“I am so tired…”
The two holograms on the other side of the table flickered briefly, both giving Galyn some concerned looks. He had spent about twenty minutes just trying to get the damn projectors to work and broadcast audio, but now he’d gotten them working, he was just getting worried. It wasn’t so much that the holograms were complicated, he just needed to make sure that the combined omni-cameras, projectors and scanners were all properly orientated.
“Have you tried taking a break?” Vikalos’s hologram asked. “You look like you need a break.”
Galyn gestured at the table, which had several nearly empty jugs of bear on it. In hindsight, that might have been why Galyn had had so much trouble setting everything up. “I am trying.”
“Try harder!” Vikalos smiled jokingly, before settling down. “Is there something bothering you?”
Galyn sighed some more, glugging down the remains of one of the jugs. He then waved to a nearby waiter, asking for another, before answering Vikalos’s question.
“I miss you guys.”
“Then come back and visit us!” Itaviir grunted. “We miss you too, Galyn. Yet you are still out there with those three Decaylings…”
“They are officially Decay Lords now!” Vikalos interrupted.
“Fine… Galyn is out there with those three Decay Lords, when both he and they can be here in Deathven, still doing the same things. Yet you insist on saying in the vast emptiness, in our old exploration grounds.”
Galyn’s drink swiftly arrived, and the Thantir took an annoyed swig from it. “You say that as if me being out here has no meaning. The Decay Lord presence in this entire mass-sector is practically non-existent! And those three need training. They are skilled but their general knowledge is lacking, and they will just get babied in Deathven.”
Vikalos tilted his head to one side. “How ARE they doing? Have you had any problems with them?”
Galyn shrugged. “Honestly? Retvik is great. He would have been a perfect addition to our team, had we all remained out here. Litvir is… a tad skittish and secretive, but he does not trail far behind Retvik. Once they are convinced that it is relatively risk-free to do so, both Litvir and Retvik are willing to get the job done.”
“What about Arkadin?”
“Arkay is…” Galyn paused. “He is trying his best, all things considered. If he had been a pure Decay Lord, or even just a singular hybrid, he would be just as viable as Retvik and Litvir. Arkay’s Life Goddess side really messes with him though, makes him self-loathing and afraid of his own potential.”
“Makes sense…” Vikalos frowned. “He may have been better off here in Deathven after all. I have helped quite a few like him so far.”
“That is why you should come back, Galyn!” Itaviir growled. “You would all do better here.”
“And abandon our old exploration grounds? Leave the area completely devoid of roaming Decay Lords?”
“Yes.”
Vikalos seemed to nudge Itaviir. “He does somewhat have a point. If Galyn comes back, the Thantir are all but gone. We will all just be parts of Deathven.”
“That is why I wanted to continue training Retvik and Litvir, so they become proper Thantir and continue our legacy. It is just… much harder to do, just on my own…” Galyn explained. “I need some help, but I feel bad dragging you both back when you are happy where you are. Especially you, Vikalos. You are so happy with your Decayling rehabilitation programs.”
Vikalos smiled a little. “I am happy. But that does not mean we cannot help you in other ways! You very rarely call us, but we are always available for talking and advice. You should make use of that.”
Galyn took a deep breath, knowing Vikalos was right. “I should use you both more. And, fingers crossed, I will eventually be able to relinquish these three, once they have learned enough.”
“Do you have a time scale for this?”
“No. Not an accurate one. Maybe another ten thousand hours or so. Still a lot of work.”
“These things take time. But, speaking of time, you should use this break to relax a bit!” Vikalos exclaimed. “Get a massage, buy some nice new armour, treat yourself. Maybe do not spend all your time in this bar getting drunk.”
“That is fair…” Galyn grunted. “A massage does sound nice, after all…”