Page 4195

This was certainly new. He'd known for a while now that Abdul was hiding something, but he hadn't expected it to be quite like this.

Perhaps Ettol hadn't been completely full of hot air, after all.

"What do you want?" said Karkash, still not turning around.

"Just a bit of attention," said Abdul. "Is that so much to ask?"

"Careful what you wish for."

Abdul snickered. "Alright, alright. Listen. Think of this little display as an even exchange. I know you're hiding something, pal. So just show me, already. We've been fighting side by side for months now, and yet you haven't let me see what you're really capable of. Don't you see? My curiosity has reached critical mass."

Finally, Karkash turned to look at him. "I don't care."

Abdul's head reared back, and he scoffed. "Oh, come on. What's the big deal? Think I can't keep a secret? We could be a tremendous force together, my friend."

Hmm. Impulsively, he wanted to refuse this fool outright. Abdul was just another game-player. A thrill-seeking simpleton, not unlike Desmond.

But that didn't mean he was useless.

"Then join my sect," said Karkash.

The other man paused, then blinked. Multiple times. "A sect, you say? You've made one?"

"I have."

"Why am I only hearing about it now, then?"

"I have not been promoting it."

"Well, why not? That's kind of important, don't you think? If you want it to grow big and strong, you gotta let people know about it."

"It is to be a lean, elite fighting force. Invitation only."

"Ah... I see. Huh." Abdul was scratching his chin now, apparently thinking about the offer quite seriously all of a sudden.

Karkash hadn't expected that, either, honestly. He'd only thrown it out there because he knew Abdul was powerful enough to qualify, but he hadn't thought the man would give it any real consideration. From what he'd heard, Abdul was already very well off in his current sect with the Gatherers. There were even rumors that he might secretly be their true leader.

Which perhaps explained Abdul's next question. "Would you want me to leave my current sect?"

"No," said Karkash. "But I'm sure you know the difficulty of dividing oneself between sects. In time, you will probably have to choose."

"Mm, I dunno about that. I'm pretty good at multitasking."

Page 4194

"Do not lecture me, boy," said Lozaro. "Make your request. I will see it done. Then you will realize how precious my time is to be giving it to you so graciously."

Well, it seemed like he'd already managed to get on the Professor's bad side, if only slightly.

Knowing that, Karkash didn't feel like holding back. "...In that case, make me a weapon that can kill a god."

Lozaro stared at him. His expression had already been irritated to begin with, and it only grew even more so as the silence drew out between them.

Even Lucky seemed to be lost for words as his wide eyes darted back and forth between Karkash and Lozaro.

"Rgh!" Lozaro threw Abdul's arm off of his shoulder and stormed out of the tent without another word.

Karkash merely watched him go.

Abdul stepped up next to him. "Think that was wise? You might've just made a powerful enemy out of someone who could've otherwise been your friend."

Karaksh spared him a glance. "You think you have friends?"

Abdul blinked at him, then raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're one of these fellows who thinks everyone is his enemy."

Karkash walked out of the tent.

Abdul was not content to leave it there, however, and followed. "Answer me, kid."

Karkash had no intention of doing so. He had a mission to prep for--and so did many others, considering how much the camp had livened up since he'd entered that tent.

But then it all disappeared before his eyes.

Karkash found himself standing in a glistening space, filled with shining rocks in all directions. The path forward was gone, as were all others that he could see--even above his head.

He was completely enclosed, he realized, in this glimmering room. No obvious source of light could be seen, and yet the rocks shone just the same.

And while he was surprised, he also remained calm. Unmoved. He did not need to turn around in order to know that Abdul was still there. He could sense him. He hadn't stopped locking onto the man's presence since the moment Abdul had snuck up on him earlier.

"It's rude to walk away in the middle of a conversation, you know." Abdul's footsteps crunched against the rocks on the ground. What language was he speaking now? It didn't sound like Vaelish anymore--nor even Valgan, which Karkash had recently become more proficient in--and yet he still understood it with perfect clarity.

Page 4193

Lozaro looked at Abdul with big, strained eyes but said nothing.

"You're makin' me feel bad," said Abdul, frowning. "In fact, you haven't been your usual, chipper self for a while now, Lozzie. Something eating at you?"

And Lozaro, the one they called the Bloody Professor, seemed momentarily as if he were no more dignified or intimidating than a lost child. But then he regained some of his composure as a scowl appeared on his face. "You were not invited to this conversation, Mari. Leave us."

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that." Abdul's hand left Karkash's shoulder and found its way over to Lozaro's. He brushed up against the unhappy scientist like they were old friends. "If you've got a problem, you know you can always come to me, right? People tell me I'm a great listener. In fact, some say too good."

Karkash, for his part, had already heard enough and so turned to leave the two of them alone, but Lozaro stopped him again. "Headhunter. Request something of me, and I shall make it for you. Any weapon you desire. Any tool. Name it."

"Oooh," said Abdul, cocking an eyebrow towards Karkash. "Hell of an offer. Could I get something, too?"

Lozaro ignored him and maintained eye contact with Karkash.

Abruptly, he was glad that Hoyohté was not immediately present. She would have taken over right here and picked something in his stead.

"Anything I desire?" said Karkash, not caring to conceal the doubt in his tone.

"Anything," echoed Lozaro. He sounded more confident now, but perhaps that was just an act.

It made Karkash want to request something impossible, if only to see how he reacted. He held onto that for a moment longer, though, wondering if he should really take such a risk in pushing the boundaries of proper conduct with someone who was obviously much more important and influential than himself.

And Abdul's smiling presence was certainly not helping, either. The man looked like he was having a grand time. "Go on. Say something, Bolt. Headhunter. Lightning Llama. Sharky Karkky. Which name do you like, by the way? I'm partial to the Llama, personally. Everyone wants to be some kind of tough, edgy animal, but don't llamas deserve some love, too?"

He said that, but Karkash knew for a fact that Abdul had invented that last moniker himself.

Regardless, the correct response was simply to ignore him, just as Lozaro had done. "There is much that I desire, Professor. Perhaps you should narrow the focus of what I may request."