Shipwrecked (Gar)

[Aeos]

Somewhere out in the Ocean.

Aeos had forgotten how long he had been adrift at sea. He didn't even remember how he managed to scramble onto the little life boat in the first place. To be fair it could barely even be called a life boat. Probably more like a life raft. But, he did remember the series of events of how he got there. Like all other refugees of the sea, the boat he was on, sank. The life boat had no oars so he was at the mercy of the current. It had no means of providing shade so he was at the mercy of the sun and rain. No spears to hunt fish with. No bottles of fresh water. All he had on him was his stone and pack.

A pack that was ruined by the sea water. It's paper contents destroyed by the sea water. His rations also destroyed by the sea water. The Nabatan man fished what he could, using the wrecked rations as bait. His half shifted from plucked fish from the sea surface. When the gulls came to investigate his scraps he grabbed and ate them too. So he did not starve.. but he was malnourished. And his body showed it. He was a thinner man than he was when he first stepped onto the ill-fated vessel. A lack of fresh water only further accelerated his body's physical decline.

His time out to sea had weakened the young dragon. To the point where he could not tap into the powers of his stone and fly away to land. Even if he DID have the energy to do so he had no idea where land was. And so he continued to drift on for days and nights on end. He spent most of his time asleep on the tiny vessel. His body was desperately trying to recuperate the energy it had lost.

He had lost so much and still had more to lose. Something woke him up out of his slumber. The scent of land. The sound of people. He forced himself up to see where it was. He could see glimpses of a rocky surface out in the distance. He wanted to shout. He wanted someone to find him. Someone to help him. But he was too weak to even do that. Too weak to even lift up his arms to wave. By the time the boat drifted onto the rocky outcrops of land, he was unconscious again.

[Gar]

Gar yawned with his arms outstretched. He sat at a table alongside the advisors he had put in charge of the different areas. An old seadog for the harbor, a former slave for the mines and the towers were run by a particular sniper who had proven useful in the raid on Bullring’s fort. It was Gar’s fort now. Unfortunately, that came with these tedious meetings where his advisors would report events of the day to him. Rarely did Gar need to take action, his advisors were competent enough without him. But he was the person who held this motley crew together so they reported to him anyway.

Junzentaru was resting against the side of the chair, Gar’s hand returned to the weapon’s hilt. Try to keep attentive. These meeting provide you with valuable information. Gar nodded and tried to get invested in what the man who ran the mines was saying. Something about putting in a request for better tools. That would be handled by someone else as well. Inventory or treasurer. Someone who wasn’t Gar.

The berserker’s eyes began to wander toward the window. He would much rather be training with June, trying to master that focused light beam. But no, he had to sit here and remain the figurehead for the small community he had started almost inadvertently. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open. It was startling enough to force Gar to grip his weapon. Alas, it was only a young mercenary currently acting as a messenger.

The boy was panting. “I have a message for the Harbor Master.” The boy walked over to the man he requested. Gar spoke up. “Just tell us all mate. If it is as important as it seems, I should know about it.” The boy nodded “Aye aye Captain. We found a body on the shore. I was told to report any bodies to the harbor master after that attack from the corpses.” Gar remembered the surprise attack of revenants and bonewalkers. What a fiasco that was, he would not like to repeat it. The harbormaster was right in having them report to him. The boy continued.

“Only thing is, the guy aint dead. He’s just in real bad shape.” Gar stroked his beard and gave the order. “First things first, give him water, keep em alive.” Gar remembered when he was plucked out of the sea. Water was the only thing he could think of. No one should suffer like that. “Aside from that bind his hands. If he was in these waters he was most likely a pirate. Don’t trust a word he says. I’ll talk to him personally after this meeting.”

The messenger bowed his head and exited the room. There was a light commotion amongst the advisors which Gar promptly ignored most of. Gar cleared his throat. “ So that takes care of the mines and the harbor. How are the towers?” Gar wanted to take care of this meeting quickly. Now he had something potentially entertaining to do.

After the meeting had finished, Gar was brought to a room. A room with a burning candle to assist the fading afternoon light. What Gar saw was unexpected, nearly impossible. Gar leaned forward to examine the long black hair and tan skin. It couldn’t be.

[Aeos]

He heard voices again. Human voices. Many voices. Then he felt movement. Someone grabbed him. Held him. They were moving him. Someone was saving him! Someone was carting him off his tiny boat prison. He wanted to say thank you. To learn where he was. If only he could. His mouth was so dry. His mind was hazy.. dizzy... and lost in the darkness. There was someone who shoved water down his throat. He woke up briefly for that. He drank the cool, fresh liquid, down as if he had never drank it before. It tasted soo good! He could almost talk. He could feel himself trying to say thank you. But it came out in a strange series of unintelligible syllables, until his body went limp again.

There were more voices. Aeos couldn't decipher what they were talking about. But, he felt himself being moved again. Someone touched his hands and put something around them. Gods, what a horrible feeling it was to be this vulnerable. He had been placed somewhere. Somewhere that wasn't his boat. He could feel damp ground below him. It felt cool. Which was incredibly soothing to his sun scorched skin. Wherever, he was was, he could tell he was in a place that was a hundred times better than the floating water coffin he had been in. He couldn't feel the sting of the hot sun above him. He knew he was somewhere indoors. Here his body could recover.. so long as his saviors kept giving him food and water. It would take time for him to regain the body and strength he once had. Perhaps after he recovered he'd work to repay these people for saving his life.

[Gar]

Gar stood dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of his emaciated friend. Gar was about to Sacrifice for him on the spot. Junzentaru spoke up. I advise against using your skill here. I suggest you get him medical attention from one of the healers in your crew. Gar shook himself out of his stupor and gave the order to bring some healers to the room. Gar had so many questions. Why is he here? Did he know I was here? How did he find me? What happened to him? Gar knelt down beside his friend and used his small iron axe to cut the ropes that bound him. The berserker tried to prop the dragon up to allow the hair to fall away from his face. No doubt about it anymore. This was definitely Aeos.

“Aeos. It’s me. It’s Gar.” Gar had to say something to him even if he was too injured to respond. Exposure was one hell of an experience. Gar’s eyes passed over Aeos’ sunburnt face. “Whats the deal Cap? You know this guy?” Gar nodded. “Aye he’s my best friend.” In light of everything that was happening Gar was relieved on one account. At least he washed up in human form. Gar would likely have a harder time explaining why he was taking a dragon in. But no one aside from him knew that this washed up man was really a dragon. If it came to talking about it, Gar would have to send his mates away so they could talk in peace.

A couple healers arrived with staffs and balms jugs of water. “Aeos. Youre going to be okay.” Gar took a couple steps back and allowed the healers to get to work treating the exposed and damaged man.

[Aeos]

Another voice. A familiar voice. No. It couldn't be. That voice had to be a mirage. He had plenty of those when he was out to sea. Mirages. Illusions of people he knew that couldn't be there. His parents. People he’d met that had long since passed. All of them spoke to him. Mirages of islands in the distance. Most islands that were just big jugs of water or plates of cooked food.

These people who were helping him… these were strangers. His body could feel something being put on his face. Balms or oils whatever it was it smelled like herbs. Were they anointing him with oils? Aeos knew that people did this to dead men. Did they think him a dead man? No. No! He knew he wasn't dead. But, maybe these people didn't. He knew he was in terrible shape. Out of fear of being buried or burned alive he tried to move. He jerked his arm and head. He babbled something unintelligible again. But, then he felt something warm. A light of a healing staff. It was soothing. His body stopped moving and he calmed down. What pain he had dulled until there was nothing left. And he slept again.

It would be a few days before he truly woke up. He was semi-conscious for some of the treatment. He drank when water was presented to him. He ate when he could. These people fed him broth with something mushy in it. Probably either bread, potato, or cabbage. Whatever was soft, and allowed for easy digestion. But, he was still mostly sleeping. Dragons had an amazing ability to sleep and recover their bodies. He knew of dragons that had the capacity to sleep off injuries from the Scouring. They would sleep for centuries in undisturbed hovels around the world. A sleep that mimicked death but they were still alive. Aeos did something similar now. He did not have any super critical injuries like those ancient dragons, but he was still hurt. Still weak. Three days would pass, before he finally woke up.

"Wh..where am I?"

[Gar]

Day in. Day out. Aeos still hadn't awoken. He just laid there, breathing but never awaking. Gar was concerned, but he still had a fortress to run. Rather, a fortress of people to delegate jobs to. He was still very confused. How did Aeos end up here? Gar hoped the young dragon would awaken soon. The berserker wanted to speak to him. Not only to check up on him, but also to catch up on everything that had happened since they last met. The biggest point of which was his overthrowing of Bullring and the commandeering of his fortress. Junzentaru hoped for the dragon’s recovery as well, despite once preaching his eradication.

Gar visited the recovery room seven to ten times a day. However, every time he visited, Gar was fidgety. He couldn’t sit still and simply wait for his friend to recover. Gar took to pacing around the recovery room, even though he was advised to leave the Nabatan to rest. Gar wished there was something else he could do aside from hoping and staring at the sleeping man. Even the smallest twitch or sound coming from the man caused Gar’s ears to perk up in hopefulness.

It was three long days. Gar spent all of his free time in the recovery room, talking to the healers and medics. They had already assured Gar that Aeos would survive, but the berserker would rather see Aeos’ health with his own eyes. Sure enough, the time came when Aeos opened his eyes. Gar’s eyes widened in turn. Finally mate. Gar had to restrain from grabbing the dragon’s shoulders and telling him how worried he was. That was probably not the first thing a person would want to deal with.

“Aeos.” Gar let out a sigh of relief. “Well, I don’t know how you got here, but you’re safe.” Gar gave the man a proud smile. “You’re the newest resident of my fortress. Welcome.”

[Aeos]

Oh? Gar wasn't an illusion after all! He was not a dream either. Gar was here. He smelled like he should. Looked like he should. Aeos blunk like three times just to be sure what he saw was real. Gar must have been the one who kept visiting him. Who kept pacing. Who kept bugging the healers. That sounded like something a friend would do. He reached up and touched him.

"I'm.. so glad you aren't a hallucination. You don't know how glad I am to see you.” He gave him a smile. Well as much as a smile as he could give in his sorry state.

“June too.” He could see the axe resting on the wall behind him.

“So.. I'm back.. in Elibe? A Fortress?” That was good to know. It meant that he was in a place that was familiar. Sort of. Elibe was familiar, the fortress was not. He wasn't sure how Gar acquired one, but he was glad to have it. Meant that he would be protected here. Protected from them. But, it also gave him an idea how long he was out at sea for. A trip to Vinland and Elibe took about three maybe four months.

“...Did..” He paused.

"Were there other.." Another pause.

"Survivors?" He let the word hang in te air for a moment. He doubted that there were other survivors. He only survived this long because of his dragonic abilities. He could eat raw fish and birds without any risk of poisoning. Humans couldn't. And even with his powers and abilities he was pushed near death. He tried to push himself up a bit. He could feel himself trembling with weakness but that won't stop him. He wanted to sit upright. We shouldn't.

His stone voice spoke. Aeos groaned. But he did it. He sat up right. He was breathing harder now. But, this was something he needed to do. He needed to assess himself. He could see down his body and legs. He moved his toes. Good. He could see his own skin. His skin was a red peeling mess, with a gloss that came from oils. He could only imagine how his face looked.

[Gar]

Junzentaru let out a light pulse of light when Aeos mentioned the weapon's name. "Aye, You seem to have drifted to the Isles. South east Caledonia to be specific." Gar looked away from Aeos when he asked of other survivors. The harbormaster had the shoreline combed looking for bodies or other signs of life, but he got nothing. "Sorry Aeos, but you are the only one we found so far. But our harbormaster is still looking." Gar reassuringly patted the man on the shoulder. He knew what it felt like to be the last known survivor of a crew. It was a sad, lonely feeling. One that Gar would rather not feel again at any time.

Gar saw Aeos' struggle to even sit up. This was the first time he had seen the dragon in a state such as this. But he was still impressed at how quickly the man seemed to be healing. When Gar had been picked out of the water, it had taken him at least a full week before he could move around. Maybe Aeos would be able to move around and Gar would love to give him a tour of the fort. That said, he didn't want to rush Aeos. It was probably better that they just wait and talk a little.

"So if you feel up to it, I have some questions." Under normal circumstances, this part would be an interrogation. Who do you work for? How did you end up here? Do you harbor any ill will? based on the answers of these questions Gar would have to decide what to do with the newcomer. But this was Aeos, and Gar would rather not have to interrogate the dragon. He sure did feel bad after the last time he did so.

"For starters, I need to know one thing. Was your vessel attacked? If so by who, or what?" Gar had to know who was out in his waters. He had to know if a certain Bartholomew was starting to encroach on his territory.

[Aeos]

Aeos looked away for a when Gar spoke about the lack of survivors. He suspected as much. He doubted that there would even be bodies washed up on shore. His gave trailed downwards towards his knees and he looked upset at the notion. Aeos knew why there would be a lack of survivors. He was partly responsible for some of their fate. He closed his eyes. His mind slowly pieced together the events of the attack and the ship sinking. He remembered everything that happened in all it’s panicked horror. But, Gar wanted to know what happened and he had the right to know. The sailor did save him. And if this was his fortress he needed to know what sort monsters lurked beyond his shores.

“Give.. your harbor men a break. You will not find any more survivors..” He spoke with a serious but low tone of voice. He could feel himself trying to hold back the tears. The young dragon looked and felt like a child who had done something wrong. His breathing changed slightly and his eyes watered up.

“We.. were attacked.. yes. But, th-th-that.. wasn’t.. wh-wh-at.. that.. wa-was only part of..” He was stuttering with his words. He had to draw some power from his stone just to keep himself from breaking down. He shook his head and wiped away the budding tears off the corners of his eyes. Aeos did what he could to keep himself as calm and expressionless as possible.

“I doomed them.” He closed his eyes again. His mind flashed the faces of those he had met on the boat. The cook. The captain. The family he shared his room with. And he couldn’t hold it back any more. He buried his face in his hands and cried.

“I..” He spoke in between his sobs.

“I.. didn’t mean to.. but.. there were so..” He hiccuped a bit.

“Many.. of them. They.. reeked of evil magic..” He stopped talking for a moment.

“I.. had.. no choice.” He shook his head again

[Gar]

Gar furrowed his brow as Aeos tried to speak. Maybe it was still too soon. The memories too clear, the wounds too fresh. But Aeos was trying to inform him of what happened. Gar was thankful though. This was valuable information, if only it didn't cause Aeos so much pain. Gar shifted to sit halfway on Aeos' recovery bed. He placed an arm around his shoulders in an attempt to comfort the young dragon.

What Aeos was saying was becoming clear. They were attacked by evil mages. This information caused Gar's mind to whirl with the possibilities. His vessel was also attacked by druids, ones with potent eclipse magic. Now the question was, were these roaming mages freelancers or were they connected to a larger force? Were they following someone's orders? Aeos continued to enlighten Gar. This part was even more concerning. Aeos seemed to have done something drastic. Did he really transform? 

If Gar understood correctly, this was a huge problem. Gar turned his head toward the door to ensure no one was around before he spoke. "This isn't your fault, but Aeos, did anyone... see you?" Gar didn't quite know how to best phrase the question. "What I mean is, does anyone know about you?" Gar's brow was still furrowed. This had the potential to be very dangerous. If somehow, someone had seen a dragon and survived, they would certainly tell the tale. A witch hunt would start within a week. Not only that, but how many places were there that could hide a dragon? Gar's fort would certainly be one place to check. Gar looked at Junzentaru. The axe was pulsating wildly, as though the weapon had something to say. Gar would likely need the weapon's advice, but for now he needed a little more information from Aeos.

[Aeos]

Gar shifted over to comfort him. That was nice. But he found himself at a loss in answering his previous question. Yes. He was certain people saw him. As to whether those people survived that was another thing altogether. He needed to compose himself and tell the story from the beginning. But that.. was going to be difficult. He spent a month out at sea with the passengers before the attack. He learned the names of the people and their professions. He shared a room with a family of cheese makers. A man, a woman, and their three children. Two sons and a daughter. He played games with the children. Gave them piggy back rides and entertained them with stories of his travels. And the fairy tales of his home.

He learned how to be a better at sewing through the women. He learned through the mothers, sisters, daughters, of the people aboard. They told him tales of their home and of the families they were to return to. When not with the passengers he was with the crew. He was the watcher up atop the crow's nest for the crew. He peeled all manner of potatoes for the cook. He learned their stories. Befriended them. And now because of him they were lost at sea. Gar was right, he knew he didn't have all the blame, but that didn't stop him from feelinglike he did. Humans called this phenomenon survivor's guilt or something like that.

“P..ph-eople.. saw. I don't know if they are alive though.” He took a deep breath in. He needed to steel himself for the story he was to tell. He owed it to those lives lost to recite their final moments correctly. Gar needed to know what happened to those people.

“I...don't think they.. know… that it was me personally… in the.. attack.. It..was.. chaos” He had to choose his words carefully. Although this was a private moment with Gar, he knew that walls had ears. Fortress or not he knew there were other folk around out of sight but not out of earshot. He could sense them. Gar probably couldn't. Or maybe he could, Gar knew his crew better than anyone. He took in another breath. His nose sounded like that of a child who was suffering through the sniffles or hay fever. He wiped his tears with his sleeve.

“I.. will try to recite what I remember.”

[Gar]

Aeos' words confirmed what Gar had thought. But in a bittersweet turn of events, the people who saw him as a dragon were likely dead. Gar took a deep breath and released it as a sigh. Gar didn't exactly know what to say. He was a little upset with Aeos for transforming in front of people, but he was more angered by the dark mages that populated his waters. They would certainly have to be removed. Soon. Gar made a mental note to ensure that he brought this up at the next advisory meeting. Honestly, if he thought about it, this could be because of the disposal of Bullring. Perhaps, Bullring's pirates kept this area occupied and no others would dare trespass. Perhaps.

Junzentaru was still pulsating against the wall. The weapon's light spilled over Gar's face. The weapon clearly heard what Aeos was saying. Gar assumed that the weapon wanted to make a righteous move against the corrupt mages in the area. He would have to talk to the holy axe in due time. For now, Aeos still needed comforting. Gar wasn't great at this, but he was going to try. Aeos beat him to the punch by wiping his tears and claimed he would recite what happened out at sea.

"I appreciate your strength Aeos. The things you saw, I need to know them. I need to know what you..."Gar bit his tongue. Even though he trusted the people in his crew, he couldn't be certain when it came to such a draconic matter. If they heard something controversial, a mutiny could be possible. Gar rose and traveled to the door. He checked the hallway for occupants. No one was present. Following orders. Good. Gar shut the door and returned to Aeos' side. It was just them. Aeos, Gar and June. "I'm sure, together, we can save some lives. Just. Please. Continue to tell me what happened." 

[Aeos]

June was pulsating with a bright vivid light. Aeos knew the axe wished to say something. But, it lacked the appropriate means to do so. In a sense the axe was like his stone. A personality bound to an object, with the potential for great, and terrible power. June’s light was bright but to him it lacked warmth. It lacked cold too if that was possible.

“I know you want to add to the conversation June. Maybe even try to cheer me up with a righteous speech.” He smiled softly at the weapon.

“I know Morse Code. If anything.” He knew that to be one form of communication. There was also a sort of finger language that mutes used to speak. But he was certain June couldn't talk with that. Both Gar and June showing that they cared made him feel a bit better about this whole situation. He sighed, Aeos would recite his story when Gar sat back down. Be strong for them.

“I suppose I should start in saying what I've been doing since our last encounter. I went home for a bit to help my parents with the biannual shark migration. Brought a good friend of mine home to meet them too. Maybe one day you'll do the same.” He smiled lightly at that idea. He'd love it if all his friends met his folks at least once.

“After that I was on Vinland. Exploring the island and looking for a place to call home. Met up with another friend of mine. She was a kid when I met her but she like now she's like a teenager.” He thought fondly of Bee. That girl had an obsession with fire magic. And she showed him just how much those fire balls can hurt. Even in his half shifted form, covered in hard scales, magic hurt.

“I stayed on Vinland for a bit. Then I had to make my way back to Elibe. I boarded a passenger ship from Vinland to Elibe. And for the first month at sea things were fine.” He told Gar of the family he shared a room with. Told him of their routines, hobbies, lives. Everything was fine until he got to the night of the attack.

“We were stranded for the night. Moonless sky. No stars because of the clouds. The captain was uncomfortable sailing in the dead of night without any light.” He sighed.

“Which was fine. We had enough supplies. But.. then the raiders came. They struck us. They used magic of dark origins to wound our ship. By the time we mobilized a defense they.. had already boarded us.” He started to look sad again. He bit his lip.

“Something was wrong with the pirates.. they.. smelled wrong. Like.. how the undead do.. but.. they didn't look like undead. At least not yet. I don't think they have been.. dead very long. Or.. maybe that's the way magic smelled. I don't know. I hid below deck with the children.” He shook his head.

“Their parents were already gone.. we had one shot to escape. The three of us were going to try and make our way to the life boats. The oldest.. no more than twelve.. he fought with a makeshift lance. The second was about nine. The third was just three.” He could see their faces. He could feel the tears welling up again.

“They..” He rubbed his eyes again.

“The pirates.. they took the littlest one. The boys.. they did not survive. It.. was strange the pirates had.. no interest in the cargo. Well.. no they did take the cargo.. but it was.. like.. a second thought. They.. we're fixated more on taking the people. Live people. Those.. that resisted too hard.. we're killed.” He paused for some time.

“I did my best to.. protect them. But.. the orbs of dark magic. Gar.. those orbs they hurt. They hurt me.. They hurt the children. I used my bag as a shield.. it..didn't work.” This next part hurt him to say.

“They took Oscar.”

[Gar]

Gar turned his head toward the glowing weapon as well. I see you June. We just need a moment to get things straight. Gar wasn't sure if the weapon could sense his thoughts at this distance. But the pulsating slowed, slightly. Gar returned his attention to Aeos.

The words fell from Aeos' lips. He spoke of Vinland, the land where Aeos and Gar started their friendship. They met, they hunted, they discovered, they swam. Vinland was the place where he constructed a boar's tusk necklace in honor of their combined strength. Then Aeos spoke of his trip back to Elibe. Where he found himself on a ship among a dark sky. It was hard to deny the possibility of that dreaded dark magic eclipse. Gar tightened a fist. Thinking back to those druids, how powerless he was against them. It enraged him still today. Rage was building within the berserker.

Apparently, they smelled of the dead. Necromancers? They have to have some connection to the zombies who attacked my fort. If it wasn't already bad enough. Aeos kept spilling the bad news, through new tears. Gar's teeth were clenched tightly. The children. They took one, killed the others. They don't quite sound like slavers. What could they possibly want with a child? Gar didn't understand the motives but the actions were despicable.

Gar was angered. To the point of mobilizing his whole force to find these criminals. That said, he was disproportionately upset about the final statement. He knew it was just a figurine of a knight. It could be replicated, replaced. But the fact that it had fallen into the hands of someone so... awful. So disgusting. It made The berserker sick to his stomach. He didn't even want to think about it.

Gar rose almost shaking with a rage he currently couldn't direct anywhere. "They won't get away with this. I will find them. I will make them pay." Gar was ready to go. He didn't know where, he didn't know how, but he knew what he was going to do. He was ready to do some damage. The berserker moved toward the wall where Junzentaru rested. He gripped the hilt and light crawled up his forearms in branching pattern's as if lightning was crackling up his skin.


The deeds your dragon friend speaks of, they are unacceptable. As a righteous being, as a symbol of justice, I can not allow the perpetrators to persist in this world. Gar was breathing heavily. It was clear that he wanted to do something immediately. Gar translated June's words so Aeos could hear them as well. "June wants to fight too."

[Aeos]

This was a reaction he was expecting. While, Aeos was flattered at the act, he knew better. He knew he had to put a stop to them before they walked out that door and did something drastic. Hell, those two didn't even know the whole other half of the story.

“Both of you need to stop.” He cautioned. He physically, couldn't do much in his state to stop them. He just had to hope they listened to reason.

“I understand your emotions.. but I need you both to take a moment to breathe. Gar, you don't even know who or where these druid mage pirate people are!” Druid mage pirate people, it was a highly appropriate term to describe them. Even if it did sound like the scurried ramblings of a child trying to describe something unexplainable. Or something he just did not know the word for.

“Running off into the unknown with your emotions on high will only lead to your death and or disappointment.” Who are we Dad? He then turned over to look at June.

“And June stop encouraging him!” Mom now too? Part of him wished his parents were here to comfort him. To cry on their shoulders and listen to them as to how to fix the problem.

“Please. I don't need you to risk the lives of you, your crews, or those whom may be indiscriminately killed by your actions.” He looked down somberly. These hot blooded actions are what spark wars and calamity. Well aren't WE one to talk about flying off the handle. He shook his head. His inner voice was right. He shouldn't be talking as if he knew better. He who was prone to bouts of instinct and greed.

“You don't know the rest.” He sighed. Then forced himself to reach for a mug of water. He pressed the mug to his lips and took a drink. Cool. Refreshing. He finished the mug of water and put it back. That gave him a moment to recollect his thoughts.