Trying to update more, though my laziness makes me not-write a lot. XD

Thanks for reading!

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Chapter 3: The Proposition

“Well, Atol, looks like you dug your friend into some deeeep trouble.”

There was a degree of silence following Teryn’s statement. Renelle observed the wizard – whose name he had finally given as stated – give the thief what could have been a fleeting scowl, before smiling weakly. “Yeah…I didn’t actually expect there to be a Balrog though.”

The party of three was currently waiting in Valene’s living room, where they had been moved to from the kitchen. According to Cinia, who was, at regular intervals, bustling to and from the healing room and the potion stores in the kitchen pantry, they were “getting in the way.” Obligingly, Renelle had ushered Atol into the cleric’s sitting room, then had gone back to drag Teryn after them. Though, even with the drapes pulled back to let sunlight and warmth in, the atmosphere possessed by the worried male wizard was enough to make even Teryn sympathize with him. Considering how often Renelle’s friend had been running back and forth for more supplies, the healer might be having trouble with her patient.

So now, the wizard was sitting in an armchair on the far side of the room, Renelle diagonally opposite of him on the couch near the sun-spilling window, and Teryn leaning against an empty space of wall near the living room’s doorway.

The girl decided to take these few silent moments to study this new man. Leaning forward slightly, Renelle propped her elbows on her knees, and placed her chin on fisted hands. Atol didn’t seem to notice that he was being carefully scrutinized, lost in his own contemplation of the hardwood floor. So, Elle took her time forming her opinion. He was a controller of fire, she knew, just like herself. Underneath what she saw as compassion and cordiality in his eyes was a burning strength of character. How interesting…

“Y’know, Renny, you’re staring like you’ve either fallen madly in love with him…or perhaps you plan to roast and eat him.”

Twitching slightly, Renelle turned her eyes to Teryn, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, and narrowed her eyes to affect a glare. He smiled and waved ever-so-innocently, which only irritated her more. But, deciding that she just shouldn’t care anymore (for the moment), the fire wizard turned back to continue her observation, and was surprised to be meeting Atol’s own gaze of surprise. He…hadn’t taken the thief’s comment seriously…had he?

She didn’t have time to ask any of the thoughts floating about her mind, however, as Valene suddenly appeared in the doorway to the living room. All attentions hung on her placid face, and Renelle began to fear the worst, when the cleric’s set expression broke into a small smile. “She’ll be fine,” she said, her eyes on the archer’s friend. “She just needs some rest now.” Atol, who had been in the process of starting up, collapsed back into his seat with a relieved sigh. Looking back up to the woman who had just saved a life, he gave a grateful and heart-felt thank you, and gave Cinia the same ministrations when she joined Valene in the room.

But despite the lightened air of his demeanor, something still seemed to be bothering the man. Backtracking on what precious little he had mentioned about his friend acquiring such injuries, the fire wielder recalled his words.

“Well, on the day I ran into you,” – eheh, or rather the day she ran into him at Ant Tunnel – “I was on my way down into the dungeon of the cave to meet up with two friends. We ventured deep into the tunnels, and even though we managed to get past those Minotaur monsters, one of my party fell behind at the Cursed Sanctuary, and the other was seriously injured. I had to activate a scroll to get out in time…”

He had said that someone “fell behind,” not that someone had been killed or otherwise. Perhaps that was what was bothering him, then. A trapped friend.

“Atol?” she voiced, waiting to catch his focus. When she had, she said, “What about your other friend? The one stuck in the Cursed Sanctuary?”

The cold and tense atmosphere returned. Whoops. Catching Teryn’s eye, she saw the look in his gaze that said, “You definitely pushed his button, Ms. Renny.”

It was Valene’s calm and direct voice, however, that cut into the chilly room. “Atol, was it? You have a friend left behind in the cave of the Balrog?”

His reply was rather terse and frosty. “Not by my choice.”

“I would highly doubt it if you said it had been.” Renelle replied with equal terseness. Startled, he met her gaze with a look of surprise, which she returned with what she supposed was a demurring look. At the corner of her eye, she could see her two female friends giving her perplexed looks, though Teryn was rolling his eyes at her brusque mannerisms. Perhaps she was being rude. But on the other hand, so was he. All she had done was ask a simple question.

“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly. “You’ve all helped Cameo out a great deal, and here I am being cold about Zeph’s situation…”

Renelle seemed to have the habit of startling him, as he again looked surprised when she offered to help with, “Is there anything we can do for him?”

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That was just a slow, bad chapter. But things will pick up (and will be written better) in the next one.

Thanks for any comments, though. ^_^