How to Hire a Hero

[Stare]

He was here. He was finally here. Stare breathed out, her hands minorly shaking as she looked between the man of tattooed skin and whispers of golden hair. His eyes seemed exhausted, tired as if they had been through a recent, great torment, and it made her pause for a moment. Now, clearly, was not the time to share the voyages she had been through. The fact she was now immortal, made so by the hands of an elven star god and the entity that owned her. The fact she had been killed by her very own back-from-the-dead brother. The fact she had wings, a change that Vitruvion had not been emotionally empathetic on, but rather had been angry in the idea that someone else might be manipulating her that was not him.

Slowly, she took in a long breath, her eyes looking back to the blue-haired woman who was finishing off her sentences. "You used him to change the world. You wrought his power, and things have now begun to be set in motion that will not stop."

"You gave me the book," Stare said quietly. "By which to control him. Why?" Her eyes gazed at the elf, incredulous. It was a simple question in words, and complex in parameters, but it was the primary one burning at her throat. "You must have known to some degree that the man I work for would use that."

”You used him to change the world.” She said to Stare again. ”He would not have joined you and your Master otherwise and there would have been no change at all. You would not have been able to complete your mission without him.” She looked at Nosdyn for a moment. Then she looked back at Stare. ”Also...I sense there is a change within him now. A bond.” There was a mischievous look in the blue haired woman’s eyes. And she was genuinely interested in the situation at that point. ”You changed him for the better of all things. It was something needed for the growth of our societies.”

Stare cupped her hands around her tankard and glanced back at Nosdyn as the woman explained herself. In the back of her mind the century-old awareness that was Vitruvion moved to the forefront, pushing himself into her conciousness. For a while he was silent, pausing and just letting himself hang there, in her knowledge, before he spoke. He is troubled.

Like you care, Stare grunted. Do not you remember you wanted to be rid of his service, have him forget who I was because I was becoming friends with him?

The god in secret took a long breath in and sent her an image of him leaning back, observing as he watched a young elf dance before him and others in a rich-looking nightclub. Scantily clad the beauty shook her hips side to side and showed her belly in many contorted patterns, something Stare had to endure for a moment before Vitruvion sighed and came back to her. Yes, and you persuaded me otherwise. We have agreed you are allowed friends, albeit some, that I deem appropriate. After the demon's assistance in ending Heysan my opinion on him altered somewhat.

“I can see that you are deep in thought at the moment.” She said to Stare and Nosdyn. “You gave the Haidian a purpose, that he was lacking.” She nodded carefully. “That is why I chose to have you two meet. Because that would prove to be the catalyst of change.”

"You were there," Nosdyn said in a low voice. “I saw you at that man’s place in Alerar. The one who calls himself The Boss. You were one of his subordinates were you not?” Nosdyn said carefully.

Stare looked surprised, but let the elf respond.

“Things have changed since then.” She nodded as she said that. “But yes, I have worked for that man once upon a time. No longer though, I have my own missions and agenda now.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. It was clear Nosdyn was a deeper thinker than he let in on.

"Wait, so what has been going on?" Stare asked, her eyes turning now with incredulity to the other female. They burnt with some degree of fury, but not enough to summon the kenku's pain or other abilities.

The blue haired woman looked at Nosdyn for a moment. “Will you answer that or should I?” She asked of Nosdyn.

Nosdyn looked at Stare and then back at the blue haired woman. “I have been exiled from the Tular Plains.” There was a pained expression on his face as he recalled the events that lead to him being banished. “I am here because I have no other place to be anymore. My purpose has been stolen from me.” He looked at Stare for a long moment as he said that. “I have come here because there is no other place for me.” Nosdyn said. Stare breathed in sharply, her eyes intent on her friend. So he was without purpose anymore, without a master.

The blue haired woman looked at both Nosdyn and Stare at that point. “I see now.” She began and looked at Stare at that point. “He is a valuable ally to you now. He has sacrificed his very homeland for you.” She was in deep thought for a long moment after that letting everything that was said sink in.

The kenku swallowed and then nodded slowly, her eyes having never left Nosdyn. “I cannot promise anything, but I will do what I can to help you.” She thought of Vitruvion and his situation. “We have our own troubles but … I will get to that.” She glanced quickly to the blue-haired elf. “What do you need? Are you in similar trouble?”