Façades

[Proto Man]

“I appreciate everything you continue to do for Darkshire,” Dmitri muttered as he produced two small wooden boxes. “These are just tokens to show how grateful the town is for the services you have rendered.”

The pair of friends accepted the little containers and opened them up to find they contained little pins with the emblem of the town on them. Proto Man smiled at the little trinket, while Mireya merely grunted and snapped the tiny box shut. The android elbowed the woman in the hip—a gentle reminder for her to not get too out of line. For whatever reason, she had quickly soured over the last ten days. Proto Man didn’t like to see her in this state. She seemed perpetually frustrated or angry with things he couldn’t see or figure out, and the last thing he wanted was for her to make a rash decision that could wind up getting her hurt or worse.

“Thank you, Commander,” Proto Man replied as he gently closed the little box and slipped it into the little pouch they contained his other possessions. “Do you need anything more from the two of us?”

Dmitri shook his head, although the machine could tell like the man wasn’t being genuine. The officer’s posture and body language weren’t as relaxed as usual, and his heart rate seemed slightly elevated. “The two of you are free to go. I’ve even went so far as to set up a small escort to take you to the gate.”

“Eager to get rid of us?” Mireya snorted, causing the man to bristle beneath his armor.

“Of course not,” he replied with a strain in his voice. “I just want to ensure that the two of you are safe as you head outside the walls.”

Proto Man didn’t know what to really believe, but he wasn’t the type of robot to turn down someone’s kindness. “Thank you,” he spoke before Mireya had the chance to do so. “We’re ready to go.”

“Excellent,” Dmitri muttered. “You’ll find three men on horseback waiting for you at the main gate… I hope to see you both again when my workload isn’t so burdensome.”

Once again, Mireya snorted as she turned and left the room. Proto Man merely thanked the officer a final time before heading to join his companion. When he reached her, he scowled up at her as they walked through the building. “The man hasn’t done anything to insult you, has he? That was pretty cruel of you back there.”

The half-night elf frowned as they exited the dilapidated structure. “I just don’t trust these people anymore, Blues, and I don’t think they trust us. I’m thinking these little baubles here and all the other stuff is just a fancy way for them to sweep us away so we can’t yap to the wrong person.”

“But we’ve done nothing but help them,” Proto Man shot back, although he knew the woman probably wasn’t far off from the truth. “We could still help them…”

“Let them sort out their own affairs, Blues,” Mireya replied, her calmed tone a marked departure from how she had addressed Dmitri. “There are other people in the Omniverse who need help and who want it. You’re always so quick to thank them for their hospitality, but it should be they who thank you…”

“I wouldn’t want to be arrogant or an egotist,” Proto Man mumbled as the pair rounded the corner and found themselves at the main gate. With soldiers now in earshot, they ended their conversation, and after exchanging pleasantries with the three horsemen, they were ushered out of Darkshire. As they galloped away, Proto Man glanced over his shoulder one final time at the grimy, dilapidated town. Would it still be there the next time he entered the Pale Moors?