A moment of silence passed before to their surprise, the shadowy figure materialized and a familiar voice emanated from it.

“Easy…it's me.” Rexsi said as he came out of the shade with his vivid red scarf fluttering in the wind like a beacon of blood. His eyes warily shifted from Lukas's Starlight Staff to Geoffrey's sword before flitting back to the gleaming staff, an imperceptible gaze flashing across his face.

“What are you doing here?” Geoffrey almost half-demanded as they both lowered their weapons in relief. Their wariness was not that misplaced. Stories of foolish adventures being hunted for their gold were not that uncommon within the Golden City despite the apparent calm. For the guards that usually roamed the streets, as long as no deaths occurred and the damage was kept to a minimum, they would never bother themselves with petty theft and small scuffles that occur from time to time. Well, as long as there was no apparent disorder within the city walls that is.

It was with luck then that a familiar face was before them. If Rexsi used to be hostile at the beginning of their previous dungeon run then by the end of it, a form of respect had formed between the two of them. After all Lukas was not one to hold on to useless grudges in the first place.

Rexsi wryly smiled. “I saw him,” he gestured at Lukas. "…walking towards this area and I followed.”

Seeing their puzzled glances, he helplessly shrugged. “I needed to talk to him…in private.” He added before an amused look flickered over his face as he stared at both of them. “But by the looks of it, I might have interrupted something…”

Geoffrey's mouth twitched while Lukas couldn't help a feeling of annoyance pass through him. They might no longer be clashing with one another yet he couldn't help but really want to throw a punch at his face…

Geoffrey cleared his throat as he sheathed back his sword. “Well…” he awkwardly started before he decided to make his escape.

“I have to go.” He told him. “Mira isn't her best when she is left alone with a beer in her hands.”

Lukas reluctantly agreed. "It's alright.” He replied. “In case you think I hadn’t noticed, I’m quite grateful for your ear. It has been a while since I last freely spoke of home.”

Geoffrey gave him one of his dazzling smiles before he made for the door. He was just about to take a step beyond when he recalled the real reason he came here in the first place.

"Um…" he tentatively asked as he turned back. “Would you like join us?”

Before Lukas could even make sense of his question, Geoffrey deftly explained.

“Although Mira and I make a good team, we have had more than our fair share of wounds. It was during the catacombs that we finally found out what we were missing. With you as our priest, Mira as our fire mage, and me as the forerunner almost all our missions will be a guaranteed success and we would be able to tackle even ones that promise greater returns. As for the rewards they will be equally divided amongst us as a team. What do you say?”

Lukas paused; more than a little surprised they wanted to recruit him, a Mid Mortal mage into their group. Even if one ignored the fact that Mira as a descendant from the House of Fyre, was a noble of higher stature than him and she was assured to find more formidable people to accompany her, it spoke volumes in the amount of confidence they had in him. Despite feeling gratified and more than a little pleased, he knew he already had an answer for him.

“I'm afraid I can't...” He slowly shook his head in response. The only thing his last venture made him realize was that he still needed to get stronger. And the only viable way was to initiate another regime of intense training back at the Cathedral, all in preparation for the upcoming end of the year competition happening more than a few months later. He had made a promise back then to his sister and he intended to fulfill it.

At his response, Geoffrey’s shoulders visibly slumped but the next words cheered him up.

“But I would be happy to join in some of your missions at a later date. The reason I can't right now is that I still have a lot of learn. The catacombs have made me realize some of my shortcomings and I intend to work on them once I return back to the Cathedral.” He then mysteriously smiled. “And who know; perhaps by the time we next meet, I might still have a few surprises.”

A knowing look passed between them before Geoffrey nodded with a smile.

“I understand. Then the next time we meet, we would actually get to see who would fare the most.”

The air of competitiveness rose in between. “Then it’s settled.” Lukas smirked before he added. “I’m more than honored that you both thought I was worthy enough to join. In case I’m needed, a courier to the Outer Sect of the Cathedral would be enough. By then I would be readily available.”

“It’s a promise then.” Geoffrey readily agreed before a slight blush crept up his neck. He hurriedly nodded at Rexsi and then vanished beyond the curtain that separated the alcove from the blaring music inside the hall.

A chill passed the still air as Rexsi felt the lingering presence of Geoff disappearing further and further away. After he was sure they were truly alone, he turned towards Lukas, not missing the flicker of discontent in his eyes that soon vanished as he spoke.

“So” Lukas began as his face cleared up, finally focusing at Rexsi. “What did you want to talk about?” He asked, his white and blue robe gleaming under the radiance of the moon.

Rexsi went silent for a moment before his eyes turned to the staff in Lukas’s hand, regarding it with an apprehensive look.

"That staff is a blood-bound artifact. Isn't it?"

Lukas immediately froze. With the slew of recent events, he had quite forgotten what his sister had warned him about blood bound artifacts. Their infamy was so widespread that all it would take was for one slightly knowledgeable person to recognize it and he would be in heaps of trouble. They might not elicit greed in many but he was bound to attract unsavory attention especially when they realize a Mid-Mortal Mage was wielding one.

Hearing the ensuing silence, Rexsi visibly shuddered. “It is a blood bound artifact.” He whispered, more to himself than anyone. “I have only ever read about them but to actually see one, especially a white ranked one. It's something I never imagined possible.”

Seeing Lukas's wariness, Rexsi offhandedly waved his hand at his concerns. “Don't worry, I won't say or ask anything. It’s clear from a glance that your artifact does not do justice to the swirling horrors that have terrified this continent for the years. I will just chalk this up to one of the many secrets you possess. ”

It was at that moment Lukas made it his outmost priority to truly understand the reason why almost everyone he crossed path with was wary with the staff in his hand. This was also to discern how he could disguise it. At this point the staff had attracted a little too much attention to his liking. He faintly sensed that it might not be a good thing for him if it became wildly known that he did not only have a blood bound staff in his hands but also a blood bound spell book within his possession.

Only when he saw the sincerity in Rexsi’s eyes did he dare let out a breath of relief.

“Many?”He asked after a few seconds, a little amused.

Rexsi chuckled. “If someone paid attention enough, they would discover a lot of inconsistencies that swirl around you in a cloud of mystery.”

He raised one of his hands and started counting. “The formidable spells you posses that belie your own cultivation. Your unusual mastery of runes, the fact that you somehow posses a blood bound artifact and ...” he paused. “…that you might be affiliated with the Divine Cathedral.”

Now Lukas looked positively confused. “Why would you think I have connections with the Divine Cathedral?”

Searching his naiveté and finding it surprisingly genuine, Rexsi took a sudden breath. “B-back at the catacombs, you effortlessly opened the tome from the Divine Cathedral. That is not something you can just brush off...”

But Lukas had really forgotten all about it.

“The Divine Cathedral might be known to be weaker in might than your Cathedral of Light but they make up for more than enough in their insanity and overzealousness. If the word gets out that there is a caster who can effortlessly open their tome and peer into their secrets, they would surely hunt you down and find the answer in your corpse if they have to.”

Bewildered, Lukas felt for the first time the weight of what he had done. What he had taken as something simple something natural; it instead had the potential to even affect his newly reborn life.

“If I were you, I would make sure no one finds out. I have no need to know how and why that was possible cause heavens knows you still protected me even when you had no need to. But…” He took a deep breath, “that might be too late as Representative Malten must surely be informed by now. He was the one who sicked a shadow on us. There is a good chance he might not divulge such a thing carelessly but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.” He warned.

Lukas fidgeted for a moment before he let out his breath.

“Thank you.” He told him. “I will keep that in mind.” He said, his mind wandering if his previous host had any lingering ties with the Divine Cathedral that he wasn’t aware of.

Rexsi still lingered around, getting progressively uncomfortable until he eventually sighed.

“That was only one of the things I wanted to talk to you about…”

He took a deep breath as he slightly bowed.

“I also came here to apologize. Every time I recall what I thought of you along with my actions I’m filled with shame. It doesn’t sit well with me that I easily believed in baseless rumors well before I made my own judgment.”

Easily brushing away his apology, Lukas’s attention was drawn on the most important word.

“What kind of rumors?”

Rexsi's face grimaced.

“One of the people you previously quested with was a warrior known for his beer and women. One night a few days ago on a tavern I was in he seemed particularly heated, his words spewing everywhere for anyone who bothered to listen. He cursed the guild for their bias and lamented his bad luck of not qualifying as adventurer on a greenhorn priest who couldn’t even hold the staff in his hands.”

His gaze got strange.

“His words of you were...particularly colorful. Suffice to say most people treated it as drivel of a drunken man but I was forced to pay attention. The man’s strength as a mercenary was nothing to scoff at yet for him to fail his mission I felt you must have been especially inept.” He lightly coughed in embarrassment. “But I was woefully deceived. In fear of meeting the same misfortune I was forced to track all of the information I could get. That was when your name crossed my path.”

It was already cold night but Rexsi felt a chill crawl up his spine. When he focused on Lukas, he only found a cold stare; along with only one question.

“Where is he now?”

Stunned, Rexsi forced himself pretend like he hadn’t noticed. “I…have no idea. Small mercenaries like them come and go as they please. But one of the places he frequently visits is the Velvetsilk Court. It’s probably there where he met those two women of his.”

As if in a daze Lukas felt turmoil of emotions inside of him. Perhaps it was because of the remnant of the soul that once inhabited his body but Lukas felt a wave of cold hard anger and repressed frustrations. To think he would come to cross paths with one of the 3 people who had plotted for his previous host’s death. Sadly though despite the effort he had recently made, he was still weak. He had no hope of ever confronting them not less search for answers from their lips.

Almost as if he was aware of his thoughts, Rexsi‘s gaze flickered.

“Saving my life is a grace I can never forget.” He said it slowly. “And my actions were not justifiable in any way but if this is what I think it is then I suggest you be careful from now on. I should have known something was wrong from the way he desperately wanted to be heard. From what I have discovered, that guy is not only best as what he does but his mind is as narrow as they come. It might be best you keep an eye out. Good tidings brother, I hope our paths cross one day.”

With that he silently vanished from the patio almost as if he was never there to begin. Lukas stared at that very spot, his face forming a grim smile. He might be a new soul in this world of might and magic but he wasn't about to cower against an invisible threat. He won't back down; in fact he will make sure he will be properly prepared for them if they ever dared to show their faces in front of him. This was a lesson he deeply learnt in all of his years living in his old world surrounded by misbegotten people who judged him for what he is.

Akeri, Loretta and Japhalin. Somehow Lukas knew he wasn’t done with them yet.