The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 108: Marion

Marion stared at the young man who had signalled out to him.

He had dirty-white hair, a pale face and a slightly sinister aura that, although suppressed, made Marion a little on edge.

The young trader's crimson gaze teetered on the edge of a deep scarlet, resembling a vast pool of blood. Marion ignored how his insides instinctively squirmed at that. Doubtless, it was a visceral reminder of the truth he had learned not too long ago.

Finally, a pitch-black phoenix rested on the young man's shoulder, its intelligent amber eyes scanning Marion suspiciously for any threat. The dark-haired youth almost laughed.

What a cute bird. It was still an adolescent - the phoenix equivalent of baby fat clinging to its avian features in little hints, here and there - but Marion could tell that the familiar had already taken a few steps towards its journey of growing up.

His fingers twitched.

However, he resisted the urge to rush up and pet it, knowing full well that the bird's owner would not take too kindly to him suddenly harassing his pet.

'Hmph, my doll collection is way cuter! Who needs a baby phoenix?'

That thought lasted only for a heartbeat, before he immediately cast it aside.

'Oh, who am I kidding? Eveyone needs one!'

Marion sighed, plastering a friendly - and totally not bitter - smile on his face as he approached the stall. He saw the trader enter a little daze, as if mesmerized by his beautiful and fair skin.

The edges of Marion's lips curled into a grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Dazzled by my beauty? I know I'm handsome, but even refined and elegant gentlemen like me get shy, you know?"

The white-haired young man blinked, taken aback for a moment, before his lips twitched and his shoulders trembled. For some reason, Marion felt that the phoenix owner was not taking him seriously - it was as if he thought Marion was exaggerating.

Which was absolutely preposterous!

Marion was the epitome of what all young men in the Sanctuary should be - handsome, honest and well-mannered, with a little extra dash on top.

He was also a little bashful… but that only applied during the times he had to make the most of his charm.

Chuckling to himself, Marion's expression quickly turned serious.

"Thank you."

He bowed his head lightly, conveying his sincere gratitude.

"For what?"

The young man's voice was a little deeper than what Marion expected.

Wearing a faint smile, the handsome youth clarified:

"You noticed I was being followed, right? Your act of signalling to me, gave me the perfect opportunity to shake off my pursuers. They'll find me again soon, I'm sure, but for the moment I can be at ease, so thank you."

A knowing look flashed across the young man's features, before his expression turned neutral, an act that Marion deciphered as him avoiding prying into his circumstances, and reminding Marion that they had a trade to complete.

Shaking his head slightly, the elegant youth obliged, scanning the few beast cores displayed on the cloth covering. His eyes gleamed with interest, spotting the purified remains of an Ice Wyrm.

'This should be good for Lettie.'

At the same time, in the deep recesses of his mind, Marion switched between several different perspectives, his mental gaze cold and calculating. It was like he was viewing the world through a different lens.

One of his puppets gave him an aerial view of the market, another weaved through the busy throng like a ghostly cat, nimble and unseen. A third and fourth offered him vantage points from the point of view of different merchants, while the fifth and final one hid nearby, ready to be used if the situation called for it.

'Those bastards. I can't believe they hid how despicable they were.'

Marion secretly clenched his teeth.

Alas, it was too late for regret.

Forcing himself to calm down, the dark-haired youth returned his attention to the young trader. The little phoenix continued to stare at him, and Marion continued to resist the urge to pet it. He smiled softly, impressed at the intelligence it displayed.

Clearly, it could tell that there was more than what met the eye when it came to Marion - even if it wasn't yet at the age and rank to really understand what.

'What a smart bird.'

Marion snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the white-haired trader clear his throat.

The elegant youth displayed a slightly bitter smile in return. He perked up soon after, though, quickly picking out the orb his little sister would use. Marion's features almost imperceptibly softened at the thought of his family.

He grinned.

"Are you sure I can have this free of charge?"

The young man nodded.

Marion hesitated, unused to receiving something without having to work hard for it.

And while he could guess the decision to hand out free cores was mostly likely driven by business, Marion still found it difficult to accept. However, even if it felt weird for him to take, Marion would not be so foolish as to pass up an opportunity to make his little sibling happy, and most importantly, stronger.

After all, there was no guarantee that he, her big brother would always be there to help her. In this cruel, cold world, she had to learn how to depend on herself.

Even if it pained him greatly to admit.

Cutting his musing short, Marion glanced at the trader one last time, burning the young man's visage into his mind. He would do his best to repay the favour, irrespective of whether the trader's intentions had been transactional or not.

Waving towards the little phoenix, Marion turned around to leave.

However, a cold voice abruptly stopped him in his tracks.

"Give it back."

'Hm?'

The dark-haired youth paused, glancing down at his hands.

There, nestled in his palm, was an extra orb.

Marion's grin widened.

His amethyst pupils flashed, before a boisterous chuckle escaped his lips.

"Sorry, old habits die hard, I guess."

He promptly returned the extra core, and bid the trader farewell.

'What an interesting guy...'

***

Somewhere else in the Sanctuary.

Inside a dark building, silence stretched. It was an oppressive kind - heavy, and quiet enough that one could hear the sound of their own heartbeat. It felt very unnatural. And it was also extremely unnerving, the absence of any life being much more noticeable here.

Strangely, two figures occupied this space, both dressed in blood-red cloaks.

The first sat on a chair fashioned from pale-white bone. They silently swirled a chalice in their right hand, appearing deep in thought. The scarlet liquid inside threatened to spill, but the figure remained unperturbed.

The second, and clearly less senior figure, knelt beside the seat. Their head was bowed, knowing better than to disturb their master's musing. The uncomfortable silence continued, occasionally broken by the sound of something wet and heavy dripping onto the ground.

It was grim and jarring, like a haunting echo of what once was.

The kneeling figure twitched, finally unable to handle the oppressive silence any longer.

"My lord…"

They began.

The first figure glanced towards their subordinate. The movement of their chalice stilled.

"Speak."

The second figure tried not to shiver as a tyrannical and hair-raising pressure erupted from the figure seated on the bone throne.

"Are you sure it was wise to let him go?"

The first figure mulled over the question for a few moments, letting the silence drag on.

Once their subordinate began to squirm, they responded in a smooth tone:

"Yes. He cannot reveal our existence. Marion is smart, even if my initial assessment of him was slightly wrong."

Amusement and mirth seemed to dance in the first figure's eyes.

An entertained grin then laced their tone:

"He will come around."

The dripping sound continued, bleak and mournful.

"…Eventually."