Upon the mention of a guild, the peculiar figure's unpleasant smile twisted into a stretching frown as he stared hauntingly into Huweyn's eyes, not blinking even once,"We're going straight there already… You're no fun, are you, Huweyn Whispering Ash?"
As Huweyn stood before the peculiar figure the silence between them was absolute. The air around them grew stiff and tense as they locked eyes– Neither of them saying a single word.
Then amidst the silence, both their Essence Marks slowly began to glow faintly. Then in an instant, as the Essence Mark of the peculiar figure emitted a luminance, Huweyn shot forward, his body brimming in bright deep-blue luminance.
As he darted forward, leaving a rapid trail of dust and sand, his fists balled. Kairi's eyes could hardly keep up. He's too fast– What about the weird guy?
As Kairi turned the other direction, facing the peculiar figure, he was rendered confused. What's he doing?
The peculiar figure, in a quick, nervous attempt dipped his hands into his pockets. Ad he slid his hands out, Kairi caught a faint glisp of something– Something bright.
For a brief moment, he had seen a blood-red crystal shard shining with bright luminance, revealed subtly by the plunging rays of Eos coming through small cracks in the Cavern infrastructure. Whatever was in his other hand, Kairi had not seen.
Before the peculiar figure could continue his hidden endeavor, Huweyn, in a matter of seconds, grabbed hold of him, and tossed him onto the sand before grabbing hold of his left hand.
"That's not fair, you're way too fast." The peculiar figure sulked.
Huweyn, getting annoyed by his unserious demeanor, demanded information,"Tell me why you're here, or else!"
He then began to pull his frail arm back even further— A faint crack was heard.
"You're quite a dominant one, aren't you?" The peculiar figure scoffed, unbothered by neither Huweyn's threat to break his thin arm or the pain.
As Kairi closely observed the two, he had caught sight of something Huweyn had not. The peculiar figure's Essence Mark glewed faintly once more.
Kairi was overwhelmed with a feeling of fear, his chest tightened, his head grew fuzzy and his heart began pumping furiously, every hair on his body began to stand up one after the next; Something's not right.
He didn't know why he had felt that way, he didn't know what had possessed him, despite Huweyn appearing unscathed Kairi felt as though he was in danger.
"Hear him out first, Huweyn!" He shouted with a hoarse voice.
"The boy has a point, you know." He then smiled unpleasantly,"You should hear me out."
Huweyn then sighed, letting go of his arm but making no attempt to pull him off of the ground."Don't try anything."
He then picked himself before dusting off his clothes,"Don't worry. I have no intentions of fighting you, in fact, I'd love to have a pleasant conversation and at least hear your voice when it's not so manly and demanding all the time."
Crossing his arms,"Well that's a shame, you don't quite deserve that pleasure." He then pointed a finger towards his chest,"Who are you really? Why do you know my name?"
The peculiar figure, amidst a moment of stiff seriousness, burst into maniacal laughter,"You're a high-ranking Transcender, why would I not know your name?"
"You're hiding something and I don't quite like that." Huweyn remarked, feeling his blood beginning to boil.
"Fine, you can call me Louis. And as you have dirtied my clothes, I should have no right to tell you anything, but because I like you, I will." He then smirked,"I am part of what you'd call 'The Shadowed Syndicate.'"
"I've never heard of such a guild." Huweyn remarked.
Louis then sighed,"It's called Shadowed for a reason, if you and other Transcenders knew of us, then there'd be no point in our Syndicate."
"Well, as I have no interest in knowing what you and your brethren are after, for now, I'll refrain from asking about your Guild."
"Wonderful."
"But I do have one more question for you." Huweyn demanded.
"By all means, go ahead."
"Why are you here?" Huweyn questioned. With a confused expression."What reason would you have to be in such a place? Even for a Transcender, this place could be a potential grave."
"For that."
Louis, the strange figure, then pointed a finger to the direction opposite to them, to the corpse of the Spirit Beasts.
He then pulled something out of his pocket, something quite familiar to Kairi, a bright blood-red crystal."I collect these."
"You collect Spirit Stones?" Huweyn questioned, he then looked at the peculiar fellow from head to toe, examining his frail pale features,"You don't look like a blacksmith to me."
"I'm a collector, that's all it is really." He then smiled ear to ear once more, resting his hand on Huweyn's shoulder,"You don't plan on collecting their Spirit Stones, do you?"
"You'll have to ask him." Huweyn remarked.
The two then began to look at Kairi, in response to this, Kairi sighed,"He can have them."
"But why?" Huweyn questioned.
"Because I failed to kill them. I should have no right to own them." Kairi remarked, a disappointed look on his face.
"A manly lad, aren't you." Louis then began to pace toward the Spirit Beasts,"I'll take them with pleasure, thank you."
Huweyn then turned to face Kairi,"We should leave now, I have a feeling that being amidst the presence of that maniac any longer might attract the presence of more Beasts."
"You're right." Kairi scoffed.
Lifting the injured Kairi on his back, Huweyn then began to pace his way out of the Sworning Caverns. Kairi, his head resting atop Huweyn's shoulder, fell shift asleep; exhaustion had now finally caught its way up to him.
Watching as the two walked off, with two shard-like luminous crystals—Spirit Stones—in both hands, Louis sighed. Had he continued to push me like that, I would have certainly killed him– But I am quite impressed with you, Huweyn Whispering Ash, you're a talent certainly worth our Syndicate.