Galaxy of Hyperion: Mystic Heir

Chapter Twenty-One: Mistress of Flames

By the time that the group had arrived at the tavern once again, the building had mostly emptied out. The night before had been chaotic and noisy, but the morning was far less overwhelming. In fact, there were only a few people scattered about, and none of them were from the same crowd that Jay had witnessed the night before. The few people that were there appeared to be far less noteworthy than she had expected, and there were even a few young mages who wouldn't be able to drink even if they wanted to. She assumed that the tavern allowed for minors to enter the building before it got to be too late at night, and she could understand why the youths in question had come by. It was a nice place to spend time, and the atmosphere was notably enjoyable without the constant shuffling and shouting of drunken fools from the night prior. 

Jubilee was already behind the counter, and Jay couldn't help but wonder if she ever left. Jubilee was playing around on her phone, seeming to recognize that it was a slow enough day that nobody would care if she slacked off a bit. As soon as Jubilee heard the scrape of chairs in front of her, she looked up and shoved her phone back into her pocket. The four mages all found seats in front of Jubilee, and the bartender leaned forward with her forearms braced against the granite below. "I didn't expect to see you four back so soon," she remarked. Her statement was not rooted in malice, instead being a simple expression of fact and curiosity. 

"We're actually here because we want to talk to you," Arian began, his eyes glittering with confidence. "You see, we were wondering if perhaps you would know anything about a specific prison that was established a great many years ago. We have reason to believe that the immortal guard who once looked over this incredible place has been through this area recently, and we think that they could possibly be related to our current mission."

Jubilee didn't seem bothered by Arian's question at all, and her natural ease for conversation was able to keep her from showing her blatant shock. Instead, she simply let out a small chuckle and tilted her head lightly to the side as she rose back to her full height. "I have to wonder... Where did you come to a conclusion like that?" she asked. 

"You're clearly rather muscular," Lana began, not bothering to beat around the bush. "I believe that you possess Fire magic, and I think that certainly fits the bill of the person that we're looking for. Besides, you were pretty confident last night that we were coming here to speak with somebody like you. As a matter of fact, you mentioned that people like us had to stick together, and if that's not evidence of your involvement with all of this, then I don't know what is. You said it, and that's got to be enough for you to recognize that we know what we're talking about."

For a long moment, Jubilee didn't say or do anything. When she finally did move, she hooked her fingers around the top of the apron she was wearing and gestured for everyone to follow her behind the counter. Jay hesitated at first before pushing through the small barrier that blocked off the servers' area from the rest of the tavern. Jubilee began walking back towards a door that could barely be seen between the large cabinets and containers of alcohol and other beverages. She opened the door and gestured for the others to walk in ahead of her, and they did so without giving her so much as a second glance. 

The unspoken consensus was that Jubilee was finally going to share the truth about what she had been hiding from them. That was what Jay was hoping for, at the very least. She had no reason to disbelieve Jubilee's words, and she was starting to think that the other girl was somehow involved with their mission. Perhaps she was one of the remaining Skylian Mages that they had been searching for. Given the way that Lana was so confident in her decisions, Jay was fairly certain that they had struck gold by chance. 

Jubilee allowed the apron to slide free of her fingers and onto a nearby hook. Jay realized that the bartender had led them into a wine cellar, and the room was as boxed in and cramped as possible. Jay had to pretend that she wasn't bothered by the cramped quarters to keep from losing her nerve, so she allowed her grip to tighten around the hilt of her sword. It gave her something to focus on even if there was no battle on the horizon.