For the rest of the day, Ballista and Flora busied themselves by preparing for the huge dinner planned and greeting their visiting relatives. Meanwhile, Thorne occupied himself by scowling, grumbling, and "playing" with his Mulching Mace.
Around seven o' clock, all of Ballista's relatives had arrived. They all gathered inside the castle and helped themselves to all sorts of meat, desserts, and drinks. As the family socialized, Thorne, feeling a bit anti-social, stayed outside of the castle. He primarily kept to the shadows close to the open entrance, but would occasionally wander around the shallow moat.
After about doing that for the fifth time, Thorne halted in the shadows near the open doors. He looked inside for a minute to see what everyone was doing. Ballista was talking to her parents, Flora was chatting with a young man, and Crocness...still hadn't returned from Lake Loch Ness.
Thorne crossed his arms and leaned against the cold wall of the castle. He looked out towards the forest in search of any signs of Crocness. But all he could see was his breath in the cold night air.
The alchemist wasn't really a close friend with anyone, but the water monster was a bit of an exception. Sort of. The two had a strong bond and shared a lot in common. For instance, they both enjoyed scaring people, and would occasionally team up against Gildar when he got too "annoyingly arrogant." And they worked great together behind the Splatzooka.
Thorne took a deep breath and looked up at the dark sky, wishing he had something fun or exciting to do. Suddenly, he sensed another presence approaching him.
"Feeling a bit unfriendly, tonight, are we?"
Thorne whipped his face towards the mysterious dark voice. Standing a few feet away was a tall, burly man in a dark brown cloak.
"Oy, who do you think you are?" Thorne cried, angrily stepping back.
"My apologies, dear boy," the man said smoothly. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"You didn't," Thorne snarled. "And what are you even doing here?"
"What are you doing here?"
Thorne growled. He hated it when people threw his questions back at him.
"My name is Moray," the shady man explained. He grinned slyly. "And you must be Thorne."
The alchemist's eyes flashed. "How do you know that?"
"I've seen you work alongside my niece."
Thorne cocked his head. "Your niece?"
"Yes." Moray pulled back his hood, revealing his dark, rust-colored hair. "I'm Ballista's uncle."
"Oh, then it's nice to meet you," Thorne said sarcastically, leaning back against the wall.
Moray stepped closer to Thorne, making the alchemist's muscles jerk defensively. Nevertheless, Moray leaned back against the wall besides Thorne, then smirked. "Do you fancy her?"
"No," Thorne replied firmly.
Moray smiled with interest. "Has another woman already been lucky enough to win your affections?"
This guy's just as bad as Kook, Thorne thought with a growl. "No. There isn't another woman."
Moray nodded quietly. Thorne groaned, realizing that this guy wasn't going to leave him alone. He crossed his arms and looked down at the ground, then reflected upon his recent statement. No. There isn't another woman. Another thought penetrated his mind:
What about Crocness?
The alchemist looked up and pondered upon the thought. He and Crocness together? Thorne recalled that he himself had thought that was possible. Heck, even Kook did; he was the one who suggested it.
Although, Kook was only saying that just to annoy him.
Thorne looked up at the stars as he thought about the half-human, half-reptile. He had to admit; he liked the way she scared people, and quite admired her warrior spirit.
The Defender lowered his gaze to the ground and quickly shook his head. No, he and the reptile woman were just good friends. Nothing more. Besides, he didn't even want a girlfriend. And even if he did, she probably wasn't interested in him. No one really was.
Thorne blinked. Why did that thought just jab his heart?
"I've heard you're an alchemist," Moray said suddenly, snapping Thorne out of his thoughts.
The English warrior turned to him. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm an alchemist myself. It's quite nice to meet someone who shares my passion for chemistry."
Thorne shrugged. He was still irritated, but not quite as much as before.
Moray rubbed his chin. "That kingdom of yours...what's it called?"
There was a certain gleam in Moray's eyes that made Thorne reluctant to answer. "It's called Splatalot," he stated, a warning tone in his voice.
Moray nodded. "Ah, yes, that's right. Splatalot. You young warriors defend the castle from those kiddy Attackers, don't you?"
Thorne nodded.
"I've heard that you've defended the kingdom from other creatures, as well. Ogres, knights, unicorns, giants..." Moray paused and looked into Thorne's gray eyes. A wicked light sparked in his own golden ones. "Ever fought against any dragons?"
Thorne didn't answer. Moray grinned slyly, then looked out towards the forest in front of the castle. Thorne watched him carefully for a moment. He growled under his breath, then turned his head towards the castle's doors. A little bit later, he turned back to Moray. Thorne's eyes brightened with shock.
Where'd he go?
The alchemist began walking around the area in search of Ballista's uncle. He turned his head back and forth, wondering where Moray had gone. It was about a minute later when the alchemist decided to give up the search and head inside. Thorne turned on his heels-
-and bumped into Moray's hard stomach.
"Careful there, Thorne," Moray responded in a calm tone.
The alchemist tripped back a few paces, then glared at Moray. "Oy, where'd you just-"
"In the castle," he replied, casting a glance behind him at the fortress's entrance. "You looked a bit thirsty, so I got you a drink."
Thorne crossed his arms. "Oh, yeah? What makes you think I'd accept a drink from you?"
Moray, amused, smirked, then held one of the two glasses in his hands out to him. "Go on. Take it. I didn't taint it or anything."
Thorne looked into the glass extended out to him. It looked normal, but he still didn't trust this alchemist guy. He looked up at Moray skeptically. Before he could say anything, someone else stormed out of the castle. Thorne and the shady man turned to see the Splatalot huntress pace over to them.
"Moray, what are you doing here?" she asked angrily.
Moray shrugged. "I was just speaking to this nice lad."
Ballista looked at Thorne, who shook his head. She nodded, then looked back up at Moray. "You're not welcome here." She pointed away from the castle. "Go. Get out of here."
"But I'm not-"
The huntress whipped out her Splatbow in a fierce manner. "I said go. Now."
Moray stared at Ballista and her Splatbow for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes, dear." He turned to Thorne. "It was nice talking with you, dear boy." He tipped his head. "Have a good evening."
With that, Moray walked past the alchemist and up to Ballista. He handed the two glasses he had grabbed, then sauntered away towards the forest. The two Defenders watched him retreat until he emerged into the shadows, and could no longer be seen.
Thorne turned to Ballista. "He claimed to be your uncle. Is that-"
"He calls himself my uncle," Ballista explained, "but he's not related to my father, mother, or I in any way. My mother's sister married his brother, so that's why he even knows my family and I." The huntress looked out towards the direction Moray had just went, then back at her English comrade. "What was he talking to you about?"
"Splatalot."
Ballista shook her head. "Don't trust him, Thorne. He's an evil man. He attempted to kill my father so he could get a large sum of money. If my father wasn't such a skilled archer, he would have succeeded."
Thorne lifted his head a little. "How long ago was that?"
"About ten years ago."
Thorne nodded. The huntress looked at the two glasses in her hands, then walked over to the moat. She tipped the glasses upside down, emptying their contents into the dirty waters below. Afterwards, she walked back to Thorne.
"Thorne, if he ever talks to you again..." She smirked a little. "Feel free to have some fun with your mace."
Thorne nodded. "I will."
Ballista nodded, as well. "Good." She paused. "Are you coming inside anytime soon?"
Thorne glanced at the dark, faraway trees. "I think I'll stay out here a bit longer."
"Alright. Suit yourself."
With that, Ballista turned and walked back inside the castle. Thorne took a deep breath, then leaned back against the wall of the stony fortress. He gazed out at the dark forest, wondering what Moray was up to.
And why he had a particular interest in dragons.