Crossroads

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Even in the crowded bar, the night air was cold, sending a chill down the spine of the silver-haired man that sat across from the bartender. He stared down at the clear liquid in his glass, a sober look on his face, a rare sight to be seen in places like that. His mind raced with thoughts, only a few miles out from the border between Hylion and Ishtar. Only a few more miles after that before the cities and leafy landscape gave way to vast deserts. He picked up the glass, swirling the liquid around before taking a sip. The taste of cool water sat in his mouth, not alcohol, not for a long time. Returning the glass to the table he looked up to the bartender who leaned against the wall occupying his time by cleaning a glass with a dirty looking rag.
"How are things looking in Ishtar lately?" The silver-haired man asked just loud enough to be heard over the ruckus of the other patrons. The Bartender looked up from his busy work to show the face of a man who had been in the business for years, a charming look despite his obvious age with a thick mustache covering his upper lip. It was plain to see that he considered himself a 'Man's man', looking somewhat gruff and in shape.
"Far as I've heard, things've are still the same way they've been for a while. Foreigners often avoid going there unless they have to. Vipers have been playing a game of tug O war with the Ishtarian government since the war ended fifteen years ago. Some days the army wins back a town just to lose it again by nightfall. But that ain't none of my business..." The man stated matter of factly, no concern in his voice.
Gendo knew from the look on the man's face that he knew he was a bounty hunter, but there was no way someone would utter those words in a place like this. Bounty Hunter, legal or not, didn't often sit well with others who tended to operate just on the edge of the law or on the other side of it completely for obvious reasons. Rather than speaking up again, he merely nodded in reply to the bartender, turning around in his seat to look out over the crowd one last time before getting on his way.
The freezing winter night seeped through the redhead's clothes, the chainmail all but burning against her body from the sheer cold. She ventured through the many paths around the town, trying to find someplace where she could warm up. Nearly every pub and restaurant seemed to be closed or snowed in. After a long while of nothingness and the hope of warmth seemed as futile as finding snow in the summertime. She was about to abandon her search when she then found a bar sign at the edge of the town, only standing out as in the corner of her eye, she saw a group of men entering and exiting the facility. Semi-sprinting towards the location, she all but threw the door open to get inside. The heavy stench of alcohol and rugged men invaded her nostrils as she took a look around. While it was still cold inside, it was plenty warmer than the outside. Her eyes locked onto a brazier in the middle of the room and scurried over, putting up her hands to get warm. Satura began to remove the outer layers of her armor, putting it beside the fire to try and warm it as well before it was put on once more. Her black top hugged her figure a bit too much for her liking to be shown, but at the moment she couldn't care less. All that mattered at this moment was the warmth before her.
Despite the loud noise that seemed to never cease within the room, Gendo was not blind to the new arrival that had quickly found their way into the bar and through the crowd. At first, the addition of a single new body concerned him little. After all, the bar was already quite full and another person would only add to the warmth of the room but even so he couldn't help but shake the vague sense that something was off, a feeling in his gut obvious wished to tell him something but could not, nor could he decipher. Regardless, his time as a bounty hunter had trained him well to trust his gut feelings, instincts honed through years of hunting down dangerous individuals. His eyes tried to locate the stranger who had entered, among the crowd, finding it difficult to see through the men and women who walked around somehow managing to avoid running into one another despite being so packed together.
However, his eyes soon fell upon his target, the red color of the person's hair seemed strangely familiar despite being unable to tell where in his history it came from. However, for a single moment, the score of people seemed to move perfectly as to give him a clear shot of the stranger he had tried to see and when his eyes finally fell onto the object of interest they widened. He shook his head before bringing his glass up to his nose, sniffing the liquid to assure himself it was little more than water and yet despite all of the evidence before him he found it hard to believe that his eyes did not deceive him and so he stood from his sitting position. Gendo was extremely tall, able to easily peer over the heads of most of the others in the bar as he moved past them. Their bodies paid him little mind as he pushed through, somehow always letting the man through with little physical contact despite the densely packed area. He broke through the crowd to the small clearing around the brazier where only a few chose to stand so close to the hot object. Now that he was here he was no closer to believing his eyes than he had been from across the room as he looked down at the woman before him. "I-" Was all he managed to say as the other words caught in his throat. All at once he was forced to experience a flurry of extreme emotions as he met the scarlet eyes of the red-haired woman. Thre was a strong sense of familiarity and yet she seemed like a stranger to him all the same. "Satura, I...I thought...I thought for sure I would never see you again." He spoke with an uncommitted voice as his feelings fought for control of his tone.
Satura spun around in surprise, cards drawn and ready for a scuffle, and yet she faltered. Her eyes met the silvery man's own and she froze. Her cards slipped out of her grasp, and her stance shifted from battle to something far more vulnerable. Clenched her eyelids shut and opened them once more as if the act would remove the man from sight. There was no mistaking who this was. The man was of silver head, towering well over her and there was no mistaking those smokey eyes which had captivated her so long ago. "Gendo...? How... Why..." Satura stuttered as she attempted to find her bearings to properly communicate with the man. After a while, she simply scoffed at herself before looking up once more, a faint and uncertain smile on her face. "It's good to see you, Gendo. How have you been?" Was all she could say, but in retrospect, she regretted every syllable. She left him all those years ago, on a very poor note as well, and all she had to say to him was a simple greeting as if nothing had happened? She mentally abused her inner self for her stupidity.
Gendo was dumbfounded at the casual way she spoke, as though roughly four years had not passed between now and the night they had parted ways. For a brief moment, he felt anger but it was simply an ember in an ocean of stronger emotions and so it died out as quickly as it sparked into existence and he shook his head. "I don't know..." He answered with uncertainty, still trying to process his feelings as he came face to face with the woman he had once loved. "Terrible," he was finally able to answer with conviction despite lacking detail. "What are you doing here? I thought you were gone, that I would never see you again. I... Are you okay? How have you been doing?" He spoke with clear sadness in his voice overwhelmed only by his concern for her wellbeing. After all, even though they had gone their separate paths she was the only other person he had ever cared for and that still meant something.
The word 'terrible' struck her like a sledgehammer. For a moment she pondered the possibility that she was the cause for his downtrodden experience. She waved it away, figuring that she was giving herself way too much credit. "I thought so as well, Gendo." She spoke solemnly. "I am well enough I suppose. If only it weren't for this damn winter." She cussed as she returned her hands to the fire to continue warming up. "I am up here for a mission. Ishtar apparently has a lot of issues, so I thought I could help them to sort it out. Seems like I am not the only one. Mercs and mages from, all over Ashvattha are coming here, most of them in search of loot and profit, however. And you? What brings you all the way out here?"
Gendo reached into his pocket, pulling out the crumpled piece of paper and unfolded it to show the wanted poster. It was an odd one, lacking a name or face, reading the name 'The Viper where the name would normally be. "Work," he said before realizing it may be best to elaborate, "An arms dealer is giving weapons to the rebel forces in Ishtar. The Government put a high reward on his or her head. Find out who it is, end their trade, and collect the reward. No weapons, no war, simple enough to understand." He said before folding the paper back up and sliding it into his pocket. He clears his throat, finding it difficult to look Satura in the eyes, as though it would bring back bittersweet memories. "I don't think this is the place to talk about these sorts of things," He said as his eyes wandered around the room, hoping none would overhear their conversation of bounties. "Do you have a place to stay? I have a room at the hostel down the street, it is warm enough and lacks the wandering ears of a place like this. The cold should let up by morning."
Satura hesitated when he mentioned a hostel room and what she assumed was the offer to stay with him for the night. For a moment she considered the idea, thoughts of long gone days passing her by, but in the end, she dismissed the thoughts, figuring that it was too long ago now, memories too far gone, and affections long since faded. "Offer appreciated, but I think I ought to just pay for a room of my own when I get there. However, I wouldn't mind stopping by your place and talk work... Maybe even catch up a bit?" She spoke, mumbling the last part of her sentence. She re-equipped her armor and tunic, turning back to him, satisfied with the warmth from the heated attire. "Lead the way, my good sir."
Long shadows were cast by the flame of the fireplace which acted not only as the room's source of heat but as its kitchen as well. Gendo sat removed his hat and poncho, hanging them from a hook on the back of the door before sitting down on the couch. The walk from bar to room had been in silence, unsure of exactly what to say to the woman beside him. Afterall, what could he say? What good would words do when he knew her better than anyone and yet at the same time felt he knew nothing about her at all. Time and distance were good at making good friends strangers and he had little idea how much, if at all, their time apart had changed them. "You said you were going to Ishtar on a mission, I don't suppose it is the same one as my mine and many other hunters headed to Ishtar?"
Satura sighed as she leaned back in her seat. "Based on your description, yeah, it appears to be the same mission. This whole ordeal is quickly becoming a race against time. I wouldn't doubt that the surge of mercs will make the target even more cautious than previously." She bemoaned the situation. She looked at Gendo from the corner of her eye, trying to get a glimpse of his reaction and facial clues. She didn't know what hurt her more right now, the fact that she would not be able to help her father with the coin, or that of her heart as it ached with longing for the man beside her. She did her best to subdue her emotions, trying to temper them with reason, but she was not all that successful. "You said earlier that you felt terrible over something... Care to elaborate? Is the mission going sour?"
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly but he blinked it away, leaning his head back as his leg bounced, a habit whenever he felt restless or uncomfortable in any way. "I wouldn't say the mission has even started yet. Not until I've crossed the border. None of the other mercs will attack here in Hylion, too hard to cover up. Vast deserts tend to bury bodies more efficiently than any shallow grave." He said, eyes staring upward at the white ceiling above him for a few more moments as if contemplating something, "I suppose one could say I am still getting over a spell of alcoholism. It has been nearly a year since I stopped drinking but there is temptation everywhere in this line of work. Vices simply come with the job..." He trailed off, still unable to look at her, though, it had now become an unconscious act rather than something he focused on.
Satura playfully scoffed as she found the idea somewhat amusing. The stalwart merc was battling an addiction? It just seemed so surreal that the man she admired would be going through such an issue. "I never knew you for a drinker. Sure, you indulged in a beverage every once in a while, but full on alcoholism? Glad to hear that it is getting better though. What changed? When and why did it start, why did you stop?" she asked, her social cluelessness kicking in to keep her from realizing just what it was that she asked, not taking into consideration her own involvement in this.
Gendo leaned forward in his seat, removing the black gloves from his hands to reveal scarred and calloused hands which he used to wipe sweat from his brow before letting out a quiet sigh and for the first time since he had first seen her in the bar he turned to look at her. His face was as stoic as ever, failing to reveal even the slightest of emotions as though he were wearing a mask made simply to look like his face. "You left," his words felt like acid in his throat, as though finally confronting the problem that lied dormant in the back of his mind would break the wounds held together by weakening tape with every word he spoke. He looked away again and leaned back into the chair as though to make himself as small as possible. "You left, it hurt, and drinking was the only thing that made it stop. It made me forget, and it numbed the pain and every time the numbness would go away faster and faster and I would drink more to bring it back. One day I realized that I can't help myself by hurting myself, that numbing the pain instead of dealing with it only meant that I was numbing any chance of happiness or joy too." He explained but quickly shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, and it still isn't. Our choices are our own, I made mistakes and now I pay for them. I have no one to blame other than the man who put the bottle to my lips."
A knife of guilt stabbed Satura in the heart at his words, twisting, slowly and painfully with every word that followed. It slowly started to fade away, until he mentioned how it was not her fault, which allowed for a last, sharp twist of the dagger. "I never wanted to hurt you... But I had to leave, you know that. Just know that you weren't the only one hurting." Satura spoke as she slowly tried to reach for Gendo, hesitating all the way. She did not wish to tell him details, but she had endured quite a bit of emotional stress during and after her journey when she left.
"I know," Gendo lied through his teeth. In truth, he had little to no idea what was so important to Satura that she would leave, after all the time they had spent together, to throw it all away and leave him heartbroken. He did truly hope that whatever it was she had been after had been worth it. "As I said, I don't blame you for my choices. Your life is your own, there is nothing I could do to change that nor would I want to." He spoke, shifting in his seat in hopes of skillfully avoiding her touch. It was not that he did not long to feel the warmth of her hands but simply fear of having it only to lose it again. Deep down he had held out faint hope that the day would come she would return to him, that he would be able to welcome her own with open arms, and that the two would live happily ever after but he knew such fantasy to be little more than mental falsehood. No matter what he wanted, what he felt, he knew that all was not well and his pain could not be so easily forgotten. "I am happy to see you safe and sound, though, it seems you wish to once more dive headfirst into danger. I have little doubt of your skill but even so, Ishtar is in a fragile state at the moment and Bounty Hunters such as us are not likely to be well received".
His aversion did not go unnoticed by her. Figuring that he did not really want anything like that to do with her, she pulled back and went to as if it had never happened, trying to avert more awkwardness. She made a sound which was something between a scoff and a chuckle before speaking. "I figured as much, but I won't earn my coin unless I try. You if anyone should know though that I am not a push-over-damsel." Satura grinned as she leaned back in her seat, placing her feet on top of the table in front of them, trying her best to assume a nonchalant and carefree disposition. "Any fool trying to get between me and my dough ought to rethink their life choices."
He nodded slowly, "I'm aware." He was indeed aware of her skill and abilities but even so both of them were only human. He could not help but worry for her safety in such a hostile place. Despite believing both of them to be relatively equal combatants, their past made him feel protective of her in a way he did not feel for most. He could not help but wonder if this feeling was indeed love. Not the romantic love that one might feel for a lover but the innocent love of someone who simply cared for someone and wanted to see them healthy and well. In truth, he did not know but lack of understanding does not quell involuntary emotions. "We both seek the same goal, and I believe we would have a better chance of achieving it if we worked together if you are okay with that? In all likelihood, we would meet again as we closed in on our target and so what we need to decide is if it will be as allies or enemies." Gendo explained, and unfeeling coldness in his voice as though he were making a deal with any fellow bounty hunter and not someone with whom he knew intimately.
His cold tone did not go unnoticed by Satura. It was a tone she was well familiar with from back in the day when they were still partners and attempted to bring another into the group temporarily. She turned her head in his direction to look at him and give a cocky smile. "Very well, but seeing as how I will be pulling the big weights, I think we should split it 60/40. Kind of need it for a project. Sound fair?"
A sound of slight amusement escaped Gendo when Satura had finished speaking. "Time moves forward and yet you remain the same. I believe that it would be best to catch our prey before deciding how we will divide the bounty. After all, what we decide will matter little if we wind up dead before we achieve our goal. However, if you do indeed pull your fair share of weight in his endeavor then sure, I do not mind that arrangement. Does that sound good enough?" He extended his hand out to her, waiting to seal the deal between them. While there was no real contract between them most bounty hunters had a code of honor, atleast in their dealings with others of their kind. However, their promises were as good as their word and any deal could easily go sour. Gendo knew four years separated the woman he knew from the one in front of him but old loyalties died hard and he felt little need to question his trust in her.
Satura reached forward and shook his hand firmly, trying to stay as professional as she could. "Sounds good." Was all she said as she let go of his hand, the feel of his hand against hers still lingering. Until now, she had not quite realized just how much she had missed this man. "It'll be just like old times. You and me against whatever and whoever is foolish enough to stand in our way." She said confidently, remembering the neigh unstoppable team they made four years ago, and how much they must have grown so far, probably making them even more dangerous.
"Let us hope so," He said with a small smile as he was amused by her warm confidence and it brought a calm deep within him, one he once only found in absolute silence. With their verbal contract sealed, he stood up, using the poker to stoke the flames of the fire, turning over the logs within the small blaze before turning back to his guest. "It may be best to say goodnight, I would like to leave at sunrise if that is alright with you? We should be able to make it to the first town in Ishtar by nightfall. I have an informant there that will hopefully provide us enough information to find our needle in the haystack." He explained, his tone becoming business-like once more, finding it difficult to part with her again, even if he knew it would only last until sunrise. There was so much he wanted to talk to her about and yet at the same time, he didn't know what to say at all. "Sweet dreams, Satura." An honest and warm tone in his voice even if his eyes did not convey the same range of emotion.
Satura rose up from her seat and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Sleep tight, Gendo. See ya in the morning." She spoke softly as she left the room. WHen she closed the door behind her, she felt a knot let go in her heart which she hadn't even realized she had. Guess I was more worked up about meeting him than I thought... I'm sure it will turn out well. She thought cheerily, trying to convince herself that all would be good and well in the end. She breathed a sigh of relief as she ventured down the stairs to purchase a room for the night.