After resting for a while, Zack went downstairs and walked out of
the tavern. He took a deep breath, trying to soak in the fresh air
from the atmosphere. He then went out to explore the town, when his
his eyes stopped on a familiar figure in a shop. "There is the lady
who was fighting with those demons" he said still looking at her.
As he saw a small child near her, he muttered "and looks like she
made a new friend". Zack entered the shop and grabbed a stool near
her. After seeing the fight scene, one thing was clear for him,
that everyone involved in that fight weren't just normal humans.
Zack entered the shop and sat on a stool near the lady, who was now
accompanied by a child. "Hope I had so many friends like she do"
thought Zack to himself as he tried to get some courage to ask her
the question he had in mind. Finally he got courage and turned
towards the lady, "I saw you fighting with those demons, very well
you handled them" said Zack in a low tone.
~I have loved the stars too fondly to be
fearful of the night~
Melez turns to the stranger addressing her. She, out of instinct,
quickly assesses whether he's a threat. "Thank you for the
compliment... You are?" She brushes a few strands of her dark hair
out of her face and over her horns. Her golden eyes very active in
watching his body movements. "Assess, watch, decide." Her father's
words running through her mind. "He seems to be either cautious or
shy... Still unsure of a threat..." She thinks to herself. Her face
void of expression, except for her eyes. Her eyes are full of
light. They could almost be another dimension altogether. For her
eyes are as a window to a house. A way to see inside.
"I am Zack, I don't know if you noticed me, I came to tavern this
morning.." Zack introduced himself. "And believe me, I am not a
threat" he said as he noticed her feeling insecure from him.
~I have loved the stars too fondly to be
fearful of the night~
"I'm Melez, I did not notice you, I was... Preoccupied..." She
grins. "No? Well, alright." She says with as much of an innocent
smile as she can muster. "If someone says they aren't a threat,
trust your gut." Her father speaks again, as though he is watching
the situation right there. She relaxes her position a little,
making her calmer, and hopefully perceived as calm and relaxed as
she hopes. "Where are my manners? Would you like something?"
Zack didn't wanted to create a scene so he said "yeah, a cup of tea
would be great right now". "And who is this little one?" he said,
trying to be as friendly as he can with the child accompanied by
Melez.
~I have loved the stars too fondly to be
fearful of the night~
Melez looks over her shoulder at Caelum. "This is Caelum. I just
met him." She smiles, actually feeling a little bit more relaxed.
"Who is this guy?" She wonders to herself. She turns to the shop
owner. "A cup of tea please?" He nods and walks to the other end of
the counter. She turns back to Zack. "What made you watch the
fight? Most people would shy away from fighting..." She says
quietly as she watches the shop owner as he walks back with the cup
of tea. He sets it down in front of Zack and Melez give the owner
several coins. He smiles and goes back to tending his shop.
''I'm fine with this'' replied Blake, before Isis left. ''I saw a
magic shop near the woodworker's shop, you'd save me a lot of time
if you can get some stuff from me there'' he said, and started
writing on a piece of paper. ''please and thank you!~'' he said, as
he handed over the piece of paper and 20 gold coins:
I'm out of battle items after the fight, so if you're kind
enough, would you get me this things?
-5 bottles of each size (small, medium, big)
-mineral water
-blood herbs
-energy herbs
-5 potatoes
Caelum smiled. "Um, any kind of ice-cream is fine," he murmured
shyly, his shoulders rising up to meet his jaw. As soon as he heard
the bell above the door ring, he turned his head back to see who it
was. He saw a man enter and sit down beside Melez and speak with
her. As she introduced him, Caelum smiled politely and waved a
little.
Melez nods, and turns to the shop owner who walks back meeting her
gaze. She beckons him closer as she whispers something inaudible
into his ear. He walks back to the other end and begins to make
something. She grins, as after he finishes he brings back a good
size bowl of vanilla and chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup
drizzled over it with a cherry on top. He smiles as he sets it in
front of Caelum. Melez hands the man a few more coins and he
refuses to take them and he mouths the words, "On the house." She
smiles and calls him closer once more. She gives him a quick kiss
on the cheek and he walks away quickly blushing, but grinning from
ear to ear.
Caelum grinned. "Thank you, miss Melez and mister ice-cream man!"
He looked at the ice-cream gleefully and began to eat it, trying to
be respectful and making the least amount of sound--or spills--as
possible.
The shop owner turns back to Caelum and he winks, but quickly turns
away as he notices Melez grinning as he is still blushing. She
laughs and smiles turning to Caelum. "You never did tell me why you
were so interested in me... Is it because of these?" She motions to
her horns protruding from the sides of her head. "Or is it my skin
such a different tone and color from yours..." She holds out her
arm next to, but not touching his arm. "I'm sorry..." She pulls her
arm away. "You're eating your ice cream..." Her smile widens. "Eat
and we shall talk later..." She bows her head to the child.
Caelum paused in his eating and shook his head. "It's okay," he
said. "I don't really know why... b-but there's just something
about you and the people you were walking with that interested me
so much."
"Hmm... Well... I'm staying in the tavern down the street, so if
you figure out why and want to talk about it... And if your parents
are alright with you talking to strangers..." She begins to look
slightly worried at mentioning parents as she remembers hers.
Caelum looked down at his ice-cream quietly. "T-they can't care who
I talk to." He looked back at Melez and struggled to smile. "I-it's
okay, though. It doesn't matter." Miss Melez... could she
be...? He grew quiet, thinking about what Melez had said.
Melez looks at him concerned. "You don't have parents... Do you...
Or they don't know where you are..." She sets her jaw and thanks
any gods she knows of that her parents are still there. For unlike
other demons and angels, Melez didn't die. She was born of an angel
and a demon. Her parents had already died. And she had not. She
wonders to herself, "Who is this child?"
"They... they don't know," Caelum murmured, his lip quivering. He
didn't want to talk about this anymore. "M-Miss Melez...? Are
you..." he began and leaned close to Melez and whispered, "Dead?"
Melez leans back and her concerned face becomes very serious. "No.
I am not." Her serious expression fades somewhat and becomes one
seemingly pained. "A... Are you?" Her mind races as part of her
prays that this innocent child is not... reanimated.
Blake finished fixing the wall, leaving a nicely done job. ''well,
looks like i'm done'' he said, and returned inside. He ordered a
root beer as he waited for both Melez and Isis to come back.
''maybe i should investigate the city as well...'' he thought