Akeron stared at Kelienne as the robot bartender arrived with two jugs of beer, and placed them on their table. Two years now since they crossed paths on Iofen, after she had been caught trying to steal an element from one of the Pewan vaults. The event caused excessive tension between the two factions, nearly leading to an all-out war.
"We don't get this kind of drink back home, you know. All that fermented garbage was made to taste like piss on purpose, surely nobody enjoys that," said Kelienne as she took a sip of the beer, offering him the second one. "Here, for you."
Akeron declined. "No."
"You're not still mad about the storm, are you? Come on, you know me better than that."
"You're still here, why?"
Zuri entered the bar and approached them. "Why did you take off running?"
Kelienne smirked. "And who is this?"
"Nobody important," he glanced at Zuri. "Wait for me outside."
The boy heeded.
"You paint me as a terrible person but remember our duty is the same, we just have a different approach."
He said. "Does that approach include bringing down my ship?"
"A minor inconvenience, and something to give me a head start. You would've done the same if you had known I was after the element before me."
"I would never stoop to that level."
"You have before, haven't you? Need I remind you how you acquired that element two years ago?"
"That wasn't the same thing."
"But not your method either, you played it well. Perhaps I did that to delay you, or I'm still mad at what you did. Truth is, I can't fail twice, especially not to you."
"Yet you're still here, you know where the element is, do you not?"
"And I know they have a buyer, known only as Dunis," she said, placing a photograph on the table. "Here."
Akeron took a look at the photograph. A woman with red hair and a mole on her nose. "Why are you telling me this?"
"You are not as subtle as you think you are. You go in there, they shoot you down and that's the end of that chapter," she smiled. "The element is sold to the Dunis, and you are in the ground."
Akeron would be lying to himself if he said his plan was without flaws. It was as though she could read him. Was he that predictable, or perhaps, this is due to their history together? He couldn't tell.
He asked. "And what is your plan?"
"I become the Dunis," she said with a straight face. "Not an easy work but it is possible, with your help, that is."
Akeron scoffed. "You want me to help you? And why would I do that?"
"You want the element, no?"
"So do you," he said. "I take it you won't leave it for me to take."
"Well, you'd have a chance to acquire the element for yourself, this is what I'm offering."
A trap, he thought. There was no way Kelienne would help him get close to the element, not with what he had done to her. "You can't get to the element by yourself either, that's why you need my help."
"Is it that obvious? We're both in the same dilemma, going against one another could end up in a loss for both sides. I'm merely trying to minimize that."
"I wish I could trust you, Kelienne," he said. "But I don't. I never did."
She averted her eyes, looking into her jug, and took a deep breath. "I did feel for you, Akeron. I did, more than you realized."
"It was nothing personal," said Akeron.
"It was to me. This duty of ours is one without love, and I had believed I had found it. And you betrayed me."
There was quiet between them, drowned out by the chatter of people in the bar.
Akeron sighed. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you never once considered doing the same to me."
Kelienne kept her eyes down. "I guess you'd never know," she sniffled. "But times have changed now, we don't have to repeat the mistakes of our predecessors."
"I agree," he stood up, hoping she'd raise her eyes to look at him. "That's why I'm not taking any chances. Not with you."
Akeron left the room with a heavy heart. Perhaps he may have considered it a while ago, when he was younger but the risk was too high. He knew what Kelienne was capable of, hell, he'd seen it well before. Maybe he had felt for her as she claimed to have for him, maybe he still did.
At the entrance of the bar, stood Zuri talking to a local and he disengaged immediately he spotted Akeron before approaching him.
Zuri said. "Was that..."
Akeron interrupted. "Kelienne, she wanted me to help her."
"Are you?"
"No, I don't trust her. We have to find Greiant. And leave as soon as possible."
They left and headed for Level 32 down below the Ortin station. The lower they went, the fewer people they came across. The elevator was out of commission, meaning they had to descend 32 levels on foot, a point Zuri had made sure to protest and complain about on every level. Finally, at level 32, they moved through the corridor looking for apartment 213.
At the apartment, they knocked but nobody answered for the first few knocks. Then the door opened, and a man appeared in front of them. A bald man of moderate stature and an odd facial expression.
The man coughed. "Who are you, people?"
"We are here from Lord So'lan, looking for a man named Greiant," said Zuri. "I assume you must have been expecting us."
His face lit up, and he laughed. "Young master, come in," his demeanor changed as he stared at Akeron. "Orod. Take off your shoes before you enter."
The duo entered and closed the door behind them. The room was small, with an entire section dedicated to a collection of miniature weapons. Greiant urged them to take a seat and returned with a map.
"Hudun controls a good portion of the south, rumor has it that he's behind some of the work of the bandits down there," said Greiant, pointing at a circled part on the map. "Here, his compound is right there."
Greiant pulled another map, a layout of Hudun's compound. "It's heavily guarded. You'd need to drop somewhere east and move on foot. There's a tunnel that takes you into one of the buildings in the compound, from there, you can find your way."
Akeron asked. "You're not coming with us?"
"Not my fight," said Greiant. "I would warn against doing this but you don't strike me as an easy fellow."
Zuri blurted. "He really isn't."
Greiant said. "The boy, is he going with you?"
"Yes, he is. I have to ensure his father's loyalty," said Akeron. "And yours also."
"This is very dangerous, I hope you're aware."
"The boy stays with me. Once I've secured the element, he'll be returned to his father."
"How are you going to manage that if he's dead? Or you do?"
"You'd have to trust me."
"I don't," said Greiant. "I'll be going with you to ensure his safety."
"Good, get prepared."