Chapter 217: Airing of Grievances (1/2)
[Well, this is awkward.] Mike thought to himself as the minutes of silence continued to tick on by. They had moved to a small bedroom upstairs, avoiding Lara's increasingly scandalized questions in the process, but so far Brenden had yet to say a word.
Finally unable to take the tension any longer, he tried to break the ice once more. ”So, it seems like you've been pretty busy lately.”
The beastman just grunted without really replying. He was sitting on his bed, arms resting on his knees with his hands folded in front of his mouth. Gaze fixed on an empty spot on the floor.
While Mike didn't have a great deal of experience with this kind of thing, it didn't take an expert to see that he was wound up and ready to snap.
He tried again to break his friend out of his shell. ”That Lara seems like a real handful. She probably caused by you all sorts of problems, but I can tell that she really respects you too. As far as I can tell, everyone here does.”
”What do you want, Mike? Why are you here?” Came the gruff reply.
”...In truth, I didn't come here by choice. I actually did almost get attacked by thieves, and Lara did help scare them off,” He had to suppress a wry grin as he continued in a mutter, ”although, I'm not exactly fond of her method of doing so.”
He shook his head to clear the last few dredges of shameful memories, ”Nevertheless, I did want to speak with you. It's been nearly a week since you disappeared on us, and while the others haven't said anything, I think we're all starting to get worried about you.”
Brenden shot a glare up at him, anger filled eyes burning a hole in him for a few moments, before he returned to staring at the floor. ”I'm fine. There, you've heard it, so you can leave now.”
[I'm not really sure what to do here, but I evidently can't let things continue as they are. It's clear he's feeling backed into a corner by something. If I can get him to let it out...]
Mike drew himself up straight, and stared down at the beastman. ”Is that it? So you've given up?”
Moving with a speed that was almost impossible to track, Brenden appeared in front of him, slamming him against the wall with one hand gripping his collar. ”What in the Hells do you know?! You think you get to judge me just because of some blessing?! That just because you can get stronger so easily, that you're better than me?!”
[He's gotten faster.]
His face was twisted into a snarl, anger clearly the most dominant emotion, but Mike thought he could detect a sort of desperation mingled with sorrow in those eyes. ”I've never viewed you as anything besides a friend and comrade. Someone I could trust to watch my back.”
Brenden glowered at him. ”Really? When was the last time we fought together? When was the last time you trusted me to carry my weight in a fight? Ever since we came to this city, you've been leaving me behind! Admit it! Ever since the fight in Wyrport, you've never thought of me as anything more than baggage! Someone to sit around you and worship your greatness!”
”That's not...” Mike hesitated, remembering Sera's frustration and insecurity, Tal's quiet resignation. He recalled the battle yesterday, and how, rather than bringing them along, he chose to place them in a 'safe' location. It had seemed prudent at the time, considering the risk of kidnapping, but he couldn't quite dismiss the look on Sera's face when he'd left. The look of a person realizing their own powerlessness.
[I had resolved myself to making them stronger, helping them to stand beside me, but as soon as the war broke out I let that fall by the wayside.]
”That's not true...” He finished, but with none of the conviction he'd wished.
Brenden searched his eyes for a moment, although Mike was unwilling to meet his gaze, before finally letting go and returning to his seat with a sigh. ”So that's how it is...I guess I should have known, but its still a shock to see it.”
”Brenden, I-” Mike started.
”I don't want to hear it!” The beastman cut him off with a growl. ”The others might be content to stay in your shadow, clinging to your influence like some kind of parasite, but I can't be! So why don't you just go back to your harem! You can certainly have your fun now that I'm out of the picture!”
White hot anger surged through his mind. A part of him knew that Brenden was just lashing out in his own rage, but that didn't matter to him. He just wanted to return pain for pain.
Face cold and voice echoing with mana that he'd unconsciously invested, he spoke in a dispassionate manner, ”So this is your way of coming out from my shadow? Consorting with thieves and criminals? Inheriting the actual title of the King of Thieves and unifying the Almirn underworld? All because some girl got you involved? Do you really think that any of that was your doing? No, you're just half-heartedly going with the flow like you always do. You keep that up, and all you are going to accomplish is getting a lot of people hurt. Like they did yesterday.”
”How do you...” Brenden started, before a look of realization passed across his face. ”The masked woman, you sent her.” He grimaced, teeth audibly grinding in the process. ”How long has she been following me?”
”Selene has been watching over you since the day after you left.” Mike replied simply, face impassive.
Brenden raised his fist with a roar, as if to strike him. For a moment he held it there, shaking, but then he hesitated as something broke in his eyes. Finally, he sagged. ”Ah...All this time...I never managed to do anything on my own, have I?”