It took Alloy quite a few minutes to head to the center of the town, she was given directions by the old man and followed them to the latter. After taking a few corners, she found an open space, it looked similar to a park, with green grass carefully laid out from the edges of the whole area, like a massive field. However, the green faded as Alloy walked through the field, and all she witnessed was dry and withered grass just barely hanging on to the ground it belonged to.
Looking to her left, she saw a similar pattern, but it was in a straight line, like whatever happened left a trail, but that wasn't her concern at the moment, she kept walking toward the center. She saw rubble of rocks as well, scattered, some small boulders and others the size of gravel, but they were clearly pieces of a broken statue, seeing as the stump of its feet were no more than 7 feet away from her.
Twenty minutes passed before she heard the hooves of horses trotting nearby, behind her, she turned to see what/who it was. Atop one of them was Damion, he showed himself holding on to one horse as he held the leash of the other on his left hand.
"Alloy!!" He called out.
"Damion!!"
"What happened here??" he said, noticing the weird pattern on the grass as well as the destroyed statue.
"Your brother," she said standing in front of the statue and watching the surprise and disappointment in Damion's eyes.
"Where did you get horses??"
"He arranged them for me."
"Arranged?? What do you mean??"
"I mean, he knows we're here. And we have to leave now. At least if you wanna see your precious sunset… that is."
"Are you ready to go??" She asked, smiling.
"Y… yeah," he said, taken aback by her lack of emphasis on their enemy's identity being his brother.
The two meeting up took quite a bit of time, by the time they were ready, the sun had began setting. But since the two were accustomed to the night, this was the perfect time for them to leave for their next destination. They stood with their new borrowed horses. Both were brown-colored, normal-looking horses.
"We have a stop to make first," Alloy told him.
"What?!?! Why?!?!" Damion asked, with the clear urgency of why they were in a rush in his voice.
"We have the chance to get another member, I don't want to pass it. Plus I hear your brother is strong, we could use the extra help."
"You're strong enough… we both are!!" He insisted.
"I know, but it won't take long, I promise."
"Fine, but you might change your mind after you hear what my brother is up to."
"Try me."
"Let's go then, or is it too late??" He asked, giving up his attempt to change her mind.
"I'm a shadow drifter and you've lived in a swamp that barely catches any sunlight, I think travelling late is what's best for us, besides, I see better at night." She said as she got aboard the brown coated, possibly stallion, it's height was mid-level for a horse anyway.
"Follow me," she added. "We have to pass by somewhere in the town first."
Damion shrugged, aware that it was Alloy's decision anyway, but what he knew was that Spire was going to be stopped, and he wasn't alone in his mission to do it. The two headed for the place that the old tailor had told her about, the stables on the western side of the town where most leave and arrive from there. She found a carriage, ready with a sleeping charioteer right next to the hay-eating horses that awaited both parties. In the back of the carriage, lay brand new clothes for the pair, both outfits were barely visible due to their dark colors but they decided to put them on in the stables, no one was around anyway, and their clothes, well, however long their lifespan was, died more than a few hours ago.In no time, the two were done changing on opposite stables, with big enough doors for no one to see inside. They waltzed out of the 'changing rooms' and stared at each other for a solid minute. Damion watched as Alloy adjusted the deep blue sash at her waist, the fabric smooth and slightly familiar under her fingers, tied in a simple knot of rope… nothing that fancy, just enough to keep it secure. Her light beige tunic was short-sleeved and fitted, easy to move in without getting in the way. She never cared for extra layers, but when the wind got sharp, she was also granted a plain wool cloak, dark and barely embellished, just enough to keep the cold from biting too deep.
Her dark brown shorts stopped just above her knees, loose but snug enough to stay put. They were paired with soft leather boots, well-made and sturdy, with cloth wrappings around her ankles to keep them snug. Her fingerless leather gloves were brand new, and light arm bracers added just enough protection without feeling restrictive.
Around her wrist, her black chain bracelet rested against her skin, its inner links catching the light with a faint red hue. Her clothes weren't made to impress, but considering they were in a poor village… it was impressive. They were made to last, built for the road ahead. But Alloy didn't care, she wore something out of Zephro for the first time. She was ecstatic, and it was clearly seen as she kept checking parts of her clothes out. Eventually, she got to her bracelet, and slowed down to stare at it for a moment.
"He gave you jewelry too??!!" Damion asked. His mouth hanging from shock.
"What?? No…" Alloy said as she looked up at him. "This is…" she gasped.
Damion's outfit was simple enough, he had a burnt-orange sash at his waist, tied with ease. His dark gray sleeveless tunic fit comfortably, the fabric crisp and unblemished. Over it, he wore a long, sleeveless dark brown vest, its clean edges were neatly stitched.
His black hakama-style pants were loose enough for comfort but tapered at the ankles, neatly tucked into sturdy leather boots with smooth, polished surfaces. His hands were wrapped in fresh cloth at the wrists, not from injury but out of habit… like he was always ready for something, though Alloy couldn't quite tell what.
There was nothing flashy about his outfit, but everything was well-made and fitted him perfectly. Simple, clean, and effortlessly put together. Once more, Alloy was fascinated at his outfit. He didn't wear a sleeveless top before, but this one emphasized on…
"You have so much muscle!!" She laughed. "How old are you??!!"
"I'm 18. How old are you??"
"17. That's weird. I'm gonna be your captain and I'm younger than you!!" She burst out laughing. Truth be told, Damion couldn't help but chuckle at the fact.
They both stared at each other once more, marveling at the new outfits they had, the look on each of their faces gave the other the approval they wanted on how they looked. Satisfied, they mounted their horses and began their next journey, leaving the charioteer to his sleep filled night.