Chapter 14: Old Friend
Later when evening came, Alura and Marenzo returned to the tavern to call it a night. “You sure you’re good? You did take a good slice by that demon’s tusks.” Marenzo expressed as he looked non-to-impressed at Alura.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1NzKLqOmd
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Alura scoffed and rolled her eyes while trying to hide her wrapped hand with the other. “You make it sound bad that I defended myself against a predator.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPu9pfT8reC
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“A demon touching your butt and walking off doesn’t count as a predator unless there’s more evidence for it. At most it falls under him being a creep who I would have gotten even with if you hadn’t of struck first.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuziTJgMTc
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“Not my fault you’re slow acting. Besides, his face will heal up as will my hand.” She explained while following him up. “I just hope those in Lunar are polite instead of jerks towards beautiful women.” She swept back some of her hair off her neck in an attempt at a dramatic fashion.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnwiHqGeEf
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Marenzo snorted as he suppressed a laugh. “Oh yes, I’m sure they can keep an eye out for someone of average style.” His chuckle was interrupted from her pushing him roughly up the stairs. “Ow! Hey, watch how you’re pushing.” They got to the top of the stairs and she began walking beside him to their room, passing a cracked open door of another room. 701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtDtC9BqpA
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Inside that room an old man sniffed the air, looking up as he sniffed more with his eyes widening. “It can’t be.” He mumbled as he grabbed his cane, turned and pushed up to leave his puzzle behind on the room table to check out the scent he had caught. His hunched over body made its way into the hall to see the pair enter their room. His old gray eyes widened and he made his way up to their door then began knocking. He didn’t even wait for a response before opening the door on the pair, catching them off guard with Marenzo stopped in the act of removing his shoes and Alura making her way to the bathroom to change into her pajama’s.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLFfj5VdpZ
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“Uh…” neither one knew in that short moment what to make of this but soon Marenzo spoke up after shaking off his shock. “Can we help you?” he was being cautious and thinking over using teleporting on the man and them if need be.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrthqfuCt5Z
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The man entered and moved towards Alura but stopped as she held out a hand with flames encircling it. “You come any closer to me and you are going to be fried.” She threatened sternly without trust of him.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQmLVLhvKj
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He stopped and shook his head. “Miss, I mean no harm. I wanted to know who your parents are.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDOimc0TLx
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“My parents?” she repeated with confusion as to why he’d ask that. “Um…Nate and Sophia Syta,” she answered before finishing with, “why?” she asked curiously while not lowering her flames at all.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHieUrchPY
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His eyes lit up hearing Sophia. “I thought I recognized smell of her blood!” he exclaimed excitedly which did not end either one of their uncertainty of him. “But…why would Sophia’s blood be back here?”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgffjxPGLvF
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“Um…I’m looking for information on a man with the last name of Nightrayne.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXtR3xzwlH
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“Oh so you look for the past it was rumored Sophia walked away from as did the well-known croen Synto?” Alura nodded her answer as he made his way over and sat in one of the chairs to make himself comfortable. Marenzo gave the old man a look to indicate he thought this guy could at least demonstrate a little bit of manners. “I can help you there as I was alive when the violent end came to the family before they both vanished for a time.” This got her attention. “They had several children by the names from eldest to youngest,” he cleared his throat into a fist. “Azuma, Glory, Dyu, Tsudon, Blare, and Flira,” he finished with a soft chuckle. “They were all very energetic.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJdaYYaQ9O
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“So they had…three boys and three girls?” the wizard asked and the man nodded.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOe0EFVIcKc
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“Yup, Azuma was the elder son and all seemed fine when he was off on a journey. Glory was the eldest daughter and was very good when it came to construction.” He closed his eyes as he took a breath. “Dyu was the third eldest son and if I recall was a very smooth charmer which was a nice tie-in with his dancing ability. Tsudon was the fourth eldest son and didn’t have a focus.” 701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47ze10fCqo
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He readjusted his hold on the top of his cane as he went mentally through the list he just gave. “He did enjoy doing whatever fit his fancy that particular day.” He chuckled softly at recalling one day when Tsudon had thought he wanted to go into roofing. “Blare was the fifth eldest daughter and was great with kids, always off pursuing a job to help children.” He opened his eyes to look at Marenzo then Alura. “The youngest daughter was Flira and she was a fire cracker when she didn’t get her way.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeK9l0X1kqJ
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Alura moved and sat beside Marenzo. “They sound like a great family.” She expressed as the man nodded.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKcNYnATOF
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“They were and it was amazing. We always expected Synto to relapse but, so long as Sophia was by his side, he never seemed to return to his former violent self.” The old man mused astonished to this day by that fact. “It was a sad day years later though. They were having a reunion at home for all the kids and their mates. Everything was going fine,” he inhaled then released it with a solemn sigh. “It was later reported a fight had broken out and, in the yelling of arguments reported by any out walking, a fire erupted which took down the house and finished off any life left inside.” His head lowered sadly. “It was in the papers the scene of the fight was bloody with no sight of Synto or Sophia.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubWEewNp5B
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“Did anyone ever get arrested for the murders?” she asked softly after biting her lower lip.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhERMDwUUQp
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He shook his head slowly. “No one was ever arrested because no one could give any information on seeing anyone come or go from their home.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkdmAT7bQW
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“Oh…” she said sadly as she lowered her head, not feeling good knowing Synto’s past with Sophia was littered with so much violence and pain.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CQu38prF6
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“Is there anything else you can tell us, sir, on Synto or Sophia that you knew from that time?” Marenzo inquired curiously while he put an arm around Alura to comfort her. The old man thought before indicating ‘no’ with a shake of the head.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDKQwIWEYd
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The old man reached up a hand to push back his gray hair before breaking the growing silence. “How is Sophia and Synto?”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOSLD30bbr
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Alura wasn’t sure but took a breath, deciding it couldn’t be coincidence any longer involving her mother. “They both died, a while back.” She still held a pain in her tone but it wasn’t like it had been before they set out.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBCwHnYDMz
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“Oh…” he bowed his head to them while closing his eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss.” There was silence with a quiet ‘thank you’ from Alura before he stood. “I think I’ve stayed long enough. Plus, I bet you two want some alone time.” He chuckled as he saw Alura and Marenzo flush red before he turned towards and headed to the door. “Goodnight you lovely couple,” he smiled, “ah, nothing like young love between the races.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzElWBREoY
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Alura was going to protest this but didn’t get the chance as the hunched over man fully left the room. She looked to Marenzo to see him also blushing. “We…can just call him senile, right?” he nodded and she sighed. “Yup, that’s what we’re going with. Anyways, we should get sleep if we’re going to catch the first airship out of here.”701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3gVVH106y
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“Right, goodnight and sweet dreams Alura.” He said as he let her go while she stood and briskly made her way to go change in the bathroom.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnyDuFzTO6
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“Thanks, night to you to.” She then made her way into the other room, closing and locking the door. When she came out minutes later she saw Marenzo was already asleep and had changed into his pajamas as well. Quietly she made her way to her bed, turning off the lights and tried to rest after putting her clothing into her bag. 701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoiomSUdyN
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Later into the night, when she found sleeping difficult, she reached into her bag to pull out the book while lighting a flame and focused to have it float by her head for a light. What she read, that had been added during their time in Meldano, made her face fall and her mouth to drop open some. Horror reflected in her eyes from the floating flame by her head at what she read about the lost family. She closed it once done, put away, snuffed out the light, and laid down as she forced her eyes shut in order to get rest.701Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBO0rjIiyu
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