Candidate 006

Cold. Suddenly Emerath was very cold. And somewhere else. Which normally would have defied logic, but this was a game with magic and monsters. There were different rules here, and he had come to accept that sometimes these things were just out of his control. But did they really have to put him in the middle of nowhere? The man had a hard enough time knowing which way to go when he was in places he was familiar with. And should he be stuck here, it would probably be forever just due to his own directional incompetence. He was about to curse everything, but then his eyes scanned upwards, to the man watching him.

As Emerath slowly stood, the man spoke, giving Emerath no real time to say anything of his own. Which was fair, considering Emerath was prone to rambling if left with no other choice. It seemed the man understood this, discussing things such as Emerath's indiscretion. It all seemed a little backhanded, as Emerath had sort of hamfisted all of this thinking it was just some stupid quest. But it seems that he had stumbled entirely upon some secret thing. He needed to be more careful.

As the man listed his organization, goals, and asked questions of him, Emerath couldn't stop the hairs on his neck from standing on end. And then he was left to his thoughts for a moment, questions asked, and an option out of here given. Did Emerath want that? No, he was far too interested in this to just let it go. But he had to think carefully. He had to give them the answers they wanted. This was about Astorea, so it was political in nature, and if he wanted an in to this secret, he had to be political too. Despite the painful truth, honesty might not be his best policy in this case.

With the gears in his head still turning, Emerath began to speak, this time a lot more somber in his tone, "I don't know much about the king. Just rumors heard here and there. Some good, some bad. But any ruler will see both sides of the coin and nobody of my stature in this world would ever know the whole truth. But I will tell you that I've fought with the people of Astorea. That I've struggled along side them to rebuild. That I watched them grieve with the pain in my own heart. From what I've seen, the people of Astorea deserve protection and help just as much as any other might. So I would fight for Astorea again, if that is what you are asking. Not just for the king, but for the people themselves."

A good first answer, but the second was a bit more difficult. Emerath had spoken from the heart on the first one. The second was more philosophical. But he had an answer for it, and so he spoke, "They say that justice is blind. That the truth is all that matters, and that when the scales weigh against what you might favor, morality or otherwise, sometimes you have to make the hard decision to follow them. I'm an honest man, and I would follow these scales, as hard as it might be. If my brother betrayed me, that still makes him a monster. If my best friend took my lover, that still makes her a cheater and him a horrible friend. These are truths we can't deny, even if we want to. I understand that, and I can follow that logic to the ends of the earth if I have to."

And finally, the third question. The hardest for Emerath to answer, not because he couldn't keep a secret, but because he tends to do exactly as the man says. He's not the most discrete. But Emerath had a thought, and he hoped that it would work. His lips moved, and the wheels turned, finishing the answers, "A lie of omission is the easiest to do, simply because it means not saying what you want to. Misdirection is harder, it requires you to have alibis in most cases, or push to make someone believe something that simply isn't there, and probably never will be. Despite my rambling nature, it's much easier just to not say anything at all. Or to only talk about unimportant things. Honestly, until the moment I was brought here, this all seemed like a joke. But I can understand the gravity, and it seems that whether I'm a part of that business, you guys definitely mean it. So, if you want me to keep my mouth shut, I can. Besides, doesn't that just add to the mystery of it all? I have a lot of willpower when I want to, and if you show me just cause, I can carry a secret to the grave. In fact, I still carry some to this day..."

Emerath's eyes downcast for a moment at the thought, memories racing through his mind, but none through his mouth, as one would expect of a secret. His lips pursed aside from a minor utterance after his admission, he waited after saying, "I hope that satisfies you."

 

Emerath hadn't had the time to respond before he was in front of the wall where a door had once been. He wasn't cold, and felt the warmth of both the bodies inhabiting the tavern as well as the nearby hearth, lit fire roaring away. Emerath hadn't been let into the secret club, but had been given some cryptic details.

"This is not the end," he muttered, repeating what the old man said, as he pressed his hand to the spot where the door had once been. "Are you trying to tell me I serve some greater purpose than what you needed in this little interview? How strange this little group seems. But color me entirely interested. I look forward to our next meeting, old man."

Emerath wasn't sure if the old man could still hear him. He wasn't sure if he even cared. But it was enough to have said so. With a smile, Emerath pulled his coat by the lapels, tightening it and spun on his heels to head for the door. He paused in the doorway, his peripherals showing the other tavern goers enjoying themselves with not a care in the world. They paid no attention to the red haired man and his antics. But someone had taken notice of him, and it seemed like a destiny was building for the engineer.

Until he met it, he would just have to keep moving forward, blazing a path wherever he could.