Armored and clean. Back in the scene.
As usual, he quickly scoops up and girds the Black Blade of Aegier.
Unusually, he does not stretch or patrol the permiter.
Instead, he immediately moves to find Alexis Laelius, leader of the Crimson Calling.
No longer exhausted, the deadly Aegeirien warrior finds and rouses the Sutheroni lordling.
“We need to talk,” Rask says in an even; non-threatening tone, as he gently shakes AlexIs’ shoulder.
Once Alexis is a awake and ready, Rask speaks again, calmly:
“I am not a mercenary Alexis. Not yours or anyone else’s.”
“I’m not much of a treasure hunter or deal maker either. I know what I am.”
A hint of sadness, a heap of resigned determination.
“I joined with you because we seek a common goal: the end of the Dark Hand.”
“It is time for us to figure out how to trust each other, our work will only get more dangerous.”
“I need to know, from you, why you wanted those… Dwarves… to live and escape.”
Rask continues:
“If I am going to continue to put my life on the line for you and the others, I need to know that you’ll do the same. I’ve seen what you did for Mavon, but I’ve also heard how you left other companions you’ve had. Ones that didn’t work for the Dark Hand before you teamed up with them. I need to know that you won’t leave my body to be eaten by demons, or leave me unconscious in the hands of our enemies.”
Rask looks at Alexis with steely concern.
“What do you need Alexis?”
Alexis is working on getting himself awake as Rask is talking, and nodding absent-minded. Alexis looks confused as Rask finishes what he’s saying.
After a pause long enough to think a little bit, ” ‘Mercenary’? Did I call you a mercenary last night?”
Alexis seems confused, at least about who called Rask a mercenary.
Rask ponders for a moment.
“Last night? No. When we fought the dwarves, you told me I could go be a mercenary for someone else. When I cut down Throgar… I do what is necessary, not because I get paid, and not because I like it. I do it so you don’t have to, but I am not your weapon to wield. I am a human being.”
“And if you’re not going to be part of my cause you can be part of someone else’s cause, or a mercenary. Yeah. I stand by that.”
“We were almost tortured, or killed, up in the Copper Hills Fort because the team wanted to do their own thing rather than follow my lead. I’m a bit touchy about being tortured. I have delicate skin.” Alexis says as a joke with a shrug.
“If you want us to follow you, make your case. Otherwise, I need you to follow me. Not because I’m holding something over you, or threatening you. But because you trust my judgement. And if you don’t trust my judgement, then we can part ways now as friends. Better that than bad-blood developing because you killed a beggar on the street and the Crimson Calling suffers for your very unsanctioned actions.”
“You realize that I have to answer for all of your possible transgressions, right? I had to clean up after Telosh. I have to deal with the ramifications of whatever ‘morally necessary’ choices Ca’armine makes. He almost killed my connection to the Collegium when we were dealing with Malkar Ardesh. MY connection. That I spent time, energy, and resources building up. I put my connections at risk by exposing them to chaotic elements” Alexis says mirroring Malkar’s words “that could sever them.”
“All that said, I know I can’t do this alone. I need companions and friends who know how corrupted the Dark Hand is and how badly those villains need to be stopped. Bandesingh most specifically.”
“Gus is a obstinate cur, but he holds his tongue, and knows the land like few others can. His connection with… his god is also strong and it guides him to protect not just us, but those that we befriend and value as well. I’m grateful to have him.”
“Red is an oblivious dreamer, who often cares more for supplies than some team mates. But he is loyal and he can build (almost) anything we need to solve our problems. He thinks outside the box and is braver than he has any right to be. And I’m grateful to have him.”
“You have your dark past, and I expect it will bite us more than once. But you share our adversary and you’re a very capable fighter. Very capable. If you will choose to truly join my cause. My cause.” Alexis emphasizes this last bit “Then I am happy to embrace you with open arms as a brother in arms. A brother in common cause. Perhaps as true brothers some day.”
Alexis looks at Rask with a hopeful look on his face.
Rask listens carefully while Alexis talks. He bristles a bit Sutheroni lordling’s opening statement and again every time Alexis says “my cause,” but he nods along more often than not. He starts to speak:
“Much of my past is dark because I let others make decisions for me, I followed orders, I wouldn’t say blindly, but thoughtlessly. Brotherhood certainly made that… easier… Mage-Eye and Ursill might understand, but I doubt any of the other rebels will… As for my former Shadowblade brethern, Maris at least still lives… and is certainly no longer a comrade… But when we worked together, we trusted each other.”
He shakes his head
“OUR cause is clear Alexis, and as we have seen these past few days in this… city, there are few that are willing to take a stand against Bandesing and his followers. If we don’t stand together against these forces, we have already forfeited the fight.”
He takes a deep breath,
“I would follow you. You know more, and have more connections, a larger vision… I would like to gain your trust, you have given it to other Aegirians, even obstinate ones,”
Rask smiles a bit, thinking of his own obstinate stances, and with a fondness and admiration for Gustav.
“For now, that may be enough, and yet, I would like to trust you… understand you?”
“Can you tell me more about what you mean when you talk about YOUR cause? Why spare the lives of… non-humans?”
“In a simple sense, everyone’s a native to somewhere. And you never know when you might need to visit that somewhere. In the case of those dwarves, they were almost certainly natives to under mount Sutheron… someplace we might want to go someday. And getting some information about the location before could be helpful. It’s good, and often necessary to ingratiate with the natives.”
“Friends, or guides are almost always preferable to corpses.”
Rask nods appreciatively, if a bit skeptical of friendship with dwarves and gnomes.