Chapter 79 ASHES AND SECRETS
Without a word, Xyra began following him. Layton stayed behind the two, keeping watch for the members of the huge crowd that would possibly decide to trail them. Most had probably gone back to what they were doing or were just gossiping in small groups. There were a few though, that were odd enough to follow after them. After all, the thought of the great Albus having a fiancé was enough to entice just about anyone in town.
They walked a little further in, and Xyra noticed that there were fewer houses the more they walked. The piles of debris increased though, and soon the houses stopped altogether. What she saw before her was horrible. In a huge open area, there was nothing but a large pile of rubble. It consisted of wood, stone, and steel. Such a sight was devastating.
"This was once a mansion," Magnus explained as he walked onto the debris-covered land. He stopped and turned to her and Layton. His guard was watching him with sad eyes. "Right here…this is the home of the Coleman family."
Xyra felt her heart constrict a bit as those words left his mouth. She had caught the sound of pain in his voice. His smile was so sad right now. This place, this pile of broken materials had once been a home. It housed servants, maids, and the Coleman family. Now all that remained were Layton and Magnus. Everyone, everything, even the foundation, was gone.
She watched as Magnus walked further into the area. He seemed to be looking for something. After kicking away a bit of the ruble, he found what he was looking for. Bending over, she watched him lift open a door of some sort. It was made of steel. The gleam of it was proof enough. Curious, she ran over to him to see what he was doing. She saw that the door led to a room, and not just any room. It was a huge vault. Her eyes went wide at the sight of it.
Inside the only room that had survived the fire sat a lake-like of rubies and gold coins. It was the largest stash of money she had ever seen in her entire life. Looking down into it, she could see that it spanned almost the entire perimeter. It had been the entire basement floor of their home.
Magnus reached to his side and then into a pocket. He pulled out a small bag, similar to the pouch he had given away to Mr. Vidar. He bent down, making sure he didn't fall, and then used the bag to scoop up a bunch of rubies. When the bag was full, he took out another one and repeated the process. As soon as he was done, he tucked one of them away in his cloak and then closed the door, covering it again with debris. The other bag he handed it to Layton.
"Could you take this back to Clearham and make sure that they distribute it properly?" he asked his guard.
"I will if you promise not to leave before I return."
"Fair enough."
Layton took the answer as a promise and then began to head off again. He was going to waste no time in carrying out the task. It was a rather simple one, but it was going to take at least a full day. That meant that they were going to have to find a place to stay for the night. That wouldn't be a problem though. Magnus could basically borrow anyone's home. They'd be more than willing to help him out.
The sorcerer was about to start walking again when a soft pulse from his pendant caught his attention. He glanced down at it curiously and saw that it was glowing a soft blue color. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Xyra could see the stone as well.
"Magnus?" she began a bit hesitantly. "Doesn't that usually mean that a demon's nearby?" He had explained the necklace's use to her once before. "Aren't you going to do something?"
"There's no need," he stated calmly. "It's just Routher. He's kind of like our resident demon." Despite that claim, there was some spite in his voice. Magnus hated demons though, so that was only natural. "He's over there."
Xyra turned in the direction that Magnus had nodded in, and she saw a man standing there. He really didn't look much like a demon. However, when he turned around, she could see his red eyes and his curved, very pointed ears. His skin was also a pale green instead of a normal tone, and his hair was stringy and black. Two fangs also protruded from his mouth, hanging over his lower lip. They were a bit too long for them to fit in his small mouth.
Despite his demonic appearance, there was something strange about him, something almost civil. He didn't seem like the attacking type. He was living in a town full of sorcerers, so he obviously wasn't a bad demon. There were very few in the world that weren't though. Xyra could tell that despite all of that, Magnus didn't trust him. The tone of his voice when he had mentioned Routher and the look he now had on his face were proof enough of that.
"Hello Albus," Routher greeted as he caught the sorcerer's eye. He began making his way over, his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his brown pants. "It's nice to see you made it back."
"Yeah," Magnus answered, not offering anything more in conversation than his simple agreement. Routher just smiled at him, already well aware of the sorcerer's detest for demons. Instead, he looked at Xyra.
"Well, who do we have here?" he asked politely. "Could I have your name, miss?"
"It's Xyra," she responded with a smile. She wasn't going to be disrespectful to this person just because Magnus didn't seem to like him. Routher seemed like a good enough man even though he was a demon.
"I hope Albus has treated you kindly. He's not used to traveling with anyone, especially women." The demon snuck a glance at the sorcerer, noticing the small glare he was giving him. "But I'm sure he was decent. He always has been."
"Don't worry," Xyra said. "He was."
"That's good to hear. If you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of. I will see you both later." He gave Xyra a small bow and then proceeded on his way. Magnus was glaring at him until he could no longer see the demon's back.