Vick was just about to close up his pub when three familiar faces entered. Sure, people coming in last minute wasn’t that uncommon, and Vick normally didn’t mind too much, but he’d been on his feet for fifteen hours and wanted a break. Still considering who had just walked in, he couldn’t really tell them to leave.
“Ah, hello, my Ventra Lords!” Vick bowed slightly as he headed back to the bar. “Um, what are you doing here?”
Kahlos and Zephyr both glanced at Thyel. The Ventra Gales used to run the local Decay Lord sect, and Vick used to work for them, a long time ago.
“Huh, maybe you are the same species as those three?” Thyel eventually muttered. “Hey, little Vick, do you mind if we have a quick drink?”
“Of course, boss, what do you all want? Two honey-beers and an iceberry vodka, same as you used to?”
Kahlos nodded, then made his way to the corner of the pub, where a big, cushioned booth was. However, as he approached, he clearly stopped and sniffed the air, then turned to Vick, lifted his visor and growled menacingly. This immediately caused Vick to panic and back off.
“T-t-they’re Adogtic Voidborns… all Vekeus d-d-does is c-c-Corruption p-p-purging! They’re harmless!”
Zephyr floated over and put a hand on Kahlos’s shoulder. Vick noticed that her arm was wrapped up in bandages. “Kahlos, friend, you KNOW not all Voidborns are toxic monsters. Some of them do actual good around here, keeping the Indifference back.”
Thyel nodded in agreement. “Better them than us, right, little Vick?”
Vick also nodded, then went to work pouring the requested drinks. The Ventra Gales all sat down and Vick brought the drinks over, alongside a bowl of peanuts, some straws and napkins. To his surprise though, Thyel asked if Vick wanted to join them.
“Come sit with us.”
“What, really?” Vick blinked.
“Yeah, come on, kid. We’re just taking a break before we head back to the Ventran Storm anyway.”
Vick hesitated, quickly grabbed himself a bottle of beer, then did as requested. “So, uh, how comes you are here anyway? You guys never leave the other end of the Expanse.”
Zephyr glanced down at her arm, then sipped her drink. Being somewhat translucent, Vick could see her drink moving down her throat, and realized why she always wanted clear or lightly coloured drinks. Back when Vick was a member of the Ventra, he was very low ranked and served the Basekeepers, which dealt with maintenance, cleaning and making sure everyone was fed, while also occasionally doing security stuff.
“I got hit by an awful strain of Corruption. No one locally could fix it, so we had to make a trip to the edge of the Kinigian Wilderness, the Athata Rift, to a purification centre there.”
“We met the Thantir!” Thyel beamed. “Lovely lot. I’m certain we found out what your species is, Vick, they had three of them, one of whom gave up a lot of his blood to help fix Zephyr up…” Thyel glanced at Kahlos, then tutted. “Stop bringing that up.”
“Bringing what up?” Vick asked. “Also, what are the Thantir like? I had someone come in here once, from the Kinigian Wilderness, and he said I looked a bit like a short, not-on-fire version of the leader of the Thantir. But I’m 100% certain Lord Vikalos was a furry, armoured bear creature, and the guy said that someone called Retvik now led them. He also asked me if I knew a ‘crafty purple psionic bitch’ and a ‘small yellow Life Goddess’. I don’t though.”
Thyel was only half paying attention, he was now glaring at Kahlos. “Stop it.”
Kahlos shook his head.
“Fucking truth-bounds…” Thyel hissed.
“Admit.”
Really, just hearing Kahlos’s voice was somewhat terrifying. Cold, deep and echo-y, like frozen claws running down one’s neck. Vick shrank in his seat, but Zephyr lifted him back up.
“Come on, now, Kahlos. You know Thyel gets funny about being a universe-born Beh’en, being lonely, loveless and unwanted by his kind.”
“I don’t think I should be hearing any of this…” Vick muttered.
Thyel rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, kid. I honestly think you’re probably older than the Thantir leaders anyway. Kahlos is giving me grief because I found Litvir both attractive and charming. And from the brief telepathic conversation I had with Litvir? Ummph…” Thyel trailed off, losing himself in thought. However, Kahlos whacked him across the shoulder.
“Kahlos!” Zephyr protested. “Let Thyel think his lewd thoughts! It’s fine for us, we’re both asexual and aromantic, Thyel has desires!”
“We spent time with a Vokanic, purple, lean, fanged, vampiric Psion, which ticks ALL the boxes for me, of course I’m going to think things!” Thyel sighed, before turning his attention back to Vick. “So, kid, how’s old Stavewielder?”
Vick’s shoulders dropped. “Tim disappeared like five year-strings ago. I woke up one day and he was gone. No idea what happened, haven’t heard from him since.”
“Oh…” Thyel awkwardly glanced at Zephyr and Kahlos, hoping one of them would be able to make the situation less awkward. Zephyr was just as clueless, but Kahlos grunted, then raised his visor again.
“Not your fault.”
“Really?”
“No. You are good.”
Kahlos lowered his visor then went back to grunting, sipping his drink via a straw. Vick shuddered, then briefly wondered if Kahlos ever ate, since the bowl of peanuts was untouched.
“Do you know why Tim left?”
A deep growl. Kahlos didn’t know and clearly didn’t want to talk any more.
“Ugh… Well, I assume, while the Thantir got back together, I take it the Ventra aren’t coming back?” Vick eventually changed the topic. “It’s mighty empty out here.”
“Yeah, no, we’re not bringing back the Ventra…” Thyel sighed. “We fucked up. We got people killed. We were used. No one wants to come back. If anyone does want to join a sect, we’ll point them in the direction of the Thantir, or maybe the Phantai if they want combat. Not the Justar though.”
“Why?”
“Fucking no one likes the Justar. Even the few Beh’ens that leave the Goldtorn Remains, they know not to join the Justar.”
“I’m not a Beh’en though.”
Zephyr looked Vick up and down. “Yes, we know, darling, but I’m not sure if you’re the same species as Elkay, Retvik and Litvir though. They’re definitely not Beh’ens, they called themselves Rethavok, and apparently the little mimic was considered short for a Rethavok. You’re even shorter, same height as the Matanaiai-like guy they had there.”
“I mean, I’m barely a Beh’en either…” Thyel frowned. “Sure, I used to be a Warmguard, but I don’t even have arm blades. I’m less of a Beh’en than Itaviir and Galyn, and those two haven’t even earned surnames.”
Zephyr giggled. “They have names at least. Not silly long names like Vikalos does. Or, technically, you, Vick. Still, it doesn’t really matter what our names are as long as we do our best to be good people and help others.”
“I guess…” Vick sighed. Despite the fact he owned this pub, he felt out of his depth.
“Are you alright, Vick?” Thyel suddenly asked. “You don’t seem well.”
“Eh, I’ll be okay. I’ve just been busy all day, I’m pretty tired and I’m rather spooked, being suddenly blessed by the presence of you Ventra Gales. And this is the second time someone’s mentioned “another Retvik” and that kinda creeps me out. Sure, I’m Vick now, but I used to call myself Retvik, and it’s weird that there’s a, well, better Retvik out there, running an entire sect, while I barely run this place.”
“No, not better, different!” Kahlos suddenly announced, not just scaring Vick, but catching Thyel and Zephyr off guard too. Kahlos though quickly went back to grunting and not talking, but Thyel got what he meant.
“What Kahlos is trying to say is that it doesn’t really matter. You like running this pub, and you do good in your own way. There is nothing to be ashamed of. And ignore Thyel, he is just thirsty right now.”
“In both meanings of the word, yes!” Thyel grinned as he downed his drink. “May I have another?”
Vick reluctantly smiled. “You’re not driving, are you?”
“Oh, no. Ship has autopilot and Kahlos is flying since he can’t actually get drunk.”
Vick smiled some more, then got up. “Sure thing. Zephyr, Kahlos, do you want anything? It’s on the house.”
“Yeah, sure, why not? Can I have another vodka, please?”
“Of course.”