06-29-2018, 11:14 PM
Jericho Wallace was a shrewd business man. The Vasty Deep was hostile and filled with unexpected dangers, but Wallace had built a whole business empire out of nothing. A combination of his own smarts and strategically maneuvering in and out of Imperial controlled waters had allowed him to construct his own private island resort. Not bad for a secondary. Now he’d hired a crowd of mercenaries, bounty hunters, pirates, and the like for a grand mission. They’d arrived not long ago, and been given luxurious accommodations and amenities, including means to watch the ever popular Dante’s Abyss as it occurred. It was one of the highest end, all inclusive paid vacations you could find. Only the best to set them up for what they were about to go through.
A knock on the door of his luxurious office suite caught his attention, as expected. He’d requested one of the mercenaries meet him in private before his grand presentation to the others in the morning. Jericho stood from his desk as he pressed a button on it. A buzz indicated his wooden door unlocking, and he smiled to see Abner White.
“Welcome, can I offer you a drink?” Jericho offered, gesturing to a mini-bar built into his office.
“Of course,” Abner said, moving right over to mix himself something. Might as well get something good out of this.
Jericho chuckled. He knew the man’s reputation. “You look a lot different than you did during that Dante’s Abyss two years ago.”
Abner didn’t respond as he poured his drink.
“How come you didn’t go back last year or this year?” Jericho asked.
“Did you actually watch it?” Abner asked, showing clear bewilderment.
“I did, very intently,” Jericho admitted. “That’s how I learned you were once a secondary and became a prime.”
Abner paused, remembering that had come out. Whoops. He took a large gulp of his whiskey.
“In a land where impossible feats are preformed by supernatural beings of all shapes and sizes daily, that one stands above the others to me,” Jericho continued, taking a sip from his own drink. “The rest is just tales in Omni’s playground.”
“Funny,” Abner admitted. “I think I called it the same thing once.”
“What do you remember of your world before this one?” Jericho suddenly changed the topic.
“War,” Abner shrugged, remembering the place he’d honed his only real skillset. “Not much else worth mentioning there.”
“Were you ever there, though, really?” Jericho continued to press. “Secondaries, we were all summoned by primes, sometimes with vivid memories of a world before this one. But were actually present in these places?”
“I don’t know,” Abner answered without missing a beat. “We’re here now, though, so what does it matter?”
“Secondaries have always gotten the short end of the stick in this world,” Jericho explained. “To the point where we might not even be what our memories tell us. Just empty shells designed by the uncaring gods of this land.” He walked closer to the vagabond. “You fascinate me, Abner, because one with experience as a secondary and a prime is so beautifully rare. You’ve seen all the sides of this world. You understand how twisted it is but have the means to shape it.”
Abner took a step back, lowering his drink. This was getting weird.
“The year after you disappeared, Tearen Wover appeared in Dante’s Abyss,” Jericho continued. “He explained to us all that Diablo could rise at any moment. Last time that happened…”
“I remember,” Abner curtly interjected.
Jericho smiled at the veteran stormtrooper. “I suppose you do.”
“I’m sorry, what exactly are we talking about, here?” Abner asked with confusion evident.
“Just pondering the realities of the world with someone that understands them better than most. After all, it keeps me up at night,” Jericho smiled. “I was honored when you agreed to my little mission.”
Abner wasn’t exactly used to this level of hero worship, but he wanted to be on the good side of the rambling man that would pay him well. So he gave a clearly forced smile and took another sip of his drink. Jericho chuckled, seeing the man’s discomfort.
“I’m sorry to keep you occupied,” Jericho apologized with a hand wave. “Go get settled like the others. “Enjoy the hotel and everything in it. Tomorrow evening will be the briefing.”
Abner nodded, and set his empty glass on the table. “Thanks for the drink.”
Jericho watched as the former Imperial made his way to the door. A question burned in his mind, so as Abner touched the doorknob he spoke again.
“What kind of god was Omni?”
Abner froze. That had made it out, too. What did he say? Uncaring? Apathetic? He didn’t want to play his hand, but remembering the countless fallen he’d seen and his experience in the Oververse, he couldn’t help but let a little bitterness slip out.
“What you’d expect after looking at the world around us,” Abner spat out, but never turned.
Jericho nodded, and Abner departed. The businessman walked back to his desk and looked out his window. He gazed over the sea in silent contemplation.
A knock on the door of his luxurious office suite caught his attention, as expected. He’d requested one of the mercenaries meet him in private before his grand presentation to the others in the morning. Jericho stood from his desk as he pressed a button on it. A buzz indicated his wooden door unlocking, and he smiled to see Abner White.
“Welcome, can I offer you a drink?” Jericho offered, gesturing to a mini-bar built into his office.
“Of course,” Abner said, moving right over to mix himself something. Might as well get something good out of this.
Jericho chuckled. He knew the man’s reputation. “You look a lot different than you did during that Dante’s Abyss two years ago.”
Abner didn’t respond as he poured his drink.
“How come you didn’t go back last year or this year?” Jericho asked.
“Did you actually watch it?” Abner asked, showing clear bewilderment.
“I did, very intently,” Jericho admitted. “That’s how I learned you were once a secondary and became a prime.”
Abner paused, remembering that had come out. Whoops. He took a large gulp of his whiskey.
“In a land where impossible feats are preformed by supernatural beings of all shapes and sizes daily, that one stands above the others to me,” Jericho continued, taking a sip from his own drink. “The rest is just tales in Omni’s playground.”
“Funny,” Abner admitted. “I think I called it the same thing once.”
“What do you remember of your world before this one?” Jericho suddenly changed the topic.
“War,” Abner shrugged, remembering the place he’d honed his only real skillset. “Not much else worth mentioning there.”
“Were you ever there, though, really?” Jericho continued to press. “Secondaries, we were all summoned by primes, sometimes with vivid memories of a world before this one. But were actually present in these places?”
“I don’t know,” Abner answered without missing a beat. “We’re here now, though, so what does it matter?”
“Secondaries have always gotten the short end of the stick in this world,” Jericho explained. “To the point where we might not even be what our memories tell us. Just empty shells designed by the uncaring gods of this land.” He walked closer to the vagabond. “You fascinate me, Abner, because one with experience as a secondary and a prime is so beautifully rare. You’ve seen all the sides of this world. You understand how twisted it is but have the means to shape it.”
Abner took a step back, lowering his drink. This was getting weird.
“The year after you disappeared, Tearen Wover appeared in Dante’s Abyss,” Jericho continued. “He explained to us all that Diablo could rise at any moment. Last time that happened…”
“I remember,” Abner curtly interjected.
Jericho smiled at the veteran stormtrooper. “I suppose you do.”
“I’m sorry, what exactly are we talking about, here?” Abner asked with confusion evident.
“Just pondering the realities of the world with someone that understands them better than most. After all, it keeps me up at night,” Jericho smiled. “I was honored when you agreed to my little mission.”
Abner wasn’t exactly used to this level of hero worship, but he wanted to be on the good side of the rambling man that would pay him well. So he gave a clearly forced smile and took another sip of his drink. Jericho chuckled, seeing the man’s discomfort.
“I’m sorry to keep you occupied,” Jericho apologized with a hand wave. “Go get settled like the others. “Enjoy the hotel and everything in it. Tomorrow evening will be the briefing.”
Abner nodded, and set his empty glass on the table. “Thanks for the drink.”
Jericho watched as the former Imperial made his way to the door. A question burned in his mind, so as Abner touched the doorknob he spoke again.
“What kind of god was Omni?”
Abner froze. That had made it out, too. What did he say? Uncaring? Apathetic? He didn’t want to play his hand, but remembering the countless fallen he’d seen and his experience in the Oververse, he couldn’t help but let a little bitterness slip out.
“What you’d expect after looking at the world around us,” Abner spat out, but never turned.
Jericho nodded, and Abner departed. The businessman walked back to his desk and looked out his window. He gazed over the sea in silent contemplation.