“You like it here? Korioh Landings, I mean.” He asks me, we both enter the bathroom as I take a seat on the bench and he sets away to get undressed.

  “It’s…something. I’m only here to do my job for six months, and get out.”

  He slowly nods, slowly building his image of me within his mind. I don’t want to say too much, or too little. For all I know, maybe he could be the one to rat me out if I get too buddy-buddy with him.

  “Figured. It’s not every day that you come here willingly. Republic must’ve forced you to come here, huh?” He asks, his voice a bit louder to get through the sealed off wooden lockers.

  “Something like that. Never told me much. Just to head here.” The lie comes off sweet from my mouth, and never had I thought that I would be basing information on what I didn’t know.

  But all of them. All of them seem to buy it every single time. Am I lucky, or just a great deciever?

  I hope it’s the former.

  He finally makes himself known, and with a towel wrapped around his waist. He’s a bit slim in figure, with a few scars around his arm that I couldn’t see before.

  I don’t question it, though. Not my place to.

  His face however grows with confusion.

  “Man…what do they feed you guys over there?”

  I can feel his eyes on my body, and for once, I take a look. This physique was something that I got used to naturally, during all of my times in fencing. I needed to be fit absolutely, and sometimes I forget that this is a figure average people really don’t have.

  It really was nothing crazy. Not a bodybuilder. Just a few toned and chiseled out muscles, that’s about it. But I do have to give him an answer.

  “Uh…hard work and ethics.”

  “Yeah, did the Republic also give you a six-pack for free?”

  “...no. That was sold separately.”

  He chuckles, and the two of us head out. We walked for a bit before we headed outside, and there, the Hot Springs awaited us.

  But, when we got there. Here was the problem.

  Everyone looked at us.

  Not in the, “take a glance and go back to what you were doing”.

  But in the, “look and stare uncomfortably.”

  All nine of them, and especially Flugel who were all dipped in already. Whatever sound we were hearing in the hallways, their conversations and commotions, it came to an abrupt halt.

  And they weren’t looking at me, no.

  They were looking at him.

  The half-elf.

  I’ve seen this before. Not here. But in my world. When someone walks into a room they weren’t invited to, everyone stares like they’re the problem just for breathing.

  Before I could get a word in, Flugel already opened his mouth.

  “Lucien, you brought your pet too?”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  As if it was already scheduled, the rest and everyone else laughed. I slightly look to my right, and I could see him. Head slowly coming down, his ears started to droop. Embarrassment.

  I keep my calm, I just need to find a way to defuse the situation. Atmosphere is already thick and filled with a certain animosity. I can see it in all of their faces. Disgust. Surprise. A mixture of the both.

  And then there’s Flugel. The only one I can’t read. Where no matter what, it still comes off as the same.

  “I saw him outside, and figured that maybe he could join. All of us are here, right?”

  My comment to defuse doesn’t hit nicely. More like a crash landing. Everyone looks at me still, amidst their snickers and laughs.

  “Alright, alright. Didn’t know you were into humiliating others as well. Don’t tell me you brought him here…thinking he was going to join us?”

  Another wave of laughter erupted from them, and for once. I felt myself take a step back.

  This was something beyond me. Something I couldn’t push forward and win.

  There’s no golden pin on me, but at this point, with or without it everyone knows my value.

  It’s just against Flugel. Against him where things change. I can’t brute force my command through him. We are on the same level.

  He waves his hand after wiping his face, “Go ahead and take the half-cooked leafie somewhere else for your humiliation games.”

  They laugh even more, and to my side. I can feel it, almost sense it.

  His ears perk up at the mention of the word.

  His fists slowly clench. Tighter and tighter. If I don’t do something, he’s going to explode, and it might be worse for everyone else.

  I turn around, I lost this. There’s no further point. Unity is not something that can be achieved here, especially as clear as this.

  It was as clear as daylight, I don’t know how I didn’t see it.

  Tapping his shoulder, I mutter lowly only for him to hear, “Don’t bother.”

  My path backtracks itself. Looks like I won’t be taking a dip with the others, and will find another way.

  It wasn’t long before the door shut, and I heard footsteps catch up to me. It wasn’t long before he was asked by my side.

  But neither of us had said anything.

  The tension was still there, and I refuse to keep it like that. At least, so he doesn’t get the idea I brought him out there to humiliate as Flugel assumed.

  “Look…it wasn’t like that. I thought…I thought…” My words repeat themselves. Losing the basic ability to explain myself.

  He looks towards me, “Don’t bother. Isn’t that what you said?”

  I don’t nod. Not even a response. I can’t tell if he’s mad…or he’s just accepting it.

  If it’s both, can I still find a reason to be disgusted with it?

  After some time walking, it wasn’t long before we found another spring. A smaller one, as we thought that all others were occupied.

  I take a moment to look around, the inn was nice, and was barricaded with wooden logs that made it impossible to spy from one side to the other…

  …and I could barely hear their conversations now. Meaning, we are a good away distance from them.

  I sigh.

  Ditching the towel, my feet dip into the water. Feels warm, hot. Soothing. Soon, my lower body becomes one with the sensation, with only my head above the water.

  The half elf joined as well, but he didn’t say much.

  And then, it was the two of us. Just there.

  Sitting there.

  Maybe in defeat. Maybe in embarrassment of each other. Or a mixture of both.

  But at least I learned sticking my head out for others doesn’t matter. At least not against Flugel.

  And…and…

  …when will the time be where he comes for others, and I can’t do anything but watch?

  What if he comes for Rei and Jex next?

  I don’t shake the thought out of my head, I don’t pinch myself, I don’t bite my lip to think of something else.

  I entertained it.

  Entertaining the idea that my stolen valor means nothing against Flugel.

  I might be influential amongst the masses, but he is too.

  The only thing that separates us, is that in the system?

  I’m the cog.

  And he’s the hierarchy the system is faithfully built on.