The carriage stopped at a road inn. As the driver tended to the horses, Chala and Jessica entered the establishment. There were only three patrons inside, a couple chatting quietly in a corner. And a man, alone, slowly drinking from a tankard. Jessica found herself looking at him. Something attracted her, but she couldn't point out what exactly. He had long, straight blond hair. She couldn't make out the color of his eyes, but they looked to be a light color, blue, or green, maybe? He was not exceptionally tall or muscular, but he looked like someone who could run for hours without breaking a sweat. The man noticed the attention and locked eyes with her. He seemed just curious and not awkward at all. The same couldn't be said for Jessica; she blushed and mouthed "sorry" before breaking the contact. The newcomers found a table, sat down, and ordered food. Jessica stretched, from the point of her feet to her fingers, she didn't even try to stifle the wide yawn. Chala looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "What?" she said defensively. Her companion answered, "Nothing." He tried to hide his small, lopsided smile.
They ate mostly in silence, with the occasional small talk. Jessica enjoyed being out of the carriage. She now noticed how the constant, uncomfortable motion had a jarring effect on her body. She enjoyed the food and the warmth of the place. Relaxing for the first time that day, she didn't notice her sensitivity waking up from a slumber. Like invisible hands caressing the furniture, sensing the flicker of pink mist in the inn owner. The soft, pale flame of the couple, all care and love. The bright, wide pink fire of the lone man, shining power like a small sun.
Jessica froze.
She slowly looked up at Chala. He was looking at her, chin in his hands, elbows on the table. His eyes burned with that terrible cold fire. "What is the matter, Jessica?" He asked. The female panicked and stumbled on her words, "No..nothing… nothing is the matter… everything is fine…"
The cold flame danced dangerously in the predator's eyes. "Maybe I was wrong. It looked like your body tensed for a moment." His piercing look got slightly softer. "Maybe it's unconscious, try to reach out with your power. Do you detect any magic? A mist user, a portal? Even if it is faint, we must listen to it and investigate."
Jessica closed her eyes and pretended to focus. The powerful waves of the mist user were crashing into her. She called on all her willpower not to shiver. After a deep breath, the liar opened her eyes. "No, I don't feel anything. There's no mist user or portal nearby."
Chala sighed in relief and lay back in his chair. "That's good. There is no more work for today, then. We can rest and resume our journey tomorrow." Jessica let out a quiet exhale of relief. She thought as loudly as she could: Go away now, go away,you're in danger. She restrained herself from gaping in disbelief when the man got up, glanced at her, and left. Did I imagine it? I could swear he nodded at me.
Chala ordered another round of drinks. He was nursing his cup, one leg crossed over the other, foot balancing. Jessica thought she could hear him hum softly. She smiled and grabbed her own drink, letting the tasty beverage warm her inside. She felt the tension slowly drifting away.
"Jessica?"
She shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts and looked at her mentor.
"Chala?" She answered.
The hunter remained calm and relaxed, which only made the crushing effect of his next words all the stronger. "Why did you lie to me?"
A strong chill crawled along her spine, and her hair stood on end. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. The dread she felt at that moment was unlike anything she had experienced before.
Chala uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. Jessica forced herself to meet his eyes. The fire was gone. But the ice remained. I'm looking death in the eyes, thought Jessica. "I'm sorry!" She blurted before she could form a coherent thought.
Chala remained silent, not letting her escape the intensity of his gaze. Fighting nightmarish lobsters started to sound appealing to Jessica; anything to escape this iron trap.
Chala almost didn't move his lips as he said, "I'll tell you, Jessica, I'll tell you once. So listen, listen like your life depends on it." Jessica slowly nodded, mouth dry.
"Your detection power is strong, very strong. But it's untrained. I felt this mist user before we stopped the carriage." The hunter made a dismissive hand gesture, "He is a whisperer, those mist users are no threat. Their presence is strong, but their ability barely takes from the mist." After a pause, he added, "He was never in danger, your will to protect him was misplaced." He then continued staring at Jessica in silence, deep in thought.
Chala didn't drop eye contact, but he eased the pressure a bit. "You need to have your detection on all the time, even when you sleep." The hunter scratched the side of his head. "If you feel anything, you tell me at once, and we have to investigate." The man moved his shoulders, a soft crack was heard from his back. "If you don't tell, then innocents could die."
Jessica tried to swallow absent spit and croaked, "I'll tell you." Chala sighed, "This is a crossroads, you either swear now that you'll never lie to me again." Then he cracked his neck. "Or I'll leave you here, and you never see me again." Jessica's heartbeat was hammering in her chest, she could feel the blood flow in her ears, like a steady rain over a rooftop. "I swear I'll never lie to you," she said solemnly.
Chala nodded, letting a smile light his face for a moment. "Good," he said, "Very good." He stretched and yawned, then picked up his drink again. His eyes were unfocused, as if looking far away. Before drinking, he said in a soft voice, "If you ever lie to me again, I'll have no choice but to consider you a danger to this world." He drank, then hummed softly again.