Chapter 1258 (2/2)

Valor Rend tried his best to keep his face even as he slowly made sense of Naffur’s order, although he couldn’t help but want to pump his fist in excitement. “Sir… are you… ahem, sure this is necessary?”

The five representatives of the Order Ducis, in civilian clothes, were standing across the street from the stadium where the first football game would happen. Even though the game wouldn’t be until tomorrow, the area was already teeming with people happily drinking beers and talking excitedly about the return of football. The stadium was currently open so that anyone who wanted to go out onto the field and play a pickup game could do just that.

As someone who had grown up in the United States, Valor had played quite a bit of football in his youth. He had even played on his college team, even if they hadn’t been very good. So now to have it back, with superhuman athletes who had extremely high Stats…

And for Naffur now to suggest that they needed to have someone disguised as a member of a team for the game…

“Look around, do you see how thick the presence of the Order Valorem is?” Naffur’s gaze was sharp, flicking around quickly and picking out the guards. Valor turned and followed Naffur’s gaze to the many pairs of guards who watched the excited populace with cold eyes. “Yet… Why do even I feel like this place is dangerous? Something is definitely going to happen here, and I doubt its just going to be as simple as a massive bloodbeast interrupting things. So we need someone on the field. Playing the game will be distracting, but it will give you plenty of sightlines toward the exists.”

Valor tried to force out a chuckle as he looked up at the building in front of them. “It would need to be a huge bloodbeast to threaten this stadium. They built the stadium to last.”

“Kharon is much bigger,” Naffur replied perfunctorily. Then he folded his arms and nodded to himself. “Hum. The fact that you’ve played football will be a help, but its a shame there isn’t time to get you any related Skills… I’ve already talked to someone from the West Providence Vipers who has pulled some strings. You’ll be one of their backup Wide Receivers. They are defense and running focused team, so there shouldn’t be any problems with you blending in on the sidelines.”

As his hands tightened into fists, Valor did his best to resist the urge to smile. This is my chance. This game… I can feel it too. Something’s going to happen. And we, the Order Ducis, will be here to protect everyone…

Naffur glanced sideways at him and gave Valor an amused smile. “Don’t get too excited, Rend. This is professional football, even if it’s a little bit hurried right now. There are materials waiting back at our hotel; you’ll need to memorize the playbook before the team walkthrough tomorrow morning.”

*****

Antonio stayed at the window, looking up toward the large island drifting behind Kharon, even as he heard the sounds of the door to his house being unlocked. Then he heard the door click shut. He took a long sip of his drink and studied the roiling mist around Randidly Ghosthound’s new home as the sound of soft footsteps slowly neared.

The door to the study swung open. “I’m surprised you called me. Have you finally decided that its worth it to settle in Kharon?”

“Something like that,” Antonio said as he turned away from the window. His face split into a proud smile and he spread his arms wide. “It’s really so good to see you. Come here and give your father a hug.”

Lila, Antonio’s daughter, walked forward while rolling her eyes to be swept up in Antonio’s arms. They hadn’t spoken to each other since the fall of the Chosen, so the reunion was a welcome one. The Chosen’s favorite method of applying pressure had been capturing family members, so it had become something of a habit for families in the service of new Chosen to pretend like they didn’t know each other until the cruelty of their new master was assessed. When Antonio and his fellows had settled in Kharon, most had continued to carefully adhere to this principle, even when they were assured this was a safe place.

Antonio was no exception. He had already been tricked too many times in the past.

The two took a few steps back from each other, both with warm smiles on their faces. Antonio picked up his glass of whiskey and returned to the window as his daughter said to his back. “So what was it? Did the party we had yesterday really mean that much to you? You are certainly growing soft in your old age.”

Antonio chuckled. “Of course not. It was a nice gesture, of course… and a nice excuse to break out some of the moonshine we smuggled out. Won a lot of brownie points with the people who were already here with that alcohol. But… no. That’s not why. I called you here… because I realized a stark difference between the Chosen and Randidly Ghosthound. It has made me feel… ill at ease, but that Kharon can be our home if we want it.”

Looking out the window, Antonio stared up at the ominous floating island above them. Motes of silver energy spiraled down in its wake. Weird bolts of navy blue lightning forked through the murky mist around the island. With the mist present all by the largest details of the size and shape of the Ghosthound’s home were masked.

Lila tilted her head to the side. “...then it was meeting Randidly Ghosthound that did it? Everyone said he seemed a little unassuming for all the rumors the people of Kharon tell about him.”

“Unassuming… misses the point. Randidly Ghosthound has definitely built a special place here… one that I think we still barely understand. We just don’t have any contest for what the world is like outside of Chicago and this moving city.” Another navy blue bolt of lightning curled around the floating island of mist. Antonio pivoted away and looked at Lila. “Have you seen his new abode?”

That had Lila raising her eyebrows. “That’s what convinced you to trust him? The fact that he built an evil flying fortress that seems like it was lifted directly from a bad sci-fi film?”

Antonio licked his lips. He hadn’t really put the feeling that made him willing to finally contact his daughter into words, so he was having a bit of difficulty. Although the transition was awkward, he did the best he could. “Why did the Chosen do such terrible things to us?”

For a second, Lila’s gaze flashed with several complicated emotions. “Dad, if you’ve been having nightmares again-”

“Its not about that.” Antonio waved his hand. “No, it’s just…. The Chosen always oppressed us because when it came down to it, they weren’t so different than us. They learned the rules of the System just a little bit more quickly… and they used that small advantage to take control of the entire city. But Randidly Ghosthound…”

Antonio looked back out the window. The mist-shrouded island drifted behind Kharon in the Southern sky, truly looking like the hideout of a villain that came from a fantasy film. “He doesn’t need to oppress us. Because we are truly nothing to him. Could we… ever threaten that…? Even if we had time… could we ever become as strong as Randidly Ghosthound? Why would he bother to torture us if there was never the slightest chance of growing enough to threaten him?”

“Dad…” Lila’s voice sounded troubled, but Antonio didn’t turn around. He just looked upward at the naked symbol of Randidly Ghosthound’s superiority. Navy blue lightning twitched and snapped. The low rumble of thunder followed.