Sera awoke, confused to find herself in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. It was a quaint but attractive place, small yet inviting. A single window was set into the wall to her left where Cabrin sat quietly in the moonlight as it poured through the open pane.
Sera sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she tried to recall the events that had led her to this place. “What happened? Where are we?”
“We’re in Bastion,” Cabrin said. “An inn, not far from the College.”
Sera frowned with concern in response to his answer. She was thrilled to hear that they had made it to their destination, at long last, but something was off about him. His voice was empty and emotionless. He seemed cold and distant.
Cabrin wasn’t one to openly talk about his feelings, but Akane was never too shy to speak for him. Sera looked around the room for her friend to shed some light on the situation. Panic began to set in as Sera realized that she and Cabrin were alone there. Akane was nowhere in sight. Turning back to Cabrin, Sera noticed the wet streaks on his face.
“Cabrin, where’s Akane?”
Silence followed her question for a moment before Cabrin opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“Cabrin.” Sera pressed as her voice began to shake. “Akane, where is she?”
“Akane…she…” Cabrin’s voice cracked as he tried to answer, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to finish.
Sera crawled towards the edge of the bed as his words hung in the air, incomplete. She needed him to answer her. She needed to know that Akane was okay, that there was nothing to worry about.
“It’s just us, now.” He finally said.
Sera sat as still as a stone as her thoughts imploded within her. Her ears began to ring as the reality of his words set in.
“It’s not true.” Sera whispered.
“Sera…”
“No!” She shouted. “It can’t be true!”
There was a knock at the wall followed by a muffled voice, but Sera ignored it. The whole world seemed to collapse around her as she was gripped by the news that her friend was no more.
“Get some sleep,"Cabrin said, holding back tears of his own as he stood and made for the door. “We go to the College in the morning.”
“Cabrin, wait. Please,” Sera pleaded, but he was already gone. “Don’t go.”
The solitude was suffocating. Reality itself seemed to press in around her. She prayed that it was a dream, that she would wake up and Akane would be there smiling at nothing as she poked at the campfire or sharpening her blade as she had every morning. But no matter how much Sera rebelled against reality in her mind, she was still there, alone, reeling with the news of Akane’s death.
“No.” She thought aloud in the stillness of the moonlit room. “No. No. No. No!”
The voice on the other side of the wall called again, along with the pounding of their fist. “Quiet in there! Some of us are trying to-.”
“Shut up!” Sera screamed at the voice.
The walls shook with the blast of repulsion that she let loose. Flowers in vases on the nightstands toppled over and framed paintings dropped from the walls. The voice on the other side of the wall went silent.
Bent over on her knees, Sera bundled up the covers of the bed into her fists and pressed them to her face as she wept. She cried all through the night.
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The streets were alive as people milled about running errands, conducting business, or being entertained by the multitude of attractions. Marvelously constructed buildings rose five or six stories into the sky, a light breeze carried the scent of so many wonderful foods and perfumes, and the air was full of laughter, conversation, and music. The atmosphere of Bastion held an air of wonder, but even in the boundless sea of smiles, there were two walking amongst the crowds who did not share in the joy of the many festivities around them.
Sera walked wordlessly alongside Cabrin. Her eyes, dark and puffy from a full night of weeping, never left the ground as she followed behind her only remaining companion as the two continued woodenly down the street. Ahead of them was the place they had traveled for so long to reach, the place that Akane had died to bring them there, the College of Antiquity.
She could feel the absence of Akane’s presence. For what felt like a lifetime, there had always been the three of them, but now there were only two. As they trudged on, Sera thought of how Akane would have laughed and cheered at the sights around them in the festive streets of Bastion. She thought of how she would have smiled along with her friend and how Cabrin would allow himself that silent grin that he always wore when Akane’s high spirits were most active. Akane had always been the life and the joy of their little party. Now that she was gone, so too was that very life and joy gone with her.
So wrapped up in her thoughts and emotions, dealing with the loss of her friend, Sera hardly noticed as they passed through the great gated wall that sectioned off Old Bastion from the surrounding city. Cabrin had grumbled as the guards had relieved him of his katana before entering, but relinquishing his weapon in his urgency to reach their destination, they left the noises of the bustling crowds behind them as they continued to their destination, the College loomed ahead of them.
It was a massive, curved building, rising seven stories high on stone columns. As people in robes of various colored trim milled about or spoke amongst each other in small groups, Sera couldn’t help but be drawn from her depression to be momentarily awed by its majesty.
When they reached the end of the path, they climbed the tall set of stairs which surrounded the building and passed through the columns before reaching the massive doorway that led into the structure. They continued through the doorway and Sera drew a breath as they came into the large open chamber that opened up around them. The floor they walked upon was that of white marble and beyond a curtain of columns, murals depicting the rise and fall of Celeste were painted on the walls. The tile floor had been polished so well that Sera could easily see her reflection, and at the center of the chamber was a towering gold statue.
At the base of the statue were the figures of nude men who crawled from a pit as monstrous arms clawed at them. On a rock, jutting out over the pit was Celeste, wrapped in a cloth which left her chest partially exposed. One hand reached behind her, pulling the men from their prison, the other stretched out before her bearing a sword in a gesture of defiance against their enemy.
Sera blushed slightly, abashed at the nakedness on view for all to see. The depiction of Celeste was generic, at best, but even though Sera couldn’t see herself in that golden figure, she felt a sense of familiarity and it was enough to leave her embarrassed because of it. She shook her head at the silliness of it all. This was an image meant to evoke a feeling of hope and inspiration, and there she was, being concerned over something as simple as an exposed breast.
“I’m sorry, but the Director is unavailable at the moment.” Sera was shaken from her thoughts as she took notice of the woman that Cabrin had been speaking with.
“We’ve traveled a long way to speak with your people.” Cabrin said, his voice on edge. “It’s imperative that we speak with him, right away.”
The receptionist attending them was a girl no older than Sera, perhaps even a year or two younger. She shifted awkwardly in her burgundy robes. Cabrin’s frustration was edging on anger. Sera could feel it, and so could the young receptionist.
“If you were to make an appointment, I’m sure he would-.” She paused as footsteps closed in on them. “Oh, Administrator Seer. These two were just…”
The girl’s words trailed off as Sera felt a bony hand clap down on her shoulder, spinning her around to face an old man dressed in white robes.
The old man stood hunched from years of looking over old books and scrolls. His cold, piercing eyes looked over Sera with an intimidating glare as he twisted her face side to side in his cold hand.
Cabrin rushed to oppose the man, drawing the attention of some nearby guards. He reached for his katana as they approached, cursing when he remembered it was no longer with him. As the commotion drew the attention of those who were passing through, Cabrin was forced to the ground, shouting in protest to the guards who restrained him.
“Who are you? Where do you come from?” The old man demanded accusingly, paying no mind to the tackled ranger.
“My name is Sera, Sera Bennett.” Sera replied. “I come from Rivera. It’s a small river town south of-.”
The man waved his hand, letting go of her face and cutting off her words.
“Let the man go.” He said to the guards before addressing the curious onlookers around them. “And the rest of you go on about your own business.”
“And you,” He said to the receptionist. “Not a word of this to anybody, understand?”
“Yes, sir.” She answered. “But I-.”
“Enough!” He said, “You two, follow me.”
Sera looked to Cabrin who glared after the old man as he hurried away. He obviously didn’t like the way the two of them had been treated, but this old man clearly had some authority in this place. If they couldn’t see the master of the establishment, then perhaps this “Administrator” Seer was their best option.
“Quickly now.” The old man called over his shoulder and reluctantly, Sera and Cabrin obeyed.