Day 30

Warner Papadopoulos

He took a stroll after waking. It had been his hope that sleep would cool his frustrations. Instead, the bickering and debate had quickly begun again in his head. Perhaps because sleep has been rough and unrestful since returning. Long hours staring in the dark at the shadowed ceiling. Making shadow puppets of imagined figures on the rough stone as his thoughts chased each other through the turmoil of his mind. A cacophony of derision and complaint. His irritation wavered on the edge of fury. Acknowledging Malachi as the leader was one thing, but the brawler didn’t like being dismissed. It sat foully in his mind and upon the stomach.

Warner wasn’t happy. Not quite furious, but close. He knew to the bottom of his toes that even his party alone could take one of the goliath Ratsins when focused on the task. Maybe there hadn’t been the energy to take out every monster in the Lair, yet there should have been enough to take out a few.

Who knows… maybe after a couple… we would have found it easy to keep on, grumbled Warner to himself. Hell, that big roarin’ one might not be that big a threat neither. And fucking yet, Malachi wouldn’t even test the waters. Wouldn’t really listen to me! At all! Grrrr. The first floor could already be done!

The brawler fumed as he wandered the empty spaces of the Hall. Most still slept and those few who were awake were up at the Vile Fields. He was alone with his thoughts. Trapped with those buzzing reflections circling and circling. On some level, Warner was aware that his pinched pride was radiating some or most of the discontent. It wasn’t enough to slow the building pressure. Warner was feeling like he was being left behind. That the chance of leadership was slipping through his fingers.

Not just as the head of the Council, but as a respected member of it. Several people disagreed with him on principle. It did not escape him that Clarissa had been surprised just to be in agreement with him. His allies there were few and unreliable. Phelian on occasion when their opinions aligned and then there was Molly. She had her own agenda. Supporting him was rarely part of it, even if her’s was the support the brawler wanted most.

So he walked and worried at the issue. Wondering and considering. Moping and raging. Growling and imagining. Half to distract, half to escape, Warner looked upwards. His attention flowed over the paintings covering the ceiling of the Hall. He understood the love for the center image. The false sky made his heartache too, but the martial murals held his interest. Classic depictions of man overcoming monsters. They gifted onto him the cheer to grin a little. He may not have fought those monsters, yet, but the brawler saw himself in them. Those honored warriors that were pictured slaying their foes. Had he not fought monsters? Horrible, monstrous rats, and what a pleasure it was.

Finally, his mind came to a conclusion. A plan was formed by revisiting an assumption. He paused midstride, slowly coming to stand straight as Warner outlined the idea. Slaying monsters, the words burned in him. That was as much of the reason for why they were here, and to do so could not be criminal. Would not be a sin.

I acknowledged him, but never said I would always listen, bartered Warner. Even warned him I would be watchful for any mistakes he made. This is one. We should have pushed further. Fought a little further… I should take my party up there and show him what the Sixty could have done. Maybe that won’t buy me much with the Council, but the rest of the Sixty? Yeah, that’ll swing somethin’ my way. Will the others come with me? … Of course, they will. Molly first and the rest will be easy to convince.

The brawler broke from nodding along with his thoughts. The arguments and recriminations were done. He had made a decision. A path was chosen to put him back where he belonged. Right every wrong. A little voice opposed going against Malachi, but he barely paid it any attention. Warner was rushing off to find Molly. Too filled with excitement by the idea of fighting a goliath Ratsins think out any further. In a blur, he was knocking at the cool-eyed woman’s door. Three quick knocks that resonated more than the big man meant. The reply was quick and distracted.

“Come in,” called out Molly. He strode in careful to show confidence despite the buzz of his nerves. His eyes took in the room and, unmeaning to, examined the bed with a brief blush before coming to rest on the woman herself. She sat with her back to him, writing at a solid pace on the desk every room had. A flicker over her shoulder was all the acolyte of curses gave before asking, “Do you need something?”

“We’re takin’ the party up top and huntin’ some giants,” grinned Warner. “Should be fun.”

She turned in the desk chair and leveled her calculating eyes on his. “Malachi approved this?”

He flinched inside, but knew nothing showed on the outside. Deception was an old trick for him. Sometimes people didn’t need to know to be better off. A little voice whispered this was his moment to turn back. Warner smiled, “Absolutely.”

Sighing, she asked, “Did you annoy him until he agreed?”

“Naturally I convinced him it was best if we went,” said Warner with a flippant tone. His stomach flipped noxiously. He didn’t like lying to her.

“I am sure it was a very pleasant conversation for him,” frowned Molly. “No headaches or anything. Alright, get out so I can get dressed.”

“Excellent,” beamed the brawler with the first real emotion of the encounter. “I’ll go rustle up the rest of ‘em and meetcha out in the Hall.”

She nodded and watched him leave. Warner felt a mix of elation and guilt. He was seeing the glory to come, but the price felt more dangerous than expected. Would Molly forgive me if she found out? He worried before reconfirming himself to the path. Too late now, just gotta make it work. If it works out then this won’t matter. Nerves rattling, he hustled to grab the rest of the party.

The brawler moved swiftly, ready to move out. Warner tried his best not to think that he was trying to outrun his guilt. Elena was awake at his knock, Zachariah growled a lot before rising, Jorgenson gave a thumbs up before slamming the door, and Conor gave the most enthusiastic reaction. Their healer tripped over himself while trying to agree and get ready at the same time. With the wake-up call done, it was then a quick rush to his own room to suit up. The sooner they left the better.

Armor tight and knuckles in place, the big man arrived back into the Hall. A few of his party had beaten him there. They stood under the light of the painted sky. Zachariah rubbed sleepily at his eyes while Elena smiled teasingly and padded her fellow frontliner’s back. A little ball of green-gray energy danced along Jorgenson’s fingers as the storm acolyte trained while waiting. Conor almost danced with excitement. It did not surprise him that Molly hadn’t arrived yet, the woman’s predilection for perfection often slowed her.

Warner walked to join them when a voice called out his name. He turned slowly, worry and guilt spun into confusion. For beats of the heart, it made it hard to recognize who was addressing him. Phelain was walking over with a question on his face. There was relief, but the brawler asked himself to stay steady.

“Warner, why are you all in your armor?” asked Phelain when he got closer. “Your party’s guard shift isn’t until after mine tomorrow…”

He threw on his grin and prepared the right words. “We’re heading out into the tunnels. Malachi asked us…” Warner was cut off when Phelain’s eyes flashed white and spoke.

“Doesn’t know, does he? You’re just going up there…”

For a moment the brawler weighed his options, but decided to play it straight. Sort of. “No. Are you gonna find him and tell?”

The other man’s eyes tilted upwards in thought. “I don’t think so… Why are you going?”

“Call it scouting in force,” grinned Warner. “I figure we need a better assessment of those giant Ratsins. Y’know, stuff like when we’re expecting a fight and not caught by surprise. Best to have that when meet up to discuss the battle plan.”

“That would certainly be useful information,” admitted Phelain. There was a shadow of doubt cast over his features. As if the arisen warrior was expecting more. “Play it safe, Warner. Don’t push yourself to show off.”

He flinched, but the other man was already returning to the Lounge. Warner saw that Hector was waiting with a few others, playing cards scattered on a table. They were giving him looks, but Phelain waved them off. The game was picked back up.

Turning away, the brawler almost sighed in relief. Though the sensation caught in his throat. A sick feeling like a premonition quaked in his mind. The source of that was easy to trace. He had outright lied to Molly and then duped Phelain. It was an unpleasant pressure on his shoulder, liking sinking. The brawler tried to perk himself up. Tried to leap back onto his true blue path. He knew better.

It’ll work, swore Warner. We’ll march up and kick some ass. Come back for our rightful accolades. I have to do this, gotta stay right beside Malachi in power. Gotta be the check he needs when the power gets to him.

The arguments were running in his head again as he greeted his party. Warner’s eyes darted towards the rooms, hopeful for Molly. He wanted to get a move on and get busy.

Zachariah Law

He respected Warner, but the spear and shield wielder wasn’t happy about their rest being cut off early. Aggressively grumpy was his current mood. Not only had sleep been taken away, but he had made plans with Elena. There were finally enough spare cores in his banked supply to purchase some board games. His partner in arms had sadly been deprived of childhood’s many sorrows and joys. Monopoly would be the first they would catch her up on.

Sorrow was always more fun to share, smirked Zachariah feeling mischievously happy before having to sadly put aside the thought.

When the big man himself joined them, Zachariah was tempted to give his friend some sharp grumbles. Instead, he hesitated. Warner was unsettled in the look of his eye and body language. Something his party leader never was. It was disturbing. He almost didn’t want to believe his eyes, especially after it was engulfed by a cocky grinning. There was something forced and unhinged about how that sudden change of feature masked the previous emotion. Suspicious and caution roiled within him, making the spear wielder wish for his bed all the more.

A quick glance at Elena and Conor confirmed that neither of them had noticed anything out of the ordinary. Their own grins reflected the confidence that Warner was trying to project. Jorgenson was oblivious to all of them. He wrestled with the idea of confrontation, but hard choices weren’t alien to Zachariah.

“Hey man, you alright?” he asked, hoping to sound casual. Thinking, Just a little probing. Maybe I did miss see.

The other two gave him odd looks as Warner answered, “Ahh, yeah… Everythings great. We’re gonna huntin’!” It was the brittle smile and searching eyes that held his attention more than the words of assurances.

That he wasn’t mistaken was clear, but neither was his friend opening up. “There is a distinct pleasure to monster slaying, but…” said Zachariah before he was cut off by the appearance of Molly.

“And, that’s all of us,” declared Warner quickly, some real cheer marking his face. Everyone greeted their last member, even Jorgenson gave one as she let the green orb dissipate. Zachariah made sure to sound genuine himself. He understood there were some sparks between Molly and Warner, but personally, the acolyte of curses spooked him. The cool, quiet way she watched everyone from the background had made appearances in his nightmares.

With just the six of them, it was a quick exit. There was no struggle to be in a position in an organized crowd. Zachariah as a large person was quite appreciative of that. A concern that you might accidentally smush someone was near-constant when surrounded. Causing him enough stress that headaches were common when he had to swim in a swarm of people.

There was definitely something freeing about venturing out with just the six of them. Unrestrained from the burden of a large group and a spice of danger that came from a small group. He played with the idea that maybe that was why Warner looked shaken. A bubble of concern for the danger of going in alone. Zachariah appreciated the worry, but assumed since Malachi had okayed the mission that everything was safe. The Sixty’s leader had proven to be an able strategist. Still, the brawler’s disquiet was touching.

Through the doors they went, ignoring the stench of the lower tunnels like veterans. Best to keep your eyes up and your mind off what you walked on. Passing through a suppressed Vile FIeld was surreal. There were no roaming Ratsins, untouched blue fauna grew lushly, and the noise of the room was more human than monstrous. A shift of people under Vincent chatted while they guarded the two active spawn tunnels. As Warner’s party crossed, occasionally a conversation would pause as someone took a turn at an approaching rat thing. It was an odd spot, but Zachariah whistled happily at the bulging pile of cores. Despite being small ones, the quantity more than made up for it. He looked forward to his cut and what other gems of childhood could be exchanged.

The swordsman drifted towards them and Warner shifted to speak with him. With a grin and a wave of his hand, the five of them were told to keep going. Zachariah watched carefully as the two Council members spoke. At the corner of his perception, he saw Molly frowning at the brief meeting. Her expression was hard to read, but it was less pleasant than normal. The conversation was just as mysterious. Vincent’s head tilted with a question and when the brawler answered, a mischievous grin appeared in answer. There was a quick exchange that ended with a loud wish of good luck and a declaration of jealousy.

Warner hurried to catch up, a thoughtful look on his face. Molly called out to him and got a charming smile in return. Its warming effect seemed to miss. The more Zachariah watched the two of them, the more he believed it might just be a game they were playing. That, or the big man was fooling himself. Either way, staying out of it seemed a much better use of his time. Acting on his own advice, the spear and shield wielder turned to the approaching entryway. Gameface time.

Into the upper tunnels, they went. As the party crossed the threshold, their pace changed. It slowed and became wary. In theory, everything until the top was clear, but it wasn’t smart to trust such a veneer of safety. Rats could be tenacious and there were many holes in the wall. So with that wise caution in mind, the six of them marched upwards. Ready to leap into action should any little horror show itself.

Despite the creepy silence, nothing leaped out at them. The worst of it was just the pressure of being on guard as they passed the dark openings in the stone. The only scare of the trip was when they arrived at the last bend before the Fields of Perdition and a voice called out to them.

“What are ya’ll doing here?” asked Reuben as he seemed to appear out of the shadows. Reacting to the surprise, weapons whirled and the air smarted with Mana. There was a lull as the party tried to calm down. The scout looked concerned, but a little amused that everyone jumped.

Warner hollered, “Damnit, Reuben, tryin’ to give all of us a heart attack? Shit… that would have been hard to live down. Losin’ a life cause of fright.”

“Terrible thing to live through, no doubt,” replied the scout dryly. He turned serious, though the mirth in his eyes took away from the stern tone. “Why are you up here to be scared anyhow?”

“Why else?” grinned the brawler. “Goin’ huntin’. Malachi asked me to nose around. Test the mettle a little.”

“Huh, that's a bit surprising,” blinked Reuben. “I haven’t brought my report back yet… he really sent ya?” The scout looked at the whole group for an answer.

Everyone nodded their assurances. Zachariah did so as well thinking, Why would Warner lie about that?

The big man himself said, “Can’t say why beyond me, admittedly buggin’ him and maybe he figured we would cross paths. Get the info straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“Well, annoying him into it, is definitely something I believe,” laughed Reuben. He looked at the brawler and deliberately rolled his eyes at the other man. “Ok, look those guys in there are no joke, so be careful! Here’s the low down, there’s one hanging out in Perdition. Snuffling about, I think maybe it got pushed out by the others in the Lair. I can’t say much about that, cause I couldn’t stay in there for long. Whatever that big one is, it saw me. Fully cloaked and the damn thing saw me. So, steer fucking clear, eh? Far as I can say, all the rest are in the lair, but I didn’t see any of them. Not even the big one when it roared at me. It’s a trippy place so watch your footing.”

Everyone digested that while Warner leaned together with the scout and went over the details. After they spoke, Reuben headed back home. He gave a wave and shouted about good luck before disappearing around the corner.

The brawler watched the other man go and then turned to them. Grinning wide, Warner said, “Alright, let’s have some fun!”