler has gotten past it so far."
"Your point is…?"
"You should wait a bit before you head out. Knowing you, you'll underestimate it and hurt yourself." Magnus frowned a bit at that remark.
"I'm not quite that careless," he defended.
"A demon, huh?" began Darren with a sly smirk. "How big? What kind? How much are they willing to pay for it?"
"Hunters…" grumbled Gareth as he adjusted the dark glasses on his face. His sensitive eyes had to be concealed from the sun. "You shouldn't pursue it. You will get yourselves killed."
"Must be a lot," Darren decided. He glanced back at Magnus. "What do you say? Shall we hunt it?" Magnus returned the smirk that Darren wore.
"Yeah," he responded. "Can't turn down a challenge. Besides, getting rid of it will probably help, so who am I to say no?"
Xyra sighed a bit as she watched the two hunters. They were both smirking, probably thinking about the hunt they were about to go on. That was one thing she couldn't stand about their kind. Hunters were always so thrilled when it came to chasing a demon. They greatly enjoyed their jobs, and it looked like these two were no different. She was going to be dragged along with them.
"We're gonna get going," said Magnus as he turned, giving Gareth a small wave with the back of his hand. "Stay alive, old man."
"Same goes to you, stupid boy."
The three of them walked out of the town, heading across the field before them. It was pretty obvious that this walk was going to take a while. It wasn't going to be a one-day thing like their last travel had been. The next town was small and up closer to the mountains. However, that would be alright. They had made the necessary preparations. They had more than enough supplies to last them the journey.
Magnus turned his attention skyward, letting his eyes wander across the sea of blue. He really loved days like this when he could see the sun. Hopefully, they will be graced with good weather on their trip. The last thing they needed was a downpour. He hated traveling in the rain.
He glanced back at his two companions, watching as they chatted a bit. He couldn't help but widen his smile. First time I haven't been alone. Feels a little weird, but oh well. They're pretty good company. He returned his eyes to the road. He could not wait to reach the next town. If he could find another talisman, he would be able to get stronger, and with that strength would come the chance to complete his goal. Everything would eventually lead him to that one person, and he greatly anticipated that day…the day that he'd get to fight Raheem.
Traveling always made the day go by quickly. Darkness had already fallen upon them, so Magnus, Xyra, and Darren had been forced to find a place to camp for the night. The forest had been their best option. It provided cover for possible demon attacks. However, thanks to Magnus, such an occurrence wouldn't be likely. He had sealed the area where they would be sleeping. If anything or anyone tried to attack, the barrier would easily repel them.
"You know, you're pretty handy," said Darren with a smirk. "Now I don't got to worry about guard duty."
Magnus just smiled, not saying anything. Despite the barrier, he would probably spend half of the night keeping an eye out for attackers. His magic was strong, he didn't doubt that, but he had lives that he was accountable for now. They trusted him, so he had to do what he could to keep it that way. Protection spells weren't known for their stability.
Darren suddenly stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. There was a smirk on his face, but when he noticed that Magnus was watching him, he made sure to hide it. He didn't need the sorcerer catching wind of what he intended to do.
"I'm gonna go take a look around," he told him. He began walking away. "I will be back soon."
Magnus sighed, waiting for Darren to pass by. When the hunter was in mid-stride, he stuck his leg out, tripping him. Darren went down hard since he hadn't had time to catch himself. He sat up, rubbing his face a bit before turning and glaring at Magnus. There was an indifferent look on the sorcerer's face.
"What was that for?!"
"I'm not stupid," Magnus stated. "I know what's over there. Xyra specifically stated that if either of us went, she'd kill us." He gave Darren a wide smirk. "I'm just doing you a favor."
The hunter sighed in defeat and got up, going back to his spot by their small campfire. He sat down, looking a little depressed, but it was his own fault. He had wanted to go see how Xyra was doing, and Magnus had had every right to trip him. After all, she was at the hot spring.
When they had been searching for a good place to stay for the night, Xyra had spotted a small pool of water. When they had inspected it further, they found that it was a hot spring. She had begged to stay in this area, and not wanting to get into an argument, Magnus had agreed. Currently, she is using it.
"Okay guys," called Xyra as she walked into the clearing. There was a smile on her face. "Your turn."
"I will go," said Magnus as he got up slowly. Darren looked a little disappointed, but he didn't protest. He would just have to go last. Not like it matters, I guess.
Xyra walked over to the fire and removed her cloak. She laid it on the ground and then sat down. She began twirling a strand of stray hair that insisted on falling in front of her eyes. Her hair was still quite wet, but that was only natural considering where she had just been.
The two of them sat in silence for a while, neither one having too much to say. However, Xyra was highly aware that Darren was staring at her. He appeared to be lost in thought, so maybe he didn't know he was staring. It was annoying nonetheless. She didn't like being looked at like that.
"What?" she asked him, a small glare on her face. His eyes lifted a bit to meet hers. He seemed a bit confused. "Why were you staring?"
"I'm just thinking," he said as he leaned back against the tree behind him. "I've been wondering why a girl like you is following a guy like Magnus, and I think I've figured it out. You're a thief, aren't you?"
"Yeah, so?" She had said so straightly, as if she had no shame in her choice of profession. Then again, most thieves don't. They didn't have a very high code of honor either, and guilt wasn't a word in their vocabulary.
"You know…women like you are the reason that men like us are still single."
"W-what?" That had caught her a bit off guard. Darren only smirked and reclined a bit more, stretching out his arms as he closed his eyes.
"Well, there are only three reasons a woman would travel with a hunter. One, the two are related. Second, she's after money. Third, she needs protection. You're the second type. It's pretty easy to tell. You are only following him so you can gain something." He opened his eyes and looked right at her. His dark irises held hers completely. "You probably wouldn't even care…if he died."
"Th-that's not…!" she began, but the rustling of leaves halted her.
"I'm back," said Magnus with a smile as he walked over to the campfire. Darren got up, a sly smirk on his face as he began walking away, not offering either of them a word. He soon disappeared into the dark forest, heading for the hot springs.