~A friend.
Luca thought about it for a moment, and almost laughed. Someone was clearly trying to lure him out so they could kill him, but they weren't trying very hard. Only a fool would actually follow instructions like that.
And he was no fool. The smart thing to do would be to tell Emila that someone was after him, and the two of them would go back to the palace and tell Selphie.
He very nearly did that, but as he looked to Emila, he saw her laughing with her bartender friend. She looked happier than she had been in some time. She had looked in better spirits since they had arrived in T'Saw, being away from the Acarians and all the things she was afraid of. The thought of taking her away from this momentary joy, and filling her with those fears and doubts again...
He couldn't die. The tether was still there, between them. If it was indeed a trap, as it most likely was, the worst that would happen was that he would get stabbed or captured; nothing he wasn't used to. And if there was a conspiracy to kill him, he would need to know who was behind it.
Going on his own was foolish, and he knew it was, but if he could potentially resolve this business without Emila knowing, he would prefer that. The time they spent in T'Saw was going to be their last, and he didn't want anything ruining that. Ignoring this message could lead to more direct efforts later, and he didn't want Emila to be dragged into that.
He took one last glance at Emila. She was laughing, talking with Trent, and drinking from her mug of ale. She had more or less forgotten him, which hurt a little, but was better for them both in the end. Hopefully she could forget him just as easily when he was on his way to Acaria.
He left the bar, slipping away from Emila and leaving as quietly as he could. On his way out, he checked for the bearded patron who had given him the note, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps that was the man he was going to see, or perhaps he was simply the messenger. Luca would know soon enough. In any case, he put the letter back in the envelope and placed it in his pocket.
Luca was back on the streets of T'Saw, where the sun had set completely. Only a few people were out now. He checked the direction that the sun had set, and used that to figure out which way was south. He made his way in that direction, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes sharp.
It didn't take him long to find the abandoned building. Thankfully, nobody was around to watch him break in. The door was jammed from disuse, so he had to push it with his shoulder to get it open.
There seemed to be no one waiting for him inside, but it was too dark to be sure. He didn't dare use his illumination magick, so he instead proceeded carefully into the empty derelict, his hand ready to draw his sword at a single moving shadow.
It took a few minutes before his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Only when he could see confidently enough did he start to search the empty building. It was devoid of all furnishings, which left few places for someone to hide.
Nobody had yet come out to greet him, so they must have been waiting for him. Certainly that was what they would do if it was a trap. They must have been aware of his presence after he had knocked open the door. Still, his searching revealed there was nobody on the first floor.
So Luca went upstairs.
Searching upstairs revealed nothing but dust and cobwebs. He was starting to wonder if he'd somehow gone to the wrong abandoned house, when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.
The footsteps were too loud. They were not the steps of someone sneaking. Either this person was announcing their presence to him, or they did not know he was there.
Surprisingly, it turned out to be the latter. The man who appeared at the top of the stairs saw him with a start, reaching for his blade in surprise. Luca did the same, and there was a tense second where Luca nearly drew his blade and attacked. But the man let go of his own sword without drawing it, and sighed in relief.
"Ah, it is only you, son of Lodin," he said. "I'm glad you got my note, but I'm a bit surprised you got here before me."
The man was dressed in a tattered travel cloak, and leather armour beneath that. He had a long, slightly curved sword at his hip. His hair was long, reaching almost to his shoulders, and his chin was rough and unshaven, but not yet a full beard. Both were beginning to grey.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" Luca asked him. This was looking less and less like an assassination attempt. Now he was curious.
"Before I continue, I want you to understand a few things," the man said to him. "The first is why I asked you to come alone, and to tell no one you were coming. Did you do this?"
Luca hesitated. "I did."
"Good, because even the knowledge of us meeting is enough to tear apart everything I am trying to accomplish," the man said. "If anyone were to know, even your own companions, it could destroy everything. The second thing you must do is you must agree to hear me out, to set aside any judgements or prejudices until I have finished telling you what I have come here to. When I am done, you can decide whatever you want. If you wish to kill me, that is fine. But not until you've heard what I have to say. Can you make that promise before I tell you who I am?"
Luca was immensely curious now. "Very well. I'll hear you out."
"Thank you," the man said. He brushed his long hair back, revealing a single braided lock over his left ear. "My name is Gordon. I am one of the five acolytes of Zinoro, and I have come to beg for your help."