After what seemed to be a lot of internal deliberation on Talos's part, he finally spoke.
"While I am still skeptical of your claims, I do sense a sincerity from you that is hard to ignore. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything about magic or this world. For now though, you'll need to forgive me while I still work on understanding who you really are."
"Fine with me."
Seris didn't really care if he believed her or not, which is largely why she had decided to tell him the truth. The world already knew she existed anyway thanks to social media and cellphones capturing videos and pictures of the fights she had participated in.
"That said, it would be inexcusable for me not to offer you room and board here. You are a sorcerer afterall."
"No thanks, I have an apartment."
Talos raised an eyebrow at that.
"If you are over 300 years old, how did you acquire a place to live in a modern city?"
Erin beamed proudly at Talos. Erin had stayed largely quiet, minus his outburst from earlier. He figured it was better to let them talk while he took fastidious notes on their meeting.
"I helped her with that. I used my finances to set her up with a place to stay. I've been helping her navigate our world."
"Ah, I see then! Such charity. Not many would make such an offer for another person."
Erin swelled with pride. The part that Erin wasn't saying was that he did all of that in exchange for having exclusive access to tell Seris's story to the world.
"If there's nothing else, I came here for a reason."
Seris wasn't rude, she was simply being straight forward. Something that Talos seemed to appreciate as he smiled warmly at her bluntness.
"Of course, I apologize again. Just one more question and I'll let you get back to your research."
Seris shrugged which encouraged Talos to continue.
"Do you plan on helping the order combat more demonic incursions? You seem to have a gift for saving the day and right now, we are in a bad position. We could use someone like you on the front lines."
"Yeah, I've noticed that your sorcerers are not as strong as they should be."
Talos had a look of sadness on his face as his voice grew weary.
"I agree with you. For years I've been saying the same thing. We are too weak and if the Demon King decides to invade, we will lose the war. Unfortunately, my fellow elders that oversee the entire global order, are blind to this despite my warnings."
"Typical. Concerned with their own affairs no doubt."
Talos gave a sad smile at that while nodding in agreement.
"This temple, along with many others scattered all over the world, have been doing the best we can with what we have. Hope though is fleeting. The attacks become more frequent and our enemies grow stronger."
"I can't win a war for you."
"I'm not asking you too. I'm just asking you to help out as you see fit. If the occasion calls for it, just do what you can to save lives. That is our ultimate goal afterall."
Seris nodded slowly. Despite the sense that she was getting from him, that he was a fatalist and a politician at heart, she understood his position. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"I can do that."
Talos seemed to brighten at hearing that. He stood up and extended his hand towards her.
"Very well, thank you for your time, Ms. Ardentis."
Seris stood and shook his hand. His grip was solid and his hand felt calloused as if he had spent a good deal of time fighting the very same enemies that he now rallied others to fight.
"I'll send along someone familiar to you, he'll be your point of contact with our temple should you need anything or have any questions. He will be ordered to assist you should you request it."
"I don't need a servant."
Talos chuckled, "he won't be a servant. Think of him like a bodyguard or a teammate on a strike squad."
Seris's eyes narrowed but she didn't argue.
***
She finally found it. A record of what happened to Rhianon.
"Rhianon Tee, sorcerer of the highest rank, member of the Majestic Trio. Associated with the Temple of the Badger. She was known for her mastery of alchemy, enchantments, and healing."
Seris read that part aloud before reading through the list of her achievements in silence. Erin said nothing, he simply sat cross legged on the floor. He didn't want to interrupt this moment. For once, he wasn't taking notes.
"Died of old age surrounded by loved ones in the temple's healing quarters. She was ninety five years old, survived by her daughter, Seris Tee. Despite the famed disappearance of the sorcerer known as 'Seris Ardentis' she never gave up looking for her friend. This loyalty was a hallmark of Rhianon's personality and legacy."
Seris sat in silence as tears welled behind her eyes. She didn't bother to stop them as they trailed down her cheeks.
Rhianon had spent her life searching for her while still raising a family and serving the order until her last breath. It was a hard pill to swallow as guilt overwhelmed her.
"Are you okay?"
Erin gently placed a hand on her shoulder as concern filled his voice.
"Yeah, just realizing how stupid I was."
Erin walked in front of her, gently taking the old scroll from her hands.
"You weren't stupid."
Seris glared at him but Erin didn't back down. He stood his ground, staring boldly into her eyes. His conviction of her was too strong to crumble.
"Leo warned me that one day exploring ruins and chasing after forgotten spells would get me into trouble. I walked right into a trap and got myself imprisoned for three hundred years. Because of me, one of my best friends wasted her life searching for me."
"Wasted? Sounds to me like she lived her life to the fullest. She had a family, searched for you, and became a legend in your order. That doesn't sound like a life that was tossed aside."
Seris's gaze softened. Despite her guilt and self-directed anger, she knew he was right.
"Let's look for your other friend, Leo."
Erin set to work, helping her continue to sort through various records. It didn't take much longer before they stumbled across Leo's information too.
"Leo Torrent, sorcerer of the highest rank, member of the Majestic Trio. Known for his mastery of combat magic, elemental spells, and defensive magic."
Just like with Rhianon, Seris read his achievements silently.
"Vanished in 1735 after a failed attempt by the order to stop a demon incursion in the city of York. Despite many searches, often led by Rhianon, his body was never recovered. Unknown if he survived"
Seris crumpled the paper, her eyes filling with anger.
"You said it was 1725 when you left to explore the ruins."
"That means he vanished ten years after I did."
Erin stroked his chin thoughtfully as he worked through the implications.
"Perhaps he too got trapped in a ruin somewhere, similar to you."
Seris shook her head.
"Leo never cared for historical research. Expeditions like that bored him to no end. He was more about action on the battlefield than wasting time in a library studying."
Erin didn't voice his other theory out of concern for Seris's feelings.
"I'll find out what happened to him eventually. If he is out there, I'll find him and bring him home."
"What if…"
"Then I'll kill whoever was responsible."
Erin saw the fire in her eyes and didn't argue. He believed that she would succeed either way.
"Excuse me, miss? Are you Seris Ardentis?"
A soft voice spoke from the door which made Erin jump. He hadn't heard the young woman approach.
Seris slowly turned, her breath catching in her throat. It was as if Rhianon had come back from the grave to see her.