Hello guys! Here's chapter 5! Enjoy it! Grammatical mistakes and what not, point them out and I will correct them, thank you!

Chapter 5: Red star

23rd of Chaos

*yawnnnnn….*

“So sleepy… I wish I had my shift in the afternoon, so early in the morning takes its toll on me…mmm? Someone is coming from the building…”

The guard that was in his post noticed the figure of a person, but with the fog he couldn’t make of who might be, until he/she was close enough

“(M-Miss Aurora!!)”

The guard finally recognizing the subject adjusted his stance in a proper manner and prepared to greet his visitor. It has been 3 days since Aurora started to reach to the three different entrances that would guide someone to Veritas, and she did so three times a day matching the morning, the afternoon and the night shifts

Finally reaching the lookout post, that was a simple building with the bare minimum necessities, Aurora greeted the guard

“Morning Marton, having trouble in the morning?”

“Ah… you saw me? *sigh…* Please don’t tell Tita about it, she is gonna give me a beating and a lecture… just thinking about it makes me shiver and lose all my motivation…”

*giggle giggle*

“Don’t worry, I’m also not a morning person and Tita would reproach me too for not telling her… so this is a little secret, okay?”

*wink*

“(Ah… I feel lucky…)”

“Ah! That’s right! *claps hands* Have there been any news about my request?”

“(Ah… true… she is coming here only to check about this acquaintance of hers…) *dejection* Nothing new so far Miss Aurora, if I may, is there really any need to concern so much about this acquaintance? New students generally start coming by the 25th to prepare for the inscriptions don’t them?”

“You are right, generally speaking, most new students would be arriving to the city 7 to 10 days before the official aperture of the inscriptions, but, Lean’s a special case…”

“(Lean, a man’s name…) Special case? Aren’t all the new students ‘special cases’?”

Aurora’s response made Marton doubt her, after all, the people that come to Veritas are all ‘special’

*giggle giggle*

“Ah, I phrased it wrong, yes, new students are all special but Lean is a case all on its own…”

“(Don’t tell me… could it be…he picked her interest?!) A case of its own… how’s that??”

“Well… let’s just say that I’m repaying a debt I took some time ago”

“A… debt? I can’t believe that Miss Aurora…”

Marton now was on denial, he did not know that much about Aurora but he saw her as a calculative and meticulous type of person, one that would think first with a cool head before taking action. Also, his superior regarded Aurora rather highly as a co-worker and those evaluations were passed down to her subordinates too

“*giggle giggle* you can’t? I may not look like it now, but in the past I was a hot blooded one… well… it was precisely because of that, that in the end I got my ass saved when things turned diresome... ah… fun memories *giggle*”

“(Is it really so fun remembering how you almost lost your life??)”

“Aww c’mon Marton don’t be so troubled, I’m here am I not?”

“Maybe you really lost something back there…in your head that is…”

“Marton… you’re thinking out loud…”

“Eh?”

“So you were thinking that I’m some crazy moffo uh… maybe Tita is going to have a fun morning don’t you think?”

“(Holy mother!!) I’m sorry! I swear I’m sorry, please don’t--”

“*hahahaha!!* Don’t be so scared, it was a joke, a J-O-K-E. Okay?”

“*sigh…….* Please don’t scare me like this….”

“(But if you think that I’m crazy for only this, what would you think about that man then…)”

“(Miss Aurora??)”

Marton regaining the colour of his face and straightening himself, found the lack of response from Aurora in that she was looking to the side with a reminiscent gaze

“Miss Aurora! Miss Aurora! Miss Aurora!”

“Eh? Yes? What?”

“Are you okay? Would you like to drink Mir tea?”

“Haa… thank you Marton, but I only dazed off a little, dont worry about it ”

“(Maybe she remembered a bad one… it will be better not to pry so much, she doesn’t seem to be in any mood to continue talking anyway) Okay if you say so. Well… that’s that. For now I’m going to keep watching so if your acquaintance comes, I’ll be sure to report it”

“Oh! How dependable! Then I’ll be going, thank you Marton!”

“Sure, have a nice day Miss Aurora!”

…

…

…

*PLOMP*

“Ah… now, this is heaven…”

Aurora jumped and laid herself in a big sofa, it was her favorite furniture of the room, with darkwood as the frame and soft cushions, it was not strange to find Aurora sleeping there instead of her bed. Also, whenever she wanted to think/ponder about something, she would do it on the sofa when the situation allowed it

“(Should I go and try again with the Orbstone?? It’s strange that Lean’s mana disappeared like that… but to go to the Old owl’s den again… ugh… don’t want to….)”

“*Sigh.......* One last try, and if that doesn’t work… you better prepare yourself Lean....”

…

…

Standing in front of a wooden door, that had steel patterns of stars and the moons and the sun imprinted in it, Aurora readied herself

*knock knock*

“Come in”

A worn out voice came from behind the door, almost inaudible, however to Aurora, that voice sounded like the devil’s whisper

“Please, let this be the last time”

With that small prayer to no one, Aurora entered

“Oh! Aurora! Small child of the stars! What a lovely sight for this old man, have you finally decided to seek the path of the stars? I can guide you thoroughly if it’s you *hihihihi*”

“How about I turn you into stardust perverted owl?”

“*sigh* Ah… how fearsome, such treats coming from a small mouth like yours… what a shame *nods*”

“Enough with the chitchat perverted owl, lend me the Orbstone for a while”

“Again? *tsk tsk* Aurora, impatience is one of the many bad companies we can have, why don’t you take it easy and while you’re at it keep me company!!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever… *searching*”

“Hou, what a disrespectful child, searching at your own discretion… ah! Careful with that tool it’s very expensive!! *Ahem* what does the future holds for the new generation… *fake sob*"

“And... isn’t that what your ‘reading of the stars’ stands for Owl? *searching*”

“Ah, it’s true! *fists one hand onto the other palm* let’s see, mmm….this is?!?!?!?!”

“Oh? Did you see something for once?”

“It’s not far off the time where I will get a kiss from miss researcher”

“*vein popping in temple* Let me tell you that those stars are guiding you to a quick death Old owl”

“*grin* But I would get a kiss from you to trade it for, not such a big loss if I say so… NO! Wait! Isn’t it even profitable for me? I get a beauty kissing me and death gets an old decrepit *approving nod*”

“Suuuuure…. Whatever you say Sabur, Ah! Here is it! Now shut up for a while, I’m gonna immerse”

“*sigh* How cold… take care and don’t lose yourself in the current Aurora my dear”

“*grin* Finally something that came from your mouth in the past 3 days that is useful, well… here I go! *Infuses mana to the Orbstone*”

Orbstone, this particular object found many years ago is said to be the world’s eye, and with reason. It isn’t known how the Orbstone comes to be, but what is known is that it is Solid mana, pure concentration of mana personified in the form of a sphere. What can an Orbstone do? Alone, little if anything as to be a decorative piece of stone, its lightblue colour is pleasant to the eye and it even glows a little in the dark; but in the hands of a person that dwells in the studies of mana, it's a very powerful tool.

The importance of the Orbstone lies in that it serves to ‘project or concentrate mana, and analyze it’, right now Aurora is using it with the intention to project mana, the outer eye function as it’s called by those in the field, permits a person to search/explore the surrounding mana

“(Where are you Lean?)”

…

…

“(?!?!...this, YES, FINALLY! Uh? It’s pretty far, did he even try to reach Veritas at all?)”

“*Wakes from Immersion* Hey Sabur, I have fo- WHAT ARE YOU TRYING NOW??”

Aurora snapped back to reality only to find Sabur very close to her, with his hands moving in the direction of her bust and waist

“(Tch, already done?) Ah! I was going to motivate you, you know that a massage is good for the body right?”

“Sabur….”

“Aurora!”

“YOU ARE DAMN DEAD OLD LECHEROUS BASTARD!!!”

“Please be kind to this old sack of bones!! *resigned*”

*Bamn! Pow! Crack!*

“*Whistle* Ah… that was refreshing, thanks for the guidance Sabur”

For the reader’s discretion we have put a censorship in Sabur’s remainings

Aurora headed to the door with new spirits, but before she could leave

“Hey, Aurora” The voice turned serious and transmitted a whole new presence in contrast to the tired voice from before

“Is it a new prediction?” Aurora stopped in front of the door and responded in kind, but didn’t turn back

“It’s not a prediction but… the stars are making strange movements…”

“Strange movements? Explain”

“I can’t say for sure, but, since the start of Chaos, the stars have been… restless? And the more days pass by, the more disorderly they become…”

“I see… well, I hope you can decipher whatever that means then”

“Yeah, I want that too… also, there is a red star shining on you my dear”

“(Red star…) When?”

“Tonight, be careful”

“Okay, thanks Sabur. You too, keep yourself healthy”

*Door opening*

*Clank*

Sabur now directed his vision to the window in direction to the sky where the sun would set later

“May the trial we undertake in the future… be a benign one”

…

…

…

“WHAAAAAAT!!!”

Lean jumped from the bed in an impossible kind of way, startling the two beside the bed, and stood near the door ready to leave

“Oi! Don’t scream like that!! You’re gonna bother other customers!! And where are you going with that getup??”

“AH!! PLEASE STOP!! DON’T GO LIKE THAT!!”

“What’s wrong? Uh? Why… am I naked? no wait, first, you said that 10 days have passed? Are you sure? What day are we now?”

“(What a shameless fellow) Are you deaf or something? Yes, 10 days have passed and today is the 23rd of Chaos! And put on some clothes, what do you want to accomplish showing your manhood to the world…”

“Owner don’t mind the details hehehehe….”

“(This girl… When did she start to be so comfortable around men?) *sigh*”

“*Done changing* Okay! Now I’m off! I’ll be back and repay this favor!”

“You better do so, I have received the extra payment, but your care was done by this Angel, so you better keep your word…”

“Ah, yes! Thank you Angel! I’ll be sure to repay you!”

“Yes! I’ll be waiting for it!”

Lean rushed after picking his belongings, the new clothes he bought, the books, the small box and the dagger with its sheath, put it all in the bag and run all the way back to the entrance, ignoring all the ruckus characteristic of the inn. Now outside, before he could start his rush

“(Eh? This feeling… aww man, busted?)”

*ZAAAAAAS*

Remembering the sensation, Lean closed his eyes and waited a little before opening them and confirmed his prior sensation, wavy and golden hair that reached a little down her shoulders, her carefully sculpted diamond shaped face and the good attributes of her woman figure, it couldn’t be anyone but Aurora. But in contrast to the smile plastered in her face, her eyes were emitting a dreadful light

“Aurora! Sorry for-”

“Yes, yes, you have some explaining to do, but here’s not the place”

*ZAAAAAAS*

Cutting Lean’s dialog, Aurora wasted no time in returning to Veritas leaving again in a flash and burning some poor fellow’s eyes. This little incident would come to turn into ‘the light that lit Bards&Beers’

…

…

“This is my headquarter, not the biggest room in here but it’s very comfortable, so let’s relax a little and after that, I will show you a little of the building and your room… okay?”

“Sure…”

Lean was impressed by the room, it was a mix of two parts. The first, where they were standing, was of a circular shape and was the first level of the two, as what Lean could see that there were two stairs glued to the walls that lead to the upper part. In the base, there was a big and rectangular carpet that had on it six luxurious chairs circling a low table, all of them where directed to the chimney. In the walls there were many bookcases filled with books and papers, some sections were well-arranged and others looked about to fall off

“Wow, this is your room Aurora? There are many, MANY books uh?”

“*giggle* More like my work place, I have my own bedroom but most of the time I spend it here…”

“I see… have you read all of the books here?”

“Pretty much, yes, as a researcher I have to read them, you know?”

“Incredible”

“Yes, yes, now go sit there, I will prepare something to drink, and-”

*growl*

“*giggle* How about having a meal first?”

“Yes please”

…

…

“(Just how much space does this guys has in his stomach??) Okay, now… tell me my dear… what happened to you in the past days??”

“Aurora… you’re giving a menacing aura…”

“It must be your imagination isn’t it?”

“No, like really, y-”

“Oh damn it Lean! I’m pretty angry, so enough chit-chat and more serious talk… what happened?”

“I don’t know, I was sleeping the whole time”

“*Eyelid twitching* so you were not only late by 3 days, you don’t know what happened… and you were... sleeping?”

“Yes!”

*Awkward silence*

“AS IF I WOULD BELIEVE THAT!!! Tell me what happened and don’t try to hide anything!”

“I’m not hiding anything! The last thing I remember was getting a horrible headache and by the time I returned to the inn I lost consciousness, just today I woke up you know!!”

“You… lost consciousness for 10 days straight??”

“I’m telling you!”

“(Could it be… no, it must be related to the impossibility of finding him with the Orbstone the other day…) Mmmm… we will look into it later then… but this carries out another problem, you didn’t learn anything in the end right?”

“I guess… well, there was one thing…”

“One thing? What did you learn?”

“’People don’t go butting their heads into others affairs’ something like that…'”

“Mmm, is it my impression or did you learn that from someone with a bad attitude?”

“Haha… was it so easy to figure it out?”

“*grin* Too easy, still, it’s not such a bad knowing, but you will have to see where it’s valid and where not… so, what happened to that guy?”

“Punched his face and broke his nose and some teeth…”

“Ouch, well if it was in the outskirts of the city it’s not gonna escalate into anything…”

“If I did that inside the city…”

“Probably, who knows, you could be reported by someone or be caught by a patrol guard… anyway, what’s done is done so don’t think too hard about it, what you need to focus on is that finally you are in Veritas, your new home for the times to come! Follow me, i'm gonna show you around”

“Yes!”

….

….

….

….

….

….

*scribble scribble*

“*stretching arms upwards* Hnnng… ah, that’s better… uh? 4:00 am… *sigh* how does time fly so fast?”

Aurora in her workroom was putting in order what she learned of Lean's case and finally reaching some point decided to take a break and continue tomorrow. After brewing tea, she now held a cup and rested in one of the chairs in the base

“*sipping* Ah… that’s better…”

*swish swiiiishhhh*

*CLANK*

“Mmm? The window?”

She looked in the direction of the upper part, then went and saw the window open

“*Closes window* yare yare… autumn is closing uh… eh?”

When she closed the window, there in the big panel of it was reflected a figure

“My… who could it be at this hour?”

Aurora turned and faced the figure, her voice was childish but her eyes were not friendly at all

“Oi oi, is this how you treat your acquaintances, you sure are still a greenhorn”

“Eh, that voice, can it be… Reidmo?!”

“Took you long enough to notice”

The person cladded in a long and dark coat raised his hand and removed the hood, revealing a face that Aurora was familiarized with, yet, Aurora did not make a happy face and sure did not show it in her voice that followed after

“I’m guessing, but I don’t think you came to accept my feelings right?”

“*sigh….* That’s right, besides, I already told you didn’t I? That-”

“’I love Aggia’ right?”

“If you know then, please, spare me from this never ending-”

“And you still went and had a child with who knows in an isolated forest, I didn’t know you had such fetishes… do you really dislike me so much? Am I really so unworthy of your ‘love’?”

“….”

“So? Why are you here then? You can at least tell me that right?”

“*holds head with left hand* *long sigh*”

“I don’t know why, but the ‘Tsaus Voj Voog’ is close, better prepare yourself and tell that to those 6 too”

“Uh? What? Those 6, you mean-”

“I won't tell more than this Aurora, consider this my ‘unworthy love’ to you, okay? *Opens window*”

“Eh? (When did he move?) Wait, WAIT! Reidmo!!”

Reidmo jumped in the night and like a light that is suddenly shut, disappeared, leaving a confused Aurora gazing at the dark

“Tsaus Voj Voog was it?… have I heard that somewhere… who cares... SCREW YOU REIDMO!!”