(Ezra's POV)
After our training, I told Cyrus to rest and relax at camp while I tended to other matters. I took a sip of water from the stream and grabbed a hoodie, scarf, and gloves from my bag. Wrapping the scarf around my mouth, I tucked my braids into the hood and slid my hands into the gloves.
"You're going into town, aren't you?" Cyrus asked.
"Yes. I need to send a message to Grandpa Zaire to let him know we're stopping our search for the relics and finally meeting up with him."
"Okay, be careful down there," he said.
"I will. Don't worry."
"Oh, one thing before you leave," Cyrus said, hesitating. "I don't have a weapon to protect myself in case more astral behemoths decide to intrude into our space."
"We took out the big horde in this part of the range during your Starbirth Trial. You should be fine. But if anything strange happens, release three pulses of cosmic energy in rapid succession, and I'll be there in an instant."
"Sounds good."
"Please hand me the bag of celestial cores we collected from the astral behemoths. I need them to obtain credits."
After Cyrus handed me the bag, I made my way down the mountain. Normally, the trip to the city center would take several hours, but since I was traveling alone and didn't need to match Cyrus's pace, enhanced by my cosmic augmentation, it took a fraction of the time.
By the time I reached the city center, dusk had fallen. Even at this hour, the streets were bustling. Merchants still crowded the roads, calling out to passersby and showcasing their wares. This city wasn't as advanced as the one we once called home, but it thrived thanks to the kickbacks it received for aiding in the destruction of my clan.
I moved through the crowded streets, careful not to draw attention to myself, until I reached the Hunter's Guild. The guild was packed with adventurers seeking work hunting astral behemoths—a lucrative but perilous profession. Passing groups huddled around bulletin boards debating their next missions, I made my way to the front desk.
"How may I help you, sir?" a fair-skinned woman with curly hair asked.
"I want to sell these celestial cores," I said, placing the bag on the counter.
She dumped the cores into a glowing container, which scanned them to determine their value.
"10,000 credits," she said, handing me a card with the payment. "Not many people bring in stellarfiend-ranked cores. Did you defeat these all by yourself?" Her question drew attention from the nearby adventurers.
"Oh, I just stumbled upon them as I was coming in," I replied, trying to deflect suspicion. "I didn't fight them—looked like they were already injured, probably by another astral behemoth."
"Lucky you," she said, handing back the empty bag. "Have a good day, sir."
I gave her a faint wave and left the guild. If she knew who I really was, I doubted she'd treat me so casually. A wanted man like me would fetch a hefty bounty. I shook off the thought and merged back into the bustling crowd.
Walking through the city, I couldn't help but notice the innocence in the people around me. They were preoccupied with making an honest living and spending time with loved ones. They believed their actions in the past were for the continent's betterment, unaware they were pawns in a much larger game. That's why I didn't resent them—they weren't the true problem. It was a lesson I hoped Cyrus would come to understand.
After wandering through the merchant district and picking up a few small items to bring back to camp, I finally reached the postal office. I went straight to one of the secured terminals used for private messages, paying the 2,500-credit fee. Entering the password for the encrypted server my father and I had set up, I double-checked my surroundings to ensure no one was watching me.
"Cyrus and I are leaving the continent and heading your way. Cyrus's Starbirth Trial didn't go as planned. His predicament is beyond my expertise, and I need your help. The search for the relic is suspended for now. We'll arrive in about three months."
After reviewing the message, I sent it and logged out. As I left the terminal, I noticed a few wary glances but no one approached me.
"I really need to come up with a better disguise for traveling in this area," I muttered to myself.
Blending back into the crowd, I took my time wandering the city one last time. It would be a long while before I entered another. I missed the energy, the sense of connection, the love of a community. Now, all I had was Cyrus, and I sometimes worried I was overbearing. That's probably what his mother would say if she were still here. I missed her most of all.
On my way out of the city, just as I entered the outskirts, I felt a shift in the cosmic energy around me. Malicious intent prickled at my senses.
"Ezra Solaris, you've done a good job of hiding all these years," a man with pale skin and dark green eyes said, stepping out from the brush. He was clad in a black cloak, flanked by a squad of men.
"I'm sorry, sir, I think you have the wrong guy," I replied calmly.
"Oh, do we now?" he sneered. "This town is full of embryonic-phase Starbound, with only a handful at the adept-phase. It would take an entire legion of them to defeat a Stellar fiend-ranked behemoth."
"I told the clerk—I just stumbled upon the cores," I said, keeping my tone even.
"Interesting," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "We also tracked a significant cosmic disturbance in the mountains during the solar eclipse. Care to explain that?"
I tensed. There was no talking my way out of this.
"The mountains, infested with astral behemoths, aren't a safe place for a boy," the man said, a sinister smile creeping across his face. "I think the afterlife sounds like a better home for him."
As his words hung in the air, I felt three rapid pulses of cosmic energy—a signal from Cyrus.