- Zion Water

We meet, once again.

One of the less effective options was voted on.

Upon sensing John and Virgil, Carson picked up Markus’ body and looked around the building. For a building like this, there should be another room. As he located a door and entered inside, he could feel the wind flowing from its damaged walls, but the ceiling was sturdy enough for the rain.

It’d be better to hide Markus away from the eyes of John and Virgil. He didn’t want to explain who Markus was to him—considering what had just happened earlier.

Once Carson placed Markus’ body away from the door, he quickly left the room. He could’ve passed Markus off as a stranger, too. When Carson looked outside, the rain had already fallen. He hadn’t seen John and Virgil in person yet, so he sensed for their magics. When Carson noticed they were approaching closer, he stopped concentrating and waited.

And when he saw John and Virgil rushing towards the building, with Virgil carrying an umbrella for both of them. Once Carson spotted both of them, he faked flinching back in surprise.

When they arrived in front of the building, Carson maintained his fake-surprise expression in his widened eyes. “How’d you find me?”

“We just checked camps and buildings around this forest, and Virgil sensed you here,” John replied, as he stepped inside the building.

“Huh, why’d you find me then?” As Carson asked, Virgil folded the umbrella before following John.

John sighed. “Didn’t you just run away?”

“Yeah, yeah. Have you noticed my letter?”

“We did. You really expect us to go 'oh, guess we’re leaving Carson on his own ', huh?”

John’s voice ticked Carson off, but he was in no mood to start yet another petty fight—so he took a moment to stay silent. As he thought of the response, he spotted Virgil standing there, with his eyes closed. Virgil was probably sensing some magic or was in some sort of deep thought. Out of curiosity, Carson asked what was he doing.

“Just sensing for some—oh, someone’s there.” Virgil opened his eyes and pointed toward the door Carson hid Markus behind.

Knowing full well that Virgil sensed Markus, Carson said nothing about it, as he and John followed Virgil to the door. And once Virgil entered the room, he rushed toward Markus’ body.

While Virgil was checking on the body, John asked Carson, “You know him?”

Carson shook his head, looking away from Markus. As he made eye contact with John, it was returned with a brief stare. “What?”

“Nothing.” John’s expression remained somewhat disappointed, like before.

“This doesn’t look good…” Virgil said, prompting the other two to gather next to him. As Markus’ body laid in front of them—with his top clothing removed. As Carson took a moment to observe Markus’ body, he recognized all the scars and older bruises on his body, from all the times Markus threw himself into attacks. But there’s one thing he didn’t recognize: a bandage wrapped around his body, seeped with blood.

“Should we bring him somewhere else? He’s definitely not an Ironport native, but he seems like a Riverville kid,” John asked Virgil, as he glanced back at Carson. “Any ideas?”

“Hell if I know…”

Now that Carson recalled a few things about this spot, he could head past the mountain, and he would arrive at the Silent Tower. Ace wanted him there, didn’t he?

Or ‌they could head to Riverville, which would be ‌nearer. Though Carson wasn’t sure if this would be a good place for Markus. If Markus really came from Riverville, he wouldn’t be welcomed there.

Or they could head past Riverville to Ironport—where their house was at, and where Markus could surely sleep at. Though, something about this option made Carson feel drained, just by thinking of the potential outcomes and what to do with them.