Give and Take

Nico studied the silver-haired woman. Her gray eyes were full of stubborn resolve, and in her heart burned defiance so overwhelming it made everyone else's appear dull or pedestrian.

Clad in lustrous armor like a spirit of light, her single, white, purifying soul flared within his senses as a beacon of flame splendid as the sun.

"You're Nephis. Smile of Heaven's daughter."

As soon as the proclamation left his mouth, her emotions shifted.

He loathed her unease.

Despite the hex of his Specter, his Flaw was active at such close proximity. It fed him her emotions on a plate carved from lead.

She replied, her voice cold, aloof:

"I am. And you are... Nico?"

His eyes half-lidded. Deigning her no response, he took a step in the direction of his house instead.

"You wanted answers."

With calm strides, he veered towards one of the side streets, beckoning her to follow.

A skeptical gaze tracked him for a moment, and then Nephis trailed a few steps behind, time passing in silence as Nico ordered his thoughts.

'How much to tell?'

The last daughter of a ruined clan was a powerful ally to have. With her lineage, the fierce loathing against Gunlaug in her, and no doubt a strong Aspect to back her up, he was inclined to put his trust in her without question.

But, her goals eluded him. Without knowing them, he had no way of determining whether or not she would end up being hindrance or help. He would have to feather the answers needed from her by asking questions and gauging her responses.

Or letting her ask them herself.

There was also the matter of allegiance. Currently he was a member of Gunlaug's Host, and didn't exactly know what, if anything, he should do about Nephis. Not to mention he was an adopted child of Song. He knew well what had happened to her father and clan. Should he align with her... things could get messy.

'It doesn't matter right now.'

First, he would give her what she needed to know and work from there.

After a brisk walk they reached his house. Thanks to its foundation built of piled bricks, a roof of reinforced chitin and severed hides, and framed constructed from all the salvaged wood he could find, it almost looked like a real, small cottage.

His home had assembled quite well.

Leading her in, he closed the door behind him and took a seat on the corner of his bed. It was meager but comfortable enough.

Nephis remained standing.

He rose a brow, then pointed at a chair off to the side.

No reaction showed on her face, but he deciphered her awkwardness beneath the mask.

After taking a seat, she waited for him to speak.

A minute or so passed.

Nico, staring off at the door with conflicted thoughts, felt her impatience — a silent question — and turned towards her.

Bitterly, he mentally wished for Shaman to release his hex enough for his Attribute to strengthen, then began:

"You want to know how I know your name."

Before she could ask how he knew that too, his eyes flitted to the floor.

"To answer your question, we have never met before, but I can sense your soul. You have inherited the lineage of Sun God."

A frown creased her features.

"I see... but how can you recognize the lineage of a god? Mere knowledge of that is not shared lightly."

Nico hummed to himself and scratched his wrist.

"Because I am a son of Heart," he said, then shrugged. "Well, technically, anyways."

Before shock could echo in her features, his voice resumed:

"But what I am now is a Sleeper on the Forgotten Shore; beholden to Gunlaug and forbidden from attempting to leave. You intend to change that, yes?"

Her rigid posture tightened further. She nodded.

Nico met her eyes.

"Ask your questions, then."

***

Nephis stared at the Sleeper for a moment. Their meeting felt... rushed. For a moment, she found it hard to believe he'd been so willing to cooperate, and impossible to understand how he was so perceptive. Then, her gun metal eyes locked with his and, brushing aside her other questions, she asked:

"You're of Heart? How?"

Something changed behind Nico's face. He was unmoved but seemed subtly irritated. A hand reached upwards and swept his bangs back.

"I was born and abandoned."

Nephis was shook. If that meant what she thought it meant, then... he was the son of Asterion? She had never really known if he was the one who claimed that lineage, but it was who she suspected.

'Why was he abandoned, then?'

Before too long passed, she decided that instead of trying to press him for more, that was more than enough learned and continued onto more important topics.

"The Bright Lord," she started, gripping the arm rests. "Where does his strength come from?"

Boredly, he replied:

"A Transcendent Echo from the dark sea. It is impenetrable, and his Aspect useless — allows him to traverse the waters uninhibited."

After that, she asked the next, and the next, and soon hours had passed within the quaint home, each subsequent response bringing more and more confusion and dread to her mind.

'A Fallen Terror...'

There was a gateway. It was the Crimson Spire — a monumental pilar of coagulated coral and a home to the labyrinth's true ruler and sole monarch. That was how the Second Lord of the Bright Castle had fallen, and his predecessors in search of escape from it.

Still, even that was hopelessly far away. The state of things in the Dark City were utterly miserable. Gunlaug was unrivaled, and his six lieutenants unassailable extensions of his sovereign will. The Host — the Castle Guard, Hunters, Pathfinders, Handmaidens, and Artisans — controlled life within the fortress to a tee, only a meager few existing outside that design. 

'Then why is he still here?'

Nephis' gaze settled onto the quiet Sleeper. His eyes were closed, head and back resting against the wall as he answered her questions without much difficulty. Something about him just didn't fit into the picture of the Bright Castle's politics. Was it his demeanor? His power? It seemed like no one else really knew what to make of him, either, besides the fact he was strong and indifferent.

Why had he shared knowledge with her so freely, and why was he here in the outer settlement? Was it because the Bright Lord wanted him gone?

'Yes. Most likely.'

Finally, she asked:

"And why are you here now?" 

Despite her lack of clarification, he seemed to interpret it as her asking why he was talking to her at this moment, and not why he was in the slums, because he said:

"You're strong. Your conviction is firm, and the Bright Lord's weak."

Nephis arched a brow.

"Meaning?"

His eyes opened, still turned towards the ceiling.

"Meaning I have no reason to deny your conquest. Rather, I mean to join it." 

He tilted his face towards her.

"My loyalty is to my own goals, and you seem... adequate enough to aide in them."

A hardened expression sharpened Nephis' features.

Her verdict had been made. This man was too much of a wild card to accept among her number without further consideration. Both by herself and by Sunny and Cassie.

"For someone trying to sell their services you're arrogant. You're isolated, too. The Bright Lord placed you here intentionally. People view you as estranged. Why should I entertain such a risk?"

She stood up, ignoring the subtle wrongness in Nico's expression. Walking towards the door she said over her shoulder:

"Regardless, you've given me enough for now. I'll come back when I've decided I need to know more."