Scrap Iron Angels

Chapter 14: Crystalline

A certain blonde girl with bright greenish blue eyes frowned as she watched her friend sitting at a table taking a part a gun. Jewel flipped her golden blonde hair out of the way in its twin tails and crossed her arms over her chest. She wore a pair of dark brown leather knee high lace up boots with gold clasps and dark pinkish purple strings, leggings, a skirt with the same colors as her boots a shirt that was a faded pale tan with pink hued purple trim, brown leather straps with gold bolts on it for straps, a necklace with a star pendant and a choker with the elemental symbol for fire on it. She sighed as her friend frowned his eyebrows before looking at the clock.

"Adam I have to go to the tavern with Eudora. She said that she was trying to help you earlier but you shrugged her off."

"What do you think I've been doing? I'm trying to get ready to find Kieren," he said as the girl sighed.

"Kieren's..." the boy shook his head.

"NO! He's still alive!" the blonde's expression softened.

"Adam...it's been three months and you know what happens by this point," she said.

"Until I see a body or see proof of it I will continue to believe that Kieren is alive and I'll find him." She sighed.

"Kieren's gone Adam and I doubt he'll come back," she said as she left.

"I don't believe you."

Jewel sighed as she walked with Eudora down the street to the tavern where they worked. According to Molly no one had heard or seen anything about a person matching Kieren's description since he'd been taken, and Dr. Nelthorpe had promised to keep an eye out for any news, but thus far hadn't been able to find anything. She sighed as she entered the building with Eudora going behind the bar to get her apron while Jewel did the same once they were checked in they got to work. It was twenty minutes in that a person in a hooded cloak got to a table and slumped against the wall tiredly.

It wasn't uncommon but it normally occurred after a person had one to many drinks. Eudora gave that person an odd look before going to get the dishes from a table while Jewel went to grab a glass of water before approaching the person steadily. She sat it on the table and sighed as the person stayed where they were slumped over tiredly seeming to have traveled a long way from the country or another town to get to Arcataia. She sighed and headed behind the counter to wait on an order while Eudora took care of the floor for a bit. Sometimes she wondered why everything had to change since that day.

Ever since Kieren had been taken everything had changed. Jewel and Eudora had managed to get a job here at the tavern not far from Molly's place and Adam and Rick were doing the runs now that Mr. Lancy needed for them to do. But, now there were worse things. The four of them working in the low incomes that were available barely gave them the money for the bills and groceries, and though Eudora and herself had enjoyed the time working at the tavern they were considering the fact that they would have to work at another town soon or they would be in trouble. Before Molly's husband had died during the war the orphanage was perfectly fine, but now they were struggling and it was getting worse.

"You had to be the one they were looking for didn't you Kieren? Why though? Even Doctor Nelthorpe couldn't answer why those pirates took you away from us so please tell me why you haven't come back to us yet! Kieren please...if you're still alive I need you to come back Adam is going crazy hoping you'll come back."

She grabbed the order and took it to the table before looking at the person sitting at the opposite table eyeing the glass of water now. She walked over and watched him for a moment before deciding to strike up a conversation with the person hoping that they'd helped her figure out why they seemed so tired. She cleared her throat and they glanced at her, at least she supposed they did.