It was tradition. Casper’s dreams were haunted by nightmares. It had to be stress. All the action and chaos he witnessed in the past few days: A death of a man he just met, meeting a man who claimed to have visions of deaths, a fight with not just a prize fighter but also a particularly powerful Amalgamate. It had to be the stress…

Tonight, it was the same recurring dream. He was in a giant metallic corridor. Big enough to be used as a warehouse. As far as the eyes could see there were corpses. Piled up on the floor, stacked against the wall, their bodies riddled with holes, cuts, and gashes. Bleeding into each other, making the floor sticky with gore. There, at the end of the hall, lying on a throne made of bones, held together by blood, was a man that Casper couldn’t make out the face of. Was he a Fenrir? A Byakko? He couldn’t tell. Just a face that was a foggy red and white haze. In the center of it, was the man’s constant smile. Not one of sadism, not smiling to taunt casper, but just a smile of pure, innocent bliss. As the dream went, he repeated those same words to Casper.

“I spared you because you are my friend. There’s no other reason.”

Casper woke up, lying face up in his bunk, staring at the ceiling. On the outside, he looked completely calm, other than his wide eyes. His otherwise calm appearance didn’t give away his pounding heart and tormented mind. It was tradition, he told himself.

Speaking of tradition, he needed a cigarette.

As he left his room, putting his pants and shirt on, he silently thanked the people of Tracks for letting him stay the night once more. Not that there was a limit to the amount of time he could stay. He was also thankful for the traveling healers in the town, who patched together his wounds and his allies wounds quite nicely.

The outside was quiet as always, in the distance he could hear a few people chatting, some of them wandering around, your typical nocturnals who loved the night life. Each train car around the town was decorated nicely with lights along their sides, lighting the town up. But, other than all the lights, the next thing Casper noticed was his roommate and temporary ally, Rakkan. With his practically triangular shaped torso, it was hard to mistake him for anyone else. With a cigarette in hand, the Sphynx instead pocketed the smoke, instead of lighting it up.

Rakkan had a bottle at his side, two actually, one of them half full and the other empty, looks like he had been drinking. Casper recognized the label on the bottle; a blueberry and a hop, a fruity ale brand that Casper had once or twice before.

With a shrug and a huff, Casper approached the Lion. Might as well while he’s out, both of them are up? It was better than being tormented by this nightmare, right? Casper went over, without a word, he sat down next to Rakkan, who was looking up at the night sky; Early morning sky, actually, looks like the sun was just about to rise on the pollen polluted sky. With Tracks being surrounded by the woods, the horizon wasn’t visible, so for all they knew, it had already risen long ago. At least the sky was visible.

Rakkan jumped, started at first, but then gave a gentle smile when he realized who he was talking to. “Ai, good morning, friend.” He said in a quiet voice, so unlike him. “Can’t sleep either? I’ve had the worst insomnia as of late.” His arms and legs looked fully healed, further emphasizing the skill of the healers who were staying in Tracks. As well as Rakkan’s innate healing ability.

“Yeah, just nightmares,” Casper said, “It’s been a while since I’ve fought an Amalgamate of that caliber. I’ve only fought weak ones before.”

“Nightmares, huh? Just do what I do when I have nightmares! Pretend to punch them!” He said, raising his voice, only to lower it once more; people were asleep and his normal speaking voice was loud enough to wake the whole town. “Sorry. But, see, I’ve solved most of my problems with my fists, pretend fists work just the same on pretend opponents, no?”

“If it works, it works.” Casper said as he leaned back on the bench, nearly falling over, catching himself just in time. “Phew, close one…” As the two of them looked up at the sky together, Casper hummed, “Y’know what’s funny, Rakkan?”

“A lot of thing, but I’m curious what you’re thinking.”

“We only met yesterday, I immediately settled on you helping me get in touch with the Coalition, yet I don’t even know a thing about you. You fight good and do it for a living and you know people in the SSC, but that’s about it.”

“True…” He nodded, “To be honest, the most I know about you is that you are quite well read in Xha and you smoke a lot.” Taking a sip of his drink, he continued, “To tell the truth, I was a bit hesitant to help you. To get a special favor from the Coalition? It sounded ridiculous hearing it. No offense, sorry. But I wanted to help you anyways.”

“Why?” Casper asked, scratching his forehead, “Not that I mind your choice, that is. Why help if you had your doubts?”

“Because… Well… Because!” Rakkan pounded his chest on the second because, “Just because. That’s just how I am. Amalgamates, an Empire, a Rebellion? Someone’s got to be the guy to live his life without care and do things for others just because. That’s what my mama taught me.”

Casper took a long while to reply. He could only stare at the man in disbelief. Everyone wanted a reward in this world or had some alignment. But not him? He looked away from Rakkan’s dumb grinning face, his voice cracked, “Honestly… I’m confused.”

“Hm?”

“Confused that someone would do that for me. After what I’ve gone through. I’m almost 30 years old and I’ve seen how horrible people can be…” He shook his head, “I’m not sure how I can explain it.”

“You were a slave, right?” Rakkan said, no hesitation as always, quickly pulling the bandage off for Casper.

The Sphynx’s eyes widened, “How did you…?” He smacked the back of his neck, “Right… The mark.”

“Yeah, I saw it earlier. You don’t really hide it.” Rakkan said, taking another drink of his beer. It was light and fruity, he liked the taste and with a massive body like his, there was little risk of getting drunk off of it.

The mark, a small brand on the back of his neck, in the shape of a sideways turned hourglass. Casper couldn’t muster up a response. The subject was out there, there was no hiding it.

“I understand why you want the Coalition’s help.” Rakkan slowed nodded, ruffling his proud mane, a growl in his voice, “Slavers, something even the Empire, despite being an iron fisted rule, won’t stoop to.” As he rambled on, Casper grew more and more self aware of the brand. “My condolences. If I could, I’d find the group that enslaved you and crush them!” He pounded his fist into his hand, 100 percent certain of his skills. “The Coalition can do the finding part, I do the crushing part. How’d that sound?”

Casper mumbled a single sentence, too quiet to be heard.

Rakkan leaned in close, “Come again?”

“It’s more than just that, Rakkan… It’s a lot more…”

“Really? Tell me then?” The Lion rubbed his chin, growing more and more concerned.

Casper was still quiet, keeping to himself for the moment, before weakly holding up three fingers. “Three people.”

“Three people?” Rakkan repeated, tilting his head.

“Three people that I want to take revenge on. One of them, a slaver far off in the Weald, I can’t even begin to figure out where, not without the Coalition. The second one, a woman living in some Imperial City, but I can’t even begin to know which. The last one… I don’t even know where…” With his scrawny hand, he covered his eyes, shaking, his voice growing weaker and weaker. “That’s all I can say, I’m sorry… I just can’t…”

Rakkan said no more, he could only give Casper a pat on the back. Words in these situations wouldn’t do anything. Rakkan preferred actions anyways. To be someone that someone can lean on. That’s the type of wrestler he was, someone that could raise spirits up. To inspire.

This went on for what felt like several minutes. Casper, taking his time to mentally recover, the recent nightmare not helping. But, it was then, he realized just how comforting Rakkan’s arms felt. Capable of such strength and able to cause so much damage, yet so gentle when he needed it. More time passed. Then, Casper spoke, his ears raising, finally removing his hand from his face, “You know… You know what I just realized?”

“Yes, friend?”

“The crown… The fake Xha one. We forgot it at the museum. His throat felt sore, hard to speak, but he otherwise looked in relatively better spirits.

“The crown?” Rakkan said, shocked at the sudden change in subject, no idea where that came from. “I know the one but… Sorry, took me off guard there.”

“It must’ve got damaged in the fight… Guess there is no point in getting it now. But if it was intact we could’ve sold it for cheap.”

Rakkan laughed quietly, still confused, “I’m glad to be seeing you feeling better, but what’d you do with the money anyways? Are you an appraiser too?”

“Feeling a little bit better, not much, but just enough.” Casper said, straight forward, “I’ll leave the rest of the recovery up to future me. When I get there.” Casper stood up, using Rakkan’s large body as leverage to get on his feet. “I’m heading back to sleep… Felt nice to put that information out there, purge it from my system. As for the money, I’d probably buy some Life’s Blood, for the three of us. Maybe a snack for the road. You, me, and even Cho… Wherever he is.”

“Generous, I like that.” Rakkan stood up, looking up at the sunrise sky. The air was quite warm, even for this time of day, telling him it was going to be a hot day tomorrow. “I’m here whenever ya need me! Just remember, I’m buying us dinner when we get to Terminus!” He picked up his bottles, looking around for a bin to toss them.

“Right, about that,” Casper said, rubbing the mark on his neck. “Not to ruin the moment.”

“The always here part or the dinner part?”

“The always here part.” Casper crossed his arms, bowing his head. He was ruining the moment wasn’t he? “Are we still agreed that this is only a temporary partnership? We part ways once everything is done, right?”

Rakkan frowned, staring at the Sphynx who he deemed his friend. The atmosphere shifted once more. But, he nodded, reluctantly. He could only guess what lead Casper to make such a stipulation, “Ai… Temporary.”

“Thanks… Just temporary.”

There was nothing much either of them could add to that.

What a turmoil of emotions these past few minutes were.

Casper turned back to Rakkan, “Temporary friends are still friends. Don’t worry.” He pointed with tail towards the shack where the two had been sleeping. “Anyways, there is still an hour or two worth of sleep to be had. You coming?”

First stage was always denial. Rakkan shook his head, but was left smiling, finding a bit of humor in Casper flipflopping how he was, “Think I’ll stay up a bit longer. Watch the sunrise. Cho’s friends will be here soon and I want to greet them. I know them, don’t worry.”

“Suit yourself.” Casper nodded, turning his back, walking on back to sleep. But, as he left, he gave Rakkan a parting gesture of a single, but strongly confident, thumbs up. Yes… That’s the plan, leave his problems for the him of the future. Things would all be fine.

Rakkan stayed standing as he stared up at the sunrise sky, the warm Summer morning rays falling down on him, a calm smile on his face. The joy in the little things. A sunrise, a good fight, a good meal, a good friend, and a good day. Things Rakkan always looked forward to. Day in and day out.