"The truth of magic!" The suited man's distinct voice echoes through the room. He pauses are loud murmurs erupt across the audience.
"Some of you may know what the Tower Association offers as the SOURCE of magic! They claim that it comes from deities!"
More people begin to discuss among themselves, agreeing with Ren. Thames remains silent, his gaze fixed on the man.
"And they say that to make your own magic.. You must stake your life to these deities!"
The man allows the murmurs to intesnify before continuing.
"We don't want to follow these deities blindly, but how does the association repay us??? They label us rogue magicians! They send DOGS to hunt us!"
The murmurs gradually turn to cheers and outrage. Thames looks around and sees that Sue, the woman to his right, was now cheering.
"The days of rogue magicians and the Tower Association are coming to an end! I offer you all the path to the truth!"
"What's the truth?!?" A tall orc woman questions him.
"The truth?!? The truth is that instead of staking your being on these deities! Stake your life on the path labeled selfish!"
Cheers erupt as Ren continues.
"I have learnt a path to magic different than following these deities! Swear your heart, your soul, to your own cause!"
Ren backs up, the light from the stage vanishing as most audience members rise up and clap.
"Is that it..?" Thames looks towards Sue.
"Yeah! That was great wasn't it??" She had a new sparkle in her eyes as she turnt towards Thames.
"..Yes.. It was." Thames got up from his seat and turns towards the aisle. "It was nice seeing you." He waves her goodbye as he heads towards the stage.
The audience members had begun to leave. As Thames looked around he noticed that there were a handful of other exits other than the door leading to the tavern.
Finally reaching the stage, he noticed that Ren was staring at him.
"You liked the speech?" Ren spoke first and slick. The words rolled off his tongue.
Thames just nodded as he walked onto the stage towards Ren.
Ren's eyes flashed as he pointed his left index finger at Thames.
"[Sever.]"
His finger glowed a pure white. Thames quickly raised both his arms, bracing for anything.
"Don't worry. I just noticed a bug was on you." Ren continued to smile, his eyes had a sly expression to them.
"A bug..?" Thames slowly dropped his arms and took a step from Ren.
"Listening magic.. Not quite a major deity's magic." Ren paused slightly. "Did Ode send you?"
A shocked expression flashed on Thames' face as he realized the magic had been disconnected. "Who? I don't know any Ode's."
The room was now barren, most audience members have left by now.
Ren looked around and pointed his palm towards Thames. "Then I apologize for you getting mixed up with them.."
"[Erasure.]"
The white light reappeared, this time in Ren's palm, and started to gather around Thames' feet.
Before either could react, both Ode and Lin crashed through the ceiling of the stage.
Lin pointed both her hands at Thames.
"[Teleport!]"
Thames is instantly teleported to between the stage and the door leading back to the tavern. Lin quickly landed and ran off the stage, leaving Ode and Ren there.
The space where Thames once stood shook as the white light flashed around it.
"Tryna erase my painter?!?" Ode asks Ren while throwing his robe at him.
"Painter? Spy? What does it matter!?" Ren spat back, grabbing the robe and throwing it to the floor.
Focusing back on Ode, he noticed that the brown haired mage was sprinting at him.
"[Brilliant Light!]"
A blinding light coated Ode's fists as he went to uppercut Ren.
"Do you ever talk with words?" Ren asks calmly as he shields his eyes and backs away from Ode.
"'Course I do! Maybe don't erase my painter?"
"[Annul.]"
Ren stated calmly while he reached towards Ode, grabbing him. A white light gathered around Ode's fist, making the blinding light vanish.
"Don't send someone to spy! You dog of the association!"
"Yeah yeah.." Ode breaks free of Ren's grasp, waving both his hands at him.
"[Blitz.]"
Light flickered like electricity around Ode's feet. A high pitch screech echoed around the room as he instantly closed the gap between him and Ren.
Ren raised his hands to block, but not quickly enough.
Raising his right hand, Ode punched Ren in the jaw just before his arms were fully raised.
As Ren goes flying across the stage Ode continues to chase him.
"Always punching first! Speaking later!" Ren spat at Ode just before being punched in the stomach again.
"[Freeze!]"
Ode, who was chasing after Ren, suddenly froze in place.
The man slowly got up dramatically, brushing off his messed up pants.
"[Cease.]"
Ren said the command slowly, the air around the frozen Ode slowly drifted out of existence.
Lin quickly pointed at Ode like she did to Thames.
"[Teleport!]"
"[Teleport.]"
In sync with Lin, Ren teleports away from the stage. Vanishing from their sights as Ode reappears next to her and Thames, now unfrozen.
"He got away?"
"He got away."
Ode asked and was quickly answered by Lin. Both began to stretch as Thames stood between them speechless.
"I thought we were meant to.. Capture him?"
"Can't do nothin when he gets away!" Ode yells dramatically towards Thames.
"So what are we meant to do now..?"
Lin glances down at Thames. "Report to a tower.. The nearest one is the Inferno Tower.." She glances towards the disgruntled Ode. "But we'll make the trip to the Flowery Tower.."
"Oh.. Okay." Thames nodded while thinking of Miss Rubes.
"It's a good distance so we'll teach ya magic 'long the way too!" Ode quickly spoke up.
"Okay.." Thames muttered as his mind drifted to Ren's speech.
Oh Mother Trem.. I've found myself in a mess!
His eyes flutter as he silently prays in his heart.
Lin then grabs both Ode and Thames' hands.
"[Teleport.]"
As she finished speaking, Thames blinked and they all appear inside the carriage. They're briefcases inside as well.
"I moved em in here before we left!" Lin says proudly while leaving the carriage to stake her seat as the driver.
Sorry mom.. I'll visit next time.
He thinks to himself as the cart moves quickly, leaving Pronton behind.
He looks in front of him and notices that Ode's been staring.
"So! Ready to learn some magic???"