Ethereal

Suspicious Minds

Martin and I walked into the main hall, sitting beside Criss while he read. He waved to us without looking away from his book, flipping the page slowly.

"How was freezing your arse off?" He asked, finally closing the book and setting it down.

"Lovely." I took in a deep breath of warm air, grateful that my lungs no longer felt like ice.

"So, Cath, word around here is that they need someone for a particularly unpleasant job. You in?" Criss leaned forward onto his elbows, smirking maniacally.

"I don't know. Should we really be jumping straight into things? It hasn't even been a full day."

"Obviously. We wouldn't be us if we didn't."

"I suggest you two stick to your guard duties until you've been trained to handle difficult situations." Martin added.

"You say that now, but I'm willing to bet all of the coin in my pocket that I could be training some of these sorry sods. Criss, what's the job?" I leaned forward, feeling Martin's unease.

"It involves our new friend, here. Martin, we hear that you're in need of an escort to Storhelmon." Criss was smug, looking to Martin. 

"Absolutely not. It's far too dangerous for both of you." Martin shook his head, looking around as to avert our eyes.

"It's a shame he doesn't know our potential. Looks like we'll have to go alone." Criss dramatically sighed and looked back to me.

"You could get hurt. As your general, I suggest otherwise." Martin's voice came out stronger than before, but Criss only laughed.

"What is it?" Martin asked, looking between us.

"I have the least consideration for my own well-being." I said to him.

"You two aren't going to let this up, are you?" He clasped his hands together, seeming stressed.

"Not a chance." Criss chuckled.

"Alright, fine," Martin sighed, "but we aren't due to be there for another two months."

"Sounds good to me. Now, Martin, tell us something. Why are you sitting with the two criminals here versus your equals?" Criss' question surprised me, but I, too, was curious as to why he was.

"If I'm honest, I only recently came here. I'm just as new as you two are." He was so casual about it, but it only stirred more questions.

"Then how are you so high ranked? It doesn't seem like you're new." I wondered.

"Prior knowledge and a friend here. Nathan, actually, asked me to be his second in command. He expects me to lead these men one day." Martin sounded less than pleased about that, but shrugged it off.

"That's a lot of responsibility for someone all at once." I muttered. Martin nodded and smiled for a short moment.

Criss shifted in his seat as we grew silent, but it wasn't awkward. Rather seemed to fit.

"Martin, I would speak with you." Nathan's matured voice startled me, turning to see the older man towering above me as I sat.

"Certainly. Have a lovely lunch, recruits." Martin stood and followed his comrade, disappearing into the armory on the far wall. I let out a breath and looked to Criss, who was sipping from a cup of coffee that I hadn't noticed before.

"He's a strange one." Criss swallowed his drink, clearing his throat and setting the copper cup down.
"He is. Don't you find it odd that he's General but claims to only have been here for a short while, and he keeps following us around? It's... it's unsettling. What if he's up to something?" I let the paranoia get the best of me, looking around to make sure he wasn't going to walk around the corner.