The Zombie Knight Saga 141 Cxli. | 'O, Perilous Mediator...'

This was the third fortress he'd visited in as many weeks, and admittedly, the famed Lava Base of Dagerto was a wee bit more intimidating than the others, what with its jet black walls that rose to arching points and its many turreted lookouts that linked up with the cavern's rocky ceiling. Not to mention the various spouts and streams of actual lava running through it. The place even boasted an enormous lavafall in the middle of the compound, pa.s.sing right by the central lookout's main window.

And sure, perhaps blending in among the average citizens of the Undercrust was considerably more difficult than it was on the surface. And certainly, most of the servants around here were powerful enough to pound him into an Atreyan steak sauce if they realized he wasn't supposed to be here.

But Roman hadn't let any of that stop him.

Of course, it would have been easiest if they would've just let him in as an official Atreyan amba.s.sador in the first place. But no. Apparently, the base was on some kind of low-level lockdown and not permitting any unexpected visitors.

Normally, Roman might have given up there and simply moved on to the next location on his list, but as it so happened, Roman knew a little something about the visitors that Lava Base was expecting. The previous fortress that he'd been to was sending a replacement janitor to fill in for one who had fallen ill. So it was just a matter of ambushing the poor guy along the way and a.s.suming his ident.i.ty.

Unfortunately, that same poor guy had been a Hun'Kui, which meant that Roman needed to disguise himself as one. Which was certainly a new experience for him. He'd used body paint before but never to this extent, and it seemed like the materials that they used here in the Undercrust were different, too. Of course, the paint did have to endure much higher temperatures, but was it supposed to be this itchy? He was beginning to think he was having an allergic reaction.

Maybe that was just from all the shaving, though. He'd never been so hairless in his entire life.

The disguise didn't end there, however. His non-glowing eyes would've been a dead giveaway, obviously, but he'd found an easy solution to that. Many of the Hun'Kui had taken to wearing goggles. At first, he'd thought they were just some kind of fashion trend, but Voreese eventually discovered that these things were infused with ardor, and when wearing them, the Hun'Kui could see reapers.

Suffice to say, Roman was surprised.

And so, here he now was, navigating through Lava Base as a mostly naked, goggle-wearing, gray-skinned janitor. He didn't think he'd be forgetting this experience for a while.

All things considered, though, Roman wasn't too impressed with this place's security. They barely even questioned him upon his arrival; and these weird metallic credentials that he'd spent two solid days learning how to forge properly--the security guards scarcely glanced at them. Even worse than that, for the last few weeks, he'd been working hard at honing his ability to eavesdrop over greater and greater distances, and had reached a point where he could listen through walls--a skill which he had used extensively in preparation for this infiltration. Dozens of conversations, he'd listened to, wanting to minimize the risk of being outed by any questions that the real janitor should've been able to answer.

But that was all unnecessary, it seemed. These people hardly gave him the time of day. He'd expected the Peacemaker's subordinates to be a bit more vigilant.

Maybe they just didn't see much action around here. The nearest town did seem pretty peaceful.

Come to think of it, with the way Voreese had described the Undercrust to him, he'd been expecting a h.e.l.l of a lot more danger during this trip, but aside from one encounter with a feldeath, things had actually been rather nice so far. With his control over particle vibrations, the extreme heat was a complete non-issue for him, and most of the Hun'Kui that he'd encountered seemed nice enough. Sure, he couldn't understand a d.a.m.n thing they said, but with Voreese as a translator, that wasn't much of a problem, either. h.e.l.l, even that encounter with the feldeath had resulted in another emergence for him.

On the other hand, all of this smooth sailing was beginning to make him wonder if he wasn't overdue for some truly terrible luck by now.

A sobering idea, to say the least.

He had to remain cautious, regardless of how lazy these people seemed, because if nothing else, he could certainly sense that someone big was here. This presence that he was feeling was not normal. Not at all.

He supposed he should locate this heavy hitter first, and given the layout of the compound as he understood it, the central tower seemed like the best place to start.

He caught some servants littering along the tilestone pathway that led there, so he decided that he might as well do his fake job while he was here. He tried to give the offenders the stink eye, but his goggles probably got in the way, he figured.

Either that, or these people just didn't give a s.h.i.t.

Hmm. The more time he spent here, the more he noticed that no one was really looking at him. Like they were avoiding eye contact. Or simply looking through him, perhaps. He couldn't quite--

'How's it going in there?' came Voreese's concentration-ruining voice, as usual.

'Hey, these goggles aren't making me invisible, are they?'

'What? Of course not. The h.e.l.l kinda dumba.s.s question is that?'

'It just feels like no one's even noticing me.'

'What, are you lonely without me there to baby you?'

'I'm serious. This whole atmosphere is off. And I don't like it.'

'Relax,' said Voreese. 'I'm sure it's just 'cuz they think you're a Hun'Kui. I've been listening to people all over Dagerto, and it sounds like the Hun'Kui around here are being treated a little bit slavishly by Sai-hee's people.'

'...That's supposed to make me relax?'

'Sure. Nothing suspicious is going on. They're just a bunch of horrible racists.'

'How comforting.'

'Actually, though, the situation seems a little more complex than just that. From the way some of these Hun'Kui talk, they're kinda d.i.c.kish, too.'

'They were nice enough to me,' said Roman.

'I think that was because they could tell you were a surface-dweller. And you were alone. A single outlier is interesting. Charming, even. A whole group of 'em, though--that can be kinda overwhelming and scary.'

'Lava Base isn't exactly new,' said Roman. 'Shouldn't these people be beyond any initial unease by now?'

'Maybe,' said Voreese, 'but I'm also hearing talk about some kind of recent coup that has everyone on edge.'

At that information, Roman stopped walking and sized up the central tower in front of him one more time. 'Coup? What kind of coup? And where did it happen?'

'The extremely b.l.o.o.d.y kind of coup. And apparently, it happened in Acacero.'

'And how far away is that?'

'Pretty far. In the Higher West layer. It's a good two days' ride by train from here.'

'Hmm.' He entered the tower and started making his way up the eastern staircase.

'It's fairly close to Capaporo, though. Which is where the hole to Warrenhold is, as you may recall.'

'Oh. Excellent.' Roman arrived at the second floor and stopped as a thought struck him. 'Wait a minute. Did you say you were wandering around town? You're supposed to be watching the guy I kidnapped.'

'I am.'

Roman waited.

'...More or less.'

'Voreese.'

'I'm keeping a good view of the shed he's in. Besides, the f.u.c.k am I supposed to do if he escapes, anyway?'

'Uh, tell me so that I can go recapture him, maybe?'

'You can't just drop everything and leave Lava Base now that you're inside. Sai-hee's people would be suspicious as f.u.c.k.'

Roman wasn't so sure they would, but that was beside the point. 'If he gets loose, then this mission should be aborted.'

'Eh, it'll be fine. You used my G.o.dlike knot-tying techniques, remember?'

Roman could already tell that this was going to devolve into an argument of attrition, so he decided to just forego it entirely. 'Alright, shut up for a minute. I need to listen for conversations.'

'Don't tell me to shut up. I'll talk as much as I please.'

'I'm trying to not get killed here, Voreese.'

'Maybe you should try to not be such a rude p.r.i.c.k, while you're at it.'

Mercifully, however, she did in fact go silent after that, and Roman began listening for voices beyond the wall on his right.

He found one conversation about television and another about sleeping. Strangely, that second one was so mundane that it actually held his attention for a bit before he moved on. He soon found a third one about toilet paper and then a fourth about muscle cramps.

All in all, he wasn't terribly surprised. He'd been eavesdropping on these people for the last few days, and this was about the same level of intrigue that he'd come to expect. He did manage to learn a couple more names, though, in the increasingly unlikely event that anyone ever bothered to question him.

Really, though, he was just looking for someone named "Leo." From everything he'd heard, that name belonged to the person in charge, which meant that was probably who he wanted to talk to.

But then again, he had to wonder... maybe this was just a waste of time. Even if he did convince these people to return with him to Atreya... would they even prove themselves useful? They hadn't exactly inspired much--

"YOU ARE A DISASTER!"

Roman winced. He held his forehead and waited for his right ear to stop ringing. When it did, he shook his head, blinked a couple times, and then searched for that conversation again, making sure to reduce the volume. It had come from a few floors above him, he was fairly sure.

"--a mess! Honestly, Leo! What the h.e.l.l have you been doing here?!"

"Just, y'know, man. Relaxin'. Takin' it one day at a time. I don't see what the big deal is, inspector-man."

"The big deal?! The lava isn't supposed to be IN the compound, you moron!"

"Yeeeaah, but it's kind of a ha.s.sle to clean up, y'know? And besides, it looks pretty gone, don't you think?"

"Pretty what?"

"Gone. Y'know, like, outta sight. Cool as ice 'n beans, man."

"Argh, it's not cool! It means the structural integrity of your perimeter is compromised! And what if you ever have guests who aren't immune to lava, huh?! I shouldn't have to explain this to you!"

"I think you just need to take a chill pill, daddy-o."

"And you need to get your head out of your a.s.s!"

"Man, n.o.body'll care if we just take the energy down a notch or two. This place hasn't been attacked in, like, a hundred years 'r somethin'. We ain't got no worries."

"It's actually only been forty years, but that's not the point. I'm telling you, Sai-hee wants everyone on high alert. And while we're on the subject of what she wants, is there a reason you failed to show up to the meeting in Acacero? Because she was not happy that you weren't there."

"Yeah, I know, man, and I'm real sorry about that. But it was just, like, I wasn't really feelin' it, y'know?"

"No, I don't know! What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?!"

"It just, y'know--it sounded like it'd be a real drag. And I've been tryin' to eliminate as many stress-triggers from life as possible. Tryin' to live that healthier lifestyle and be one with Mother Nature, ya feel me?"

"Leo! People are depending on you! And whatever c.r.a.p you just said is definitely not a good enough reason to simply stop doing your job without even telling anyone, you hippie b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

"Hey, man, there's no need for name-callin'."

"Shut up! Do you even know how many problems you've been causing?! And what's all this I've been hearing about you treating the Hun'Kui around here like slaves?!"

"Yo, n.o.body's a slave, man. That's just them showin' their appreciation for us--same way we show our appreciation for them by keepin' 'em safe from all the bad juju down here."

"What?! That doesn't make any sense!"

"Of course it makes sense, man. Makes all the sense in the world. They volunteered to do ch.o.r.es 'n all sorts o' groovy things for us, man. What, you think I should've turned down their generosity?"

"Yes! You should've turned them down! It's a complete breach of protocol!"

"I don't know about that..."

"I do! And I know exactly what Sai-hee will think of it, too!"
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"Ugh, man, why ya gotta be so uptight? We got a great thing goin' here, and you can't just show up outta the blue like this and talk all this smack like we ain't even civilized 'r nothin', man."

"Oh my G.o.ddess, Leo. Sai-hee is going to flip her s.h.i.t when I tell her what you've been doing here."

"Well, then, maybe don't tell her, man."

"What? Of course I'm going to tell her. Your actions--or the lack thereof, I suppose--have consequences, Leo. Honestly, even for you, this is a new low. You've always been a bit lazy, but I've never known you to be irresponsible. And where the h.e.l.l is Ericoros, by the way? He's at fault, too, for not keeping you in check."

"Oh, y'know, he was crampin' my style, so I decided to give him a time out for a little while."

After that, there came an extended silence. Roman looked around the open-air lobby another time and decided to keep heading up stairs, stopping intermittently to check if their conversation had resumed yet.

If nothing else, Roman knew that he wouldn't be asking Leo for help, but whoever he was talking to seemed to know what they were doing. Roman just had to find the right opportunity to negotiate with them. Admittedly, he wasn't quite sure how he was going to accomplish that just yet. Maybe start with a bit of stalking while he waited for an opening, and then if worse came to worst, he could always throw money at the problem and hope for the best.

He hated doing that, though. Winning people over with devilish good looks and a can-do att.i.tude was always preferable, he felt.

'Leo...'

Ah, there'd been a reaper present, too, Roman realized. That might've explained all the silence. His ability couldn't help him hear voices that didn't actually make sound, obviously, but now that he was on the same floor as them, he was close enough to hear everything. Conveniently enough, he spotted a janitor's closet. Less conveniently, it was locked, and he wasn't sure he had a key for it or not, so he decided to just lean against the door while he listened.

'...Are you feeling alright, Leo?'

"Never better, man."

'Your behavior is worrisome.'

"Nah, dude, I feel great. The whole reason I joined up with the ole' biddy in the first place was 'cuz I wanted to enjoy some peace 'n quiet, y'know? I was sick 'n tired of workin' hard all the time just to stay alive, man. But then the ole' biddy just kept puttin' me to work, anyway, and nothin' changed, really. Until I finally pulled this gig here. And, I mean, it's a cushy job, but somebody's gotta do it, right? I don't see why that somebody can't be me."

'Listen, Leo. What you're experiencing is not uncommon. Some might even say this is overdue for you. It's natural for servants to go through a period of... self-reevaluation. But it WILL pa.s.s--I promise you. And until then, you need to--'

"I get that you're concerned about me, man, and I appreciate that. I really do. But y'know, I'm pretty happy with the way things are around here. Might not seem like it, but these are some pretty cozy digs."

"We're glad you're so comfortable here, Leo, but just to be on the safe side, I think I'll schedule a meeting for you with Amaris."

"That's not necessary. I just wanna be left alone, man."

"If you're worried about Sai-hee, don't be. We'll work something out with her. Right now, the priority is making sure you're alright."

"Nah, you're not hearin' me, fellas."

"We are, Leo. Everything is going to be just fine. You'll see. Once we tell Sai-hee about what you're feeling, she'll--"

There came a great splattering noise. Followed by silence.

Roman blinked and strained to listen harder. He was able to make out a dripping sound but nothing else.

'Uh, Voreese?' thought Roman.

'Yeah?' she said.

'I think the leader of Lava Base just murdered one of his own comrades. Reaper included.'

'...Fuuuck.'

Roman pulled himself away from the janitor's closet and started back the way he'd come. 'Think I'll just--'

A door opened on the other end of the hall, and a man exited. He spotted Roman immediately and called out to him.

Roman tried not to wince and turned around to face him.

Long, frayed dreadlocks. A thick scraggly beard. Tattered clothing.

Yeah. That was probably Leo, Roman figured as he approached. And when he got close enough, Roman also discovered some of the worst body odor that he had ever encountered. He had to stop breathing for a few seconds in order to process how putrid the man smelt.

Leo said something to him, but it was in Hunese, so Roman had to repeat it to Voreese for a translation.

'He wants you to clean his room,' the reaper said.

And indeed, Leo motioned him into the chamber.

Much as he didn't want to, Roman did as he was bid.

Huge swaths of blood covered the far wall, as well as the desk in the middle of the room. There was no body, from what Roman could see, but he did spot a few chunks of flesh here and there.

Roman bit his lip, gave the man a nod of acknowledgement, and then turned to leave again, hopefully convincing Leo that he would return shortly with cleaning supplies.

However, at that moment, an unfamiliar figure appeared as if from nowhere, phasing into existence right in front of Roman and Leo both.

It pulled its hood back, revealing a face wrapped entirely in dark bandages, and then offered Roman a letter and a cellphone.

'Uh, Voreese?' he said again.

'Now what?'

'Would you happen to know why there's some kind of horrifying mummy creature standing in front of me right now?' said Roman.

'Holy s.h.i.t, that's a Courier! It's not there for you, is it?!'

'What do you--?'

Leo intervened, trying to take the Courier's items for himself, but the man's hand simply phased through the letter and cellphone both. His expression turned to confusion, and then his eyes fell to Roman.

'...Yeah, I think it's here for me.'

'Well, what'd you get?!'

Still hesitant and wondering if he should even accept this delivery, Roman eyed the letter more closely. That was when he noticed the words "From Hector" written in Mohssian on the envelope.

'...A letter from Hector,' he told Voreese.

'Okay, WHAT?! Hector?! How could he have--?! When did--?! What has he been DOING?! How in all of f.u.c.kt.i.tude did he get access to a motherf.u.c.king Courier before WE did?! And we're not even CLOSE to getting one, either! This is some horses.h.i.t! He and Garovel are f.u.c.king cheaters!'

Roman, realizing that he was probably f.u.c.ked either way now, decided to just take the items while Voreese was busy ranting. As soon the letter left the Courier's grasp, it burst into flames, and Roman panicked as he scrambled to rescue it. He sucked all the heat out by suppressing particle vibrations around the paper, and the fire quickly died.

He added both objects to the invisible, heatproofed veil that he'd been using for his entire body, and then finally opened the singed letter to read it, glancing at Leo in the meantime.

The man was simply observing with apparent curiosity.

Roman read as fast as he could, but there was a lot written there, and he didn't quite manage to get through it all before Leo took it from him. He maintained his veil around the letter in the hope that he might be able to get it back.

'So what'd it say?' asked Voreese.

'Hector and Garovel are in the Undercrust,' he said. 'They need your help finding something. Leo took the letter from me before I could read the rest.'

'My help? Oh, are they lost? Trying to find the way back up to Warrenhold?'

'Not sure. I think there was something about Rainlords in there, too.'

'Oh, f.u.c.k, seriously? Not THEM.'

'What's wrong with Rainlords?'

'Those motherf.u.c.kers collect problems like it's a contest. Good in a fight, sure, but asking them for help is like asking a guy on fire for a hug.'

Roman watched the Courier disappear into thin air. He still had a lot of questions about that, but at the moment, he was more concerned about what Leo was going to do next.

When Leo looked up from the letter, he merely stared at Roman.

'...Hey, are you dead?' said Voreese.

'Not yet,' said Roman. 'I might be okay. He still thinks I'm just a normal Hun'Kui.'

"You ain't no normal Hun'Kui, are ya?"

's.h.i.t.'

"You from the surface?" Leo asked.

Roman wasn't sure what to say.

"C'mon, don't be all tight-lipped."

And Roman felt a sudden pressure all around him. Against his will, his next words were pulled from his mouth. "...Y-yes, I am."

"What're ya doin' down here?"

"...Looking for military aid."

Leo tilted his head at him. "Ya don't say? Huh. Well, this is a mighty strange way to go about it, if ya ask me. Why ya spyin' on me?"

Roman grit his teeth, but it didn't help. "I didn't want to ask the w-wrong person for help."

"Ah. 'n I guess you consider me the wrong person to ask now, eh?"

"Yes."

Leo offered the letter back to Roman.

Confused beyond all reckoning, Roman accepted it.

"You know who I work for?" said Leo.

"Y-yes," said Roman. He skimmed through the letter's contents again.

Leo shook his head. "Do you honestly think she'll help you, man?"

Roman returned a steady gaze. "I have to try, right?"

"The Peacemaker. Yeah." Leo smacked his lips and stepped over the streaks of blood and meat on the floor. He made his way to the boxy-looking couch on the other side of the room and plopped down. "I don't think you'd appreciate the kind of help that she'd give."

Roman felt the pressure all around him relent a little. "Why do you say that? What kind of help would she give?"

"She's not what people say she is. Maybe she used to be, but she sure ain't that anymore, man."

"So what is she, then?"

"She's not even human." He tapped a finger to his temple. "Up here, man. Everything's just a game to her. You want her to protect you? Ain't gonna happen. She'll sacrifice you and everyone you love without a second thought. She ain't no savior, man. Folks like to give Sermung and Dozer a hard time, but they don't know. She's worse than either of 'em."

Roman frowned. He didn't have a response for that. He returned to the letter and finished reading it. There were two locations where Hector suggested meeting.

"Oh yeah, and she hates the Rainlords, by the way," Leo added, nodding at the letter in Roman's hand.

"Why?"

"Some old beef, I'm guessin'. But I'm pretty sure she would've wiped 'em out years ago if not for the Vanguard, so... I'd be worryin' about that, if I were you."

Well, that was just wonderful. But with how seemingly candid Leo was being at the moment, Roman was feeling bold enough to inquire a bit further. "...Aren't you worried that she'll come for you now?"

"Oh, I'm sure she will," said Leo. "But she won't care that I killed one of her errand boys. She'll say she cares, but she won't, really. And, y'know, even if she does care... I just don't feel like runnin', man. Too much ha.s.sle."

Roman just frowned at him.

"And my days are numbered, anyway. Ericoros will never allow me to quit my job, which means I can never trust him again. And once that crucial element between reaper and servant has been lost? Well, you can struggle all you like, but it's just a matter of time before someone gets got." He sat back and closed his eyes. "So in the meantime, I'd like to just enjoy an easy life, for a change. Maybe try to achieve enlightenment 'r somethin'. Become one with the universe, y'know? I feel like I've earned a retirement."

Roman didn't think that justified the murder that the man had just committed, but he decided to keep that opinion to himself. "...If you don't mind my asking, how strong are you, compared to Sai-hee's other supporters?"

"Oh, I dunno. I stopped paying attention to that ages ago, man. Too much trouble and ego involved."

"Sure, but you must have some idea."

Leo let out a prolonged sigh. "...Fifth, maybe?"

Roman blinked. "You're the fifth most powerful servant among all of Sai-hee's forces?"

"Actually, no, wait, Morrison killed himself a few years ago, so I guess I'm fourth, now. Or at least, I would be, if Ericoros and I were still getting along."

Even with this oppressive aura that he was feeling, that was still quite a bit higher-ranking than Roman had expected. If nothing else, it added credibility to the man's opinion of Sai-hee. Leo must've had many interactions with her.

Silence drew out as Roman deliberated over what he should do next. It seemed like Leo was done talking and had resigned himself to just sitting there with his eyes closed. Maybe it was okay to leave now? From everything he'd just said, it didn't sound like Leo would stop him. And certainly, Roman was not interested in acquiring the a.s.sistance of an apparently callous murderer.

But then again, Leo had been awfully forthcoming with useful information. And as a few more questions began brewing in his mind, Roman wondered what else he might be able to learn. Relevant intel could end up protecting Atreya just as effectively as any great warrior. Perhaps even more so.

He'd have to tread carefully, though. Clearly, this man was in an unpredictable state of mind, and if he came to think that Roman was trying to take advantage of him...

Well. In fairness, Roman was trying to take advantage of him.

Perhaps he would just test the waters with a bit of encouragement, first.

"...Maybe it's not too late to patch things up with Ericoros," Roman tried.

Leo didn't move or respond.

"I mean, yeah, sure, we all know how stubborn reapers can be," Roman continued. "They're so old, they think they know better than everyone, right? It's maddening. I get it. Believe me, I get it. But at the same time, that doesn't mean it's impossible to change their minds."

Still nothing.

"Just think about it for a second. The world is full of possibilities. So many things, just waiting to be discovered. Or rediscovered, even. And people! There are literally billions of people! And each one represents new potential. Potential for change. Both big and small. So is it so strange to think that one of those people might be able to help you change Ericoros' mind? Maybe the key to fixing your relationship is just... out there. Somewhere. Right now. Waiting for you to come and find it."

Leo opened his eyes. Granted, he didn't have the most optimistic expression on his face, but it was something, at least.

"Look," said Roman, feeling the need to reign in the rhetoric a tad, "I don't know what all you've been through. You're much older and wiser than I am, so maybe this is just my youthful innocence talking, but after everything you've told me so far, it'd strike me as kind of a waste if you just gave up and waited for death."

Leo's half-drawn gaze lingered on Roman for a while before he finally spoke again. "Where're you from, big cat?"

Roman hoped that was a compliment. "Uh..." He wasn't sure he actually wanted to tell him that information, though.

"Tell me."

The pressure returned, and Roman no longer had a choice. "I-I'm from Atreya."

"Atreya? Heh! Wow. I was born in Kahm."

Roman felt the pressure go away again. "Really?"

"Yeah, man. My mama brought me into this world right near the border, too. Another fifty miles north, and I woulda been Atreyan, myself. Small world, eh?"

Roman was at a loss for words again. Impulsively, a part of him wanted to use this to convince Leo to help him, but he resisted the urge. There was just something very disarming about this guy. So laid-back. Not quite friendly, but... whatever it was, it made Roman want to like him, somehow.

Which was dangerous. He was flirting with disaster here, and he knew it. He'd gotten Leo to perk up a little, but now he needed to get to the point.

"So... if you don't think I should go to your boss for help, then would you recommend someone else?"

Leo flicked at one of his dreadlocks as he mulled the question over. "Maybe Kane? He likes the Rainlords, I think... But nah, I doubt he'd go against the Vanguard for 'em." He paused for another thought. "Yeah, man, you're screwed. Ain't n.o.body gonna help you outta the goodness of their heart--'specially not with all the baggage in that kooky letter of yours. End of the day, everybody's just in it for them 'n theirs, daddy-o. Risk aversion, ya feel me? 's in our nature."

"Oh, come on, there has to be someone," said Roman. "You honestly can't think of anyone? When was the last time you left this place, anyway? Maybe you need to get out more."

Leo merely looked at him--but what a look it was. The twinge of irritation in the middle of his brow. The hint of disgust in his stiffened mouth. And that glare. That sharpness in the man's black eyes had most certainly not been there a second ago.

Roman felt the air shift again, turbulent this time instead of simply oppressive.

Alright.

Perhaps he'd gotten a bit careless with his words there. He decided to shut up and concentrate on not s.h.i.tting himself.

"Even you are trying to make me leave?" growled Leo.

"It was just a suggestion," Roman said with raised hands. "A bad one, I now see. You do you, my friend. Forget I said anything."

A tense silence arrived.

Roman waited.

At length, Roman came to the conclusion that Leo wasn't going to kill or capture him. But the man wasn't going back to his previously relaxed self, either.

It seemed like nothing was going to happen unless he did something, so Roman decided to take his chance. "Welp, uh... Guess I'll leave you to it, then..." He started backing up and gave a small wave. "Nice meeting you and everything."

"Stop."

Roman stopped.

"Tell me," said Leo. "...Why am I angry, right now?"

"Uh... excuse me?"

Leo put a hand to his own forehead, and his eyes went to the charcoal floor. "I haven't gotten angry in... in years, man..." He sounded genuinely confused.

Which made Roman genuinely confused.

Leo looked up at him another time, as if seeing him in a new light. "...How did you make me angry?"

Roman was still lost. But he was beginning to think that this guy wasn't just being weird again.

"I'm angry, because... because..." Leo stood to his feet and began pacing. "Because... because I'm tired of people telling me to leave. And I thought you were different. More zen, like I wanna be. But... but..."

"I am different," said Roman. "I am so different. You wouldn't even believe how--"

"Shut up. That's not the point, man. You're not the problem."

"I'm not?"

"Nah, man. It's something else... It's me." He stopped and buried his face in his hands. "Why have I been here so long? What have I been doing?" He turned to Roman with wide eyes. "Why didn't I want to leave this place all this time?"

It looked like Leo wanted him to answer, so Roman tried his best. "I... just thought you were some kind of a shut-in by nature."

"No. No, no. This isn't right at all, man." Leo stopped to lean on his desk for support, having apparently become dizzy. "How long have I been here, man?"

That, Roman definitely didn't know the answer to.

"It's been..." Leo steadied himself and shook his head. "Years. Ever since that guy was here... I've been... completely..."

"What guy?"

"That guy," Leo repeated, more to himself than to Roman, seemingly. "Did he do somethin' to me? Yeah. Yeah! He must've. That was the last time I got angry. And ever since then, I've just been... Oh, that b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"What b.a.s.t.a.r.d are you talking about?"

"He didn't give his name. And his face--I can't even remember it clearly... Did he do that, too?"

Roman frowned. "Hold on a second. You're telling me, some mysterious man showed up here at a Lava Base years ago and brainwashed you?"

"Nah, man, not brainwashed... but... I dunno. He messed with my head, somehow. Made me... complacent. Lazy."

Well, as far as excuses went, that was one Roman hadn't heard before.

"I have to find this guy and make him pay," said Leo. "Whatever power he's using, it's obviously too dangerous to be left alone."

Roman nodded. "Alright, well, sounds like you've got your hands full. I'll just--"

"My man! You saved me! I can't just let you leave without repaying the favor!"

"Oh, uh, no, that--that won't be necessary. I didn't really do anything, so--"

"Don't be silly, big cat. Just tell me who, and I'll take care of it, ya dig?"

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon, no need to be coy. We're friends now. You came here 'cuz you want someone whacked, right?"

"That's not exactly what I--"

"It wouldn't happen to be the same fella who wrote ya that letter, now would it?"

"What?! No! Definitely not! He's one of my closest allies!"

"Ya don't say? Well, that's a relief. But, um, I gotta be honest with ya, big cat... seein' as this Hector guy has access to a Courier, well. That alone is reason enough for me to investigate further. In fact, protocol kinda obligates me to, see? So how's about we go find him together?"

"How's about we don't do that?"

"Why not? You weren't planning to leave him hangin', were ya?"

"Wouldn't you rather go find your mystery man?"

"Sure, but I don't exactly have any leads on that, do I? I mean, the guy hasn't been here in years, and I don't even know what he looks like. Or his name, for that matter. Which reminds me. I still don't know your name, big cat."

"Ah..." Roman held back a sigh. Certainly, he wanted to believe that this could be an extremely positive development. With as much power and influence as Leo had at his fingertips, protecting Atreya would, in theory, be very easy now.

And yet, somehow, Roman was getting the distinct impression that that wasn't going to be the case at all.