Chapter 151: The Founders of Aleyros (Part 2)
After stopping by his cabin and changing into casual clothes, Kane flies back into Saneth, the capital city of Iasa. A gentle breeze complimented a warm afternoon, and Kane slowed down his momentum as he approached his destination. Taking a look below him, Kane's face shriveled with disgust. People with no ambition, hope, or joy trudged up and down the streets like zombies.
All they know how to do is wake up, eat, go to work, go home, and sleep. It's like that's all they're programmed to do. These people living in the city were all once considered to be so talented, people who wanted to or could become so much more. And the queen stripped their dreams away from them like it was nothing, funneling their hard work and talents toward providing for her and giving almost nothing back in return besides their lives. These might be the people with a house, a steady income, and maybe even a family… I don't even want to think about those who live in the sectors, but what kind of life is this? I don't see a single pair of eyes excited for what tomorrow holds.
With his mind busy, Kane double-checks that a particular alleyway is empty before landing inside it. After wiping some dirt off his jacket and adjusting the hood over his cap, Kane quickly exits the alleyway into the street to avoid bringing attention to himself. Walking across the street to Sepana Diner, he pulls his hand out of his jacket to open the front door.
A little bell rings as Kane walks inside. With an employee's welcome filing into the background noise, Kane looks around the diner, discerning that it's probably not very busy because it's the middle of the afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush. Walking over to the bar, Kane takes in everything around him before finding a seat with no nearby people.
Hm…
A few feet away, an Asian female bartender with navy blue hair is wiping things down and takes notice of Kane.
"Just a moment," says the bartender.
"Take your time, Key. No rush," says Kane, discreetly using orasi to inspect the other customers.
There are some emerged wielders and two evolved, but they're all separated around the diner. Some are probably out of my sight, but I see eight—maybe nine in total right now. As for the non-wielders, I can't tell if they're concealing a weapon or not. These guys aren't amateurs, that's for sure.
"They came in at different times, but only one pair has left since the first wielders showed up," says Key. "What would you like?"
"Whiskey double, please."
Key grabs a bottle and a glass, "Not the usual."
"I talked to Alex this morning, and when I visit Zeris later, Armaros will probably be awake," says Kane as Key pours his drink.
Paired with a brief whistle, Key's eyebrows raise, and she stops pouring momentarily. Rubbing her lips together, she starts pouring more than was asked, and Kane gestures for Key to stop.
"It's okay. I'm fine," says Kane, reaching across the table and grabbing the drink.
"How'd the meeting go?" asks Key, avoiding the topic of Alex.
"Racafi won't wait much longer. They've grown tired of Divine dodging their main demand."
Key rolls her eyes, "What could that possibly be?"
"The shard stash that Divine has kept hidden and secret from the world. One of our captured soldiers must've finally talked."
Key says nothing, and Kane asks, "How have you and Pola been doing with intel gathering?"
"Hit a brick wall with Divine. There's not much else out there that we don't already know."
"And how 'bout your other connections?" says Kane, lifting his glass to his mouth.
"Rumor has it the fifth pure wielder is in Taliarusa."
Kane quickly swallows and lowers the glass, "Rumor or fact?"
"Don't know."
"Hmph."
"We're getting close. Ya sure we should go through with this on our own?"
"The five of us are strong enough to do it, and trusting other people now is out of the question. Adding anybody else will only slow us down, too."
"Zeris and Leo seem to disagree. They both found participants they thought could help us. Pretty sure Leo even secured a legacy wielder."
Kane shakes his head and takes another drink, "Nobody else."
Key and Kane make eye contact, and Key looks past Kane toward other customers who are growing restless. Kane barely nods, and Key walks away to serve other customers.
Behind Kane, the grumbling of a chair scratching along the floor sounds, and Kane sets his drink down. Hearing footsteps grow louder, a bearded man sits beside Kane at the bar. Kane doesn't say anything or look his way, fumbling his fingers on the glass.
Walking back over, Key asks, "And what would you like to have, sir?"
The man snickers and looks her up and down, "You, if you're offering."
"You see, I own the place. You'll have to wait 'til close," says Key with a smile. "How 'bout a drink 'til then?"
"Ah, I'm okay," responds the man, chuckling and putting his hand on Kane's shoulder. "My buddy here has me covered."
Taking the glass from Kane's hand, the man finishes the rest of his drink.
Key briefly glances at Kane before meeting the man's eyes again and saying, "Then I'll leave it to you. Just call me over when you would like to order something else."
The man nods, "Will do, gorgeous. I'll be here all day."
The man deeply exhales as Key walks to the other end of the bar to check on some other customers. Kane continues to avoid eye contact.
"The Halos Guardian. You're not an easy man to track down," he says.
"I only rotate between four different locations," replies Kane.
"And yet you go through the trouble of making it seem like you don't."
"Stop wasting my time. What do you want?"
"Ain't it obvious?" says the man, reaching into his pocket at a folded paper.
Unfolding it and placing it on the bar, Kane sees it's his wanted poster.
'WANTED: THE HALOS GUARDIAN CORE' 'REWARD: 250 MILLION RIMA'
"Your legacy core," says the bearded man.
Kane looks at the man for the first time, "May I ask what your name is?"
"I go by Cascade."
"So you work in the underworld. Who hired you?"
"Now you're wasting my time."
"Your employer should've been more critical with his selection of assailants. If you took this job, you must've heard the stories of what I'm capable of."
"Of course, I have. Only for me, those tales are about to be legends."
Kane grunts and announces loudly so everybody in the diner can hear, "If you're not here with a man named Cascade, leave now. This will be your only warning."
The regulars all look to Key, and she nods. One by one, people get up and start exiting the diner. The already quiet diner became even more vacant as Key advised her employees to take a break. Another string of people leave, and the ringing of a bell slowly drowns out as a man stations himself in front of the door. He turns the lock, closes the blinds, and flips the sign around to display 'CLOSED' to anybody outside.
"Miss. I don't think you should stick around. Your pride as the owner of this lovely diner isn't worth being caught in the crossfire," says Cascade.
"Maybe I just want to see what you're like in action," says Key, walking back over. "I don't bother with men who can't get a little rough."
Cascade chuckles, looking at Kane, "Then I think you'll like what you see."
"Cascade," says Kane, removing his hood and cap as Cascade's cohorts slowly encircle him. "I'm giving you and your friends this sole chance to leave."
Nobody moves a muscle, and after Kane looks around at the twelve people entrapping him, he waits a few seconds before nodding.
"You're all men. How 'bout an old-fashioned fistfight?" proposes Kane, raising his hands.
Cascade smirks, "Fistfighting the Halos Guardian? Don't make me laugh. We know all about your legacy power and how it gives you super strength and armor."
"You see me using any iris?" asks Kane, unbothered. "I don't need my legacy ability to beat you lot. And besides, aren't you trying to impress the lady?"
Looking around, Cascade chuckles, "There are twelve of us. Without iris, you don't have a chance in hell."
Cracking his knuckles, Kane says, "Then put 'em up."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone