Chương 62: Job's Gratitude

Lio was heading for Senna's house, making good on his word to check on her, when he suddenly stopped. He stood in the middle of the street for a moment, with his hands shoved in his pockets. How irksome. Then he briskly stepped sideways into the nearest alley. Folding his arms over his chest, he slid his eyes towards the opposite wall.

"Just show yourself," he said drily.

"The suspense is just boring." A low, dry chuckle came from the shadows. Then Job stepped out. He was wearing the same plain, nondescript dark clothes as when they'd last met, the pale grey eyes behind the masquerade mask sharp and intelligent. He regarded Lio.

"How did you notice me? I don't think my skills have gotten too rusty." Lio offered a thin smirk.

"It's just your aura. It's hard to miss someone who carries that many sins in their heart." Job's lips curved upwards.

"Still playing the mysterious act, huh? Well, I suppose it does suit you." He mimicked Lio's posture, also leaning back against the grimy wall and crossing his arms.

"What happened to Lamb?" he asked bluntly.

"Dead," Lio answered, equally as blunt. Job raised an eyebrow, his tone unruffled.

"You're certain? Why was there no body then?" Lio huffed.

"You think an explosion of that caliber would leave a body behind? He's just ash, Job. Move on." Job nodded slowly, vibrating out a soft hmm from his throat as he looked down at the grime-streaked ground. When he looked back up, his gaze was piercing.

"His rune was… problematic, if I do say so myself. How did you get past it?" Lio tapped a single finger over his lips, his smirk widening.

"Trade secret, my good man." Job stared at him. Then he snorted, waving a dismissive hand.

"Fine. Keep your mysteries. I didn't come here to interrogate you anyway." He straightened up from the wall, brushing a fleck of dust from his sleeve.

"I'll be pulling out of Trestfall tonight. There are a few of my people in the upper floors I need to regroup with, and frankly, this whole operation has rather soured." He tsked, shaking his head.

"I loath it when this happens."

"I imagine you do," Lio replied in a clipped tone.

"Mhm." Job reached into the inner lining of his coat. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a small, dark object through the air. Lio caught it, frowning down at it. It was a piece of volcanic rock, with a slightly glowing sigil etched to the glossy surface.

"What's this?" Job shrugged.

"Payment. I don't know why you helped me out, and I'm sure you have personal motivations, but you still got me out of a jam." He mimicked a crushing motion with his gloved fist.

"If you break it, whichever of my pets is nearest to you will come over as fast as possible." He shrugged.

"I make no guarantees about which one you'll get or how useful they'll be." Lio studied it, turning it over. It didn't seem like it had any tracking sigils, or some sort of malicious curse. Satisfied, he pocketed the stone.

"Rather generous of you." Job began to retreat toward the far end of the alley. As he reached the entrance to the adjoining street, he stopped. He glanced back over his shoulder, giving a small scoff.

"I wouldn't rely too heavily on the stone though," he said.

"Given that Lamb was arguably the strongest of the lot, and a damn gas explosion killed him so easily." Lio nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind." Job offered a final, mocking two-finger salute before stepping out into the street, disappearing within seconds into the crowd, as nimbly and fast as he'd appeared. ◈◈◈◈ A few minutes later, Lio stood in front of Senna's door, scrutinizing the wreath of dried flowers. He had one goal here: give Senna the final push to join his party before their week in Trestfall ended. Phase one of his plan was over. See, phase one had mostly been the introduction of himself as someone reliable to Senna.

And because her psychology orbited a single wish of wanting to feel chosen, this exploited her past trauma. Simply, Lio had let her feel the feeling of self-importance that she had always been wanting for her entire life. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Now for phase two, he would have to make her addicted to that feeling. Lio laid his fist on the door, meaning to knock. But it simply slid open, completely unlocked and unlatched. He stepped inside.

The small house was dim, with no lit lamps or candles, the curtains still drawn from the night before. With no signs of struggle or upturned furniture, there luckily were no signs of burglary or any of that sort. Everything was the same. Well, almost the same. There was an unconscious person in the house. Lio glanced down at the floor, where, barely two feet from the doorway, laid Senna. She had barely made it inside.

She was face down on the wooden boards, her Union uniform torn horribly, thin cuts adorning her legs and arms. Her hair was loose and fanned around her head, the back matted with dark dried blood. Lio closed the door shut tightly behind, then crouched beside her. He pressed two fingers to her neck, checking for her pulse, and found it strong and steady. Then, he checked the place on the back of her head where the matting of dried blood was the worst. He found a small scalp wound, ugly but shallow.

It wasn't life-threatening. Head wounds bled a lot, but were rarely as serious as they appeared. Still, it needed treatment, lest it got infected. He stood up, and began rummaging around the house's shelves and cabinets. He quickly gathered the largest pot he could find—filling it with water and setting it over the small iron stove to heat— and a stack of clean white towels. Then, he found Senna's Union-issued medical kit. It was well-stocked and organized, which would make his job easier.

Bringing everything back, Lio set it out on the floor beside her. While waiting for the water to heat up, he carefully turned her over, guiding her onto her back. He stroked her pale face, gently running a finger over a big purple bruise across her cheekbone. Still, she didn't stir. When the water was warm enough, he dipped the first towel in, and got to work. First, he cleaned the scalp wound, letting the hot moisture dissolve the hardened blood, then checked the freshly revealed wound.

As he had thought, it was incredibly superficial. Next, he cleaned the small cuts with antiseptic, working the debris out of the raw skin. She had also somewhere taken a blow on her ribs, and the bruising looked dark and painful. He ran a hand over the area, until he was satisfied nothing was broken. Finally, he wrapped her limbs in clean bandages from her kit, while applying a thin compress to the cut in her head..

Lio was in the process of cleaning the graze on her cheek with a folded corner of the clean towel when she let out a small whimper. His hands stilled, as he looked down just in time to watch her eyes open. Senna gave a slow blink, awfully disoriented. As she stared up at Lio, there was no recognition in her eyes for a second, her mind still snagged on thick cobwebs. Then she blinked again, and the light returned to her pupils. Lio flashed a small smile.

"You awake?" Senna didn't answer. Her dry lips cracked open slightly, her expression awfully raw and defenseless. She stared at him intensely, as if he might dissolve if she dared to look away.

"You're okay," she whispered. Lio reached out and poked her side, his voice one of teasing.

"What? You thought that a little knife like that could kill me?" Her lower lip quivered.

"You're really okay, right?"

"Yeah," Lio replied soothingly. The dam broke. Senna's features crumpled, as her eyes turned glassy and wet. Still, she didn't look away from him. Even as the first tear spilled over her cheek, she kept her gaze locked on him. She lunged forward, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, and burying her face against his chest.

"I-I'm so glad you're okay." Senna began to weep, violent tremors shaking her entire body. She pressed her face even harder into his coat, sobbing with everything she had.

"I thought—" she choked out.

"I thought you were dead. There was so much blood—" She wailed even louder. Lio patted the back of her head.

"Hey, I'm all good."

"I know," she blubbered.

"I know, but I can't stop—I'm so sorry—""Don't apologize," he said softly. Her shoulders heaved.

"No, if I had used my rune sooner, you wouldn't have been hurt." She shook her head fervently against him.

"And after the explosion, I couldn't find you anywhere. So I thought—" She failed to finish the sentence, turning back into a bawling mess. Lio sighed, stroking her head more.

"I know, it's okay." Senna just cried even harder. And so, Lio held her while she cried herself empty. It took a long time, but eventually, her erratic breathing leveled out while the shaking in her shoulders slowed. She still didn't let go, but she shifted her position, resting her cheek against his chest, her damp lashes fluttering as she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"You were hurt badly, and I'm only being a burden." Lio chuckled.

"You're not a burden." She groaned, hiding her face behind her hands.

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not," he said, grinning.

"Lying is bad, you know." A small, wet giggle escaped her. Then she went quiet for a moment, letting her head sink even deeper into the safety of his chest before speaking again.

"I can't do this again."

"Do what?" Lio asked. She poked him hard on the chest.

"This stupid waiting." A dark look passed through her face.

"I'm always waiting. Waiting for you to come back from your delve, waiting for you to come back unhurt, waiting to see if you're even still alive." She wagged her head violently.

"No, I don't think I can do that again. I don't think I'm built for it." Lio frowned down at her.

"What are you—""I know it's stupid," she continued, interrupting.

"But…" She looked up at him, her red-rimmed eyes filled with determination.

"I want to come with you," she said.

"I want to be part of your Delver party." Lio grimaced, hesitating for a second before speaking again.

"Senna… but you stopped delving because—" She pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him.

"I know. But like I said, I can't do this anymore." Lio stared down at her. Then finally, he let out a long sigh of surrender.

"Okay," he mumbled reluctantly. Relief flooded her face, a bright, brightening energy returning to her. She pressed her face back into his chest, closing her eyes as the tension finally left her.

"Thank you," she whispered. Lio didn't look at her. He stared at the opposite wall, his eyes frigid and affectionless. Phase two, complete.