The Warmth of the Hearth

“I’ll kill that son of a bitch!” Carson punches the wall, leaving massive cracks on its surface. “They can’t have gone that far!” He runs out of the room and dashes to the elevator shaft, his head filled with an unrelenting rage. The platform arrives with a thud, its gates sliding open for Carson to step in. Essie pulls him from behind, forcing him to face her as he attempts to get out of her clutches.

“Where are you even going?!” She asks, clearly irritated by the recklessness being shown by Carson. “I understand your frustration Carson, but what can you do?!”

Carson doesn’t face her, shoving her arms off of him as he proceeds to step onto the elevator. “I’m not just gonna sit here doing nothing Essie!” The lift rises as he slams his hand onto the control panel, causing the machine to whir as it raises itself up. “Not again.” The young Blaise disappears out of sight, leaving Essie to stare at the empty space.

Luke goes to get changed, donning a leather combat vest with a dagger sheathed on the upper left chest. A light shines in front of him, Xylia appearing from within it. “Oh, planning a trip?” Luke doesn’t respond, putting on a cloak as he swings a small leather bag over his shoulder. He senses Xylia’s stare burning on the back of his head, which gave him no choice but to talk to her. “Claire, she got kidnapped. I’m going after her.”

Xylia shakes her head, putting one hand on her waist as she floats in midair. “You aren’t that stupid Laisren. Even if you do manage to get inside the city, what if someone recognizes you? And you don’t even know where they’re keeping her!” She nags on as Luke continues to dabble around the room, putting things around his belt and bag. “Are you even listening to me?!”

“This.” Luke raises a black cloth mask that he puts upon his face, covering the lower half of his head.

“Yeah, cause that’s not suspicious at all.” Xylia complains, shaking her head in disagreement. “Laisren, I suggest you think about this for a bit more.” An immense amount of pressure hits Xylia, a familiar wave of manna enough to make her shake. Ifrit? Xylia faces the door to Luke’s room as it opens. Olin enters the room, a concerned look in his eyes.

Luke turns to face Olin, standing at the doorway. “You gonna stop me from going too uncle Olin?” Olin shakes his head, a smile now on his face. He approaches Luke as the young Laisren stands up, now ready to depart.

“You remind me of your father, recklessness in every decision when it came to doing what he wanted.” Olin speaks, his voice soft as he ruffles Luke’s hair. “However, he was also willing to put his life down on the line for others, a trait which you strongly possess.” Ifrit tugs at Olin’s control, causing him to wince for a moment. “Go, young master. I shall await your return.”

Luke nods, grateful for Olin’s trust. “I’ll be back soon.” He dashes outside the room, heading towards the lift.

Xylia doesn’t follow, eyeing Olin who now sat on Luke’s bed, clutching his chest. “How are you still alive?” She touches Olin’s forehead, her hand glowing as she attempts to relieve his pain. Olin doesn’t react, his breathing growing heavier by the second. “Ifrit’s gnawing away at your manna. If this keeps up, you won’t make it.”

“I’m alright Xylia, this is nothing to worry about.” Olin lifts himself out of the bed, trying his best to push away the excruciating pain. “Take care of Luke for me.” He says, taking his leave.

Carson arrives on the outskirts of the city, hiding behind the tree line surrounding the main road. The sight of Ezicion without the Mur was something that he still hasn’t grown accustomed to. Carriages and wagons pass by, containing various boxes pulled by steeds. The sky above him begins to dim as the afternoon comes to a close, making way for dusk to set in.

“Carson.” Carson snaps his head behind him, ready to fend off whoever it was that saw him. Luke was there, crouched beneath a thicket as he slowly makes his way towards him. “Luke? What are you doing here?” He whispers, keeping his voice low as the caravan passes into the city.

“The same reasons you have. Here.” Luke tosses him a small bag, filled with various supplies. He also hands him a coat and a mask, which Carson puts on promptly. “I say we wait for nightfall, much easier to move that way.”

Carson nods, putting the mask over his face. “Guards are still stationed the same way as they were before, which means we can still sneak through the passage underneath the bridge.” He points towards the enormous metal bridge that connected the Slums to the city, a vast river flowing below it. “Or we could sneak into one of the wagons, hoping we pass the inspection.”

“Minimize the risks; we still have no idea where they’re keeping Claire.” Luke stands up, making his way into the forest. “You up for a little trip to the sewers?”

Carson nods, now following Luke. “The sooner we find Claire, the better. She’s been through enough.”

They make their way to the side of the river, opposite of their entry point. The bridge looms over them in the darkness, barely allowing them light to see with. Luke grabs hold onto one of the bars in the structure of the bridge, pulling himself up in swift and agile motions. Carson follows behind, a bit slower than Luke is.

The two of them arrive at the top, a slim pathway filled with interlocking metal pipelines serving as their only way of making it to the entrance. The sound of water rushing comes from beneath them, the strong current roaring as they steady themselves onto the small platform they now stood on.

“One step at a time...” Luke hops from each metal bar to another, looking straight ahead. Another small platform lies ahead of him and he jumps, pulling all of his weight as he lands with ease upon it. He hears Carson curse behind him as the sound of scuffling follows.

“I’m okay!” Carson shouts, pulling himself up on the platform. “Good thing Liz isn’t here. Can’t imagine how she’d laugh at that blunder.” He faces Luke who chuckled, now hopping his way across the structure. Carson follows, the thought of Claire flooding him as they make their way into the night, one step closer to saving her.