7.
Macrom's eyes slowly opened. He yawned and stretched, but then he remembered. The girl had her arms around him, so he shouldn't have been able to do that. He looked to the other side of the leather three seat couch and saw that she was gone. He got up from the seats and looked about the room. He scanned the room twice and finally found her, sitting over by Macrom's wall of art. It was as if she was staring at them with a certain admiration. She had one of Macrom's large decorative drapes cloaked about her shoulders, and for good reason. There was no heat in the shelter, given the fact that Macrom forgot to start a fire in his fireplace, which he had dug out himself. Macrom started to walk over to her. As he got about halfway there, the girl spoke. "They are all really beautiful. Especially the bigger one in the middle." Macrom stood at her side and put his hand on her shoulder, looking at the revolutionary painting just as her. "That's the painting that started all of this nonsense with that journal you dug up." Macrom chuckled and continued. "It's an artist's rendition of a rebellion lost in time, and because the censors had it, something must have happened to cause the condesce to want to hide it. I just don't know what. That is why that book is so important. It might tell us why."
"That's incredible how a single stupid journal or whatever it is could cause so much controversy."
Macrom nodded in agreement. "Well there must be a damn good reason why it's shrouded in controversy in the first place. We all know about the Summoner's rebellion… why not this one? There has to be something worth hiding."
The girl struggled to her feet. Macrom tried to help her up, but she shooed his hand away. "Listen, I understand that you are trying to help, but the only way I can get better is by as little help as possible. I am a doctor. I know what I'm talking about." Macrom stepped back a bit. "You do realize that if I hadn't shown up when I did you could have been ravaged, pailed, and killed."
"I try not to think about the what if in life. It discourages me."
"Right… I apologize."
"For what?"
"Bringing up that what if you don't like much."
"Oh… it's nothing really. I mean the both of us did get the shit beaten out of us so I guess it would be hard to not think of."
Macrom noticed this girl's optimism and her abilities to lighten even a dark subject. He walked over to a set of cabinets (also stolen) and looked through them. There was nothing. He didn't think about stocking up for food, which he was ashamed of. He did have an idea though. Macrom turns to the girl and makes his move. "Damn, I have no food… though what I do have is an idea. I can scavenge what little money I have around here and maybe we can go out to get something?"
"You're joking."
"Actually I'm being completely serious. What do you say?"
"Look at me. I'm covered in bandages, not to mention that my clothing is all ripped and it's freezing cold out there."
"Well… I'm sure I have something to solve this. If I have something then are you willing to accompany me?"
"…Tempting. Tell you what. If you find something that I can wear without looking like a complete idiot then I'll come with you. Deal?"
"Then by all means I will start looking for something." Said Macrom as he walked over to a myriad of drawers, opening and closing each. He dug and dug and dug. But then something came to him, which distracted him completely. He never bothered to ask this girl her name. He put his face in his hands and realized how stupid this mistake was. He turned around and with a deep breath, asked the belated question that he should have asked much earlier. "Oh… before I go on, I noticed I've forgotten to ask you. What is your name?" The girl just giggled and noticed the nervous inflection in Macrom's voice. "You know you don't have to be nervous or anything. A lot was going on the past two nights. My name is Elysia Shadar. Now it's your turn, mystery man." Macrom's cheeks turned gold at this remark. He quickly gathered himself and bowed. "Macrom Vontus, fugitive and distinguished gentleman." The girl laughs out loud and looks at him in some very strange manner. "You're such a kiss ass when you try to get something you want, you know that?"
"Oh… I- Um….."
"Oh don't worry about it. It's sweet. I like it."
"Well I suppose I will get back to searching for something… what was I searching for again? Oh…"
He quickly turned and started rummaging through the lowermost drawer, pulling out a pair of old black pants. They used to fit him when he was about the girl's size. "Will these work? It's all I could really find." He said, holding them out for her to take.
"Yes, these will work perfectly fine." Said Elysia as she was taking them. She turned and walked to the other side of the room. Macrom turned around, because he knew it would be the gentlemanly thing to do…. But there was a sense of overwhelming temptation. He stood with his back turned for a time and realized that she hadn't said to him that she finished. He turned around and just as he did so, she threw the drapes off of her shoulders, and took off her old and torn pair of leggings. Macrom's face turned a deep shade of gold. He knew at this point he definitely shouldn't be seeing what he was seeing… yet the sight was so captivating to him. He took the time to study her perfect figure. She turned around slightly and smiled back at him. Macrom realized what she was doing. She waited until he turned around to check if she had done it. Was she trying to seduce him? Many thoughts were running about his head, and none of them were exactly conversation appropriate. He just turned back around and exhaled. Soon after he had a tap on his shoulder. "Fits perfectly. So, where will we be going, Mr. Vontus?"
Macrom turned back around and saw Elysia looking up at him in all her beauty, as if she were waiting like a puppy to be told where to go next. "Well I had a few ideas. Have you been around the central district at all?"
"Not really. I'm always too busy to do any of that stuff."
"Well then, I have a lot to show you." Said Macrom as he walked over to the staircase leading back up to the surface. "Shall we?"
"Ok then, let's go. I need a little fresh air anyway." Said Elysia as she walked passed Macrom and up the stairs. Macrom stood behind and just watched her move. The only thing he could think was "Incredible." He shot up the staircase after her.
