054 hyle.chandra

///C
Hyle:
Well, I didn't expect to see a fellow compatriot here.
Chandra:
You're from Ahribaal too?
Hyle:
It is where I was born. But I haven't been there in years. It's hard to imagine one of the Dark Sect joining us. You're not planning on stabbing us in the back are you?
Chandra:
Never. I'm done with that organization.
Hyle:
Well, lying or not, you're better off here for now, anyway. Still, Ahribaalites who leave home tend to have lonely lives. But at least now there are two of us.
Chandra:
I have no intention of becoming friends with you.
Hyle:
Oh? And what's wrong with little old me?
Chandra:
You have the same air as a predatory animal. That's why.
Hyle:
Hahaha... I take those kinds of words as a compliment. Well, don't worry. I don't intend on making you my prey. There isn't enough meat on those bones to tempt me.
Hyle:
...
Hyle:
A word of advice, though, sister... Try not to be so morose though, would you? You're keeping your identity hidden from the others, but how you act will draw suspicions...
Chandra:
Hmph, I'll be careful. Worry about yourself.

///B
Hyle:
So you're still alive. I had my doubts, given your emaciated frame. You're actually pretty hardy despite your looks.
Chandra:
Do you need something?
Hyle:
As a matter of fact, I've been thinking... How are things back in Ahribaal? As I've said, I haven't been there in a long long time. It has been over ten years, come to think of it...
Chandra:
... What's there to say? It's as miserable as it has always been.
Hyle:
Well, I presumed as much... But I never thought the sect would have the balls to get in a war.
Chandra:
There was a brief period where things weren't so bad. I had my own workshop where I could experiment away. No one bothered me, and I never needed to talk with others. Closest thing to paradise... Nothing lasts forever though... I was dragged out of my home to die for a useless cause. And I nearly did, had it not been for Lord Orion...
Hyle:
Hmm.
Chandra:
Why do you ask? You don't look the type to wonder about the place.
Hyle:
Normally, I don't. But talking to a fellow countryman reminds me of the past. Even I have fits of longing for old times now and then. Ahribaal's a rough place, but it was still home for a time. You seem quite content, being by the side of that duke. But even you must miss whatever old dwelling you had, eh?
Chandra:
... Sometimes.
Hyle:
Mmm, that's how it is for everyone, I guess. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
Chandra:
...

///A
Hyle:
You have any family in Ahribaal, Chandra?
Chandra:
No, not anymore. My only family was my grandmother, but she is long gone...
Hyle:
Was she the one taught you magic?
Chandra:
Yes...
Hyle:
Standard Ahribaalite tradition, eh?
Chandra:
What about you?
Hyle:
Me? I'm in the same boat as you. Used to. No one alive anymore. Had some parents I wanted to take care of back in the day. I left for the empire to seek fortune in order to do that. No one could tell where I came from, so I didn't have much trouble. Heh, the things I'd do... Mercenary work, robbery... Anyway, I sent most of the goods back home to them. They lived pretty well until sickness nailed them both...
Chandra:
...
Hyle:
So are you gonna head back to Ahribaal when this is over?
Chandra:
No. Although I'd like to see my old home again, I've decided to leave it behind. Instead, I think I am going to settle in Ernterre.
Hyle:
Can't live without your precious Lord Orion now, eh?
Chandra:
H-He's...
Hyle:
Haha... I'm sure he'll be glad to have you around. As for me, I've got some business with the duke myself. Once I'm paid, I think I'll head for the empire again. The war will be over, but the instability caused by it is begging to be taken advantage of.
Chandra:
You scoundrel...
Hyle:
One man's loss is another man's gain.