AChance Meeting
Rionan wasn’t quite sure where he was walking, or what exactly he was looking for, but the fresh night air seemed to soothe his restlessness. He had gone out on a walk, with a plan of scoping the area, trying to get some sort of lead on why exactly his magic had brought him here, of all places.
He could feel it crackling beneath his skin, reminding him that he was on the right path, and the clock was ticking.
After leaving his hotel and choosing to avoid the busy area filled with nightclubs, bars, and who knows what else, Rionan had found himself in a quiet park. It was dimly lit, and although not far away from the hustle and bustle of the area, the sound of music, traffic, and revelry did not reach it. He felt at peace. He stopped, savouring the feeling of the wind moving through his hair. The grass, as it crunched beneath his shoes. The gentle flowing of water coming from a nearby stream. The night air, crisp and cool. It reminded him of one of the finer, milder nights in Xanthia. If he closed his eyes, he could almost picture that he was standing on the balcony of his palace in the West. He thought of his favourite view from that balcony – the sun setting over the forests beyond his palace grounds. Tall oak trees span the horizon, hills and mountain ranges in the distance. He thought of the gentle sound of his people coming and going from the palace beneath him. It was open to all who needed to see healers, botanists, as the West’s finest kept their dwellings in the middle levels of his palace. Rionan believed in peace and community. Peace, which had been shattered, in the not-so-distant past.
He didn’t allow his mind to drift to the silence that may now stretch across his lands. The oaks that had fallen, or burnt. The emptiness that festered across the entirety of the West, with its people having fled for their lives, and him gone, taking the lifeforce of the lands with him.
He thought of his friends, Ulreah and Thallax. Ulreah was stubborn, brave, and had always been the last to turn his back on danger. He truly hoped his friend had made it to safety, but he knew in his heart that he would have left at the last possible minute, buying time for Thallax to get everyone else out.
With a deep breath and a sigh, Rionan brought himself back to the present. Here he stood, in Porthan. He couldn’t waste any more time and needed to find a lead on what to do next.
As he continued to stroll with an effortless grace through the grass and rows of well-cut shrubs, he heard two female voices, growing louder as they moved towards him. He was unseen through the hedgerows and remained still, listening as they passed.
“…honestly though, Tash, I don’t even know why you waste your time watching that absolute trash, I can almost feel my IQ getting lower every minute I sit in front of it.”
The voice was familiar, light, and full of a sense of fun.
“Excuseme, Alianna, if I am the less sophisticated of the two of us. Although you can’t argue with me right now, because you have marinara sauce on yourforehead!” retorted another voice, that Rionan had not heard before.
“My forehead? How has that even - ”
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” came a deep, masculine voice that had not been part of the conversation a moment before. “We were talking back at the bar. Well, I was talking to one of you. We were getting on really well, and I thought I would catch-up with you. It’s a nice evening, isn’t it?”
“Oh. Hi there…Mick?” came the unfamiliar female voice. “Thanks, but we are actually not interested in further company tonight, we have just finished having pizza and are bloated beyond belief, so thanks for the offer, but maybe we will see you another night.”
“I don’t think you look bloated. I think you look wonderful. That is a very flattering dress.”
“I know. That’s why I chose it. If you don’t mind, we will be on our way.”
“I can walk you home, you know.” The voices were getting closer, and Rionan could hear three sets of footsteps. Two seemed to be moving more quickly than the other.
“I’m sure you could, Mick, but we are fine. We are actually meeting somebody,” the familiar voice came again. Rionan pieced together the conversation he’d overheard, the names that had been said and by whom.
Alianna. This girl’s name was Alianna.
The girl from the hospital.What a small world. Or, a small town, where Alianna was a very common name. He’d take his chances with it just being a small world.
“Well, they aren’t here yet, are they? And my name isn’t Mick. It’s Mark,” the voice had become firm, gruff. Rionan found himself moving towards the noise. “I spent a lot of ironmarks on drinks tonight, so the very least you girls can do is let me walk you through the park.”
Rionan heard a masculine grunt.
“Get off of me!” shouted the unfamiliar voice, which was laced with panic. Rionan rounded the corner, adjusting his posture so he was striding with grace and ease. He could see the silhouette of two females and a slightly dishevelled-looking male. The scent of alcohol wafted from the man. Rionan wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“I’ve been looking all over for you. Did you get my pizza?” Rionan smiled and called out as he walked towards the group. As his eyes focused on them, he immediately recognised the woman from the hospital. She was with another woman, who was well-made up in a red dress. The man had a hand around this woman’s wrist. As they looked up at Rionan, the man – Mark, he had said his name was – let go and stepped back.
“Alianna?” Rionan asked, feigning a fondness in his tone, but directing his confused and concerned expression at the man. “What is going on? Do you know this man?”
“….no, we don’t,” Alianna answered. The three of them were staring at Rionan, and uncertain recognition stirred in Alianna’s eyes.
“I see,” Rionan turned his attention to Mark. “Following women through the park at night, are we? Making demands after they give you the time of day with some polite conversation earlier in the evening?”
“It was more than polite conversation. I bought this one,” Mark gestured to the woman in the red dress. “A drink. Then she just left. That was clearly an invitation.”
“Was it now?” Rionan stepped forward, eyes hard, lip curled in anger. “I’ll tell you what,” a chill swept over him as he stared into the eyes of the man in front of him. “You are invited to take a long walk to the nearest official's office. You are going to tell them that you wereharassing two women who were just trying to get home, after enjoying an evening out together. You are going to admit whatever your intentions were with these women. You are never going to lay a hand on somebody without their consent again. And, before you go. You’re going to apologise.”
Mark’s face slackened for a brief moment, eyes vacant, before he took an intimidated step back from Rionan. His eyes became panicked, and his face twisted into a reasonable expression of caution.
