This guy's voice was as lazy as he looked, carrying a hint of condescension in his tone. He was probably Ophelia's age at twenty-three, but seemed older with those dark, heavy bags under his eyes. He simply looked us up and down with his bored, gray eyes.
Then, looking around at the wreckage as if piecing together the series of events that had just occurred, he said, "Curious that I find the Black Wolves Leader, Vice Captain, and an Executive at a hideout we've been monitoring for illegal Black Wolves activity," again that slow, condescending tone ever present.
"You've got the wrong idea, man," Havoc said, but was stopped by Code's hand in front of him.
"I heard some destructive sounds coming from this way and then saw some Black Wolves fleeing this place before I arrived. A falling out, perhaps? Or maybe you came here to assert dominance over your own Guild? Either way, you're busted now." his glare was unmatched, "I caught you red handed."
Red handed, huh? I thought.
This guy was at the Kingdom's Guild meeting earlier, Henza—Vice Captain of the Blue Phoenix Knights. He was the one who helped Syemore put the half Zion Orb in the room.
What was he doing here? Guild meetings were normally three to four hours, and we were only gone for what felt like an hour and a half, maybe two hours. If anything, the meeting should still be in progress. How did he make it all the way out here so quickly? I knew we weren't anywhere near the Valley just judging by the terrain outside. If I had to guess, we were closer to the Forest Kingdom than anything else.
"Thing is… I am just not in the mood today. So if you would be so kind and not fight back, that would make this that much easier." He was serious. His tone seemed lazy, but I sensed hostility in it.
Code reacted in a panic, trying to warn me of something, but then…
Henza gestured a simple hand wave, and in an instant, we were all bonded, frozen in place from our last movement. A yellow aura in the shape of crossed rings hovered around each of us, still conscious, but could not move an inch—we couldn't even speak. Henza sighed to himself. The whole situation seemed like a drag to him.
"Alright, time for you all to come with me—"
As he reached for something in his pocket, he felt one of his bonds crack. It was the bond on me.
What? How? he thought as he adjusted his eyes to face me, holding a haunting glare that matched his, I know this power... It's—
But before he could get in another thought, a gun clicked from behind him, and the barrel of it touched the back of his head gently.
"Actually, they're coming with me, and you're leaving," the male holding the gun said, his voice monotone and serious. "Unless you want me to blow you."
Silence…
"Ah, fuck. That's not what I meant. Whatever, you get it, right Henza?" the male said, desperately trying to save face, and completely opposite from his serious tone just a second ago. His gun, however, was unshaken from where it was on the back of Henza's head, unwavering regardless his mannerism.
"Oh, Rex… If it was a different day, you'd be doing me a favor. I'm tired," Henza responded, really sounding like he wanted to die. It just wasn't the right time.
Rex made a disgusted look, twitching his top lip as he responded, "Dude. Gross. Why are you so depressing? Keeper. How'd you even make it this far in life with an attitude like that?"
When I saw Rex, if I could have smirked, I would have. Thank the Keeper, I said to myself.
Rex was another one of the five like me, Ryo, Snow, and one other, who were novice mages together back in our early days.
He wore an olive hooded poncho and bore the resemblance of a hunter, sporting brown leather underneath with dark olive boots. His clothes were fairly tattered along with his thick black headband with a yellow pattern on it, matching his eyes and black star-shaped pupils. The headband had seen better days. He had messy medium-length black hair that peeked over and under it, half covering his eyes. And he was the Vice Captain of the Green Owl Knights.
"So what's it gonna be, partner?" Rex questioned, another completely different tone from the last one, this one almost like a joke. He really struggled to keep the same tone in any serious situation. He wasn't bipolar or anything; he just thought about things too much. I'm genuinely shocked he became a Vice Captain with that personality handicap, but maybe not too shocked. His magic ability and battle prowess made up for it.
"You know if you shoot me, that will be considered an act of treason and disturbance of mission conduct against a fellow Kingdom Guild, right? You'll also go to jail for murdering a fellow Valley ally," Henza slyly responded to him, ignoring Rex's quirks.
"You know it's also an act of treason and disturbance of mission conduct if you falsely accuse another Guild of an action they didn't do? You can go to jail for that as well, Henza," Rex countered, again a different personality. This time he sounded perfectly confident.
"Didn't you see the other Black Wolves running from this place? This is obviously their hideout for transporting illegal drugs, and we found it. Look, their Captain, Vice Captain, and an Executive are here. What more proof do you need?" Henza said, attempting to convince Rex.
"Release your bond on Greed. I'll ask him myself," Rex demanded.
Henza chuckled but obliged. He flicked a finger, and I was free immediately. As he released me, he studied the crack of the yellow bonding ring I had "supposedly" made before it disappeared. I could have broken free myself if I had kept going...
I opened and closed my palms a few times before relaxing and putting them in my pockets. Then took a good look at Henza once more, glowering at him.
"So, Greed. Is this your hideout?" Rex shouted to me from the distance he was at, still holding Henza at gunpoint.
"No," I said sternly, still staring at Henza, holding our own lazy-eye staring contest.
"Good. That's all I need to know. As you can see, Henza, the Black Wolves have pleaded not guilty to your claims. You may leave now."
"Really, Rex? Is that really all it's going to take to convince you that they are not the culprits we are seeking? You could very well be releasing our prime suspects," Henza snapped.
"Yes. That's exactly all they are. 'Suspects.' Just like I have no proof that they are not guilty, you also have no proof that they are," Rex replied academically.
"That's precisely why I am going to take them in for further questioning once we are back in the Kingdom. So we can verify those claims," Henza calmly argued.
"Weren't you supposed to be attending the Kingdom's Guild Meeting? Correct me if I'm wrong, but as a Vice Captain, shouldn't you be present there as we speak? The only reason you wouldn't be is if you were pardoned, like I was, due to overlapping missions. That is why I could not attend and why I am here. But you are from the Blue Phoenix Knights, right? You're a fairly new Guild and have only been a part of the Valley for a total of four months. There should be no reason you are taking missions that hinder your attendance at your first Guild Meeting," Rex said cunningly. He was surprisingly good with negotiations for someone who struggled to read the room at times. "That being said, unless you are an older, tenured Guild, it is absolutely mandatory for new Vice Captains to be present for those. Black Wolves were just kicked out,"—damn, word really did travel fast when you're unpopular—"so I understand why they may be wandering around... but you? Totally different story. Shall I report you for being out of post so far away from the Valley and within Forest jurisdiction—in Green Owl territory?"
Henza chuckled, knowing that he had been outmatched and outclassed here. He shrugged, then said, "Very well, Rex. You got me there. Truth is, when the Black Wolves got kicked out of the meeting, I was worried about what actions they might take while all the Guilds were stuck there. So I decided to investigate on my own. I will take my leave, but it's only a matter of time before we catch them in the act again," he said as he released the bonds on the rest of my crew, throwing his hands in his cloak pockets afterward.
At this time, Rex clicked the safety on his gun and pointed it away from Henza's head. He moved aside to let him leave from the double doors he came from.
"Just know one thing, Rex. You're making a big mistake here. Luckily for you, I don't feel like doing any of this today. You all better be careful," he said, speaking to us all at the end as he casually walked out.
"That a threat?" I asked, still glowering at him as he turned his back to us.
"A warning," he replied, looking back with his gray, lifeless eyes. "You may very well be picking a fight you cannot fathom to win." Those were his last words before he proceeded to exit the abandoned church, leaving us there with the Green Owl's Vice Captain.
We all watched Henza leave in silence. It was then and only then that Rex liven the mood. He whipped his head—those black stars he claimed for eyes locked in effortlessly—as he found us,
"Long time no see, old friend!"